EN हिं

NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Chapter 4 Vitamin-M (prose) — Vocabulary and Structures in Context

Book page 111–116 Updated on2026-09-08

Q1.
I. Classify the words given in the box on the next page into movement words in Column 1 and sound words in Column 2. One example has been done for you. [Word box on page 112] pottering | boomed | twirling | crouch | bustle | crawl | creeping | thudded | ducked | shrieks | zigzagging | whirr | evicted | briskly | sprinting | grunted | jumping | darted | trailing | snoring Column 1: pottering Column 2: boomed Now, fill in the blanks with appropriate words from Column 1 or Column 2. Detective Shankar, 1. _____ the mysterious suspect through the dimly lit side lanes, away from the 2. _____ of the city, quickened his pace 3. _____. The suspect’s heavy footsteps 4. _____ across the street, unaware of the pursuit. Shankar 5. _____ his magnifying glass had to 6. _____ behind the market stalls, 7. _____ through the lanes to avoid being seen. Shankar 8. _____ when he hit himself against a pole. This alarmed the suspect and he 9. _____ into the night leaving only the distant 10. _____ of the sleeping city behind.
Answer

The classification. Ask of each word: does it name a way of moving or a noise?

Column 1 — movement wordsColumn 2 — sound words
pottering (example)boomed (example)
twirlingthudded
crouchshrieks
crawlwhirr
creepinggrunted
duckedsnoring
zigzagging— and bustle, if you hear it as noise
evicted
briskly
sprinting
jumping
darted
trailing
bustle
The one word that can go either way: bustle. The book glosses it on page 99 as “busy activity”, which is movement — so Column 1 is the safer answer. But the story writes “the noise and bustle of city life”, and a bustling market is certainly something you hear, so Column 2 is defensible if you say why. Also note that the printed grid has more rows than there are words; twenty words do not divide evenly between the two columns.

The passage. Fill each blank by asking what the sentence needs — a way of moving, or a noise — and then which form of the word fits the grammar.

No.WordWhy
1.trailingFollowing a suspect — the very word Grandpa uses on page 109, glossed as “following”.
2.bustleNeeds a noun after “away from the ___ of the city”; the story uses the identical phrase, “the noise and bustle of city life”.
3.briskly“Quickened his pace ___” needs an adverb of manner; briskly means quickly and energetically.
4.thuddedThe sound heavy footsteps make — a dull, heavy noise. Past tense fits the narrative.
5.twirlingAn -ing form describing what his hands are doing as he moves, exactly like “twirling his walking stick jauntily” on page 102.
6.crouch“Had to ___” needs the base form, and only crouch and crawl are in the base form. Bending low behind a stall is crouching — see page 103, where Ravi has to “crouch behind a bush”.
7.creepingMoving slowly and quietly “to avoid being seen” — the story’s own phrase is “creeping behind the bushes”. Zigzagging is possible grammatically, but it describes the shape of a path, not secrecy.
8.gruntedA short involuntary noise made on being hurt — he has walked into a pole. Past tense.
9.dartedMoved suddenly and very fast: “darted into the night”. It matches “alarmed” in the previous clause.
10.whirr“the distant ___ of the sleeping city” needs a noun naming a low continuous sound — compare “the gentle whirr of Grandpa snoring” on page 107. (Snoring is arguable, but whirr suits a city.)
Why this exercise sits in this story: almost every word in the box is lifted from Vitamin-M itself, because the story runs on verbs of movement and noise — Ravi crawling, crouching, ducking and sprinting; the vendors booming and shrieking. The comedy is physical, so the vocabulary is physical. Doing this exercise is really a way of noticing how the writer built the chase.
Q2.
II. Study the highlighted word in the given sentence from the text and fill in the boxes with synonymous words. You may refer to a dictionary. Off he went, twirling his walking stick jauntily, leaving Ravi in a dilemma. 1. QU_ ND_ _ Y DILEMMA 2. PR_ D _ C _ M _ NT
Answer

1. QUANDARY    2. PREDICAMENT

WordMeaningThe shade of difference
dilemmaa situation in which one must choose between two options, both of them difficultStresses the choice. Ravi must either hurt Grandpa or disobey his mother.
quandarya state of uncertainty about what to doStresses the confusion — being stuck, unable to decide.
predicamentan unpleasant situation that is hard to get out ofStresses the trouble itself; there may not even be a choice to make.

My own sentences: I was in a quandary about whether to tell my brother that I had broken his cricket bat. Having lent my only pen to a friend in the next row, I found myself in a predicament when the answer sheets were handed out.

Why dilemma is the exact word here: Ravi is not merely confused and not merely stuck — he has two real duties pulling in opposite directions, and the story spells both of them out in the very next sentence: “His grandfather would feel hurt if he insisted on accompanying him and his mother would be furious if she knew Ravi had let him go out on his own.” Two options, both costly. That is a dilemma in the strict sense.
Q3.
III. Fill in the table given below. Check your answers with the help of a dictionary. [Table on page 113 with columns: Word | Meaning | Part of Speech | Synonym | Antonym, for the words: 1. craftily 2. dilemma 3. furious 4. boomed 5. humiliation 6. attire]
Answer
WordMeaningPart of SpeechSynonymAntonym
1. craftilyin a clever, sly way, so as to get what one wantsadverbcunningly, slyly, shrewdlyopenly, honestly, artlessly
2. dilemmaa situation requiring a choice between two equally difficult optionsnounquandary, predicamentcertainty, solution
3. furiousextremely angryadjectiveenraged, livid, incensedcalm, pleased, delighted
4. boomedspoke or sounded in a deep, loud, resonant voiceverb (past tense of boom)thundered, bellowed, roaredwhispered, murmured, muttered
5. humiliationthe feeling of being made to look foolish and of losing one’s self-respectnounembarrassment, mortification, disgracepride, dignity, honour
6. attireclothes, especially of a particular or formal kindnoun (also a verb: to attire)clothing, dress, garb—; the nearest is undress / nakedness

Each word in its place in the story: “‘Good,’ said Grandpa craftily” (101) · “leaving Ravi in a dilemma” (102) · “his mother would be furious” (102) · “a loud voice boomed” (103) · “The ultimate humiliation was when Ravi had to crawl out of the park” (103) · “a white pyjama and shirt, which was Grandpa’s standard attire” (105).

Tip on parts of speech: the -ly of craftily marks the adverb (compare the adjective crafty), and the -tion of humiliation marks the noun made from the verb humiliate. Word endings are the quickest reliable clue in this column. Note also that attire has no true opposite — some words simply do not have one, and saying so is a better answer than inventing a wrong pair.
Q4.
IV. Match the emotions/expressions in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. One meaning is extra. Column 1 (Emotions/Expressions): 1. embarrassed 2. countered 3. flushed 4. stricken 5. gleam Column 2 (Meanings): (i) affected severely by an unpleasant feeling (ii) to be confused (iii) expression of emotion (iv) reply to an argument (v) felt uncomfortable (vi) became red in the face
Answer
Column 1Column 2The line in the story that settles it
1. embarrassed(v) felt uncomfortable“feeling most embarrassed when the vendors sitting under the tree gave him quizzical looks” (page 103)
2. countered(iv) reply to an argument“‘Have you forgotten?’ countered Grandpa, very seriously” (page 108) — he is answering her charge with a charge of his own
3. flushed(vi) became red in the face“Ravi’s mother flushed…” and then “flushed a darker shade of red” (page 108)
4. stricken(i) affected severely by an unpleasant feeling“darted a stricken look at the calendar” (page 108) — the look of someone struck by a realisation
5. gleam(iii) expression of emotion“whether the twinkle in Grandpa’s eye was an innocent gleam or a mischievous one” (page 109)

The extra meaning is (ii) “to be confused” — it has no partner in Column 1. It does describe Ravi (“Ravi just looked confused and embarrassed”), but no word in the left column actually means confused.

Notice what these five words have in common: all of them are ways of showing feeling without saying it — a red face, a struck look, a light in the eye. That is how the last two pages of this story work. Nobody announces anything: Vidya’s guilt is a flush, Grandpa’s triumph is a gleam, and Ravi’s guilt is a confused face. The vocabulary exercise is teaching you to read exactly the signals the ending depends on.
Q5.
V. Read the highlighted words in the following phrases from the story. Now, revisit the story and underline the prepositions. 1. I’ll just walk across to the corner shop… 2. … he felt a shadow fall over him… 3. …the vendors sitting under the tree… 4. Ravi took position behind a big banyan… [Box on page 114: Prepositions are words used to show the relationship of a noun or pronoun to other words in a sentence, often indicating direction, location, time, or manner.] Now, fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions. I walked (i) _____ (through, between, against) the village, crossed a bridge (ii) _____ (over, under, beside) a brook, and found a quiet garden (iii) _____ (among, near, across) a cottage. Sitting on a bench (iv) _____ (on, at, in) the garden, I enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. Later, I strolled (v) _____ (beside, through, along) a riverbank, exploring the forest and heading (vi) _____ (into, towards, beyond) the unknown.
Answer

The prepositions to underline are the words that fix each noun in space:

  1. I’ll just walk across to the corner shop… — across shows movement from one side to the other
  2. … he felt a shadow fall over him… — over shows position above
  3. …the vendors sitting under the tree… — under shows position below
  4. Ravi took position behind a big banyan… — behind shows position at the back of

The passage:

No.AnswerReason
(i)throughYou pass in at one end of a village and out at the other — through is movement inside and out again. Between needs two things; against means opposition or contact.
(ii)overA bridge is built above the water and you cross over it. Under would put you in the brook.
(iii)nearSimple proximity — the garden is beside the cottage. Among needs three or more things; across would mean on the far side.
(iv)inA garden is treated as an enclosed area, so you sit in it. (Compare: on a bench, at a table.)
(v)alongAlong means following the length of something — a riverbank is a line, so you stroll along it. Through would take you into the water.
(vi)into“Heading into the unknown” is the fixed expression — entering something. Towards is also acceptable, but it stops short of entering, which weakens the sense of the sentence.
Why this story is a good place to learn prepositions: the entire chase is told through them — Ravi crouches behind a bush, crawls out of the park, ducks behind the benches, creeps behind the bushes, hides behind a banyan tree, peers through the windows of a car, and pushes his way to the front of the bus. Take away the prepositions and there is no chase left at all — you would know what Ravi did, but not where he was in relation to his grandfather, which is the only thing that matters in a tail.
Q6.
VI. Read the following dialogues from the story. 1. “Shall we play chess or watch the cricket match on TV, Grandpa?” asked Ravi. 2. “Who are you?” said the little boy’s mother. 3. “What did you both do today?” asked Ravi’s mother. 4. “Have you forgotten?” countered Grandpa. 5. A small child came up to him and asked, “Are you playing hide and seek?” Now, choose the correct answer. A. The words in the quotes are (i) _____ (exclamatory/interrogative) sentences. B. Sentences 1, 4, and 5 are (ii) _____ (Wh-/Yes, No type) interrogative sentences. C. Sentences 2 and 3 are (iii) _____ (Wh-/Yes, No type) interrogative sentences. So, there are (iv) _____ (two/three) types of interrogative sentences. [Box on page 115: The words in quotes are the exact words of the speaker, hence known as direct speech. In indirect speech or reported speech, somebody else reports these words at some other time and at some other place.] D. Let us have a quick glance at a few guidelines to remind you of the changes while transforming from direct form of speech to indirect. You can ask your teacher for more inputs. [Tables on page 115: Present → Past; Past → Past Perfect; Present Progressive → Past Progressive; Past Progressive → Past Perfect Progressive; here → there; today → that day; tomorrow → the following day; now → then. Pronouns: I → he/she; we → they; you → he/she/they; our → their. Steps to Remember: Both Wh- type and Yes/No type — convert the interrogative sentence into a declarative sentence; Yes/No type — use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ next to the reporting verb; Wh- type — use the same ‘wh’ word next to the reporting verb.]
Answer

(i) interrogative. Every one of the five ends in a question mark and asks for information. An exclamatory sentence expresses sudden feeling and ends in an exclamation mark — as in “Grandpa’s cap!” — which none of these does.

(ii) Yes, No type. Sentences 1, 4 and 5 begin with a verb — Shall, Have, Are — and can be answered with yes or no.

(iii) Wh- type. Sentences 2 and 3 begin with a question word — Who, What — and cannot be answered with yes or no; they demand information.

(iv) two.

SentenceTypeTest
1. “Shall we play chess or watch the cricket match on TV, Grandpa?”Yes/No typeBegins with the auxiliary Shall. (It offers a choice, but it is still built on a helping verb, not a wh- word.)
2. “Who are you?”Wh- typeBegins with Who; the answer must be a name or description.
3. “What did you both do today?”Wh- typeBegins with What; the answer must be an account.
4. “Have you forgotten?”Yes/No typeBegins with Have; answer: yes or no.
5. “Are you playing hide and seek?”Yes/No typeBegins with Are; answer: yes or no.

D. Applying the guidelines. The two rules that matter are: (a) the reported question must be turned into declarative word order — subject before verb, no question mark; and (b) the link word is if/whether for a Yes/No question, and the same wh- word for a Wh- question. Tenses shift back one step, and pronouns and time words change with the new speaker.

Direct speechIndirect (reported) speech
“Shall we play chess or watch the cricket match on TV, Grandpa?” asked Ravi.Ravi asked Grandpa whether they should play chess or watch the cricket match on TV.
“Who are you?” said the little boy’s mother.The little boy’s mother asked who he was.
“What did you both do today?” asked Ravi’s mother.Ravi’s mother asked what they had both done that day.
“Have you forgotten?” countered Grandpa.Grandpa countered by asking if she had forgotten.
A small child asked, “Are you playing hide and seek?”A small child asked if he was playing hide and seek.
Check it yourself: the commonest mistake is leaving the question word order in place — “Ravi’s mother asked what did they do that day.” Once a question is reported it is no longer a question; it is a statement about a question. So: “asked what they had done”.
Q7.
VII. Read the following conversation. Arvind: Do you help in taking care of your grandparents at home? Priya: Yes, I do. We take turns making sure they’re alright. Do you have grandparents living with you? Arvind: No. My parents and I visit my grandpa every weekend. How do you manage your grandparents’ medical needs? Priya: We have a schedule for giving medications and visits to the doctor. Now, complete the following sentences in reported speech. Arvind asked Priya if she 1. _______________ for which Priya replied in the afÏrmative and said that they 2. _____________. Priya further asked Arvind 3. _______________. Arvind replied in the negative and said that 4. _______________ every weekend. He further enquired 5. _______________. Priya responded by saying that they 6. _______________.
Answer

The completed paragraph:

Arvind asked Priya if she 1. helped in taking care of her grandparents at home, for which Priya replied in the afÏrmative and said that they 2. took turns making sure they were alright. Priya further asked Arvind 3. if he had grandparents living with him. Arvind replied in the negative and said that 4. his parents and he visited his grandpa every weekend. He further enquired 5. how she managed her grandparents’ medical needs. Priya responded by saying that they 6. had a schedule for giving medications and visits to the doctor.

The three changes to make in every blank:

ChangeRuleSeen here
Word orderA reported question becomes a statement — subject first, no question mark, and no do/does/did as a question-forming auxiliary“Do you help…?” → “if she helped…” (not “if did she help”)
TensePresent → Past; Present Progressive → Past Progressivehelp → helped; take → took; are → were; have → had; manage → managed; visit → visited
PronounsI → he/she; we → they; you → he/she; your → her/his“your grandparents” → her grandparents; “We take turns” → they took turns; “My parents and I” → his parents and he

Link words: blanks 1 and 3 report Yes/No questions, so they take if (or whether); blank 5 reports a Wh- question, so it keeps how. Blanks 2, 4 and 6 report statements, so they take that — already supplied in the printed sentence.

Tip: the phrases “replied in the afÏrmative” and “replied in the negative” are how reported speech handles a bare “Yes, I do” and “No”. You do not report the word yes or no itself.
Was this helpful? Report an error