NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Chapter 8 Believe in Yourself (poem by Robert Langley) — Vocabulary in Context

Book page 251–253 Updated on2026-09-08

Q1.

I. The phrase ‘status quo’ is a Latin expression that translates to ‘the state in which’ or ‘the existing state of affairs.’ Over time, it has become a popular term used in English to refer to the current situation or condition, especially when things remain unchanged. There are other Latin terms commonly used in English. Read a few given below along with their meanings. [Table on page 251 — Latin expression / Meaning: 1. et cetera (etc.) — And other things; and so on 2. exempli gratia (e.g.) — For example 3. ad hoc — For a specific purpose or situation, often temporary 4. in media res — Into the middle of things; starting at a crucial point of the story or situation 5. per se — By itself; fundamentally 6. quid pro quo — A favour or advantage given in return for something] Now, fill in the blanks in the given sentences with the Latin expressions used in English from the table. (i) I enjoy reading fantasy books, _________ Harry Potter and Magical Paint Brush.

Answer

e.g. (exempli gratia)

I enjoy reading fantasy books, e.g. Harry Potter and Magical Paint Brush.

How to tell e.g. from etc. — the two are constantly confused.

e.g. comes before the examples — it introduces them
etc. comes after a list — it closes it, meaning ‘and other things of the same kind’

Here the blank sits before two named books, so it must be e.g. In question (iii) the blank comes at the end of a list, so it must be etc. Position in the sentence decides the answer, not meaning.

Two points of usage: both abbreviations are written with full stops (e.g., etc.), and you should never write “etc.” after a list that already begins with “e.g.” — the two would say the same thing twice. Also, do not use e.g. in formal letters and essays; write ‘for example’ instead, as the Writing Task on page 242 requires.

Q2.

I. (ii) After helping Tanya with the homework, Ritu asked for a _________ to borrow her notes next time.

Answer

quid pro quo

After helping Tanya with the homework, Ritu asked for a quid pro quo to borrow her notes next time.

The grammar clue is the article ‘a’. The blank follows “asked for a ___”, so the answer must be a noun phrase that can be counted. Of the six expressions, only quid pro quo works that way — you can ask for a quid pro quo; you cannot ask for a per se or an etc. In a word-box exercise, the small function words around the blank often settle the answer before the meaning does.

Literally ‘something for something’. The phrase covers any exchange of favours — help given today for help expected tomorrow. It is neutral in ordinary use (as in Ritu’s fair swap), but in politics and business it carries a faint suspicion of a deal that ought not to have been made. Context decides its flavour.

Q3.

I. (iii) I love all kinds of outdoor activities, such as trekking, hiking, biking, _________.

Answer

etc. (et cetera)

I love all kinds of outdoor activities, such as trekking, hiking, biking, etc.

Two confirmations in the sentence. First, the blank comes at the end of a list — the position of etc. Second, the list has already been introduced by “such as”, which does the job e.g. would have done, so the introducing word is taken and only the closing word remains. A sentence that already contains ‘such as’ can never need ‘e.g.’ as well.

Write it correctly: etc., not ‘ect.’ It stands for et cetera — Latin et ‘and’ + cetera ‘the rest’. Use it only when the remaining items are genuinely of the same kind and the reader can guess them; ending a vague list with ‘etc.’ to avoid thinking is a habit worth losing.

Q4.

I. (iv) The park is not very special _________; it becomes more fun when you visit with friends.

Answer

per se

The park is not very special per se; it becomes more fun when you visit with friends.

Why the sentence needs exactly this phrase. Per se means ‘by itself, considered on its own’, and it is used to separate a thing from its circumstances. The semicolon that follows makes the contrast explicit: the park on its own is ordinary; the park plus friends is fun. Remove ‘per se’ and the sentence loses its logic — “The park is not very special; it becomes more fun with friends” no longer explains what changed.

Everyday examples: “I do not dislike Maths per se — I dislike the way it is taught.” / “The rule is not unfair per se; the way it is applied is.” Notice that in both, per se lets the speaker accept part of a thing and reject another part. It is a precision instrument, not decoration.

Q5.

I. (v) We created an _________ team to organise the school festival.

Answer

ad hoc

We created an ad hoc team to organise the school festival.

Two clues. Grammatically, the blank sits between “an” and “team”, so it must be an adjective describing the team — and ad hoc is the only adjective in the table. In meaning, a festival committee is formed for one purpose and dissolved when the festival is over, which is precisely what ad hoc (‘for this’) describes: made for one specific purpose, and temporary. Note also the article an, which tells you the missing word begins with a vowel sound.

Careful with the second sense. Ad hoc is neutral when it describes a committee (formed for one job) but slightly critical when it describes a method — “the school’s ad hoc approach to timetabling” suggests decisions made case by case, without a system. Both uses are correct; the tone comes from the noun it modifies.

Q6.

I. (vi) The movie started _________, with the hero already fighting the villain in a huge battle.

Answer

in media res

The movie started in media res, with the hero already fighting the villain in a huge battle.

The word ‘already’ is the whole clue. If the hero is already in the middle of a battle when the film begins, then the story did not start at the beginning — it started at a crucial point, with the earlier events still to be explained. That is exactly in media res, ‘into the middle of things’. The phrase names a technique of storytelling, not a moment in time, which is why it is used here of the film and not of the battle.

Where you have met it without knowing the name. The Mahabharata as recited by Vaishampayana, Homer’s Iliad, and most action films open this way — plunge the audience into the action, then supply the backstory through flashback or narration. The effect is to buy attention first and explanation later. The more common Latin spelling is in medias res; the book prints in media res, so write it as your textbook does.

Q7.

II. The line , ‘Will it pull you forward/or push you back in fear?’ is a rhetorical question. A rhetorical question is a question that doesn’t require an answer because it is used to make the reader think or reflect on a particular idea. 1. Read the following rhetorical questions and state what they intend to achieve. (i) Isn’t it obvious that we must act now? Don’t we all have a responsibility to make a change?

Answer

They intend to create urgency and to make the responsibility feel shared — pushing the listener to accept, as something already obvious, that action must be taken and that it is everyone’s duty to take it.

How the two questions work, and why they are in that order:

Question	What it does
“Isn’t it obvious that we must act now?”	Establishes urgency — and does it by declaring the point already settled. If the need to act is “obvious”, then anyone who disagrees is not merely wrong but slow.
“Don’t we all have a responsibility to make a change?”	Establishes shared duty. The word we puts the speaker inside the obligation, so the sentence commands without sounding like an order — and the listener cannot agree without being included.

The device inside the device: the negative question. Both begin with a negative — “Isn’t it…?”, “Don’t we…?” — and that is not accidental. A negative question assumes the answer is yes and merely invites confirmation. Compare: “Is it obvious that we must act now?” genuinely asks. “Isn’t it obvious…?” tells you what to think and dares you to object. That is why negative questions are the standard equipment of speeches, advertisements and campaigns — and why noticing them is a useful defence.

Where you will use this. The Writing Task on page 255 asks you to draft a speech and specifically instructs: “Use persuasive tone — don’t you agree …/…, isn’t it?” That instruction is asking for exactly this device. One or two such questions in a speech are effective; five become bullying, and an audience feels it.

Q8.

II. 1. (ii) Will we let fear control us, or will we rise above it?

Answer

It intends to shame fear and rouse courage — by offering two choices of which only one is bearable, so that the listener chooses courage without being told to.

How it achieves that. The question is built as an alternative, and the two alternatives are not weighted equally:

“let fear control us” — the verb let makes the listener passive and complicit. Nobody wants to be the sort of person who allows that.
“rise above it” — an upward image, dignified, active, and offered second, so it is the last thing the listener hears.

Because the second option is obviously the only respectable one, the question is not really a question at all: it stages a choice in order to make one answer impossible. The listener supplies the resolve, which is far more effective than being handed it.

Compare it with Langley’s line, which the book has just quoted. “Will it pull you forward / Or push you back in fear?” has the same shape — two alternatives, one plainly better, fear on the losing side. But there is a real difference in who acts. In Langley’s question the future does the pulling and pushing; the reader is the object of the verbs. In “Will we let fear control us…?” the listener is the subject, and fear controls only by permission. The second is the more demanding question, because it has already removed the excuse.

Notice the pronoun once more. “We”, not “you”. A speaker who says we is standing with the audience and admitting to the same fear — which makes the challenge feel like solidarity rather than accusation. Change it to “Will you let fear control you?” and the same words become a rebuke.

Q9.

II. 2. Match the situations in Column 1 to the rhetorical questions in Column 2. Column 1 (i) Deciding whether to stand up for what is right (ii) Owning up to a mistake made in a group project (iii) Deciding whether to try something challenging, like public speaking (iv) Choosing between two career paths (v) Deciding whether to apologise for a mistake (vi) Trying something new and stepping out of your comfort zone Column 2 A. How can we ever grow if we never try anything new? B. Isn’t it better to admit our mistakes than to let them define us? C. If I don’t take responsibility now, when will I? D. Can I really move forward without knowing which path to take? E. What’s the point of playing it safe if it means staying stuck? F. How can we stay silent when we know what is right?

Answer

Situation	Question	The word that decides it
(i) Standing up for what is right	F	“How can we stay silent when we know what is right?” — the phrase what is right is repeated verbatim from the situation, and silent is the opposite of standing up.
(ii) Owning up to a mistake in a group project	B	“Isn’t it better to admit our mistakes…?” — the plural our matches the group; the verb admit matches owning up.
(iii) Trying something challenging, like public speaking	A	“How can we ever grow if we never try anything new?” — trying is the action in question, and growth is the reward that would justify the risk.
(iv) Choosing between two career paths	D	“…without knowing which path to take?” — the only question in the column that mentions a path, and the only situation that offers a choice between two options.
(v) Deciding whether to apologise	C	“If I don’t take responsibility now, when will I?” — singular I, and the pressure of now, which is what an unmade apology feels like.
(vi) Stepping out of your comfort zone	E	“What’s the point of playing it safe if it means staying stuck?” — playing it safe is the comfort zone named in other words; stuck is the poem’s stagnation.

The two pairs that have to be separated carefully.

(ii) and (v) are both about mistakes. Split them on the pronoun: B says “our mistakes” — a group project; C says “I” — a personal apology. The grammar, not the topic, tells them apart.
(iii) and (vi) are both about attempting something new. Split them on what each question emphasises: A is about the gain (“how can we ever grow”), which suits deciding to attempt a specific challenge; E is about the cost of refusing (“staying stuck”), which suits the comfort zone. Situation (vi) even uses the phrase comfort zone, and E is the only question that attacks comfort.

Two of these questions come straight out of the poem’s world. E’s “staying stuck” is the status quo of stanza 3, and A’s “how can we ever grow” echoes “This isn’t how we grow” almost word for word. The exercise is quietly asking you to recognise Langley’s argument in someone else’s sentences — which is the real test of whether you have understood it.

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