Class 9 English Chapter 9 Important Question Answers - If I were you

Very Short Answer Type Important Questions

Q1. Who entered Gerrard's cottage?

Ans: An intruder entered Gerrard's cottage.

Q2. Why did the intruder enter Gerrard’s cottage?
Ans: The intruder was a criminal who had committed petty crimes and murder, and he wanted to kill Gerrard and take on his identity to escape being caught.

Q3. How did Gerrard react to find the intruder in his room?
Ans: Gerrard was shocked and scared to see an armed stranger in his cottage, but he tried to conceal his feelings and pretended to welcome the intruder. The intruder asked Gerrard to keep his hands up, remain calm, and answer his questions about Gerrard's personal life.

Q4. What did Gerrard tell the intruder about his childhood?
Ans: Gerrard told the intruder that he was kidnapped by gypsies in his childhood.

Q5. What was Gerrard’s Christian name?
Ans: Gerrard's Christian name was Vincent Charles.

Q6. What did the intruder tell Gerrard about his specialty?
Ans: The intruder told Gerrard that his specialty was stealing jewels.

Q7. What did the intruder want to know of Gerrard?
Ans: The intruder wanted to know how Gerrard spoke and how he interacted with people.

Q8. Why did the intruder want to hurt but not to kill Gerrard?
Ans: The intruder wanted to hurt Gerrard to get answers to his questions before killing him.

Q9. What is Gerrard’s profession?
Ans: Gerrard is a playwright.

Q10. What crime had the intruder committed?
Ans: The intruder had killed a policeman.

Q11. Where did Gerrard imprison the intruder?
Ans: Gerrard imprisoned the intruder in a cupboard.

Short Answer Questions

Q1. Describe Gerrard’s appearance.
Ans: Gerrard is of medium height and wears horn-rimmed glasses. At the start of the play, he is dressed in a lounge suit and a great coat. He speaks in a cultured tone, and his demeanor is self-assured.

Q2. What did Gerrard tell the intruder about himself? Was he telling the truth? Why/Why not?
Ans: Gerrard joked with the intruder, telling him that he was kidnapped by gypsies as a child and was now alone in life. He was not telling the truth and was instead trying to show that he was not afraid of the armed criminal. Gerrard began inventing stories about himself as the play progressed.

Q3. What sort of information does the intruder want from Gerrard?
Ans: The intruder wants personal information from Gerrard, such as whether he lives alone, his Christian name, whether he has a car, and whether people visit him. This information is crucial for the intruder's plan to evade the police by taking on Gerrard's identity.

Q4. What made Gerrard ask the intruder, Are you an American”?
Ans: Gerrard asked the intruder if he were an American as he had called him a ‘wise guy’. The guy is a colloquial American expression for a man. Hence, the usage of this word by the intruder made Gerrard ask him this question.

Q5. What sort of a person is the intruder? Give examples to illustrate.
Ans: An intruder is a dangerous person as he is carrying a pistol and claims to have killed a cop. He is mean, heartless and crafty, for he plans to kill Gerrard and assume his identity in order to escape the police. He is over-confident because he claims that Gerrard is no match for him. He is also boastful, uncouth, and uncultured so as is evident from a remark he makes, ‘Put up your paws’.

Q6. The intruder announced, “I’m going to kill you”. Was Gerrard nervous? How would you describe Gerrard’s reactions?
Ans: Confident of his presence of mind, Gerrard remained unruffled of being threatened by the intruder. He remained so calm and too nonchalant that the intruder was irritated. His sense of humour also enraged the intruder. Thus, Gerrard reacted in a calm and composed way.

Q7. Why does the intruder intend to kill Gerrard?
Ans: The intruder is a criminal who is being chased by the police for having murdered a cop. As per his plan, the intruder intends to kill Gerrard in order to take on his identity and avoid being caught by the police. In this way, he can lead a peaceful life without being haunted by the fear of arrest and punishment.

Q8. Who was the intruder in Gerrard’s house? Why did he break into his house?
Ans: The intruder, who broke into Gerrard’s house, was a criminal. He had murdered a cop and was being chased by the police. He intruded into Gerrard’s house with the intention to murder him and impersonate his identity to evade the police.

Q9. How did Gerrard behave on seeing a gun-toting stranger in his cottage?
Ans: Gerrard kept his cool and remained absolutely unruffled when he saw the gun-toting stranger in his cottage. There was neither any panic nor any ring of tension in his voice. He remained his normal self and talked to him casually.

Q10. Why does the intruder not kill Gerrard immediately?
Ans: The intruder does not kill Gerrard immediately because he first wants to get all the necessary information from him. Without this information, his plan to disguise and act as Gerrard will not succeed.

Q11. Where did Gerrard live? Why was it a suitable place for the intruder’s plan?
Ans: Gerrard lived in a lonely cottage in a secluded place in the wilds of Essex. With hardly any population around, it was easy for one to commit a crime without getting detected. In addition, the place was visited by only a few people. Therefore, it was suitable for the intruder to carry out his plan successfully over here.

Q12. Why does the intruder call himself ‘a poor hunted rat’?
Ans: The intruder describes himself as ‘a poor hunted rats’ because he is being chased by the police and he has to keep dodging them. He has killed a cop and is trying to escape punishment by hiding like a rat being chased by a cat.

Q13. Why did the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wanted to take on?
Ans: The intruder picked Gerrard because both of them were of the same physical structure. Moreover, as Gerrard lived alone, did not meet any people, and had irregular hours and habits, he thought it would be easy to kill him and assume his identity, and this way lead a life of peace. He will be away from the reach of the law.

Q14. Why has the criminal been called an intruder all through the play?
Ans: An intruder is a person who forces his way uninvited and unwelcome like a criminal. He is called an intruder throughout the play as after forcing his way into Gerrard’s cottage, he is trying to grab Gerrard’s identity as well. Moreover, he refuses to tell Gerrard anything about himself, even his name.

Q15. Bring out the contrast between Gerrard and the intruder.
Ans: Coarse, crude, boastful, and an irritable egoist, the intruder is overconfident and thinks that he is the smartest one around. Gerrard, on the other hand, is pleasant, cool-headed, refined, lively, and very intelligent, but a modest and humble person. Although Gerrard does not brag, he proves to be much smarter and more intelligent than the intruder.

Q16. Why did very few people come to Gerrard’s house? Who were the few people who visited him?
Ans: Gerrard lived all alone in a secluded place and his theatrical performances made his schedule irregular. He was hardly at home, so very few people came to his house. He was visited only by his regular suppliers like the baker, the greengrocer, and the milkman.

Q17.”They cannot hang me twice.” Who says this and why?
Ans: The intruder says this because he is already wanted for having murdered a cop. If he manages to kill Gerrard, as per his plan, the punishment for this murder too, like the first one, will be a death sentence. Hence, he cannot be hanged twice by the police.

Q18. ”A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
Ans: Gerrard, the speaker, proposes to explain the mystery about his queer life in which he has an irregular routine, refuses to see tradesmen, goes away, and comes back to the house hurriedly. Gerrard has already concocted a story attributing his strange behaviour to his being a criminal wanted in many cases of crime.

Q19. ”This is your big surprise”. Who says these words in the play? When and where? What is the surprise?
Ans: This has been said by Gerrard when the intruder asks him to clarify how he could still be killed after assuming Vincent Charles Gerrard’s identity. This is a surprise for the intruder who never suspected Gerrard to be a criminal. According to his information, Gerrard seemed to be the perfect person who could be easily eliminated and then impersonated.

Q20. Why and how did Gerrard persuade the intruder to get into the cupboard?
Ans: Gerrard concocted a story about his own criminal background. He gave the intruder the impression that the police were looking for him and he expected a telephone call from a friend informing the police’s arrival. So when the telephone rang, he hurried the intruder into the cupboard and told him that it was connected to the garage which was an escape route.

Q21. How does Gerrard propose to use the intruder’s episode?
Ans: Being a man of the theatre, Gerrard is amused at being able to turn the tables on the intruder. He finds the episode of outwitting a criminal by a clever but an innocent man so interesting that he proposes to use it as a plot for his next play.

Q22. Gerrard describes this encounter with the intruder as an amusing spot of bother’? What light does this attitude reflect on Gerrard?
Ans: Any other person in Gerrard’s place would have been paralysed with fear under such circumstances. But Gerrard finds it an amusing spot of bother’ as his nonchalant (calm and casual) approach makes him handle the situation comfortably and outwit the intruder with ease.

Q23. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that
Ans: support your answer. Gerrard is associated with theatre as a writer, producer and director. He also supplies props and makeup materials to other theatre agencies. The following facts reveal his profession clearly.

• He tells the intruder that his actions are ‘melodramatic’ but not ‘very original’.
• He welcomes the intruder as a ‘sympathetic audience’.
• He comments on the intruder’s ‘inflection of voice’.
• He tells someone over the phone that he cannot deliver the props in time.
• He also tells that person that he had ‘an amusing spot of bother’ which he might put into his next play.

Q24. Why was Gerrard’s schedule so irregular?

Ans: Having a theatrical background, Gerrard devoted time to writing, producing and directing the plays. He also supplied other theatrical companies with props and make-up items. Therefore, his schedule was irregular as it had to suit the requirements at the theatres.

Q25. Gerrard said, ‘You have been so modest’. Was Gerrard being ironical or truthful?
Ans: Gerrard’s remark ‘you have been so modest’ was ironical. The intruder had been boasting of his intelligence and smartness. Hence, Gerrard taunted him about his modesty and asked him to say something about himself.

Q26. Why did the intruder enter Gerrard’s cottage?
Ans: The intruder resembled Gerrard. He had committed a murder. He made a plan to save himself from the police. He decided that after killing Gerrard he would take on his identity and live without any fear. So he entered Gerrard’s cottage.

Q27. Why did the intruder want Gerrard to speak to him?
Ans: The intruder wanted to take on Gerrard’s identity after killing him. But before killing him he wanted to know how Gerrard talked and how he dealt with people. He could know this only when Gerrard spoke with him. So he wanted him to speak with him.

Q28. What crime had the intruder committed?
Ans: The intruder was a jewel thief. When he was being chased by the police, he killed a policeman. So he was wanted for murder also

Q29. Why did he send for the sergeant?
Ans: A jewel thief and murderer entered Gerrard’s cottage. He wanted to kill Gerrard also. Gerrard shut the murderer in a cupboard. Then he phoned the police. I sent for the sergeant to get the intruder arrested.

Q30. How does Gerrard imprison the intruder and save his life?
Ans: Gerrard asks the intruder to run away from there with him because the police may come at any time. He opens a door. He says that this door leads to the garage. The intruder steps in. It was the cupboard door. Gerrard pushes the intruder in and shuts the door. Thus he imprisons the intruder and saves his life.

Also Check at EduRev:

• Summary: If I were You
• NCERT Solutions - If I Were You

Important Long Answer Type Questions

Q2. The intruder is boastful. He threatens Gerrard, “I’ll make you crawl” Was he able to carry out his threat? What happened to him?
Ans: An intruder forcibly enters Gerrard’s room. There is a revolver in his hand. His intentions are evil. He threatens to kill Gerard. But Gerrard talks pleasantly to him. The intruder is surprised. He thinks that Gerrard is playing a trick. He tells him to stop playing smart. He boasts that he is intelligent. He threatens Gerard, “I’ll make you crawl.” But the subsequent happening shows that an intruder is a foolish person. Instead of making Gerard crawl, he finds himself shut in a cupboard in the end. The intruder wanted to know more about Gerrard. But Gerrard makes him talk about himself. He discloses that he is a jewel thief. He has murdered a policeman. Now he is running from the police. He resembles Gerrard. His plan is to kill Gerrard and live in his room under his name. Gerrard guesses rightly that the intruder is not intelligent. He plays a clever game and shuts him in a cupboard. Then he calls the police. Thus the boast of the intruder is proved wrong

Q3. Gerrard says, “In most melodramas, the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated. Does this statement holds good for the play ‘If I Were You’?
Ans: In most melodramas, the playwright wants to make the hero successful. The villain in the play wants to kill the hero. But he presented as someone who is foolish. He goes on delaying the killing for one reason or the other. In the end, his plans are frustrated and the hero is able to get the better of him. The same thing holds good for this play. In this play, the villain is the intruder. He resembles Gerrard. So he wants to kill Gerard and live under his name. He has gathered a lot of information about Gerard. But he does not know that Gerrard is a stage actor. He can act well. Gerrard poses to be pleased with seeing the intruder. He talks to him in a tactful way. He makes the intruder talk about himself Thus he goes on delaying the killing. This gives Gerrard enough time to plan to get rid of him. In the end, the intruder’s plan of killing Gerrard is frustrated and he is shut up in a cupboard.

Q4. The best way to deal with a crisis is not to lose your calm. Discuss this statement with reference to the behaviour of Gerrard in the play.
Ans: A cool person is more successful than a person who loses his temper or acts rashly. In this play, Gerrard saves his life by acting calmly. Moreover, he is able to catch the murderer also. It would not be possible if he lost his calm. An ordinary person is terrified of seeing an intruder with a gun in his hand. He acts foolishly. The person fears that he may not harm him. So, generally, in such cases, the criminal kills his victim. But Gerrard does not lose his calmness and patience. He poses that he is pleased to see the intruder. He talks to him in a friendly manner. He makes the criminal talk about himself. This gives Gerrard enough time to plan his line of action. Thus Gerrard was not frightened to see the intruder: This calmness saved his life.

Q5. Why was Gerrard packing a bag at the beginning of the play? How did it help him to outwit and trap the intruder?
Ans: Gerrard was packing a bag at the beginning of the play as he had to deliver some props to some theatrical company for rehearsal. When the intruder broke into his cottage and threatened to kill him, Gerrard did not lose his cool. He spontaneously concocted a story that he himself was a criminal and was trying to dodge the police. This story was supported by the bag, the gun, the disguise outfit, false moustaches etc. All this misled the intruder into believing that Gerrard was telling the truth. He was so convinced that he got ready to escape along with Gerrard. He did not doubt him any longer and unsuspectingly did what he was told to, eventually getting trapped. Hence, the bag played an important role in convincing the intruder that Gerrard too was a criminal like him and was preparing to flee when he broke into his cottage.

Q6. Bring out Gerrard’s intelligence, the presence of mind, and sense of humour. How did these traits help him outwit the intruder?
Ans: Being an intelligent person, Gerrard did not show even the slightest of nervousness at the sight of the gun-toting criminal. He knew that his cool-headedness and presence of mind would not only help him to manage the crisis but would also contribute towards unnerving the intruder, who too must be having some fear lurking in his mind. Keeping the atmosphere light and lively with his sense of humour and funny remarks, Gerrard instantly cooked up a story about his criminal background. Convincing the intruder that the police would arrive any minute to nab them, he impressed upon the intruder that they would have to escape immediately. Cleverly, he made him peep into a cupboard, saying that it was an escape route. The moment the intruder leaned forward to inspect it, Gerrard pushed him into the cupboard and knocked the revolver out of his hand. He then closed and locked the door. Thus, his intelligence, sense of humour, and presence of mind turned the tables on the intruder.

Q7. Why did the intruder find Gerrard’s cooked up the story of his criminal background convincing?
Ans:-Far from being gullible the intruder suspected every move of Gerrard. He snubbed him when Gerrard tried to begin a conversation regarding the intruder’s identity and curtly told him to answer only what was asked. However, he unsuspiciously walked into Gerrard’s trap because the latter did not lose his cool and employed his presence of mind to cook up the story that he too was wanted by the police. Actually, Gerrard supported his claim of being a criminal by showing the intruder his bag full of disguise outfits and false moustaches etc. The intruder did not know about the theatrical background of Gerrard and hence found his story convincing. He believed that Gerrard was actually trying to evade the police. Hence, the unsuspecting intruder walked into Gerrard’s trap. This indicates that although he claimed himself to be the smartest person around, he was in fact not very intelligent. He was outwitted by a smarter Gerrard who foiled his evil plan.

Q 8. Imagine you are Gerrard. Write a letter to your friend describing what happened when the intruder broke into your house.
You may describe:

• The intruder’s appearance
• his way of speaking, mannerism, and movement
• his plan to evade the law
• your success in outwitting him

Ans:-(Address)
 (Date)
Dear ……….
Today I am feeling extremely excited to share with you a very interesting experience which I think may form the plot for my next play.
It so happened that today, in the afternoon, when I was about to leave my cottage with my bag to supply props and make-up at the Globe Theatre, I heard somebody hit against the table in my room. On turning, I saw a man with a physique like mine, wearing a very gaudy overcoat. Aiming his gun at me, he told me in an uncultured manner to put my “paws up”. He did not. shoot me at once because he needed some information about me. He told me that he had killed a cop and was having a difficult time dodging the police. He wanted to kill me and take up my identity to escape arrest.
But will you believe it that I foiled his plan by outwitting him through a concocted story? I maintained my cool and told him that I myself was a criminal charged with murder. I warned him that if he assumed my identity after killing me, he would still be arrested and executed. I told him that I was expecting an alert call from one of my friends, and just then the phone rang. Actually, the call was from one of my clients at the theatre who wanted confirmation about the props that I had assured to supply.
My story worked perfectly and when I offered the man to escape with me in my car, he agreed readily. I asked him to peep into the cupboard which I claimed was connected to the garage and the secret escape route. When he learned to peep, I pushed him in the cupboard, snatched his gun, and locked him.
I then answered the phone and asked the caller to send the sergeant to arrest the criminal.
I’m sure you too will find this a smart enough act to be used as a plot for the next play. We can plan the details when we meet on Sunday.
Your loving friend
Gerrard

Q9. The intruder’s plan was clever but not feasible. Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Ans: On the face of it, the intruder’s plan to kill Gerrard and assume his identity appeared to be a very clever one. However, its execution was not a feasible one. In the first place, had Gerrard been killed, the disposal of his body would have created problems for the intruder and there are chances that his crime would have been detected and he would have been caught. If by chance, he could have managed to deal with this part of the drama, suspicions would have risen in the minds of his theatrical clients on being unable to contact Gerrard. They would have certainly sought help from the police in this regard and eventually, the intruder would have been arrested. Hence, the plan of the intruder, however perfect according to him, was not a feasible one. Theoretically, it appeared simple and fool-proof but it was far too complicated in reality to be carried out flawlessly.