NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English - Oh, I Wish I’d Looked After My Teeth

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS (SOLVED)

Q1. On the basis of your reading of the poem, complete the following table.

Ans :

Q2. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct choice :

(a) The title ‘Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth’ expresses ___________.
(i) regret
(ii) humour
(iii) longing
(iv) pleasure

Ans : (iii) regret

(b) The conscience of the speaker pricks her as she has ___________.
(i) been careless
(ii) been ignorant
(iii) been fun-loving
(iv) been rude

Ans : (i) been careless

(c) The speaker says that she has paved the way for cavities and decay by ___________.
(i) eating the wrong food and not brushing
(ii) not listening to her mother
(iii) laughing at her mother’s false teeth
(iv) not listening to the dentist

Ans : (i) eating the wrong food and not brushing

(d) The tone of the narrator is one of ________.
(i) joy
(ii) nostalgia
(iii) regret
(iv) sorrow

Ans : (iii) regret

Q3. Answer the following questions.

(a) But up and down brushin’
 And pokin’ and fussin’
 Didn’t seem worth the time – I could bite”
 What do these lines convey?

Ans : The poet used upward and downward strokes to brush her teeth. She used a lot of toothpaste but all proved in vain. She was not able to bite and eat properly. These lines convey the poet’s regret and loss of valuable time, when she could have cared for her teeth.

(b) Why did the poet go to the dentist? How could she have avoided it?

Ans : The poet had neglected her teeth. Decay, cavities had already appeared and there was no way the visit to the dentist could have been avoided. If she had not been so careless and stubborn in youth, this could have been avoided.

(c) “If you got a tooth, you got a friend.” What do you understand from the line?

Ans : Friends stay with us through thick and thin. They help us tide over our problems and share our joys. Similarly, our teeth are our permanent friends and we enjoy life through them.

(d) With reference to the poem, how can you look after your teeth?

Ans : We must avoid eating sweet sticky food nor gorge on too many sweets or candies. When we eat them occasionally, we must brush immediately. Moreover, we must also keep our will-power in check and resist them.

(e) Give an appropriate proverb that conveys the meaning that this poem carries.

Ans : The most appropriate proverb that comes to my mind after reading this poem is : “Prevention is better than cure.” Had the poet followed it, she would not have to go to the dentist.

Q4. "I can't afford to, after what Jack's done to his teeth." What is it, you think, you can not afford to do and why? Write a diary entry of not less than 125 words.

Ans.  

Tuesday, 20th June 2023

10 pm

Dear Diary,

I can’t risk it, especially after seeing what happened to Jack’s teeth. Today, I ran into Jack after almost a week. He hasn’t been at school lately because he’s been going to the dentist for tooth pain. The dentist warned him that more trouble could be coming if he didn’t stop eating chocolates. It was awful seeing him in so much pain. Just thinking about going to the dentist makes me shudder. I can’t afford to have candies, chocolates, or ice cream anymore. I really don’t want to end up like Jack. They say it’s better to prevent problems than to deal with them later, and I’m going to take that advice seriously.

Q5. In line 35, the poet has misspelt the word ‘amalgum’. Why do you think she has done that? Discuss.

Ans. The poet misspelled 'amalgum' as a play on words, hinting at her attraction to chewing gum, which is sticky and chewy. It's a pun that adds a playful twist to the poem.