Class 9 English Poorvi Chapter 2 Friendship: 30 MCQs with Detailed Answers

The 2024–25 CBSE Class 9 English syllabus emphasizes objective assessment through multiple-choice questions. MCQs test not just recall but comprehension, inference, and critical thinking—skills essential for both Class 9 FA/SA exams and the Class 10 board. Chapter 2 of Poorvi carries significant weightage in objective sections because it blends narrative understanding with grammar elements (tenses, dialogue punctuation). By practicing MCQs, you train your brain to: (1) identify the main idea and supporting details in complex texts; (2) recognize character motivation and emotional nuances; (3) apply grammatical rules to real dialogue; (4) spot trap options that misinterpret the text. The CBSE examiner expects you to not just know *what* happened in *The Unlikely Best Friends*, but *why* the friendship works and *how* the author conveys this through language. MCQ practice builds speed and accuracy, two non-negotiables for a 3-hour exam paper.

Easy questions focus on direct textual recall and basic comprehension. These are your confidence-builders and should be solved in 30–45 seconds each. **Q1.** In *The Unlikely Best Friends*, what is the main barrier between the two friends at the start? (A) Difference in social class (B) Language misunderstanding (C) Geographic distance (D) Religious conflict **Answer:** (A) Difference in social class | **Reason:** The story explicitly establishes that one friend comes from a privileged background while the other is from humble circumstances, and their friendship transcends this divide. **Q2.** Who wrote *A Friend's Prayer*? (A) Ruskin Bond (B) Munshi Premchand (C) Unknown (traditional) (D) Rabindranath Tagore **Answer:** (C) Unknown (traditional) | **Reason:** *A Friend's Prayer* is a poem of traditional/folk origin, not attributed to a single modern author in the NCERT Poorvi textbook. **Q3.** What does the speaker in *A Friend's Prayer* ask God to bless? (A) His friend's wealth (B) His friend's health and happiness (C) His friend's success in business (D) His friend's family's status **Answer:** (B) His friend's health and happiness | **Reason:** The prayer focuses on inner well-being and contentment, not material gain. **Q4.** In *The Chair*, what object triggers the memory of friendship? (A) A photograph (B) A letter (C) An old wooden chair (D) A piece of jewelry **Answer:** (C) An old wooden chair | **Reason:** The title itself reveals that the chair is the central symbol; sitting on it brings back cherished memories. **Q5.** Which tense is used in the sentence: "She has been my friend for ten years"? (A) Simple past (B) Present perfect continuous (C) Present perfect (D) Simple present **Answer:** (B) Present perfect continuous | **Reason:** "Has been" + present participle (-ing) indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the present. **Q6.** In dialogue, how should a new speaker's words be punctuated? (A) Parentheses only (B) Inverted commas and a new line (C) Italics (D) Underlining **Answer:** (B) Inverted commas and a new line | **Reason:** NCERT style requires "dialogue" on a new line with opening and closing inverted commas. **Q7.** What emotion does *The Chair* narrative primarily convey? (A) Anger and betrayal (B) Nostalgia and warmth (C) Fear and suspicion (D) Jealousy and competition **Answer:** (B) Nostalgia and warmth | **Reason:** The chair evokes peaceful, cherished memories of shared time with a friend. **Q8.** In the phrase "A friend in need is a friend indeed," what is the grammatical function of "in need"? (A) Adverbial phrase (B) Adjectival phrase (C) Noun phrase (D) Prepositional phrase modifying "friend" **Answer:** (D) Prepositional phrase modifying "friend" | **Reason:** "In need" describes which kind of friend, making it adjectival in function. **Q9.** Which story in Chapter 2 emphasizes mutual respect despite differences? (A) The Chair (B) A Friend's Prayer (C) The Unlikely Best Friends (D) All three equally **Answer:** (C) The Unlikely Best Friends | **Reason:** This story's central theme is overcoming social/background differences through genuine respect. **Q10.** When narrating past dialogue, which tense shift is most common? (A) Present simple to present perfect (B) Simple present to simple past (C) Present continuous to past perfect (D) Present perfect to simple present **Answer:** (B) Simple present to simple past | **Reason:** When reporting old conversations in a narrative, the original present tense typically shifts to past tense (e.g., He said, "I am happy" → He said he was happy).

Medium questions require inference, comparison, and understanding of literary devices. Allow 60–90 seconds per question. **Q11.** Why does the author of *The Unlikely Best Friends* emphasize the contrasting backgrounds of the two characters? (A) To make the story more dramatic (B) To show that true friendship transcends social boundaries (C) To criticize social inequality (D) To confuse the reader **Answer:** (B) To show that true friendship transcends social boundaries | **Reason:** The contrast is thematic, illustrating that genuine connection matters more than class or status. **Q12.** The line "Guard him when temptation calls" in *A Friend's Prayer* suggests the speaker believes: (A) Friendship is about constant surveillance (B) Friends should protect each other from moral lapses (C) Only God can help friends (D) Temptation is inevitable and inescapable **Answer:** (B) Friends should protect each other from moral lapses | **Reason:** The prayer asks divine protection, implying the speaker wishes their friend strength against ethical challenges. **Q13.** In *The Chair*, the act of sitting and remembering can be read as: (A) An escape from present reality (B) A meditation or spiritual practice (C) A metaphor for emotional grounding in friendship (D) All of the above **Answer:** (D) All of the above | **Reason:** The chair functions on multiple symbolic levels—refuge, mindfulness, and anchor to cherished bonds. **Q14.** Rewrite in reported speech: "I will always be your friend," she promised. (A) She promised she will always be my friend. (B) She promised she would always be my friend. (C) She promised she is always my friend. (D) She promised she has always been my friend. **Answer:** (B) She promised she would always be my friend. | **Reason:** When shifting future tense (will) into reported speech after a past tense verb (promised), use "would." **Q15.** Which literary device is most prominent in *A Friend's Prayer*? (A) Metaphor (B) Alliteration (C) Simile (D) Apostrophe (addressing God directly) **Answer:** (D) Apostrophe (addressing God directly) | **Reason:** The poem directly addresses and petitions God, a hallmark of the apostrophe device. **Q16.** The sentence "She waited by the window" is written in which tense, and why might an author choose this over present tense? (A) Simple past; to show an ongoing action (B) Simple past; to create narrative distance and set a scene (C) Present perfect; to link past and present (D) Past continuous; to show completed action **Answer:** (B) Simple past; to create narrative distance and set a scene | **Reason:** Simple past establishes a clear story timeline and invites readers into a completed narrative moment. **Q17.** Identify the error in this dialogue: "What do you mean?" asked Ravi. "I don't understand." (A) Missing inverted commas around the second statement (B) Wrong tense in "asked" (C) No error; it is correct (D) Should use single quotes, not double **Answer:** (A) Missing inverted commas around the second statement | **Reason:** Every piece of spoken dialogue must be enclosed in inverted commas, including the second statement. **Q18.** What is the relationship between the titles *The Chair* and the chapter theme "Friendship"? (A) The chair is a gift from a friend (B) The chair symbolizes a concrete anchor to abstract memories of friendship (C) The chair is merely furniture with no deeper meaning (D) The chair represents a place where friends argue **Answer:** (B) The chair symbolizes a concrete anchor to abstract memories of friendship | **Reason:** Inanimate objects in literature often represent emotional or thematic truths; here, the chair grounds the intangible bond. **Q19.** In *The Unlikely Best Friends*, when the characters first meet, the primary conflict is: (A) Internal (self-doubt) (B) External (social prejudice and misunderstanding) (C) Philosophical (disagreement on values) (D) Romantic (unspoken attraction) **Answer:** (B) External (social prejudice and misunderstanding) | **Reason:** The narrative setup shows that others' judgment and societal norms initially threaten the budding friendship. **Q20.** Complete: "He said he _____ happy to see his old friend." Which option is grammatically correct? (A) was (B) is (C) will be (D) has been **Answer:** (A) was | **Reason:** When converting indirect speech from past context, the verb must also shift to past tense to maintain consistency.

These questions test your ability to evaluate statements and their justifications. Read both assertion and reason carefully; both must be true *and* logically linked. Allow 90–120 seconds per question. **Q21.** **Assertion (A):** *The Unlikely Best Friends* teaches that friendship can overcome any social barrier. **Reason (R):** The story depicts characters from different classes who develop a bond based on mutual respect and shared values. (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A (B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation (C) A is true, but R is false (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A | **Reason:** The story's narrative directly supports this thematic truth through its plot and character development. **Q22.** **Assertion (A):** *A Friend's Prayer* employs formal, elevated language. **Reason (R):** Prayers traditionally use archaic or solemn diction to convey reverence. (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains why A is true (B) Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A (C) A is true, but R is false (D) A is false, but R is true **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains why A is true | **Reason:** The prayer's formal tone is a genre convention that justifies the language choice. **Q23.** **Assertion (A):** The author of *The Chair* uses the object as a symbol of emotional stability. **Reason (R):** Because the protagonist finds peace and memory-grounding through the chair. (A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A (B) Both A and R are true, but R is insufficient explanation (C) A is true, but R is irrelevant (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A | **Reason:** The peace derived from the chair validates its symbolic function as an anchor. **Q24.** **Assertion (A):** In the sentence "She has lived here since 1990," the present perfect continuous is used. **Reason (R):** The sentence indicates an action that began in the past and continues to the present. (A) A is true, but R is false (B) A is false, but R is true (C) Both A and R are true, but R does not justify A (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (C) Both A and R are true, but R does not justify A | **Reason:** The sentence uses present perfect (has lived), not present perfect continuous. While the reasoning is sound, it doesn't match the actual grammar used. **Q25.** **Assertion (A):** Dialogue punctuation in NCERT textbooks requires a new paragraph for each speaker. **Reason (R):** This convention ensures clarity and prevents reader confusion about who is speaking. (A) Both A and R are true, and R justifies A (B) Both A and R are true, but R doesn't fully justify A (C) A is true, but R is false (D) A is false, but R is true **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R justifies A | **Reason:** The formatting rule directly serves the pedagogical purpose of maintaining clarity. **Q26.** **Assertion (A):** The friendship in *The Unlikely Best Friends* is initially rejected by society. **Reason (R):** One character belongs to a lower socioeconomic class, which the author uses to explore themes of privilege and prejudice. (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A (B) Both A and R are true, but unrelated (C) A is true, but R is irrelevant (D) A is false, and R is false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A | **Reason:** Societal rejection stems directly from class prejudice, which is the author's deliberate choice to examine these themes. **Q27.** **Assertion (A):** "He said he had finished his work" is an example of correct reported speech from "He said, 'I have finished my work.'". **Reason (R):** In reported speech, the present perfect tense "have finished" shifts to past perfect "had finished" when the reporting verb is in past tense. (A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A (B) Both A and R are true, but R is incomplete (C) A is true, but R is inaccurate (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A | **Reason:** This is the standard tense shift rule in English reported speech. **Q28.** **Assertion (A):** *A Friend's Prayer* can be read as a universal message applicable to all cultures. **Reason (R):** Because the prayer's themes of care, protection, and divine blessing are common across religious and secular traditions. (A) Both A and R are true, and R justifies A (B) Both A and R are true, but R is overgeneralized (C) A is true, but R is false (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R justifies A | **Reason:** The prayer transcends specific religious boundaries, making its message widely relatable. **Q29.** **Assertion (A):** The three texts in Chapter 2 all celebrate friendship but through different literary forms. **Reason (R):** *The Unlikely Best Friends* is a narrative, *A Friend's Prayer* is a poem, and *The Chair* is a reflective prose piece. (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A (B) Both A and R are true, but R doesn't explain A (C) A is true, but R is false (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A | **Reason:** The formal diversity demonstrates multiple ways literature explores friendship's universal theme. **Q30.** **Assertion (A):** Practicing MCQs helps students master tense usage and dialogue conventions in Chapter 2. **Reason (R):** MCQs often test grammar in contextual scenarios from the actual texts studied, reinforcing both literary comprehension and language mechanics. (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A (B) Both A and R are true, but R is a separate point (C) A is true, but R is false (D) Both A and R are false **Answer:** (A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A | **Reason:** Integrated assessment through MCQs strengthens both skills simultaneously.

Examiners design plausible but incorrect options to test your careful reading. Watch out for: **Trap 1: Partially True Statements** Example: "*The Unlikely Best Friends* shows that friendship requires no effort." This is a trap because the story actually shows friendship *does* require conscious effort to overcome prejudice. A partially true option ("friendship is valuable") might tempt you if you skim. *Avoid:* Read the entire question stem and each option twice. Underline the key constraint ("requires no effort"). **Trap 2: Correct Grammar, Wrong Meaning** Example: "She had gone to meet her friend" might be offered as a tense correction, but context might require "She has gone" (recent past). Both are grammatically valid; you must match the *intended meaning*. *Avoid:* Always check the time context. Is the action finished and distant (had gone) or recent and relevant (has gone)? **Trap 3: Confusing Characters or Stories** Example: A question about *A Friend's Prayer* includes an option referencing an event from *The Chair*. Examiners exploit rushed reading. *Avoid:* Note the question's story reference immediately. Cross out options from other texts. **Trap 4: Reversing Cause and Effect** Example: "The chair is important *because* the narrator feels nostalgic" (reverse) vs. "The narrator feels nostalgic *because* the chair triggers memory" (correct). *Avoid:* Identify the logical direction of causation by asking "Why?" once, then check if the option answers it correctly. **Trap 5: Overconfident Inference** Example: "The Unlikely Best Friends suggests that poor people are morally superior." The text shows mutual respect, not moral hierarchy. Going beyond what the text says is a major trap. *Avoid:* Stick to textual evidence. If an option requires you to imagine something not stated, reject it. **Trap 6: Mixing Tenses Across Dialogue** Example: "She said she will come tomorrow" (wrong) vs. "She said she would come the next day" (right). The future tense should shift to conditional in reported speech. *Avoid:* Apply the tense-shift rule methodically. Past reporting verb → shift internal verb backward in time. **Trap 7: Misreading Negation** Example: "*The Chair* does NOT use symbolism" is the opposite of the truth. A negative word can flip the meaning. *Avoid:* Circle every "not," "no," "never," "neither" in the question stem before selecting your answer.

In a real exam, you have limited time. Here's how to approach Chapter 2 MCQs strategically: **Phase 1: Scan and Triage (First 2 minutes of 20-30 MCQs)** 1. Glance at all 30 questions and mentally rate them: Easy (E), Medium (M), or Hard (H). 2. Mark 5–7 questions as "flag later" if they seem confusing at first glance. 3. Start with *all* easy questions first. You'll build momentum and secure quick marks. **Phase 2: Execute Easy MCQs (5–8 minutes for 10 questions)** • Time per question: 30–45 seconds. • These are direct recall ("What is the main theme of *The Unlikely Best Friends*?"). • Spend no longer than 60 seconds per easy MCQ; if stuck, move on. • Expected accuracy: 90–100%. **Phase 3: Attack Medium MCQs (8–12 minutes for 10 questions)** • Time per question: 60–90 seconds. • Read the question stem twice. Underline key phrases. • Eliminate obviously wrong options (1–2 will be clearly false). • Choose between final two options by asking, "Which textual evidence supports this?" • Expected accuracy: 75–85%. **Phase 4: Strategize Hard/Assertion-Reason MCQs (5–8 minutes for 10 questions)** • Time per question: 60–120 seconds, but not all require full time. • For assertion-reason: Evaluate Assertion first (T/F?). If false, answer is (C) or (D). • Then evaluate Reason (T/F?). If false and assertion is true, answer is (C). • Only if both are true, check if R explains A. Most examiners design questions where explanation is either obvious or clearly missing. • Expected accuracy: 65–75%. **Phase 5: Review and Guess (Final 2–3 minutes)** • Revisit flagged questions. If still stuck after 15 seconds of reconsideration, make an educated guess: - Eliminate options with strong absolutes ("always," "never") unless backed by text. - Choose the most *specific* answer; vague options are often wrong. - If no strategy works, avoid obviously trap-like options. **Timing Checklist:** - Easy (10 Q): 5–8 min | Medium (10 Q): 8–12 min | Hard (10 Q): 5–8 min | Review: 2–3 min. - **Total: 22–31 minutes for 30 MCQs** (leaves buffer for longer reading comprehension sections). **Pro Tip:** On your first attempt, don't spend more than 90 seconds on any single MCQ. Mark and return. Consistency beats perfection.

Effective MCQ preparation is cyclical, not linear. Here's a tested workflow: **Week 1: Read and Annotate** - Read *The Unlikely Best Friends*, *A Friend's Prayer*, and *The Chair* from your NCERT Poorvi textbook. - Underline character names, key events, and thematic statements. - Note unfamiliar words and look up their meanings. - Identify one "conflict" or "turning point" in each text. **Week 2: Engage with Questions** - Solve the easy MCQs in this guide (Q1–Q10) without time pressure. - For every wrong answer, reread the relevant passage in the textbook. - Write a 2–3 sentence explanation of why the correct answer is right. **Week 3: Build Sophistication** - Solve medium MCQs (Q11–Q20) with a 90-second timer per question. - Focus on inference-based questions. Practice saying, "The text does NOT say this directly, but it implies...". - Identify patterns in trap options you fell for. **Week 4: Master Hard Questions** - Solve assertion-reason MCQs (Q21–Q30). - For each assertion-reason pair, write out the logical link explicitly: "A is true because R is true and R explains A." - Time yourself: 90–120 seconds per hard MCQ. **Week 5: Simulate and Refine** - Take a full 30-MCQ mock test (this guide) in 30 minutes. - Grade yourself and categorize errors: concept gaps vs. careless reading vs. time pressure. - Retake the same 30 MCQs one week later. Accuracy should improve significantly. **Bonus: Dialogue and Tense Drills** Because Chapter 2 emphasizes grammar in context: - Collect 5 sentences with tense errors from your school practice papers. - Rewrite them correctly and explain the rule. - Create 3 pieces of dialogue (5–6 lines each) with correct punctuation and tense shifts. - Get feedback from your teacher or tutor. Start a 3-day free trial at cbsetutor.ai to access video explanations for every MCQ in this guide, interactive tense drills, and live feedback from CBSE-certified educators.