NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Poorvi Unit 1 Chapter 1

NCERT solutions for Class 8 English Chapter The Wit That Won Hearts – complete answers & explanations

Class 8 English Unit 1 Wit and Wisdom Chapter The Wit That Won Hearts is an engaging lesson that shows how intelligence, humour, and wisdom can solve problems and bring people together. Through an interesting story, students learn how misunderstandings can be resolved with thoughtful thinking and clever ideas. This chapter is important as it builds not only language skills but also values like patience, humility, and communication. These NCERT solutions help students understand the correct way to answer questions and improve their writing skills. Students can download the worksheet and practice alongside solutions for better clarity. With the right guidance, learning becomes easier and more enjoyable, so you can also book a free trial now to get expert guidance.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

1. The chapter explains the importance of wit, intelligence, and thoughtful decision-making.
2. Students learn how misunderstandings can arise and how they can be resolved wisely.
3. It highlights the role of humour and clever thinking in difficult situations.
4. The story introduces important characters who demonstrate wisdom and patience.
5. Students improve reading comprehension through detailed questions and answers.
6. Vocabulary related to emotions, communication, and behaviour is covered.
7. Grammar concepts like compound words and subordinate clauses are included.
8. Speaking and listening activities help improve communication skills.
9. Writing tasks such as essays and reflections build creative expression.
10. The chapter encourages logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

How to use these NCERT solutions?

1. First, read the chapter carefully and understand the storyline and characters.
2. Attempt all worksheet questions on your own before checking the answers.
3. Compare your answers with the solutions to understand the correct approach.
4. Focus on how answers are structured and written clearly.
5. Revise the answers regularly before tests and exams.
6. Use the solutions to improve grammar and sentence formation.
7. Parents and teachers can guide students by discussing each answer.
8. Follow the worksheet order while checking answers to avoid confusion.

Important tips & tricks for students

1. Read each question carefully before writing your answer.
2. Focus on understanding the story instead of memorising answers.
3. Write answers in clear and simple sentences.
4. Pay attention to grammar topics like clauses and compound words.
5. Practice speaking and listening activities regularly.
6. Avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes by revising your answers.
7. Use examples from the story wherever required.
8. Manage your time well while answering comprehension questions.
9. Stay consistent with practice to improve confidence.

NCERT solutions – complete answer key

Let us do these activities before we read

Select qualities of a person who uses wit from the box given below.

clever humorous observant charming creative wise

Words

he future  
Time  
A secret  

Discuss in pairs

They help a person solve problems wisely and make others happy.  
Because witty people could give clever advice and entertain the court.  
By listening to both sides carefully and suggesting a fair solution.  
It can be resolved through clear communication and understanding.

Let us discuss

I (Rectify the false statements)

The queen did not insult the king. She unintentionally hurt his feelings by yawning while he was reciting his poem.  
Tenali Rama did not immediately convince the king. He planned a strategy to resolve the misunderstanding.  
The courtiers avoided the king instead of praising his poem.  
The ministers were discussing ideas for improving paddy cultivation in the empire.  
The king later realised his mistake and apologised to the queen.

Let us think and reflect

I Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

The queen believes that only Tenali Rama can help because he is wise and known for solving difficult problems with intelligence.  
B. She regrets the unintended misunderstanding.  
Tenali Rama’s response shows that he is thoughtful and plans carefully before solving a problem.  
takes great pride  
The king means that his pride prevented him from seeing the truth and made him misunderstand the queen.  
The queen says this to forgive the king and end the misunderstanding peacefully.  
maturity and self-awareness  
forgiveness / kindness  

II Answer the following questions

The Vijayanagara Empire was considered to be in its Golden Era because the kingdom prospered in administration, culture, literature, and the arts during Krishnadeva Raya’s rule.  
Tenali Ramakrishna gained a special place in the king’s court because of his intelligence, wit, and ability to solve problems wisely.  
The quarrel created tension and sadness in the palace, and everyone became worried about the misunderstanding between the king and the queen.  
Tenali Rama used a clever plan with ‘special’ paddy seeds and asked people who had never yawned to sow them, helping the king realise that yawning is natural.  
The courtiers first laughed and reacted with amusement when Tenali Rama introduced the ‘special’ paddy seeds.  
The king realised his mistake, apologised to the queen, and the misunderstanding ended.  
The lesson is that wisdom, humility, and clear thinking can resolve misunderstandings.

Fill in the blanks

cast a shadow  
rippled through  
stormed off  
hush fell over  
mind raced back  
murmurs swept through the room  
murmur  
sighed  
whisper  
gasped  
snickers  
thud  
groan  
rattle  
roared  
whispered  

III Create new compound words by matching words in Column 1 with those in Column 2.

1 – G  
2 – B  
3 – F  
4 – A  
5 – E  
6 – H  
7 – D  
8 – C  

Read the sentences from the text and their explanation given in the table below.

Identify the subordinate and main clauses in sentences 2 and 3.

Sentence 2  
Subordinate clause: If, by chance something were to go wrong  
Main clause: our farmers would suffer  

Sentence 3  
Subordinate clause: If I had known this would happen  
Main clause: I would have chosen another day  

Now, match the subordinate clauses (if clauses) in Column 1 with the appropriate main clauses in Column 2 to make complete sentences.

(i) – C  
(ii) – E  
(iii) – F  
(iv) – A  
(v) – B  
(vi) – D  

Complete the following sentences appropriately with either the main clause or the subordinate clause (if clause).

1. if you do not complete your homework.  
2. if they had reached the station earlier.  
3. I will feel tired the next day.  
4. she would answer the question.  
5. she would have passed the examination.  
6. I would help many people.  

Complete the following sentences. One example has been done for you.

1. I would help the needy and make the world a better place.  
2. I would introduce new activities and improve the school environment.  
3. I would fly high in the sky and explore new places.  
4. I would perform wonderful tricks and help people.  
5. I would have achieved better results.  

Let us listen

1. loose  
2. arrogant  

Correct order  
5 8 2 3 7 6 4 1  

Let us speak

Rising tone  
Falling tone  
Falling tone  
Rising tone  
Rising tone  
Falling tone  
Falling tone  
Rising tone  
Rising tone  
Falling tone  

Who is the witty character in the story?  
Why is his wit important in the story?  
What clever idea did he use?  
When did the story take place?  
How did he solve the problem?  
Where does the story take place?  

Answers may vary.

Let us write (Narrative Essay)

Explanation: Students analyse the features of the narrative essay and then write their own essay based on the given topics.

Topics:  
The Day I Learnt the Value of Teamwork  
A Small Act of Kindness that Made a Difference  

Let us explore

Explanation: Students read the given limerick and create their own five-line humorous poem with a twist in the final line.  
Explanation: Students read a story from the library and share its theme and interesting parts with classmates.  
Explanation: Students prepare a chart listing stories of wit, humour, and wisdom that they have read.  

Let us do these activities before we read

Read the names of items you usually find in a garden and write their names against each picture given below.

garden hose  
sapling  
hedge  
flower beds  
flower pot  
pebbles  
rockery  
fence  
vine  
wheelbarrow  

Explanation: Students discuss the type of garden they would like to create and explain the features they would include and the reasons for their choices.  
Explanation: Students discuss the meaning of the word “concrete” and its different meanings.  

Let us discuss

1. stones  
2. path  
3. sundial  
4. delicate  
5. pin  
6. flower  
7. lovely  
8. standing  

1. B  
2. ii  
3. I  

1. obsession with a stony garden  
2. visualise the garden’s peculiar nature  

garden full  
crazy path  
lily pond  

My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones  

“You’re standing on it,” she replied.  

1. hard building material or stone surface in the garden  
2. a clear example of Mrs. Jones’ unusual gardening habits  

Explanation: The title uses a pun where the word “concrete” refers both to building material and to a clear example.  

Let us think and reflect

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

Mrs. Jones prefers unusual and decorative gardening styles. True  
It refers to a strange or irregular stone path in the garden.  

Answer the following questions.

Mrs. Jones feels proud and delighted about her garden.  
The poet exaggerates the tiny size of the plants to highlight how delicate they are.  
Mrs. Jones enjoys creative gardening and likes experimenting with unusual ideas.  
The poet portrays Mrs. Jones as enthusiastic and proud of her unique garden.  

Let us learn

1. peculiar  
2. pleasant  
3. fragile  
4. exclaimed  

1 – iii  
2 – v  
3 – iv  
4 – i  
5 – ii  

rice mice  
vice  
boil toil  
coil foil  

Let us listen

1. National Geographic magazine  
2. Sculptures made from waste materials  
3. Three sections  
4. Broken bangles / tiles  
5. About 2000 statues  

Let us do these activities before we read

Explanation: Students discuss why elders are often asked for advice. They share ideas such as elders having more life experience, better judgement, and the ability to guide younger people.  

Knowledge

1. Riya’s understanding of plant care helped her grow a healthy vegetable garden in her backyard.  
3. Karuna’s expertise in computer programming helped her develop a successful app.  
6. Ms. Vaijayanthi delivered a lecture on Indian Classical music at the cultural festival.  

Wisdom

2. Mr. Kumar values time with family over chasing wealth.  
4. Rohan understood the value of time management and created a timetable to complete his assignments systematically.  
5. Ramesh chose to forgive his friend for a misunderstanding.  

Explanation: Students observe the picture carefully and discuss what might have happened in the scene. They share their ideas and possible explanations with their classmates and teacher.  

Let us discuss

1. Dev Datt and Ram Datt were travelling together.  
2. They were on their way to Ujjain.  
3. They wanted to seek employment in the court of King Vikramaditya.  
4. Dev Datt believed that destiny decides everything.  
5. Ram Datt believed that effort and wisdom can change destiny.  
6. They continued their journey hoping for better opportunities.  

Correct order

1. (8)  
2. (3)  
3. (2)  
4. (7)  
5. (4)  
6. (5)  
7. (6)  
8. (1)  

Let us think and reflect

Ram Datt’s confidence shows that he believes in his abilities and talents.  

False statement: A  
Correct statement: Dev Datt believes that finding employment may take time and effort.  

(i) B  
(ii) C  

(iii) Ram Datt described the King’s offer as ‘an honour we had not dared to dream of’ because they never expected to receive such an important position as advisers in the King’s court.  

(iv) The King’s offer shows that he values intelligence, wisdom, and talent and respects people who use observation and reasoning.  

The dusty road shows that the young men had a difficult and tiring journey while travelling to Ujjain.  
The merchant became suspicious because the four men described the camel’s features without seeing it. This shows that he was worried and quick to suspect them.  
Their observations proved their intelligence and reasoning ability, which later impressed the King.  
The King believed the four young men because their explanations were logical and clearly showed how they had observed the clues.  
Their intelligence, careful observation, and ability to think logically made them suitable to become advisers.  
The merchant realised that the four young men were innocent and had only used their intelligence to understand the camel’s features, so he felt ashamed for wrongly accusing them.  

Let us learn

Explanation:  
1. deduction  
2. observation  
3. scrutiny  
4. accusation  
5. recognition  

(Match the expressions)

face  
1 – iii  
2 – i  
3 – iv  
4 – ii  

bear  
1 – iv  
2 – iii  
3 – ii  
4 – i  

Why NCERT solutions help students?

NCERT solutions help students understand the correct way to answer questions in exams and improve their writing clarity. They make concepts easier to understand and provide a structured approach to learning. With regular practice, students gain confidence and perform better in school assessments.

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