EN हिं

NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 1 –16The Wit that Won Hearts (prose) — Let us write

Book page 15 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
I. Read the narrative essay ‘A Lesson in Responsibility’ given on page 15. Now, work in pairs and check (✓) if the following features are present in the narrative essay. 1. Introduction — the essay begins with a clear and engaging opening; the introduction sets the context for the narrative; the central idea or purpose is clear. 2. Body of the essay — events are narrated in a logical sequence; descriptive details are used; characters and settings are clearly described; the narrator’s emotions or thoughts are shared; the essay includes a challenge or a problem or a turning point. 3. Conclusion — the essay ends with an outcome; a lesson or a message is clearly stated. 4. Writing Style — the tone is personal and engaging; first person narration is used. 5. Language — the essay uses simple and clear language; grammar, punctuation, and spellings are correctly used.
Answer
Feature✓ / ✗Evidence from the essay
Clear, engaging opening✓“One bright Monday morning, I woke up to the sounds of birds chirping loudly.”
Introduction sets the context✓A school morning, uniform laid out, homework packed — we know where we are before anything happens.
Central idea or purpose is clear✓“But little did I know, the day would still teach me an important lesson.”
Logical sequence of events✓morning → assembly → quiz → results → talk with Mrs. Rao → the change afterwards
Descriptive details✓“birds chirping loudly”, “uniform was neatly laid out”, “the question paper in front of me”
Characters and settings clearly described✓ (the weakest of the ten)Only Mrs. Rao is named, and the classroom is sketched in a line. Enough for a short essay, but this is where it could be improved.
Narrator’s emotions or thoughts shared✓“My heart skipped a beat”, “I froze”, “Disappointed, I spoke to Mrs. Rao”
A challenge / problem / turning point✓The surprise Science quiz and the low score — everything turns here.
Ends with an outcome✓“From that day on, I made it a habit to revise my lessons regularly.”
Lesson clearly stated✓“Responsibility isn’t just about being on time or finishing tasks—it’s about being ready for what’s unexpected.”
Personal, engaging tone✓Mrs. Rao is quoted directly, which brings her voice into the essay.
First person narration✓“I”, “my”, “myself” throughout.
Simple and clear language✓Short sentences; no word a Class 8 reader would need to look up.
Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling✓Dialogue correctly punctuated inside quotation marks; the dash used deliberately, not carelessly.
What makes it a narrative essay and not a report: The events are not there for their own sake — each one exists to produce the last line. The proud, organised morning at the start is put there only so that the surprise quiz can knock it over. When you write your own, decide the lesson first, then build the incident that earns it.
Q2.
Now, write a narrative essay based on any one of the situations given below. • The Day I Learnt the Value of Teamwork • A Small Act of Kindness that Made a Difference
Answer

Method — plan before you write.

  1. Fix the lesson first (one sentence). Everything else is built to reach it.
  2. Choose one incident, not a summary of a term. A narrative essay needs a single day.
  3. Introduction: place, time, and a hint that something is about to change.
  4. Body: events in order; one turning point; your feelings at each stage; someone else’s words quoted directly.
  5. Conclusion: the outcome, then the lesson — stated once, plainly, without preaching.
  6. Write throughout in the first person and the past tense.
Sample answer — The Day I Learnt the Value of Teamwork

Our class was to put up the Republic Day board, and I had decided from the start that I would do most of it myself. I could draw better than anyone in Class 8-B, and I did not want the corners spoiled by somebody else’s handwriting. When Meera offered to help with the lettering, I said the design was almost ready. It was not.

By Thursday afternoon the board was a disaster. The map I had drawn was too large, the tricolour I had cut out did not fit beside it, and the last panel was still empty. I had four hours and a great deal of pride, and only one of the two was going to survive.

Meera came back anyway. So did Arjun, who had never volunteered for anything, and Sana, who could measure a straight line better than my ruler could. Nobody said anything about Monday. Meera trimmed the map, Sana ruled the margins, Arjun printed the headings in the block letters he had learnt from his father’s shop signboard, and I painted. By six o’clock the board was better than the one in my head — because four people had noticed four different things wrong with it.

Our class teacher stopped in front of it the next morning and asked who had made it. All four of us answered at once, and that, I think, was the real answer.

I still like doing things my own way. But I have learnt that wanting the credit and wanting the work to be good are two different wishes, and that only one of them can be satisfied alone.

Was this helpful? Report an error