Class 9 English

Complete notes covering Literature, Grammar & Writing Skills

📖 Beehive - English Literature Reader

Prose Sections

Chapter 1: The Fun They Had

A futuristic story by Isaac Asimov about children in 2157 who discover a real book and learn about old-fashioned schools where human teachers taught students.

Key Topics:

  • Setting: Year 2157 with mechanical teachers
  • Tommy finds a real printed book
  • Margie's experiences with her mechanical teacher
  • Comparison between old and new schools
  • Theme: Value of human interaction in learning
  • Character Analysis: Margie and Tommy
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Chapter 2: The Sound of Music (Part I & II)

Two inspiring stories about musicians - Evelyn Glennie, a deaf percussionist, and Bismillah Khan, the legendary shehnai maestro.

Key Topics:

  • Part I: Evelyn Glennie - The Story of a Deaf Musician
  • Evelyn's determination despite hearing loss
  • Learning to sense music through vibrations
  • Part II: The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan
  • Bismillah Khan's contribution to Indian classical music
  • The shehnai and its cultural significance
  • Awards and Recognition
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Chapter 3: The Little Girl

Katherine Mansfield's touching story about a little girl named Kezia and her changing perception of her father.

Key Topics:

  • Kezia's fear of her father
  • The torn-up speech incident
  • Comparison with the Macdonalds
  • The nightmare and father's comfort
  • Theme: Understanding parental love
  • Character transformation and realization
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Chapter 4: A Truly Beautiful Mind

A biographical sketch of Albert Einstein focusing on his personal qualities, scientific achievements, and humanitarian concerns.

Key Topics:

  • Einstein's childhood and education
  • His struggles in school
  • Theory of Relativity (E=mc²)
  • Nobel Prize in Physics (1921)
  • His views on world peace
  • Personal life and relationships
  • Legacy and impact on science
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Chapter 5: The Snake and the Mirror

A humorous story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer about a doctor's encounter with a snake and his moment of self-realization.

Key Topics:

  • The doctor's bachelor life
  • The snake's unexpected visit
  • Doctor's vanity and self-admiration
  • The snake looking at the mirror
  • Theme: Vanity and its absurdity
  • Humor and irony in the story
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Chapter 6: My Childhood

An excerpt from APJ Abdul Kalam's autobiography describing his childhood in Rameswaram and early influences on his life.

Key Topics:

  • Kalam's family background and upbringing
  • His father's wisdom and values
  • Experiences of communal harmony
  • Incidents of discrimination
  • Teachers who influenced him
  • Theme: Dignity and equality
  • Lessons from his childhood
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Chapter 7: Packing

Jerome K. Jerome's humorous account of three friends trying to pack for a trip and the chaos that ensues.

Key Topics:

  • Jerome's overconfidence in packing
  • The comedy of errors
  • Harris and George's "help"
  • Montmorency the dog's interference
  • Theme: Pride and incompetence
  • British humor and wit
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Chapter 8: Reach for the Top (Part I & II)

Inspiring stories of two extraordinary women - Santosh Yadav, the mountaineer, and Maria Sharapova, the tennis champion.

Key Topics:

  • Part I: Santosh Yadav - Breaking gender stereotypes
  • Her journey to Mount Everest
  • Challenges faced by women in India
  • Part II: Maria Sharapova - Tennis prodigy
  • Training in America and sacrifices
  • Mental toughness and determination
  • Theme: Women empowerment and perseverance
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Chapter 9: The Bond of Love

Kenneth Anderson's heartwarming story about Bruno, a sloth bear cub, and the special bond he shares with the author's wife.

Key Topics:

  • How Bruno came to the family
  • Bruno's mischievous behavior
  • The accidental poisoning incident
  • Sending Bruno to the zoo
  • Emotional reunion
  • Theme: Human-animal bond and love
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Chapter 10: Kathmandu

Vikram Seth's travelogue describing his visit to two sacred places in Kathmandu - Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath stupa.

Key Topics:

  • Visit to Pashupatinath Temple
  • Contrast between Hindu and Buddhist places
  • Baudhnath Stupa description
  • Street scenes and atmosphere
  • The flute seller
  • Theme: Cultural diversity and spirituality
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Chapter 11: If I Were You

A thrilling one-act play by Douglas James about a playwright who cleverly outwits an intruder.

Key Topics:

  • Gerrard's character - witty and intelligent
  • The intruder's plan to impersonate Gerrard
  • Gerrard's quick thinking and fabricated story
  • The twist and trap
  • Theme: Presence of mind and intelligence
  • Dramatic irony and suspense
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Poetry Sections

Poem 1: The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

A reflective poem about choices in life and their consequences, symbolized by two roads diverging in a yellow wood.

Key Topics:

  • Two roads diverging in a yellow wood
  • The speaker's dilemma in choosing
  • Metaphor: Roads as life choices
  • Theme: Individuality and decision-making
  • "I took the one less traveled by"
  • Reflection on the impact of choices
Famous Lines:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
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Poem 2: Wind - Subramania Bharati

A symbolic poem comparing wind to life's challenges and adversities, encouraging readers to be strong.

Key Topics:

  • Wind as a symbol of difficulties
  • Destructive power of wind
  • Message: Be strong to face challenges
  • Metaphor: Strong structures withstand wind
  • Theme: Inner strength and resilience
  • Making friends with challenges
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Poem 3: Rain on the Roof - Coates Kinney

A nostalgic poem about the soothing sound of rain on the roof and the memories it evokes.

Key Topics:

  • The music of rain on the roof
  • Nostalgia and childhood memories
  • Mother's love and affection
  • Theme: Memory and longing
  • Nature's comforting presence
  • Personification of rain
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Poem 4: The Lake Isle of Innisfree - W.B. Yeats

A lyrical poem expressing the poet's desire to escape city life and live in peace on the island of Innisfree.

Key Topics:

  • Yearning for nature and solitude
  • Description of the ideal life at Innisfree
  • Building a cabin and living simply
  • Theme: Escapism and peace
  • Contrast between city and nature
  • Imagery of beauty and tranquility
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Poem 5: A Legend of the Northland - Phoebe Cary

A ballad about Saint Peter and a selfish woman who is transformed into a woodpecker as punishment for her greed.

Key Topics:

  • Folk tale from the Northland
  • Saint Peter's visit to a cottage
  • The woman's selfishness
  • Curse and transformation into a woodpecker
  • Theme: Greed and punishment
  • Moral lesson about generosity
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Poem 6: No Men Are Foreign - James Kirkup

A powerful poem promoting universal brotherhood and the idea that all humans are essentially the same.

Key Topics:

  • Unity of humankind
  • "No men are foreign, no countries strange"
  • Common human experiences
  • Against war and hatred
  • Theme: Universal brotherhood
  • Message of peace and harmony
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Poem 7: The Duck and the Kangaroo - Edward Lear

A whimsical nonsense poem about a duck who wishes to travel and makes an arrangement with a kangaroo.

Key Topics:

  • The Duck's desire to see the world
  • Proposal to the Kangaroo
  • Preparations for the journey
  • Theme: Adventure and friendship
  • Humor and imagination
  • Rhyme scheme and rhythm
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Poem 8: On Killing a Tree - Gieve Patel

A thought-provoking poem about the difficulty of killing a tree, symbolizing resilience and the relationship between humans and nature.

Key Topics:

  • Process of killing a tree
  • Tree's resilience and will to survive
  • Root as the source of strength
  • Theme: Man vs Nature
  • Environmental message
  • Irony in the poem
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Poem 9: The Snake Trying - W.W.E. Ross

A brief poem describing a snake trying to escape from being hit, highlighting that snakes are harmless and beautiful creatures.

Key Topics:

  • Snake's graceful movement
  • Human hostility towards snakes
  • Beauty of the snake
  • Theme: Coexistence with nature
  • Misunderstood creatures
  • Plea for compassion
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Poem 10: A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal - William Wordsworth

A melancholic poem about the poet's realization of his beloved's mortality after her death.

Key Topics:

  • Poet's earlier ignorance about death
  • The beloved's death
  • Realization of mortality
  • Theme: Death and loss
  • Nature's eternal cycle
  • Simplicity and depth
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📚 Moments - Supplementary Reader

Chapter 1: The Lost Child - Mulk Raj Anand

A touching story about a child who gets separated from his parents at a fair and his emotional journey.

Key Topics:

  • The village fair and its attractions
  • Child's desires for toys and sweets
  • Getting separated from parents
  • The child's panic and crying
  • Kind man's attempts to console
  • Theme: Parental love above all desires
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Chapter 2: The Adventures of Toto - Ruskin Bond

An amusing story about a mischievous pet monkey named Toto and his antics in the narrator's home.

Key Topics:

  • Grandfather brings home Toto
  • Toto's appearance and characteristics
  • Mischievous behavior and pranks
  • The bath incident
  • Problems caused by Toto
  • Theme: Pets and their nature
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Chapter 3: Iswaran the Storyteller - R.K. Laxman

A humorous story about Iswaran, a cook who tells fascinating and exaggerated stories to his master Mahendra.

Key Topics:

  • Iswaran's storytelling talent
  • The elephant story
  • Ghost stories and superstitions
  • Mahendra's skepticism
  • The ghostly woman apparition
  • Theme: Power of imagination
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Chapter 4: In the Kingdom of Fools - A.K. Ramanujan

A folktale about a kingdom where everything happens at night, and the foolish king makes absurd judgments.

Key Topics:

  • The kingdom where night is day
  • Guru and disciple's visit
  • The wall collapse incident
  • Chain of blame and absurd justice
  • Guru's clever solution
  • Theme: Foolishness and wisdom
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Chapter 5: The Happy Prince - Oscar Wilde

A beautiful tale of sacrifice and compassion between a statue of a prince and a little swallow.

Key Topics:

  • The Happy Prince statue
  • The swallow's journey
  • Prince's compassion for the poor
  • Giving away jewels and gold
  • Swallow's sacrifice
  • Theme: True beauty and kindness
  • God's recognition of true value
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Chapter 6: Weathering the Storm in Ersama - Harsh Mander

A real-life account of Prashant's experience during the super cyclone that hit Orissa in 1999.

Key Topics:

  • The devastating cyclone in Orissa
  • Prashant's journey back home
  • Destruction and loss
  • Relief work and rehabilitation
  • Community efforts
  • Theme: Human resilience and courage
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Chapter 7: The Last Leaf - O. Henry

A moving story about hope, friendship, and sacrifice set in Greenwich Village, New York.

Key Topics:

  • Johnsy's illness and despair
  • The ivy vine outside the window
  • Johnsy's belief about the last leaf
  • Behrman's ultimate sacrifice
  • The masterpiece on the wall
  • Theme: Hope and selflessness
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Chapter 8: A House is Not a Home - Zan Gaudioso

A personal narrative about a teenager coping with a house fire and starting at a new school.

Key Topics:

  • The house fire incident
  • Loss of belongings and pet cat
  • Difficulty adjusting to new school
  • Kindness of strangers
  • Finding the lost cat
  • Theme: Home is where the heart is
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Chapter 9: The Accidental Tourist - Bill Bryson

A humorous account of the author's travel mishaps and his tendency to have accidents.

Key Topics:

  • Bryson's clumsiness while traveling
  • Various travel disasters
  • The lavatory incident
  • Wife's patience and reactions
  • Theme: Self-deprecating humor
  • Accepting one's flaws
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Chapter 10: The Beggar - Anton Chekhov

A story about transformation and redemption of a beggar through compassion and honest work.

Key Topics:

  • Lushkoff the beggar's lies
  • Sergei's decision to help
  • Giving work instead of money
  • Olga's hidden kindness
  • Lushkoff's transformation
  • Theme: Dignity of labor and compassion
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✍️ Grammar & Writing Skills

Grammar Topics

Essential grammar topics for Class 9 English covering all major concepts.

Key Topics:

  • Tenses - Present, Past, Future (Simple, Continuous, Perfect)
  • Active and Passive Voice
  • Direct and Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)
  • Modals - can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Determiners - Articles, Quantifiers, Possessives
  • Clauses - Main and Subordinate Clauses
  • Conjunctions - Coordinating and Subordinating
  • Prepositions - Time, Place, Direction
  • Sentence Types - Simple, Compound, Complex
View Grammar Notes
Writing Skills - Notice, Message, Letter

Learn to write effective notices, messages, and letters following proper formats.

Key Topics:

  • Notice Writing - Format, heading, date, signature
  • Message Writing - Informal messages format
  • Formal Letter - Business letters, complaints
  • Informal Letter - Personal letters to friends/family
  • Letter of Application
  • Letter to Editor
View Writing Formats
Writing Skills - Article, Speech, Diary Entry

Master the art of writing articles, speeches, and diary entries with proper structure.

Key Topics:

  • Article Writing - Title, introduction, body, conclusion
  • Speech Writing - Greeting, content, closing
  • Diary Entry - Date, time, personal feelings
  • Story Writing - Plot, characters, climax, ending
  • Descriptive Writing
  • Narrative Writing
View Writing Samples
Reading Comprehension

Improve reading comprehension skills with strategies for unseen passages and poems.

Key Topics:

  • Unseen Passage - Factual, Discursive, Literary
  • Identifying main ideas and themes
  • Making inferences
  • Understanding vocabulary in context
  • Answering comprehension questions
  • Note-making techniques
  • Summary writing
Practice Passages

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