Somebody's Mother — Class 8 MCQs with Answers
Class 8 CBSE English · Chapter 5
48 practice questions · 16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE English questions from Chapter 5, "Somebody's Mother". You get 6 timed quizzes made from 48 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that top scorers in CBSE Board exams get right.
To score well in "Somebody's Mother", focus on comprehension, grammar and writing skills. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This helps you stay accurate when time is short, just as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on Somebody's Mother, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 8 English mastery score. 9 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Somebody's Mother — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 8 English)
9 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation.
- Q1Easy
During which season does the poem 'Somebody's Mother' take place?
A.SpringB.SummerC.Winter✓ CorrectD.AutumnAnswer: C. Winter
Explanation: The poem is set on a cold winter day, with snow lying on the streets.
- Q2Easy
Who is the central figure that the poem is chiefly concerned with?
A.An old woman✓ CorrectB.A young schoolgirlC.A policemanD.A shopkeeperAnswer: A. An old woman
Explanation: The poem centres on an old, poor woman trying to cross a snowy street.
- Q3Easy
How did most of the schoolboys behave towards the old woman?
A.They hurried past without helping her✓ CorrectB.They carried her across on their shouldersC.They called a doctor for herD.They gave her moneyAnswer: A. They hurried past without helping her
Explanation: The crowd of boys rushed by, laughing, without stopping to help her.
- Q4Medium
Why does the poet stress that the woman waited 'alone, uncared for' although many people were near?
A.To show that a crowd can still leave a person feeling ignored and helpless✓ CorrectB.To show that she actually preferred to be aloneC.To show that the street was really emptyD.To show that she was hiding from the boysAnswer: A. To show that a crowd can still leave a person feeling ignored and helpless
Explanation: Being surrounded yet unhelped highlights how the busy crowd left her isolated and neglected.
- Q5Medium
What was the immediate cause of the old woman's fear at the crossing?
A.The schoolboys were shouting at herB.She had completely lost her wayC.The snow had made the street slippery and unsafe✓ CorrectD.A speeding carriage was coming at herAnswer: C. The snow had made the street slippery and unsafe
Explanation: The recent snow left the street slippery, so she was afraid her feeble feet would slip.
- Q6Medium
When the boy says 'She's somebody's mother', he is really reminding his friends that:
A.the woman is secretly following themB.every old person is loved by, and precious to, someone✓ CorrectC.they should ask her for directionsD.mothers should never go out aloneAnswer: B. every old person is loved by, and precious to, someone
Explanation: He means the frail stranger is as dear to her own family as their mothers are to them.
- Q7Hard
The boy hopes someone will help his mother 'when her own dear boy is far away'. This detail deepens his character by showing he:
A.plans to abandon his mother one dayB.imagines his own future and feels for others through love of his mother✓ CorrectC.secretly dislikes his motherD.expects a reward from herAnswer: B. imagines his own future and feels for others through love of his mother
Explanation: Picturing his mother alone in his absence, he acts from empathy rooted in his own family love.
- Q8Hard
The boy 'guided the trembling feet along, proud that his own were firm and strong'. The best inference is that the boy:
A.valued his own strength as something to be used in serving the weak✓ CorrectB.only wished to race the other boysC.was quietly mocking the old woman's weaknessD.was tired and just wanted to sit downAnswer: A. valued his own strength as something to be used in serving the weak
Explanation: His pride is not vanity but gladness that his strength let him help someone frail.
- Q9Hard
The title 'Somebody's Mother' works as the poem's central idea because it urges the reader to:
A.find out the woman's real nameB.feel pity only for mothersC.see every stranger as someone deeply loved, and so worthy of care✓ CorrectD.honour only the young and strongAnswer: C. see every stranger as someone deeply loved, and so worthy of care
Explanation: Naming her 'somebody's mother' reframes a nameless stranger as a beloved person, the heart of the poem's plea for compassion.
Key concepts: Somebody's Mother (Class 8 English)
'Somebody's Mother' by Mary Dow Brine is a short narrative poem about kindness and respect for the elderly. On a cold, snowy winter day an old, poor woman stands afraid at a street crossing, the road slippery beneath her trembling feet. A merry crowd of schoolboys, just let out of school, rushes past laughing and leaves her alone and uncared for amid the throng. Then the gayest boy of the group stops and offers, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go.' Placing her aged hand on his strong young arm, he guides her safely across, proud that his own feet are firm and strong, and returns to his friends happy and content. He tells them, 'She's somebody's mother,' and hopes that some day a stranger will help his own mother when he is far away. That night the grateful woman bows her head and prays, 'God be kind to the noble boy, who is somebody's son, and pride and joy.' The poem's gentle message is that every old person is dear to someone, and so deserves our care and courtesy.
- The old woman
- Described as 'old and ragged and gray' and bent with the winter chill, she is poor, frail and afraid to cross the slippery street; she stands for every neglected elderly person.
- The kind boy
- The 'gayest laddie' of the schoolboys, cheerful yet thoughtful, he alone stops to help. His kindness is selfless — he expects nothing and returns to his friends quietly content.
- The uncaring crowd
- The merry troop of boys rushes past without helping. Their carelessness sets off the one boy's kindness and shows how a person can feel ignored even in a busy crowd.
- Setting - a snowy winter street
- The cold, snow-covered, slippery road creates the woman's difficulty and the poem's bleak opening mood, making the warmth of the good deed stand out all the more.
- Theme - kindness and empathy
- The heart of the poem is that true kindness is offered freely to strangers. The boy's empathy grows from imagining his own mother needing help one day.
- Theme - respect for the elderly
- By calling the stranger 'somebody's mother', the poem reminds us that every aged person is loved by someone and is worthy of respect and care.
- Title and central idea
- The repeated phrase 'somebody's mother' / 'somebody's son' links the woman and the boy, suggesting both are treasured by their families — the poem's unifying thread.
- Form - rhyming couplets
- The poem is written in rhyming couplets (aa, bb, cc), sixteen pairs of lines. The steady, sing-song rhythm makes this moral tale easy to read aloud and remember.
- Personification and contrast
- Winter is personified as a force that 'bends' the woman. The contrast between the rushing, joyful boys and the still, lonely woman deepens our sympathy for her.
- Tone - from bleak to grateful
- The tone shifts from cold, lonely and pitiful at the start to warm, hopeful and grateful in the closing prayer, mirroring the change one act of kindness brings.
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Start this chapter free →Somebody's Mother — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 8 English Somebody's Mother?+
'Somebody's Mother' by Mary Dow Brine is a short narrative poem about kindness and respect for the elderly. On a cold, snowy winter day an old, poor woman stands afraid at a street crossing, the road slippery beneath her trembling feet. A merry crowd of schoolboys, just let out of school, rushes past laughing and leaves her alone and uncared for amid the throng. Then the gayest boy of the group stops and offers, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go.' Placing her aged hand on his strong young arm, he guides her safely across, proud that his own feet are firm and strong, and returns to his friends happy and content. He tells them, 'She's somebody's mother,' and hopes that some day a stranger will help his own mother when he is far away. That night the grateful woman bows her head and prays, 'God be kind to the noble boy, who is somebody's son, and pride and joy.' The poem's gentle message is that every old person is dear to someone, and so deserves our care and courtesy. Key ideas include The old woman, The kind boy, The uncaring crowd, Setting - a snowy winter street, Theme - kindness and empathy, Theme - respect for the elderly.
What does Class 8 English Chapter 5 (Somebody's Mother) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 48 NCERT-based MCQs on "Somebody's Mother": 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Together they make 6 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "Somebody's Mother" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Somebody's Mother" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year. One year from the day you pay. You stay in Class 8 till 31 March; on 1 April your account moves up to Class 9 and the rest of your year carries over. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Somebody's Mother" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 6 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "Somebody's Mother" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 9 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Somebody's Mother" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from Somebody's Mother (Class 8 English)?+
The questions that matter most test The old woman, The kind boy, The uncaring crowd, Setting - a snowy winter street, Theme - kindness and empathy, Theme - respect for the elderly. This page shows 9 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations. Sign in to practise all 48 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
Is there an online quiz for Somebody's Mother?+
Yes — Class 8 English Somebody's Mother has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.