How I Taught My Grandmother to Read — Class 9 MCQs with Answers
Class 9 CBSE English · Chapter 1
60 practice questions · 20 Easy · 20 Medium · 20 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 9 CBSE English questions from Chapter 1, "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read". You get 6 timed quizzes made from 60 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 20 Easy, 20 Medium and 20 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that set top scorers in CBSE Board exams apart.
To score well in "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read", focus on comprehension, grammar and writing skills. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This trains you to stay accurate under time pressure, 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 How I Taught My Grandmother to Read, 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 9 English mastery score. 12 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Key concepts: How I Taught My Grandmother to Read (Class 9 English)
Sudha Murty's true story of a twelve-year-old girl who teaches her sixty-two-year-old grandmother the Kannada alphabet, paired with the patriotic poem 'Bharat Our Land'. The unit turns on one idea — that learning has no age bar, and that a teacher is owed respect regardless of age or relationship.
- Narrator and setting
- A girl of about twelve staying with her grandparents in a village in north Karnataka; she reads to her grandmother every week.
- Krishtakka ('Avva')
- The sixty-two-year-old grandmother. 'Avva' means mother in the Kannada of north Karnataka. She never went to school, so she cannot read a single written word.
- 'Kashi Yatre'
- The serialised novel by Triveni that the grandmother loves, appearing every Wednesday in the Kannada weekly 'Karmaveera'. The narrator reads each episode aloud to her.
- Why she identifies with it
- The novel's old lady longs to visit Kashi and never goes; the grandmother too never went to Kashi, so she sees her own unfulfilled wish in the story.
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 9 English)
12 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation. The other 48 are timed and scored when you sign in.
- Q1Easy
In which part of India does the narrator's village lie, where she stayed with her grandparents?
A.East BengalB.South KeralaC.North Karnataka✓ CorrectD.West RajasthanAnswer: C. North Karnataka
Explanation: The narrator says, 'When I was a girl of about twelve, I used to stay in a village in north Karnataka with my grandparents.'
- Q2Easy
What was the name of the narrator's grandmother?
A.GangaB.Krishtakka✓ CorrectC.KashiD.TriveniAnswer: B. Krishtakka
Explanation: The grandmother is named Krishtakka; the narrator lovingly calls her 'Avva'.
- Q3Easy
What does the grandmother mean by, 'For learning there is no age bar'?
A.Learning needs no effortB.Only children can learn wellC.Learning must stop after sixtyD.A person can learn at any age✓ CorrectAnswer: D. A person can learn at any age
Explanation: She insists that determination, not age, decides whether one can learn — 'for a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle.'
- Q4Easy
In the story, the word 'ardent' means:
A.LazyB.AngryC.Keen✓ CorrectD.SilentAnswer: C. Keen
Explanation: The old lady's 'ardent desire' to go to Kashi means her keen, passionate desire.
- Q5Easy
In the poem 'Bharat Our Land', 'the mighty Himavant' refers to:
A.The oceanB.The Himalayas✓ CorrectC.The river GangaD.The UpanishadsAnswer: B. The Himalayas
Explanation: 'Himavant' is a name for the Himalaya mountains, praised in the poem as having 'no equal anywhere on earth.'
- Q6Medium
Why did the family receive the morning paper only in the afternoon and the weekly magazine a day late?
A.The grandmother hid themB.The printing press was slowC.The transport system in the village was poor✓ CorrectD.There was a postal strikeAnswer: C. The transport system in the village was poor
Explanation: 'Those days, the transport system was not very good, so we used to get the morning paper only in the afternoon.'
- Q7Medium
Why did the grandmother identify so strongly with the protagonist of 'Kashi Yatre'?
A.She knew the author personallyB.She too had never fulfilled her wish and longed for something out of reach✓ CorrectC.She had written a similar storyD.She had actually visited KashiAnswer: B. She too had never fulfilled her wish and longed for something out of reach
Explanation: 'My grandmother too never went to Kashi, and she identified herself with the novel's protagonist.'
- Q8Medium
In the novel 'Kashi Yatre', the old lady finally gives away all her savings instead of going to Kashi. What does this reveal?
A.That human kindness matters more than personal religious desire✓ CorrectB.That she was forced to give the moneyC.That she had lost her faithD.That she disliked travellingAnswer: A. That human kindness matters more than personal religious desire
Explanation: She helps an orphan girl marry, saying the girl's happiness is more important than worshipping at Kashi — kindness over personal desire.
- Q9Medium
The idiom 'passed with flying colours' in the story means:
A.Barely scraped throughB.Failed badlyC.Achieved outstanding success✓ CorrectD.Used many coloursAnswer: C. Achieved outstanding success
Explanation: The narrator says her student 'passed with flying colours' — an idiom for an outstanding performance.
- Q10Hard
Read the extract: 'I saw the determination on her face. Yet I laughed at her.' The narrator's laughter is best described as:
A.Cruel mockery meant to hurtB.A childish, mistaken judgement she later regrets✓ CorrectC.Nervous fearD.Polite encouragementAnswer: B. A childish, mistaken judgement she later regrets
Explanation: 'Childishly I made fun of the old lady' — it is an innocent misjudgement; the grandmother proves her wrong.
- Q11Hard
The line 'Little did I know then that one day I would become a teacher in Computer Science and teach hundreds of students' works mainly as:
A.A description of the grandmotherB.Foreshadowing of the narrator's future✓ CorrectC.A flashback to childhoodD.An example of irony of fate against the grandmotherAnswer: B. Foreshadowing of the narrator's future
Explanation: It hints at the narrator's (Sudha Murty's) future career, foreshadowing that her first pupil was her own grandmother.
- Q12Hard
Which theme is LEAST supported by 'How I Taught My Grandmother to Read'?
A.That literacy brings independenceB.That learning has no age limitC.That wealth alone guarantees happiness✓ CorrectD.That teachers deserve respect regardless of ageAnswer: C. That wealth alone guarantees happiness
Explanation: The story argues the opposite of the first option — the grandmother is well-off yet feels helpless without literacy.
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Start this chapter free →How I Taught My Grandmother to Read — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 9 English How I Taught My Grandmother to Read?+
Sudha Murty's true story of a twelve-year-old girl who teaches her sixty-two-year-old grandmother the Kannada alphabet, paired with the patriotic poem 'Bharat Our Land'. The unit turns on one idea — that learning has no age bar, and that a teacher is owed respect regardless of age or relationship. Key ideas include Narrator and setting, Krishtakka ('Avva'), 'Kashi Yatre', Why she identifies with it.
What does Class 9 English Chapter 1 (How I Taught My Grandmother to Read) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 60 NCERT-based MCQs on "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read": 20 Easy, 20 Medium and 20 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 "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year on a launch offer until 1 December 2026. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read" 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 "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 12 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 "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read" 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 How I Taught My Grandmother to Read (Class 9 English)?+
The questions that matter most test Narrator and setting, Krishtakka ('Avva'), 'Kashi Yatre', Why she identifies with it. This page shows 12 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations; all 60 questions on the chapter are available as timed quizzes once you sign in.
Is there an online quiz for How I Taught My Grandmother to Read?+
Yes — Class 9 English How I Taught My Grandmother to Read 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.