Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about On Saying Please from Class 9 English_FL. Let us begin our journey into this thoughtful essay by the renowned writer A. G. Gardiner. Before we examine the text, the textbook presents a warm up activity to help us reflect on everyday social interactions. You are asked to match actions with appropriate reactions. When people are standing in a queue, you take your place and wait for your turn. When you dash against someone, you apologize by saying sorry. When parents scold you, you put forward your reasons in a polite manner. When the person at the cash counter gives you your change, you say thank you. Do you agree with these responses? Yes, because they maintain social harmony and demonstrate basic courtesy. Politeness is the foundation of respectful communication.
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Now let us move to the main text. The essay opens with a real life incident involving a young lift man in a city office. One morning, he threw a passenger out of his lift and was fined for the offence. The author states clearly that the lift man was undoubtedly in the wrong. The entire conflict revolved around the word please. The complainant simply said Top when entering the lift. The lift man demanded Top please. When this small concession was refused, the lift man not only declined to comply but actually hurled the passenger out. The author points out that this was carrying a comment on manner too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it does not excuse assault and battery. The law makes a clear distinction. If a burglar breaks into your house and you knock him down, the law will acquit you. If you are physically assaulted, the law permits you to retaliate with reasonable violence. This is because burglars and assailants break definite commands of the law. However, no legal system could attempt to legislate against bad manners, nor could it sanction violence against something it does not recognize as legally punishable. Our sympathy may lie with the lift man, but we must admit the law is reasonable. If we were free to box people ears because we disliked their behaviour, tone of voice, or facial expressions, our fists would never be idle and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day.
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The author continues by explaining that the law protects us from violent retaliation even if we are uncivil. You may be haughty or boorish, and the only penalty you face is being written down as an ill mannered fellow. The law does not compel you to say please or adjust your voice to others sensibilities, just as it does not forbid you from waxing your moustache, dyeing your hair, or wearing ringlets. It does not recognize the laceration of our feelings as grounds for compensation. There is no allowance for moral and intellectual damages in these matters. However, the author clarifies that this does not mean the damages are negligible. The lift man was probably more acutely hurt by what he saw as a slur upon his social standing than he would have been by a kick on his shins, which would have granted him legal redress. Physical pain fades quickly, but a wound to self respect or vanity can poison a whole day. The author imagines the lift man brooding over the insult and taking it out on his wife in the evening to restore his emotional balance. Bad temper and bad manners are highly contagious. The author references a play where Sir Anthony Absolute bullied Captain Absolute, who then bullied his servant Fag, who in turn kicked a page boy. The man who said Top to the lift man might have been retaliating against his own employer, who had been rude because he was henpecked by his wife, who in turn was upset because the cook was insolent after the housemaid answered her back. We infect the world with our ill humours. Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream of general life than all the crimes in the calendar. For every wife who gets a black eye from an otherwise good natured husband, a hundred live in martyrdom under a morose temper. Yet, the law cannot become the guardian of private manners. No Decalogue could cover the vast area of offences, and no court could administer a law governing social civilities, speech, eyebrow tilts, and all our moods and manners.
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Despite endorsing the verdict against the lift man, the author notes that most people will sympathize with him. While no law compels us to say please, there is a social practice much older and more sacred than law that enjoins us to be civil. The first requirement of civility is acknowledging a service. Please and thank you are the small change with which we pay our way as social beings. They are the little courtesies that keep the machine of life oiled sweetly. They place our interactions on a basis of friendly cooperation and easy give and take, rather than superiors dictating to inferiors. Only a vulgar mind would wish to command when asking would secure willing and good natured service. To illustrate this, the author introduces his friend, the polite conductor. He clarifies that this title is not a rebuke to conductors in general. In fact, he believes few classes of men endure a trying calling better than bus conductors. Occasionally, you meet an unpleasant conductor who views passengers as natural enemies trying to cheat him, requiring a loud voice and aggressive manner to keep them honest. But this type is rare, and rarer than before. The author credits the Underground Railway Company, which also runs buses, for insisting on civility standards among its staff. This not only makes travel pleasant but performs an important social service.
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The author shares a personal encounter with this conductor. One day, he boarded a bus only to realize he had left home without money. He describes the familiar mix of annoyance and embarrassment. You feel foolish at best, and like a knave at worst. You expect the conductor to eye you coldly, suspecting a stale trick, and order you off. Even a kind conductor would force you to return, causing you to miss your train or appointment. After searching his pockets and finding nothing, the author honestly told the conductor he could not pay and had to go back. The conductor replied cheerfully, Oh, you need not get off, that is all right. When the author insisted he had not a single copper, the conductor said he would book him through and asked where he wanted to go. He handled his ticket bundle as if ready to issue a ticket anywhere from the bank to Hong Kong. The author thanked him, stated his destination, and asked where to send the fare. The conductor replied cheerfully, Oh, you will see me some day all right. Fortunately, the author found a shilling in his pocket and paid immediately, but the kindness left a lasting glow of pleasure.
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A few days later, the author was sitting on the top deck of a bus when his most sensitive toe was heavily trampled. He looked up in anger and pain to see the same cheerful conductor. The conductor immediately apologized, saying, Sorry, sir. I know these are heavy boots. I got them because my own feet get trod on so much, and now I am treading on other people. I hope I did not hurt you, sir. Though hurt, the author assured him he was fine because of the conductor sincere apology. From then on, the author observed him regularly and found constant pleasure in his good nature. The conductor possessed an inexhaustible fund of patience and a gift for making passengers comfortable. In the rain, he would run upstairs to tell passengers there was room inside. He treated old people as considerately as a son, and children as solicitously as a father. He held a warm place in his heart for young people and shared merry jests with them. If a blind passenger boarded, he did not just drop him at the pavement. He would call to Bill, the driver, to wait while he safely guided the man across the road or around the corner. In short, he irradiated an atmosphere of good temper and kindliness, making every journey a lesson in natural courtesy and good manners.
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What struck the author most was how easily the conductor completed his work. If bad manners are infectious, so are good manners. While incivility breeds more incivility, it is an unusually uncouth person who remains disagreeable around sunny dispositions. The author compares manners to weather, quoting Keats: Nothing clears up my spirit like a fine day. A cheerful person descends on even the gloomiest of us with the benediction of fine weather. It was always fine weather on the polite conductor bus. His civility, conciliatory address, and good humoured bearing infected his passengers. By lightening their spirits, he lightened his own task. His gaiety was not a wasteful luxury, but a sound investment. The author then addresses a broader social concern. It is generally agreed that war has had a chilling effect on everyday civilities that sweeten the general air. We must restore these civilities to make life kindly and tolerable. We cannot achieve this by invoking the law. The policeman and the law are necessary for a society still somewhat lower than the angels, but the law only protects against material attack. Nor will the lift man method of meeting moral affront with physical violence help restore civilities. The author suggests a more subtle and effective revenge: treating the rude gentleman with elaborate politeness. This would secure victory over both the boor and oneself, and that is the victory that truly counts. The polite man may lose material advantage, but always wins the spiritual victory. The author commends a story of Chesterfield to the lift man. In Chesterfield time, London streets lacked pavements, so walking on the wall side meant drier footing. A man once told Chesterfield, I never give the wall to a scoundrel. Chesterfield replied, I always do, and stepped into the road with a bow. The author hopes the lift man agrees that Chesterfield revenge was far sweeter than throwing a fellow into the mud.
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Now let us review the glossary provided in your textbook. You must learn these exact definitions for your exams. Comply means to obey a rule, or an order. Discourtesy means not polite. Acquit means to decide and state in a court of law that somebody is not guilty. Assailant means an attacker. Boorish means a rude, insensitive person. Slur means a cause to blame. Henpecked means a man who is always told by his wife. Morose means very sad and ill tempered. Decalogue means The Ten Commandments. Irradiated means to make something look brighter and happier. Uncouth means a person of rude behaviour. Affront means insult. Haughty means a high opinion of oneself and often a low position of others. Laceration means hurt feelings. Panegyric means a speech or piece of writing praising someone highly. Please note these definitions carefully.
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Let us now move to the comprehension questions. I will answer each one completely so you can prepare effectively. For C1, question one asks why the passenger was thrown out of the lift. The passenger was thrown out because he refused to say please when the lift man demanded it after he simply said Top. Question two asks what would happen if we were given the liberty to box people ears. The author states that our fists would never be idle and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day. Question three asks what the law cannot compel us to do. The law cannot compel us to say please, to attune our voices to other people sensibilities, or to govern our social civilities, speech, and moods. Question four asks about the difference between physical pain and the pain of a wound to self respect. Physical pain, like a kick on the shins, soon passes away, but a wound to self respect or vanity may poison a whole day and cause lasting emotional distress. Question five asks for the first and most important requirement of civility. The first requirement of civility is that we should acknowledge a service. Question six asks what the polite conductor did for the author. The conductor allowed the author to travel without immediate payment, booked him through to his destination, and handled the situation with cheerfulness and kindness until the author found a shilling to pay. Question seven asks who trampled on the author sensitive toe. The polite conductor himself accidentally trampled on the author toe. Question eight is a multiple choice question about what the polite conductor did for a blind man. The correct answer is option c: he told Bill, the driver, to wait and took him, himself, across the road. Question nine asks why there was always fine weather on the polite conductor bus. The conductor cheerful disposition, civility, and good humoured bearing infected his passengers, lightening their spirits and creating a consistently pleasant atmosphere. Question ten asks what people believe caused the dampening of everyday civilities. People generally agree that the war has had a chilling effect on those little everyday civilities. Question eleven is a fill in the blank. Civilities can be got back in our day to day life by being more civil. The correct option is b.
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Now let us discuss the C2 questions. First, can law enforce civility? How? No, the law cannot enforce civility. It only addresses material offences and legal commands. It cannot legislate against bad manners, govern social speech, or compensate for hurt feelings, as these belong to personal conduct and social practice rather than legal statutes. Second, how does bad temper affect one life? Bad temper is highly contagious and can poison the stream of general life. It spreads from person to person, causing emotional distress, damaging relationships, and creating an environment of martyrdom and resentment rather than harmony. Third, discuss the importance and effect of good manners. Good manners act as the small change of social interaction. They acknowledge service, foster friendly cooperation, replace dictation with mutual respect, and create a positive atmosphere. They are a sound investment that lightens burdens, improves relationships, and maintains social harmony. Fourth, list instances where the polite conductor showed civil behaviour and state if you approve. He allowed the penniless author to travel, apologized sincerely when he stepped on a toe, ran upstairs in rain to guide passengers inside, treated elderly and children with care, shared jokes with youth, and safely escorted a blind man across the road. I strongly approve of his behaviour because it demonstrates genuine empathy, patience, and the understanding that courtesy costs nothing but yields immense social value. Fifth, how could the lift man take a polite and effective revenge? He could have treated the rude passenger with elaborate politeness. This would have secured a spiritual victory, demonstrating moral superiority, controlling his own temper, and exposing the passenger rudeness through contrast, which is far more effective than physical violence.
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Moving to C3, question one asks if it is easy to be civil at all times. I do not agree. Maintaining civility requires constant self control, emotional regulation, and conscious effort, especially when tired, stressed, or provoked. It is a discipline that must be practiced daily. Question two asks what makes you recall both the good and bad of a day and who is responsible. We recall both because human memory is strongly tied to emotional impact. Positive interactions, like the conductor kindness, leave a lasting glow, while negative encounters, like rudeness or insults, linger due to wounded pride. The people responsible are those whose actions directly impact our emotional state, whether through kindness or discourtesy. Question three asks for ways to encourage civil behaviour. We can encourage it by modelling polite behaviour ourselves, teaching children the value of please and thank you from an early age, recognizing and appreciating courteous acts in public, and creating social environments where respect is valued over aggression.
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Now let us tackle the vocabulary exercises. V1 asks you to rearrange jumbled letters to find synonyms of uncivil. The answers are: one, rude. Two, uncouth. Three, impudent. Four, discourtesy. Five, insolent. Six, haughty. Seven, morose. Eight, boor. V2 asks you to guess words for a person with good manners using the given letter patterns. The completed words are: tolerant, kind, courteous, patient, well mannered person, genteel, solicitous, chivalrous, gallant. Please practice spelling these correctly.
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Let us now study the grammar section on clauses. A clause is a group of words in sentences that contain complete bits of information. Such groups of words that form a part of a sentence have a subject and a predicate of their own. We examine complex sentences, which contain more than one clause. A complex sentence has two parts: one is the main clause, the other is the subordinate clause. The textbook gives these examples: The child was afraid that he would fall down. Here, The child was afraid is the main clause, and that he would fall down is the subordinate clause. Another example: He is the man whom we all respect. He is the man is the main clause, and whom we all respect is the subordinate clause. Another: When you have finished your work you may go home. When you have finished your work is the subordinate clause, and you may go home is the main clause. The main clause is a part of a sentence that has a finite verb and a subject. It makes complete sense by itself. The subordinate clause has a verb but depends on the main clause for its meaning and completeness.
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Now let us solve exercise G1. Identify the main and subordinate clauses. In sentence one, Because I like you is the subordinate clause, and I shall help you is the main clause. In sentence two, This is the house is the main clause, and that Jack built is the subordinate clause. In sentence three, No one knows is the main clause, and who he is is the subordinate clause. In sentence four, It was unfortunate is the main clause, and that you were absent is the subordinate clause. In sentence five, He has a son is the main clause, and who made a name for himself is the subordinate clause. There are three types of subordinate clauses. First, the adverb clause. In the sentence He always comes when we are about to leave, the underlined part does the work of an adverb. An adverb clause answers the questions When, Where, Why, and How. Second, the adjective clause. In I met a girl whose eyes are blue, the underlined part does the work of an adjective. An adjective clause answers the questions which and whose. Third, the noun clause. In Tell him that the manager is busy, the underlined part does the work of a noun. A noun clause answers the question what.
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Now let us solve G2 completely. For sentence one: The workers, who were weary, lay down to rest. Main clause: The workers lay down to rest. Subordinate clause: who were weary. Type: Adjective clause. Sentence two: The exercise is so easy that I can do it. Main clause: The exercise is so easy. Subordinate clause: that I can do it. Type: Adverb clause of result. Sentence three: He admitted that he wrote the letter. Main clause: He admitted. Subordinate clause: that he wrote the letter. Type: Noun clause. Sentence four: The thief crept as a jackal does. Main clause: The thief crept. Subordinate clause: as a jackal does. Type: Adverb clause of manner. Sentence five: He has lost the book that his uncle gave him. Main clause: He has lost the book. Subordinate clause: that his uncle gave him. Type: Adjective clause. Sentence six: I remember the house where I was born. Main clause: I remember the house. Subordinate clause: where I was born. Type: Adjective clause. Sentence seven: Tell me why you did this. Main clause: Tell me. Subordinate clause: why you did this. Type: Noun clause. Sentence eight: When the righteous rule, the people rejoice. Main clause: the people rejoice. Subordinate clause: When the righteous rule. Type: Adverb clause of time. Sentence nine: He showed how the problem could be solved. Main clause: He showed. Subordinate clause: how the problem could be solved. Type: Noun clause. Sentence ten: I hope that I shall be there in time. Main clause: I hope. Subordinate clause: that I shall be there in time. Type: Noun clause. Sentence eleven: We have come that we may help you. Main clause: We have come. Subordinate clause: that we may help you. Type: Adverb clause of purpose. Sentence twelve: The dog that bites does not bark. Main clause: The dog does not bark. Subordinate clause: that bites. Type: Adjective clause.
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Now let us move to the language functions. S1 asks you to read plural words and identify the sounds of the plural markers. Words ending in voiceless consonants take the s sound: racks, looks, maps, books, kites, ducks, bats, shirts, chalks, hooks, pens, grains, rooms, chains. Words ending in voiced sounds take the z sound: mangoes, planes, bags, phones, posters, fishes, bottles, houses, taxes. Words ending in sibilant sounds take the iz sound: boxes, roses, hedges, fences, matches, benches. Please practice pronouncing these clearly. S2 presents a dialogue between Amit and his Uncle. The feeling expressed is deep gratitude and appreciation. Amit thanks his uncle profusely for a thoughtful gift, and the uncle responds with warmth and happiness at Amit joy. S3 asks you to model a conversation when an elderly person helps you with heavy bags. You would say: Stranger, Can I help you dear? Yourself, Thank you so much, sir. I would really appreciate your help. Stranger, Let me take two of these for you. Yourself, That is very kind of you. Thank you. Stranger, I will keep your bags here, will that be ok? Yourself, Yes, that is perfectly fine. Thank you for your kindness.
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The reading skills section shows traffic signals and asks what they indicate. Since we are listening, I will describe the standard signals and their meanings. A red octagonal sign indicates Stop. A circular sign with a red border and a diagonal line indicates No Entry or Prohibited. A triangular sign with a red border and a black symbol indicates a Warning, such as School Ahead or Pedestrian Crossing. A blue circular sign indicates a Mandatory instruction, like Keep Left or Turn Right. A rectangular blue sign indicates Information, like Parking or Bus Stop. Always obey these signals for road safety. For the writing skills, you must write an essay on Values in Indian Culture in about three hundred words. Here is a model answer you can study. Indian culture is deeply rooted in timeless values that have guided generations for centuries. At its core lies the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning the world is one family. This value promotes universal brotherhood, tolerance, and respect for all living beings. Family bonds form the foundation of Indian society, where elders are revered, and children are taught to honour their parents and teachers. Hospitality, or Atithi Devo Bhava, treats every guest as a manifestation of the divine, reflecting warmth and generosity. Truthfulness, non violence, and self discipline are emphasized through ancient scriptures and daily practices. Festivals across India celebrate diversity while reinforcing unity, as people of different faiths share food, music, and joy. Respect for nature is evident in the worship of rivers, trees, and animals, teaching ecological balance. In modern times, these values face challenges from rapid urbanization and materialism, yet they remain relevant. Practising honesty, showing empathy, respecting differences, and maintaining humility are practical ways to uphold Indian cultural values. By integrating these principles into daily life, we not only preserve our heritage but also contribute to a more compassionate and harmonious society.
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Finally, let us review the section about the author. Alfred George Gardiner lived from eighteen sixty five to nineteen forty six. He was a British journalist and author. His essays, written under the pen name Alpha of the Plough, are highly regarded. He also served as Chairman of the National Anti Sweating League, a pressure group which campaigned for a minimum wage in industry. The essay On Saying Please opens with the lift man incident, discusses the limits of law in enforcing manners, highlights the social importance of courtesy through the conductor story, and concludes by advocating spiritual victory through politeness. The textbook also suggests reading The Flowering Tree by Girish Karnad for further enrichment.
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]