Unit 9 Class 4 NCERT English – Notes, Grammar & Practice

What Unit 9 Teaches

Every unit in the Class 4 Marigold book follows the same friendly pattern, and Unit 9 is no different. It usually opens with a short poem or story that has a clear message — about friendship, honesty, nature, or family life. After reading, students answer comprehension questions that check whether they understood what happened, who did what, and why something happened.

The unit then teaches a small set of new words with their meanings, so students build vocabulary naturally instead of memorising word lists. Finally, there is a grammar section — Class 4 units often focus on adjectives (describing words), pronouns (he, she, it, they), or simple verb tenses — followed by a short writing task where students use what they learned to write 3–5 sentences of their own.

The real goal of Unit 9 is not just 'finishing the lesson' but training your child to read carefully, think about meaning, and express ideas in complete, correct sentences — the foundation of good English through school.

How to Study Unit 9 Step by Step

1. Step 1: Read the lesson twice — First reading is for the story — just enjoy it and understand what happens. Second reading is slower: underline any word you don't know and notice how characters feel or act.
2. Step 2: Learn new words in context — For each difficult word, find the sentence it appears in. Guess the meaning from the sentence first, then check the meaning given in the textbook. Write one new sentence of your own using the word.
3. Step 3: Answer comprehension questions in full sentences — Never answer with just one word. If asked 'Who found the ring?', write 'Meena found the ring.' This habit is exactly what CBSE examiners look for.
4. Step 4: Practise the grammar point — If the unit teaches adjectives, list 5 describing words from the lesson (big, happy, small, kind, quick) and use each in a new sentence about something in your own life.
5. Step 5: Do the writing task last — Only attempt the short writing exercise after you're confident with vocabulary and grammar — this way your writing will use correct words and sentence patterns naturally.

Worked Examples from Unit 9 Style Questions

• Example 1 — Meaning from context: Sentence: 'The old man walked slowly with a heavy heart.' Step 1: Notice 'heavy heart' does not mean a real heavy weight — it's an expression. Step 2: In stories, it usually means feeling sad. Step 3: Write the meaning: 'heavy heart' means feeling very sad or worried. Final answer: The old man felt sad as he walked.
• Example 2 — Answering a 'why' question fully: Question: Why did the girl share her lunch with her friend? Step 1: Find the reason in the text — usually stated directly, e.g., 'because her friend had forgotten his tiffin.' Step 2: Turn it into a full sentence starting with the subject. Final answer: The girl shared her lunch because her friend had forgotten his tiffin at home.
• Example 3 — Using an adjective correctly: Task: Use the adjective 'brave' in your own sentence. Step 1: Adjectives describe nouns (people, animals, things). Step 2: Think of someone or something that can be described as brave. Step 3: Build the sentence: subject + verb + adjective + noun. Final answer: The brave firefighter saved the kitten from the tree.
• Example 4 — Filling in the blank with correct pronoun: Sentence: Ravi lost ___ pencil box. Step 1: Ravi is a boy, so use a masculine possessive pronoun. Step 2: The correct word is 'his'. Final answer: Ravi lost his pencil box.

Common Mistakes Students Make

• Answering comprehension questions in one word instead of a full sentence, which loses marks even if the answer is correct.
• Copying the meaning of a new word without checking whether it fits the exact sentence in the lesson.
• Mixing up 'his/her/its' pronouns, especially when the subject appears earlier in a long sentence.
• Forgetting to use a capital letter at the start of the sentence and a full stop at the end when writing answers.
• Rushing through the writing task without first re-reading the example sentences given in the textbook.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Read this sentence: 'The little bird chirped happily on the branch.' What does the word 'chirped' mean, and who chirped? A: Step 1: Look at the sentence — 'chirped' is the action done by the bird. Step 2: In everyday English, 'chirped' means the short, cheerful sound a small bird makes. Step 3: Identify the subject — 'the little bird'. Final answer: 'Chirped' means made a short, cheerful sound; the little bird chirped happily on the branch.
• Q: Fill in the blank with the correct pronoun: Priya forgot ___ water bottle at school. A: Step 1: Priya is a girl, so we need a feminine possessive pronoun. Step 2: The correct pronoun is 'her'. Final answer: Priya forgot her water bottle at school.
• Q: Use the adjective 'colourful' in a sentence of your own. A: Step 1: Adjectives describe a noun. Step 2: Think of something that can be colourful, like a kite or garden. Step 3: Build the sentence with subject + verb + adjective + noun. Final answer: We flew a colourful kite in the park.
• Q: Why did the character in the lesson decide to help others, according to Unit 9? A: Step 1: Recall the reason given in the story text (usually kindness or gratitude). Step 2: Frame the answer in a complete sentence starting with the character's name. Step 3: Include the specific reason from the lesson. Final answer: The character helped others because she remembered how someone had once helped her when she was in trouble.
• Q: Write two new words from Unit 9 along with their meanings and one sentence for each. A: Step 1: Choose two unfamiliar words from the lesson, for example 'grateful' and 'hesitate'. Step 2: Write simple meanings — 'grateful' means feeling thankful; 'hesitate' means to pause before doing something. Step 3: Use each word in a new sentence. Final answer: Grateful means thankful — 'I am grateful to my teacher for her help.' Hesitate means to pause before acting — 'He did not hesitate to help the old man cross the road.'

Exam Tip for Unit 9

In CBSE Class 4 exams, marks for comprehension answers depend heavily on writing in complete sentences with correct capitalisation and punctuation — not just giving the right idea. Always start your answer by repeating part of the question (e.g., 'The bird chirped because...') so the sentence is complete on its own. For grammar questions, read the whole sentence first before choosing a pronoun or adjective, since the clue word is often earlier in the sentence, not right next to the blank.

Frequently Asked Questions