IF I WERE YOU [NOTES.

I. Answer these questions.

Q 1.“At last a sympathetic audience.”

1. Who says this?

2. Why does he say it?
3. is he sarcastic or serious?
Answer:1.Gerrard says this.
2.He says this because the intruder becomes sympathetic towards
him.
3.He is, no doubt, sarcastic.

Q 2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity
he wants to take on?
Answer:The intruder chose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants
to take on because he is a kind of a mystery man. He phones his orders
and sometimes goes away suddenly and come back just the same.

Q 3.“I said it with bullets.”

1. Who says this?
2. What does it mean?
3. Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
Answers:. 1. Gerrard says this.
2.It means that he is not an ordinary person. He is very dangerous.
3.NO, he wants that the intruder should change his idea of killing
him.

Q 4.What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that

support your answer.
Answer: Gerrard is a dramatist. He says, “Sorry I can’t let you have the
props in time for rehearsal…

Q 5.“You’ll soon stop being smart.”

1. Who says this?
2. Why does the speaker say it?
3. What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?
Answers:1. The intruder says this.
2. He says it because Gerrard does not seem afraid of his gun even.
3. According to the speaker, the bullet will stop Gerrard from being
smart.
Q 6.“They can’t hang me twice.”
1.Who says this?
2.Why does the speaker say it?
Answer:1.The intruder says this.
2.The speaker says it because he wants to murder Gerrard. And he has
already murdered someone. So the police cannot hang him twice.

Question 7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the

speaker proposes to explain?
Answer: The speaker wants that the intruder should explain what
mystery is associated with him. The mystery is about Gerrard’s placing
his orders on telephone. And he goes out suddenly and returns in the
same way.

Q 8. “This is your big surprise.”

1. Where has this been said in the play?

2. What is the surprise?
Answer: Gerrard speaks this line. He tells the intruder that if he is not
hanged for his murder, he will certainly be hanged being Vincent Charles
Gerrard. At this time he utters these words.

1. The big surprise is that Gerrard will not be killed by him. He is right
in saying this.
2. Q 1.Imagine you are Gerrard. Tell your friend what happened
when the Intruder broke into your house.
[Clues: Describe (i) the Intruder—his appearance, the way he
spoke, his plan, his movements, etc., (ii) how you outwitted him.
Answer: Yesterday I was standing near the telephone and an
intruder entered my cottage. He had a gun in his hand and he
tried to threaten me. He intended to kill me and shouted at me.
The intruder forced me to tell everything about me. But I did not
tell him the reality and misguided him. I told him that he would
not gain anything after murdering me. I told him that I was to
safeguard myself from the police. So I posted a man on the road.
When we tried to come out of the cottage I locked him inside a
cupboard and called the police. Eventually, the police arrested
him.
Writing
(Page 147)
Question 1.
Which of the words below describe Gerrard and which describe the
Intruder?
smart humorous clever
beautiful cool confident
flashy witty nonchalant
Answer: Gerrard was smart, humorous, confident, witty and clever. He
was cool. When the intruder broke into his cottage, he did not lose his
patience and confidence. He cooked up a story, convinced the intruder
and got rid of him. He showed his intelligence and presence of mind. He
was nonchalant also. The intruder was smart, beautiful, flashy, clever
and confident. He collected much information about Gerrard and
planned his visit meticulously. He wore flashy clothes. He had the ability
to make someone afraid of him. Moreover he was witty and answered
Gerrard’s questions intelligently and sarcastically.

Question 2.
Convert the play into a story (150-200 words). Your story should be as
exciting and as witty as the play. Provide a suitable title to it.
‘Intelligence is powerful than strength’.
Answer: Gerrard is a dramatist who lives in a cottage. A very few people
come to visit him. He rarely goes out. If he goes out, he comes back
suddenly. Once an intruder enters his cottage who has a gun in his
hands. Gerrard receives him with a warm welcome. The intruder asks
many questions to him about his personal life. He answers his queries
intelligently and thoughtfully. The intruder tells him that he wants to
take on his identity because he is being chased by police as he has
murdered a cop. But Gerrard tells him that he will not be benefited by
killing him as he is also wanted. And he expects the police there tonight
to arrest him. So he asks him to run with him in the car. But when they
are about to cross the door, Gerrard pushes him into the cupboard and
slams it. Then he calls the police and gets him arrested.

EXTRA QUESTION ANSWERS.

Q 1.Why was Gerrard packing a bag at the beginning of the play? How
did it help him to outwit and trap the Intruder?
Answer: Gerrard was packing a bag in the beginning of the play as he
had to deliver some props to some theatrical company for rehearsal.
When the Intruder broke into his cottage and threatened to kill him and
steal his identity, Gerrard did not lose his cool. He spontaneously
concocted a story that he himself was a criminal and was trying to
dodge the police. This story was supported by the aura of mystery that
surrounded him, his reclusive lifestyle, the bag he had been packing, the
disguise outfit, false moustaches etc.
All this misled the Intruder into believing that Gerrard was speaking the
truth. He did not doubt Gerrard any longer and unsuspectingly got ready
to escape along with him. When Gerrard indicates the door that leads
straight to the garage, the Intruder walks into a trap. Hence, the bag
played an important role in convincing the Intruder that Gerrard, too,
was a criminal like him and was preparing to flee when he broke into his
cottage.
Q 2. Bring out Gerrard’s intelligence, presence of mind and sense of
humour. How did these traits help him outwit the Intruder?
Answer: An intelligent and level-headed person, Gerrard did not show
even the slightest of nervousness at the sight of the gun-totting criminal
enter his house and threaten to kill him. He knew that his wit and
presence of mind would not only help him to manage the crisis but
would also contribute towards unnerving the Intruder, and getting the
better of him. Keeping the atmosphere light and lively with his sense of
humour and funny remarks, Gerrard surprised the Intruder, who had
expected him to be afraid.
Once he found out the Intruder was wanted for murder and had been
on the run, and thus living in fear, he instantly cooked up a story about
his own criminal background. Convincing the Intruder that police would
arrive any minute to nab him, he impressed upon the Intruder that they
would have to escape immediately. Cleverly, he made him peep into the
cupboard saying that it was an escape route.
The moment the Intruder leaned forward to inspect it, Gerrard pushed
him into the cupboard and knocked the revolver out of his hand. He
closed and locked the door. Thus, his intelligence, sense of humour, and
presence of mind turned the tables on the Intruder.
Q 3. Why did the Intruder find Gerrard’s cooked up story of criminal
background convincing?
Answer: In the beginning, the Intruder suspected every move made by
Gerrard. He snubbed him when Gerrard tried to begin a conversation
regarding the Intruder’s identity and curtly told him to answer only what
was asked. However, he was gullible enough to unsuspiciously walk into
Gerrard’s trap because the latter did not lose his cool, and employed his
presence of mind to cook up the story that he, too, was wanted by the
police.
Actually, Gerrard supported his claim of being a criminal by showing the
Intruder his bag, and his disguise outfits and false moustaches etc. The
Intruder did not know about the theatrical background of Gerrard and
he found his story convincing. He believed that Gerrard was actually
trying to evade the police. Hence, the unsuspecting Intruder walked into
Gerrard’s trap. This indicates that although he claimed to be the
smartest person around, he was in fact not very intelligent. He was
outwitted by a smart Gerrard who foiled his plan.