NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 6 No Men Are Foreign Questions and Answers

No Men Are Foreign

Have you ever thought of some people as strange, or other countries as ‘foreign’? We have many ways of thinking of other people as different from ‘us’, as ‘them.’ ‘ They’ may belong to a different country, or speak a different language. In this poem, however, the poet reminds us of the many ways in which we are all the same — for we are all human.

Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.

Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.

Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other

It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

Author: JAMES KIRKUP

GLOSSARY
dispossess: dislodge; deprive
defile: make dirty; pollute
outrage the innocence of: violate the purity of

Thinking about the Poem

1.
(i) “Beneath all uniforms . . .” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
Answer: The poet is talking about the uniforms that people wear, like soldiers’ uniforms. These uniforms make us look different from one another, but underneath, we are all the same.

(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
Answer: The poet says that all people are the same because we all share similar things, like we breathe the same air, walk on the same earth, and live in the same world.

2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer: In stanza 1, the five ways we are alike are:
A single body breathes (everyone breathes the same).
The earth our brothers walk on (we all walk on the same earth).
Beneath all uniforms (we are the same beneath our clothes).
The land is earth (the same land is under all of us).
We all shall lie in it (we all will die and return to the earth).

3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2 ? Pick out the words.
Answer:In stanza 2, the common features are:
Sun, air, and water (we all need these to live).
Fed by peaceful harvests (we all eat food from the earth).
War’s long winter starv’d (war affects everyone, making people suffer).
Hands (we all work with our hands).
Labour (we all do work that is not different from each other’s).

4. “... whenever we are told to hate our brothers ...” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
Answer: This happens when people in power or leaders tell us to fight or hate other people. They tell us to hate our brothers during times of war or conflict. The poet says we should not listen to such things, because when we fight, we only hurt ourselves and the world we live in.

English Grammar: Articles

Articles in English Grammar

Articles are words that define whether something is specific or general in a sentence. In English, there are two types of articles: definite and indefinite.

1. Definite Article: "The"

"The" is used when talking about something specific or something that both the speaker and listener know about.

Examples:
1. The sun rises in the east.
2. I saw the dog that lives next door.
3. She went to the store that is near her house.
4. The book on the table is mine.
5. We enjoyed the movie we watched yesterday.

2. Indefinite Articles: "A" and "An"

"A" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound (e.g., b, c, d).
"An" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound (e.g., a, e, i, o, u).

Examples with "A":
1. He wants to buy a car.
2. She is a teacher.
3. They saw a bird in the garden.
4. He ate a sandwich for lunch.
5. She has a new phone.

Examples with "An":
1. I saw an elephant at the zoo.
2. She gave me an apple.
3. He needs an umbrella because it’s raining.
4. She is an artist.
5. He had an idea for the project.

Summary:
Use "the" when referring to something specific.
Use "a" before words that start with a consonant sound.
Use "an" before words that start with a vowel sound.

All Special Cases for "A" and "An"

Here are all the special cases where you might use "a" and "an" differently than you might expect based on the first letter of the word:

Special Cases for "A":

1. Words starting with "U" that sound like "Yoo":
A university (The "u" in "university" sounds like "yoo", which is a consonant sound.)
A unicorn (The "u" in "unicorn" sounds like "yoo".)
A uniform (The "u" in "uniform" also sounds like "yoo".)

2. Words starting with "O" that sound like "W":
A one-time event (The "o" in "one" sounds like "w", so "a" is used.)
A one-way street (The "o" in "one" sounds like "w".)
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (The "o" in "once" sounds like "w".)

3. Words starting with a consonant letter but followed by a vowel sound:
A European country (The "e" in "European" sounds like "yoo".)
A euphemism (The "eu" in "euphemism" sounds like "yoo".)
A eulogy (The "eu" in "eulogy" sounds like "yoo".)

Special Cases for "An":

1. Words starting with a silent "H":
An hour (The "h" in "hour" is silent, so it sounds like it starts with a vowel sound "o".)
An honor (The "h" in "honor" is silent, so it sounds like it starts with a vowel sound "o".)
An honest mistake (The "h" in "honest" is silent, so it sounds like it starts with a vowel sound "o".)

2. Words starting with a consonant letter but pronounced with a vowel sound:
An FBI agent (The "F" is pronounced as "ef", which starts with a vowel sound.)
An MBA degree (The "M" is pronounced as "em", which starts with a vowel sound.)
An X-ray (The "X" is pronounced as "ex", which starts with a vowel sound.)

3. Words starting with vowels that sound like a consonant:
An umbrella (The "u" in "umbrella" is pronounced with a vowel sound, so "an" is used.)
An apple (The "a" in "apple" is pronounced with a vowel sound.)
An octopus (The "o" in "octopus" is pronounced with a vowel sound.)

Summary:
Use "a" when the word starts with a consonant sound, even if the first letter is a vowel.
Use "an" when the word starts with a vowel sound, even if the first letter is a consonant.


Special Cases Where We Do Not Use the Article "The"

"The" is typically used to refer to something specific or known to both the speaker and the listener. However, there are several situations where "the" is not used. Here are all the special cases:

1. General Plural Nouns:
• When talking about things in general, we don’t use "the" before plural nouns.

Examples:
• Dogs are loyal animals. (Referring to dogs in general, not specific dogs.)
• Books are a great source of knowledge. (Referring to books in general.)

2. General Uncountable Nouns:
• For uncountable nouns when speaking in a general sense, "the" is not used.

Examples:
• Water is essential for life. (Talking about water in general.)
• Happiness is important. (Referring to the concept of happiness in general.)

3. Names of Countries:
• Most country names do not use "the." Exceptions include countries with words like "kingdom," "states," or plural names.

Examples:
• I live in India. (No "the" before India.)
• She is from France. (No "the" before France.)

Exceptions:
• The United States of America
• The United Kingdom
• The Netherlands

4. Names of Languages:
• We don’t use "the" before names of languages.

Examples:
• She speaks Spanish. (No "the" before Spanish.)
• He is learning Chinese. (No "the" before Chinese.)

5. Names of Sports and Academic Subjects:
• We don’t use "the" before names of sports or academic subjects.

Examples:
• She plays tennis. (No "the" before tennis.)
• He studied biology. (No "the" before biology.)

6. Names of Meals:
• We don’t use "the" before names of meals.

Examples:
• We had lunch at noon. (No "the" before lunch.)
• Dinner is ready. (No "the" before dinner.)

7. Names of Professions and Positions (When Used Generally):
• When referring to professions or positions in a general sense, "the" is not used.

Examples:
• She is a doctor. (No "the" before "doctor" when talking about a profession in general.)
• He wants to be a president someday. (Talking about the position in general.)

8. Names of Seasons:
• We don’t use "the" before names of seasons when speaking generally.

Examples:
• Winter is cold in Canada. (No "the" before winter.)
• Spring is my favorite season. (No "the" before spring.)

9. Names of Modes of Transport:
• We don’t use "the" when talking about modes of transport in general terms.

Examples:
• She goes to work by bus. (No "the" before bus.)
• We traveled by plane. (No "the" before plane.)

10. Names of Days, Months, and Holidays:
• We don’t use "the" before names of days, months, and holidays.

Examples:
• Monday is the first day of the week. (No "the" before Monday.)
• December is a cold month. (No "the" before December.)
• Christmas is celebrated worldwide. (No "the" before Christmas.)

11. Names of People:
• We don’t use "the" before the names of people.

Examples:
• John is my friend. (No "the" before John.)
• Dr. Smith is our family doctor. (No "the" before Dr. Smith.)

12. Names of Streets and Squares:
• We don’t use "the" before the names of streets, squares, or avenues.

Examples:
• She lives on Main Street. (No "the" before Main Street.)
• The hotel is near Trafalgar Square. (No "the" before Trafalgar Square.)

13. Names of Institutions (When Used Generally):
• When referring to institutions like school, church, or hospital in a general sense, "the" is not used.

Examples:
• He goes to school. (No "the" before school.)
• She is at church. (No "the" before church.)

14. Names of Airports, Stations, and Terminals:
• We don’t use "the" before names of airports, stations, or terminals.

Examples:
• He is at JFK Airport. (No "the" before JFK Airport.)
• We arrived at Central Station. (No "the" before Central Station.)

15. Names of Continents, Mountains, Lakes, and Islands (When Singular):
• We don’t use "the" before names of continents, most mountains, lakes, and islands when they are singular.

Examples:
• Asia is the largest continent. (No "the" before Asia.)
• She climbed Mount Everest. (No "the" before Mount Everest.)
• They swam in Lake Victoria. (No "the" before Lake Victoria.)

Exceptions:
• The Alps
• The Himalayas
• The Great Lakes

Summary:
• "The" is generally not used when talking about things in a general sense, with singular proper nouns like people, places, languages, and specific categories like meals and sports. Certain countries, plural names, and specific phrases do require "the."