Synonyms
More meanings
Tip: select a single word for meaning & synonyms.
Select multiple words normally to copy text.
Tom Loses a Tooth: WBBSE Class 9 English (Second) notes
Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guide of Class 9 English textbook, chapter 7 Tom Loses a Tooth by Mark Twain which is part of the syllabus of students studying under West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
If you notice any errors in the notes, please mention them in the comments
Summary
The chapter from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain describes Tom’s attempt to avoid going to school. Feeling miserable about the start of another school week, Tom tries to convince himself that he is sick. He inspects his body for symptoms but finds none convincing enough. He then discovers a loose tooth and considers using it as an excuse. However, fearing Aunt Polly would pull it out and cause pain, he decides not to mention it immediately.
Tom then remembers hearing about an ailment that could confine someone to bed. He examines his sore toe and begins to groan loudly, pretending to be in pain. His brother Sid does not wake until Tom shakes him. Alarmed by Tom’s dramatic groaning, Sid rushes to get help, believing Tom to be gravely ill. Aunt Polly and Mary come upstairs, worried by Sid’s claims that Tom is dying.
When Aunt Polly demands to know what is wrong, Tom complains about pain in his toe. She quickly realises it is a trick when Tom changes his complaint to a toothache. Aunt Polly scolds Tom for his antics and prepares to extract the loose tooth. She uses a silk thread tied to a bedpost to pull it out. The tooth is successfully removed, leaving Tom with a gap in his teeth.
Textbook solutions
Exercise 1
Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. Tom felt miserable on the mornings of
A. Sunday
B. Monday
C. Thursday
D. Saturday
Answer: B. Monday
2. If Aunt Polly was to know that Tom had a loose tooth, she would
A. call a doctor
B. bring him some medicines
C. surely pull it out
D. tell him to rest
Answer: C. surely pull it out
3. Tom drew his sore toe from under the
A. sheet
B. blanket
C. pillow
D. mosquito-net
Answer: A. sheet
4. Sid flew down the stairs to call
A. the doctor
B. Mary
C. the nurse
D. Aunt Polly
Answer: D. Aunt Polly
5. The thread that Mary got Aunt Polly was made of
A. cotton
B. jute
C. silk
D. wool
Answer: C. silk
Exercise 2
Answer the following questions within fifteen words:
1. Which one of Tom’s tooth had come loose?
Answer: One of his upper front teeth had come loose.
2. How are Sid and Mary related to Tom?
Answer: Sid is Tom’s brother, and Mary is Tom’s cousin.
3. Why did Tom ask Sid not to stir him?
Answer: Tom asked Sid not to stir him because it would kill him.
4. Why did Tom pretend his toe was paining?
Answer: Tom pretended his toe was paining to avoid going to school.
Exercise 3
Answer the following questions within twenty five words:
1. What did Tom remember hearing from a doctor?
Answer: A certain ailment could lay up a patient for three days and make him lose a finger.
2. How did Aunt Polly react to the news that Tom was dying?
Answer: Aunt Polly’s face grew pale, and her lips trembled. She gasped, laughed a little, cried a little, and felt both shocked and relieved.
3. How was Tom’s loose tooth taken out?
Answer: Aunt Polly tied one end of a silk thread to Tom’s tooth and the other to the bedpost, then pulled it out, leaving the tooth dangling.
Exercise 4
Do as directed:
1. Rafique was running fast. (Change into an interrogative sentence)
Answer: Was Rafique running fast?
2. The boy would never forget the exciting incident. (Change into an affirmative sentence)
Answer: The boy would always remember the exciting incident.
3. We had a wonderful time last evening. (Change into an exclamatory sentence)
Answer: What a wonderful time we had last evening!
Exercise 5
Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs from the list given below. Change the form of verbs where necessary. There is one extra phrasal verb in the list:
1. The enemy surrendered without a fight.
Answer: The enemy gave in without a fight.
2. The child was cured in a month.
Answer: The child came round in a month.
3. The police investigated the case.
Answer: The police looked into the case.
4. Puja could understand what her sister said.
Answer: Puja could make out what her sister said.
5. The old man could not remember his childhood experiences.
Answer: The old man could not call up his childhood experiences.
Write a report within 100 words for an English daily using the given information:
Incident: Severe cyclone (80 km/hr)
Date: 11 June 2013
Time: 6:45 P.M.
Place: Coastal areas of West Bengal
Cause: Depression in Bay of Bengal
Result: 60 people died, many homeless, train services disrupted
Relief: State government provided immediate relief
Answer:
Cyclone Hits Coastal West Bengal
By a Staff Reporter
Kolkata, June 12, 2013: A severe cyclone with a speed of 80 km/hr struck the coastal areas of West Bengal on June 11, 2013, at around 6:45 P.M., caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone caused extensive damage, claiming 60 lives and rendering many homeless. Train services were disrupted, leaving numerous passengers stranded. The state government acted promptly, providing relief and evacuating over 5,000 people to temporary shelters. The Chief Minister assured all possible assistance to those affected by this disaster.
Exercise 6
Write a newspaper report on a road accident within 100 words. Use the following hints:
Brake failure of a bus—collided with a truck—5 injured including a child and a woman—injured sent to hospital—released with first aid—traffic disrupted—police intervened—normalcy restored
Answer:
Bus Accident Causes Traffic Disruption
By a Staff Reporter
Kolkata, December 27, 2024: A major road accident occurred yesterday when a bus suffered a brake failure and collided with a truck. The accident injured five people, including a child and a woman. The injured were immediately rushed to the hospital and were released after receiving first aid. The collision caused significant traffic disruption in the area, with vehicles stranded for hours. Police quickly intervened to manage the situation and restore normalcy. The incident has raised concerns over the maintenance of public transport vehicles. An investigation into the accident is underway.
Extras
Additional MCQs
1. On which day did Tom feel miserable about going to school?
A. Sunday
B. Monday
C. Thursday
D. Saturday
Answer: B. Monday
2. What did Aunt Polly do when she discovered Tom’s loose tooth?
A. Took him to a doctor
B. Gave him medicine
C. Pulled it out with a thread
D. Told him to rest
Answer: C. Pulled it out with a thread
3. What did Tom initially hope would help him avoid school?
A. A fever
B. Stomach trouble
C. A sore throat
D. A headache
Answer: B. Stomach trouble
4. Who was the first person Sid informed about Tom’s condition?
A. The doctor
B. Aunt Polly
C. Mary
D. The nurse
Answer: B. Aunt Polly
5. What material was the thread used by Aunt Polly to pull Tom’s tooth made of?
A. Cotton
B. Jute
C. Silk
D. Wool
Answer: C. Silk
6. What did Tom complain about to Aunt Polly after his toe pain was dismissed?
A. A stomach ache
B. A toothache
C. A headache
D. A fever
Answer: B. A toothache
7. How did Tom check for an excuse to skip school?
A. Pretended to have a fever
B. Checked his body for ailments
C. Asked Sid to cover for him
D. Complained of tiredness
Answer: B. Checked his body for ailments
8. What was the first symptom Tom thought might help him stay home?
A. Sore throat
B. Loose tooth
C. Stomach trouble
D. Headache
Answer: C. Stomach trouble
9. What did Tom decide to use as a backup excuse for avoiding school?
A. His loose tooth
B. His sore toe
C. A fever
D. A headache
Answer: A. His loose tooth
10. Why did Tom shake Sid awake?
A. To tell him a secret
B. To get him to fetch help
C. To make him stop snoring
D. To warn him about Aunt Polly
Answer: B. To get him to fetch help
11. What did Tom imagine would happen if Aunt Polly knew about his loose tooth?
A. She would take him to the doctor
B. She would ignore him
C. She would pull it out painfully
D. She would scold him
Answer: C. She would pull it out painfully
12. Who accompanied Aunt Polly to check on Tom?
A. Sid and Mary
B. Sid and the doctor
C. Mary and a neighbour
D. Only Sid
Answer: A. Sid and Mary
13. What did Tom claim hurt more than his toe?
A. His tooth
B. His stomach
C. His head
D. His finger
Answer: A. His tooth
14. How did Aunt Polly finally remove Tom’s tooth?
A. By tying it to a bedpost with silk thread
B. By using a pair of pliers
C. By asking a doctor to help
D. By making Tom pull it out himself
Answer: A. By tying it to a bedpost with silk thread
15. What did Tom do after Aunt Polly pulled his tooth?
A. Complained about more pain
B. Smiled in a new way
C. Ran off to school
D. Cried loudly
Answer: B. Smiled in a new way
Additional questions and answers
1. What did Tom find miserable?
Answer: Monday mornings.
2. What did Tom hope for while lying in bed?
Answer: He hoped to be sick.
3. What did Tom think he had symptoms of at first?
Answer: Stomach trouble.
4. What was Tom’s discovery about his tooth?
Answer: His upper front tooth was loose.
5. Why didn’t Tom want to tell Aunt Polly about his tooth?
Answer: She would pull it out, which would hurt.
6. What part of Tom’s body did he inspect after thinking about an ailment?
Answer: His sore toe.
7. Who did Tom try to wake up by groaning?
Answer: His brother Sid.
8. How did Sid react when Tom groaned louder?
Answer: Sid eventually woke up and looked at Tom anxiously.
9. What did Sid do when he thought Tom was dying?
Answer: He rushed to call Aunt Polly.
10. What did Tom claim was paining him when Aunt Polly arrived?
Answer: His toe.
11. What did Aunt Polly do when she heard about Tom’s tooth?
Answer: She prepared to pull it out with a silk thread.
12. Why did Aunt Polly think Tom pretended to be ill?
Answer: To avoid school and go fishing.
13. How did Aunt Polly extract Tom’s tooth?
Answer: She tied it with a silk thread to the bed-post and pulled it out.
14. What did Tom gain after losing his tooth?
Answer: A gap that allowed him to smile admirably.
15. Why did Tom find Monday mornings miserable?
Answer: Monday mornings marked the beginning of another week’s suffering at school, which Tom dreaded.
16. How did Tom initially try to avoid school?
Answer: He examined himself for sickness and thought of pretending to be ill.
17. What happened when Tom found his tooth was loose?
Answer: He felt hopeful but decided to keep it as a last resort, fearing Aunt Polly would pull it out.
18. How did Tom try to convince Sid that he was in pain?
Answer: He groaned loudly, shook Sid awake, and claimed to be in severe pain.
19. How did Aunt Polly react to Sid’s claim that Tom was dying?
Answer: She initially dismissed it as rubbish but hurried upstairs when she saw Sid’s concern.
20. What did Tom say was wrong when Aunt Polly asked about his condition?
Answer: He first claimed his toe was paining and later mentioned a loose tooth.
21. What was Aunt Polly’s final response to Tom’s excuses?
Answer: She lovingly scolded him for his mischief and pulled out his tooth despite his protests.
22. What did Aunt Polly discover about Tom’s intentions?
Answer: She realized he wanted to avoid school and go fishing instead.
23. How did Tom feel after Aunt Polly pulled his tooth?
Answer: He felt a bit foolish but was proud of his new smile.
24. Why did Tom find Monday mornings miserable?
Answer: Tom disliked Monday mornings because they marked the beginning of another week of slow suffering in school. He considered school to be a tedious and unpleasant experience, which made Mondays particularly unbearable for him. This set the tone for his mood and thoughts at the start of the week.
25. How did Tom attempt to avoid going to school on Monday?
Answer: Tom tried to avoid school by pretending to be ill. He examined his body for any signs of sickness, first imagining he had symptoms of stomach trouble. When that failed, he discovered a loose tooth but decided to hold onto the idea to avoid Aunt Polly pulling it out. Later, he focused on his sore toe, groaning loudly to gain attention and make his condition seem dire.
26. What made Tom think of using his loose tooth as an excuse?
Answer: Tom realized one of his upper front teeth was loose, which he initially considered a fortunate discovery. He planned to use it as an excuse to avoid school but hesitated when he thought of the pain Aunt Polly would cause by pulling it out. He decided to reserve this excuse for later, thinking it might be useful.
27. What methods did Tom use to wake Sid and convince him of his illness?
Answer: Tom groaned loudly and repeatedly to wake Sid but initially failed. He then called Sid’s name and shook him awake. Once Sid was alert, Tom moaned dramatically, claimed he was in severe pain, and even suggested he was dying, hoping to alarm Sid and make his performance more convincing.
28. How did Sid respond to Tom’s groans and claims?
Answer: At first, Sid slept through Tom’s groans, but when Tom shook him awake, Sid became concerned. He anxiously asked Tom what was wrong and, upon hearing Tom’s claims of being in great pain, rushed to call Aunt Polly for help. Sid was genuinely worried and took Tom’s groaning seriously.
29. What was Aunt Polly’s reaction to Sid’s alarm about Tom’s condition?
Answer: Aunt Polly was initially skeptical, calling Sid’s claim that Tom was dying “rubbish.” However, seeing Sid’s urgency, she rushed upstairs with Mary. When she saw Tom groaning on the bed, she grew pale and concerned but quickly realized that Tom was exaggerating after hearing his complaint about toe pain.
30. What did Tom claim when Aunt Polly asked about his pain?
Answer: Tom first claimed his toe was paining, attempting to dramatize his condition. Later, when Aunt Polly dismissed the toe pain as nonsense, he shifted his complaint to a loose tooth, saying it ached terribly and was more painful than his toe.
31. How did Aunt Polly address Tom’s excuse about his loose tooth?
Answer: Aunt Polly dismissed Tom’s complaints about his loose tooth as minor. She quickly prepared to pull it out by tying a silk thread to the tooth and attaching the other end to the bed-post. Despite Tom’s protests, she firmly extracted the tooth, leaving Tom with a gap in his smile.
32. What did Aunt Polly realize about Tom’s intentions?
Answer: Aunt Polly recognized that Tom had pretended to be ill to avoid school and possibly go fishing. She lovingly scolded him, expressing both her exasperation and affection. She accused him of trying to break her heart with his mischief, though she still cared deeply for him.
33. How did Tom feel after his tooth was pulled?
Answer: After his tooth was pulled, Tom felt a little foolish for his failed attempt to avoid school. However, he was also pleased with the gap in his teeth, which allowed him to smile in a unique and admirable way, giving him a sense of satisfaction despite the ordeal.
