CBSE Class 11 Woven Words: My Watch NCERT Solutions

Reviewed by NCERT Help Editorial Team · Updated on 29 Jul 2026

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 11 PDF

This chapter, 'My Watch,' from CBSE Class 11 Woven Words, delves into the author's frustrating and humorous experience with a broken watch. The solutions provide a deep dive into the narrative, explaining the profound importance of the watch to the author, the numerous failed attempts to repair it by various watchmakers, and the ultimate decision to abandon the effort. It also explores the insightful commentary from Uncle William regarding 'tinkerers' and the author's use of vivid metaphors to describe the watch's erratic behavior. These NCERT Solutions break down the essay's nuances, helping students grasp the underlying themes of perseverance, the limitations of expertise, and the relatable struggle with malfunctioning objects. They are designed to aid students in understanding the text thoroughly and preparing effectively for their exams by clarifying complex ideas and literary devices used in the essay.

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Board	CBSE
Class	Class 11
Subject	Woven Words
Session	2026
Language	English
Type	NCERT Solutions
Chapter	21. My Watch - (Essays)

Chapter summary

NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 11 Woven Words, Chapter 21: 'My Watch,' focuses on the author's personal narrative about a beloved watch that stops working. The solutions cover the significance of the watch to the author, the series of unsuccessful repair attempts, and the lessons learned from these experiences, including Uncle William's perspective on 'tinkerers.' The chapter's exercises also prompt analysis of the author's use of humor and figurative language to describe his ordeal.

Learning outcomes

Understand the significance of the watch to the author in the essay 'My Watch'.
Analyze the author's repeated attempts to get his watch repaired.
Explain the meaning of Uncle William's comment on 'tinkerers'.
Identify and interpret the author's use of humor and metaphors.
Relate the author's experience to common frustrations with malfunctioning objects.

Topics covered

Paper topics

Author's relationship with his watch
Challenges in watch repair
The concept of 'tinkerers'
Uncle William's advice
Use of humor in writing
Figurative language and metaphors
Narrative structure
Themes of perseverance and frustration
Mark Twain's writing style (implied)
Understanding essay content

Important topics

The author's emotional attachment to the watch
The series of failed repair attempts
Uncle William's perspective on 'tinkerers'
Analysis of humor and metaphors
The essay's underlying message about expertise

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Questions and Solutions

Q1. What was the importance of the watch to the author?

What was the importance of the watch to the author?

Solution: The watch held significant personal value for the author, functioning much like a trusted companion or a constant shadow. For eighteen months, it reliably accompanied him everywhere and showed the correct time. The author considered his watch an essential part of his life, believing its duty to keep accurate time was 'indestructible' as long as it was in working order.

Q2. What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?

What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?

Solution: After his watch stopped working subsequent to eighteen months of reliable service, the author felt distressed and immediately sought repairs. His first attempt was at the chief jeweler's shop, where the owner, despite being asked to leave the watch, attempted a repair that ultimately made the watch run excessively fast. Months later, another watchmaker quoted three days to fix a 'swollen barrel.' Subsequently, the author consulted several other watchmakers, making various attempts to have the watch restored, but none were successful in returning it to its original working condition.

Q3. Why did the author finally give up on his watch?

Why did the author finally give up on his watch?

Solution: The author finally abandoned efforts to repair his watch after taking it to seven different watchmakers over a period following its breakdown after eighteen months. Despite these numerous attempts, the watch could not be restored to proper working order. The cumulative cost of these repairs was becoming quite expensive, approaching the watch's original price of two hundred dollars. This experience led the author to understand his Uncle William's analogy about a good horse being good only until it runs away once, signifying that sometimes, despite best efforts, a thing's usefulness is limited.

Q4. What was Uncle Williams' comment on the 'tinkerers' of the world?

What was Uncle Williams' comment on the 'tinkerers' of the world?

Solution: Reflecting on his own unsuccessful attempts to get his watch repaired by various individuals, the author recalls his Uncle William's observation about 'tinkerers.' Uncle William suggested that unsuccessful tinkers often lack true specialization and are unable to master any particular skill or craft. The author connects this to his watch repair experience, implying that the people attempting to fix his watch were not true experts and therefore could not achieve a lasting repair, much like a horse is only good until it fails.

Q5. Explain these lines -

Explain these lines -

'I seemed to detect in myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and a desire to swap news with him.'
'Within a week it sickened to a raging fever and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade.'
'She makes too much steam—you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!'

Solution:

This line reflects the author's feeling of being stuck or out of sync due to his malfunctioning watch. When the watch was repaired and subsequently ran very slow, causing him to miss appointments and feel 'behind time,' he felt a kinship with a mummy in a museum. Both seemed ancient, slow, and disconnected from the present, prompting a desire for shared experience or news.
This is a vivid metaphor used by the author to describe the watch's erratic behavior after a repair. When the watch was made to run 'fairly fast,' the author personifies it as falling ill with a 'raging fever,' indicated by its 'pulse' (timekeeping rate) accelerating to an unusually high 'hundred and fifty in the shade' (a very fast pace).
This quote comes from a steam engineer who examined the author's watch. He uses an analogy from steam engines to describe the watch's problem. 'Making too much steam' implies the watch mechanism is over-pressurized or running uncontrollably. The suggestion to 'hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve' is a metaphorical, perhaps humorous, way of saying that a drastic, unconventional measure is needed to control the excessive 'steam' or energy, possibly implying the watch is beyond normal repair.

Q1. How is humour employed to comment on the pains that the author took to get his watch set right?

How is humour employed to comment on the pains that the author took to get his watch set right?

Solution: The author masterfully uses humor to comment on his arduous and ultimately futile attempts to repair his watch. He describes the watch's malfunction after eighteen months and the subsequent visits to numerous watchmakers, none of whom could restore it. He relates this to Uncle William's saying about a 'good horse' only being good until it fails, and compares himself to a mummy, highlighting the absurdity and frustration of his situation. The author also uses exaggerated metaphors, like the watch having a 'raging fever' with a high pulse, to depict its erratic behavior. This lighthearted, yet pointed, commentary on the incompetence of the 'tinkerers' and his own prolonged struggle makes the painful experience relatable and amusing for the reader.

Q2. 'The author's treatment of the subject matter makes the readers identify themselves with the experience.' Comment on this statement.

'The author's treatment of the subject matter makes the readers identify themselves with the experience.' Comment on this statement.

Solution: The author, Mark Twain, effectively makes readers empathize with his experience through his relatable and engaging narrative style. He recounts the common frustration of dealing with a beloved object that breaks down and the subsequent, often exasperating, quest for repairs. By employing vivid descriptions, humor, and apt metaphors (like the watch's 'fever' or his kinship with a 'mummy'), Twain transforms a personal ordeal into a universal experience. Readers who have faced similar issues with malfunctioning devices or encountered unhelpful 'experts' can easily connect with the author's feelings of annoyance, desperation, and eventual resignation. His honest portrayal of his own feelings and the humorous exaggeration of the situation allow readers to see themselves in his shoes, making the essay deeply resonant.

Common mistakes

Misinterpreting the author's use of humor as solely negative.
Failing to connect Uncle William's advice to the watch repair experience.
Overlooking the symbolic meaning of the watch's breakdown.
Confusing the literal events with the author's figurative language.

Revision tips

Reread the essay, paying close attention to the author's tone and word choices.
Summarize the sequence of repair attempts and their outcomes.
Discuss Uncle William's quote and its relevance with a study partner.
Identify at least three instances of humor or metaphor used by the author.
Consider how the author's experience might apply to other situations.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What was the primary importance of the watch to the author?

Q2. How long did the author's watch function correctly before it stopped?

Q3. What was the outcome of the author's initial attempts to repair the watch?

Q4. According to Uncle William's advice, what defines a 'good horse'?

Q5. What does the author imply about 'tinkerers' based on his experience?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main theme of the essay 'My Watch'?

The main theme revolves around the author's frustrating yet humorous experience with a broken watch and the subsequent attempts at repair, highlighting the limitations of superficial expertise and the nature of perseverance.

Why did the author compare his watch to a mummy?

The author felt a 'fellow-feeling' for the mummy in the museum because, like the mummy, his watch was old, perhaps decaying, and stuck in time (moving very slowly), making him feel disconnected from the present.

What lesson does the author learn from his watch repair experience?

The author learns that some 'tinkerers' lack true expertise and cannot provide lasting solutions, reinforcing his uncle's advice that even good things can fail, and sometimes it's best to accept limitations.

How does the author use humor in the essay?

The author employs humor through exaggeration, irony, and relatable descriptions of his exasperation with the watch and the incompetent repairmen, making his ordeal entertaining despite the frustration.

What does 'its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade' signify?

This is a metaphor used to describe the watch running extremely fast, akin to a person with a dangerously high fever and rapid pulse, indicating its erratic and unhealthy functioning after a repair.

Are these NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Woven Words helpful for exams?

Yes, these solutions provide clear explanations of the text, analyze literary devices, and break down complex ideas, which are crucial for understanding the essay thoroughly and answering exam questions effectively.

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