CBSE Class 11 English Woven Words: Chapter 1 - My Watch NCERT Solutions
This resource provides detailed NCERT Solutions for Chapter 1, 'My Watch,' from the CBSE Class 11 English Woven Words textbook. It delves into the author's personal narrative about his cherished watch, its malfunction, and his extensive, often frustrating, attempts at repair. The solutions explore the significance of the watch to the author, the various methods he employed to fix it, and the ultimate reasons for his decision to give up. It also touches upon the wisdom shared by Uncle Williams regarding 'tinkerers' and the nature of things that have lost their initial perfection. These solutions are designed to help students grasp the nuances of the essay, understand the author's perspective, and prepare effectively for their examinations by offering clear explanations and insights into the text.
Quick info
| Board | CBSE |
|---|---|
| Class | Class 11 |
| Subject | English Woven Words Essay |
| Session | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Type | NCERT Solutions |
| Chapter | Chapter 1 |
Chapter summary
Chapter 1, 'My Watch,' of the CBSE Class 11 English Woven Words textbook focuses on a personal essay detailing the author's relationship with his watch. The NCERT Solutions cover the importance of the watch to the author, the series of attempts made to repair it after it malfunctioned, and the author's eventual realization and decision to abandon the repair efforts. The solutions also explain the underlying message about the limitations of 'tinkerers' as conveyed through Uncle Williams' anecdote.
Learning outcomes
- Understand the significance of the watch to the author in the essay 'My Watch'.
- Identify and describe the various attempts made by the author to repair his watch.
- Analyze the author's reasons for ultimately giving up on repairing the watch.
- Explain the meaning and relevance of Uncle Williams' comment about 'tinkerers'.
- Interpret the essay's underlying themes about perfection, repair, and expertise.
Topics covered
Paper topics
- The author's watch
- Importance of the watch
- Watch malfunction
- Repair attempts
- Jewelers and watchmakers
- Cost of repairs
- Uncle Williams' anecdote
- Concept of 'tinkerers'
- Perfection and repair
- Author's perspective
- Essay analysis
- Understanding literary texts
Important topics
- Author's relationship with his watch
- The process and futility of multiple repair attempts
- Uncle Williams' quote and its meaning
- The theme of lost perfection
- Critique of 'tinkerers'
PDF preview
Read page by page below. PDF is streamed from the official NCERT website — no download button on this page.
Questions and Solutions
1. What was the importance of the watch to the author?
The watch held significant importance for the author. For a period of eighteen months, it had functioned perfectly and reliably, aiding him in maintaining punctuality. The author had developed such a strong faith in its accuracy that he began to consider its timekeeping predictions infallible and believed its internal mechanism to be indestructible.
2. What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?
After his watch stopped working following eighteen months of flawless performance, the author was devastated. He immediately sought help from a chief jeweler's shop to reset the time. Despite the author's caution, the head jeweler attempted a repair, which unfortunately worsened the watch's condition, causing it to run faster than before. Subsequently, the author took the watch to a watchmaker for regulation, who slowed it down excessively. He then consulted another watchmaker who identified a 'swelled' barrel and required three days for repair. Following this, he visited yet another watchmaker who fixed a broken king bolt. The author's persistent efforts continued as he took the watch to a different watchmaker, and finally, to one who had experience as a steam-boat engineer. In total, the author sought assistance from seven different individuals in his quest to repair the watch.
3. Why did the author finally give up on his watch?
The author finally gave up on his watch after numerous unsuccessful repair attempts. Despite taking it to seven different specialists, the watch could not be restored to its original, reliable condition. Furthermore, the cumulative cost of these repairs, amounting to two or three thousand dollars, far exceeded the initial purchase price of the watch, which was only two hundred dollars. This experience led him to understand a valuable lesson, similar to what his Uncle Williams had once told him about a good horse: once something perfect has experienced a significant failure, its subsequent attempts at restoration may prove futile and excessively costly.
4. What was Uncle Williams' comment on the 'tinkerers' of the world?
After his extensive and costly attempts to repair his watch failed, the author recalled a comment made by his Uncle Williams. Uncle Williams had observed that 'a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once.' The author applied this wisdom to his watch, realizing that a once-perfect item, after malfunctioning and being subjected to multiple repairs by various individuals ('tinkerers'), might never regain its original integrity. Uncle Williams seemed to suggest that these 'tinkerers,' while perhaps knowledgeable about many things, often lacked the specialization needed to truly restore something to its former state, questioning the fate of skilled tradespeople who became such general repairers.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the number of repair attempts made by the author.
- Misinterpreting Uncle Williams' analogy about the horse and its application to the watch.
- Focusing only on the literal repair attempts without understanding the deeper message.
Revision tips
- Reread the essay 'My Watch' to fully appreciate the author's emotional connection to the timepiece.
- List all the repair attempts and the outcomes to understand the author's persistence and frustration.
- Pay close attention to the anecdote about Uncle Williams and its connection to the main narrative.
- Consider the essay's message about specialization versus general repair skills.
Practice MCQs
Q1. What was the initial period the author's watch worked flawlessly before it stopped?
Explanation: The author mentions that his watch had worked properly and flawlessly for eighteen months before he had let it run down.
Q2. How many different people did the author take his watch to for repairs?
Explanation: The text explicitly states that the author made a number of attempts to restore his watch by taking it to seven different people.
Q3. What was the approximate cost of the watch compared to the repair costs?
Explanation: The author notes that the watch had cost him two hundred dollars, but the repairs had amounted to two or three thousand dollars.
Q4. What did Uncle Williams compare a good horse to, in relation to its initial performance?
Explanation: Uncle Williams' comment was that 'a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once,' implying that a single significant failure can change its status.
Q5. According to the author's interpretation of Uncle Williams' view, what happens to a good watch after it malfunctions once?
Explanation: The author relates Uncle Williams' saying to his watch, realizing that a good watch is only good until it malfunctions once and then falls into the hands of various repairers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main subject of Chapter 1, 'My Watch', in Class 11 English Woven Words?
Chapter 1, 'My Watch,' is a personal essay where the author recounts his experience with a beloved watch that malfunctioned and his subsequent, extensive, and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to get it repaired.
Why was the watch so important to the author?
The watch was important because it had worked flawlessly for eighteen months, helping the author maintain punctuality. He had developed a strong belief in its accuracy and perceived it as indestructible.
How many repair attempts did the author make for his watch?
The author made numerous attempts, taking his watch to seven different people, including jewelers and watchmakers, in his effort to get it repaired.
What is the significance of Uncle Williams' comment in the essay?
Uncle Williams' comment, 'a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once,' is used by the author to illustrate that once something perfect has failed or been tampered with (like his watch), it may never be fully restored to its original state, and those who try to fix it ('tinkerers') may not achieve true expertise.
What does the author imply about 'tinkerers'?
The author implies that 'tinkerers,' those who attempt repairs without deep specialization, often fail to restore an item to its former perfection and may even worsen its condition, suggesting a lack of true skill or understanding.
How can these NCERT Solutions help students prepare for exams?
These solutions provide clear explanations of the essay's plot, characters (the author and Uncle Williams), themes, and the author's underlying message, helping students understand the text thoroughly for comprehension and analytical questions.
Content reviewed by the NCERT Help team. Editorial Team and update policy
NCERT Solutions PDF PDF on NCERT Help. URL unchanged for search indexing.