If you’re looking for accurate and easy-to-understand solutions for the Pygmalion workbook, this post on ISC Pygmalion Workbook Answer (Evergreen): Act 1 will help you prepare effectively for your ISC English Literature exams. It contains detailed answers to all the questions from Act 1 of the Evergreen Publishers workbook prescribed for ISC Classes 11 and 12. The solutions are written in a clear and exam-oriented manner to help students understand the plot, characters, important dialogues, and themes of the play. Whether you are revising for school exams or improving your literary analysis, these answers will serve as a reliable study resource.
Table of Contents
Workbook Summary
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
Act I takes place in London at 11 p.m. when some people run to take shelter in the porch of St. Paul’s Church. Among these people are : A young girl and her mother, and the girls brother named Freddy, a flower girl named Eliza, a military colonel Mr Pickering, and Henry Higgins a phonetician. Higgins appears taking notes of these people’s speech, the flower girl trying to sell flowers to Mr Pickering is misunderstood as a girl of low moral standards. As she speaks, her accent sounds strange. However, Mr Pickering gives her three pence. The way Higgins is taking notes, he is understood to be a policeman or a detective and the girl suspects that she will be reported as an immoral girl for approaching the military colonel to sell flowers. She resents this in an exaggerated way and seems to overreact.
Higgins, appearing as a Note Taker displays his phonetic prowess by guessing the origins of some of the people from their speech. He tells them the area to which they come from by studying their accent. When they express their surprise, Higgins reveals to them his profession as a phonetician. “Simply phonetics, The science of speech. That’s my profession”. The flower girl is still annoyed and condemns Higgins. A bitter exchange of words takes place between the flower girl and Higgins. Higgins, here known as The Note Taker, expresses his dislike for the flower girl’s accent and calls her language low grade that will keep her in the gutter, slums. He also boasts of his ability to transform the flower girl into a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party.
During their conversation, Higgins tells Pickering about his book ‘Higgins’ Universal Alphabet’, and Pickering mentions his, ‘Spoken Sanskrit’. Higgins invites Pickering to visit his place 27, A Wimple Street. The flower girl requests Pickering to buy some flowers but he does not buy saying that he does not have any change for that. Higgins throws some money into the girl’s basket as he passes by her. She is much pleased to get the money and calls a taxi to go home. On reaching home, she counts her newly earned money and feels happy. Her small room and old, dusty furniture speaks much about her poverty. Act I ends with Eliza going to bed filled with calculations and dreams for future.
Workbook MCQs
1. ‘What can Freddy be doing all this time ? He’s been gone twenty minutes’.
The tone of the speaker in the above lines is –
(a) full of surprise
(b) irritated and frustrated
(c) interrogative
(d) assertive
Answer :-(b) irritated and frustrated
2. Which of the following statements is Not True about Freddy’s inability to get a cab ?
(a) He goes to Charing Cross to get a cab
(b) There are no cabs at this time of night
(c) Most of the cabs are already engaged
(d) Freddy does not offer a good fare
Answer :-(c) Most of the cabs are already engaged
3. Name the literary device used in the following words. The science of speech’.
(a) metaphor
(c) personification
(b) alliteration
(d) simile
Answer :-(b) alliteration
4. Select the option that is true for the assertion and reason given below :
Assertion : Higgins is suspected to be detective.
Reason : Higgins is an expert phonetician.
(a) The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
(b) The assertion is false, but the reason is true.
(c) Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
(d) Both the assertion and the reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
Answer :-(d) Both the assertion and the reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
5. Which of the following is Not there in Eliza’s room ?
(a) A basin and a jug
(b) A looking glass
(c) An American alarm clock
(d) A gas stove
Answer :-(d) A gas stove
6. Which trait of the flower girl’s character is revealed in the following line ?
‘I’ve a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb’.
(a) innocence
(b) arrogance
(c) assertive nature
(d) quarrel someness
Answer :-(c) assertive nature
7. Higgins does not like Eliza’s speech because :
(a) her accent is strange
(b) she speaks German
(c) she is a poor girl
(d) he cannot hear properly
Answer :-(a) her accent is strange
8. Which of the following statements uses the same literary device as used in the line. “I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba”.
(a) I am so hungry. I can eat an elephant’ !
(b) Her eyes shone like moon at night !
(c) The deafening silence of the night frightened me.
(d) Time is a thief that steals our life away.
Answer :-(a) I am so hungry. I can eat an elephant’ !
9. What is the tone of the speaker in the following sentence ?
‘Nice thing a girl can’t shelter from the rain without being insulted’.
(a) humiliating
(b) assertive
(c) sarcastic
(d) ironical
Answer :-(c) sarcastic
10. Select the option that correctly lists the character traits of Higgins as revealed in the First Act.
1. an expert phonetician
2. polite
3. obsessed with correct speech
4. helpful
5. humble
6. rude
(a) 1, 3, 4
(b) 1, 2,6
(c) 2, 4, 5
(d) 1, 3, 6
Answer :-(d) 1, 3, 6
11. Pick the quote that best describes Pickering’s support for the flower girl.
(a) Anybody could see that the girl meant no harm.
(b) I make no charge
(c) Stop : here’s three hapence, if that’s any use to you.
(d) But is there a living in that.
Answer :-(a) Anybody could see that the girl meant no harm.
12. Which literary device is used in the following line ?
‘You squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns’.
(a) simile
(b) onomatopoeia
(c) metaphor
(d) allusion
Answer :-(c) metaphor
13. The First Act expresses the play’s theme of….. .
(a) innocence versus experience
(b) ignorance and illitracy
(c) misidentification
(d) friendship and affection
Answer :-(c) misidentification
14. The title of the book that Higgins has written is :
(a) Higgins’ Spoken Sanskrit
(b) Higgins’ Universal Alphabet
(c) Spoken Sanskrit
(d) Covent Garden
Answer :-(b) Higgins’ Universal Alphabet
15. When the First Act of the play ends, Eliza is seen :
(a) going in a taxi
(b) selling flowers
(c) going to sleep
(d) lighting a candle
Answer :-(c) going to sleep
16. How did the girl and her mother go to the bus when the rain stopped ?
(a) they walked to the bus
(b) they hired a taxi
(c) Freddy got a cab for them
(d) a man took them in his car
Answer :-(a) they walked to the bus
17. The flower girl does not mention her correct address to the taximan when Freddy is there.
It shows that the girl is
(a) cunning
(b) innocent
(c) smart and clever
(d) forgetful and illiterate
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18. What does the following sentence reveal about Liza’s feelings when she says, “A shilling for two minutes !! “
(a) surprise
(b) frustration
(c) anger
(d) disbelief
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19. Freddy’s mother says to him, “You really are very helpless, Freddy. Go again;
and don’t come back until you have found a cab”. It shows that –
(a) She needs a cab urgently
(b) She is pleased at his efforts
(c) She is worried about his helplessness
(d) She is a cruel mother
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20. Which of the following statements is True about Clara ?
(a) She is Eliza’s sister.
(b) She is pleased with her brother for arranging the taxi.
(c) She calls the taxi and leaves alone.
(d) She suspects that Freddy, her brother, has made no efforts to arrange a taxi
for them.
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21. What does the Note Taker say about the woman who utters, “such depressing and disgusting sounds” ?
(a) She does not know how to speak well.
(b) She has no right to live in high society.
(c) She has no right to love.
(d) She will lose her status in society.
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22. Who are Clara and Freddy ?
(a) Mother and son
(b) Uncle and neice
(c) brother and sister
(d) Husband and wife
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23. The title of the play Pygmalion refers to :
(a) A Greek myth
(b) a Roman myth
(c) An Egyptian God
(d) a popular king
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24. By what name does Eliza address Freddy when she calls him for the first time ?
(a) Charlie
(b) Jack
(c) Freddy
(d) Caption
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25. One of the important themes that the play introduces in the First Act is
(a) greed
(b) honesty
(c) class differences
(d) problems of women
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26. How does Higgins show his expertise as a phonetician ?
(a) By pronouncing the words correctly.
(b) By finding faults with the flower girl’s speech
(c) By identifying the place of origin of people from their accent.
(d) By talking to Pickering about his book.
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Complete The Sentences
1. All of the people gathered in the portico are looking at the rain except Higgins because
Answer :- All of the people gathered in the portico are looking at the rain except Higgins because he is busy taking notes of the people’s speech there .
2. A bystander says that Freddy won’t be able to get the cab because
Answer :-A bystander says that Freddy won’t be able to get the cab because most of the cabs were already occupied .
3. The flower girl does not look smart and beautiful because
Answer :- The flower girl does not look smart and beautiful because she is poorly dressed and does not keep herself neat and clean .
4. The flower girl Eliza addresses Clara’s brother as Freddy and explains that she used this name because
Answer :-The flower girl Eliza addresses Clara’s brother as Freddy and explains that she used this name because it was a common practice to address a stranger by this name .
5. Pickering has not bought any flowers from Eliza as he does not have any change for buying the flowers, yet the girl says Thank you, sir’, because
Answer :- Pickering has not bought any flowers from Eliza as he does not have any change for buying the flowers, yet the girl says Thank you, sir’, because he has given her three pence .
6. Higgins is considered a police informer or a detective because
Answer :-Higgins is considered a police informer or a detective because he doesn’t speak to anyone and keeps noting down what the people around say .
7. The flower girl is upset and angry because
Answer :-The flower girl is upset and angry because she takes Higgins’ noting down her speech as an aspersion on her character .
8. Higgins takes notes of people’s speech because
Answer :-Higgins takes notes of people’s speech because he is a phonetician who studies people’s speech with keen interest .
9. Higgins can identify the place of origin of the people from their accent because
Answer :-Higgins can identify the place of origin of the people from their accent because he can identify it from their speech as an expert phonetician .
10. The daughter says to Higginis, “Will you please keep your impertinent remarks to yourself ? because
Answer :-The daughter says to Higginis, “Will you please keep your impertinent remarks to yourself ? because she doesn’t like her father as he ill treats her .
11. The flower girl could not get a job as a lady’s maid or shop assistant because
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12. The gentleman Pickering believed that Higgins could transform Eliza’s manner of speech because
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13. Near the close of the Act, Eliza again asks Pickering to buy a flower because
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14. Higgins calls Pickering a liar when he says that he doesn’t have any change
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15. Eliza had to show the little money she had to the taximan because
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Short-Answer Type Questions
I. How does Higgins show his phonetic skill to the people gathered at the church porch ?
Answer :-Higgins is an expert phonetician who can locate people’s places of living by studying their speech. He demonstrates this skill when he addresses the people there and tells some of them that they were from Selsey, a village in a particular area of England. He traces the flower girl’s original place of living as Lisson Grove. A sarcastic bystander challenges Higgins to tell where he comes from. Higgins immediately tells the bystander that he was from Hoxton. After correctly judging the area from which the people gathered there had come, Higgins successfully confirms that Colonel Pickering’s language and speech indicated that he had been to Cheltenham, Harrow, Cambridge, and India. The colonel agrees with Higgins and accepts that Higgins had successfully revealed the facts about him. All these examples of Higgins making correct judgement about people’s places of living from their language and speech show his skill as an expert phonetician.
II. Under what circumstances is Higgins mistaken as a police informer ? How is his true identity revealed ?
Answer :-A number of people take shelter in the portico of St. Paul’s church as there was heavy rain there. The bystanders, a flower girl, a young girl named Clara, her brother Freddy, and their mother are also there. Higgins, a phonetician, stands there with his back towards these people. He keeps on taking notes of the language and speech of these people. He does this to study their language. The way he silently records their speech makes him look strange and mysterious to the people there. As Higgins does all this silently, the people standing there take him as a detective or a police informer. The flower girl, Eliza suspects that he will report against her and mention her as an immoral girl.
The people gathered there gradually start expressing their resentment. Higgins then displays his phonetic skills by correctly tracing the areas from which these people had come. He points out how their speech revealed the places where they live. It reveals to the people that he is not a detective. When he tells Colonel Pickering about his book on phonetics and his interest in language, it further establishes his identity in clear terms.
III. How does Freddy try to get a taxi for his mother and his sister and with what result ?
Answer :-Freddy comes to the Church porch accompanied by his mother, and sister Clara. They too seek shelter from the rain at this place. His mother and sister want him to arrange a cab for them. Freddy’s sister gets irritated when he takes too long and does not come back with a cab. Freddy comes there from the Southampton street side. He is carrying an umbrella yet he has got wet in his search for a cab. When he comes without a cab, his mother says that he has not tried hard. His sister even calls him a pig for taking too long and yet failing in arranging a cab for them. He has already tried at places like Charing cross station. His mother and sister force him to go again in search of a cab. After initial hesitation, Freddy dashes off Strandwards. He even collides against the flower girl. Someone also tells him that the cabs were busy due to the closing time of the theatre show. Freddy goes again to hire a cab.
Despite his struggle Freddy takes much time in getting a cab. All his efforts prove futile when he learns that his sister and mother had already left on foot. The only result of his attempts to arrange a cab is frustration.
IV. The flower girl appears confident and smart at the close of Act I. How do you know ? What pleases her the most ?
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V. Explain the way Higgins associates language with class. How does he do this ?
Answer :-Higgins takes pride in being a phonetician. He awards much significance to language and speech. He believes that one’s language and speech indicate one’s class. He talks about people speaking a particular dialect that identifies the area they belong to. He associates these regions with different social class. Higgins says that men living in Kentish Town earn lesser than those who live in Park Lane. Despite these people’s attempt to drop Kentish Town speech their spoken words reveal their language. Higgins believes that the higher class people have sophistication in their language and speech. He tells the flower girl her Kerbstone English ‘will keep her in the gutter’. He assures captain Pickering that he can train the girl to improve her language and it will make the girl ‘pass off as a duches.’ It will also help her in getting a job at a flower shop in a sophisticated area. She will be treated as a high society lady. These details show that Higgins associates language with class.
VI. What are the verbal and the physical characteristics of Eliza that show her as a member of a particular class ?
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Long-Answer Type Questions
I. Eliza Doolittle may be a poor girl but she comes out as an assertive and self-respecting girl. Discuss.
Answer :-In Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle is presented as a poor, poverty-stricken girl, yet she emerges as a strong, assertive, and self-respecting individual. At the beginning of the play, she is seen in a dirty dress, trying to sell flowers on the street to earn her livelihood. Her living conditions clearly show her poverty, as her room contains only the bare necessities. Despite these hardships, Eliza does not lose her confidence or dignity.
Eliza firmly asserts her right to move around freely among others. She refuses to be pushed aside or treated as inferior because of her social status. When Professor Higgins behaves rudely, she openly criticises him without fear. This shows her courage and willingness to stand up against injustice, even when faced with someone more educated and powerful.
She is also very particular about her character and self-respect. When Higgins begins to write down her speech, she becomes worried and insists that she has done nothing wrong, showing her concern for her reputation. Throughout the play, Eliza repeatedly objects to anything she considers an insult. She does not tolerate disrespect and always defends her dignity.
Thus, although Eliza is poor and uneducated, she proves herself to be confident, assertive, and full of self-respect, rising above her difficult circumstances.
II. Bring out the comic elements in Act I of Pygmalion.
Answer :-In Pygmalion, Act I is rich in comic elements that make the scene highly entertaining and engaging for the audience. Shaw creates humour through situations, character behaviour, and witty dialogue.
One of the most noticeable comic situations occurs when Professor Higgins is mistaken for a detective. As he stands in the street writing down people’s speech, Eliza becomes extremely frightened. She immediately assumes that he is a policeman or a spy who may arrest her. Her panic, unnecessary suspicion, and exaggerated reactions create humour for the audience, who know the truth while she misunderstands the situation completely.
Eliza’s comments and utterances also contribute to the comedy. She speaks in incorrect grammar and broken English, and her emotional way of expressing herself often sounds funny. At the same time, her attempts to defend her innocence, while clearly overreacting, add a natural comic touch without making her a weak character.
Another humorous aspect is Professor Higgins’ remarkable ability to imitate Eliza’s speech and reproduce her pronunciation accurately. His skill in observing and copying accents surprises others and creates a sense of amusement. In addition, Higgins confidently makes successful guesses about people’s backgrounds and social status simply by listening to their speech. This almost magical ability adds light humour and amazes the audience.
The verbal exchange between Higgins and Eliza is also highly entertaining. Their sharp arguments, quick replies, and contrasting personalities create lively comedy. Eliza’s boldness and Higgins’ sarcastic confidence result in humorous tension throughout their interaction.
Thus, through misunderstanding, clever dialogue, and character contrast, Act I of the play becomes a brilliant example of comedy, making it both enjoyable and memorable for the audience.
III. The bystanders in Act I of Pygmalion are not only the silent spectators but they also act to further the action in this Act. How ?
Answer :-In Pygmalion, the bystanders in Act I are not just silent observers; they actively contribute to the development of the action and help move the plot forward in an important way.
At the beginning, a bystander raises doubts about Professor Higgins, who is seen writing down everything people say. This suspicion immediately creates curiosity and confusion among the crowd. As a result, Higgins becomes the centre of attention, and all eyes turn towards him as the “Note Taker.” Thus, the bystanders help in shifting the focus For Full Workbook Answers – Get The Solutions PDF ( View )
IV. Describe the reactions of different characters to Higgins’ attempts to show his phonetic prowess.
Answer :-In Pygmalion, Professor Higgins’ attempts to show his phonetic skill create different reactions among the characters in Act I. His ability to identify people’s background by listening to their speech surprises everyone and leads to a variety of responses.
At first, Higgins is misunderstood as a detective because he is seen writing down everything people say in his notebook. This misunderstanding creates fear and confusion among the people around him. They think he is investigating them, which adds tension to the scene.
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Specimen Solution - Act 1
Question 1
I. The First Act is significant as it
(a) shows Higgins busy taking notes as a phonetician.
(b) expresses the theme of human desire to earn more money.
(c) introduces the main characters and creates situation for further action.
(d) shows the flower girl asserting her self-respect.
Answer :-(c) introduces the main characters and creates situation for further action.
II. Which of the following lines from Act I indicate that Higgins is misunderstood ?
(a) Did I say that loud ? I didn’t mean to.
(b) Will you please keep your impertinent remark to yourself ?
(c) There ! I knew that he was a plain-clothes spy.
(d) May I ask, sir, do you do this for your living at a music hall ?
Answer :-(c) There ! I knew that he was a plain-clothes spy.
III. The literary speech used in the line, ‘ …. and don’t sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon’ is
(a) metaphor
(b) oxymoron
(c) personification
(d) simile
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IV. The girl Eliza lives at
(a) Angel Court, Drury Lane
(b) Buckingham Pellis
(c) 27A Winple Street
(d) Kentish Town
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Question 2
I. Higgins, as Note Taker, in Act I calls Eliza, an incarnate insult to the English language because
Answer :- Higgins, as Note Taker, in Act I calls Eliza, an incarnate insult to the English language because she uses a strange dialect in her speech .
II. According to Higgins, men want to leave or hide their background in Kentish Town but it gets revealed as they open their mouth because
Answer :-According to Higgins, men want to leave or hide their background in Kentish Town but it gets revealed as they open their mouth because their speech indicates the dialect they use .
III. Higgins, the Note Taker, wants people to take pride in their native English language spoken correctly because it
Answer :- Higgins, the Note Taker, wants people to take pride in their native English language spoken correctly because it is the language of Shakespeare, Milton and the Bible .
IV. Higgins indentifies the girl as someone belonging to slums because
Answer :- For Full Workbook Answers – Get The Solutions PDF ( View )V. Pickering’s interest in Indian language Sanskrit is evident because
Answer :- For Full Workbook Answers – Get The Solutions PDF ( View )
Question 3
I. Give the significance of the meeting between Higgins and Pickering in Act I.
Answer :-Higgins is a phonetician who has immense passion for the study of language and speech. He has the skill to identify people’s place of living from their speech. Pickering is also interested in the study of spoken language and has written a book on Sanskrit speech. Their meeting is very significant for the plot of the play. Higgins claims that he can train the flower girl Eliza and make her pass as a duchess. The claim made by Higgins before Colonel Pickering becomes a turning point for the movement of the plot. It is this meeting of these two scholars of language and speech that results in subsequent happenings in the play. They come together in the first act of the play and their activities and behaviour give direction to the action of the play till the end of the play. It is their meeting in the first Act that decisively changes the life of the flower girl in future. The playwright has used their meeting very artistically and successfully. It plays a very significant functional role in the play.
II. What purpose do the weather and the location serve in Act I ?
Answer :-When the play opens, there is heavy rain and people run to the Portico of St. Paul’s Church. It is in the Covent Garden vegetable market that this church is situated. A variety of people have come to that place to seek shelter from the rain. The rain, the portico of the church and the area where the church is located are significant for the setting of the play. The weather forces different characters to come together in to seek shelter, and the church portico provides a common place for all of them. It helps the playwright in bringing these characters together. The location of the church near the vegetable market also provides a suitable situation for the action to take place. It makes the circumstances for the incidents and happenings to take place in the play logical and suitable.
III. (a) What flaws in Higgins’ nature and behaviour come out in Act I ?
Answer :-In Pygmalion, Act I reveals several flaws in Professor Higgins’ nature and behaviour, which help the audience understand his complex personality.
One major flaw in Higgins is his uncontrolled and excessive passion for phonetics. He is so deeply interested in the study of speech and pronunciation that he often ignores social manners and the feelings of others. His obsession makes him behave carelessly in public situations, as he focuses only on recording and analysing speech.
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(b) In Act I, what are the traits of Eliza’s character that appear prominently ? Do these traits help her in any way ?
Answer :-In Pygmalion, Act I presents several important traits of Eliza Doolittle’s character that appear very clearly and strongly. These traits help the audience understand her personality even before her transformation begins.
Eliza is first shown as a poverty-stricken flower girl. She struggles to earn her living by selling flowers on the street, and her appearance reflects her poor economic condition. Despite her poverty, she does not lose her dignity. She has a strong sense of self-respect, which is one of her most noticeable traits. She refuses to accept insult from anyone and tries to maintain her honour even in difficult situations.
