**'Athithi Devo Bhava'** is a Sanskrit phrase meaning "The guest is God" or "A guest is equivalent to a deity." This concept emphasizes that guests deserve the highest level of respect and hospitality. In Indian culture, treating guests with kindness and providing them with comfort is considered a sacred duty.
**Why is politeness important to guests?**
Statements displaying **polite behaviour** include:
Statements **NOT displaying polite behaviour**:
**Three ways to handle disagreements respectfully:**
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**Author:** G.C. Thornley
**Theme:** The play humorously demonstrates how **saying the right thing at the right time** is an important social skill. Despite receiving clear instructions from her mother, Mary repeatedly makes embarrassing mistakes while talking to guests, showing that knowing what is appropriate requires awareness of others' feelings and circumstances.
**Genre:** Humorous play with social commentary on etiquette and conversation skills
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**Mary's Character Development:** Mary begins confidently, believing she can "talk very well," but ends up making blunder after blunder, showing that confidence without awareness is problematic.
**Mrs. Shaw's Role:** She acts as the voice of reason, providing clear guidance that Mary fails to follow, ultimately highlighting the gap between instruction and execution.
**Their significance:** They represent well-behaved guests who maintain composure even when uncomfortable, contrasting sharply with Mary's tactlessness.
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**Setting:** Mary's home, before guests arrive
**What happens:**
**Mrs. Shaw's Key Advice:**
1. **Be kind:** Say things that please people and make them feel good
2. **Make them laugh:** Laugh a lot and try to make them laugh too
3. **Fill silences:** If conversation stops, say something to restart it
4. **Show reluctance at goodbye:** When guests leave, express sadness and say "Must you go? Can't you stay?" to show you value their company
5. **Avoid saying anything that will anger them**
**Mary's Confidence:** Mary memorizes one piece of advice ("Must you go? Can't you stay?") but fails to internalize the spirit of politeness.
**Setting:** The visit itself, where Mary makes multiple embarrassing mistakes
**Mary's Blunders:**
1. **About Mrs. Harding's children:** Mary compliments Mrs. Harding on her "beautiful children," claiming to have seen a boy and girl walking on the road. Mrs. Harding states she has no children, leaving an awkward silence.
2. **About Mr. Best:** Mary criticizes Mr. Best for commuting to London daily, saying he "lives in trains," and mocks bankers for only reading newspapers instead of books, saying "bankers can't think." Mrs. Lee reveals that Mr. Harding (Mrs. Harding's brother) is a banker who does exactly this.
3. **About Mrs. Best's clothing:** Mary laughs at Mrs. Best's blue dress with a red coat combination, calling it unfashionable. Mrs. Harding reveals she wears the exact same combination.
4. **About Mrs. Cotter:** Mary criticizes women who stay in bed in the morning and visit doctors unnecessarily. Mrs. Harding admits she stays in bed in the morning, and Mrs. Lee says she often visits the doctor.
5. **About talkative women:** Mary says talkative women like Mrs. Grantley are not interesting. Mrs. Lee reveals that her mother is very talkative.
6. **About the dog:** Mary criticizes a dirty dog outside the window, asking who would want such an animal. Mrs. Harding reveals it is her dog, named Towzer.
7. **About Mr. Pomeroy:** Mary questions why men like horses more than people, criticizing Mr. Pomeroy for riding daily and practicing shooting. Mrs. Lee reveals her brother does exactly this.
**The Ending:** When the guests prepare to leave, Mary finally remembers her mother's instruction but gets it backwards, saying "Oh, must you **stay**? Can't you **go**?" instead of "Must you **go**? Can't you **stay**?" This final blunder perfectly encapsulates her inability to apply the right words at the right moment.
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The play teaches that **true politeness requires awareness** of others' feelings and circumstances. Saying the "right thing" is not just about memorizing phrases but understanding context and impact.
**Example from text:** Mary knew to say "How are you?" but did not know when to avoid criticizing people she hadn't met yet.
Mary's belief that she could "talk very well" and that "anyone can talk" demonstrates how **overconfidence without knowledge is dangerous**. Her repeated failures prove that conversational skill requires thought and sensitivity.
Despite clear, detailed instructions from her mother, Mary fails to apply them. This shows that **understanding instructions intellectually is different from applying them in real situations**.
Every blunder Mary makes creates an awkward silence, marked by the repeated stage direction **"(No one speaks.)"** This demonstrates that **thoughtless speech damages relationships** and disrupts the flow of conversation.
The play shows that different people have different lifestyles, and **what seems strange or wrong to one person may be normal for another**. Criticizing these differences shows lack of respect.
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**Definition:** A **suffix** is a word ending added to a root word to change its meaning or form. Suffixes help create new words with different grammatical functions.
**Common Suffixes from the Chapter:**
| Suffix | Function | Example | Meaning |
|--------|----------|---------|---------|
| **-ous** | Changes noun to adjective | humorous, courageous | Full of or having the quality of |
| **-ly** | Changes word to adverb | hilariously, quietly, gladly | In what manner |
| **-ing** | Present participle/gerund | coming, walking, talking | Action in progress |
| **-ful** | Changes noun to adjective | beautiful, helpful | Full of |
| **-ance/-ence** | Forms noun | tolerance, guidance | State or quality of |
| **-ed** | Past tense/participle | stopped, asked | Completed action |
| **-ward** | Shows direction | backward, forward | In the direction of |
| **-logy** | Study of | biology, sociology | A field of study |
| **-est** | Superlative adjective | toughest, quietest | Most/greatest degree |
| **-es/-s** | Plural forms | tomatoes, boxes | More than one |
**Important Note:** When adding suffixes, spelling changes may occur:
**Exercise Example from text:**
**Say vs. Tell**
| Say | Tell |
|-----|------|
| Focuses on the **message** itself | Focuses on **who receives** the message |
| Does not always require a listener | Always requires a listener |
| Example: "Say hello to your friends" | Example: "Tell your mother the news" |
| Used for direct speech/quoting | Used to convey information to someone specific |
**From the play:** "I can't tell you everything" (Mrs. Shaw needs Mary to understand, so she uses 'tell')
**Other Important Word Pairs:**
**Fetch vs. Bring**
**See vs. Look**
**Live vs. Stay**
**Study vs. Learn**
**Speak vs. Talk**
**Hear vs. Listen**
**Definition:** **Present Perfect Continuous** (has/have + been + verb-ing) describes an action that started in the past and continues to the present moment, or was ongoing in the recent past with visible results now.
**Structure:**
**Example from text:** "She has been staying with them for a while" (Mrs. Lee arrived in the past and is still there now)
**Uses of Present Perfect Continuous:**
1. **Duration of ongoing action:** Shows how long something has been happening
2. **Recent ongoing activity with visible results:** Emphasizes the activity itself rather than completion
**Difference from Simple Past:**
**Note:** Do NOT confuse with Present Continuous:
**Exercise from text:**
"The students (i) __________ (organise) a play"
**Answer:** "The students have been organizing a play" OR "are organizing a play"
**Definition:** Sentences are classified based on their **function** (purpose). Each type has specific punctuation and serves a different communicative goal.
**Four Types of Sentences:**
| Type | Function | Punctuation | Example |
|------|----------|-------------|---------|
| **Declarative** | State or convey information | Period (.) | "There's always something to say." |
| **Interrogative** | Ask questions | Question mark (?) | "What shall I do when they want to go?" |
| **Exclamatory** | Express strong feelings or emotions | Exclamation mark (!) | "What beautiful children you have!" |
| **Imperative** | Give orders, commands, or requests | Period (.) or exclamation mark (!) | "Put that coat away in your bedroom." |
**Characteristics of Each Type:**
**Declarative Sentences:**
**Interrogative Sentences:**
**Exclamatory Sentences:**
**Imperative Sentences:**
**Punctuation Rules:**
**From the Chapter - Identification Practice:**
1. "The meeting starts at 10:00 a.m. in the conference room" — **Declarative** (.) — States information
2. "What an exciting adventure it was" — **Exclamatory** (!) — Expresses excitement
3. "How did you solve the problem so quickly" — **Interrogative** (?) — Asks a question
4. "What is the weather forecast today" — **Interrogative** (?) — Asks for information
5. "How beautiful is the rainbow" — **Exclamatory** (!) — Expresses wonder/emotion (not a real question)
6. "Clean up your room before dinner" — **Imperative** (.) — Gives command/instruction
7. "The children are planning a surprise party for their friend" — **Declarative** (.) — States information
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**Words from the chapter with meanings:**
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When matching character traits:
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Based on this chapter, a polite conversation should:
1. **Show genuine interest:** Ask questions about the other person's life, family, interests
2. **Avoid criticism:** Don't comment negatively on people you don't know or their lifestyle choices
3. **Think before speaking:** Consider how your words will affect the listener
4. **Show reluctance at parting:** When someone needs to leave, express regret and ask them to stay longer
5. **Fill silences appropriately:** Use kind, relevant comments rather than negative observations
6. **Respect diversity:** Understand that different people have different ways of living and that doesn't make them wrong
**Poor (like Mary):** "I saw Mrs. Best yesterday in that awful blue dress and red coat combination. Who wears colors like that?"
**Good (like Mrs. Shaw would advise):** "I saw Mrs. Best yesterday. She has such a cheerful sense of style!"
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Q1. What does the Sanskrit phrase 'Athithi Devo Bhava' teach us?
Answer: B — Athithi Devo Bhava is a Sanskrit saying that emphasizes treating guests as divine and honoring them with politeness and care.
Q2. Why does Mrs. Shaw initially want Mary to go out for a walk when the guests arrive?
Answer: B — Mrs. Shaw expresses concern that Mary may say something inappropriate and harm her chances of becoming friends with Mrs. Harding.
Q3. What is the central piece of advice Mrs. Shaw gives Mary about polite conversation?
Answer: B — Mrs. Shaw explicitly tells Mary that being kind and saying pleasing things will make people like her and ensure successful social interactions.
Q4. Which of the following is NOT a polite behaviour when guests are ready to leave, according to Mrs. Shaw?
Answer: B — Mrs. Shaw specifically warns Mary NOT to jump out of her chair and look gladly at the door because this shows disrespect to departing guests.
Q5. Read this scenario: Ramesh's mother tells him 'Say things that will please people,' but Ramesh always agrees with everyone even when he disagrees. Which statement best explains the problem with Ramesh's understanding?
Answer: B — Being polite means speaking kindly and considerately, not necessarily agreeing with everything; Ramesh has misunderstood the difference between kindness and false agreement.
Q6. Why does Mary's comment about Mrs. Cotter staying in bed in the morning become embarrassing?
Answer: B — Mary criticizes women who stay in bed without knowing that Mrs. Harding herself has the same habit, which makes the insult directly offensive to her guest.
Q7. Which of the following actions by Mary shows that she did NOT follow her mother's central advice to 'think before speaking'?
Answer: B — Mary makes a careless joke about clothing without first thinking about or knowing her listeners' own fashion choices, directly breaking her mother's main rule.
Q8. What does the play suggest about the connection between listening and polite speech?
Answer: B — Mary's repeated failures show that speaking without listening to or knowing facts about your listeners leads to embarrassing blunders and unintended insults.
Q9. Which statement is NOT correct based on Mrs. Shaw's character and values in the play?
Answer: C — Mrs. Shaw actually criticizes Mary for talking too much and having poor judgment about what to say, showing that quantity of speech does not equal quality conversation.
Q10. Priya is at a family gathering. Her aunt mentions she loves to sleep late in the morning. Priya loudly says, 'People who sleep late are lazy!' Her mother looks upset. According to the lesson 'Say the Right Thing,' what mistake did Priya make?
Answer: B — Like Mary in the play, Priya made a critical judgment without thinking about how her words would hurt her aunt, breaking the rule to think before speaking.
What does 'Athithi Devo Bhava' mean?
It is a Sanskrit saying that means 'Guest is God' and teaches the importance of respecting and welcoming guests with politeness and kindness.
What is Mrs. Shaw's main advice to Mary before the guests arrive?
Be kind to people, say things that please them, laugh with them, keep conversations going, and show that you want them to stay longer before they leave.
Why does Mrs. Shaw want to know Mrs. Harding well?
Mrs. Shaw wants Mrs. Harding to invite her to their house because there is not much to do in Lanfield and she wants to make more friends.
Who is Mrs. Harding in the play?
Mrs. Harding is the wife of a wealthy man named Mr. Harding who recently bought a big house in Lanfield after living in London.
What does Mary do that embarrasses Mrs. Shaw during the visit?
Mary carelessly criticizes Mrs. Best's clothes, comments negatively about Mr. Best's job, and insults talkative women without knowing these describe her guests' own families.
What is the main theme of the play 'Say the Right Thing'?
The play shows how saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can damage relationships and embarrass others, even if you do not mean to.
Why does Mrs. Shaw first ask Mary to go out for a walk?
Mrs. Shaw is worried that Mary may not say the right thing and might offend the guests or prevent Mrs. Harding from becoming her friend.
What does Mary's character reveal through her mistakes in Scene II?
Mary's mistakes show that she talks without thinking, makes assumptions without knowing facts, and judges people without considering her words might describe her guests themselves.
What does the phrase 'blunders' mean in the context of this play?
Blunders are careless mistakes that Mary makes by saying thoughtless things that embarrass her mother and offend the guests.
Why is it important to listen carefully when guests are speaking?
Listening carefully helps you understand facts about people before speaking, which prevents you from accidentally insulting them like Mary does in the play.
What is the meaning of 'Athithi Devo Bhava'? Why does Mrs. Shaw want Mary to understand this principle? [2 marks]
Define the Sanskrit phrase and explain that Mrs. Shaw wants Mary to treat guests with respect by being polite and considerate in her speech and actions.
Explain how Mary's habit of speaking without thinking leads to embarrassing situations in Scene II. Give two examples from the play. [3 marks]
Show how Mary criticizes Mrs. Best's clothes (not knowing Mrs. Harding wears them too) and insults Mr. Best's job (not knowing Mrs. Lee's brother is a banker); explain how these mistakes show the danger of talking first and thinking later.
Mrs. Shaw's advice to Mary is 'Be kind to people and say things that will please them.' Analyze why this advice is central to the play's message. How does Mary's failure to follow this advice create the conflict and humour in the story? [5 marks]
Explain that kindness and thoughtful speech prevent offense; show how Mary ignores this by making judgmental comments about habits and appearance without knowing these describe her guests; discuss how this creates comedy through dramatic irony (audience knows she is insulting her listeners) and develops the theme that maturity requires thinking before speaking.
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