Class 11 English Chapter 1 The Portrait of a Lady is a high-frequency chapter in the CBSE Class 11 English exam. These class 11 english handwritten notes chapter 1 The Portrait of a Lady follow the 2026-27 NCERT and cover author: khushwant singh, real memory, three phases: village, city, university, grandmother: religious, calm, beautiful. This page hosts the.

20+ pages | Key Terms + Quick Recall | Exam-focused notes · Class 11 English Chapter 1, 2026-27 NCERT
  • CBSE Class 11 Weightage: a scoring chapter in the English paper, asked in short and long answers.
  • What the notes cover: author: khushwant singh, real memory, three phases: village, city, university, grandmother: religious, calm, beautiful, turning-point: the move to the city.
  • Best for: quick revision before Class 11 exams and a base for CUET later.

You can read the complete class 11 english handwritten notes for The Portrait of a Lady, with key terms, boxed definitions, and quick revision points, in the PDF below.

These handwritten notes are written by subject teachers, mapped to the 2026-27 NCERT, and checked against the last five years of CBSE Class 11 English papers.

What the The Portrait of a Lady Handwritten Notes Cover

Khushwant Singh paints a loving word-portrait of his grandmother. Their close village friendship slowly fades as he grows up in the city. The story ends with her calm death and the grieving sparrows she fed.

  • Author: Khushwant Singh, real memory
  • Three phases: village, city, university
  • Grandmother: religious, calm, beautiful
  • Turning-point: the move to the city
  • English school divides the two
  • Theme: love, change, faith, tradition
  • Ending: silent sparrows mourn her
Concept: A warm autobiographical story about a grandson's changing bond with his loving, deeply religious grandmother.

The Portrait of a Lady Self-Assessment Quiz

Try these quick questions after you read the notes. Tap each question to check your answer. They cover the points CBSE asks most often.

What did the author call the move to the city?

(a) A holiday (b) A turning-point (c) A festival (d) A mistake

Answer: (b) A turning-point - it began their growing distance

What did the grandmother feed in the city courtyard?

(a) Dogs (b) Cats (c) Sparrows (d) Cows

Answer: (c) Sparrows - the dogs were only in the village

How did the sparrows react to her death?

(a) They chirped loudly (b) They ate all the bread (c) They sat silent and refused bread (d) They flew away at once

Answer: (c) They sat silent and refused bread - showing their grief

Why was the grandmother upset by the English school?

(a) It was too far (b) It taught no religion or God (c) It was too costly (d) It had no friends

Answer: (b) It taught no religion or God - and later music too

Who wrote the poem A Photograph in this chapter?

(a) Khushwant Singh (b) Ted Hughes (c) Shirley Toulson (d) Walt Whitman

Answer: (c) Shirley Toulson - the prose is by Khushwant Singh

The Portrait of a Lady Topic-wise Weightage for CBSE Class 11 English

Some parts of this chapter are asked more often than others. The table below shows which sub-topics to revise first, based on recent CBSE Class 11 question trends.

Sub-topicWeightageCBSE Frequency
SummaryHighAlmost every year
ThemesHighLove, change and faith asked often
Character sketchHighGrandmother's character is a favourite
Literary devicesMediumSimile and imagery sometimes asked
The poemLowA Photograph asked in poem section

Key Terms and Ideas in The Portrait of a Lady

These are the terms and ideas the exam asks about most. Learn each one so you can define it and use it in your answers.

Term / IdeaWhat it means
Grandmotherloving, religious, calm and strong-willed old woman
The authornarrates his own changing bond with her
Turning-pointthe city move that began their distance
Sparrowsbirds she fed daily; they mourned her in silence
Village dogsshe fed them stale chapattis on the way home
Prayerher constant daily habit from dawn to dusk
Portraitthe word-picture the title refers to
A Photographthe paired poem by Shirley Toulson on loss
Remember: Village to city to university: three phases as their closeness slowly fades.
Watch Out: The author calls her beautiful, not pretty; she skipped prayer only once.

How Collegedunia's Handwritten Notes Help You Revise The Portrait of a Lady

These notes are made for the night before the exam. They keep the facts short and easy to scan. Collegedunia maps every point to the 2026-27 NCERT.

  • Clear handwriting: each topic is written in neat, easy-to-read handwriting.
  • Boxed key terms: the main terms and definitions are boxed by hand for fast recall.
  • Diagrams and tables: simple hand-drawn tables and charts make ideas clear.
  • Colour-coded headings: new sub-topics stand out, so you find any section in seconds.

How to Use These Handwritten Notes for Class 11 English Revision

Use these class 11 english handwritten notes in two passes. Read them slowly once for the full chapter. Then, near the exam, read only the boxes and key terms for a fast recall.

  • Read the notes once with the NCERT chapter open beside you.
  • Say each key term and idea in your own words.
  • Practise one long-answer question from a past paper.
  • On the last day, revise only the key terms and the boxes.

Class 11 English Handwritten Notes for All Chapters

The table below links the class 11 english handwritten notes for every chapter. Use it to jump to any other chapter's notes.

The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 English Handwritten Notes FAQs

Ques. Where can I download The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 English Handwritten Notes PDF?

Ans. You can download the The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 English Handwritten Notes PDF directly from this page. Both the Normal and HD versions are free.

Ques. Are these handwritten notes aligned with the 2026-27 NCERT?

Ans. Yes. These notes follow the current 2026-27 syllabus for Class 11 English. These notes cover the summary, themes, character sketches, devices and the paired poem of The Portrait of a Lady.

Ques. How many pages is the Class 11 English The Portrait of a Lady Handwritten Notes PDF?

Ans. The notes run about 20 pages. They cover the full chapter with key terms, hand-drawn boxes, and a short self-assessment quiz.

Ques. What is the main idea of the 11th standard English chapter The Portrait of a Lady?

Ans. The lesson is a loving word-portrait of the author's grandmother and their changing friendship. It shows how love and faith endure even as daily closeness fades over the years.

Ques. Are these The Portrait of a Lady notes enough for the CBSE Class 11 exam?

Ans. Yes, for revision. The Collegedunia handwritten notes cover every key point and exam term. Read them with the NCERT chapter and practise past questions.