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.
- 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
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-topic | Weightage | CBSE Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | High | Almost every year |
| Themes | High | Love, change and faith asked often |
| Character sketch | High | Grandmother's character is a favourite |
| Literary devices | Medium | Simile and imagery sometimes asked |
| The poem | Low | A 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 / Idea | What it means |
|---|---|
| Grandmother | loving, religious, calm and strong-willed old woman |
| The author | narrates his own changing bond with her |
| Turning-point | the city move that began their distance |
| Sparrows | birds she fed daily; they mourned her in silence |
| Village dogs | she fed them stale chapattis on the way home |
| Prayer | her constant daily habit from dawn to dusk |
| Portrait | the word-picture the title refers to |
| A Photograph | the paired poem by Shirley Toulson on loss |
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.
| Chapter | Resource |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | The Portrait of a Lady Handwritten Notes |
| Chapter 2 | We're Not Afraid to Die if We Can All Be Together Handwritten Notes |
| Chapter 3 | Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues Handwritten Notes |
| Chapter 4 | The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement's Role Handwritten Notes |
| Chapter 5 | The Adventure Handwritten Notes |
| Chapter 6 | Silk Road Handwritten 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.








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