NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8 Book PDF 2026-27

The NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8 The Luncheon PDF gives students the official story text for the 2026-27 session. Use it to read W. Somerset Maugham's comic restaurant episode, revise the expensive Foyot's luncheon, and check the NCERT exercise printed after the chapter.

• Core focus: irony, social pretence, false restraint and delayed poetic justice.
• Best use: read the PDF once before solving the NCERT questions.
• Exam value: answers often ask how humour comes from the lady's words and actions.

The official NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 8 PDF helps students read The Luncheon directly before revising the story's irony and language work.

What The Luncheon NCERT Book PDF Covers

NCERT prints The Luncheon in the Short Stories section of Woven Words. The chapter follows a young writer who accepts an invitation to lunch with a lady admirer at Foyot's, an expensive Paris restaurant. He has very little money, but his pride keeps him from admitting it.

The comedy comes from contrast. The lady repeatedly says that she never eats much, but she orders costly dishes one after another. The narrator watches the bill rise while trying to remain polite. This makes the story useful for studying humour, irony and first person narration.

• Story section: the invitation, restaurant conversation, expensive orders and final bill.
• Theme section: social pretence, vanity, embarrassment and poetic justice.
• Exercise section: understanding, discussion, appreciation and phrase-based language work.

The Luncheon Class 11 Explanation Video

Source: Magnet Brains

Irony and Comic Contrast in The Luncheon

The central irony is simple and sharp. The lady speaks as if she is modest and restrained, but her choices at the table show the opposite. The narrator understands the problem, yet he cannot protest because he wants to appear courteous.

The humour depends on the gap between what the lady says and what she does. Good answers should quote or refer to her repeated claim that she eats very little, then connect it with salmon, caviare, champagne, asparagus and peaches.

Why the Restaurant Bill Matters

The bill is more than a money detail. It shows the narrator's poverty, his false pride and his helplessness in a social situation. Each new order increases the pressure because he must calculate whether he can still pay.

Students should read the PDF closely for price and food references. These details explain why the narrator feels anxious even when the conversation sounds polite. They also prepare students for questions about humour and embarrassment.

1. Salmon and caviare: start the costly pattern despite the lady's claim of restraint.
2. Champagne: makes the narrator's financial panic stronger.
3. Asparagus and peaches: turn the lunch into a comic trap.
4. Final revenge: the narrator later sees the lady has grown enormously fat.

Narrator and Lady Guest in The Luncheon

The narrator is young, poor and flattered by attention. He also wants to behave like a gentleman. The lady is socially confident and talks about restraint while enjoying the most expensive items on the menu.

The story becomes memorable because neither character says the truth plainly. The narrator hides his poverty, and the lady hides greed behind polite phrases. This makes the scene funny and uncomfortable at the same time.

Language Work and Appreciation Questions in the PDF

The official PDF keeps the story and exercise together. After reading the chapter, students can move to NCERT questions on revenge, foibles, humour, first person narration and phrases that show the narrator's poor financial state.

Do not skip the phrase-based language work. Words such as caviare, complacency, mortifying, ingratiating and vindictive help students understand the tone of the story and write sharper answers.

• Understanding questions: check the lunch sequence and ending.
• Discussion questions: ask students to judge foibles and social manners.
• Appreciation questions: focus on humour, narration and comic structure.
• Language work: builds vocabulary from the story context.

How to Use the Chapter 8 Book PDF for Revision

Use the official PDF in three rounds. First, read the full story without stopping. Second, underline every food order and every claim that the lady eats very little. Third, answer the NCERT questions with one direct story reference.

• For irony answers: compare the lady's words with her actions.
• For character answers: describe the narrator's pride and financial worry.
• For humour answers: connect the bill, the expensive menu and the ending.
• For vocabulary: revise meanings from the exact story context.

The Luncheon Class 11 Related Resources

All Class 11 English Woven Words NCERT Book Chapters