NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 4 The Treasure Within

Find accurate, exam-ready NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English – It So Happened Chapter 4: “The Treasure Within.” This page gives the treasure within NCERT solutions class 8 with step-by-step answers to Comprehension Check, Working with the Language, and Speaking & Writing—all updated for 2025–26. If you searched for ncert solutions for class 8 english it so happened chapter 4, it so happened class 8 chapter 4 solutions, or class 8 english chapter 4 the treasure within solutions, you’re in the right place.

Along with the solutions, you’ll get a crisp the treasure within summary, word meanings/vocabulary, MCQs with answers, extra questions and answers, assertion-reason and extract-based (RTC) practice, plus free PDF download and printable worksheet links. We also include a brief character sketch of Hafeez Contractor and exam-focused notes so you can revise faster and score higher.

These NCERT solutions are provided so a student can clear his doubts and get help with deep understanding of the concept. Also, you can refer them to make the chapter notes and revisions notes. PDF of this can also be downloaded from website. 

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NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 4 The Treasure Within PDF Download

Class 8 English The Treasure Within Question Answer

Comprehension I

What didHafeezcontractor have nightmares about?

A nightmare is a bad dream or haunting fear.Hafeezhad nightmares about mathematics examination. 

What did the Principal say to him, which influenced him deeply?

The Principal toldHafeezthat he was a good student but he never studied. His parents had worked hard to bring him up. It was the time now to rise to the occasion and study.

“...............thatyear I did not step out into the field.” What was he busy doing that year?

He was busy studying books that year. 

i) What ‘distraction’ didHafeezcontractor create one day?

For one whole hour, he along with his friends played ‘Chor- police’.

ii) Would you have liked to participate in the ‘distraction’ had you been with him?

I would have avoided such distraction for fear of the teacher. Moreover it was completely a wastage of time.

Comprehension II

Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why didn’t he?

Hafeez wanted to join the police force, but his mother advised him to do his graduation. So he joined Jaihind College in Mumbai. 

In the architect’s office.Hafeez contractor was advised to drop everything and join architecture. Why?

It happened quite by chance. His cousin was married to an architect. One day he saw somebody drawing a window design. He pointed out that the drawing was wrong and the window would not open. And he was right. His cousin’s husband asked him to design a house and he did that. After that he toldHafeezto leave everything and join architecture.

i) What was Mrs. Gupta’s advice to Hafeez Contractor?

When he was in the second or third standard, one of his teachers Mrs. Gupta saw his sketches and advised him to become an architect when he grew up. 

ii)What made heradvise him so?

She advised him so on seeing his fine sketches. 

How did he help fellow students who had lost a button?

When a fellow student lost a button while playing or fighting.Hafeezwould cut a button for him from chalk; using a blade.

Which rules did he break as a school boy?

As a school boy, he never studied, until his 11thclass. He always copied to pass the examination.

i) What is Hafeez Contractor’s definition of Mathematics?

According toHafeezContractor, Maths is a combination of putting designs construction, Psychology and Sociology together.

ii)How would you want to define Mathematics? Do you like the subject?

Mathematics is the best branch of science, but it is a bit difficult to be good in this subject. I like this subject at school.

Class 8 English The Treasure Within Question Answer

Very short / One-liners

Q1. What subject did Hafeez Contractor fear the most?
Ans. Mathematics—he often had nightmares about failing in maths.

Q2. Who first suggested that Hafeez should become an architect?
Ans. Mrs Gupta, his teacher in the primary classes, after noticing his sketches.

Q3. Which advice from the Principal changed Hafeez’s approach to studies?
Ans. The Principal reminded him of his parents’ hard work and urged him to take responsibility and study seriously.

Short answers (40–60 words)

Q4. Why didn’t Hafeez join the police force?
Ans. Although he wanted to join the police, his mother advised him to first complete graduation. He joined Jai Hind College, and later, a chance incident in an architect’s office revealed his aptitude for design, steering him firmly toward architecture.

Q5. How did Hafeez demonstrate natural design sense at the architect’s office?
Ans. He immediately spotted that a window sketch wouldn’t open if built as drawn. When challenged, he designed an entire house on the spot. This practical insight convinced the architect that Hafeez should pursue architecture.

Q6. What habits as a schoolboy showed that Hafeez wasn’t focused on academics?
Ans. He preferred games and pranks, created “distractions” like playing chor-police during school time, and neglected systematic study. Only in Class 11, after the Principal’s counsel, did he study sincerely to clear his exams.

Long answers (80–120 words)

Q7. “The Treasure Within” highlights discovering one’s inner talent. Explain with reference to Hafeez’s journey.
Ans. The chapter traces Hafeez’s shift from a playful student—poorly inclined to books, especially mathematics—to a leading architect. The turning point was the Principal’s advice that made him take responsibility for studies. Later, his instinctive grasp of space and function, seen when he corrected a faulty window design and drafted a house plan, revealed his natural architectural sense. Early recognition by Mrs Gupta and real-world problem-solving guided him to a field that suited his strengths. The story suggests education should help learners identify and nurture the “treasure within”—their unique aptitude.

Q8. What does the chapter suggest about the purpose of education and evaluation?
Ans. Education should go beyond rote learning and marks; it should help students recognise strengths—creativity, spatial sense, practical problem-solving—and develop discipline. Evaluation must not ignore talents that standard tests may miss. Hafeez’s success shows how timely guidance, responsibility, and hands-on tasks can convert potential into excellence.

MCQs (with answers)

Q9. Hafeez helped schoolmates who lost a button by:
a) Lending a spare button
b) Sewing the shirt himself
c) Carving a button from chalk using a blade
d) Giving them safety pins
Answer: c) Carving a button from chalk using a blade

Q10. The incident that most directly pushed Hafeez toward architecture was:
a) Winning a drawing prize
b) Mrs Gupta’s advice in primary school
c) Spotting an error in a window design at an architect’s office and drafting a house
d) Scoring 50% in the board exam
Answer: c) Spotting an error in a window design at an architect’s office and drafting a house

The Treasure Within Class 8 Summary

The Treasure Within is a chapter from the Class 8 English textbook "It So Happened," featuring an interview between Ms. Bela Raja and Hafeez Contractor, a prominent Indian architect.

Summary:

Hafeez Contractor recounts his school days, revealing that he was initially a good student but lost interest in academics by the third grade. He struggled particularly with mathematics, often dreaming of failing his math exams. Instead of studying, he preferred sports and playing pranks, leading to frequent punishments from teachers.
His turning point came in the eleventh grade when his principal advised him to take responsibility for his education. This conversation motivated Hafeez to focus on his studies, resulting in him passing his exams with a 50% score. He later pursued architecture and excelled, becoming one of India's leading architects.
The chapter emphasizes that every child has unique talents and interests that should be nurtured, illustrating Hafeez's journey from a carefree student to a successful professional.

The Treasure Within Class 8 Summary in Hindi

‘The Treasure Within’ Hindi Summary: यह पाठ प्रसिद्ध वास्तुकार हफीज़ सोराब कॉन्ट्रैक्टर के साथ एक साक्षात्कार है, जिसमें वे अपने स्कूली दिनों से लेकर करियर तक की यात्रा बताते हैं। शुरुआती कक्षाओं में वे अच्छे छात्र थे, लेकिन बाद में पढ़ाई—खासकर गणित—से रुचि कम हो गई। खेलकूद और शरारतों में समय निकल जाता था, जिससे अक्सर सज़ा मिलती थी। कक्षा 11 में प्रिंसिपल की गंभीर सलाह—माता-पिता की मेहनत का मान रखकर जिम्मेदारी से पढ़ने—ने उनके जीवन की दिशा बदल दी और उन्होंने पढ़ाई पर ध्यान दिया। बचपन में मिसेज़ गुप्ता ने उनकी ड्राइंग देखकर उन्हें आर्किटेक्ट बनने की सलाह दी थी। आगे चलकर एक आर्किटेक्ट के दफ़्तर में खिड़की की ड्रॉइंग में भूल पकड़ने और तुरंत घर का डिज़ाइन बना देने से उनकी नैसर्गिक प्रतिभा साफ़ दिख गई, और उन्होंने वास्तुकला को अपना पेशा चुना। कहानी का संदेश है कि हर बच्चे में कोई न कोई अंतर्निहित प्रतिभा होती है; शिक्षा का उद्देश्य उसे पहचानना, अनुशासन व सही मार्गदर्शन से निखारना और “अंदर छिपे ख़ज़ाने” को उजागर करना है।

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 4 The Treasure Within

This chapter is an inspirational and interesting story which deals with the Padma Bhushan decorated talented contractor; Hafeez Sourab. In interview for this chapter, he tells his ordinary childhood school memories, the struggles of college, and his passion for architecture. On starting, Hafeez was an ordinary child like all. He got no interest in studies and Mathematics was also a nightmare for him. 

Key Features of NCERT Solutions for The Treasure Within Class 8

1. NCERT Solutions helps in providing fully resolved step by step solutions to all textbook questions.
2. Set of solutions which comes with a list of all important formulas on algebraic identities.
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