On Saying Please by A.G. Gardiner
Welcome to HSLC Guru! Here is a complete study guide for Class 11 Alternative English Chapter 5 — On Saying Please by A.G. Gardiner, prescribed under the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB). This page covers the author’s biography, a detailed summary, central themes, full textbook question answers, MCQs, fill in the blanks, true or false statements, and a glossary of difficult words to help you master this delightful familiar essay on courtesy and good manners.
About the Author
Alfred George Gardiner (1865-1946) was a celebrated British essayist, journalist, and biographer, best known by his pen-name “Alpha of the Plough”. He served as the editor of the London newspaper The Daily News from 1902 to 1919. Gardiner contributed numerous essays to The Star under his famous pseudonym, writing on a wide variety of moral, social, and political subjects. His essays are admired for their simplicity of style, gentle humour, sound common sense, and warm humanity. Notable collections include Pebbles on the Shore, Leaves in the Wind, and Many Furrows. He remains one of the finest familiar essayists in English literature.
Summary
The essay On Saying Please by A.G. Gardiner opens with a remarkable incident that occurred on a London bus. A lift-man, irritated by a passenger who curtly ordered “Top” without saying “please”, refused to take him up. When the passenger insisted, the lift-man literally threw him out of the lift. The lift-man was taken to court and punished for assault. Gardiner uses this incident to launch a thoughtful reflection on the place of courtesy and bad manners in everyday social life.
Gardiner argues that the law can punish physical assault, but it cannot punish rudeness or bad manners. If the lift-man had been allowed to retaliate against every discourtesy, society would dissolve into chaos. The remedy for bad manners, he suggests, is not legal punishment but the patient practice of good manners in return. A discourteous person wounds our self-respect and inflicts a kind of moral injury that is sometimes worse than physical assault, yet there is no court to which we can appeal. The only weapon against rudeness is courtesy itself.
To illustrate the contagious power of politeness, Gardiner describes a polite young bus conductor who treats every passenger — old or young, rich or poor — with cheerfulness, helpfulness, and respect. Such a man spreads sunshine wherever he goes. His good humour is infectious; passengers respond with smiles, the day grows brighter, and the wheels of social life are oiled by simple words like “Please” and “Thank you”. One sour person can poison a crowd, but one cheerful one can sweeten it.
Gardiner concludes that small civilities cost nothing but are of immense social value. They are the small change of life — the tiny coins of courtesy that pay our way through the daily traffic of human relations. By saying “Please” and “Thank you”, by raising a hat or holding open a door, we acknowledge the dignity of others and create harmony around us. Good manners may not be enforced by law, but they are the very foundation of civilised society.
Themes
- Courtesy and Civility: The essay celebrates politeness as the lubricant of social life.
- Manners versus Law: The law cannot punish rudeness; only good manners can.
- Kindness is Contagious: A single courteous person can spread cheer to many.
- Social Ethics: Civilised behaviour is built on mutual respect, not legal compulsion.
- Self-Respect and Dignity: Discourtesy wounds the spirit more than the body.
- The Power of Small Things: Tiny words like “Please” and “Thank you” carry enormous social value.
Textbook Questions and Answers
A. Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
Q1. Who is the author of the essay “On Saying Please”?
Answer: The essay “On Saying Please” is written by A.G. Gardiner, who wrote under the pen-name “Alpha of the Plough”.
Q2. What was the pen-name of A.G. Gardiner?
Answer: A.G. Gardiner’s pen-name was “Alpha of the Plough”.
Q3. Where did the incident with the lift-man take place?
Answer: The incident with the lift-man took place in London, in a public lift.
Q4. Why did the lift-man throw the passenger out?
Answer: The lift-man threw the passenger out because the passenger ordered “Top” without saying “please”, which the lift-man considered rude.
Q5. How did the law punish the lift-man?
Answer: The law punished the lift-man for assault, since he had used physical force on the passenger.
Q6. According to Gardiner, what cannot the law punish?
Answer: According to Gardiner, the law cannot punish bad manners or rudeness, even though such behaviour wounds people deeply.
Q7. What is the only remedy for bad manners?
Answer: The only remedy for bad manners is good manners in return, that is, replying to rudeness with courtesy.
Q8. Who is the polite young man Gardiner praises?
Answer: Gardiner praises a polite young bus conductor who treated every passenger with cheerfulness, courtesy, and helpfulness.
Q9. What two small words does Gardiner emphasise in the essay?
Answer: Gardiner emphasises the two small but powerful words “Please” and “Thank you”.
Q10. What kind of essay is “On Saying Please”?
Answer: “On Saying Please” is a familiar essay, written in a personal, conversational, and reflective style.
B. Short Answer Questions (2-3 Marks)
Q1. Why does Gardiner say that the law cannot punish bad manners?
Answer: Gardiner says that the law deals only with overt acts like assault, theft, or fraud — actions that can be measured and proved. Bad manners, on the other hand, are intangible. Rudeness wounds our self-respect and feelings, but no court can weigh such injuries or punish them. Hence, the law is powerless to compel good manners; only social opinion and personal example can encourage them.
Q2. How does Gardiner describe the polite bus conductor?
Answer: Gardiner describes the polite bus conductor as a cheerful, helpful young man who treated every passenger — rich or poor, young or old — with equal respect. He helped old ladies climb the bus, joked kindly with children, and answered questions patiently. His good humour was so infectious that passengers caught his cheerfulness and began smiling themselves. He turned an ordinary bus journey into a pleasant social experience.
Q3. What does Gardiner mean by saying that good manners “grease the wheels” of social life?
Answer: By saying that good manners “grease the wheels” of social life, Gardiner means that politeness makes daily human interactions smooth, easy, and pleasant. Just as oil reduces friction in machinery, courtesy reduces friction between people. A simple “Please” or “Thank you” prevents quarrels, builds goodwill, and keeps society running harmoniously.
Q4. Why is bad manners more dangerous than physical assault, according to the essay?
Answer: According to Gardiner, bad manners can be more painful than physical assault because the wounds they cause are inward and lasting. A blow on the body may heal in days, but rudeness can wound the spirit and self-respect for a long time. Moreover, while assault is punished by law, rudeness goes unpunished, leaving the victim helpless. Therefore, bad manners can poison social life more deeply than open violence.
Q5. How is courtesy contagious, as shown in the essay?
Answer: Courtesy is contagious because it spreads from one person to another like a smile or a yawn. When a polite man greets people warmly, they respond warmly. The bus conductor’s good humour made passengers cheerful, and they in turn became kinder to others. Gardiner shows that one courteous person can sweeten the atmosphere of an entire crowd, just as one rude person can sour it.
Q6. What lesson does Gardiner draw from the lift-man’s incident?
Answer: From the lift-man’s incident, Gardiner draws the lesson that we cannot use force to punish rudeness — society would collapse if everyone retaliated physically. Bad manners must be answered with patience and politeness. The lift-man was wrong to assault the passenger, but the passenger was equally wrong to be rude. The true remedy for incivility is the practice of civility ourselves.
C. Long Answer Questions (5-7 Marks)
Q1. Discuss the central theme of A.G. Gardiner’s essay “On Saying Please”.
Answer: The central theme of “On Saying Please” is the supreme social importance of courtesy and good manners in everyday life. Gardiner begins with the striking incident of a London lift-man who threw a discourteous passenger out of the lift for refusing to say “please”. The lift-man was punished by law for assault, but Gardiner uses this episode to argue a deeper point: the law can punish physical violence, but it cannot punish rudeness or bad manners.
Gardiner explains that bad manners inflict invisible wounds on our self-respect — wounds that no court can measure or heal. Yet society cannot allow individuals to retaliate violently against rudeness, for that would mean anarchy. The only true remedy for incivility, he insists, is civility — answering rudeness with politeness, sourness with cheerfulness. He illustrates this beautifully with the example of a polite young bus conductor whose cheerfulness spread to every passenger and brightened the entire bus journey.
Through gentle humour and homely examples, Gardiner shows that small words like “Please” and “Thank you” cost nothing but carry immense value. They oil the wheels of social life, ease friction between strangers, and uphold the dignity of every person. Civilisation, in his view, rests not on laws alone but on the daily practice of kindness, courtesy, and consideration. The essay thus delivers a timeless moral: good manners are the truest mark of a civilised human being.
Q2. Describe the incident of the lift-man and explain Gardiner’s reflections on it.
Answer: The essay opens with a curious incident reported in a London newspaper. A passenger entered a public lift and curtly ordered “Top!” without adding the courteous word “please”. The lift-man, irritated by this rudeness, refused to take him up unless he said “please”. When the passenger persisted in his rude command, the lift-man physically threw him out of the lift. The matter was taken to court, and the lift-man was punished for assault.
Gardiner reflects on this incident with characteristic balance. He admits that the lift-man’s anger was understandable — rudeness is genuinely irritating, and the passenger had treated him as if he were a mere machine, not a human being. However, the lift-man’s response was wrong because society cannot tolerate physical retaliation for verbal rudeness. If every offended person hit back with violence, civilisation itself would collapse into endless brawls.
From this episode Gardiner draws a wise conclusion: the law rightly punishes assault but cannot punish bad manners, however painful they may be. The cure for incivility is not the fist but the example of civility itself. The lift-man should have answered the rude passenger with calm politeness — that would have shamed the passenger more deeply than any blow. The incident thus becomes a doorway into Gardiner’s larger meditation on courtesy, demonstrating his gift for drawing universal moral lessons from small everyday happenings.
Q3. How does Gardiner show that politeness is contagious? Illustrate with reference to the bus conductor.
Answer: Gardiner argues that politeness, like cheerfulness, is contagious — it passes from one person to another almost without effort. To illustrate this, he describes a polite young bus conductor whom he had often observed in London. This conductor was an embodiment of good manners. He greeted every passenger with a smile, helped the elderly climb aboard, joked kindly with children, gave directions patiently to strangers, and treated rich and poor alike with equal courtesy.
The effect of his behaviour was remarkable. Passengers who entered the bus tired or grumpy soon caught his cheerfulness; they began to smile, exchange friendly words, and treat one another kindly. The atmosphere of the entire bus was transformed. Gardiner notes that one such polite person can sweeten the lives of hundreds, just as one rude person can poison the mood of a whole crowd.
Through this example, Gardiner demonstrates a profound social truth: kindness is not a private virtue but a public good. The conductor did not earn extra wages for his courtesy, yet he made the world a brighter place. Politeness costs nothing but enriches everyone. By showing how good humour spread from one humble worker to dozens of strangers, Gardiner makes a powerful case that small civilities — a smile, a “please”, a “thank you” — are the most contagious and beneficial forces in social life.
Q4. “Good manners cannot be enforced by law.” Discuss this statement in the light of the essay.
Answer: Gardiner’s essay is built around the insight that good manners cannot be enforced by law. The law deals only with visible, measurable harm — physical assault, theft, fraud, or property damage. It is designed to protect the body and possessions of citizens, not their feelings. Therefore, when the lift-man threw out the rude passenger, the court could punish him for the assault but could do nothing about the original rudeness that provoked him.
This raises a moral dilemma. Rudeness inflicts real injuries — wounded self-respect, hurt feelings, soured relationships — yet these injuries leave no marks that a magistrate can examine. If the law tried to punish every discourtesy, courts would be flooded with cases, judges would have to weigh tones of voice and looks, and freedom would suffer. Society, therefore, leaves manners to the realm of private conscience and social custom.
Gardiner argues that this is, in fact, the right arrangement. Manners cannot be commanded by force; they must spring from inward goodwill. The true sanctions of courtesy are personal example, social opinion, and the mutual desire to live pleasantly together. A rude person may escape the law, but he loses friends, respect, and the joys of harmonious life. Conversely, the polite person, though unrewarded by statute, wins universal goodwill. Hence, while the law guards our bodies, manners must guard our souls — and that guarding is the work of every individual.
Q5. Examine “On Saying Please” as a familiar essay. What stylistic features make it appealing?
Answer: “On Saying Please” is a fine specimen of the familiar essay — a literary form characterised by personal tone, conversational style, gentle humour, and reflection on everyday matters. Gardiner uses all the classic features of the genre to make a moral point without ever being preachy.
First, the essay begins with a real-life anecdote — the lift-man incident — drawn from a newspaper report. This grounds the discussion in ordinary urban life and immediately engages the reader’s curiosity. Second, the language is simple, lucid, and warm; Gardiner writes as if chatting with a friend, never lecturing. Third, the essay is rich in concrete examples — the lift-man, the bus conductor, the small daily exchanges of “please” and “thank you” — which make abstract ideas about courtesy vivid and memorable.
Fourth, Gardiner employs gentle humour and irony rather than harsh satire. He smiles at human folly even as he gently corrects it. Fifth, the essay moves easily from incident to reflection, from the particular to the universal, weaving moral wisdom into observation of common life. Finally, the conclusion is not a thunderous moral but a quiet plea for kindness, leaving the reader thoughtful rather than scolded. These stylistic qualities — personal voice, vivid example, gentle humour, easy structure, and humane wisdom — make “On Saying Please” a model of the familiar essay and a delightful read for every generation.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Q1. Who is the author of “On Saying Please”?
a) Charles Lamb
b) A.G. Gardiner
c) G.B. Shaw
d) Robert Lynd
Answer: b) A.G. Gardiner
Q2. What was A.G. Gardiner’s pen-name?
a) Elia
b) YY
c) Alpha of the Plough
d) Boz
Answer: c) Alpha of the Plough
Q3. Where did the lift-man incident take place?
a) Paris
b) New York
c) London
d) Bombay
Answer: c) London
Q4. Why did the lift-man throw out the passenger?
a) The passenger refused to pay
b) The passenger did not say “please”
c) The passenger was drunk
d) The passenger insulted his uniform
Answer: b) The passenger did not say “please”
Q5. The lift-man was punished by law for —
a) Theft
b) Murder
c) Assault
d) Fraud
Answer: c) Assault
Q6. According to Gardiner, the only remedy for bad manners is —
a) Punishment
b) Imprisonment
c) Good manners in return
d) Silence
Answer: c) Good manners in return
Q7. The polite young man Gardiner praises was a —
a) Lift-man
b) Bus conductor
c) Postman
d) Shopkeeper
Answer: b) Bus conductor
Q8. Good manners “grease the wheels” of —
a) Machinery
b) Government
c) Social life
d) Trade
Answer: c) Social life
Q9. “On Saying Please” is best described as a —
a) Short story
b) Familiar essay
c) Satirical essay
d) Travelogue
Answer: b) Familiar essay
Q10. Gardiner edited which London newspaper?
a) The Times
b) The Guardian
c) The Daily News
d) The Observer
Answer: c) The Daily News
Fill in the Blanks
Q1. The lift-man threw out the passenger because he refused to say ________.
Answer: please
Q2. A.G. Gardiner wrote under the pen-name ________.
Answer: Alpha of the Plough
Q3. The lift-man was punished by the court for ________.
Answer: assault
Q4. Gardiner praises a polite young ________ who was cheerful to all passengers.
Answer: bus conductor
Q5. Good manners ________ the wheels of social life.
Answer: grease (or oil)
True or False
Q1. The lift-man was rewarded by the court for his action.
Answer: False
Q2. Gardiner believed that the law can punish bad manners.
Answer: False
Q3. Politeness, according to Gardiner, is contagious.
Answer: True
Q4. “On Saying Please” is a tragic short story.
Answer: False
Q5. Small words like “please” and “thank you” cost nothing but mean a great deal.
Answer: True
Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Lift-man | An attendant who operates a lift or elevator |
| Assault | A physical attack on a person |
| Civility | Politeness; courteous behaviour |
| Discourtesy | Rude or impolite behaviour |
| Retaliate | To strike back; return injury for injury |
| Contagious | Easily spread from one person to another |
| Self-respect | A sense of one’s own worth and dignity |
| Familiar essay | A personal, conversational essay on everyday topics |
| Grease the wheels | To make things run smoothly; to ease difficulties |
| Sour | Bad-tempered; unpleasant in mood |
| Cheerfulness | State of being happy and friendly |
| Sanction | An authoritative approval or means of enforcing a rule |
| Anarchy | Complete absence of order; lawlessness |
| Civilised | Showing refined manners and a developed culture |
| Goodwill | Friendly, helpful, and cooperative feelings |
| Pseudonym | A fictitious name, especially used by a writer |
| Reflection | Serious thought or consideration |
| Moral injury | Hurt to one’s conscience or sense of right |
| Infectious | Spreading easily; catching |
| Courtesy | Polite behaviour and respect for others |
We hope this detailed guide on Class 11 Alternative English Chapter 5 — On Saying Please by A.G. Gardiner helps you prepare confidently for your ASSEB examinations. Keep visiting HSLC Guru for more chapter-wise summaries, question answers, and study materials. Remember Gardiner’s gentle wisdom — a simple “Please” and “Thank you” can brighten any day!