Say the Right Thing
Complete textbook exercise solutions — NCERT Poorvi, Class 7 English (CBSE).
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Let us discuss (Scene I)
| Speaker | Words of the Speaker | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Shaw | The room looks cleaner now. Put that coat away in your bedroom. | To instruct Mary to keep the room tidy |
| Mary | You’re always telling me to put things away. | To complain that her mother keeps giving her instructions |
| Mary | I’m not a child! | To show that she is grown up and does not like being treated like a child |
| Mrs. Shaw | I can’t tell you everything, but you’ll always be right if you’re kind to people. Say things that will please them. | To highlight the importance of being kind as a way to ensure Mary says the appropriate things when guests arrive |
No, I don’t think so. Mary talks too much without thinking. She is also overconfident. She thinks anyone can talk. So, she may say something that hurts the guests.
Let us discuss (Scene II)
- Mrs. Harding was not pleased, because she has no children. The children Mary saw were someone else’s.
- Mrs. Shaw shared that she liked Mrs. Best because she was a nice woman.
- Mary laughed at a blue dress with a red coat. Mrs. Harding said she often wears them, and Mrs. Shaw quickly said that she liked them.
- Mary shares that the dog outside the window always looks very dirty and that she does not like dogs.
Let us think and reflect
Mrs. Shaw : I don’t know. All kinds of things. One day you’ll have to go to some of these houses yourself and talk to the people there. …
(i) What does Mrs. Shaw imply when she says, “One day you’ll have to go to some of these houses yourself…”?
C. She wants Mary to develop social skills for the future.
(ii) Mrs. Shaw and Mary are discussing how to ______.
have a polite conversation
(iii) Why did Mary insist on staying with her mother when the guests arrived?
Mary believed that she could talk very well. She wanted to prove this to her mother.
(iv) Match the character traits to the characters.
Mary – eager, inexperienced
Mrs. Shaw – cautious
(i) Mary could spot Mrs. Cotter in the street because ______.
it was afternoon. Mrs. Cotter stays in bed only in the morning.
(ii) What does Mary’s comment about Mrs. Cotter suggest about her understanding?
B. She is unable to understand why people need medical help.
(iii) How can we say that Mary enjoyed good health?
Mary said that she had never been to a doctor in her life.
(iv) Mary might have unintentionally offended Mrs. Harding. (True/False)
True
1. What does Mary’s comment about Mr. Best’s routine and profession reveal about her viewpoint on bankers and their way of life?
Mary thinks bankers lead a dull life. She says Mr. Best “lives in trains” and that bankers cannot think. This shows she judges people without understanding them.
2. What can we infer about Mary’s understanding of polite conversation based on her interactions with the guests?
Mary does not understand polite conversation. She says whatever comes to her mind. She criticises other people without thinking that the guests may be connected to them.
3. What do you think the repeated stage direction ‘no one speaks’ indicates about the atmosphere in the room when Mary speaks?
It shows an awkward and uncomfortable silence. Everyone is embarrassed by Mary’s remarks and does not know what to say.
4. How does Mary’s attitude towards the guests change throughout the play?
At first, Mary is confident and eager to please the guests. She praises Mrs. Harding’s “children”. Then she keeps criticising people and has to say sorry again and again. By the end, she is so confused that she says the opposite of what she means.
5. What do Mrs. Harding’s and Mrs. Lee’s responses to Mary’s blunders during their visit reveal about their characters?
They correct Mary calmly and do not shout at her. This shows they are polite and patient. But they leave early, which shows that they felt hurt.
6. In what way does the play show the importance of knowing how to engage in polite conversation?
Mrs. Shaw wanted to make new friends. But Mary’s careless words hurt the guests and spoiled the visit. This shows that thoughtless words can damage relationships. Polite and kind talk helps us make friends.
Let us learn
- gladly = glad + -ly
- banker = bank + -er
- guidance = guide + -ance
- quietly = quiet + -ly
- walking = walk + -ing
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | -logy | C. a study of | Sociology, Zoology |
| tolerance | -ance | F. change to a noun | performance, assistance |
| stopped | -ed | E. change to past tense | played, jumped |
| backward | -ward | G. in a certain direction | forward, upward |
| courageous | -ous | H. change to adjective | famous, dangerous |
| quietly | -ly | A. change to adverb | slowly, kindly |
| toughest | -est | D. change to superlative | tallest, fastest |
| tomatoes | -es | B. change to plural | potatoes, boxes |
To communicate (i) effectively, choose your words and topics (ii) wisely. Avoid (iii) discussing things you don’t know much about or that could upset someone. Remember to be (iv) respectful towards others, including yourself, and express your (v) appreciation. Finally, always be (vi) responsive by replying promptly to communicate.
Yes ‘Say’ focuses on the message, while ‘tell’ always needs a listener.
- I looked at the photo, but I didn’t see anyone familiar.
- I’d better go and fetch my mother from the station, and then bring her home.
- I need to study for my mathematics exam this weekend, so I hope to learn new concepts along the way.
- I can hear the music from my neighbour’s house, but I need to listen to it carefully to understand the lyrics.
- “Could I speak to Mrs. Kalpana, who is going to talk to us about gardening,” said Ritu.
- I live in a small town, but I often stay with my relatives in the city.
- They lived in London before.
- I met her in a shop and asked her to come.
- She has been staying with them for a while.
The students (i) are organising a play and setting up the stage. They (ii) have been preparing for weeks to make everything perfect. The performers (iii) have been rehearsing every day, and their excitement (iv) is growing. The sound in-charge (v) is testing the microphones to check the sound quality. Everyone (vi) has been working hard, and now the place (vii) is buzzing with energy and excitement.
- The meeting starts at 10.00 a.m. in the conference room. – Declarative
- What an exciting adventure it was! – Exclamatory
- How did you solve the problem so quickly? – Interrogative
- What is the weather forecast today? – Interrogative
- How beautiful is the rainbow! – Exclamatory
- Clean up your room before dinner. – Imperative
- The children are planning a surprise party for their mom. – Declarative
- Turn off the music. – Imperative
Let us listen
- 1. How did the son behave in the grocery queue? — (ii) impatiently
- 2. The mother finally refers to her son as a ______. — (i) polite young man
True statements: 1 2 3 7
- 1. The mother uses the grocery store incident as an opportunity to teach her son about patience and fairness.
- 2. The son recognises the value of apologising and understands that it shows he notices others.
- 3. The son is gradually learning the importance of polite words and actions from his mother’s guidance.
- 7. The mother uses praise to support the polite behaviours she wants her son to continue practising.
Let us speak
- I didn’t hurt anyone today. – (iv) I, specifically, did not hurt anyone, possibly implying someone else might have.
- I didn’t hurt anyone today. – (iii) The action of hurting anyone did not occur.
- I didn’t hurt anyone today. – (i) I might have done other things but did not hurt anyone.
- I didn’t hurt anyone today. – (v) I may have spoken a lot many things but not a single person was hurt.
- I didn’t hurt anyone today. – (ii) I might cause hurt usually, but not anyone on this day.
These are oral practice activities. Students should speak the sentences aloud in class.
Let us write
Mary’s Big Day
Mary Shaw was a young girl who loved to talk. She lived with her mother in the small town of Lanfield. One afternoon, Mrs. Shaw was busy cleaning the house. Two guests, Mrs. Harding and her sister-in-law Mrs. Lee, were coming to visit.
Mary wanted to stay and talk to the guests. Her mother was worried. “Be kind and say things that please them,” she said. “When they want to leave, ask them to stay a little longer.” Mary smiled confidently. “Anyone can talk,” she said.
Soon the guests arrived. Mary praised Mrs. Harding’s “beautiful children”, but Mrs. Harding had no children! Then Mary laughed at Mr. Best, a banker who read newspapers in the train. Mrs. Lee said her brother did the same. Mary made fun of a blue dress with a red coat. Mrs. Harding wore exactly that. Mary called a dog outside dirty. It was Mrs. Harding’s dog, Towzer! Each time, Mary went red and said, “Oh, I’m sorry.” The room fell silent again and again.
At last, the guests got up to leave. Mrs. Shaw politely asked them to stay a little longer. Mary, trying to help, blurted out, “Oh, must you stay? Can’t you go?” The guests left quickly, and poor Mrs. Shaw could only sigh.
Let us explore
These are group and class activities. Students should enact their favourite part of the play and share how guests are greeted in different languages.