Category: English

CBSE Class 7 English Grammar – Modals

Modals Class 7 CBSE

Definition of Modals

Basically, modals are auxiliary verbs that express the mode of action denoted by the main verb.
e.g.

1.  He can do this work.
2.  She may pass the exam.
3.  They would appear in the party.

In the above sentences, the bold words are modals. They express the mode of action of the main verbs in t’he sentence.

Uses of Modals
The usage of these modals are as given below

Can
‘Can’ is used in the following ways

1. To express ability or power.
   1. He can read this language.
   2. He can lift this heavy box.
2. To express permission.
   1. You can eat this chocolate.
   2. She can never enter this house.

Could

‘Could’ is used in the following ways,

1. To show power or ability in past.
   1. She could dance well in youth
   2. We could complete this task.
2. To show possibility in past.
   1. She could buy a pen if she had money.
   2. Ramu could play cricket if there had been no rain.
3.  To make a polite request.
   1. Could you help me now?
   2. Could they spare that meat?
4. To show condition.
   1. If we had got up earlier, we could have completed this.
   2. We could have seen the match if there had been electricity supply. (Condition)

Modals For Class 7 CBSE 

May
‘May’ is used in the following ways

1. To express permission, possibility.
   1. May I go there? (Permission)
   2. It may rain heavily. (Possibility)
2.  To express wish, prayer.
   1. May you live long ! (Wish)
   2. May God bless you with fortune ! (Prayer)
3.  To express purpose.
   1. She works that she may prosper.
   2. We study that we may pass in the exam.

Might
‘Might’ is used in the following ways

1. To show permission, possibility in the past.
   1. The leader told us that we might spend this amount. (Permission)
   2. I might be sent to the hostel. (Possibility)
2.  To express purpose in the past.
   1. He wore a scarf that he might not burn his skin.
   2. We rushed that we might not miss our train.
3. To make a request.
   1. If possible, you might bring me a glass of water.
   2. Condition allowing, they might be seeking a favour from me.
4.  To make suggestion or criticism.
   1. They might look for other venues. (Suggestion)
   2. She might have picked other issues. (Criticism)

Class 7 Modals CBSE 

Would
‘Would’ is used in the following ways

1. To show past habit and unreal condition.
   1. He would rise at 5 O’ Clock. (Past habit)
   2. What would you like to have? Tea or coffee.
2. To make a polite request.
   1. Would you lend me your pen?
   2. Would you give me your scooter?

Should or Ought to
‘Should’ is used in the following ways

1. To express duty and obligation.
   1. The police should protect us. (Duty)
   2. You should respect your parents. (Obligation)
2.  To show advice, suggestion.
   1. They should follow the rules. (Suggestion)
   2. You should take medicine. (Advice)
3.  To express imagination.
   1. Should you lose your money, go to ATM.
   2. Should you forget password, retry then.
4.  To express probability, polite command.
   1. She should be in the library. (Probability)
   2. You should play the game fairly. (Polite command)

Modal Verbs Class 7 CBSE

Must
‘Must’ is used in the following ways

1. To show prohibition, compulsion.
   1. You must not touch this.
   2. She must feel sorry for you.
2. To show necessity or obligation.
   1. Team must win the game.
   2. You must pay your bill on time.
3.  To show the strong advice.
   1. Police must take care of emotions of the criminals.
   2. Leaders must promise what is viable to them.

Shall/Will
‘Shall’ and ‘Will’ are used in the following ways

1.  Shall 1st person subject-I, We
2.  Will 2nd and 3rd person subject – You, he, she, it, they.
   But, to show the emphasis, it can be interchanged with each other.
   Therefore, when one needs to show determination then the usage with the auxiliary would be
3.  Will 1st person subject-I, we
4. Shall 2nd and 3rd person subject – You, he, she, it, , they.
   e.g.
   1. I shall go. (Simple future)
   2. I will go. (Determination))
   3. She will win. (Simple future)
   4. She shall win. (Emphasized act)

Class 7 English Grammar Modals

Need
‘Need’ is used in the following ways

1. To express prohibition.
   1. She need not use that computer.
   2. They need not manipulate the files.
2.  To express doubt.
   1. Need I go there.
   2. Need we plan in advance.

Dare

1. To express a negation with interrogation.
   1. How dare you touch my pen?
   2. She dare not play tennis with me.

Used to

1.  To express a past habit.
   1. She used to go to perform in movies or a dramas.
   2. I used to play cricket in 2005.
2. To express a habit of present that has its roots in the past.
   1. My grandfather is not used to sweets.
   2. I am used to a life full of struggle.

Practice Questions and Solutions

Modal Class 7 CBSE Question 1:
Choose the most suitable answer to fill in the blank. Write its number (a), (b), (c) or (d) in the answers.

1.  You are late. You ……………….. hurry.
   (a) can                 (b) must
   (c) will                 (d) may
2.  “……………….. I have a piece of cake, please?” I asked.
   (a) Shall              (b) May
   (c) Will                (d) Must
3.  The little boy ……………….. speak very well.
   (a) would            (b) can
   (c) shall              (d) need
4.  We didn’t have a car before. Now that we have a car, we ……………….. drive to many places.
   (a) need              (b) may
   (c) might            (d) can
5.  You ……………….. keep the scissors away from the baby.
   (a) should           (b) will
   (c) need              (d) may
6.  You ……………….. go home if you have completed your work.
   (a) shall              (b) may
   (c) need              (d) might
7.  That plug is faulty. You ……………….. touch it.
   (a) mustn’t         (b) needn’t
   (c) couldn’t        (d) won’t
8.  The two boys .………………. do well in the examinations. They are studying very hard.
   (a) must             (b) will
   (c) shall              (d) need
9.  That man ……………….. be Mr Bo. Mr Bo is overseas.
   (a) shan’t           (b) needn’t
   (c) can’t             (d) won’t
10.  Don’t listen to everything he says. He ……………….. be wrong.
    (a) shall             (b) can
    (c) must            (d) need

Solution:

1.  (b) must
2.  (b) may
3. (b) can
4.  (d) can
5.  (a) should
6.  (b) may
7.  (a) mustn’t
8. (c) shall
9.  (c) can’t
10.  (b) can

Cbse Class 7 English Grammar Solutions Pdf Question 2:
Choose the most suitable answer to fill in the blank. Write its number (a), (b), (c) or (d) in the answers.

1.  He’s still not here. He ……………….. have met with an accident.
   (a) should           (b) can
   (c) might             (d) shall
2.  I wish I ……………….. be as intelligent as Einstein.
   (a) must             (b) could
   (c) should          (d) shall
3.  We ……………….. bring any money because admission is free.
   (a) mustn’t           (b) couldn’t
   (c) can’t                (d) needn’t
4.  This ……………….. be your book. It has your name on it.
   (a) can                (b) shall
   (c) need              (d) must
5.  You ……………….. sleep early so you can wake up early.
   (a) should            (b) might
   (c) will                  (d) need
6.  He ……………….. run very fast. He wins competitions easily.
   (a) would            (b) can
   (c) shall               (d) may
7.  Please lower your voices so that the baby ……………….. not  be awakened.
   (a) ought            (b) may
   (c) must              (d) could
8.  The dog ……………….. have eaten the food! I saw it near the food a while ago.
   (a) must              (b) ought
   (c) can                 (d) shall
9.  You ……………….. to knock before you enter.
   (a) shall               (b) ought
   (c) may                (d) would
10.  She ………………. most certainly help you if you ask her.
    (a) could             (b) ought
    (c) will                 (d) may

Solution:

1.  (c) might
2.  (b) could
3.  (d) needn’t
4.  (d) must
5.  (a) should
6.  (b) can
7.  (b) may
8.  (a) must
9.  (b) ought
10.  (c) will

Modals Class 7 Pdf CBSE Question 3:
Use appropriate modals of probability, permission, obligation etc to fill in the blanks.

1.  Every body ……………….. fulfil his or her duties towards the country.
2.  The computer is not working. The supervisor ……………….. call an engineer, today.
3.  The work is completed ……………….. I leave now?
4.  Sugandha sings so beautifully. She ……………….. have taken classes of music.
5.  I am not the right person to give you a permission to go. You ……………….. ask the Manager.
6.  Vibha is not home today. She ……………….. have gone for dance practice.
7.  ……………….. I request you to show me this file?
8.  It is raining cats and dogs. This ……………….. cause flood in many areas.
9.  He is not in his cabin. You ……………….. check if he is there in the lobby.
10. ……………….. I, please, make a call from your phone?

Solution:

1.  must
2.  might
3.  may
4.  must
5.  may
6. must
7. May
8. can/may
9. can
10. Could

Question 4:
Use appropriate modals of desire,
determination, necessity, prohibition etc to fill in the blanks.

1.  I ……………….. like to go for boating as well as diving.
2.  How ……………….. he enter my room?
3.  Shipra applies sunscreen lotion everyday that she ……………….. not get her skin tanned.
4.  We focus on our studies that we ……………….. not fail in our examinations.
5.  Let whatever hardships may come in our way. One day, we ……………….. overcome.
6.  His goggles are kept in the cupboard, but nobody ……………….. to touch them.
7.  He ……………….. never allow anybody to wear them.
8.  Sheveta is a little snobbish and naughty girl. We ……………….. not prank at her. She will get angry.
9.  Don’t challenge me. If I try, she ……………….. come and talk to me politely.
10.  ……………….. You like to try your hand at chess, madam?

Solution:

1.  would
2.  dare
3. may
4.  may
5.  shall/will
6. dares
7. would
8. need
9. shall
10. Would

NCERT Solutions For Class 7 English Honeycomb Chivvy (Poem)

Page No: 70

A Working with the Poem

Question 1:
Discuss these questions in small groups before you answer them.

1. When is a grown-up likely to say this? Don’t talk with your mouth full.
2. When are you likely to be told this? Say thank you.
3. When do you think an adult would say this? No one thinks you are funny.

Solution:

1. The grown-ups are likely to tell the children not to talk while their mouth is full of food.
2. The children are likely to be reminded to Say thank you when they receive a gift or a favour from someone.
3. Adults are likely to tell children, ‘no one thinks you are funny’ when the children are too shy to speak or perform before the others.

Question 2:
The last two lines of the poem are not prohibitions or instructions. What is the adult now asking the child to do? Do you think the poet is suggesting that this is unreasonable? Why?
Solution:
The adult is now asking the child to think independently. The poet finds this entirely unreasonable because the young child has not been trained to use his mind. He has only been trained to follow the instructions given by the adults.

Question 3:
Why do you think grown-ups say the kind of things mentioned in the poem? Is it important that they teach children good manners, and how to behave in public?
Solution:
The adults constantly give instructions to their children for various reasons. They try to train them to behave in a decent, well-mannered and Sophisticated way. This, however, robs away their childlike innocence.

Question 4:
If you had to make some rules for grown-ups to follow, what would you say? Make at least five Such rules. Arrange the lines as in a poem.
Solution:
Don’t dictate and impose your rules. Your ways and thinking is different from ours and so are the times. Don’t talk over the phone while eating. Please spend some time with us.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Why do the grown-ups tell the children not to talk with their mouth full?
Solution:
The grown-ups tell the children not to talk with their mouth ful of food because it is bad manners to talk while eating.

Question 2:
What all instructions are given by the adults regarding noise?
Solution:
The adults tell the children not to make much noise, neither while talking nor while eating or walking.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What happens when the adults give too many instructions to their children?
Solution:
When the adults give too many instructions to their children, they kill their children’s spontaneity and willingness to use his/her mind to understand life. These instructions rob away their innocence, making them dependent on their elders.

Extract Based Question

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

Sit up
Say please
Less noise
Shut the door behind you
Don’t drag your feet
Haven’t you got a hankie?
Take your hands out of your pocket
Pull your socks up
Stand straight.

Question 1:
Why is the child asked to stand straight?
Solution:
The child is asked to stand straight because that shows that he is attentive.

Question 2:
What does walking by dragging feet suggest?
Solution:
Dragging feet while walking suggests bad manners.

Question 3:
Make a sentence of your own using the word ‘drag.’
Solution:
My brother forcibly dragged me to the fete.

Question 4:
Who is giving these instructions?
(a) The poet
(b) An adult
(c) A child
(d) The teacher
Solution:
(b) An adult

Question 5:
To whom are these instructions being addressed?
(a) The poet
(b) An adult
(c) A child
(d) The teacher
Solution:
(c) A child

Question 6:
Why would the child need a hankie?
(a) To clean his mouth.
(b) To clean his shoes.
(c) To clean his bag.
(d) To clean his slate.
Solution:
(a)To clean his mouth.

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma

NCERT Solutions For Class 7 English Honeycomb Dad and the Cat and the Tree (Poem)

Page No: 110

A Working with the Poem

Question 1:
Why was Dad sure he wouldn’t fall?
Solution:
The Dad was sure he wouldn’t fall because he was a good climber.

Question 2:
Which phrase in the poem expresses Dad’s Self-confidence best?
Solution:
“Right just. Leave it to me.” “Easy as winking to a climber like me.”

Question 3:
Describe Plan A and its consequences.
Solution:
According to Plan A, father would have reached the tree top with the help of the ladder. However, the ladder slipped and father fell on the ground.

Question 4:
Plan C was success. What went wrong then?
Solution:
Even though Plan C was a success, it did not work out as planned. The moment the father reached the tree top, the cat jumped and touched the ground and was again out of father’s reach.

Question 5:
The cat was very happy to be on the ground. Pick out the phrase used to express this idea.
Solution:
“Smiling and Smirking.”

Question 6:
Describe the Cat and the Dad situation in the beginning and at the end of the poem.
Solution:
At the Onset, the cat was stuck on the tree and father was confident to be able to drive it away. By the time the poem ended, the cat was free and the father got stuck in the tree.

Question 7:
Why and when did Dad say each of the following?

1. Fall
2. Never mind
3. Funny joke
4. Rubbish

Solution:

1. When his wife warned him against falling, father with a great surprise said “fall?”
2. Having fallen to the ground, the father did not give up and brushing the dirt from his hair and clothes said, “never mind.”
3. When his wife again warned him against falling while he was executing Plan B, he found his wife’s warnings to be a “funny joke.”
4. After the second fall, when his wife intervened saying that he might break his neck, he again dismissed her concern by saying, “rubbish.”

Question 8:
Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines which make you laugh.
Solution:
Of course. The poem is full of humour. The narrator’s father falling over and over again was quite humorous.
(a) “the cat gave a yell/ and sprang to the ground.”
(b) “it slipped. He landed in the flower bed.”

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
How many times does the narrator’s father try to climb the tree?
Solution:
The narrator’s father tried to climb the tree thrice. To do SO, he executed Pan A, B and C.

Question 2:
State an adjective used to describe the tree.
Solution:
Wobbly

Question 3:
From where did the narrator’ father get the ladder?
Solution:
The narrator’s father got the ladder from the garden shed.

Question 4:
Why did Plan B fail?
Solution:
Father swung himself on a branch and the branch broke. Thus, the Plan B failed.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Describe the tone in which the narrator’s father dismissed his wife’s warnings every single time.
Solution:
When his wife warned him the first time, father was really astonished.  He thought how a good climber like him could fall. The Second time his wife warned him, he laughed at her finding her warning to be a funny joke.

Question 2:
Discuss plan A, B and C and the reasons for their respective failures.
Solution:
According to Plan A, father would have reached the tree top with the help of the ladder. However, the ladder slipped and father fell on the ground.
Then, he thought of Plan B. He swung himself on the branch. But, the branch broke and father again fell on the ground.
Finally, he thought of Plan C. He thought of climbing the garden wall. However, even that did not work as planned.
The moment the father reached the tree top, the cat jumped and touched the ground and was again out of father’s reach.

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6). Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

He got out the leadder
From the garden shed.
It slipped. He landed
In the flower bed.
“Never mind,’ said Dad,
Brushing the dirt
Off his hair and his face.
And his trousers and his shirt,

Question 1:
Does father lose all his hope of bringing the cat down?
Solution:
No, he doesn’t lose hope because climbing up a tree was a child’s play for him. Therefore he know that he would be successful in his Venture.

Question 2:
Write two pairs of rhyming words from the extract.
Solution:
Shed-bed; dirt-shirt

Question 3:
Does father lose hope?
Solution:
No, father doesn’t lose hope because he had confidence in his skill of climbing up a tree.

Question 4:
Where did father bring the ladder from?
(a) Garden
(b) Flower bed
(c) Cow shed
(d) Drawing room
Solution:
(a) Garden shed

Question 5:
What happens after the poet’s father fall off the ladder?
(a) He gives up.
(b) He gets up and goes to take rest.
(c) He gets up and plans for other trick.
(d) None of the above
Solution:
(c) He gets up and plans for other trick.

Question 6:
Where all he cleans the dirt from?
(a) His shirts and trousers.
(b) His hair and face.
(c) Both (a) and (d)
(d) Only (b)
Solution:
(c) both (a) and (d)

Extract 2

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

“We’ll try Plan B. Stand
Out of the way!’
Mum said, “Don’t fall
Again, O.K.?’
“Fall again? said Dad.
“Funny joke!’
Then he swung himself up
On a branch. It broke.

Question 1:
Why does father ask mother to stand away?
Solution:
Father asks mother to stand out of the way that she might not get hurt.

Question 2:
How did father make an attempt to save the Cat for the Second time?
Solution:
For the second time, instead of climbing up the ladder, he swung himself on a branch.

Question 3:
Was he successful in saving the cat this time?
Solution:
No, he was not successful because the branch that he swung himself upon broke and he fell again.

Question 4:
What does mother Warn him?
(a) To give up
(b) To bring the cat down immediately
(c) To beware of dogs
(d) Not to fall again
Solution:
(d) Not to fall again

Question 5:
How does father react at this?
(a) He finds it a funny joke
(b) He needs it seriously
(c) He obeys her advice
(d) He waits for the right way
Solution:
(a) He finds it a funny joke

Question 6:
Mum Warned Dad to
(a) take medicines regularly.
(b) climb up the tree carefully.
(c) walk Slowly.
(d) stay silent.
Solution:
(b) climb up the tree carefully

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma

NCERT Solutions For Class 7 English Honeycomb Garden Snake (Poem)

Working with the Poem

Question 1:
Answer the following questions.

1. Pick out the line that suggests that the child is afraid of snakes.
2. Which line shows a complete change of the child’s attitude towards snakes? Read it aloud.
3. “But mother says that kind is good…” What is mother referring to?

Solution:

1. “I saw a snake and ran away.”
2. “I’ll stand aside and watch him pass.”
3. The mother is referring to the garden snake.

Question 2:
Find the word that refers to the snake’s movements in the grass.
solution:
Wiggle

Question 3:
There are four pairs of rhyming words in the poem. Say them aloud.
solution:
(a) Good, food
(b) Pass, grass
(c) Away, say
(d) Mistake, snake

Question 4:
A snake has no legs or feet, but it moves very fast. Can you guess how? Discuss in the group.
solution:
A snake has no legs or feet. It wiggles on the surface.

Question 5:
Can you recall the word used for a cobra’s long sharp teeth? Where did you come across this word first?
solution:
A cobra’s long teeth are called fangs. I first came across this word on National Geographic Channel.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Why did the narrator run away seeing the garden snake?
solution:
The narrator thought the snake to be dangerous and out of fear ran away.

Question 2:
What does a garden snake eat?
solution:
A garden snake survives on insects.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What makes the child comfortable the next time he sees the garden snake?
solution:
The first time the child sees the snake, he is overcome with fear.
However, on being told by his mother that this particular snake is not dangerous, the child becomes comfortable the next time he encounters the garden snake.

Question 2:
What lesson does the young child narrator learn from his mother?
solution:
The young child narrator, in his ignorance, had assumed all kinds of snakes to be dangerous. However, from his mother he learnt that not every kind of snake is dangerous some are, most are not.
This makes him peacefully admire the garden snake whenever he saw it next. Also, the narrator learnt that it is important to gather knowledge about any new object or creature one encounters before making one’s opinion.

Extract Based Question

Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

I saw a snake and ran away Some snakes are
dangerous, they say;
But mother says that kind is good,
And eats up insects for his food.

Question 1:
Why do you think the child ran away on seeing the snake?
solution:
Because the snake is a very dangerous creature and its fear is generally instilled in everybody from his very childhood.

Question 2:
What does the child’s mother say about snakes?
solution:
The child’s mother tells him that the kind of the snake that he saw was not so dangerous. It lived on insects only and did not harm others.

Question 3:
Is it good to play with snakes which are not very dangerous?
solution:
No, one should not at all do the courage of playing with the snakes because one cannot recognise which snakes are poisonous and which are not.

Question 4:
Why are snakes dangerous, according to you?
(a) Because they look very dangeorus
(b) Because their venom is poisonous
(c) Because they make terrible sounds
(d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
solution:
(d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’

Question 5:
Why does the snake kill insects?
(a) Because he does not like them
(b) Because he wants to rule the forest
(c) Because he wants to eat them as a food
(d) Because he wants to save human beings
solution:
(c) Because he wants to eat them as a food.

Question:6
What does the poet refer to as ‘they’ in the above stanza?
(a) Snakes
(b) Snake catchers
(c) Trees and bushes
(d) General people
solution:
(d) General people.

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma