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NCERT Solutions for Class 5th English Chapter 3 D. Opposites that all begin with ‘S’ — Let us Write

Book page 36 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.
Write the opposites of the following words in the space provided. All your answers must begin with an ‘S’. a. large × small
Answer

large × small — this one is already done for you in the book.

Large means big in size. Small means little in size. They are opposite ends of the same idea.

The rule for the whole exercise: Every answer must begin with the letter S. So when two opposites come to your mind, choose the one that starts with S. For large you might think of little, tiny or small — only small begins with S.
Q2.
b. weak × s........................
Answer

weak × strong

Weak means having little power. Strong means having a lot of power.

Sentence: The old rope was weak, so we tied the swing with a strong one.
Careful with the spelling: weak and week sound the same. A week is seven days.
Q3.
c. fast × s........................
Answer

fast × slow

Fast means moving quickly. Slow means moving with little speed.

Sentence: The express train is fast, but our passenger train is very slow.
Q4.
d. rough × s........................
Answer

rough × smooth

Rough means uneven to touch, with bumps. Smooth means flat and even, with no bumps.

Sentence: The bark of the neem tree is rough, but a mango leaf feels smooth.
Feel it yourself: Run your finger over a brick wall, then over a windowpane. That is rough and smooth.
Q5.
e. dull × s........................
Answer

dull × shiny

Dull means without shine — a surface that does not catch the light. Shiny means bright and gleaming.

Sentence: The old brass lamp looked dull until my grandmother polished it and it turned shiny.
You may also write sparkling. It also begins with S and it also means the opposite of dull.
Q6.
f. curved × s........................
Answer

curved × straight

Curved means bent, like a bow. Straight means going in one line without bending.

Sentence: A rainbow is curved, but the edge of my ruler is straight.
This pair belongs to our poem: The rainbow is a curved bow across the sky, and that is exactly why the poet calls it a “bow”.
Q7.
g. finish × s........................
Answer

finish × start

Finish means to come to the end of something. Start means to begin it.

Sentence: We start our homework at five and finish it before dinner.
Another correct answer: Commence also means to begin, but it does not begin with S. Start is the one the exercise wants.
Q8.
h. addition × s........................
Answer

addition × subtraction

Addition means putting numbers together to make more. Subtraction means taking one number away from another to leave less.

Addition: 12 + 5 = 17
Subtraction: 17 − 5 = 12
Sentence: I am good at addition, but I make mistakes in subtraction.
Why they are opposites: One undoes the other. Add 5 and then subtract 5, and you are back where you started.
Q9.
i. complicated × s........................
Answer

complicated × simple

Complicated means hard to understand, with many parts. Simple means easy and plain.

Sentence: The instructions on the packet looked complicated, but the recipe was really quite simple.
Q10.
j. mild × s........................
Answer

mild × spicy

When we talk about food, mild means gentle in taste, with very little chilli. Spicy means full of chilli and spices, and hot on the tongue.

Sentence: My grandmother cooks mild dal, but my uncle likes his sambar very spicy.
Other correct answers: If you are talking about weather instead of food, mild means pleasant and not extreme, and its opposite is severe — “a mild winter” and “a severe winter”. Both begin with S, so both are acceptable. Say which meaning you had in mind.
Q11.
k. blunt × s........................
Answer

blunt × sharp

Blunt means not able to cut — a flat, worn edge. Sharp means having a fine edge or point that cuts easily.

Sentence: My pencil was blunt, so I used the sharpener to make it sharp again.
Why sharp things cut: A sharp edge pushes on a very tiny strip of the thing you are cutting, so all the force is squeezed into one thin line. A blunt edge spreads the same push over a wide strip, so nothing gives way.
Q12.
Now, make sentences using the words that you have written in the blanks. Write them in your notebook.
Answer

Here is the complete list of answers, and one sentence for each. Copy them into your notebook, or better, change them to fit your own home and school.

WordOpposite (with S)Sentence
a. largesmallThe elephant is large and the ant is small.
b. weakstrongDrink your milk every day and your bones will grow strong.
c. fastslowThe tortoise was slow, but it never stopped walking.
d. roughsmoothThe potter’s hands made the clay pot perfectly smooth.
e. dullshinyMy new steel tiffin box is bright and shiny.
f. curvedstraightDraw a straight line under the heading with your ruler.
g. finishstartThe race will start as soon as the whistle blows.
h. additionsubtractionWe learnt subtraction with borrowing today.
i. complicatedsimpleMy mother taught me a simple way to fold my shirt.
j. mildspicyThe chaat at the corner stall is far too spicy for me.
k. bluntsharpHandle the knife carefully, because it is very sharp.
Notice something neat: Every answer begins with S, and no answer is used twice — small, strong, slow, smooth, shiny, straight, start, subtraction, simple, spicy, sharp. Eleven different S-words. That is how you know your set is right.
Writing tip: A sentence that only says “The knife is sharp” is correct but flat. Add where, when or why, and the sentence comes alive: “Handle the knife carefully, because it is very sharp.”
Q13.
In small groups, choose a letter of the English alphabet and create an exercise similar to the one above.
Answer

How to make your own exercise, step by step:

  1. Pick a letter. Choose one that starts many words — B, C, D, H and L all work well. Avoid X, Q and Z.
  2. Write down ten or eleven words that begin with your letter. These will be your answers.
  3. Now find the opposite of each one. These will be your questions.
  4. Write the question words in a list, with a long blank beside each and the chosen letter printed at the start of the blank.
  5. Do the first one for the class, exactly as the book does with large × small.
  6. Swap sheets with another group and solve theirs.

Sample answer — our group chose the letter B:

QuestionAnswer (all begin with B)
a. small  ×  b____big
b. white  ×  b____black
c. sell  ×  b____buy
d. ugly  ×  b____beautiful
e. worst  ×  b____best
f. top  ×  b____bottom
g. after  ×  b____before
h. front  ×  b____back
i. dull  ×  b____bright
j. narrow  ×  b____broad
k. sister  ×  b____brother
A second set, for the letter C: hot × cold · dirty × clean · expensive × cheap · open × close · wrong × correct · warm × cool · brave × coward · country × city.
Why making the exercise is harder than solving it: To solve, you need one word. To set the question, you need the pair — and you have to be sure the answer really starts with your letter. Setting questions is the best way to find out whether you truly know a word.
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