NCERT Solutions for Class 7th English Chapter 1 Three Days to See (Helen Keller) — Let us learn

Book page 34–35 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.

Sensory words are descriptive—they describe how we experience the world: how we see, hear, smell, taste or feel something. Complete the following table with sensory words from the text in Column 2 for the five senses in Column 1. Add new words in Column 3.

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
What you see	panorama
What you hear	music
What you smell	perfume
What you taste	relish
What you feel	rough

The table as printed on page 34.

Answer

Column 1	Column 2 — words from the text	Column 3 — new words of your own
What you see	panorama, light, dawn, magnificent, glimpse, smiles, pageant, symmetry	glittering, dazzling, misty, scarlet, blurred
What you hear	music, song, strains, orchestra, voice, quiver	melodious, shrill, humming, thunderous, whisper
What you smell	perfume	fragrant, sweet-smelling, smoky, musty, pungent
What you taste	relish, morsel	tangy, bitter, spicy, sour, buttery
What you feel	rough, shaggy, smooth, delicate, gently, quiver	silky, sticky, prickly, icy, velvety

Why it happens: Look at how unevenly the columns fill. Sight and hearing have many words in the essay; smell has one. English — like most languages — is far richer in words for the senses we use most, which is another way of showing how much we neglect smell and taste.

Q2.

Read the following sentences from the text and underline the verbs. • I should divide the period into three parts. • On the first day, I should want to see… • The next day I should arise with the dawn… • I should behold with awe…

Answer

The verbs to be underlined are the pairs shown in bold:

I should divide the period into three parts.
On the first day, I should want to see…
The next day I should arise with the dawn…
I should behold with awe…

Sentence	Modal verb	Main verb
I should divide…	should	divide
I should want to see…	should	want
I should arise…	should	arise
I should behold…	should	behold

In each case ‘should' is the modal verb (here expressing a suggestion or a supposition) and the second word — divide, want, arise, behold — is the main verb that carries the action.

Q3.

Identify the modal verb in the following sentence. Choose the function it expresses from the box: possibility, necessity, polite request, ability, moral obligation. — 1. You can learn a lot from this experience.

Answer

Modal verb: can — function: ability

It says that you are able to learn from the experience.

Tip: ‘Can' has a second common use — permission (“Can I go now?”). Decide from the sentence which one is meant.

Q4.

2. They might arrive late due to traffic.

Answer

Modal verb: might — function: possibility

It is not certain that they will be late; the traffic makes it possible.

Q5.

3. She must finish her homework before dinner.

Answer

Modal verb: must — function: necessity

There is no choice about it — finishing the homework before dinner is required.

Q6.

4. They ought to apologise for their mistake.

Answer

Modal verb: ought to — function: moral obligation

Nobody is forcing them; apologising is simply the right thing to do.

Tip: ‘Must' points to an outside rule or need; ‘ought to' points to conscience. That is the difference between necessity and moral obligation.

Q7.

5. He would like to have some lassi, please.

Answer

Modal verb: would — function: polite request

“He would like…” is the courteous form of “He wants…”, and the word please confirms it.

Q8.

Read the situations in Column 1 and functions in Column 2. Fill in the blanks in the sentences in Column 4 with appropriate modal verbs from Column 3 (can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would). After filling in the blanks, explain the function of each modal verb you used to your classmates and the teacher.

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4
1. You want to leave work early.	permission	can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would	(i) __________ I leave early today if I finish all my tasks?
2. You have an important deadline tomorrow.	obligation		(ii) I __________ finish this report by tomorrow.
3. Your friend is thinking whether to join Art class.	advice		(iii) You __________ consider all the pros and cons before making a decision.
4. There are dark clouds in the sky.	possibility		(iv) It __________ rain later today.
5. Asking someone to pass the salt at the dinner table	polite request		(v) __________ you pass the salt, please?
6. Advising someone to apologise for a mistake	moral obligation		(vi) You __________ apologise for the mistake you made.
7. Deciding where to go for picnic	suggestion		(vii) We __________ go to any park nearby for picnic.

The four-column table printed with this question on page 35.

Answer

Blank	Modal verb	The completed sentence	Function
(i)	May	May I leave early today if I finish all my tasks?	permission — the politest way of asking
(ii)	must	I must finish this report by tomorrow.	obligation / necessity — the deadline leaves no choice
(iii)	should	You should consider all the pros and cons before making a decision.	advice — a recommendation, not an order
(iv)	might	It might rain later today.	possibility — the clouds make it likely but not certain
(v)	Could	Could you pass the salt, please?	polite request — Would is equally correct
(vi)	ought to	You ought to apologise for the mistake you made.	moral obligation — the right thing to do
(vii)	shall	We shall go to any park nearby for picnic.	suggestion — can also works here

Why it happens: Several modals can fill the same blank, but they change the level of politeness or certainty. Can I leave early? is casual; Could I…? is polite; May I…? is the most formal — which is why it suits asking a superior at work. In the same way must is stronger than should, and will is more certain than might.

Tip: A modal verb never changes its form — no -s for he/she/it, and the verb after it is always the plain form: “She must finish”, not “She musts finishes”.

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