NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 2 Say the Right Thing — Let us learn
Book page 80 to 83 Updated on2026-09-05
Q1.
Study the following words taken from the text: humorous, hilariously, coming, beautiful. The given words are made by adding word endings like -ous, -ly, -ing, and -ful to the root words humour, hilarious, come, and beauty. Such word endings are called suffixes. Now, divide the following words from the text as root words and suffixes. Check your answer with the teacher. gladly, banker, guidance, quietly, walking
Answer
Word
Root word
Suffix
Spelling change
gladly
glad
-ly
None
banker
bank
-er
None
guidance
guide
-ance
The final e of ‘guide' is dropped
quietly
quiet
-ly
None
walking
walk
-ing
None
Note (from the book): Watch the spelling variant when the root ends in e, as in come → coming and guide → guidance (drop the e), and when it ends in y, as in beauty → beautiful (y becomes i).
What a suffix does: It usually changes the part of speech. glad (adjective) + -ly → gladly (adverb); bank (noun) + -er → banker (a person); guide (verb) + -ance → guidance (an abstract noun).
Q2.
Study the words in Column 1. Match the suffixes in Column 2 with their meanings or purpose in Column 3. Write a few examples for each in Column 4. Share your answers with the teacher. Column 1: Biology, tolerance, stopped, backward, courageous, quietly, toughest, tomatoes — Column 2: (i) -logy (ii) -ance (iii) -ed (iv) -ward (v) -ous (vi) -ly (vii) -est (viii) -es — Column 3: A. change to adverb B. change to plural C. a study of D. change to superlative E. change to past tense F. change to a noun G. in a certain direction H. change to adjective
Answer
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4 — more examples
Biology
(i) -logy
C. a study of
Sociology, Zoology, Geology, Psychology
tolerance
(ii) -ance
F. change to a noun
guidance, importance, performance, appearance
stopped
(iii) -ed
E. change to past tense
walked, laughed, staggered, hopped
backward
(iv) -ward
G. in a certain direction
forward, homeward, upward, eastward
courageous
(v) -ous
H. change to adjective
humorous, dangerous, famous, joyous
quietly
(vi) -ly
A. change to adverb
gladly, hilariously, quickly, politely
toughest
(vii) -est
D. change to superlative
brightest, tallest, cleverest, funniest
tomatoes
(viii) -es
B. change to plural
potatoes, boxes, buses, dishes, mangoes
Tip:-es (not just -s) is used for plurals of nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z and many ending in -o: buses, dishes, benches, boxes, potatoes.
Q3.
Fill in the blanks using words given in the brackets by adding suitable suffixes. To communicate (i) ______ (effective), choose your words and topics (ii) ______ (wise). Avoid (iii) ______ (discuss) things you don't know much about or that could upset someone. Remember to be (iv) ______ (respect) towards others, including yourself, and express your (v) ______ (appreciate). Finally, always be (vi) ______ (response) by replying promptly to communicate.
To communicate effectively, choose your words and topics wisely. Avoid discussing things you don't know much about or that could upset someone. Remember to be respectful towards others, including yourself, and express your appreciation. Finally, always be responsive by replying promptly to communicate.
No.
Given word
Suffix added
New word
Part of speech needed
(i)
effective
-ly
effectively
Adverb (describes ‘communicate')
(ii)
wise
-ly
wisely
Adverb (describes ‘choose')
(iii)
discuss
-ing
discussing
Gerund — ‘avoid' is always followed by a verb + -ing
(iv)
respect
-ful
respectful
Adjective (after ‘be')
(v)
appreciate
-ion
appreciation
Noun (object of ‘express'); the final e is dropped
(vi)
response
-ive
responsive
Adjective (after ‘be'); the final e is dropped
How to choose the suffix: First decide what part of speech the blank needs — look at the word just before it. After be you need an adjective; after avoid you need a verb + -ing; describing a verb needs an adverb. Then pick the suffix that produces it.
Q4.
Read the highlighted words in the following sentences from the text. • But does anyone want to hear the things that you say? • I can't tell you everything. Select the correct answer. Is there a difference in the meanings of ‘say' and ‘tell'? (Yes/ No)
Answer
Yes — there is a clear difference.
Verb
Focus
Needs a listener named?
Example from the play
say
The message itself
No — “does anyone want to hear the things that you say?”
“Say things that will please them.”
tell
Who receives the message
Yes — you always tell someone
“I can't tell you everything.”
Remember the pattern:say something (to somebody) but tell somebody something. So: He said hello to me ✔ / He told me hello ✘; She told me a story ✔ / She said me a story ✘. Fixed phrases worth learning: tell the truth, tell a lie, tell a story, tell the time, tell the difference — but say a word, say a prayer, say sorry, say yes or no.
Q5.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the sets of words given in the box below. Make changes in the verb forms (tense), if necessary. [fetch/bring; see/look; live/stay; study/learn; speak/talk; hear/listen] — (i) I ______ at the photo, but I didn't ______ anyone familiar. (ii) I'd better go and ______ my mother from the station, and then ______ her home. (iii) I need to ______ for my mathematics exam this weekend, so I hope to ______ new concepts along the way. (iv) I can ______ the music from my neighbour's house, but I need to ______ to it carefully to understand the lyrics. (v) “Could I ______ to Mrs. Kalpana, who is going to ______ to us about gardening,” said Ritu. (vi) I ______ in a small town, but I often ______ with my relatives in the city.
Answer
(i) looked … see (ii) fetch … bring (iii) study … learn (iv) hear … listen (v) speak … talk (vi) live … stay
No.
Completed sentence
Why these words
(i)
I looked at the photo, but I didn't see anyone familiar.
You look on purpose; what you then see may be nothing. Note the past tense ‘looked' to match ‘didn't'
(ii)
I'd better go and fetch my mother from the station, and then bring her home.
Fetch = go there and get her; bring = carry her back to where you are going
(iii)
I need to study for my mathematics exam this weekend, so I hope to learn new concepts along the way.
Study is the effort; learn is the result
(iv)
I can hear the music from my neighbour's house, but I need to listen to it carefully to understand the lyrics.
Hear happens to you; listen is something you choose to do
(v)
“Could I speak to Mrs. Kalpana, who is going to talk to us about gardening,” said Ritu.
Speak to is the formal request; her informal session with the class is a talk
(vi)
I live in a small town, but I often stay with my relatives in the city.
Live = permanent home; stay = temporary visit
The one idea behind five of these pairs: one verb is deliberate and the other is accidental or permanent — look/see, listen/hear, study/learn, live/stay, fetch/bring. Ask yourself: am I doing it on purpose, or is it simply happening?
Q6.
Read the following sentences from the text and underline the verbs. • They lived in London before. • I met her in a shop and asked her to come. As you know, the verbs you have underlined are in simple past tense. Read the following sentence from the text and underline the verb. She has been staying with them for a while.
Answer
Sentence (verbs in bold)
Tense
Why
They lived in London before.
Simple past
A finished action in the past
I met her in a shop and asked her to come.
Simple past
Two completed actions, one after the other
She has been staying with them for a while.
Present perfect continuous
Began in the past and is still going on — Mrs. Lee is staying with the Hardings right now
Structure (from the book): present perfect continuous = has / have + been + verb + -ing. Use it for
the duration of an action that started in the past and continues to the present — “Mrs. Shaw has been preparing the room since the morning.”
an action ongoing in the recent past whose results are evident now — “Mrs. Shaw has been cleaning the room since the morning.” (The room looks spotless now.)
Q7.
Fill in the blanks using the verbs given in brackets in present continuous or present perfect continuous tense. The students (i) ______ (organise) a play and setting up the stage. They (ii) ______ (prepare) for weeks to make everything perfect. The performers (iii) ______ (rehearse) every day, and their excitement (iv) ______ (grow). The sound in-charge (v) ______ (test) the microphones to check the sound quality. Everyone (vi) ______ (work) hard, and now the place (vii) ______ (buzz) with energy and excitement.
Answer
(i) are organising — present continuous (ii) have been preparing — present perfect continuous (iii) have been rehearsing — present perfect continuous (iv) is growing — present continuous (v) is testing — present continuous (vi) has been working — present perfect continuous (vii) is buzzing — present continuous
The completed paragraph:
The students are organising a play and setting up the stage. They have been preparing for weeks to make everything perfect. The performers have been rehearsing every day, and their excitement is growing. The sound in-charge is testing the microphones to check the sound quality. Everyone has been working hard, and now the place is buzzing with energy and excitement.
How to decide which tense:
If the sentence carries a length of time — for weeks, every day, since morning — use the present perfect continuous: (ii), (iii), (vi).
If it describes what is happening right now, with no stretch of time mentioned, use the present continuous: (i), (iv), (v), (vii).
In (i) the second half of the sentence is “and setting up the stage” — an -ing form — so the first verb must match it: are organising.
Watch the subject: Everyone is singular, so (vi) takes has, not have.
Also acceptable: in (iv) “has been growing” is possible if you read the excitement as building up over the same weeks; but is growing fits better beside the immediate picture in (v) and (vii).
Q8.
Read the explanation about the kinds of sentences given in the table. [Declarative — states or conveys information, ends with a full stop; Interrogative — asks questions, ends with a question mark; Exclamatory — expresses strong feelings, ends with an exclamation mark; Imperative — gives order, command or request, ends with a full stop.] Identify the kinds of sentences and punctuate them appropriately. (i) the meeting starts at 10.00 a.m. in the conference room (ii) what an exciting adventure it was (iii) how did you solve the problem so quickly (iv) what is the weather forecast today (v) how beautiful is the rainbow (vi) clean up your room before dinner (vii) the children are planning a surprise party for their mom (viii) turn off the music
Answer
No.
Correctly punctuated sentence
Kind of sentence
How you can tell
(i)
The meeting starts at 10.00 a.m. in the conference room.
Declarative
It states a fact; ends with a full stop
(ii)
What an exciting adventure it was!
Exclamatory
Begins ‘What a/an…' and expresses strong feeling
(iii)
How did you solve the problem so quickly?
Interrogative
Asks a question; the helping verb did comes before the subject
(iv)
What is the weather forecast today?
Interrogative
Asks for information; ends with a question mark
(v)
How beautiful is the rainbow!
Exclamatory
‘How + adjective' expressing admiration, not a question
(vi)
Clean up your room before dinner.
Imperative
A command; begins with the plain verb, subject ‘you' understood
(vii)
The children are planning a surprise party for their mom.
Declarative
It conveys information
(viii)
Turn off the music.
Imperative
An order; plain verb first
The tricky pair — (iii) and (v): Both begin with How. In (iii) the word order is question order (did you solve) → interrogative, question mark. In (v) the order is How beautiful is the rainbow — an expression of wonder → exclamatory, exclamation mark. Ask yourself: am I asking, or am I admiring?
Examples from the play: Declarative — “There's always something to say.” Interrogative — “What shall I do when they want to go?” Exclamatory — “What beautiful children you have, Mrs. Harding!” Imperative — “Put that coat away in your bedroom.”