A Funny Man Class 7 English Poorvi NCERT Solutions
Chapter 5 A Funny Man NCERT Solutions Class 7 English
Page No. 59
Let us do these activities before we read
Look around you for things or people that make you laugh. Write them in the bubbles given below. Share the reasons for your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
Answer
Page No. 60
Let us discuss
I. Work in pairs. Identify the true statements. Check your answers with the teacher.
1. The poet says that she had never heard such an amusing song.
2. The funny man was quite ill-mannered.
3. The funny man wore two hats on his feet.
4. The funny man hopped on his head to reach home.
5. The funny man gave a rose to the poet.
6. The funny man smiled at the poet.
Answer
Statement 1 is true: The poet says, "You never heard in all your life such a funny feeling sound."
Statement 2 is false: The funny man was polite, not ill-mannered.
Statement 3 is true: The poem states, "He wore… hats upon his feet."
Statement 4 is true: The funny man "hopped home on his head."
Statement 5 is false: He gave a currant bun, not a rose.
Statement 6 is true: "He raised the shoe and smiled at me."
II. Identify the words from the poem based on the meanings given. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
1. a small seedless raisin – C _ R _ _ _ T
Answer
Currant
2. moved unsteadily – S _ _ G G _ _ _ D
Answer
Staggered
Explanation:- "Currant" is from "currant bun," a small seedless raisin.
- "Staggered" is from "I staggered back," meaning moved unsteadily.
III. Complete the following sentences with a reason.
1. The tone of the poem is _____ because _____.
2. The rhyme scheme of the poem is _____; and it gives a _____quality to the poem.
3. The poet has frequently repeated the word ‘funny’ in order to_____.
Answer
1. The tone of the poem is funny because the funny man does silly things like wearing hats on his feet and hopping on his head.
2. The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABCCB; and it gives a playful quality to the poem.
3. The poet has frequently repeated the word 'funny' in order to make the poem humorous and show the man’s silly actions.
IV. Choose the correct answer from the options given in the brackets.
1. The poem uses vivid imagery to create a _______ (humorous and nonsensical/ confusing but thought-provoking) scene.
2. The structure of the poem is in _________ (monologue/ dialogue) form.
3. The phrases ‘sounding sight’ and ‘hopped home’ are examples of________. (alliteration/simile)
Answer
1. The poem uses vivid imagery to create a humorous and nonsensical scene.
2. The structure of the poem is in dialogue form.
3. The phrases 'sounding sight' and 'hopped home' are examples of alliteration.
V. Rewrite the following line from the poem in the correct order.
1. But never had I seen before
Such a funny sounding sight
Answer
I had never seen such a funny-sounding sight before.
The original line "But never had I seen before such a funny sounding sight" is rewritten in natural order.
2. Why has the poet used phrases like ‘funny sounding sight’ and ‘funny feeling sound’ with reference to the funny man?
Answer
The poet uses these phrases to make the funny man’s actions seem silly and strange. "Funny sounding sight" describes the odd way he looks, like wearing hats on his feet, which is unusual to see. "Funny feeling sound" shows his song sounds weird and makes the poet laugh. These phrases add humour and show how the funny man’s behaviour is playful and not normal.
VI. Can you think of any real-world situations where people do similar things for fun, entertainment, or performance? Share with your classmates and the teacher.
Answer
Example:
- Clowns at a circus wear funny costumes and do silly acts to make people laugh, like the funny man.
- Street performers juggle or dress oddly to entertain, similar to the funny man’s actions.
Page No. 62
Let us think and reflect
I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. He said, “Allow me to present Your Highness with a rose.”And taking out a currant bun
He held it to my nose.
I staggered back against the wall
And then I answered, “Well!”
(i) Why does the funny man address the poet as 'Your Highness'?
Answer
To be polite and playful.
(ii) Choose a phrase from the extract which indicates a polite request.
Answer
The funny man says, "Allow me to present Your Highness with a rose," which is a polite way to ask
(iii) Choose the option which shows a 'currant bun'.
Answer
Image 2 likely represents a currant bun.
(iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
When the poet says, 'Well!', it expresses surprise. This was so because _____
Answer
When the poet says, 'Well!', it expresses surprise. This was so because the funny man gave her a currant bun but called it a rose.
The poet was surprised because a currant bun doesn’t look or smell like a rose.
Such a funny feeling sound.
“My friend, why do you wear two hats
Upon your feet?” I said.
He turned the other way about,
And hopped home on his head.
(i) Choose the line from the extract which tells us that the sound was unique.
Answer
"You never heard in all your life Such a funny feeling sound."
This line shows the sound was unique because the poet had never heard it before.
(ii) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
The poet calls the funny man 'my friend' because ______
Answer
The poet calls the funny man 'my friend' because she wants to be friendly and ask him a question.
(iii) What does the reaction of the funny man to the poet's question tell us about him?
Answer
Instead of answering the question, he turns around and hops on his head. This shows us that he is silly and playful.
(iv) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. The last line of the extract makes the readers feel ______
A. dreamy
B. impatient
C. worried
D. cheerful
Answer
D. cheerful
The funny man hopping on his head is silly and makes readers smile, so it feels cheerful.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. Which character trait of the funny man was most appealing to you? Why?
Answer
His playfulness. He does funny things like wearing hats on his feet and hopping on his head, which makes the poem enjoyable.
2. The funny man does unusual things in the poem. How does it affect the overall mood of the poem?
Answer
It makes the mood funny and light. His actions like giving a currant bun as a rose and hopping on his head create laughter.
3. What alternative title would you suggest for the poem? Give reason(s) for your choice.
Answer
"The Silly Man’s Adventure" because the funny man does silly things like wearing a shoe on his head and singing a funny song.
4. Why do you think the poet has included dialogues in the poem?
Answer
To make the poem lively and show the funny man’s actions directly. Lines like "I said" and "He said" make it more engaging.
5. What does the poet wish to convey by highlighting the unusual behaviour of the funny man?
Answer
The poet wants to show that being silly can bring joy. The funny man’s actions, like wearing hats on his feet, make people smile.
Page No. 63
Let us learn
Read the following phrases from the poem.
• walking down • taking out • sat downThese are phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb with a preposition or adverb that together function as a single unit. They often have meanings that are different from the individual words used alone. The same verb followed by different prepositions or adverbs conveys different meanings.
I. Match the phrasal verbs in Column 1 with their correct meaning in Column 2.
Answer
Now, fill in the blanks with suitable phrasal verbs from the table given in I. You may change the tense of the verb, if required.
Answer
- The new technology is set to take over traditional methods of communication.
- I tried hard to take in what the writer wanted to say but was unsuccessful.
- Arjun decided to take up painting as a hobby.
- The smartphone quickly took off the sales in the market.
- Sheela takes after her father; they have the same smile.
II. Match the verbs in Column 1 with any suitable adverbs or prepositions in Column 2. Write their meanings in Column 3. An example has been done for you.
Answer
Now, frame sentences of your own using any five phrasal verbs.
Answer
- I will look after my dog while my parents are away.
- The cat ran away when it heard a loud noise.
- She put on her jacket before going outside.
- The car broke down on the way to school.
- They called off the match because of rain.
III. Read the following words from the poem.
walking, staggered, hopped
The given words denote the different ways of walking. Arrange the words given in the box in increasing order of pace.
Answer
Let us write
I. A limerick is a nonsensical and funny verse consisting of five lines. Study the limerick given below and identify the rhyme scheme.
Answer
The rhyme scheme is AABBA.
Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme ("beard," "feared," "beard"), and lines 3 and 4 rhyme ("Hen," "Wren").
II. Follow the structure given below and write a limerick on your own.
Answer
There was a child from the city,
Who loved to chase a small kitty,
It ran up a tree,
The child laughed with glee,
But fell in the mud—what a pity!