Hello students! Welcome to our guide on “Chivvy.” Our team of English experts, with extensive training both in India and abroad, is here to help you overcome any challenges you might face with this poem.
Find Solutions to NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 4 Poem “Chivvy” here.
Working with the Poem
1. Discuss these questions in small groups before you answer them.
(i) When is a grown-up likely to say this?
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
Answer:
A grown up is likely to say this when a child is trying to speak with his mouth full of food.
(ii) When are you likely to be told this?
“Say thank you.”
Answer:
Grown -ups instruct children to say “thank you” when someone gives them something, or does something to help them, or praises their achievements.
(iii) When do you think an adult would say this?
“No one thinks you are funny.”
Answer:
An adult would say this when a child is doing something naughty to attract attention and thinks that people watching him will be amused by his antics.
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?
Answer:
The last two lines are not prohibitions or instructions but they reveal the irony that lies in the expectations of adults.
In the last two lines the adult asks the child to take decisions independently.
Yes, the poet suggests that it is an unreasonable expectation because, at all times, adults hover over their kids, watch their every move, give instructions to be followed, nag them to do their bidding, and demand unquestioning obedience. And suddenly, out of the blues, they expect kids to take independent decisions. A child who is trained to obey unquestioningly cannot suddenly develop the capacity for independent thought or judgement.
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?
Answer:
I believe the grown-ups say the kinds of things listed in the poem because they want children to be well-groomed, behave in a decent and considerate manner, follow social etiquette, and respect others around them.
Yes, it is important to teach children good manners and also to be considerate of other people’s feelings in public because they should not grow up to be ill-behaved, self-centred and inconsiderate citizens. But often adults become such sticklers for discipline that they suppress the natural exuberance, and playfulness of a child.
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.
Answer:
Don’t nag your children
Don’t be abusive
Don’t be violent
Don’t curb your child’s freedom
Don’t infringe on your child’s privacy
Don’t criticize children continuously
Extra Questions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 4 – Poem – “Chivvy”
A. Multiple Choice type Questions
Choose the correct option:
1. What does “chivvy” mean?
(i) to scold
(ii) to nag
(iii) to repeatedly tell someone to do something
(iv) Both (i) and (iii)
2. The instructions in the poem “chivvy” are meant for__________.
(i) adults
(ii) girls
(iii) boys
(iv) None of the above
3.Which of the instructions given below relate to good manners?
(i) Don’t point
(ii) speak up
(iii)Pull up your socks
(iv)Stand up straight
4. Which of these instructions could be dangerous if not followed?
(i) Say thank you
(ii) Take your elbows off the table
(iii) Don’t talk with your mouth full
(iv) Don’t interrupt
5. What should a child do when asked to speak up?
(i) talk loudly
(ii) express his opinion about something
(iii) complain
(iv) None of the above
Answer:
1. (iv) Both (i) and (iii)
2. (iv) None of the above – The instructions are meant for all children.
3. (i) Don’t point
4. (iii) Don’t talk with your mouth full – The child could get choked while talking with his/her mouth full.
5. (ii) express his opinion about something – usually when a child is quiet he is asked to speak up and voice his thoughts.
B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following sentences:
| don’t stare | say please | less noise | don’t interrupt | sit up |
1. When a child speaks out of turn he is told ___________.
2. When a child is slouching, he is asked to _________.
3.When a child is shouting for joy, he is asked to make _______.
4. When a child is looking at a lame person, he is told _______.
5. When a child asks for some more pudding, he is told to _______.
Answer:
1. When a child speaks out of turn he is told, “don’t interrupt”.
2. When a child is slouching, he is asked to sit up .
3.When a child is shouting for joy, he is asked to make less noise.
4. When a child is looking at a lame person, he is told, “ don’t stare”.
5. When a child asks for some more pudding, he is told to, “say please”.
C. Match the words in column A with those in column B
According to the poem children should not________.
| A | B |
| Pick | with their mouths full |
| Talk | On the table |
| Drag | in their pockets |
| put their hands | their noses |
| keep their elbows | their feet |
Answer: According to the poem children should not________.
| A | B |
| Pick | their noses |
| Talk | with their mouths full |
| Drag | their feet |
| put their hands | in their pockets |
| keep their elbows | on the table |
D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:
1. Children are asked not to pick their noses because it is unhygienic.
2. Children are told to stand up straight so that they have good posture, look alert and active..
3. Children are told to pull up their socks when their socks are loose.
4. Children are asked, “Don’t you have a hankie ?”if their noses are running or their face is dirty.
5. Children are told to take their elbows off the table while studying.
Answer:
1. True
2. True
3. False – the expression “ pull one’s socks up” means to make an effort to improve one’s work or performance. So it would be used if a child is not doing well in his studies or his performance at sports is disappointing.
4. True
5. False – It is considered ill- mannered to place one’s elbows on the dining table during meals, so children would be told to keep their elbows off the dining table, and not the study table.
E. Very Short Answer type Questions:
1. When do the grown-ups tell children to stop talking?
Answer:
Grown-ups tell children to stop talking when their mouths are full of food.
2. How do children feel about the continuous instructions that parents keep on giving children?
Answer:
Most children resent the continuous monitoring of their activities by their parents.
3. What do you think is the purpose of these endless instructions?
Answer:
Parents want to inculcate good manners and habits in children.
4. What do you think that dragging one’s feet indicates?
Answer:
A person’s body language reveals a lot – dragging one’s feet indicates a lack of willingness, so it creates a negative impression.
5. What is meant by shut the door behind you?
Answer:
It means shut the door after you have left the room.
F. Short Answer Type Questions:
1. Do you think the poet hints at a contradiction in the expectations of grown-ups ?
Answer:
The poet does hint that parents unconsciously have contradictory expectations.
They continuously watch over their kids and expect them to obey their instructions unquestioningly. The kids are nagged into submission if they don’t follow the rules set by the grown-ups.They do not give children the opportunity to think or reason for themselves.
Yet, they scold their kids for not being able to make up their mind about anything. They do not realise that their expectation is unrealistic.
2. Do you think that grown-ups should not teach their children how to behave and and let them grow up spontaneously on their own?
Answer:
No, I do not think that parents should stop teaching their kids how to groom themselves neatly, or how to be well-mannered and considerate because these are social skills which they will need to live harmoniously in society.
But parents should not be sticklers for discipline and chivvy them constantly. Instead they should allow kids to follow their heart, to explore the world and figure out things by themselves and encourage them to discuss their views with the parents. In this way parents will be able to track their progress and steer them out of harm’s way if needed.
G. Long answer Type Questions
1. What is the message that the poet wants to convey?
Answer:
The message of the poem is that the job of parenting or raising a child is not light. It has to be done with utmost care so that it does nor adversely affect the psychological development of the child.
The poet feels that most grown-ups hover anxiously over their childen watching their every move and continuously giving instructions about how to conduct themselves in society.
The poet gives a gentle warning that parents should not get too deeply involved in the life of their children. Constant and close monitoring can stunt the growth of the child’s reasoning abilities.
While children should be taught discipline and manners, they should also be given the freedom to experiment, explore, make mistakes and learn from them so that they are able to think independently and become capable of making decisions on their own.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On NCERT Solutions For Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 4 Poem “Chivvy”
Our team of expert English teachers, trained in India and overseas, have crafted these accurate, well-written and detailed solutions to help you understand the subtleties of the poem. Every single query that rises in your mind about the poem has been explained in simple language. We recommend that you go through them thoroughly because these solutions have been designed to improve your vocabulary and your writing skills also.
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The poem discusses how grown-ups keep instructing small children about how to behave and keep on nagging them if they do not comply.
Most children resent the continuous monitoring of their activities by their parents.
Grown-ups say things like pull up your socks, stand straight, say thank you, don’t interrupt, take your elbows off the table, nobody thinks you are funny, etc. to the children.
Yes, certainly! Our team of seasoned and competent English teachers have considered all aspects of your needs while crafting these comprehensive solutions. The questions have been framed keeping in mind the expectations of your examiners.
We suggest that you read the poem thoroughly and then go through all the questions we have thoughtfully provided – both the questions at the back of the book and the extra questions.
Of course, you will have to put in some effort too, so practise writing down the answers within a specific time frame. This is a sure way to ace the exams. Good Luck!
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