Say the Right Thing — NCERT Solutions

Answer: The play 'Say the Right Thing' demonstrates the importance of polite conversation through Mary's repeated failures to engage appropriately with the guests.

1. Consequences of thoughtless speech: Every time Mary speaks without thinking, she offends someone — criticising Mrs. Cotter in front of Mrs. Harding, mocking Mr. Pomeroy in front of Mrs. Lee, and making awkward remarks about the guests' children and acquaintances. This shows that careless words can hurt relationships.

2. The value of listening: Mary's blunders often occur because she does not listen carefully to what others say before speaking. Polite conversation requires active listening.

3. Choosing appropriate topics: The play shows that not every thought needs to be expressed. Choosing topics carefully, especially in social settings, is a key aspect of polite conversation.

4. Empathy: Polite conversation requires putting oneself in the other person's shoes. Mary lacks this empathy entirely.

5. Social harmony: Mrs. Shaw's efforts to prepare Mary show that polite conversation is essential for maintaining social relationships and harmony.

In conclusion, the play uses humour and irony to teach the audience that knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it is a vital social skill.

Given: The words need to be split into root word + suffix.

Note: In 'guidance', the root word 'guide' drops the final 'e' before adding '-ance', following the spelling rule mentioned in the lesson.

Answer:

Explanation: Each suffix serves a specific grammatical function — changing the class or form of the root word.

Given: Root words in brackets; we add appropriate suffixes.

(i) effectively (effective + -ly → adverb)
(ii) wisely (wise + -ly → adverb)
(iii) discussing (discuss + -ing → gerund/verb form after 'avoid')
(iv) respectful (respect + -ful → adjective)
(v) appreciation (appreciate + -ion → noun; 'e' dropped)
(vi) responsive (response + -ive → adjective; 'e' dropped)

Complete sentence:
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.

Answer: Yes, there is a difference in the meanings of 'say' and 'tell'.

• 'Say' focuses on the message or the words spoken and does not always require a specific listener. Example: She said, 'Good morning.'
• 'Tell' focuses on who receives the message and always needs a listener (an object — a person). Example: She told me to sit down.

In short: We say something; we tell someone something.

Given: Word pairs with distinct meanings; choose the correct word for each blank.

(i) I looked at the photo, but I didn't see anyone familiar.

• look = focus your eyes with attention (deliberate action)
• see = perceive/view (result of looking)

(ii) I'd better go and fetch my mother from the station, and then bring her home.

• fetch = go somewhere to get someone and bring them back
• bring = take someone with you to the place 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 = spend time learning as part of formal education
• learn = gain knowledge through study or experience

(iv) I can hear the music from my neighbour's house, but I need to listen to it carefully to understand the lyrics.

• hear = perceive sounds unintentionally
• listen = pay attention to sounds intentionally

(v) 'Could I speak to Mrs. Kalpana, who is going to talk to us about gardening,' said Ritu.

• speak = express thoughts, often in formal situations
• talk = engage in informal conversation

(vi) I live in a small town, but I often stay with my relatives in the city.

• live = permanent place of residence
• stay = temporary presence as a guest or visitor

Rules used:

• Present Continuous (is/are + verb + -ing): for actions happening right now.
• Present Perfect Continuous (has/have + been + verb + -ing): for actions that started in the past and continue up to the present, or ongoing actions with present results.

(i) The students are organising a play and setting up the stage.
(Present continuous — happening right now)

(ii) They have been preparing for weeks to make everything perfect.
(Present perfect continuous — started weeks ago, continues now)

(iii) The performers have been rehearsing every day.
(Present perfect continuous — ongoing action over a period)

(iv) their excitement has been growing.
(Present perfect continuous — a gradual ongoing process)

(v) The sound in-charge is testing the microphones to check the sound quality.
(Present continuous — happening right now)

(vi) Everyone has been working hard.
(Present perfect continuous — ongoing effort with visible results)

(vii) now the place is buzzing with energy and excitement.
(Present continuous — the current state/scene)

Rules:

• Declarative → states information → ends with a full stop (.)
• Interrogative → asks a question → ends with a question mark (?)
• Exclamatory → expresses strong feeling → ends with an exclamation mark (!)
• Imperative → gives order/command/request → ends with a full stop (.)

(i) The meeting starts at 10.00 a.m. in the conference room.
→ Declarative sentence (states a fact)

(ii) What an exciting adventure it was!
→ Exclamatory sentence (expresses strong feeling of excitement)

(iii) How did you solve the problem so quickly?
→ Interrogative sentence (asks a question)

(iv) What is the weather forecast today?
→ Interrogative sentence (asks a question)

(v) How beautiful is the rainbow!
→ Exclamatory sentence (expresses admiration/strong feeling)

(vi) Clean up your room before dinner.
→ Imperative sentence (gives a command)

(vii) The children are planning a surprise party for their mom.
→ Declarative sentence (states information)

(viii) Turn off the music.
→ Imperative sentence (gives a command/request)

Note: These answers are based on the transcript provided to the teacher (pg. 89). The following are the expected correct answers based on the context of the lesson about manners:

1. How did the son behave in the grocery queue?
→ (ii) impatiently
The son behaved impatiently in the grocery queue, which prompted his mother to teach him about patience and fairness.

2. The mother finally refers to her son as a ___________.
→ (i) polite young man
After guiding her son through the lesson on manners, the mother acknowledges his improvement and refers to him as a polite young man.

Note: Based on the context of the lesson and the themes of the chapter, the four TRUE statements are:

1. The mother uses the grocery store incident as an opportunity to teach her son about patience and fairness. ✅ TRUE

3. The son is gradually learning the importance of polite words and actions from his mother's guidance. ✅ TRUE

6. The son receives all advice readily while understanding its importance. ✅ TRUE (He gradually accepts and understands his mother's advice.)

7. The mother uses praise to support the polite behaviours she wants her son to continue practising. ✅ TRUE

FALSE statements:

• Statement 2: The son recognises the value of apologising — this may be partially true but is not the central focus.
• Statement 4: The mother discourages speaking softly — FALSE; good manners include speaking at an appropriate volume.
• Statement 5: Covering mouth when coughing is only important at home — FALSE; it is important everywhere.

(Students should verify answers by listening to the actual audio transcript provided by the teacher.)

Instructions for speaking:

Use falling intonation — the pitch of your voice should fall towards the end of each sentence, as is natural for declarative (statement) sentences.

Stress the highlighted/key content words by saying them with slightly more emphasis (not louder, but with more weight).

1. The room looks CLEANER now. ↘

(Stress 'cleaner' — it is the key descriptive word conveying the change in the room's appearance.)

2. You ALWAYS talk TOO MUCH. ↘

(Stress 'always' and 'too much' — these words carry the criticism and emphasis of Mrs. Shaw's complaint.)

3. You leave your CLOTHES all over the HOUSE. ↘

(Stress 'clothes' and 'house' — these are the content words that convey the specific problem.)

Remember: Stress means emphasis, not volume. The voice naturally falls at the end of a declarative sentence.

Explanation: When stress shifts to a different word in the same sentence, the meaning changes. Here is the matching:

Sentence 1: I didn't hurt anyone today.
(Stress on 'I')
→ (iv) I, specifically, did not hurt anyone, possibly implying someone else might have.

Sentence 2: I didn't HURT anyone today.
(Stress on 'hurt')
→ (i) I might have done other things but did not hurt anyone.

Sentence 3: I didn't hurt ANYONE today.
(Stress on 'anyone')
→ (v) I may have spoken a lot many things but not a single person was hurt.

Sentence 4: I DIDN'T hurt anyone today.
(Stress on 'didn't')
→ (iii) The action of hurting anyone did not occur.

Sentence 5: I didn't hurt anyone TODAY.
(Stress on 'today')
→ (ii) I might cause hurt usually, but not anyone on this day.

Key learning: The same sentence can convey five different meanings simply by shifting the stress to a different word. This is why sentence stress is a crucial aspect of spoken English.

Say the Right Thing — A Short Story

Mrs. Shaw was a careful, well-mannered woman who took great pride in her home and her social relationships. Her daughter Mary, however, was a different matter entirely. Mary was young, energetic, and utterly convinced that she could talk to anyone about anything. She had no shortage of opinions and even less shortage of words to express them.

One afternoon, Mrs. Shaw was busy tidying the sitting room in preparation for a visit from two neighbours — Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee. She straightened the cushions, dusted the shelves, and reminded Mary to put her coat away in the bedroom. Mary rolled her eyes. 'You're always telling me to put things away,' she complained. 'I'm not a child!'

Mrs. Shaw sighed patiently. She sat Mary down and gave her a gentle but firm piece of advice. 'When people come to visit, you must be kind. Think before you speak. Say the right thing.' Mary listened — or at least appeared to. She was far more interested in proving that she could talk well. 'I can talk very well when I like,' she declared confidently. 'I'll stay and talk to them when they come.' Mrs. Shaw looked doubtful but could not persuade Mary to go for a walk instead.

When Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee arrived, the sitting room was pleasant and welcoming. Mrs. Shaw greeted them warmly, and conversation began smoothly. But Mary could not stay quiet for long.

'I saw Mrs. Cotter this afternoon,' Mary announced cheerfully. 'No one sees her in the morning because she always stays in bed. And she's always asking the doctor to come. I can't understand women who stay in bed in the morning. I've never been to a doctor in my life!' There was a brief, uncomfortable silence. Then Mrs. Harding said quietly, 'I stay in bed in the morning myself.' Mary's face turned red, but she did not stop.

A few minutes later, glancing out of the window, Mary spotted Mr. Pomeroy on his horse. 'He's always talking about horses,' she said. 'He rides every day and practises shooting. Why must he do that? Why do some men like horses more than they like people?' Another silence fell over the room. Mrs. Lee spoke softly. 'My brother practises shooting when he has the time, and he rides his horse when he can. He sold his house in London and bought one here because he wanted to ride and shoot.' Mary's mouth fell open, but no apology came.

As the visit drew to a close, Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee rose to leave, exchanging polite glances. 'It's getting a little late,' said Mrs. Harding graciously. 'It has been very nice to have a little talk.' Mrs. Shaw thanked them warmly and urged them to stay a little longer. But Mary, still unable to say the right thing even at the very last moment, blurted out, 'Oh, must you stay? Can't you go?'

The guests looked at Mary, then at each other, and smiled politely. As the door closed behind them, Mrs. Shaw turned to her daughter with a look that said everything. Mary, for once, had nothing to say.

And so the afternoon ended — not with the triumph Mary had imagined, but with a lesson she would not soon forget: that knowing how to talk is not the same as knowing what to say.

Guidelines for enactment:

1. Choose your favourite scene — for example, the scene where Mary criticises Mrs. Cotter and Mrs. Harding reveals she stays in bed in the morning, or the final scene where Mary says 'Can't you go?'

2. Assign roles:

• Director: Guides the actors, manages timing and expressions.
• Narrator: Reads the stage directions (e.g., 'Mary looks out of the window with a red face').
• Characters: Mary, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Harding, Mrs. Lee.

3. Follow stage directions: Pay attention to expressions in brackets — (with a red face), (looking at Mrs. Lee), (unable to say the right thing even now) — and act them out.

4. Use appropriate tone: Mrs. Shaw should sound patient and worried; Mary should sound confident and oblivious; Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee should sound polite but uncomfortable.

5. Practice sentence stress and intonation as learned in the 'Let us speak' section to make the performance more realistic and humorous.

Answer — Greetings for guests in different languages:

Note: Students are encouraged to research greetings from their own regional languages and share them in class.

Understanding 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam':

Meaning: 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्) is a Sanskrit phrase meaning 'The world is one family.'

• Vasudha (वसुधा) = Earth
• Eva (एव) = is thus / indeed
• Kutumbakam (कुटुम्बकम्) = family

Origin: The phrase comes from ancient Indian texts — the Maha Upanishad and the Hitopadesha.

Relevance to the chapter:
The play 'Say the Right Thing' teaches us that polite, kind, and thoughtful communication is essential in social interactions. 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' extends this idea to a global level — if we treat all people as members of our own family, we will naturally speak to them with kindness, empathy, and respect.

Just as Mary needed to learn to say the right thing to her guests, the world needs to learn to communicate with understanding and compassion across cultures, nations, and differences.

Connection to G20: This phrase was chosen as the theme for the G20 Summit, reflecting India's vision of global unity, shared responsibility, and mutual respect among all nations — truly treating the world as one family.