Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about A Letter from a Mother from Class 7 English First Language.
Let us begin with a listening and speaking activity. Imagine you are all in class seven. You come to school from your homes, do you not? Is anyone of you living in a hostel? Do you have a brother, or a sister, or a friend who is living in a hostel? At home, parents look after their children. But what about children living in hostels, especially in distant places? How do parents keep in touch with them? Parents write to their children regularly. Both feel they are talking to each other. In this chapter, a mother talks to her daughter through a letter.
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Now, let us explore the main text. The mother writes to her daughter, Poonam. She begins by saying it feels strange to write because she is so used to Poonam being close by. They often communicate without words. But now Poonam is away, and the mother cannot help but notice how quickly she is growing up. She says this is only the first of many times they will be apart, until Poonam, like a bird, will be ready to fly away. It will bring the mother great joy to see her daughter strong and confident, even though being apart brings sorrow.
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The mother explains that being apart has a positive side. It forces her to put into words the feelings and thoughts she usually keeps inside. She praises Poonam for being strong-minded and persistent. She notes that Poonam is not easily discouraged, even when she does not succeed at first. To illustrate this, the mother recalls a time when Poonam struggled with multiplication tables. The teacher was moving too fast for her, and Poonam felt bad about falling behind. But instead of giving up, Poonam made her own study cards and asked her mother and father for help. When she finally learned the tables, she showed independence by thinking through problems, but also responsibility by asking for help when needed.
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Moving to the next part, the mother acknowledges that Poonam is in new surroundings with new people at the hostel. The routines there are different from home. Poonam must be careful to look after herself because no one will constantly ask about her well-being or comfort. She must speak up for her needs, as the hostel warden cannot give her the same attention she gets at home. At the same time, she must watch out for others and help them help themselves. The mother reminds her not to think she is the only one with needs. Everyone in the hostel is in a new situation and feels the same way. If Poonam feels homesick, helping someone else through their homesickness will actually make her feel better.
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The mother wants Poonam to make the best of this experience and knows she can. She admits that new situations bring confusion because you are learning new ways to act. She encourages Poonam not to be afraid to try new activities or introduce herself to new people. She advises Poonam to look after her own happiness without waiting for others, but also to remember to look out for others' welfare. The mother says Poonam has done this before, but now that she is on her own, she wants to remind her that she is capable of such responsibility. She tells her not to let new surroundings confuse her too much. Finally, she says to take time to adjust, but stay aware of others' feelings while discovering her own. The letter ends with a request to write soon, signed with love from Mom.
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Now, let us work through the comprehension questions together. Take turns with your partner to discuss these. Question one: This is a letter written by a father to his daughter. The answer is Not True. It is written by a mother to her daughter. Question two: What do you think the age of the daughter could be? Since she is in class seven and living in a hostel, she is likely around twelve or thirteen years old. Question three: It is somewhat painful for both parents and the child to be separated. True. The mother mentions sorrow at being apart, and the daughter likely feels homesickness. Question four: Why has the daughter gone away to live in a distant place? She has gone to a hostel, likely for her schooling or education. Question five: The mother says, This is the first time apart. What does she mean? She means that this is the very first occasion they have been separated, but she expects there will be more times apart in the future as Poonam grows up.
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Question six: The mother says, you will be ready to fly away. Explain what she means. She uses the metaphor of a bird. It means Poonam will grow independent, leave home, and face the world on her own. Question seven: The mother praises her daughter for six good qualities. What are they? Scanning paragraph two, the qualities are: strong-minded, persistent, not easily discouraged, independent, responsible, and capable of asking for help. She praises her because she overcame her struggle with multiplication tables through hard work and smart strategies. Question eight: An example of the daughter's good behaviour is given. What is it? The example is when she could not keep up with multiplication tables, she made her own study cards, asked her parents for help, and eventually learned them successfully. Question nine: Imagine you are living in a hostel. Tell your partner about your life there. A model answer would be: Living in a hostel means following a strict schedule, sharing rooms with friends, eating in a common dining hall, studying in the evening, and learning to manage my own clothes and studies without parents. It teaches discipline and friendship.
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Question ten: Learning to look after oneself is learning to feel dependent. Not True. It means learning to be independent and self-reliant. Question eleven: Poonam once said to her hostel mate: Speak up for your needs. Why are you hesitant? Not True. The mother advised Poonam to speak up for her needs, but there is no mention of Poonam saying this to a hostel mate. Question twelve: What is homesickness? Have you ever felt homesick? Homesickness is a feeling of sadness or longing for home and family when you are away. Yes, many students feel it when they first stay away from home. Question thirteen: Look at the third sentence in paragraph five. Rewrite it as three simple sentences. The original sentence is: If you feel homesick you may find helping someone else through their homesickness will help you feel better yourself. Rewritten: Are you feeling homesick? If so, try helping someone else who is also homesick. That may help you feel better yourself.
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Question fourteen: What good qualities can hostel life develop, according to Mary Ann Cain? Give examples. Hostel life can develop broadmindedness by exposing you to new people and ideas. It develops sympathy when you see others struggling and offer comfort. It develops helpfulness when you assist friends with studies or daily chores. Question fifteen: The mother tells her daughter: It is good to be an introvert. Not True. The mother does not say this. She encourages being aware of others' feelings and helping them. Question sixteen: Is it good to be an introvert or an extrovert? Tell your partner about this. Both have their strengths. An introvert is thoughtful and reflective, while an extrovert is social and outgoing. For hostel life, being somewhat extroverted helps in making friends and adjusting quickly, but introverts can also thrive by forming deep, meaningful connections.
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Now let us move on to grammar. We will learn about the use of may, can, and must. These are called modals. They go with main verbs to express different meanings. First, let us look at May. May is used for permission. You use it to ask for or give permission. For example: May I come in, Sir? Yes, come in, but do not come late tomorrow again. May is also used for possibility. It means something will possibly happen. When indicating possibility, you stress the word may. When indicating permission, you do not stress it. For example: Can you swim? You cannot? Then do not bathe in the sea here. It is deep here. You may drown.
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May is used for benediction, which means wishing someone well. This is formal. For example: May God bless you! May God grant you happiness! May is also used for malediction or a curse, wishing something bad is destroyed. Here is an example from Kuvempu's play Smashana Kurukshetra. The scene is set at twilight on the battleground of Kurukshetra after the war. Two poor women are searching for their sons' dead bodies. Woman one says: May the Kauravas perish! Woman two says: May the Pandavas perish! Next, let us study Can. Can is used for ability. It means someone is able to do something. For example: Ramu asks his brother Bheemu for a bicycle to cycle to school. Bheemu asks if he can ride it. Ramu says yes. Bheemu says no, because it is too big for him.
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Can is used for capability or accomplishment. It means knowing how to do something. For example: Can you speak English? I can read English, but I cannot speak English. Here, can means know how to. Can is used for permission. For example: A son asks his father if he can use his watch for exams. The father agrees and tells him not to leave it on the desk and to answer all questions. Can is used for possibility. It means something sometimes happens. For example: A driver says he never made a mistake in ten years. The reply is: Do not worry, Gaffoor, even expert drivers can make mistakes. Here, can means sometimes. Finally, cannot is used for impossibility. For example: Someone claims to be poor, but you saw him traveling in luxury buses. You say: That cannot be true.
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Now, let us solve the exercise together. Work with your partner and supply the missing modals: may, will, or can. Grandmother says: We are going to Ragigudda Temple, Ravi. Ravi says: You will have to climb one hundred steps there, Grandma. Can you do that? Grandmother's Friend says: That may be difficult for me Shantha, but it will not be difficult for Veena. Grandmother's Friend says: Is this a new car, Ravi. Ravi says: Yes, it is, Veena Aunty, bless me. He touches their feet. Grandma and friends say: May God bless you. Ravi says: Mother, can I take grandma and aunties to Banashankari Temple? Mother says: Yes, but drive safely, Ravi. Ravi says: I will, mother. After the trip, Mother asks: Did you have a good trip? Grandma says: Yes, we did, Malathi. Friends say: We must thank Ravi for that. Ravi says: Oh, no, Leela Aunty. It was a pleasure to me.
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The dialogue continues. Mother says: Ravi, do you know? Veena is flying to her grandson's place in France, this Sunday. Ravi says: Take care, Veena Aunty. Mother says: Oh, she can take care of herself. She can speak French. This shows how can is used to express ability. Now let us practice vocabulary and word forms. First, write the noun forms for the given verbs. Choose becomes choice. Live becomes life. Lose becomes loss. Sing becomes song. Speak becomes speech. Run becomes run. Second, write two sentences for each pair of verb and noun. Example given: She always chooses her dresses well. Her choices are always good. For live and life: We live in a small town. Life in the village is very peaceful. For lose and loss: Do not lose your keys. The loss of the document was unfortunate.
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For sing and song: She likes to sing in the choir. That is a beautiful song. For speak and speech: He will speak at the assembly. The speech was very inspiring. For run and run: I go for a morning run every day. The run was tiring but healthy. Third, write the verbs for the given nouns. Bath becomes bathe. Food becomes feed. Sale becomes sell. Cheer becomes cheer. Check becomes check. Fourth, write two sentences for each pair. Example: Has she had her bath? No, she is bathing the baby. For food and feed: The food is ready. Please feed the dog. For sale and sell: The shop has a big sale. They sell fresh vegetables. For cheer and cheer: The crowd began to cheer. The cheer was very loud. For check and check: Please check your answers. I will check the door lock.
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Fifth, Odd One Out. Circle the odd one out and tell the reason. Economics, economist, sociology, history. The odd one out is economist. The others are subjects of study, while economist is a person. Drama, singer, actor, dancer. The odd one out is drama. The others are performing artists, while drama is a genre or subject. Sledge, igloo, fur, eskimo. The odd one out is eskimo. The others are objects or materials, while eskimo is a person. Tiger, cheetah, leopard, cub. The odd one out is cub. The others are adult wild cats, while a cub is a young animal. Finally, let us look at the writing task. The topic is: An extrovert is more suited to hostel life than an introvert. Explain this to your partner and write a paragraph.
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First, note the exact definitions from the textbook. An introvert is a person more interested in his own thoughts and feelings than in things around himself. An extrovert is a person who is more interested in what goes on around him than in his own thoughts and feelings. Here is a model paragraph for your writing task. Hostel life requires constant interaction with roommates, wardens, and peers. An extrovert naturally enjoys socializing, making friends quickly, and participating in group activities. Because hostel living involves sharing spaces, dining together, and adjusting to different routines, an extrovert adapts easily by talking openly and seeking help when needed. In contrast, an introvert may find the constant noise and lack of privacy overwhelming, preferring quiet time alone. Therefore, an extrovert's outgoing nature makes hostel life more comfortable and enjoyable.
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]