Dreams and Discoveries
Class 7 · English
3 ideas in Class 7 English, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
My Brother's Great Invention — Story Comprehension
Part of: Reading Comprehension
Anita narrates the story of her inventor brother Anand, whose burglar alarm drenches their father and whose time machine apparently makes a burglar vanish. The story is told with gentle humour — the narrator is sceptical while Anand is always enthusiastic. The story explores the theme of persistent curiosity, the comedy of well-intentioned failure, and the ambiguous ending.
Why it matters. First-person narration develops perspective-taking skills. Identifying cause and effect, and distinguishing what the narrator believes from what actually happened, builds strong comprehension.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask: who is telling the story, and how does she feel about Anand's inventions?
- Ask: what two inventions does Anand make? What goes wrong with each?
- Ask: what is the unexplained mystery at the end, and what does Anand believe happened?
Try at home. Ask your child to retell the story from Anand's point of view — how would Anand describe the night of the burglary?
Adjectives — Comparative and Superlative
Part of: Vocabulary and Grammar
Adjectives have three degrees: positive (describing as-is), comparative (comparing two), and superlative (comparing three or more). Short adjectives add -er/-est (tall/taller/tallest). Longer adjectives use more/most (interesting/more interesting/most interesting).
Why it matters. Degrees of comparison are essential for descriptive and analytical writing. Students often confuse when to use -er or 'more', so practising the rule builds accuracy.
Try it in two minutes
- Hold up two objects and ask: which is heavier, lighter, taller?
- Ask: what is the superlative of 'clever'? Of 'beautiful'? Of 'good'?
- Challenge: write one sentence in positive, one in comparative, one in superlative about the same object.
Try at home. Ask your child to compare three members of the family using three different adjectives in superlative form.
Homophones and Commonly Confused Words
Part of: Vocabulary and Grammar
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things — for example, 'their/there/they're', 'its/it's', 'brake/break', 'hear/here'. Using the wrong one is a spelling error even if the pronunciation is right.
Why it matters. Homophones are among the most common errors in written English. Knowing them improves both spelling and reading comprehension, since choosing the wrong word can change the meaning of a sentence.
Try it in two minutes
- Say 'their/there/they're' and ask your child to use each in a sentence.
- Ask: what is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'? (possession vs contraction)
- Challenge: write three pairs of homophones you know, and use each in a sentence.
Try at home. Ask your child to find any five homophones in a book or newspaper and write a sentence for each word in the pair.
What your child will practise
- Adjectives — Comparative and Superlative: Jungle Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Adjectives — Comparative and Superlative: Space Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Adjectives — Comparative and Superlative: Word Sort (Sort It Out)
- Homophones and Commonly Confused Words: Mission Control Quest (Match It Up)
- My Brother's Great Invention — Story Comprehension: Desert Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Quiz: Adjectives — Comparative and Superlative (8 questions)
- Quiz: Homophones and Commonly Confused Words (8 questions)
- Quiz: My Brother's Great Invention — Story Comprehension (8 questions)