My Brother’s Great Invention Answers Class 7 English NCERT

My Brother’s Great Invention Answers Class 7 English NCERT blog provides simple and clear solutions to help students understand this exciting story from UNIT III Chapter 1 POORVI English Class 7 NCERT. It explains every question and answer in an easy way so learners can score well. The blog highlights important events, meanings, and character traits from the lesson. Perfect for revision and homework support!

Let us do these activities before we read. (Page 91)

I Work in pairs and guess the invention.

1. I am a concept invented by ancient Indian mathematicians. I add value to numbers. Without me, calculations in the modern digital world would be impossible. Who am I?

2. I am an ancient Indian practice, now popular globally. I focus on physical and mental well-being. What am I?

Ans: 

1. Zero (0) – It was invented by ancient Indian mathematicians and adds value to numbers. Without zero, modern digital calculations would be impossible.
2. Yoga – An ancient Indian practice that focuses on physical and mental well-being and is now popular all over the world.

POORVI: Textbook of English for Grade 7 Solution

II Discuss in groups of four what you think the world today would have been like without inventions and discoveries.

Ans: 

Without inventions and discoveries, the world today would lack comfort, progress, and development. We would not have electricity, transport, medicine, or communication devices. Life would be slow and difficult. Tasks that are easy now, like talking to someone far away or travelling to another place, would be impossible or take a long time. Inventions help solve problems, save time, and improve our health, education, and lifestyles. The world without them would be dark, unsafe, and uncomfortable.

III Fill the grid given below with missing letters to complete the words. These words display qualities of an inventor.

Ans: 

PART I

Summary:
Anita tells this story about herself and her younger brother Anand. Anand loves inventing things. He always makes strange machines. One day he made a burglar alarm because there were many thefts in the colony. His alarm made a loud sound and dropped a water bag on anyone who opened the door softly. Unfortunately, Papa always opened the door gently. The alarm soaked Papa and made him very angry. Anand hid until Papa became calm. Later, Anand watched a movie called Back to the Future. He decided to make a time machine. He worked day and night. He made a lot of noise while building it. He also took parts from things around the house. His room became full of wires, bulbs and switches. Papa and Ma were very worried. They did not allow him to test it. When Ma and Papa went to Kharagpur for a wedding, they asked Anand not to try the time machine. Anand promised but was not serious. Anita was relieved because she did not want any more trouble. She knew her brother could create a mess again. Anand felt proud of his invention but his family did not trust him.

Word Notes:

inventor: creator : आविष्कारक
burglar: thief : चोर
soothing: calming : आरामदेह
gadget: device : उपकरण
blueprint: plan : योजना
stealthily: secretly : चुपके से
frantic: hurried : घबराया हुआ
invention: creation : आविष्कार
racket: noise : शोर
vanished: disappeared : गायब हुआ
nerves: patience : धैर्य
tinkering: fiddling : छेड़छाड़
clanging: ringing : खनखनाहट
soaked: wet : भीगा
grimly: seriously : गंभीरता से
loftily: proudly : घमंड से
binges: sprees : दौर
hammering: pounding : हथौड़े से मारना
clattering: rattling : खड़खड़ाहट
switchboard: control panel : नियंत्रण पटल
crestfallen: disappointed : उदास
sternly: strictly : सख्ती से
offended: hurt : नाराज़
relief: comfort : राहत

Let us discuss (Page 94)

I Complete the cause-and-effect table given below.

Ans: 

II. Do you think Anand was able to keep his promise regarding the time machine? Why / Why not?

Ans: I think Anand was not able to keep his promise because, although he told Ma that he would not do anything with the time machine till they came back, he promised only “half-heartedly, offended at this lack of respect for his creation.” This clearly showed that he was upset and unwilling to truly obey. He cared more about his invention than keeping his word.

PART II

Summary:

Anita and Anand were alone at home because their parents had gone to a wedding. Anita stayed up late reading a novel. She heard scratching and clicking sounds at the door and became scared. She woke Anand and they both saw a thief enter. It was Boppa, who worked as a sweeper in their colony. He threatened them with a cudgel and asked for Papa’s room. Anand cleverly directed him to his own room. Suddenly, they heard loud strange noises, screams and humming from that room. Anand realised Boppa had started his time machine. They shouted for help. Mrs. Sharma, her husband, and Dr. Mohan came and rescued them. When they checked the room, the machine was still humming softly but Boppa was missing. Only his green scarf was on the floor. No one could find him in the house. Anand believed that Boppa had travelled into the past using the time machine. Mr. Sharma thought Anand only had a wild imagination. Later, Papa dismantled the machine as it was not safe. Boppa was never seen again. Anand felt proud and started working on another new invention to contact creatures in outer space.

Word Notes:

scratching: rubbing : खरोंच
ruffianly: rough : गुंडे जैसा
brandishing: waving : लहराना
cudgel: stick : डंडा
humming: buzzing : भनभनाहट
muffled: soft : दबा हुआ
clattering: rattling : खड़खड़ाहट
intruders: trespassers : घुसपैठिये
dismantled: taken apart : अलग किया
indulgently: fondly : प्यार से
whispered: murmured : फुसफुसाना
groggily: sleepily : उनींदा होकर
holler: shout : चिल्लाना
swung: opened suddenly : जोर से खुला
coast clear: safe moment : सुरक्षित समय
squeak: sound : चीं-चीं आवाज
latch: lock : कुंडी
eerie: scary : डरावना
howl: cry : चीख
peering: looking closely : झांकना
puzzled: confused : उलझन में
vanished: disappeared : गायब
genius: very intelligent : प्रतिभाशाली
project: plan : योजना
niggling: slight : हल्का
suspection: doubt : शक

Let us discuss (Page 98)

I Arrange the following events in the correct order of occurrence.

Ans:

1. The door swings open, and they see Boppa, standing there with an evil grin. (2) 

2. Boppa is nowhere to be found, but his green scarf is lying near the time machine. (5)

3. Mrs. Sharma, her husband, and Dr. Mohan unlock the door and enter the house to help the children. (4)

4. Anita wakes Anand up, informing him that someone is trying to get into the house. (1) 

5. Anand misleads Boppa into entering his room instead of his father’s room. (3) 

Let us think and reflect (Page 99)

I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. Before beginning this story, let me put you in the picture. I am Anita, fourteen years old. My brother Anand, one year younger than me, caused all that hoo-ha with his burglar alarm. The trouble with him is that he thinks he is a scientist. He loves tinkering with all sorts of electrical gadgets, tools, dynamos, planks of wood, and things like that. And he keeps creating ‘inventions’ that never work out as they are supposed to.

(i) Complete the following sentence suitably by choosing the correct option from those given in the brackets.

When Anita says, “…let me put you in the picture”, she wants to _________ (introduce/summarise) the situation for

the benefit of the readers.

(ii) Anand loves ‘tinkering’ with all sorts of electrical gadgets. This means that he enjoys _________ gadgets.

A. dismantling and creating 

B. labelling or naming

C. repairing or improving 

D. collecting and displaying

(iii) Which of the following options most suitably describes Anand’s personality?

A. methodical and cautious 

B. creative and experimental

C. energetic and hasty 

D. shy and reserved

(iv) Based on the extract, compare what Anita thinks of her brother Anand with what he thinks of himself.

Ans: 

(i) introduce

(ii) C. repairing or improving 

(iii) B. creative and experimental

(iv)  Anita thinks Anand causes “all that hoo-ha with his burglar alarm” and that he keeps creating “inventions that never work out as they are supposed to.” She calls him a “silly goose” and says, “the trouble with him is that he thinks he is a scientist.” According to her, he loves “tinkering with all sorts of electrical gadgets” and makes a mess. Anand, on the other hand, thinks of himself as a scientist and is very proud and confident about his inventions. He feels proud and “lofty,” saying, “I’ve invented it,” and enjoys using words like “blueprint.”

2. I was about to direct him upstairs, when Anand said quickly, “The one next to this one.” “You silly goose!” I said angrily as soon as the man had gone. “That’s your room. He’ll come back as mad as mad can be.” “At least it will give us some time to think of something,” Anand said. “He’ll take a while to locate the light switch. Let’s shout.” All of a sudden there was a crash followed by a loud scream. More strange noises emerged from the next room—a few muffled thumps, an eerie whine, and a low, humming sound.

(i) Complete the sentence given below with a suitable reason. Anita was angry with Anand because ____________.

(ii) Which action of Anand shows his presence of mind?

(iii) What might be the cause of the strange noises emerging from the next room?

A. The intruder moving furniture around

B. Anand’s time machine getting activated

C. The intruder locating the light switch

D. Anand’s invention malfunctioning

(iv) Which of the following best describes the atmosphere in this extract?

A. relaxing 

B. peaceful 

C. tense 

D. sad

E. suspenseful

F. joyful

(a) A, D, and E 

(b) B and F 

(c) C and E 

(d) Only D

Ans: 

(i) he misled the thief into entering his own room instead of directing him elsewhere.

(ii)  presence of mind.

(iii) B. Anand’s time machine getting activated

(iv) (c) C and E – tense and suspenseful

II Complete the table with the suitable traits of the characters based on evidence from the text. Choose the traits given in the box below. An example has been done for you.

Ans: 

III Answer the following questions.

1. What prompted Anand to create the burglar alarm?
Anand decided to create the burglar alarm because “recently there had been a rush of thefts in the colony” and he felt that what was needed was a way to catch any thief entering their house. As soon as Papa left for office and Ma went to the market, he began working on his latest scheme. He drew a complicated “blueprint” of doors, wires and bells, hoping to trap any burglar daring to enter quietly.

2. How did Anand’s father become the target of the burglar alarm?
Anand rigged the burglar alarm so that it would work only when the door was opened gently, thinking that a thief would sneak in quietly. Unfortunately, Papa always opened the door softly. The moment Papa stepped inside, the alarm “was tripped off,” making a loud clanging sound while the water bag loosened and fell straight onto Papa’s head. His father stood “sopping wet and scowling,” becoming the unintended victim of his son’s invention.

3. How did Anand’s parents and sister react to his ideas?
Anand’s father often became angry, saying things like, “When I say NO, I mean NO,” and locking his toolbox to stop Anand. Ma worried and kept a “wary eye” on her oven and mixer. Anita warned him, “If you get a shelling, don’t bring me in,” and tried to stay out of trouble. They were frustrated because his “inventions” always caused chaos and never worked as expected, yet Anand remained confident and stubborn.

4. How did Anand behave when he was on his ‘inventing binges’?
During his inventive moods, Anand behaved wildly. He made a tremendous racket described as “hammering and sawing and clattering,” and took apart household gadgets to collect parts. His room became a noisy mess filled with “wires, springs, levers and bulbs,” and he would not let anyone enter. He even neglected himself, and when Ma didn’t notice, “the fellow didn’t even comb his hair.” Anand looked savage and stayed completely absorbed in his project.

5. Why did Mr. Sharma not believe Anand when he spoke about his time machine?
Mr. Sharma did not believe Anand because the entire situation seemed unbelievable. Although the time machine was “humming softly,” there was no sign of Boppa except for his green scarf near the switches. When Anand burst out, claiming that the thief had gone through his invention, Mr. Sharma just smiled indulgently and said, “What an imagination this boy has!” suggesting that he thought Anand was simply making up stories about his machine working.

6. Give an ending to this story, explaining what might have happened to Boppa.
According to Anand, the time machine must have actually worked and Boppa “disappeared into the past.” When the machine was dismantled later because Papa thought it wasn’t safe, Boppa was never seen again. The only clue left behind was his “green scarf” on the floor near the control panel of switches. Perhaps the machine really transported him back in time, leaving everyone else wondering if the invention had truly been a success.

Let us learn (Page 101)

I Read the highlighted word in the following sentence. It’s quite simple. The moment the door opens, this alarm is tripped off and makes a clanging sound. Such sound words are called onomatopoeic words.

1. Read the sound words used in the story in Column 1. Complete Column 2 by matching expressions from the box given below. An example has been done for you.

Ans: 

II Read the highlighted phrase in the following sentence from the text.

Well, that was the end of peace and quiet in the house. The highlighted phrase displays a combination of two words generally used together in a fixed order. Such phrases are called binomials.

1. Match the words in Column 1 with the correct pairs in Column 2 to make binomials.

Ans: 

(i) This project will be a make or break moment for our team’s success.

(ii) After a long journey, we were relieved to arrive home safe and sound.

(iii) Every friendship works well when there is a balance of pros and cons.

(iv) She organised all the odds and ends in the cupboard, to make space for new clothes.

(v) Before making a decision, it is important to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

(vi) This is our final chance to perform on stage, it is now or never.

3. Complete the paragraph by using the phrasal verbs given in the box below.

Ans: 

It had been raining and we (i) ran out of time to set up for the function, so we quickly (ii) rigged up some decorations using whatever materials we had. We accidentally (iii) tripped off the fire alarm because of the smoke from the bonfire. Thankfully, the rain (iv) let up just as the guests were arriving, and despite all the chaos, the function (v) turned out to be a huge success.

III Read the highlighted expressions in the following sentence from the text. 

And this is not the first time he’s got on Papa’s nerves or frightened someone half to death in the house.

The highlighted expressions are called idioms.

Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with suitable idioms from the text given in the box below.

Ans: 

1. Shekhar knew he would get a shelling for breaking his mother’s favourite flower vase.
2. We fell over ourselves trying to help the injured dog and get it to the vet as quickly as possible.
3. Faizy distracted Kanchan, leaving the coast clear for us to get inside the room to prepare the birthday surprise.
4. The constant power fluctuations during meetings can get on our nerves.
5. When I am alone at home, any unexpected loud noise in the night can frighten me half to death.

IV Read the highlighted words in the given sentence.

It was indeed the fellow who had recently begun sweeping out the compounds in our row of houses. Here  we refer to two completed actions─the recent past (new action) and the later past (old action).

1. Underline the verbs in simple past and past perfect tense for the following sentences from the text.

Ans: 

(i) Ma had rushed in to see what the racket was all about and found Papa standing there, sopping wet and scowling.
– Past perfect: had rushed
– Simple past: was, found

(ii) Anand had vanished by this time and reappeared only after dinner when Papa had cooled down.
– Past perfect: had vanished, had cooled
– Simple past: reappeared

2. Fill in the blanks with the simple past or past perfect form of the verbs given in brackets.

Ans:

(i) After Rohan had finished (finish) his homework, he decided (decide) to go for a walk. He left (leave) the house and realised (realise) he had forgotten (forget) his keys inside.

(ii) By the time we reached (reach) the station, the train had already left (already/leave). We waited (wait) for the next one to arrive.

3. Combine the pairs of sentences using the time expressions in the boxes given below and rewrite them using the past perfect tenses. An example has been done for you.

Ans: 

(i) Rohan had packed his suitcase before he left for the airport.

(ii) By the time he arrived in the morning, we had started work.

(iii) After they had set up the tents, the others brought food and medicine.

(iv) When the students had become quiet, they heard the teacher coming.

(v) Before the flood had submerged the entire area, the villagers left the village.

Let us listen (136)

I You will listen to a conversation between Anita and Toby. Toby is a Martian and is stranded on Earth. He has become Anita’s friend. As you listen, choose the true statements from 1–5 given below. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 136)

Ans: 

1. Toby misses his school. – False
2. Anita accepts Toby as her friend. – True
3. Anita asks Toby about one of his facial features. – True
4. Toby tells Anita that she had a banana for breakfast. – False
5. Toby shares that he can see much clearer with a closed eye. – True

II Listen to the conversation again and fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear.

Ans: 

Toby: I miss my people and home.

Toby: Well, we Martians don’t need to eat anything. We get our energy from the Sun.

Anita: Oh! Don’t you ever feel like having ice creams and chocolates?

Anita: Okay, tell me one thing. How are you able to see with only one eye?

Toby: I can see beyond mountains and clouds, woods and even metals.

Let us write (Page 106)

Think about different vocations that you see around or you are currently studying.

For example: electrician, mechanic, chef, nurse, graphic designer. You may add more vocations to the list given here.

Now, choose a vocation and write a paragraph. You may use the hints given below.

• why you like this vocation

• what training is needed

• what tools and equipment are required

• who would your co-workers be

• highlight the importance of team work

• how you would deal with the customers

• how you plan to pursue it with a sense of pride

Ans: 

I would like to become a chef because I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes. To enter this vocation, I will need professional training at a hotel management institute. Chefs use tools like knives, pans, ovens, mixers, and measuring spoons. My co-workers would be cooks, helpers, servers, and cleaners. Teamwork is very important in a kitchen because everything has to be well-timed and perfect. I would greet customers politely, listen to their feedback, and improve my dishes. I will pursue this career with pride because serving delicious food and making people happy gives me great satisfaction and joy.