GSEB Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 3 The Shed Solutions

Working With The Poem

Answer The Following Questions:

Question (1) Who is the speaker in the poem ?
Answer: It is not very clear who the speaker actually is. Perhaps, the speaker might be the poet himself.
In simple words: It's hard to tell who is talking in the poem. Maybe it's the poet.

Exam Tip: When analyzing the speaker, consider internal clues within the poem and whether the author is likely to be the narrator in such a genre.

Question (2) Is she/he afraid or curious or both ?
Answer: The speaker appears to be both curious and also afraid to enter the shed. He wishes to discover what is within the shed. Simultaneously, he feels fearful because he imagines that peculiar sounds might come from the shed and that a ghost possibly resides there.
In simple words: The speaker feels both curious and scared about the shed. He wants to see what's inside but is also afraid because he thinks there are strange sounds and a ghost living there.

Exam Tip: Look for conflicting emotions described in the text to determine if a character experiences more than one feeling at once.

Question (3) What is she/he planning to do soon?
Answer: She/He intends to enter the shed sometime in the near future.
In simple words: They plan to go into the shed soon, after some days.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to phrases that indicate future intentions, such as "plans to" or "will soon."

Question 4. 'But not just yet... suggests doubt, fear, hesitation, laziness or something else. Choose the word which seems right to you. Tell others why you chose it.
Answer: 'But not just yet...' appears to imply a lack of certainty. The speaker believes that he requires additional time to collect sufficient bravery to step into the shed.
In simple words: The phrase 'But not just yet...' means the speaker isn't sure. They feel they need more time to get brave enough to go inside the shed.

Exam Tip: Analyze the specific wording and context of phrases to understand the underlying emotions or reasons for a character's actions or inactions.

Question 2. Is there a room in your house or a house in your neighbourhood/locality where you would rather not go alone and never at night? If there is such a place and a story to go with it, let others hear all about it.
Answer: There is a storeroom in my home, situated in the backyard, separated from the main building. It contains many strange items and is not even kept in good order. Therefore, visiting the storeroom, especially at night, requires considerable bravery. My mother once requested me to retrieve some items from the storeroom. When I stepped inside, I felt as though I observed shadows moving. I shouted with fear, but later discovered that those shadows were merely my own thoughts.
In simple words: I have a storeroom in my backyard, away from the house. It's full of strange things and not tidy. Going there at night needs a lot of courage. My mom once sent me there, and I thought I saw shadows moving. I got scared, but then realized it was just my imagination.

Exam Tip: For personal experience questions, describe the setting, your feelings, and the resolution of the situation clearly and simply.

Additional Important Questions And Answers

Select The Most Appropriate Options As Answers And Complete The Following Sentences:

Question 1. What is the condition of the window described in the poem ?
A. It is sparkling with its new glass panes.
B. Three panes of it are cracked.
C. All panes of it are broken off.
D. The children playing cricket have broken the window completely.
Answer: (B) Three panes of it are cracked.
In simple words: The poem says that three of the window's glass sections have cracks.

Exam Tip: Read the poem carefully for direct descriptions of objects to select the correct answer.

Question 2. Why does the poet want to peep through the window as he passes it?
A. To see the ghost
B. To steal something
C. To find out if somebody is staring at him
D. To see his brother and his friends
Answer: (C) To find out if somebody is staring at him
In simple words: The poet wants to look through the window to check if someone is watching him.

Exam Tip: Identify the poet's motivations by looking for phrases that express curiosity or suspicion in the text.

Question 3. "Since I don't know when” suggests ..........
A. a long passage of time.
B. the spider's ability to more unnoticed.
C. that the speaker's memory is very weak.
D. the speaker's inability to measure time.
Answer: (A) a long passage of time.
In simple words: This phrase means that much time has passed since the event occurred.

Exam Tip: Consider how phrases related to time indicate duration or vagueness in memory or perception.

Question 4. Who wishes to go into the shed soon?
A. The speaker
B. The speaker's brother
C. The ghost
D. The stranger
Answer: (A) The speaker
In simple words: The person speaking in the poem is the one who wants to enter the shed soon.

Exam Tip: Identify the main character's desires or intentions directly stated in the poem.

Question 5. What feeling of the poet is exhibited in his peeping through the window?
A. The poet is emotional.
B. The poet is careless
C. The poet has a lot of time.
D. The poet is curious.
Answer: (D) The poet is curious.
In simple words: When the poet peeks through the window, it shows that he is very curious.

Exam Tip: Actions like peeping, wondering, or investigating often indicate curiosity as a character's emotion.

Question 6. Why does the speaker's brother lie to him ?
A. He wishes to mislead the speaker.
B. He wishes to solely use the shed.
C. He wishes to sell away the shed.
D. He is afraid of the ghost.
Answer: (B) He wishes to solely use the shed.
In simple words: The speaker's brother lies because he wants to be the only one who uses the shed.

Exam Tip: Look for the underlying motive behind a character's actions or statements, especially when deception is involved.

Answer The Following Questions In One Sentence Each:

Question 1. Why were the hinges of the door i- rusty ?
Answer: Almost no one entered the shed. As the doors were not opened for an extended period, their hinges became covered in rust.
In simple words: Almost no one went into the shed. Because the doors stayed shut for a long time, their hinges got rusty.

Exam Tip: Directly link the physical condition of an object (rusty hinges) to its lack of use or neglect.

Question 2. What does the speaker usually do while lying in the bed?
Answer: The speaker frequently thought about the notion of entering the shed.
In simple words: The speaker often thought about going into the shed.

Exam Tip: Identify habitual actions or thoughts of characters when they are in a relaxed or introspective state.

Question 3. What does the broken glass panes suggest ?
Answer: The fractured glass sections of the dusty window indicate a lack of upkeep. It was quite expected that nobody cared to substitute the broken panes of an unoccupied building.
In simple words: The broken glass in the dusty window shows it wasn't looked after. It was normal that no one fixed the cracked windows of an old, unused building.

Exam Tip: Infer the condition or history of a place based on descriptions of damaged or neglected features.

Question 4. According to the poet's brother, where did the ghost hide itself?
Answer: As per the poet's brother, the ghost concealed itself beneath the decayed floorboards of the shed.
In simple words: The poet's brother said the ghost hid under the old, rotten floorboards in the shed.

Exam Tip: Ensure your answer attributes information to the correct source, such as "according to the poet's brother."

Answer The Following Questions In Two To Three Sentences Each:

Question 1. What did the poet's brother say to the poet in order to keep him away from the shed?
Answer: The poet's brother informed the poet that a ghost resided in the shed, concealed beneath the decayed floorboards. He claimed that if the poet ventured inside the shed, the ghost would suddenly appear and cut off his head.
In simple words: The poet's brother said a ghost hid under the shed's rotten floorboards. He warned that if the poet went in, the ghost would jump out and cut off his head.

Exam Tip: When asked about a character's statements, provide the key details and the purpose of their words, like keeping someone away.

Question 2. Comment on the speaker's resolve to go inside the shed.
Answer: Based on our interpretation of the poem, it becomes quite evident that the speaker is completely resolved to enter the shed. Even when his brother intimidates him, he does not abandon the plan to go in and discover the truth himself. His wish to visit is simply put off and held back.
In simple words: Reading the poem, it's very clear the speaker really wants to go into the shed. Even with his brother's threats, he doesn't drop the idea of finding the truth. He just puts off his visit for a bit.

Exam Tip: Explain the speaker's determination by citing evidence of their consistent intention despite obstacles or fears.

Question 3. What change occurs in the attitude of the speaker?
Answer: In the initial three stanzas, the speaker appears to be frightened of the shed. He ponders about the peculiar sounds emerging from it, someone mysteriously observing him, and he accepted the ghost tales. Nevertheless, in the poem's concluding stanza, a significant shift in the speaker's outlook is apparent. He has realized that all these ghost narratives were false stories shared with him. Consequently, his decision to enter the shed becomes even stronger.
In simple words: At first, the speaker seemed afraid of the shed. He thought about strange noises, someone staring, and believed ghost stories. But in the last part of the poem, his feelings change a lot. He understands that the ghost stories were not true, making him even more determined to go into the shed.

Exam Tip: Describe the initial attitude, the factors that influenced it, and then clearly state the final, changed attitude, supported by details from the text.

Question 4. Why do you think that the spider web hanging on the door was no longer there ?
Answer: Initially, when the speaker describes the shed, he mentions a spider web hanging over the shed's door. Yet, the subsequent time the speaker discusses the shed, he reveals that it had been a considerable duration since the spider and its web were absent. It is possible that the speaker's brother had opened the shed's door, consequently removing the spider's web that had covered it.
In simple words: When the speaker first talks about the shed, he sees a spider web on the door. But later, he says the spider and its web have been gone for a long time. Maybe his brother opened the shed door, which removed the spider's web.

Exam Tip: When asked to infer, provide a plausible reason based on textual clues, such as the disappearance of a spider web suggesting recent activity.

Read The Following Stanzas And Answer The Questions Given Below Them:

Question 1. There's a dusty old window around at the side
With three cracked panes of glass,
I often think there's someone staring at me
Each time that I pass,
I'll peep through that window one day.

Questions:
(1) Why is the window dusty ?
Answer: Because the shed has not been utilized for an extended period by anyone. Consequently, it has become enveloped in dust.
In simple words: The window is dusty because no one has used the shed for a long time, so dust has covered it.

Exam Tip: Connect observations about neglected objects (dusty window) to their state of disuse.

(2) Who according to poet's brother stares at the poet?
Answer: There could be a ghost, as the poet's brother has mentioned.
In simple words: The poet's brother said there might be a ghost staring.

Exam Tip: Ensure your answer specifies the source of the information when different characters have different beliefs or claims.

(3) Does the poet get scared at the thought of peeping through the window?
Answer: No, the poet experiences no fear whatsoever. It is entirely his own courageous choice.
In simple words: No, the poet isn't scared at all. He made a brave decision on his own.

Exam Tip: Distinguish between initial apprehension and a character's resolved decision or lack of fear.

Question 2. "My brother tells lies to keep the shed for his den.
There isn't anyone staring or making strange noises.
And the spider has been gone from his web
Since I don't know when.
I'll go into that shed one day soon, But not just yet........"

Questions:
(1) 'There isn't anyone staring or making strange noises. And the spider has been gone from his web.' What do these lines suggest?
Answer: These statements imply that nothing is bothering or present in the shed. Even the spider has departed from its web.
In simple words: These lines mean that nothing is bothering the shed. Even the spider has left its web and gone.

Exam Tip: Interpret descriptive lines to understand the actual conditions or atmosphere of a place.

(2) Why does the speaker say that ''there isn't anyone staring or making strange noises ?”
Answer: The speaker has realized that his brother was deceiving him with the goal of keeping him distant from the shed.
In simple words: The speaker now knows his brother was lying to keep him away from the shed.

Exam Tip: Identify the motive behind a character's false statements, especially when it serves a personal interest.

(3) What does this passage say about the speaker?
Answer: The passage shows a more developed understanding that the speaker has gained.
In simple words: This part shows the speaker has grown and now understands things better.

Exam Tip: Look for clues that indicate a character's growth, change in perspective, or deeper insight over the course of the narrative.

The Shed Summary In English

The Shed Summary:

The poem describes the shed, which is a small structure located separately from the main house. It is situated at the back of the poet's garden and is in very poor condition. Each time the poet walks past it, he senses someone observing him. His brother frightens him by asserting that a ghost lives in the shed, concealing itself under the decayed floorboards, ready to leap out and harm the poet. In reality, no ghost exists within the shed; his brother fabricates this story to reserve the shed for himself. The poet tries to persuade himself that no ghost could possibly be in the shed and promises himself to enter it soon. Yet, he humorously adds that the moment has not arrived yet. This hesitation might stem from a lack of complete certainty, and he believes he requires more time to build enough courage to step inside.