Change of Heart — Class 6 English Poorvi Questions and Answers

Change of Heart questions and answers: follow Prabhat and Surya’s story in Class 6 Poorvi with comprehension, consecutive-letter word puzzles, past perfect tense and listening notes.

Class: 6 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 4 – Sports and Wellness Type: Story Source copy: Reprint 2026–27

Source: NCERT Poorvi, Grade 6, Unit 4, printed pages 103–114; listening transcript 128; supplied reprint 2026–27. Open-ended and personal responses are examples to adapt. These explanations are study support, not an official NCERT answer key.

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About the chapter

“Change of Heart” is a short, two-part school story from Unit 4, ‘Sports and Wellness’. It is about Prabhat, a boy who always wanted to win and simply could not bear to lose – not even at marbles. When a cheerful new student, Surya, joins the school, Prabhat cheats to beat him in a friendly badminton match. To his surprise, Surya does not mind losing at all and keeps enjoying every game he plays, whether he is good at it or not. Watching Surya slowly changes Prabhat’s heart, and he learns that the real joy of sport lies in playing and enjoying, not only in winning.

About the story

“Change of Heart” appears in Poorvi, the NCERT English reader for Class 6, in the unit themed on sports and wellness. The textbook does not give a separate author’s name for the story; it is presented as a simple narrative chosen to teach young readers about sporting spirit, fair play and well-being. The story is told in two parts, each followed by short ‘Let us discuss’ questions, and uses an everyday school setting – friendly Friday matches, a badminton court and a basketball game – so that children can easily relate to Prabhat’s feelings about winning and losing and learn from the gentle change in his attitude.

Summary

Two schoolboys enjoying a friendly badminton rally on opposite sides of a net
Original conceptual illustration of sporting spirit. The imagined appearance of Prabhat and Surya supports the story’s message; it is not a photograph or copied textbook art.

Prabhat was a boy who always wanted to win. His parents, teachers and friends all felt that he did not know how to accept defeat. Losing made him feel terrible, while winning made him feel wonderful, so he refused to play any game he was not sure of winning. He took part only in games he was really good at, such as badminton.

A new student named Surya joined the school. Surya was an excellent badminton player, but he was always relaxed, smiling and cracking jokes. On the last Friday of the month, when the coach held friendly matches, Prabhat and Surya were chosen to play against each other, with Prabhat keeping the score. Surya played brilliantly but paid little attention to the scoreboard, so Prabhat secretly changed the scoreboard and won by cheating. He made a big fuss about his win, but it did not matter to Surya, who only said it had been fun and they should play again.

That night Prabhat could not sleep. He had won, yet he did not feel as happy as usual. He was puzzled that Surya did not feel bad about losing, and even more puzzled to see Surya happily playing basketball the next day, even though he could not score a basket for ten minutes. Prabhat watched Surya for several days and noticed that he enjoyed every game equally, whether he was good or bad at it. Slowly Prabhat realised that you do not need a scoreboard to enjoy a game – what matters is trying your best and enjoying every moment. His own heart changed: he began playing hide and seek, joked during badminton, and soon the other students agreed that Prabhat now had a great sporting spirit.

Theme & message

The central theme of the story is sporting spirit and the true meaning of playing a game. Through Prabhat’s journey from a poor loser who even cheats to win, to a cheerful player who enjoys every game, the story shows that the joy of sport lies in taking part, trying your best and having fun – not only in winning. It teaches young readers important values of honesty, fair play, accepting defeat gracefully and looking after one’s own wellness and happiness. The title, ‘Change of Heart’, captures how a person’s attitude can change for the better through observation and self-reflection.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
defeatloss; not winningहार
on the contraryjust the oppositeइसके विपरीत / बल्कि
terriblevery bad; unhappyबहुत बुरा / भयानक
sensedhad known or feltभांप लिया / महसूस किया
significantimportantमहत्वपूर्ण
conductedorganised; arrangedआयोजित किया
seriousnessbeing serious; full attentionगंभीरता
phenomenonsomeone who has special qualitiesअसाधारण व्यक्ति / अद्भुत प्रतिभा
opponentsomeone you compete withप्रतिद्वंद्वी / विरोधी
scoreboarda board that shows the pointsअंक दिखाने वाला बोर्ड
cheatingacting dishonestly to winधोखा / बेईमानी
hopelesshaving no skill in somethingबहुत कमजोर / निराशाजनक
kept a close watch onobserved carefullyध्यान से देखना / निगरानी रखना
realisedunderstood clearlyसमझ गया / एहसास हुआ
tallya record of points in a gameअंकों का लेखा-जोखा
sporting spiritbeing fair and respecting each playerखेल-भावना / खेल भावना

Before we read — printed page 103

I–III. Personal examples: I play badminton and hide-and-seek. I play hide-and-seek for fun and badminton in friendly games or competitions. Winning makes me happy; after losing I try to learn and congratulate the other player. Your choices and feelings may differ.

IV. Meaning choices: 1 (ii); 2 (i); 3 (ii); 4 (ii). A friendly match is played outside a formal competition; it may still have opponents and scores. Sporting spirit includes fairness and respect, rather than merely observing rules.

Let us discuss

Part I

1. State whether the following is True or False. Prabhat would accept losing to anyone easily.

ANSWERFalse. Prabhat could not bear to lose at all – not even at marbles. His family, teachers and friends all said that he did not know how to accept defeat, so he certainly did not accept losing easily.

2. What was special about the last Friday of each month?

ANSWERThe last Friday of each month was special because the coach conducted friendly matches during the games period on that day. The teams were decided on Monday, and students looked forward to playing these matches.

3. Who was responsible for maintaining the score for the match?

ANSWERPrabhat was given the responsibility of keeping the score for the badminton match between himself and Surya.

4. Do you think Prabhat wished to play another match with Surya? Why do you think so?

ANSWERNo, at first Prabhat probably did not wish to play another fair match with Surya. He had won only by cheating and knew that Surya was actually the better player, so a real match might have ended in his defeat. Since he hated losing, he would likely have avoided an honest rematch – even though Surya himself happily suggested playing again.

Part II

1. How did Surya feel about playing?

ANSWERSurya simply loved to play and enjoyed every game for its own sake. He was relaxed and cheerful whether he won or lost, and his happy smile never left his face – even when he was hopeless at a game like basketball and could not score for ten minutes.

2. What was it about Surya that Prabhat observed?

ANSWERPrabhat observed that Surya was great at some games and terrible at others, but what was common to all of them was his enjoyment. He enjoyed every game equally and did not worry about winning or losing. This made Prabhat realise that one does not need a scoreboard to enjoy a game – the real joy is in trying your best and enjoying every moment.

Let us think and reflect

I.1. Extract – “If Prabhat sensed that he would lose a game, he would not play it. He would take part only when he was sure of winning, even if the game lasted only for a minute. You could not stop him from playing the kind of games he was really good at, like badminton.”

ANSWER (i) Complete the sentence: “Prabhat would play a game only if he was sure of winning it.” (ii) The game that Prabhat was good at playing was badminton. (iii) This behaviour of Prabhat tells us that he was c. afraid of losing.

I.2. Extract – “Surprisingly, Prabhat could not sleep well that night. He had won the game but he did not feel as happy as he usually did. What was surprising was that Surya did not feel bad about losing. What was more surprising was that Prabhat saw Surya playing basketball the next day.”

ANSWER (i) The option that tells us how Prabhat was feeling that night is b. unhappy. (ii) Prabhat found Surya’s behaviour ‘surprising’ because Surya did not feel bad about losing at all. Instead of being upset, he stayed cheerful and was even seen happily playing basketball the very next day, although he was hopeless at it – something Prabhat, who hated losing, could not understand. (iii) We can say that Surya’s reaction to not winning was different from Prabhat’s.

II. Answer the following questions.

ANSWER 1. How did Prabhat’s attitude towards winning and losing affect his enjoyment of games in the beginning? In the beginning, Prabhat’s attitude spoilt his enjoyment of games. Because he could not bear to lose, he refused to play any game in which he might be defeated and took part only when he was sure of winning. This meant he missed the simple fun of playing; for him, a game was about the result, not about enjoying the activity itself. 2. Why do you think Prabhat cheated in the beginning to win the badminton match against Surya? Prabhat cheated because his desire to win was stronger than his sense of fair play. Surya was a better player and was winning points, while Prabhat could not bear the thought of losing. When Surya was distracted, laughing at a joke, Prabhat changed the scoreboard so that he could win and avoid the terrible feeling of defeat. 3. How did Surya’s attitude differ from Prabhat’s? Surya’s attitude was the opposite of Prabhat’s. Surya played for the joy of playing and stayed relaxed, smiling and joking whether he won or lost. He enjoyed every game equally, even those he was bad at. Prabhat, on the other hand, played only to win, hated losing, and could not enjoy a game unless he was winning. 4. Do you think Prabhat’s approach to games was healthy? Why or why not? No, Prabhat’s approach was not healthy. Caring only about winning made him anxious, dishonest enough to cheat, and unable to enjoy playing. A healthy approach treats games as fun and exercise, accepts defeat gracefully and values fair play. Such an attitude makes a person happier and is far better for both the mind and the body. 5. Why do you think sporting spirit is important? Sporting spirit is important because it means being fair, honest and respectful towards every player. It helps us enjoy a game whether we win or lose, accept results gracefully and stay friends with our opponents. It builds good character, reduces stress and makes sports a source of happiness and learning rather than anger or jealousy. 6. Explain how the title of the story, ‘Change of Heart’, is suitable. The title is very suitable because the whole story is about how Prabhat’s heart, or attitude, slowly changes. At first he can think only of winning and even cheats to do so. After watching Surya enjoy every game, he realises that playing well and having fun matter more than the score. By the end, his ‘heart’ has truly changed and the other students praise his sporting spirit.

Let us learn

I. Words using consecutive letters

Do not rearrange letters or skip them. The following ordinary words occur as uninterrupted runs:

  • BADMINTON: bad, admin, mint, in, into, ton, on.
  • PHENOMENON: he, hen, no, omen, me, men, on.
  • BASKETBALL: bask, ask, basket, ball, all.

‘Mind’ cannot be formed from BADMINTON because it ends with d; ‘none’ is not consecutive in PHENOMENON. Avoid fragments such as ‘phen’, ‘bas’ and ‘ket’ as ordinary English answers.

New sample puzzle: RAINBOW → rain, in, bow. Try another word and check each answer against its letter order.

II. Verbs to circle

  1. was discussing; had played
  2. had won; did not feel; did (the last ‘did’ stands for the usual feeling)
  3. was; had not felt. ‘Losing’ is also a verb-ing form used after ‘about’, rather than a finite past-tense verb.

The printed third sentence omits ‘is’ after ‘surprising’. In normal prose it would read ‘What was more surprising is/was that…’; the exercise’s earlier/later comparison focuses on had not felt and was.

III. Earlier and later situations

Earlier action or feelingLater situation
had playedwas discussing (given)
had wondid not feel as happy
had not felt badwas surprising

The past perfect uses had + past participle; it places an event before the later past situation.

IV. Past-perfect blanks

  1. had already finished
  2. had played
  3. had already won
  4. had never met
  5. had practised

Let us listen, speak, write & explore

Let us listen

I. You will listen to an announcement. As you listen, circle the pair that was chosen to play chess. (Rima – Dhiraj / Gita – Hitesh / Sarita – Nupur)

ANSWER (from the textbook transcript)The pair chosen to play chess is Sarita – Nupur.

II. Listen to the announcement again and fill in the notes with important details.

ANSWER (from the textbook transcript) 1. How many Friday matches will be played? Three matches – chess, kho-kho and badminton. 2. What was put up on the sports’ notice board? The kho-kho teams’ name list. 3. Who will sponsor the kho-kho team’s refreshments? Xydium Sports Club. 4. Who will be the scorekeeper for chess? Vani. 5. Who will be the referee for kho-kho? The coach (the announcer) himself. 6. Which Friday periods are meant for kho-kho? The 2nd and 3rd periods.

Let us speak

In pairs, take turns to use the three magic words — ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ — for the given situations (requesting to join a team, asking for help, apologising for spilling water, forgetting a friend’s file, speaking rudely, and thanking others).

ANSWER (sample sentences) 1. Vani (request): “Could you please take me in your team during the games period? I would really like to play with you all.” 2. Somiwon (request): “Hitesh, please can you help me with cleaning the classroom cupboard?” 3. Sumit (mistake): “I’m so sorry, Nupur, that was my fault. I’ll wipe your desk right away.” 4. Hitesh (mistake): “I’m really sorry, Simran. I forgot to bring your Art file. I’ll get it tomorrow without fail.” 5. Kriti (rude behaviour): “I’m very sorry for the way I behaved, Nupur. I was out of line and I apologise.” 6. Mohan (thankful): “Thank you so much, Hitesh. I truly appreciate your help with my speech practice.” 7. Meher (thankful): “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Simran. It means so much that you helped me understand the chapter I missed.” 8. Rima (thankful): “Thank you, Gita. I really appreciate your help in collecting the notebooks from the staff-room.”

This is a speaking activity to be done in pairs in class – the lines above are model answers; you may use your own polite words.

Let us write

Complete Prabhat’s diary page (about the badminton match) using the phrases given in the box.

ANSWER (suggested completion) 1. I do not feel happy about it 2. I will lose the match 3. I managed to change the scoreboard 4. I won the match 5. He had fun playing with me 6. everyone congratulated me after my win 7. Surya did not feel bad

This is a guided writing task; the order above fits the diary, but small changes in wording are acceptable as long as each phrase makes sense in the sentence.

Let us explore

Read the brief bio-sketches of Indian sportspersons (Deepika Kumari and Neeraj Chopra) and visit the given links to learn about other Indian sportspersons and Arjuna Awardees.

ANSWER (guided)This is a reading and research activity. From the bio-sketches we learn that Deepika Kumari is an archer from Jharkhand who practised with homemade bamboo bows, joined the Tata Archery Academy and won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Neeraj Chopra is a javelin thrower from Khandra village in Haryana, the first Asian to win an Olympic gold medal in javelin throw, and he won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both stories show how hard work and a positive spirit lead to success. You can visit the given government links to read about more Indian sportspersons and Arjuna Awardees and share your findings with your class.

The sports bio-sketches above summarise the supplied textbook, including Neeraj Chopra’s Paris 2024 silver. For the dated award activity, read the Government of India National Sports Awards 2023 announcement (the awards ceremony was in January 2024). Treat it as a dated list, not the current year’s awardees.

Additional ClearStudy questions

This practice is separate from the printed textbook exercises.

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Why did everyone say that Prabhat did not know how to accept defeat?

ANSWEREveryone said this because Prabhat simply could not bear to lose, not even at marbles. Winning made him feel wonderful, while losing made him feel terrible, so he avoided any game he was not sure of winning.

2. How did Prabhat manage to win the badminton match against Surya?

ANSWERPrabhat won by cheating. Since Surya was relaxed and paid little attention to the score, Prabhat secretly changed the scoreboard while Surya was looking elsewhere, and so he won the match unfairly.

3. Why could Prabhat not sleep well after winning the match?

ANSWERPrabhat could not sleep well because, although he had won, he did not feel as happy as he usually did. He was disturbed by his cheating and puzzled that Surya was not at all upset about losing.

4. What did Prabhat notice when he watched Surya for some days?

ANSWERPrabhat noticed that Surya was good at some games and bad at others, but he enjoyed all of them equally. Surya played for the fun of it and never worried about winning or losing.

5. How did the other students react to the change in Prabhat?

ANSWERThe other students were happy with the change. They began saying among themselves that it was good fun playing with Prabhat and that he now definitely had a great sporting spirit.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe the change that came over Prabhat by the end of the story and what caused it.

ANSWERAt the start of the story, Prabhat lived only to win. He hated losing so much that he refused to play games he might lose and even cheated to beat Surya at badminton. The change in him was caused by watching the new student, Surya. For several days Prabhat observed how Surya enjoyed every game equally, whether he was good or bad at it, and stayed cheerful even after losing. Slowly Prabhat realised that the real joy of a game lies in trying your best and enjoying every moment, not in the score. His heart changed: he began playing hide and seek, joked during badminton, and earned a reputation for having a great sporting spirit.

7. What lesson about sports and wellness does ‘Change of Heart’ teach young readers?

ANSWER‘Change of Heart’ teaches that sports are meant to be enjoyed, not just won. Prabhat’s obsession with winning made him anxious and dishonest, and it robbed him of all the fun of playing. Surya’s cheerful attitude shows the healthier way – to play fairly, try your best and stay happy whether you win or lose. The story teaches the values of honesty, fair play and sporting spirit, and reminds us that accepting defeat gracefully is part of growing up. For wellness, it shows that a relaxed, positive attitude towards games keeps both the mind and the body healthy and makes life far more enjoyable.

ClearStudy MCQs and assertion–reason practice

1. What was Prabhat’s biggest problem at the start of the story?

(a) he was a poor student   (b) he could not bear to lose   (c) he had no friends   (d) he could not play any game

ANSWER(b) he could not bear to lose.

2. Which game was Prabhat really good at?

(a) basketball   (b) chess   (c) badminton   (d) kho-kho

ANSWER(c) badminton.

3. What was special about the last Friday of each month?

(a) a holiday   (b) friendly matches were held   (c) a test was held   (d) a school trip

ANSWER(b) friendly matches were held.

4. Who was the new student who joined Prabhat’s school?

(a) Surya   (b) Hitesh   (c) Dhiraj   (d) Nupur

ANSWER(a) Surya.

5. How did Prabhat win the badminton match against Surya?

(a) by playing better   (b) by luck   (c) by cheating and changing the scoreboard   (d) Surya gave up

ANSWER(c) by cheating and changing the scoreboard.

6. How did Surya feel about losing the match?

(a) very angry   (b) very sad   (c) he did not feel bad at all   (d) he cried

ANSWER(c) he did not feel bad at all.

7. What did Prabhat see Surya doing the next day?

(a) playing basketball   (b) playing chess   (c) studying   (d) staying at home

ANSWER(a) playing basketball.

8. What did Prabhat finally realise about enjoying a game?

(a) you must always win   (b) you need a scoreboard   (c) you should enjoy the game for its own sake   (d) you must play alone

ANSWER(c) you should enjoy the game for its own sake.

9. What did the other students say about Prabhat at the end?

(a) that he was the best player   (b) that he had a great sporting spirit   (c) that he was a cheat   (d) that he never played

ANSWER(b) that he had a great sporting spirit.

10. In which unit of Poorvi does ‘Change of Heart’ appear?

(a) Sports and Wellness   (b) Friendship   (c) Nature   (d) Festivals

ANSWER(a) Sports and Wellness.
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(a), 5-(c), 6-(c), 7-(a), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(a)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Prabhat refused to play games he was not sure of winning.

Reason (R): He could not bear losing and felt terrible whenever he lost.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

2. Assertion (A): Prabhat cheated to win the badminton match against Surya.

Reason (R): Surya was a hopeless badminton player who could not win any point.

ANSWER(c) A is true, but R is false – Surya was an excellent badminton player who kept winning points; Prabhat cheated because he feared losing; Surya’s distraction gave him the opportunity.

3. Assertion (A): Prabhat could not sleep well after winning the match.

Reason (R): He did not feel as happy as usual and was puzzled by Surya’s calm reaction to losing.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

4. Assertion (A): Surya stopped playing games after losing to Prabhat.

Reason (R): Surya enjoyed every game equally and kept playing happily even when he was bad at it.

ANSWER(d) A is false (Surya kept playing, for example basketball the next day), while R is true.

5. Assertion (A): By the end of the story, Prabhat developed a great sporting spirit.

Reason (R): Watching Surya helped him realise that the real joy of a game is in playing and enjoying it.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Remember the order of events: Prabhat hates losing → Surya joins → friendly match → Prabhat cheats → he cannot sleep → he watches Surya → his heart changes.
• Always contrast the two boys clearly – Prabhat plays only to win; Surya plays to enjoy.
• In theme answers, use the keywords sporting spirit, fair play, honesty and enjoying the game.
• For the title question, link ‘Change of Heart’ to the change in Prabhat’s attitude.

Common mistakes

• Do not write that Surya was a poor badminton player – he was an excellent player; Prabhat won only by cheating.
• Do not say Prabhat won fairly – he secretly changed the scoreboard.
• Do not confuse the games: the friendly match was badminton; the next day Surya played basketball.
• Remember the chosen chess pair in the listening task was Sarita – Nupur, not the other pairs.

FAQs

What is the story ‘Change of Heart’ about?

It is about a boy named Prabhat who always wanted to win and even cheated to do so, until watching a cheerful classmate, Surya, taught him that the real joy of a game is in playing and enjoying it, not just in winning.

Why is the story titled ‘Change of Heart’?

The title refers to the change in Prabhat’s attitude. He moves from caring only about winning to developing a true sporting spirit, so his ‘heart’ truly changes for the better.

How did Prabhat win the badminton match?

He won unfairly. While Surya was distracted and not watching the score, Prabhat secretly changed the scoreboard and won by cheating.

What lesson does ‘Change of Heart’ teach?

It teaches honesty, fair play and sporting spirit – that we should enjoy games, try our best and accept both winning and losing gracefully, which is also good for our wellness.

Textbook-based exercises and additional ClearStudy practice are identified separately. Use your textbook alongside these explanations.

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