Say the Right Thing – Class 7 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Poorvi Unit 2 (Wit and Humour) – the play “Say the Right Thing” by G.C. Thornley: summary, theme, character notes, word meanings and every textbook exercise (Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn) answered in full. The questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT book, and every table, fill-in and matching task is written out as readable text.

Class: 7 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 2 – Wit and Humour Type: Play (G.C. Thornley) Session: 2026–27
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About the play

“Say the Right Thing” is a short, humorous one-act play from Unit 2, ‘Wit and Humour’. Set in the small town of Lanfield, it tells how Mrs. Shaw coaches her talkative young daughter Mary to be polite before two important guests – Mrs. Harding (the wife of a wealthy man) and Mrs. Lee (Mr. Harding’s sister) – arrive. In Scene I the mother gives careful advice; in Scene II Mary innocently breaks every rule, insulting the guests’ relatives, clothes, habits and even their dog. The play shows, through comedy, how thoughtless words can embarrass everyone and why tactful, kind speech matters.

About the author

G.C. Thornley (Gerald Cecil Thornley) was a British writer and educationist best known for his English-language learning materials and graded readers used widely in schools across the world. His simple plays and stories, written in clear, easy English, were designed to teach language naturally while entertaining young readers. “Say the Right Thing” is a typical example of his light, instructive style: it uses everyday dialogue and gentle comedy to teach an important social lesson about polite conversation and good manners.

Summary

The play opens in Mrs. Shaw’s sitting room as she tidies up before two guests arrive. She scolds her daughter Mary for leaving clothes around and explains that Mrs. Harding, the wife of a wealthy man who has just moved to Lanfield, and Mrs. Lee, his sister, are coming to visit. Mrs. Shaw is keen to make friends with them, so she gently suggests that Mary go out for a walk, fearing she may not “say the right thing.” Mary, however, is confident she can talk well and insists on staying.

Mrs. Shaw then gives Mary careful advice: be kind, say things that please people, laugh and make them laugh, keep the conversation going if it stops, and never say anything that makes the guests angry. She even teaches Mary the polite words to use when guests prepare to leave – “Must you go? Can’t you stay?” Mary repeats this confidently and promises to remember everything.

In Scene II the guests arrive, and Mary’s good intentions collapse into a string of blunders. She praises Mrs. Harding’s “beautiful children” – but Mrs. Harding has none. She mocks bankers, only to learn Mrs. Lee’s brother is one. She laughs at a blue dress with a red coat, which Mrs. Harding herself wears; criticises a woman who stays in bed and calls the doctor, habits the guests share; and insults a dirty dog that turns out to be the Hardings’. Each remark is met with awkward silence. At last, when Mrs. Shaw politely asks the guests to stay longer, Mary delivers the funniest blunder of all, reversing her mother’s words: “Oh, must you stay? Can’t you go?”

Theme & message

The central theme is the importance of tact and polite conversation. Through Mary’s comic mistakes, the play shows how careless, blunt remarks – even when honestly meant – can hurt and embarrass others. It teaches that good manners require us to think before we speak, to be kind and considerate, and to be aware of our listeners’ feelings. The humour comes from the gap between Mrs. Shaw’s sensible advice and Mary’s thoughtless words, but the underlying message is serious: knowing how and when to say something is just as important as what we say.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
hilariouslyin a very funny wayबहुत हसाने वाले झंच में
blunderscareless mistakesबड़ी भूलें / लापरवाही
embarrassesmakes someone uncomfortableशर्मिंदा / असहज कर देना
wealthyhaving a lot of money; richधनी / समृद्ध
politeshowing good mannersविनम्र / शिष्ट
guidancehelp and adviceमार्गदर्शन / सलाह
talkativefond of talking a great dealबातूनी / ज्यादा बोलने वाला
bankera person who works in a bankबैंकर / बैंक कर्मचारी
staggeredmoved unsteadily, almost fallingलड़खड़ाते हुए चलना
rectifyto correct somethingसुधारना / ठीक करना
diagnoseto identify an illness or problemरोग की पहचान करना
countrysideland outside towns; rural areaग्रामीण इलाका / देहात
spectaclesa pair of glasses worn to see betterचश्मा / एनक
cautiouscareful to avoid problemsसावधान / सतर्क
inexperiencedhaving little knowledge or skillअनुभवहीन / कच्चा
atmospherethe general mood of a placeमाहौल / वातावरण
impulsiveacting without thinking firstआवेग में बिना सोचे काम करने वाला

Let us discuss (Scene I)

I. Complete the table based on Scene I

Complete the table given below based on Scene I of the play. (An example has been done for you.)

SpeakerWords of the SpeakerReason
Mrs. ShawThe room looks cleaner now. Put that coat away in your bedroom.To instruct Mary to keep the room tidy. (given)
MaryYou’re always telling me to put things away. I’m not a child!To protest that she is grown up and does not like being corrected again and again.
Mrs. ShawI can’t tell you everything, but you’ll always be right if you’re kind to people. Say things that will please them.To highlight the importance of being kind as a way to ensure Mary says the appropriate things when guests arrive.

II. Do you think Mary will be able to follow her mother’s advice successfully when Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee visit? Why or why not?

ANSWERNo, I do not think Mary will be able to follow her mother’s advice successfully. Although she is confident and promises to remember everything, she is young, impulsive and very talkative. She tends to speak her mind without thinking of others’ feelings. Her habit of saying whatever comes to her mind suggests that, despite her good intentions, she will most likely blunder and embarrass both the guests and her mother.

Let us discuss (Scene II)

I. Rectify the false statements

Rectify the false statements given below from Scene II of the play. (An example has been done for you.)

ANSWER 1. Mrs. Harding states that they do not like London as it is not the same as Lanfield. → Rectification (given): Mrs. Harding states that they like Lanfield very much even though it is not the same as London. 2. Mrs. Harding was pleased to know that Mary was familiar with her children. → Rectification: Mrs. Harding was not pleased, because she has no children at all; Mary had mistaken someone else’s children for hers. 3. Mrs. Shaw shared that she liked Mrs. Best as she read a lot of newspapers. → Rectification: Mrs. Shaw said she liked Mrs. Best because she was a nice woman; it was Mr. Best (a banker) who read a lot of newspapers. 4. Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Shaw agree that wearing a blue dress with a red coat is unfashionable. → Rectification: They do not call it unfashionable; Mrs. Harding says she herself often wears a blue dress with a red coat, and Mrs. Shaw quickly says she likes blue dresses and red coats. 5. Mary shares that she finds the dog outside the window cute. → Rectification: Mary says the dog looks very dirty and that she does not like dogs – not realising it is the Hardings’ dog, Towzer.

Let us think and reflect

I.1. Extract – “Mary: What are you going to talk about? … Mrs. Shaw: Oh, I don’t think so. You can go out for a walk. It will be better if you do that.”

ANSWER (i) What does Mrs. Shaw imply when she says, “One day you’ll have to go to some of these houses yourself and talk to the people there”? → C. She wants Mary to develop social skills for the future. (ii) Mrs. Shaw and Mary are discussing how to have a polite conversation. (iii) Why did Mary insist on staying with her mother when the guests arrived? → Mary insisted on staying because she was confident that she could talk well and behave correctly. She felt she already knew the right things to say, such as “Good afternoon” and “How are you?”, and wanted to prove to her mother that anyone – including her – could talk politely to guests. (iv) Match the character traits: Mary → A. eager and B. inexperienced; Mrs. Shaw → C. cautious. (Mary is eager to talk but inexperienced in polite conversation, while Mrs. Shaw is cautious and worried about Mary’s words.)

I.2. Extract – “Mary: I saw Mrs. Cotter this afternoon… I’ve never been to a doctor in my life. Mrs. Harding: I stay in bed in the morning myself.”

ANSWER (i) Mary could spot Mrs. Cotter in the street because she had gone out that afternoon and happened to meet her there, since Mrs. Cotter does not stay in bed in the afternoon as she does in the morning. (ii) What does Mary’s comment about Mrs. Cotter staying in bed and calling the doctor suggest about her understanding? → B. She is unable to understand why people need medical help. (iii) How can we say that Mary enjoyed good health? → We can say Mary enjoyed good health because she proudly declares, “I’ve never been to a doctor in my life.” This shows she had never been ill enough to need a doctor and was a strong, healthy girl. (iv) “Mary might have unintentionally offended Mrs. Harding.” → True. By criticising women who stay in bed in the morning, Mary unknowingly offended Mrs. Harding, who says she does the same thing herself.

II. Answer the following questions.

ANSWER 1. What does Mary’s comment about Mr. Best’s routine and profession reveal about her viewpoint on bankers and their way of life? Mary’s comment shows that she has a low and prejudiced opinion of bankers. She mocks Mr. Best for travelling to London by train daily, says he “lives in trains”, reads only newspapers and never books, and rudely declares that “bankers can’t think.” This reveals that she judges people harshly without truly understanding their lives. 2. What can we infer about Mary’s understanding of polite conversation based on her interactions with the guests? We can infer that Mary has very little real understanding of polite conversation. Although she knows a few polite phrases, she fails to think before speaking and repeatedly makes personal, critical remarks. She does not consider how her words might hurt the listeners, showing that knowing manners and actually practising them are very different things. 3. What do you think the repeated stage direction ‘no one speaks’ indicates about the atmosphere in the room when Mary speaks? The repeated direction ‘no one speaks’ indicates an awkward, uncomfortable and tense atmosphere. Each time Mary blunders, the room falls into an embarrassed silence because the guests are offended and Mrs. Shaw is too uneasy to respond. It heightens the comedy while also showing how Mary’s remarks spoil the conversation. 4. How does Mary’s attitude towards the guests change throughout the play? At the start Mary is eager, confident and sure she can impress the guests. As the visit goes on, however, she grows increasingly embarrassed, repeatedly saying “Oh, I’m sorry” and turning red in the face after each blunder. Yet, in spite of her embarrassment, she never fully learns to control her tongue, as her final remark shows. 5. What do Mrs. Harding’s and Mrs. Lee’s responses to Mary’s blunders during their visit reveal about their characters? Their responses reveal that both ladies are patient, dignified and well-mannered. Instead of getting angry, they reply calmly and correct Mary gently – for example, quietly stating that they have no children, that their brother is a banker, or that the dog is theirs. Their composed behaviour contrasts with Mary’s thoughtlessness and shows true politeness. 6. In what way does the play show the importance of knowing how to engage in polite conversation? The play shows that polite conversation requires tact, kindness and awareness of others’ feelings, not just knowing the right words. Mary’s blunders cause repeated embarrassment and threaten her mother’s wish to make friends. By contrasting her thoughtless remarks with the guests’ gracious responses, the play teaches that we must think before we speak and choose words that please rather than hurt.

Let us learn

I. Suffixes – root words and endings

Divide the following words from the text as root words and suffixes: gladly, banker, guidance, quietly, walking.

ANSWER gladly = glad + -ly banker = bank + -er guidance = guide + -ance (drop the final ‘e’) quietly = quiet + -ly walking = walk + -ing

I.1. Match the suffixes in Column 2 with their meanings/purpose in Column 3 and give examples (Column 4).

Column 1 (word)SuffixMeaning / purposeExamples
Biology(i) -logyC. a study ofSociology, Zoology, Geology
tolerance(ii) -anceF. change to a nounguidance, importance, performance
stopped(iii) -edE. change to past tensewalked, jumped, played
backward(iv) -wardG. in a certain directionforward, upward, homeward
courageous(v) -ousH. change to adjectivehumorous, dangerous, famous
quietly(vi) -lyA. change to adverbgladly, kindly, slowly
toughest(vii) -estD. change to superlativetallest, kindest, fastest
tomatoes(viii) -esB. change to pluralpotatoes, boxes, dishes

I.2. Fill in the blanks using words given in the brackets by adding suitable suffixes.

ANSWER (i) effectively   (ii) wisely   (iii) discussing (iv) respectful   (v) appreciation   (vi) responsive

II. ‘Say’ vs ‘tell’ and confusing word pairs

Is there a difference in the meanings of ‘say’ and ‘tell’? (Yes/No)

ANSWERYes. ‘Say’ focuses on the message and does not always need a listener (e.g. “She said something.”), while ‘tell’ focuses on who receives the message and always needs a listener (e.g. “She told me a story.”).

II.1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words (fetch/bring, see/look, live/stay, study/learn, speak/talk, hear/listen), changing the verb forms if necessary.

ANSWER (i) I looked at the photo, but I didn’t see anyone familiar. (ii) I’d better go and fetch my mother from the station, and then bring her home. (iii) I need to study for my mathematics exam this weekend, so I hope to learn new concepts along the way. (iv) I can hear the music from my neighbour’s house, but I need to listen to it carefully to understand the lyrics. (v) “Could I speak to Mrs. Kalpana, who is going to talk to us about gardening,” said Ritu. (vi) I live in a small town, but I often stay with my relatives in the city.

III. Tenses – present continuous and present perfect continuous

Underline the verbs in: “They lived in London before.”; “I met her in a shop and asked her to come.”; “She has been staying with them for a while.”

ANSWER “They lived in London before.” → simple past tense. “I met her in a shop and asked her to come.” → simple past tense. “She has been staying with them for a while.” → present perfect continuous tense.

III.1. Fill in the blanks using the verbs given in brackets in present continuous or present perfect continuous tense.

ANSWER (i) are organising   (ii) have been preparing   (iii) have been rehearsing (iv) has been growing   (v) is testing   (vi) has been working   (vii) is buzzing

IV. Kinds of sentences

IV.1. Identify the kinds of sentences and punctuate them appropriately.

ANSWER (i) The meeting starts at 10.00 a.m. in the conference room. → Declarative (ii) What an exciting adventure it was! → Exclamatory (iii) How did you solve the problem so quickly? → Interrogative (iv) What is the weather forecast today? → Interrogative (v) How beautiful is the rainbow! → Exclamatory (vi) Clean up your room before dinner. → Imperative (vii) The children are planning a surprise party for their mom. → Declarative (viii) Turn off the music. → Imperative

Note: The Before we read activities, Let us listen (the mother–son conversation about basic manners), Let us speak (intonation and sentence-stress practice), Let us write (rewriting the play as a short story) and Let us explore (enacting the play, greetings in different languages, and the meaning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’) are discussion, listening, speaking and project tasks meant to be done in class. For the listening task, the true answers are: I.1. the son behaved impatiently; I.2. the mother finally refers to her son as a polite young man; II. the four true statements are 1, 2, 3 and 7.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Why was Mrs. Shaw so keen to make a good impression on Mrs. Harding?

ANSWERMrs. Shaw wanted to know Mrs. Harding well and to be invited to her house. She felt there was little to do in Lanfield and wished to make more friends. So she hoped a pleasant visit would help her form a friendship with the wealthy newcomers.

2. What advice did Mrs. Shaw give Mary about how to behave when the guests wanted to leave?

ANSWERMrs. Shaw told Mary not to jump out of her chair or look gladly at the door when the guests prepared to leave. Instead, she should look sorry and politely ask them to stay longer by saying, “Must you go? Can’t you stay?”

3. How did Mary insult Mrs. Harding without realising it during the talk about children?

ANSWERMary praised Mrs. Harding’s “beautiful children” whom she claimed to have seen on the road. But Mrs. Harding had no children at all. Mary had mistaken someone else’s children for hers, which embarrassed and displeased the guest.

4. Why did Mary’s remark about the dirty dog cause embarrassment?

ANSWERMary looked out of the window, called the dog dirty, and rudely asked why people keep dogs and why its owner did not keep it clean. To her shock, Mrs. Harding replied that the dog, Towzer, belonged to them, which made Mary turn red with embarrassment.

5. How does the play end, and why is the ending funny?

ANSWERThe play ends when Mrs. Shaw politely asks the guests to stay a little longer. Mary, trying to use the polite words she had learned, reverses them and blurts out, “Oh, must you stay? Can’t you go?” This final blunder, the opposite of what she meant, is the funniest moment of the play.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe the advice Mrs. Shaw gave Mary in Scene I and explain how completely Mary failed to follow it.

ANSWERIn Scene I, Mrs. Shaw advised Mary to be kind, to say things that please the guests, to laugh and make them laugh, to keep the conversation going if it stopped, and never to say anything that would make the guests angry. She also taught her the polite words to use at the end of the visit. In Scene II, however, Mary failed on every count. She criticised bankers, mocked a woman’s clothes and habits, insulted the guests’ dog, and offended both ladies again and again. Instead of pleasing them, she created awkward silences. At the very end she even reversed the polite words, saying, “Must you stay? Can’t you go?” – the complete opposite of her mother’s advice.

7. How does ‘Say the Right Thing’ use humour to teach a serious lesson about polite conversation?

ANSWERThe play turns a serious lesson into comedy through the gap between Mrs. Shaw’s careful advice and Mary’s thoughtless words. Each time Mary speaks, she unknowingly insults the very people she is talking to – praising non-existent children, mocking a banker who is the guest’s brother, and criticising a dog that turns out to be theirs. The repeated stage direction ‘no one speaks’ and Mary’s constant “Oh, I’m sorry” make the audience laugh. Yet behind the laughter lies a clear message: polite conversation needs tact, kindness and awareness of others’ feelings. The guests’ calm, gracious replies contrast with Mary’s blunders, teaching us to think carefully before we speak.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Who wrote the play ‘Say the Right Thing’?

(a) Ruskin Bond   (b) G.C. Thornley   (c) Hugh Lofting   (d) Natalie Joan

ANSWER(b) G.C. Thornley.

2. In which town is the play set?

(a) London   (b) Puddleby   (c) Lanfield   (d) Woodstock

ANSWER(c) Lanfield.

3. Why was Mrs. Shaw keen to know Mrs. Harding well?

(a) to borrow money   (b) to make more friends in Lanfield   (c) to sell her house   (d) to find a job

ANSWER(b) to make more friends in Lanfield.

4. What polite words did Mrs. Shaw teach Mary to use when guests prepare to leave?

(a) “Good afternoon”   (b) “Must you go? Can’t you stay?”   (c) “How are you?”   (d) “Please come again”

ANSWER(b) “Must you go? Can’t you stay?”

5. Why was Mrs. Harding not pleased when Mary praised her “beautiful children”?

(a) the children were rude   (b) she had no children   (c) the children were ill   (d) she disliked compliments

ANSWER(b) she had no children.

6. What did Mary rudely say about bankers?

(a) they are very kind   (b) they work too hard   (c) bankers can’t think   (d) bankers are rich

ANSWER(c) bankers can’t think.

7. Whose brother turned out to be a banker?

(a) Mrs. Shaw’s   (b) Mary’s   (c) Mrs. Lee’s   (d) Mrs. Best’s

ANSWER(c) Mrs. Lee’s.

8. What was the name of the dog Mary insulted?

(a) Polynesia   (b) Jip   (c) Towzer   (d) Rover

ANSWER(c) Towzer.

9. Which stage direction is repeated to show the awkward silence after Mary’s remarks?

(a) ‘everyone laughs’   (b) ‘no one speaks’   (c) ‘they leave’   (d) ‘Mary smiles’

ANSWER(b) ‘no one speaks’.

10. What did Mary blurt out at the very end of the play?

(a) “Must you go? Can’t you stay?”   (b) “Please stay longer”   (c) “Must you stay? Can’t you go?”   (d) “Goodbye and thank you”

ANSWER(c) “Must you stay? Can’t you go?”
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(b), 5-(b), 6-(c), 7-(c), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(c)

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): Mrs. Shaw advised Mary to say only kind and pleasing things to the guests.

Reason (R): Mrs. Shaw wanted to become friends with Mrs. Harding and be invited to her house.

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

2. Assertion (A): Mrs. Harding was not pleased when Mary mentioned her children.

Reason (R): Mrs. Harding had no children of her own.

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

3. Assertion (A): Mary’s remarks repeatedly created an awkward silence in the room.

Reason (R): Her comments unknowingly insulted the guests and their relatives.

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

4. Assertion (A): Mary successfully followed all of her mother’s advice during the visit.

Reason (R): At the end she politely told the guests, “Must you go? Can’t you stay?”

ANSWER(d) A is false (Mary failed to follow the advice), and R is also false – she actually reversed the words and said, “Must you stay? Can’t you go?”

5. Assertion (A): Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee remained calm and dignified despite Mary’s blunders.

Reason (R): They were well-mannered and corrected Mary gently instead of getting angry.

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

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Always name the author (G.C. Thornley) and the setting (Lanfield) in long answers.
• Learn the four characters: Mary, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Harding (no children) and Mrs. Lee (Mr. Harding’s sister).
• Remember the chain of blunders in order: children → bankers → blue dress and red coat → staying in bed/doctor → talkative women → the dog → horses/shooting → the final reversed line.
• For theme questions, focus on tact, kindness and thinking before you speak.

Common mistakes

• Do not write that the guests got angry – they stayed calm and dignified.
• Mrs. Harding has no children; Mary mistook someone else’s children for hers.
• The banker is Mrs. Lee’s brother (Mr. Harding), not Mary’s relative.
• Mary’s final line is “Must you stay? Can’t you go?” – the reverse of the correct words. Do not mix this up.

FAQs

Who wrote ‘Say the Right Thing’ and what type of text is it?

It was written by G.C. Thornley. It is a short, humorous one-act play in two scenes from Unit 2, ‘Wit and Humour’, of the Class 7 English book Poorvi.

What is the main message of ‘Say the Right Thing’?

The play teaches the importance of tact and polite conversation – we must think before we speak and choose kind words, because thoughtless remarks can hurt and embarrass others.

What is Mary’s funniest blunder in the play?

At the end, trying to use the polite words her mother taught her, Mary reverses them and tells the guests, “Oh, must you stay? Can’t you go?” – the exact opposite of what she meant.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Poorvi textbook; the summary, author note and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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