My Brother’s Great Invention – Class 7 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Poorvi Unit 3 (Dreams and Discoveries) – “My Brother’s Great Invention” by Anita Rau Badami: summary, theme, about the author, 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: 3 – Dreams and Discoveries Type: Story (Anita Rau Badami) Session: 2026–27
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About the chapter

“My Brother’s Great Invention” is a humorous first-person story from Unit 3, ‘Dreams and Discoveries’, told by fourteen-year-old Anita about her younger brother Anand, who believes he is a born scientist. Anand is forever building ‘inventions’ that go hilariously wrong – first a burglar alarm that soaks his own father, and then a homemade time machine. When a real burglar, Boppa, breaks in one night, Anand cleverly misdirects him into his own room, and the thief mysteriously vanishes near the humming time machine. The story celebrates a child’s curiosity, imagination and inventiveness, told with warmth and gentle comedy.

About the author

Anita Rau Badami is an acclaimed Indian-born Canadian writer, known for fiction that explores family life, memory and the experiences of Indian families both at home and abroad. Born in India, she grew up in several towns across the country before later settling in Canada, and her storytelling often draws warmth and humour from everyday domestic scenes. Her well-known novels include Tamarind Mem, The Hero’s Walk and Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? Her writing is praised for its lively characters, gentle wit and vivid detail – qualities that shine through in this funny tale of a young would-be inventor and his long-suffering sister.

Summary

The narrator, fourteen-year-old Anita, introduces her thirteen-year-old brother Anand, who is convinced he is a scientist. He loves tinkering with electrical gadgets, tools and dynamos, and keeps creating ‘inventions’ that never work as planned. After a spate of thefts in their colony, Anand decides to build a burglar alarm. The contraption is meant to clang and drop a water bag on a thief who opens the door gently. Unfortunately, it is their own father, who always opens the door softly, who gets soaked and furious. Anita, who had warned Anand and refused to be blamed, watches the chaos unfold.

A week later, after watching the film ‘Back to the Future’, Anand decides to build a time machine. He dismantles gadgets all over the house for parts, filling his room with wires, springs, levers and bulbs. Their father forbids him from testing it, but when their parents leave for a wedding in Kharagpur, the children are left alone for one night. Anand promises half-heartedly not to touch the machine. Late that night, Anita hears scratching at the door, and soon a rough-looking man with a green scarf – Boppa, the colony sweeper – breaks in. He locks the children in and demands to know where their father’s room is.

With quick thinking, Anand misdirects Boppa into his own room, where the time machine stands. Suddenly there are crashes, screams, an eerie whine and a humming sound. The children shout for help, and neighbours – the Sharmas and Dr. Mohan – rush in and unlock the door. When they search, Boppa is nowhere to be found; only his green scarf lies near the switch panel. Anand insists his time machine worked and the thief vanished into the past. Boppa is never seen again, the machine is later dismantled as unsafe, and Anand – ever the genius in his own eyes – happily begins a new project to contact creatures in outer space.

Theme & message

The central theme is childhood curiosity, imagination and the inventive spirit, treated with affectionate humour. Anand’s endless experiments – however disastrous – show how a young mind dreams, plans and refuses to give up. The story also highlights the warm, teasing bond between siblings and the patient amusement of parents. Its gentle message is that curiosity and creativity should be encouraged, not crushed: even when inventions fail comically, they spring from a wonderful willingness to think differently, take risks and keep trying.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
racketa loud and disturbing noiseशोर-शराबा
soppingsoaking wetपूरी तरह भीगा हुआ
scowlinghaving an angry or frowning expressionत्यौरी चढ़ाए हुए
rigged upassembled something temporarilyजुगाड़ कर बनाया हुआ
tinkeringexperimenting or fiddlingछेड़छाढ़ करना / प्रयोग करना
dynamoselectric generatorsबिजली बनाने वाले यंत्र
elaboratedetailedविस्तृत / बारीक
clanginga loud ringing sound of metal being hitधातु की खनखनाहट
smuglyproudlyआत्म-संतुष्ट भाव से
stealthilyquietly or carefully so as not to be seen or heardचुपके से / चोरी-छिपे
scepticaldoubtfulसंदेहास्पद / शंकित
frantichurried and disorganisedउतावला और अस्त-व्यस्त
crestfallensad and disappointed in appearanceमायूस / निराश
offendedfelt upset or hurtआहत / नाराज
groggilysleepilyलिफापैा-से / नींद में
ruffianlyrough or violent lookingगुंडे जैसा / दबंगी
brandishingwavingलहराते हुए
cudgela short, thick stick used as a weaponडंडा / सोंटा
eeriestrange and frighteningभयानक / रहस्यमय
indulgentlyfondlyस्नेहपूर्वक
dismantledtaken apartतोड़ दिया गया
nigglinga slight, persistent feeling of doubtहल्की / टिस़टी आशंका

Let us discuss

Part I – Complete the cause-and-effect table

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

CausesEffects
1. Anand set up his burglar alarm and rigged it to work when the door was opened softly.Papa, who always opens the door softly, was soaked by the water bag and became very angry, demanding to know who was behind the ‘nonsense’.
2. Anita repeatedly warned Anand that she would not be blamed, and made it clear she was not involved in his scheme.Anita was able to avoid any responsibility as Anand faced the consequences alone.
3. We watched the movie ‘Back to the Future’.Anand: decided that he too had to build a time machine, and ended the peace and quiet of the house by taking apart all the gadgets to collect parts for it.
4. Papa firmly said ‘NO’ to trying out the time machine.Anand felt crestfallen and disappointed; the children were only allowed to take a look at the machine, and it could not be tested before the parents left for Kharagpur.

II. Do you think Anand was able to keep his promise regarding the time machine? If yes, why? If no, why not?

ANSWERNo, Anand was not really able to keep his promise to leave the time machine alone. Although he did not switch it on himself, the machine ended up being used that very night – when Boppa the burglar entered Anand’s room, it was started and began humming and whining. Anand had promised only half-heartedly because he was offended at the lack of respect for his invention, so he was secretly eager for it to be tried. In a sense, circumstances broke the promise for him, and Anand happily believed his machine had worked.

Part II – Arrange the events in the correct order

Arrange the following events in the correct order of occurrence.

ANSWER – events as given (numbered 1–5) 1. The door swings open, and they see Boppa, standing there with an evil grin. 2. Boppa is nowhere to be found, but his green scarf is lying near the time machine. 3. Mrs. Sharma, her husband, and Dr. Mohan unlock the door and enter the house to help the children. 4. Anita wakes Anand up, informing him that someone is trying to get into the house. 5. Anand misleads Boppa into entering his room instead of his father’s room. Correct order of occurrence: 4 → 1 → 5 → 3 → 2. That is: Anita wakes Anand (4) → the door swings open and Boppa appears (1) → Anand misleads Boppa into his own room (5) → the neighbours unlock the door and enter (3) → Boppa has vanished, leaving only his green scarf near the time machine (2).

Let us think and reflect

I. Read the extracts and answer the questions

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… And he keeps creating ‘inventions’ that never work out as they are supposed to.”

ANSWER (i) When Anita says, “…let me put you in the picture”, she wants to introduce the situation for the benefit of the readers. (ii) Anand enjoys A. dismantling and creating gadgets. (iii) The option that best describes Anand’s personality is B. creative and experimental. (iv) Anita thinks of her brother as a troublesome boy who only imagines he is a scientist and whose ‘inventions’ never work, while Anand thinks of himself as a real, gifted inventor and genius. So there is a clear contrast: Anita is amused and sceptical about his abilities, whereas Anand is proud and fully confident that his creations are brilliant.

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… 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.”

ANSWER (i) Anita was angry with Anand because he had directed Boppa into his own room instead of upstairs, and she feared the thief would soon realise the trick and come back even angrier. (ii) Anand’s presence of mind is shown when he quickly misdirects Boppa into his own room (where the time machine stood) rather than letting him go to their father’s room – buying the children time to think and to shout for help. (iii) The strange noises were most likely caused by B. Anand’s time machine getting activated (Boppa stumbled into it in the dark and set it off). (iv) (c) C and E – the atmosphere is best described as tense and suspenseful.

II. Complete the table of character traits with evidence

Complete the table with the suitable traits of the characters based on evidence from the text. Choose from: creative, curious, careful, responsible, confident. (An example – ‘bothersome’ – has been done for you.)

CharacterTraitsEvidence from the Text
Anand1. bothersome (given)And this is not the first time he’s got on Papa’s nerves or frightened someone half to death in the house.
2. creativeHe 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.
3. confident“Nothing will go wrong this time. I’ve planned it out carefully. See the blueprint.”
Anita1. responsible“We’re old enough to look after ourselves, Ma…”
2. curious“But how does the alarm know that a burglar is opening the door?”
3. careful“Now clean up this mess before anyone gets home.”

III. Answer the following questions

ANSWER 1. What prompted Anand to create the burglar alarm? There had recently been a rush of thefts in their colony. Anand got it into his head that what was needed was a burglar alarm, so the moment his parents left for the office and the market, he started building one to protect the house. 2. How did Anand’s father become the target of the burglar alarm? Anand had rigged the alarm to work only when the door was opened gently, assuming a thief would do so stealthily. But it was Papa who always opened the door softly, so when he came home the alarm was tripped and the water bag fell on him, leaving him soaking wet and furious. 3. How did Anand’s parents and sister react to his ideas? Papa was strict and exasperated – he locked up his tool box and forbade the testing of the time machine. Ma was gentle and protective, soothing Papa and feeling sorry for Anand’s crestfallen look. Anita was amused but sceptical; she helped reluctantly while repeatedly warning that she would not be blamed. 4. How did Anand behave when he was on his ‘inventing binges’? During his inventing binges Anand became completely absorbed and untidy. He took apart all the gadgets in the house to collect parts, filled his room with wires, springs, levers and bulbs, made a great deal of hammering, sawing and clattering, and went around looking like a savage – not even combing his hair when Ma didn’t notice. 5. Why did Mr. Sharma not believe Anand when he spoke about his time machine? Mr. Sharma thought Anand had a wild, overactive imagination. The idea that a burglar could disappear into the past through a homemade time machine sounded absurd to a grown-up, so he smiled indulgently, called it ‘imagination’, and assumed the thief must simply have run out unnoticed. 6. Give an ending to this story, explaining what might have happened to Boppa. (Sample) In the darkness of Anand’s cluttered room, Boppa probably tripped over the tangle of wires and crashed into the control panel, switching the machine on. Startled by the clanging, the eerie whine and the humming, and perhaps getting an electric shock from the loose wires, he panicked. In his terror he slipped off his green scarf, scrambled out through a side window the others had missed, and fled the colony for good – too frightened ever to return. Anand, of course, would always insist that his time machine had whisked the thief away into the past.

Let us learn

I. Onomatopoeia – match the sound words

Read the sound words used in the story in Column 1. Complete Column 2 by matching expressions from the box (whispered angrily; constant and loud construction noises; sudden loud sound of breaking; a continuous low and soothing sound). An example has been done for you.

ANSWER (i) Crash → sudden loud sound of breaking (given) (ii) Humming → a continuous low and soothing sound (iii) Hissed → whispered angrily (iv) Hammering, sawing, clattering → constant and loud construction noises

II. Binomials

1. Match the words in Column 1 with the correct pairs in Column 2 to make binomials. (Column 1: safe, odds, make, pros, now, give · Column 2: A. break, B. cons, C. never, D. take, E. sound, F. ends.)

ANSWER (i) safe and sound (E) (ii) odds and ends (F) (iii) make or break (A) (iv) pros and cons (B) (v) now or never (C) (vi) give and take (D)

2. Complete the following sentences with suitable binomials from 1.

ANSWER (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 give and take. (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 (tripped off, let up, turned out, ran out of, rigged up).

ANSWER 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. Idioms

Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with suitable idioms from the text (leaving the coast clear; frighten me half to death; get on our nerves; get a shelling; fell over ourselves).

ANSWER 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. Simple past and past perfect tense

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

ANSWER (i) Ma had rushed in (past perfect) to see what the racket was all about and found (simple past) Papa standing there, sopping wet and scowling. (ii) Anand had vanished (past perfect) by this time and reappeared (simple past) only after dinner when Papa had cooled (past perfect) down.

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

ANSWER (i) After Rohan A. had finished his homework, he B. decided to go for a walk. He C. left the house and D. realised he E. had forgotten his keys inside. (ii) By the time we A. reached the station, the train B. had already left. We C. waited for the next one to arrive.

3. Combine the pairs of sentences using the time expressions in the box (before, after, by the time, when) and rewrite them using the past perfect tense. (Example: Rohan had packed his suitcase before he left for the airport.)

ANSWER (sample combinations) (i) Rohan packed his suitcase / He left for the airport → Rohan had packed his suitcase before he left for the airport. (given as example) (ii) We started work / He arrived in the morning → By the time he arrived in the morning, we had started work. (iii) They set up the tents / The others brought food and medicine → They had set up the tents before the others brought food and medicine. (iv) The students became quiet / They heard the teacher coming → The students had become quiet when they heard the teacher coming. (v) The villagers left the village / The flood submerged the entire area → The villagers had left the village before the flood submerged the entire area.

Note: The Let us listen (true/false statements and fill-in-the-blanks based on the conversation between Anita and Toby the Martian), Let us speak (pronouncing ‘–ough’ words such as bough, dough, through, cough, thought, plough and sorting them by sound; reading the ‘cough…trough’ passage and tongue-twister aloud) and Let us write (a paragraph on a vocation of your choice) and Let us explore (researching Indian inventors and their inventions) are listening, speaking, writing and project tasks meant to be done in class. For the listening task, the true statements are 1, 2 and 3 (Toby misses his school/home; Anita accepts Toby as her friend; Anita asks about his single eye), and the fill-ins are: 1. people; 2. Martians…energy; 3. chocolates; 4. one; 5. clouds…metals. A model sorting of the ‘–ough’ words: oo → through; off → cough; o → dough; ow → bough, plough; aw → thought.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. How was Anand’s burglar alarm supposed to work?

ANSWERAccording to Anand’s blueprint, the moment the door was opened gently the alarm would be tripped off and make a clanging sound. A water bag would then loosen and fall on the thief’s head, after which they could call the police.

2. Which film inspired Anand to build a time machine?

ANSWERThe family watched the film ‘Back to the Future’, which is about a time machine. After seeing it, Anand decided that he too had to make a time machine, ending the peace and quiet of the house.

3. Who was Boppa, and why was he the perfect burglar?

ANSWERBoppa was the man who had recently begun sweeping the compounds in their row of houses. He made the perfect thief because he knew exactly when the occupants were out, leaving the coast clear for him to break in safely.

4. What did the neighbours find when they searched for Boppa?

ANSWERAfter unlocking the door and searching the house, the neighbours could not find Boppa anywhere. The only trace of him was his green scarf lying on the floor near the panel of switches of the time machine.

5. What new project did Anand begin at the end of the story?

ANSWERConvinced that he was a genius, Anand launched a brand-new project – something about building a telephone to contact creatures in outer space – promising to tell Anita all about it next time.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe the night Boppa broke into the house and how the children handled the situation.

ANSWERWith their parents away in Kharagpur, Anita stayed up reading while Anand slept. Around eleven thirty she heard scratching, then a rattle and a click. She woke Anand, and moments later the door swung open to reveal Boppa, a rough-looking man with a green scarf and a cudgel. He locked the children in and demanded to know where their father’s room was. Thinking quickly, Anand misdirected him into his own room, where the time machine stood. Soon there was a crash, a scream and strange humming. The children shouted for help until the Sharmas and Dr. Mohan arrived and unlocked the door. Boppa had vanished, leaving only his scarf behind.

7. How does the story present Anand as a likeable character despite his failed inventions?

ANSWERAlthough Anand’s inventions go comically wrong, the story makes him thoroughly likeable through his boundless curiosity, imagination and never-say-die spirit. He plans carefully, draws blueprints, and pours himself completely into each project, undiscouraged by failure. His confidence is endearing rather than arrogant, and his quick thinking during the burglary shows genuine presence of mind. Even his messy appearance and the chaos he causes are described with affection by his sister. By the end, when he cheerfully launches a new project to contact aliens, readers admire his refusal to give up. The story celebrates the creative, dreaming child in him, suggesting such curiosity should be encouraged.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Who is the narrator of the story?

(a) Anand   (b) Anita   (c) Ma   (d) Mrs. Sharma

ANSWER(b) Anita.

2. How old is Anita in the story?

(a) thirteen   (b) fourteen   (c) fifteen   (d) twelve

ANSWER(b) fourteen.

3. What prompted Anand to build a burglar alarm?

(a) a school project   (b) a rush of thefts in the colony   (c) his father’s order   (d) a science fair

ANSWER(b) a rush of thefts in the colony.

4. Why did the burglar alarm soak Papa instead of a thief?

(a) Papa shook the door   (b) Papa always opens the door softly   (c) the alarm was broken   (d) Papa pulled a wire

ANSWER(b) Papa always opens the door softly – and the alarm was rigged to work when the door was opened gently.

5. Which film inspired Anand to build a time machine?

(a) Star Wars   (b) Back to the Future   (c) E.T.   (d) The Time Machine

ANSWER(b) Back to the Future.

6. Where did the parents go, leaving the children alone?

(a) Calcutta   (b) a wedding in Kharagpur   (c) the office   (d) Sharma Aunty’s house

ANSWER(b) a wedding in Kharagpur.

7. Who turned out to be the burglar?

(a) Dr. Mohan   (b) Mr. Sharma   (c) Boppa, the sweeper   (d) a stranger

ANSWER(c) Boppa, the sweeper.

8. Into which room did Anand misdirect Boppa?

(a) the kitchen   (b) Papa’s room upstairs   (c) his own room with the time machine   (d) Anita’s room

ANSWER(c) his own room with the time machine.

9. What did the neighbours find near the time machine after Boppa vanished?

(a) a cudgel   (b) a green scarf   (c) a torch   (d) a glove

ANSWER(b) a green scarf.

10. What new project did Anand begin at the end?

(a) a robot   (b) a telephone to contact creatures in outer space   (c) another burglar alarm   (d) a flying machine

ANSWER(b) a telephone to contact creatures in outer space.
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(b), 3-(b), 4-(b), 5-(b), 6-(b), 7-(c), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(b)

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): Papa, and not a thief, was soaked by the burglar alarm.

Reason (R): The alarm was rigged to work only when the door was opened gently, and Papa always opens the door softly.

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

2. Assertion (A): Anand began building a time machine.

Reason (R): The family had watched the film ‘Back to the Future’, which is about a time machine.

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

3. Assertion (A): Anand misdirected Boppa into his own room rather than upstairs.

Reason (R): Anand wanted to give the children some time to think and to shout for help.

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

4. Assertion (A): Mr. Sharma believed that Anand’s time machine had really sent the burglar into the past.

Reason (R): Boppa’s green scarf was found lying near the panel of switches.

ANSWER(d) A is false – Mr. Sharma did not believe it and smiled indulgently at the boy’s imagination; R is true (the green scarf was indeed found).

5. Assertion (A): Anita refused to take any blame for Anand’s burglar alarm.

Reason (R): She had repeatedly warned Anand that she was not involved in his scheme.

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

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Remember the sequence: burglar alarm → Papa soaked → ‘Back to the Future’ → time machine built → parents leave → Boppa breaks in → Anand misdirects him → thief vanishes. Examiners love order-of-events questions.
• Always name the author (Anita Rau Badami) and the narrator (Anita) in long answers.
• For character questions, contrast Anita (sceptical, responsible, curious) with Anand (creative, confident, inventive).
• For value-based answers, highlight curiosity, imagination and never giving up.

Common mistakes

• Do not confuse the narrator: Anita narrates; Anand is the inventor brother.
• The alarm worked when the door was opened gently (not violently) – that is why Papa, not a thief, was caught.
• Anand sent Boppa into his own room, not upstairs to Papa’s room.
• The clue left behind was a green scarf, not a cudgel – check the detail carefully.

FAQs

Who wrote ‘My Brother’s Great Invention’?

The story was written by Anita Rau Badami and appears in Unit 3, ‘Dreams and Discoveries’, of the Class 7 English textbook Poorvi. It is narrated by Anita about her younger brother Anand.

What are Anand’s two main inventions in the story?

Anand first builds a burglar alarm that ends up soaking his own father, and then a homemade time machine made from gadgets taken apart around the house.

What happened to the burglar Boppa?

After Anand misdirected him into the room with the time machine, Boppa mysteriously vanished, leaving only his green scarf behind. He was never seen again, and Anand insisted the machine had sent him into the past.

What is the message of the story?

The story celebrates childhood curiosity, imagination and inventiveness, suggesting with gentle humour that a child’s creative spirit should be encouraged even when experiments fail.

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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