GSEB Solutions Class 6 English Honeysuckle Poem 8 Whatif

Gujarat Board GSEB Class 6 English Textbook Solutions Honeysuckle Poem 8 Whatif Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 6 English Honeysuckle Poem 8 Whatif

GSEB Class 6 English Whatif Text Book Questions and Answers

Working With The Poem

Question 1.
Who is the speaker in the poem ?
Answer:
The poet Shel Silverstein is the speaker in the poem ‘Whatif’.

Question 2.
With your partner list out the happenings the speaker is worried about.
Answer:
The speaker is worried about many things that may or may not happen. He/She often thinks what he / she would do if certain things happen in his/her life. The poet is worried about the following things :
1. Being dumb in school
2. The school authorities close the swimming pool
3. Getting beaten up
4. Someone poisoning his cup
5. Starts to cry
6. Getting sick and dying
7. Flunking in the test
8. Green hair growing on his chest
9. Nobody liking him
10. A bolt of lightning striking him
11. He doesn’t grow taller
12. His head starts getting smaller
13. The fish would stop biting food
14. Wind tearing up his kite
15. A war starting
16. His parents getting divorced
17. Bus coming late
18. His teeth not growing straight
19. Tearing his pants
20. Never learning to dance

Question 3.
Why do you think he / she has these worries? Can you think of ways to get rid of such worries?
Answer:
He /She has these worries because of his/hers negative approach of looking at things. In order to get rid of such worries one needs to have a positive attitude in life.

Read the following line :

Some whatifs crawled inside my ear Can words crawl into your ear? This is an image. The poet is trying to make an image of what he / she experiences. Now, with your partner try and list out some more images from the poem.
Answer:
No, words cannot crawl into our ears. By these lines, the poet means that our mind is always alert. When at night the poet is alone, both good and bad thoughts come into his mind. Some of the images that the created sire :

• Pranced and partied
• Green hair growing on chest
• Head getting smaller

In groups of four discuss some more ‘Whatifs’ that you experience in your day to day life and list them out. :

Whatif…
(1) the roof falls ?
(2) the birds stop flying ?
(3) the dogs stop barking in the presence of an intruder ?
(4) the tyre of the school bus – gets punctured ?
(5) the peon forgets to ring the bell at the end of a period?
(6) the rains don’t fall one monsoon ?
(7) the trees stop growing tall ?
(8) the watchman guarding the building goes off to sleep?
(9) the milkman does not deliver milk ?
(10) the Indian team loses a match?

And now write a poem of five or six lines with the ‘Whatifs’ that you have listed :

Whatif…
(1) I have failed in the exam ?
(2) my parents do not buy me a smartphone ?
(3) nobody wishes me on my birthday ?
(4) my friends stop talking with me ?
(5) I lose my way in a very big fair ?
(6) I bunk my school every day ?
(7) The police catches me driving without licence.

Writing

Write an essay on the topic ‘What if ‘ there were no studies’.
You can make use of the points mentioned below:

Studies give us knowledge – help us distinguish between the right and the wrong – teach us to be respected and civilized citizens – help us understand people l and problems – help us find solutions to problems – help us live a more luxurious and a prosperous life with the construction of state of the art dams, bridges, buildings and roads-helps us research and innovate – help us understand our environment, our planet ” and our solar system better-helps us increase the life expectancy through better health care and medical facilities – gives us our distinct identity in society. Helps us trade on better and more profitable terms and conditions.

Without education – we would be uncivilized – no rules and regulations to guide us-no one to determine what is right and wrong and acceptable and unacceptable to society – we would go back to the primitive times as modern innovations and creations would cease to exist-life expectancy and health care would take a down turn and there would be suffering all around.
Hence, studies form an important part of our lives today.

GSEB Class 6 English Whatif Additional Important Questions and Answers

Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences :

Question 1.
The title of the poem ‘Whatif’ suggests ………….
A. possibility.
B. prediction.
C. hypothetical situation.
D. future time.
Answer:
C. hypothetical situation.

Question 2.
The words ‘crawled inside my ear’ refers to ………….
A. ‘the poet’s thinking’.
B. ‘the poet’s hearing’.
C. ‘the poet’s listening’.
D. ‘the poet’s imagining’.
Answer:
A. ‘the poet’s thinking’.

Question 3.
The figure of speech in the line ‘And pranced and partied all night long’ is …………..
A. Onomatopoeia.
B. Alliteration.
C. Apostrophe.
D. Metaphor.
Answer:
B. Alliteration.

Question 4.
The poem ‘Whatif’ is written by …………….
A. Emily Dickinson.
B. Mary O’Neill.
C. Shel Silverstein.
D. Peter Dixon.
Answer:
C. Shel Silverstein.

Question 5.
Generally ‘Whatifs’ arise in our minds when we are in…
A. fear.
B. worry.
C. happy mood.
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’
Answer:
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’

Question 6.
Whatifs occurred to the poet while…
A. he was playing with his friends the previous evening.
B. he was watching a movie.
C. he was lying in his bed thinking at night.
D. he was dreaming in his deep sleep.
Answer:
C. he was lying in his bed thinking at night.

Question 7.
The phrase ‘pranced and partied’ means ……………
A. ‘kept lingering’
B. ‘started dancing’
C. ‘remained still’
D. ‘went on roaring’
Answer:
B. ‘started dancing’

Question 8.
In fact, ‘Whatifs’ are the poet’s………….
A. ‘flights of imagination’.
B. ‘wild guesses’.
C. ‘fake ideas’.
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’
Answer:
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’

Question 9.
What would have they done of swimming pool?
A. Filled it to its brim.
B. Kept it half full.
C. Closed it.
D. Opened it for all.
Answer:
C. Closed it.

Question 10.
The poet thinks suppose his cup is filled with…
A. nector.
B. poison.
C. energy drink.
D. milk.
Answer:
B. poison.

Question 11.
What, according to the poet, may happen to his kite?
A. Soar high.
B. Dip and Dive,
C. Get torn by wind.
D. Get stuck up in a tree.
Answer:
C. Get torn by wind.

Question 12.
The poet would not like if his teeth …………….
A. do not grow straight.
B. fall down.
C. do not shine.
D. are not so strong.
Answer:
A. do not grow straight.

State whether the following sentences are True or False. Put ‘T’ for True and ‘F’ for False :

1. The poet heard some ‘whatifs’-in his ear.
Answer:
True

2. The poet imagines if he is deaf in his school.
Answer:
False

3. The poet imagines if he performs badly in his test.
Answer:
True

4. The poem ‘Whatif’ is the poet’s nightmare.
Answer:
True

5. The poet is afraid if he has green hair on his chest.
Answer:
True

6. The poet hates the idea that his parents take divorce.
Answer:
True

7. The poet is greatly interested in learning dance.
Answer:
True

Answer the following questions in one sentence each :

Question 1.
Is the poet actually experiencing all the whatifs ?
Answer:
No, the poet is not actually experiencing all the whatifs. They exist only in his imagination.

Question 2.
Why does the poet experience all these thoughts?
Answer:
The poet experiences all these thoughts as he has a negative approach of looking at things.

Question 3.
Do all sick people die? If not then why does the poet think so?
Answer:
No, all sick people do not die. The poet thinks so because he has negative thoughts at that moment. He may have also experienced losing a near one on account of sickness.

Question 4.
Does one stop growing taller?
Answer:
Growing taller is an uncontrollable phenomenon. We cannot decide to stop or start growing. The extent to which a person grows tall is determined by the hormones in his body. Every individual has a different hormonal balance, hence different heights.

Question 5.
Why does the poet fear that nobody would like him?
Answer:
The poet, when he had these thoughts had a negative frame of mind. He fears that nobody would like him because either he may have done something wrong or he has low self-esteem.

Question 6.
What is the poet’s fear for his head ?
Answer:
The poet fears in case his head starts getting smellier.

Question 7.
What does the poet mean by ‘Everything seems swell’ ?
Answer:
By the words ‘Everything seems swell’ means all his thoughts come brimming to his mind and on their rise.

Question 8.
What kind of the poet’s nature is revealed in the poem ‘Whatif’?
Answer:
The poet seems to be very sensitive to all the things that he is concerned with and gets disturbed.

Question 9.
Pick out the two activities from the poem ‘Whatif’ that are directly connected with school.
Answer:
The two activities connected with school are :
(i) getting dumb in school and
(ii) fail in the exam.

Question 10.
What fear does the poet have regarding his pet fish?
Answer:
The poet fears that his pet fish does not bite. It means it is no more living.

Question 11.
What does the poet think about dance?
Answer:
The poet thinks in case he never learns to dance.

Question 12.
What is the last thing that the poet is worried about in the poem ‘Whatif’ ?
Answer:
Lastly, the poet is worried that even at night, the same thoughts of ‘whatifs’ continue crowding.

Answer the following questions in two to three sentences each:

Question 1.
Why does the poet call the ‘Whatif song’ the same old song?
Answer:
The poet calls the ‘Whatif song’ the same old song because generally all the children at their immature age have such whims. These kinds of fantacies or whims are age long old.

Question 2.
The poet is constantly worried about danger to his life. Pick out examples from the poem ‘Whatif’.
Answer:
The poet is constantly worried about danger to his life. These are examples : ‘Whatif I get beat up’ ? ‘Whatif there’s poison in my cup’ ? ‘Whatif I start to cry’ ? ‘Whatif I get sick and die’ ? ‘Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me’ ? ‘Whatif my teeth don’t grow in straight’ ?cup, if he gets sick and die, green hair grows on his chest, nobody likes him, lightning strikes him, he doesn’t grow taller, his head gets smaller, his fish is no more, wind tears up his kite, a war is started, his parents get divorced, his teeth don’t grow straight, etc.

Question 3.
What does the poem ‘Whatif’ convey ?
Answer:
The poem ‘Whatif’ by Shell Silver stein is about human fears and phobia that pester and haunt each one of us. Quite frequently when the poet goes to bed, his mind becomes cluttered with the haunting voicing fears, phobias and nightmares. Fears such as probable failures, mishaps, conspiracies,illness, dislikes, accidents, loss, etc. come crowding in his peaceful mind. Then all the voices of fears subside again; but at nighttime they again return and make the poet quite uncomfortable and panicky

Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below them:

(1) Last night, while I lay thinking here,
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I’m dumb in school?
Whatif they’ve closed the swimming-pool?

Question 1.
What happened at night when the poet lay thinking?
Answer:
At night, when the poet lay thinking I; his thoughts began to take shape about all the bad things that would happen and what s would he do if those fears came true.

Question 2.
What did the things that crawled inside do all night long?
Answer:
The things that crawled inside pranced and partied all night.

Question 3.
What are the poet’s fears regarding his / her school ?
Answer:
The poet fears what if he / she goes dumb in his/her school. He/She also fears if the school authorities close down the swimming-pool.

Question 4.
What is the meaning of the words pranced and partied?
Answer:
Pranced – walk or move around with exaggerated steps
Partied – enjoy oneself at a party or a gathering

(2) Whatif I start to cry ?
Whatif I get sick and die ?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me ?
Whatif a bolt- of lightning strikes me ?
Whatif I don’t grow taller ?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller ?

Question 1.
How does the poet think that he might die?
Answer:
The poet thinks he might get sick and die.

Question 2.
What does the poet fear the bolt of lightning would do ?
Answer:
The poet fears that the bolt of lightning would strike him.

Question 3.
What does the poet fear about his head ?
Answer:
The poet fears that his head would start getting smaller.

Question 4.
What does the poet fear would grow on his chest?
Answer:
The poet fears that green hair would grow on his chest.

Question 5.
What does the poet fear about a test he has to take?
Answer:
The poet fears that he would flunk the test he has to take.

(3) Whatif the fish won’t bite ?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite ?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced ?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don’t grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants ?
Whatif I never learn to dance ?
Everything seems swell, and then
The night-time Whatif strikes again! 

Question 1.
What does the poet fear the wind would do?
Answer:
The poet fears the wind would tear up his kite.

Question 2.
What does the poet fear his parents would do?
Answer:
The poet fears his parents would get divorced.

Question 3.
What does the poet fear would happen to his teeth?
Answer:
The poet fears that his teeth would stop growing straight.

Question 4.
Has the poet really torn his pants ?
Answer:
No, the poet is only imagining that he has torn his pants.

Question 5.
When would the ‘Whatifs’ strike again?
Answer:
The ‘Whatifs’ would strike again at night.

Grammar
Articles:

An article is a kind of an adjective which is always used with and gives us some information about a noun.
The English language has two articles: definite article and indefinite articles
Definite article, i.e., ‘The’ is used to refer to a specific or a particular noun.
Indefinite articles, ‘a’, ‘an’ are used to refer to a non-specific or a non-particular noun.

Example:
After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly good.

By using the article ‘the’ we have shown : that it was one specific day that was long s and one specific cup of tea that tasted good. After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.

By using the article ‘a’ we have shown – that it is a general statement implying that any cup of tea would taste good after any ’ long day. Indefinite articles take two forms. It’s the- word ‘a’ when it precedes a word that pronounces with a consonant- It’s the word ‘an’ when it precedes a word that pronounces with a vowel. The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a general idea rather than a particular thing.

Examples:
Please give me a notebook.
America is a developed country.
I would be travelling by train to reach my destination.
When the first letter of a word is a consonant but is silent and the second letter of the word is a vowel, the article used will be ‘an’.

Examples:
I am an honest boy.
It is an honour to meet you.
When the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with the consonant sound, the article used will be ‘a’.

Examples:
She is a university graduate.
She is a United States citizen.
With acronyms and initialisms the following holds true:
An LCD player
A UK based company
An HR department
A URL

Articles before an adjective:

Sometimes an article modifies a noun that is also modified by an adjective. The usual word order is article + adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite, choose ‘a’ or ‘an’ based on the word that immediately follows it. Consider the following examples:
I am going for a small walk in the garden.
I heard an amazing voice in our neighbourhood today.

Indefinite articles with uncountable nouns:

Uncountable nouns are norms that are either difficult or impossible to count. They include intangible things (air), liquids (milk, water) and things that are too large or numerous to count (equipment, sand, wood). As these things can’t be counted we should not use ‘a’ or ‘an’ with them.

Example :
Please give me some milk.
However, if the noun milk is measured in countable terms we use the article a/an.

Examples:
Please give me a glass of water.
We need some light in this room.
We need a light in this room.

Using articles with pronouns:
Possessive pronouns can help identify whether you are talking about specific or non-specific items. Articles should not be used with pronouns.

Example:
Why are you reading the my book ? (Incorrect)
Why are you reading my book? (Correct)

Omission of articles :

Occasionally, articles are omitted altogether before certain nouns. In these cases the article is implied but is not actually present.
Example:
Let us have a breakfast now.
Let us have breakfast now.
Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article.

Examples:
I studied French in school for three years.
Indians are very warm and cordial people.
Sports and academic subjects do not require articles. .

Examples:
I like to play cricket.
I am good at arithmetic.

Exercise

Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles from ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the :

1. My friend can play ……….. piano very well.
2 children can climb this tree easily.
3. I live in ……….. independent house and not in ……….. apartment.
4 ……….. Indian cricket team is on a tour to South Africa.
5. ……….. road going straight leads us to ……….. Gujarat University.
6. American citizen enjoys certain privileges in many countries.
7. United Nations is headquartered in ……….. United States of America.
8. ……….. short nap, ………… walk in fresh air, healthy diet and ……….. laughter therapy are all secrets to a happy life.
9. She told us ……….. interesting but ……….. sad story.
10. ……….. soldier protects our borders from enemies.
11. I am eating ……….. apple and ……….. slice of pineapple.
12. pair of shoes are lying ……….. beneath ……….. shoe rack.
13. Onions is ……….. expensive vegetable. They are ……….. priced at fifty rupees
14. Bible is ……….. holy book of Christians.
15. Please give me ……….. piece of cake which is kept in the fridge.
Answer:
1. the
2. The
3. an, an
4. The
5. The, the
6. An
7. The, the
8. A, a, a, a
9. an, a
10. The
11. an, a
12. A, the
13. an, a
14. The, I the, the
15. the

Identify the wrong articles used in the sentences below and replace them with the correct ones :

Question 1.
Let me get a fresh air.
Answer:
Let me get some fresh air.

Question 2.
New Delhi is a capital of the India.
Answer:
New Delhi is the capital of India.

Question 3.
I have a innovative idea.
Answer:
I have an innovative idea.

Question 4.
The new thought comes into my mind whenever I read that book.
Answer:
A new thought comes into my mind whenever I read that book.

Question 5.
The gardener’s daughter is an beautician.
Answer:
The gardener’s daughter is a beautician.

Question 6.
I am learning to play a football at school.
Answer:
I am learning to play football at school.

Question 7.
Swimming as a exercise helps to stretch a limbs.
Answer:
Swimming as an exercise helps to stretch the limbs.

Question 8.
Give me a advice on how to solve this problem.
Answer:
Give me some advice on how to solve this problem.

Question 9.
The tortoise is one of an oldest living animals on earth.
Answer:
The tortoise is one of the oldest living animals on earth.

Question 10.
The playground is infested with the cockroaches.
Answer:
The playground is infested with cockroaches.

Question 11.
I will take a metro to reach an office.
Answer:
I will take the metro to reach the office.

Question 12.
Indians are a warmest and a most hospitable people known.
Answer:
Indians are the warmest and the most hospitable people known.

Question 13.
Seychelles is an beautiful island.
Answer:
Seychelles is a beautiful island.

Question 14.
I have the umbrella which I have kept for the rainy day.
Answer:
I have an umbrella which I have kept for a rainy day.

Question 15.
The peaceful mind, the peaceful body and the peaceful soul bring only happiness in other’s lives.
Answer:
A peaceful mind, a peaceful body and a peaceful soul bring only happiness in other’s lives.

Write a letter to a friend who is 10w on self-confidence and self-esteem on how to be positive in life: You can make use of the points given below:

Hope this finds you in good spirits-met your mother last week – surprised to know of your approach to life-you were so full of life and enthusiasm – can’t believe you have changed so much – one failure in an examination should not be considered as a full stop to life – one needs to learn from failures – move ahead – life has so much to offer-do not let one failure reflect on your self-confidence, work harder – believe in yourself- you shall succeed without doubt Think positive thoughts – always learn to look at the brighter side of things -I wish to see you reach high in life-to do this exercise – write some positive thoughts on small pieces of paper and paste them on your desktop.

Whatif Summary in English

The poet expresses some of his fears through this poem. The poem is explained through a situation wherein the poet is lying on his bed thinking all night. There are some what if questions which keep on cropping up into his mind and keeps him awake all night.

The poet wonders what would happen if he is unable speak in school, if the school authorities close down the swimming pool at the school; he wonders If he would get beaten up or if he would die for their is poison In his cup. He mulls over crying for no reason. over getting sick and dying. falling in a test, green hair growing on his chest and a situation where nobody likes him.

He wonders what he would do if he gets struck by lightning, if he stops growing tall or if his head gets smaller. He wonders what would happen If the fish won’t bite the food if the wind tears away his kite. He fears some countries will begin a war or his parents get divorced. his bus is late and also what If his teeth do not grow straight.

He thinks about the consequences of him tearing his pants and never learning how to dance. Everything seems very good till the night time when the what if questions begin to arise in the poet’s mind.

Glossary

crawled (u.) moved slowly pranced (V.) danced partied (y.) celebrated, revelled flunk (V.) fall swell (adj.) (here) very Lood.