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The Hockey Ball

NCERT Class 5 · English Based on NCERT Class 5 English textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview
This chapter is about a boy named Gopi who finds a hockey ball in his garden and tries to find its owner. It teaches students the value of honesty, teamwork, and the importance of asking around before keeping something that belongs to someone else. The big idea is that we should always try to return lost items to their rightful owner, and that playing together with friends is fun even if things don't go as planned.
Key Concepts (12)
dribble
Moving a ball with small taps while playing hockey.
e.g. When Ramani dribbled the ball with his stick, he moved it slowly and carefully towards Jay.
rustling
A soft crackling sound, like dry leaves moving.
e.g. Gopi heard a rustling sound in the garden, like leaves being disturbed.
grab
To take something with a sudden movement.
e.g. Manoj grabbed the ball from Gopi and tossed it to Deepak.
boast
To speak too proudly about something you have or can do.
e.g. Deepak boasted that his father had bought him a brand-new football.
unaware
Not knowing or not realizing what is happening.
e.g. The scooterist was unaware that the ball had fallen into his basket.
thud
A heavy, dull sound made when something falls.
e.g. Gopi heard a thud in the garden, like a mango falling from a tree.
adverb of frequency
An adverb that tells us how many times an action happens.
e.g. In 'Gopi usually plays hockey at school', the word 'usually' is an adverb of frequency.
adverb of time
An adverb that tells us the time of the action.
e.g. In 'today he is studying for his test', the word 'today' is an adverb of time.
long 'oo' sound
The vowel sound in words like 'school', 'moon', and 'scooter' where the 'oo' is pronounced with a longer duration.
e.g. In 'Santoor', the 'oo' sound is long, but in 'book', the 'oo' sound is short.
short 'oo' sound
The vowel sound in words like 'book', 'foot', and 'look' where the 'oo' is pronounced with a shorter duration.
e.g. In 'book', the 'oo' sound is short, unlike in 'school' where it is long.
compound word
A word made by joining two smaller words together.
e.g. Sun + rise = sunrise, foot + ball = football.
conjunction
A word that joins two parts of a sentence, such as 'since', 'however', 'because', and 'when'.
e.g. In 'Gopi completed his work because he wanted to go outside', the word 'because' is a conjunction.
How It Works
Gopi's search for the source of the sound
  1. Gopi was sitting in the veranda reading a book.
  2. He heard a rustling sound followed by a thud in the garden.
  3. He wondered if it was a mango falling from the tree.
  4. He put his book aside, got up, and ran into the garden.
  5. He searched in the thick grass near the garden fence but found nothing.
  6. He looked among the bushes but found nothing.
  7. His eyes fell on a heap of dry leaves, and he saw a white ball on it.
  8. He reached out and took the ball in his hands. It was a hockey ball.
💡 Students often forget that Gopi first thought it was a mango, and that he searched in two places (grass and bushes) before finding the ball on the heap of dry leaves.
Gopi's attempt to find the owner of the ball
  1. Gopi wondered whose ball it could be.
  2. He looked around and peeped outside the gate but saw no one.
  3. His mother called him inside because it was hot.
  4. He went inside, drank water, and lay down on the mat.
  5. He decided he could not keep the ball and would ask around.
  6. In the evening, he went to the nearby playground where his friends gathered to play hockey.
  7. He asked if anyone had lost a ball.
  8. Manoj said he lost a ball four months ago, but Gopi said that could not be the one.
  9. Ramani claimed the ball was his, but Gopi asked him to describe its colour first.
  10. Deepak boasted about his new football, but Gopi clarified the ball was a hockey ball.
  11. Everyone laughed, and Gopi took out the ball from his pocket.
💡 Students often miss that Gopi did not immediately give the ball to Ramani — he asked for the colour first, showing he was careful and honest.
The hockey game and the lost ball
  1. Manoj grabbed the ball and tossed it to Deepak.
  2. Gopi shouted for everyone to stop and suggested they play before it got dark.
  3. Manoj went to the goalpost to be goalkeeper.
  4. Gopi stood at the centre of the field holding the hockey stick.
  5. Gopi passed the ball to Deepak.
  6. Deepak drove the ball towards Ramani.
  7. Ramani dribbled the ball with the stick and passed it to Jay.
  8. Manoj shouted for Jay to play the shot and drive it towards the goalpost.
  9. Jay tightened his wrist around the stick with the flat side touching the ball.
  10. Jay hit the ball so hard that it went past the playground gate and fell into the basket of a passing scooter.
  11. The scooterist, unaware, drove on.
  12. By the time the children ran to the gate, the scooter and the ball were gone.
  13. The children looked at each other and burst into laughter.
💡 Students often forget that the ball was lost because Jay hit it too hard, and that the scooterist was wearing a helmet and did not notice.
Identifying adverbs of frequency and time
  1. Read the sentence carefully.
  2. Look for words that tell how many times an action happens (adverbs of frequency) or when it happens (adverbs of time).
  3. For adverbs of frequency, ask 'How many times?' — e.g., 'often', 'always', 'never', 'regularly', 'usually'.
  4. For adverbs of time, ask 'When?' — e.g., 'today', 'yesterday', 'now', 'immediately'.
  5. Encircle the adverb in the sentence.
💡 Students often confuse 'immediately' as an adverb of frequency — it is actually an adverb of time because it tells when the action happened (right away).
Distinguishing long and short 'oo' sounds
  1. Say the word aloud.
  2. Listen to the sound of 'oo' in the word.
  3. If the 'oo' sound is held longer (like in 'school', 'moon', 'scooter'), it is a long 'oo' sound.
  4. If the 'oo' sound is short and quick (like in 'book', 'foot', 'look'), it is a short 'oo' sound.
  5. Encircle the words with the long 'oo' sound.
💡 Students often think 'foot' has a long 'oo' sound because of the spelling — it actually has a short 'oo' sound.
Forming compound words
  1. Take two separate words.
  2. Join them together without any space or hyphen.
  3. The new word has a combined meaning.
  4. Example: sun + rise = sunrise, foot + ball = football.
💡 Students sometimes add a space or hyphen — compound words are written as one word.
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Confusing 'grab' with 'catch'
✗ Manoj caught the ball from Gopi.
→ The word 'grab' means to take something with a sudden movement, often without permission. 'Catch' means to receive something thrown. In the story, Manoj took the ball from Gopi's hand, not from the air.
✓ Manoj grabbed the ball from Gopi and tossed it to Deepak.
⚠ Thinking Gopi kept the ball
✗ Gopi kept the hockey ball for himself.
→ Gopi explicitly said to himself, 'I can't keep this ball for myself. I will ask around.' He then went to the playground to find the owner.
✓ Gopi decided not to keep the ball and went to ask his friends if it belonged to anyone.
⚠ Confusing 'boast' with 'tell'
✗ Deepak told that his father bought him a football.
→ The word 'boast' means to speak too proudly. Deepak was showing off, not just informing. The story uses 'boasted' to show his attitude.
✓ Deepak boasted that his father had bought him a brand-new football.
⚠ Mistaking 'adverb of time' for 'adverb of frequency'
✗ In 'Gopi immediately got up', 'immediately' is an adverb of frequency.
→ 'Immediately' tells when the action happened (right away), not how many times. It answers the question 'When?' not 'How many times?'.
✓ 'Immediately' is an adverb of time because it tells the time of the action.
⚠ Thinking 'foot' has a long 'oo' sound
✗ The word 'foot' has a long 'oo' sound.
→ In 'foot', the 'oo' is pronounced short, like in 'book' and 'look'. It is not like the long 'oo' in 'school' or 'moon'.
✓ The word 'foot' has a short 'oo' sound.
⚠ Forgetting the scooterist was unaware
✗ The scooterist saw the ball and drove away.
→ The story clearly states the scooterist was 'unaware of what had happened' and drove past without knowing the ball fell into his basket.
✓ The scooterist was unaware that the ball had fallen into his basket and drove on.
Compare & Contrast
What the adverb tells us about the action
Adverb of frequency
Adverb of time
An adverb of frequency tells how many times an action happens (e.g., 'often', 'always', 'regularly'), while an adverb of time tells when the action happens (e.g., 'today', 'yesterday', 'immediately').
Duration of the vowel sound
Long 'oo' sound
Short 'oo' sound
The long 'oo' sound is held longer, as in 'school', 'moon', and 'scooter'; the short 'oo' sound is quick, as in 'book', 'foot', and 'look'.
Action and intention
Grab
Catch
'Grab' means to take something suddenly, often without permission; 'catch' means to receive something thrown or falling. In the story, Manoj grabbed the ball from Gopi's hand, not caught it from the air.
Tone and attitude
Boast
Tell
'Boast' means to speak too proudly or show off; 'tell' means to simply inform. Deepak boasted about his new football, showing pride, while Gopi told his friends about finding the ball.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: 2 MCQs (1 mark each) on vocabulary or comprehension, 1 short answer question (2-3 marks) on adverbs or compound words, 1 long answer question (5 marks) on story comprehension or character analysis.
Most asked: Identifying adverbs of frequency and time in sentences · Distinguishing long and short 'oo' sounds · Forming compound words (sun + rise, foot + ball) · Using conjunctions (since, however, because, when) to complete sentences · Comprehension questions about Gopi's actions and the story sequence
Don't skip: Long answer question on Gopi's honesty and what students would do if they found a lost item (5 marks); Identifying and classifying adverbs of frequency and time (3 marks)
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. Gopi was reading a book in the veranda when he heard a rustling sound and a thud in the garden.
  2. Gopi found a white hockey ball on a heap of dry leaves in the garden.
  3. Gopi decided he could not keep the ball and went to ask his friends if it belonged to anyone.
  4. Manoj said he lost a ball four months ago, but Gopi said that could not be the one.
  5. Ramani claimed the ball was his, but Gopi asked him to describe its colour first.
  6. Deepak boasted that his father had bought him a brand-new football.
  7. Gopi clarified that the ball he found was a hockey ball, not a football.
  8. During the game, Jay hit the ball so hard that it fell into the basket of a passing scooter.
  9. The scooterist was unaware that the ball had fallen into his basket and drove away.
  10. The children burst into laughter when they saw the ball was gone with the scooter.
  11. Adverbs of frequency tell how many times an action happens, e.g., 'always', 'often', 'regularly'.
  12. Adverbs of time tell when an action happens, e.g., 'today', 'yesterday', 'immediately'.
  13. Words like 'school', 'moon', and 'scooter' have a long 'oo' sound.
  14. Words like 'book', 'foot', and 'look' have a short 'oo' sound.
  15. Compound words are formed by joining two words, e.g., sun + rise = sunrise, foot + ball = football.
  16. Conjunctions like 'since', 'however', 'because', and 'when' join parts of a sentence.
  17. The scooterist was wearing a helmet, which is important for road safety.
  18. Gopi's honesty teaches us to try to return lost items to their rightful owner.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. What was Gopi reading when he heard the sound in the garden?

  • A. A storybook
  • B. A comic book
  • C. A book (no specific type mentioned) ✓
  • D. A newspaper

Answer: C — The story says Gopi was sitting in the veranda reading a book, but does not tell us what type of book it was.

Q2. What does the word 'rustling' mean?

  • A. A loud banging sound
  • B. A soft crackling sound ✓
  • C. A whistling sound
  • D. A ringing sound

Answer: B — Rustling is described in the new words section as a soft crackling sound, like leaves moving gently.

Q3. Why did Gopi go to the playground in the evening?

  • A. To play alone
  • B. To meet his friends and ask if anyone lost a ball ✓
  • C. To find mangoes
  • D. To rest under the trees

Answer: B — Gopi went to the playground where his friends regularly gathered to ask if anyone had lost a hockey ball.

Q4. Which friend boasted about having a new football?

  • A. Manoj
  • B. Ramani
  • C. Deepak ✓
  • D. Jay

Answer: C — Deepak boasted that his father had bought him a brand-new football the previous day.

Q5. What does 'unaware' mean in the sentence: 'The scooterist was unaware of what had happened'?

  • A. The scooterist was very angry
  • B. The scooterist did not know the ball fell into the basket ✓
  • C. The scooterist was trying to steal the ball
  • D. The scooterist was looking for the children

Answer: B — Unaware means not knowing — the scooterist did not realize that the hockey ball had fallen into the basket of the scooter.

Q6. Complete: Ramani said, 'Show me the ball and I will tell you' because ________.

  • A. she wanted to keep the ball for herself
  • B. she wanted to check if it was her ball by seeing its color ✓
  • C. she did not believe Gopi
  • D. she wanted to play with it immediately

Answer: B — Ramani asked to see the ball so she could check its color and confirm if it belonged to her.

Q7. What skill does 'dribble' describe in hockey?

  • A. Drinking water during the game
  • B. Running very fast with the ball
  • C. Moving the ball with small taps using a hockey stick ✓
  • D. Pushing the ball to a friend

Answer: C — Dribble, as shown in the story, means moving a hockey ball with small taps while controlling it with the stick.

Q8. Identify the adverb in this sentence: 'Gopi immediately got up and ran into the garden.'

  • A. garden
  • B. immediately ✓
  • C. ran
  • D. up

Answer: B — Immediately is an adverb that tells us WHEN the action of getting up happened — it happened right away.

Q9. Why did everyone laugh at the end of the story?

  • A. They did not like the hockey ball
  • B. The ball disappeared in a funny and unexpected way when it flew into a scooter ✓
  • C. Jay hit the ball too gently
  • D. Gopi was angry with them

Answer: B — Everyone laughed because the situation was funny and unexpected — the ball suddenly flew away in the scooter's basket and was gone forever.

Q10. What does Gopi's action of trying to find the ball's owner teach us?

  • A. It is better to keep things that you find
  • B. You should not play with other people's things
  • C. Honesty and taking care of others' property is important ✓
  • D. Finding things is not worth the effort

Answer: C — Gopi shows honesty and responsibility by not keeping the ball for himself and trying to find its rightful owner.

Flashcards

What was Gopi doing when he heard the sound?

Gopi was sitting in the veranda reading a book.

What did Gopi find in the heap of dry leaves?

Gopi found a white hockey ball in the heap of dry leaves.

Why did Gopi decide not to keep the ball?

Gopi decided to ask around because he knew the ball belonged to someone else and he could not keep it for himself.

What does the word 'dribble' mean in this story?

Dribble means moving a ball with small taps using a hockey stick during play.

Who did Gopi show the ball to at the playground?

Gopi showed the ball to his friends — Manoj, Ramani, Deepak, and Jay at the playground.

What happened to the ball at the end of the story?

The ball flew past the playground gate and fell into a passing scooter's basket, and the scooter drove away with the ball.

What does 'unaware' mean in this story?

Unaware means not knowing or not realizing what happened — the scooterist did not know the ball fell into the basket.

Which friend boasted about having a new football?

Deepak boasted that his father had bought him a brand-new football the previous day.

What is an adverb of time? Give an example from the story.

An adverb of time tells us WHEN an action happens; examples from the story are 'immediately' and 'regularly.'

Why did everyone burst into laughter at the end?

Everyone laughed because the ball they were playing with suddenly flew away in a scooter basket and disappeared in a funny and unexpected way.

Important Board Questions

What did Gopi find in the garden? (1 mark) [1 mark]

Look at the part where Gopi searches in the grass and bushes. He found it in a heap of dry leaves. What was the color of the ball?

Match the following: (a) Dribble — (i) not knowing (b) Unaware — (ii) to speak proudly (c) Boast — (iii) moving ball with small taps (2 marks) [2 marks]

Match each word from the new words list with its correct meaning. Check: dribble is a hockey skill, unaware means not knowing, boast means speaking proudly.

Why did Gopi decide to ask his friends about the hockey ball instead of keeping it for himself? Explain with your thinking. (3 marks) [3 marks]

Gopi knew the ball did not belong to him and he wanted to find its owner. Think about what is honest and right to do when you find something that is not yours. Give an example from your life.

Describe what happened to the hockey ball at the end of the story. Why did everyone laugh? Write in 4-5 sentences. (5 marks) [5 marks]

Remember: Jay hit the ball very hard. It flew past the playground gate. It fell into a scooter's basket. The scooterist did not know and drove away. The children found this situation funny and unexpected.

True or False: Gopi found the hockey ball in Deepak's pocket. Give one reason for your answer. (2 marks) [2 marks]

Remember where Gopi actually found the ball — in the garden, in a heap of dry leaves. Think about what Deepak said about his new football.

Assertion-Reason Questions for The Hockey Ball

Q1. Assertion (A):

Gopi decided to ask around about the hockey ball because he found it in his garden.

Reason (R):

Gopi believed that keeping something that did not belong to him was not right, so he wanted to find its owner.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both statements are true. Gopi found the ball in his garden, which is why he went to the playground, AND the reason he wanted to find the owner was because he was honest and didn't want to keep something that wasn't his. The reason correctly explains the assertion.

Q2. Assertion (A):

Ramani asked Gopi to show her the ball before telling if it was hers.

Reason (R):

Ramani wanted to play hockey with Gopi immediately.

Answer: C — A is true but R is false — The assertion is true — Ramani did ask to see the ball before identifying it. However, the reason is false. She asked to see it so she could check the colour and identify if it belonged to her, not because she wanted to play immediately.

Q3. Assertion (A):

The ball went away with the scooter because the scooterist was unaware of what happened.

Reason (R):

The children were playing too loudly and the scooterist could not hear them.

Answer: B — Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A — The assertion is true — the scooterist was 'unaware' and didn't know about the ball. However, the reason is not the correct explanation. The scooterist didn't see or know the ball fell into his basket, not because of the noise level, but simply because he wasn't watching or noticing.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for The Hockey Ball

Case Study:

Priya was playing in her backyard when she found a shiny red pen under a bush. She wondered who it might belong to. Instead of keeping it, she decided to ask all the children in her neighbourhood. The next day, she went to the nearby school where children gathered after classes. She asked each one of them, 'Did anyone lose a red pen recently?' Finally, one girl named Ananya recognized it and said, 'Yes! That's my pen. I lost it three days ago. Thank you so much for finding it and looking for me!'

Q1. Why did Priya decide not to keep the pen for herself?

  • A. Because the pen was broken
  • B. Because she believed it belonged to someone else and wanted to find the real owner ✓
  • C. Because her mother told her not to keep it
  • D. Because she already had many pens

Answer: B

Q2. How is Priya's action similar to what Gopi did in the story?

  • A. Both of them lost something important
  • B. Both of them found something and tried to find the owner instead of keeping it for themselves ✓
  • C. Both of them played with their friends
  • D. Both of them went to a playground

Answer: B

Q3. What does this story teach us about honesty?

  • A. Honesty means telling lies
  • B. Honesty means returning things that don't belong to you and making others happy ✓
  • C. Honesty means playing sports well
  • D. Honesty is not important

Answer: B

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