Stepwise Solutions & PDF for Class 8 English Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother
Somebody’s Mother Question Answer – Let us do these activities before we read. (Page 70)
I. Recall a time you helped someone. Write two words describing:
1. What were your feelings after you did so?
2. What might have been the feelings of the person whom you helped?
Answer:
1. Happy, Proud
2. Thankful, Relieved
II. Work in pairs. Read the words given below. Circle the words you would associate with an elderly person and underline the words you would associate with a school student. Share the reasons for your choices with your classmates and teacher.
Answer:
III. Read the lines.
The woman was old and ragged and grey And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day. Select the suitable meaning of ‘ragged’ as used in these lines. There are other four meanings given below. Discuss with your classmates and teacher.
1. (of clothes) old and torn; synonym: shabby a ragged jacket
2. Having an outline, an edge, or a surface that is not straight or even
a ragged coastline
3. Not smooth or regular; not showing control or careful preparation
I could hear the sound of his ragged breathing.
Their performance was still very ragged.
4. (Informal] very tired, especially after physical effort
The elderly man was ragged after climbing the stairs.
Answer:
“Ragged” means clothes that are old and torn. A synonym is shabby, like a ragged jacket.
Explanation: In the poem, “ragged” describes the woman’s clothes as old, worn out, and in poor condition.
Somebody’s Mother Class 8 Question Answer – Let us discuss (Pages 73-74)
I. Arrange the events of the poem in the correct order of occurrence. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
1. The boy returned to his friends, feeling proud of what he had done.
2. The old woman stood alone at the crossing, hesitant to move.
3. A group of schoolboys passed by, playing, and laughing.
4. The boy offered to help the old woman cross the street.
5. The woman prayed for the boy who helped her.
6. The children hurried past the old woman without offering help.
7. The woman placed her hand on the boy’s arm, and he guided her safely across the street.
8. The boy thought about his own mother and hoped someone would help her one day.
Answer:
2 → 3 → 6 → 4 → 7 → 1 → 8 → 5
II. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the brackets.
1. The central theme of the poem is __________ (kindness and empathy/adventure and courage)
2. The tone of the poem is __________ (humorous and playful/sympathetic and hopeful)
3. The poem is written in couplets with lines in each stanza. __________ (four/two)
4. The structure of the poem gives a rhythmic flow that reflects both the __________ (narrative and emotions /story’s pace and message)
5. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of (AABB/ABAB)
Answer:
1. kindness and empathy
2. sympathetic and hopeful
3. two
4. story’s pace and message
5. AABB
III. Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic devices.
1. Simile
2. Alliteration
3. Repetition
Answer:
1. Came the boys like a flock of sheep
2. The woman was old and ragged and grey
3. So meek, so timid
IV. Complete the following sentences appropriately, explaining the imagery.
1. The poem uses imagery to describe scenes of a bustling street.
We know this by the phrase __________
2. The line ‘The street was wet with a recent snow’ suggests a cold and __________ weather, emphasising the woman’s helplessness.
Answer:
1. ‘Amid the throng of human beings who passed her by’.
2. Slippery
V. Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.
The poet repeats the phrase Somebody’s mother because it __________.
Answer:
it reminds the readers that every elderly person is important and loved by someone, deserving kindness and respect.
VI. Complete the analogy:
The old woman: vulnerable and neglected: The young boy:
Answer:
strong and beloved
Class 8 English Somebody’s Mother Question Answer – Let us think and reflect (Pages 74-75)
I. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow.
1. The woman was old and ragged and grey And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day. The street was wet with a recent snow And the woman’s feet were aged and slow.
(i) What does the phrase ‘ragged and grey’ refer to?
A. The woman’s emotional state that day.
B. The woman’s old and worn-out appearance.
C. The weather conditions of the particular day.
D. The colour of the street and the surroundings.
(ii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason:
The woman was ‘bent’ with the chill of the Winter’s day because she was __________
(iii) Identify the fact and opinion from the following sentences:
A. The street was wet with recent snow
B. The woman was too weak to cross the street on her own
(iv) Why do you think the woman’s feet were described as ‘aged and slow?
Answer:
(i) B. The woman’s old and worn-out appearance.
(ii) weak due to old age and the cold weather.
(iii) A – Fact B – Opinion
(iv) The woman’s feet were described that way because she was elderly, weak, and walking unsteadily due to her poor health and the cold weather.
2. He guided the trembling feet along,
Proud that his own were firm and strong. Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content.
(i) What does the contrast between the ‘trembling feet’ of the old woman and the ‘firm and strong’ feet of the boy emphasise?
Answer:
It clearly brings out the contrast between the frailty of old age and the energy of youth.”
(ii) Fill in the blank given below by selecting the correct option from the brackets.
The poem tells us that the boy was ‘proud’ that his feet were strong.
This tells us that the boy was __________ (arrogant about being strong/ grateful for his ability to help)
Answer:
grateful for his ability to help
(iii) What is the boy most likely to tell his friends on getting back?
A. I’m so glad I could help her.
B. I’m worried about her safety.
C. I’m surprised she forgot to thank me.
D. I’m thankful for all your support.
Answer:
A. I’m so glad I could help her.
(iv) Rectify the false sentence given below. The young boy’s actions were driven by a logical decision.
Answer:
The young boy behaved that way because he felt compassion and wanted to be kind.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. What might be the old woman’s fears as she waited for a long time at the crossing?
Answer:
She might have been scared that she could slip on the icy road or be harmed by passing carriages and horses.
2. How does the poet show the helplessness of the old woman? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.
Answer:
The poet shows how helpless the old woman is by portraying her as timid, quiet, and too frightened to move, standing all alone with no one to help or care for her.
3. Why does the boy decide to help the old woman? What does this tell us about him?
Answer:
The boy helps her because he is caring and understands others’ feelings. This shows that he thinks about people’s needs and behaves with genuine kindness.
4. How was the boy’s approach towards the old woman different from that of the other boys in the group?
Answer: Unlike the other boys who paid no attention to the old woman, he saw that she was struggling and decided to help her, showing his understanding and empathy.
5. Justify the appropriateness of the title of the poem.
Answer: The title of the poem is fitting because it reminds us that every old woman is someone’s mother, just like ours, and therefore deserves kindness, respect, and care.
6. What does the poem suggest about the role of empathy and humanity in society?
Answer: The poem shows that even small acts of kindness reveal the goodness in human nature and can leave a strong and meaningful impact.
Somebody’s Mother Class 8 Questions and Answers – Let us learn (Pages 76-77)
I. The grid given below has the antonyms of the words from the text. Locate these words in the grid horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. One example has been done for you. You may refer to a dictionary.
Answer:
II. Match the words from the text given in Column 1 with the underlined phrases in Column 2.
Answer:
III. In the poem, the poet uses the idiom tend a hand’ which means ‘help somebody. Some more idioms using ‘hand’ are given in Column 1. Match these idioms with their meanings in Column 2. You may refer to a dictionary.
Answer:
IV. Complete the following analogy by filling in the blanks with the correct words from the poem.
1. ___________ : winter : heat : summer
2. hurt : ___________ : old: aged
3. whispered: shouted:: humble: ___________
4. eyes : ___________ : legs : walk
5. having a lot of money: wealthy: densely packed people: ___________
Answer:
1. cold
2. harm
3. proud
4. see
5. Crowd
Read the lines from the poem given below.
Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet
Should crowd her down in the slippery street.
‘Lest’ is a conjunction that means to prevent something bad or unpleasant from happening. To better understand its usage in a sentence, we can replace ‘lest’ with ‘just in case’.
For example, in the sentence ‘She showed all the documents lest we doubt her’, the word ‘lest’ can be replaced with ‘just in case’ to mean that she showed the documents to prevent any doubt.
Somebody’s Mother Question Answer Class 8 – Let us listen (Page 78)
I. You will listen to a woman read the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, arrange the pictures in the correct sequence of the events that took place. (Refer to NCERT Textbook Page 99 for transcript)
Answer:
3 → 6 → 1 → 5 → 2 → 4
II. You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentences with one to three exact words.
1. The woman was having a diffilt time staying aflat due to the _________________
2. Rohan leapt into the river to save the woman without any _________________.
3. Rohan’s act of bravery was witnessed by _________________.
4. Rohan was honoured at the Vigyan Bhawan for his incredible courage and _________________.
5. Rohan proved that when it comes to saving lives, age is _________________
Answer:
1. strong currents
2. hesitation
3. several onlookers
4. selflessness
5. just a number
Class 8 English Chapter 5 Question Answer – Let us speak (Page 79)
I. Read aloud the list of words from the poem that end in ‘-ed\ As you read, focus on the final sound of each word and place them in the appropriate columns. One example has been done for you.
Note: Adjectives that come before a noun and end with ‘-ed’ have /id/as the final sound.
Answer:
II. Work in pairs. Narrate an incident where you helped someone in the past. Take turns to speak and use the cue cards given below.
You may use the following prompts.
Answer:
Do it on your own.
NCERT Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Question Answer – Let us write (Page 80)
I. Write a diary entry of a day you helped someone in need. Remember to include the following points while writing it.
Start with a sentence describing the day.
Mention whom you helped.
Explain the situation in which the other person needed help.
Add the place and time of the day when the situation arose.
Describe how you helped the other person.
Describe the reaction of the person you helped.
Mention how you felt during and after helping the person.
Conclude by mentioning why you would do something like this again.
You may begin like this:
26 April 20xx, Saturday 8:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Today, I feel was a special day…
Answer:
26 April 20xx, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Today felt like a truly special day. I helped an elderly man carry his bags across the crowded market. He smiled warmly and thanked me, and that small moment of gratitude made me really happy.
I realised that even a small act of kindness can bring comfort to someone and make a big difference in their day.
Class 8th English Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother Question Answer – Let us explore (Pages 80-81)
I. Did you know that even Earth has been referred to as mother in the ancient scriptures of India? In section 12.1.12 of Prthvi-Sukta (hymn-to-the-earth) of Atharva Veda, Earth is referred to as mother and us as her children by stating:
माता भूमिः पुत्रोऽहं पृथिव्याः।
It can be translated as ‘Earth is my mother and I am her child’.
Answer:
For self-reading.
II. Work in groups of four. Find out the names of countries that refer to their country as ‘motherland’ and a few others as ‘fatherland’. Share your findings with your classmates and teacher.
Answer:
Do it on your own
III. Read the poem and enjoy.
A Nation’s Strength
Not gold, but only men can make
A people great and strong…
Men who for truth and honour’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly…
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Note: Here, men refers to both men and women)
Answer:
For self-reading.
IV. Make a gratitude card for your mother/ grandmother to thank her for at least five things that she does for you. Also write two things that you would do regularly to help them. Use recycled material to make and decorate the card.
Answer:
NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebodys Mother – Summary and Insights
Mastering NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebodys Mother is simple with clear, stepwise answers. These solutions help students understand the importance of showing kindness and empathy, which are key values for both exams and everyday life.
By reading the poem and practicing the chapter-wise solutions, students learn to appreciate compassion and understand the lesson’s moral. These concepts are highlighted through easy-to-follow answers tailored for the 2025-26 syllabus.
Focus on key words, attempt all exercise-based questions and revise regularly. This approach ensures that you gain complete conceptual clarity and boost your confidence for your Class 8 English exams.
FAQs on Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother – NCERT Solutions
1. What are the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother?
The NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody's Mother provide stepwise answers for all textbook questions, including intext and back exercises, to help students understand the poem and score full marks in CBSE exams. Key features include:
- Complete, syllabus-aligned question answers
- Word meanings and summaries
- Long and short answer solutions
- Exam-focused presentations using CBSE marking scheme
2. How should I write stepwise answers for Class 8 English to score full marks in CBSE exams?
To score full marks in Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody's Mother answers, follow these steps:
- Start with a direct, relevant introduction using key words from the question.
- Structure your answer pointwise or in neat paragraphs.
- Use important terms, examples, and evidence from the text.
- Write to the recommended length: short answers (2-3 lines), long answers (6-8 lines).
- Review, avoid spelling/grammar mistakes, and underline main points.
3. Which questions from Chapter 5 ‘Somebody’s Mother’ are likely to appear in school exams?
The most likely questions from Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody's Mother in school exams include:
- Short questions about the central theme and main events
- Meanings of difficult words from the poem
- Explanation of key stanzas or lines
- Long answer: summary and character traits of the boy and the old lady
- Message or moral of the poem
4. Are diagrams or definitions required in answers for ‘Somebody’s Mother’ Chapter?
No diagrams are required for answers in Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody's Mother, but accurate definitions of key terms and clear explanations are important for high marks. Focus on:
- Neat and well-explained written answers
- Use of definitions for new words or poetic devices
5. How do I structure long answers for Chapter 5 to get better marks?
To structure long answers for NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Chapter 5 and earn full marks:
- Begin with an introductory sentence naming the chapter/poem
- Explain all main points or events in paragraphs or bullets
- Support with examples and key lines from the text
- Conclude with a closing statement summarising your answer
6. Where can I download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5?
You can download a free PDF of Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody's Mother NCERT Solutions from trusted educational platforms offering chapterwise and exercise-wise solutions. Look for options labeled 'Download PDF' for offline or revision use.
7. What is the summary and central theme of ‘Somebody’s Mother’?
The poem 'Somebody’s Mother' describes an old woman waiting to cross the road and how a kind boy helps her, teaching the moral of empathy and the importance of helping others. The central themes include:
- Compassion and kindness
- Social responsibility
- Never ignoring people in need
8. Are NCERT Solutions enough for Class 8 English exam preparation?
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English are sufficient for thorough exam preparation if you:
- Revise each chapter’s solutions
- Practice important and extra questions
- Write answers using the stepwise, exam format
- Supplement with revision notes for last-minute review
9. How do I prepare key definitions and word meanings for Chapter 5?
To prepare for definitions and meanings in Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother:
- List all new or difficult words
- Write their definitions in simple language
- Revise poetic devices and literary terms mentioned in the chapter
10. What are common mistakes to avoid while answering Chapter 5 questions?
The most common mistakes in Class 8 English Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother exam answers are:
- Missing key points or not answering in steps
- Incorrect or incomplete definitions
- Grammar or spelling errors
- Writing too much or too little (not matching answer length with marks)
- Not using keywords from the question or poem
