Chapter 6

Sure! Here's a full set of answers to the textbook questions from the poem “Mystery of the Talking Fan” by Maude Rubin, found in the Honeycomb Class 7 English textbook.

📘 Working with the Poem – Answers

1. Fans don’t talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds like the fan’s chatter?
 Ans; The fan's chatter is actually the noise made by its motor and blades when it needs oiling. The poet imagines this noise as if the fan is trying to talk.

2. Complete the following sentences.

(i) The chatter is electrical because…
…it is caused by the electrical motor of the fan when it is not working smoothly.

(ii) It is mysterious because…
…the sound seems like the fan is trying to say something, but it cannot be understood clearly.

3. What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
 Ans:The talking fan was probably demanding to be oiled. Its noisy "chatter" was a sign that its motor needed maintenance.

4. How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
 Ans:An electric fan has blades connected to a motor. When electricity powers the motor, it spins the blades at high speed, pushing air around the room and creating a cooling effect.

5. Is there a 'talking fan' in your house? Create a little poem about it.

Ans: Here’s a sample poem you can use:

The Grumbling Fan
In the quiet of the night,
My fan hums with all its might.
It creaks, it squeaks, it spins around,
Making such a whirring sound.

"Oil me, fix me!" it seems to say,
"Or I'll groan all night and day!"
I smile and say, "Hang on, my friend,
Tomorrow, your troubles will end."

Sure! The grammar section related to “Mystery of the Talking Fan” in the Honeycomb Class 7 English book focuses on vocabulary and word usage—especially personification, sound words, and sometimes verbs or adjectives used in poetic context.

Although the poem itself is short, it lends itself to some interesting grammar-related activities. Here's a structured grammar section based on this chapter:

✍️ Grammar Section – Mystery of the Talking Fan

1. Personification

The fan is personified in the poem, meaning it is given human qualities.

🔹 Examples from the poem:

  • “Once there was a talking fan...” → The fan is described as if it could talk.

  • “Electrical his chatter” → The fan’s sound is described like human chatter.

✅ Activity: Underline the words that show the fan is being treated like a person.

2. Sound Words / Onomatopoeia

The poem uses the idea of sound to give life to an object.

🔹 Sound-related words:

  • Chatter – A human-like, fast-talking sound.

  • Whirling – Describes spinning motion and the sound it might make.

  • Still – Silence, no noise.

✅ Activity: Write 3 sound words related to machines (e.g., buzz, hum, whirr).

3. Verbs in Past Tense

Most of the poem is in the past tense.

🔹 Examples:

  • “Once there was a talking fan”

  • “Somebody oiled”

  • “The mystery was spoiled”

  • “He ran as still as water”

✅ Activity: Find 5 verbs in past tense from the poem and write their present tense forms.

Past Tense Present Tense
was is
oiled oil
spoiled spoil
ran run
said (implied) say

4. Adjectives

Adjectives are used to describe the fan and its qualities.

🔹 Examples:

  • Talking fan (describes the fan)

  • Little motor (describes the motor)

  • Electrical chatter

✅ Activity: Underline all the adjectives in the poem and write what they describe.

Optional Extension Activity:

Write 3 sentences using personification, like:

  1. The moon smiled gently at the sleepy earth.

  2. My alarm clock yelled at me to wake up.

  3. The old house groaned in the wind.


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