NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Chapter 3 the Rainbow – step-by-step answers to every exercise and in-text question of the chapter, as per the latest NCERT syllabus for 2027. Read them online or download the free question-answer PDF.
Chapter 3 of Santoor opens Unit 2, My Colourful World. The Rainbow is a short poem in two stanzas by Christina Rossetti. The poet looks at boats, ships, clouds and bridges, and then at the rainbow — and says the rainbow is far prettier than any of them. The chapter carries these banners: Let us Recite, New Words, Let us Think (A and B), Let us Learn (A and B), Let us Listen, Let us Speak, Let us Write (A–G), Let us Do and Let us Explore.
NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Chapter 3 the Rainbow PDF
All the answers are on this page below. The PDF also explains every answer – why it is right and how to check it – so download it for revision.
| Chapter | Download | |
|---|---|---|
| Solutions PDF | The Rainbow | View PDF |
Summary and word meanings
The Rainbow (poem)
Summary
- Boats sail on rivers, and ships sail on the seas.
- Clouds sail across the sky, and they are prettier still.
- Bridges on rivers are also very pretty to look at.
- But the rainbow is a bow that bridges the sky.
- It rises over the trees and joins the earth to the sky.
- The poet feels nature’s beauty is greater than things people make.
सारांश (हिन्दी में)
- नदियों में नावें चलती हैं और समुद्र में जहाज़ चलते हैं।
- पर आसमान में तैरते बादल इन सबसे कहीं ज़्यादा सुंदर हैं।
- नदियों पर बने पुल सुंदर हैं, पर इंद्रधनुष आसमान का पुल है। वह पेड़ों से ऊपर उठकर धरती को आकाश से जोड़ता है।
- कवयित्री कहती हैं कि प्रकृति की सुंदरता इंसान की बनाई चीज़ों से बढ़कर है।
Word meanings
| Word | Meaning | हिंदी अर्थ | In the text |
|---|---|---|---|
| sail | to move smoothly over water; here also across the sky | पानी पर (या आसमान में) धीरे-धीरे चलना, तैरना | “Boats sail on the rivers,” |
| seas | very large areas of salty water | समुद्र, सागर | “And ships sail on the seas;” |
| clouds | white or grey masses of tiny water drops floating in the sky | बादल | “But clouds that sail across the sky” |
| across | from one side to the other side | एक ओर से दूसरी ओर, के आर-पार | “sail across the sky” |
| prettier far | very much more beautiful | कहीं अधिक सुंदर | “Are prettier far than these.” |
| bridges (noun) | things built over a river so people can cross it | पुल | “There are bridges on the rivers,” |
| as pretty as you please | very pretty indeed | बहुत ही सुंदर | “As pretty as you please;” |
| bow | anything bent into a curve; here it means the rainbow | धनुष जैसा मुड़ा आकार; यहाँ इंद्रधनुष | “But the bow that bridges heaven,” |
| bridges (verb) | joins two places, the way a bridge does | पुल की तरह जोड़ता है | “the bow that bridges heaven” |
| heaven | the sky (an old word used in poems) | आकाश, आसमान | “the bow that bridges heaven” |
| overtops | rises higher than the top of something | से ऊपर उठ जाता है | “And overtops the trees,” |
| builds a road | makes a path from one place to another | रास्ता बनाता है | “And builds a road from earth to sky,” |
| earth | the ground and land we live on | धरती, पृथ्वी | “from earth to sky” |
Colours (poem, Let us Speak)
Summary
- Two friends each have only a few crayons.
- One has red, yellow and blue crayons.
- The other has green, purple and black ones.
- One friend needs red, and the other needs black.
- If they share their crayons, together they have a full pack!
सारांश (हिन्दी में)
- दो दोस्तों के पास थोड़े-थोड़े रंग हैं।
- एक के पास लाल, पीला और नीला है; दूसरे के पास हरा, बैंगनी और काला।
- एक को लाल रंग चाहिए और दूसरे को काला।
- अगर वे अपने रंग आपस में बाँट लें, तो उनके पास पूरा डिब्बा हो जाएगा।
Word meanings
| Word | Meaning | हिंदी अर्थ | In the text |
|---|---|---|---|
| crayons | coloured wax sticks used for drawing and colouring | रंग भरने की मोम वाली पेंसिलें | “You have a few crayons,” |
| a few | a small number of | थोड़े-से, कुछ | “You have a few crayons,” |
| purple | a colour made by mixing red and blue | बैंगनी | “Green, purple and black,” |
| need | must have; want something because you cannot do without it | ज़रूरत होना, चाहिए | “I need the red” |
| share | to let others use what you have | आपस में बाँटना | “If we share our crayons,” |
| full pack | a whole box with all the colours in it | पूरा डिब्बा | “we have a full pack!” |
Aachoo! (poem, Let us Speak)
Summary
- A huge, strong elephant caught a very bad cold.
- It went to a shop to buy a handkerchief.
- The surprised sales girl had no hanky that big.
- The elephant sneezed loudly and shook its mighty head.
- It said, “Forget the handkerchief, give me a sheet instead!”
सारांश (हिन्दी में)
- एक बड़े और ताक़तवर हाथी को बहुत तेज़ ज़ुकाम हो गया।
- वह रूमाल ख़रीदने एक दुकान पर गया।
- दुकान की लड़की हैरान होकर बोली कि इतना बड़ा रूमाल उनके पास नहीं है।
- हाथी ने ज़ोर से छींका, सिर हिलाया और बोला, “रूमाल छोड़ो, मुझे चादर दे दो!”
Word meanings
| Word | Meaning | हिंदी अर्थ | In the text |
|---|---|---|---|
| aachoo | the sound of a sneeze | छींक की आवाज़ | “‘AACHOO!’ said the elephant.” |
| mighty | very big and strong; with the cold, very bad | बहुत बड़ा और ताक़तवर; (ज़ुकाम के लिए) बहुत तेज़ | “Once a mighty elephant, / Got a mighty cold.” |
| cold | an illness that gives you a runny nose and sneezes | ज़ुकाम, सर्दी | “Got a mighty cold.” |
| handkerchief | a small square of cloth for wiping your nose | रूमाल | “It went to buy a handkerchief,” |
| sold | given to people in return for money | बेचे जाते थे | “Where handkerchiefs were sold.” |
| hanky | a short word for handkerchief | रूमाल | “A hanky for an elephant?” |
| sales girl | a girl or woman who sells things in a shop | दुकान पर सामान बेचने वाली लड़की | “The sales girl was surprised,” |
| surprised | feeling amazed by something you did not expect | हैरान, चकित | “The sales girl was surprised,” |
| that size | as big as that | उतना बड़ा | “A handkerchief that size.” |
| shook | moved from side to side (past of shake) | हिलाया | “And shook its mighty head,” |
| sheet | a large piece of cloth spread on a bed | चादर | “Give me a sheet instead.” |
| instead | in place of something else | उसके बदले, उसकी जगह | “Give me a sheet instead.” |
NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Chapter 3 the Rainbow – Questions and Answers
All 87 questions of the chapter (textbook pages 27 – 40) are answered below, in the order of the book – in-text questions, activities and the end-of-chapter exercises. Each answer is written the way you would write it in the exam.
Let us Recite — Page 27The Rainbow — a poem by Christina Rossetti
And ships sail on the seas;
But clouds that sail across the sky
Are prettier far than these.
There are bridges on the rivers,
As pretty as you please;
But the bow that bridges heaven,
And overtops the trees,
And builds a road from earth to sky,
Is prettier far than these.
— Christina Rossetti
Meaning in brief: Boats, ships and clouds all sail, but the clouds sailing across the sky are the prettiest. Bridges on rivers are pretty, but the rainbow — “the bow that bridges heaven” — is far prettier.
Let us Think — Page 28A. Answer the following
In this poem, ‘bow’ means the rainbow.
The poet calls the rainbow “the bow that bridges heaven”. A bow is anything bent into a curve, and a rainbow is a curved band of colours across the sky. That is why it is called a rain + bow.
The poet likes the rainbow bridge more.
A bridge on a river is only “as pretty as you please”, but the rainbow “is prettier far than these”. It bridges the whole sky, rises above the trees and “builds a road from earth to sky”. Also, nobody has to build it — it is made by sunlight and rain.
In stanza one, ‘these’ means the boats and the ships. In stanza two, ‘these’ means the bridges on the rivers.
| Stanza | The line | What ‘these’ stands for |
|---|---|---|
| One | “Are prettier far than these.” | The boats on the rivers and the ships on the seas |
| Two | “Is prettier far than these.” | The bridges on the rivers |
a. Ships sail on the river.
False.
The poem says, “And ships sail on the seas.” It is the boats that sail on the rivers — “Boats sail on the rivers”.
The corrected sentence: Ships sail on the sea.
False.
The very first line of the poem says, “Boats sail on the rivers.” The sea belongs to the ships in this poem.
The corrected sentence: Boats sail on the river.
True.
Stanza two opens with the line, “There are bridges on the rivers, / As pretty as you please.” So the poem does tell us that bridges are built on rivers.
True.
The poem says the bow “builds a road from earth to sky”. The rainbow looks like a wide coloured road going up from the ground and over into the sky.
Let us Think — Page 28B. Think and discuss
We can cross a river by walking or driving over a bridge, or by going across in a boat or a ferry. In the hills people use rope bridges, and where the water is shallow they can wade across. In Meghalaya there are even bridges made from the living roots of trees.
Yes, I have seen a rainbow. It was last July, just after a heavy afternoon shower. I was on our terrace with my grandmother, and a big arch of colours stood over the fields behind our house. I felt very happy and a little surprised, because a minute earlier the sky had been grey.
If I could walk on a rainbow, I think it would take me up above the clouds. From there I would watch the clouds sail past like the ships in the poem. Then I would walk down the other side into my grandmother’s village, far away, in time for dinner.
Let us Learn — Page 29A. Rearrange the letters to form a word from the poem
SAIL — this one is already filled in for you in the book.
In the poem: “Boats sail on the rivers,”
RIVER
In the poem: “Boats sail on the rivers,” and “There are bridges on the rivers,”
SEA
In the poem: “And ships sail on the seas;”
CLOUDS
In the poem: “But clouds that sail across the sky”
BRIDGES
In the poem: “There are bridges on the rivers,” and “But the bow that bridges heaven,”
HEAVEN
Six letters: n, h, v, e, e, a. There are two es, and heaven needs two — H-E-A-V-E-N.
In the poem: “But the bow that bridges heaven,”
OVERTOPS
In the poem: “And overtops the trees,”
BOW
Three letters: o, w, b. Only one order makes a word — B-O-W.
In the poem: “But the bow that bridges heaven,”
Here bow means the rainbow — a curve of colours across the sky. It is the most important word in the whole poem.
ROAD
In the poem: “And builds a road from earth to sky,”
Here are all nine words together, with the line each one comes from.
| No. | Jumbled word | Answer | Where it comes in the poem |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | sial | SAIL | “Boats sail on the rivers,” |
| 2 | vierr | RIVER | “Boats sail on the rivers,” |
| 3 | sae | SEA | “And ships sail on the seas;” |
| 4 | oduscl | CLOUDS | “But clouds that sail across the sky” |
| 5 | risebgd | BRIDGES | “There are bridges on the rivers,” |
| 6 | nhveea | HEAVEN | “But the bow that bridges heaven,” |
| 7 | eoptvros | OVERTOPS | “And overtops the trees,” |
| 8 | owb | BOW | “But the bow that bridges heaven,” |
| 9 | droa | ROAD | “And builds a road from earth to sky,” |
Let us Learn — Page 29B. The spinning circle — work in pairs
Segment: Provide a new title for the poem.
A new title for the poem could be “The Bow that Bridges Heaven” or “A Road from Earth to Sky”.
Two easy pairs are: seas — these and please — trees.
Rhyming words are words that end in the same sound.
| Pair | The two lines | The sound they share |
|---|---|---|
| seas — these | “And ships sail on the seas;” / “Are prettier far than these.” | both end in “-eez” |
| please — trees | “As pretty as you please;” / “And overtops the trees,” | both end in “-eez” |
| trees — these | “And overtops the trees,” / “Is prettier far than these.” | both end in “-eez” |
| please — these | “As pretty as you please;” / “Is prettier far than these.” | both end in “-eez” |
I see a small boat on a river, a tall ship on the sea and white clouds sailing across a blue sky. Then I see a bridge over a river, and a rainbow arching over the trees like a coloured road from the earth to the sky.
Repeated words: the (6 times); sail, and, on (3 times each); rivers, bridges, sky, but, that, are, as, prettier, far, than, these (twice each). The whole line “prettier far than these” is repeated at the end of both stanzas.
| Word | How many times | Where |
|---|---|---|
| the | 6 | “on the rivers” (twice), “on the seas”, “across the sky”, “the bow”, “overtops the trees” |
| sail | 3 | “Boats sail”, “ships sail”, “clouds that sail” |
| and | 3 | “And ships”, “And overtops”, “And builds” |
| on | 3 | “on the rivers” (twice), “on the seas” |
| rivers | 2 | “Boats sail on the rivers”, “bridges on the rivers” |
| bridges | 2 | “There are bridges”, “the bow that bridges heaven” |
| sky | 2 | “across the sky”, “from earth to sky” |
| but | 2 | “But clouds”, “But the bow” |
| that | 2 | “clouds that sail”, “the bow that bridges” |
| are | 2 | “Are prettier far”, “There are bridges” |
| as | 2 | “As pretty as you please” |
| prettier · far · than · these | 2 each | “Are prettier far than these.” and “Is prettier far than these.” |
Sample answer: I would use the santoor — the very instrument our book is named after.
Its sound is soft and bright, like drops of water falling — and a rainbow is made of water drops.
Let us Listen — Page 30Give five rhyming words for each word
Ship – chip, trip, …………, …………, ………… .
Ship – chip, trip, dip, lip, tip.
The first two, chip and trip, are already written in the book. You have to add three more.
Tree – free, three, bee, knee, see.
More: flee, agree, degree, key, tea, sea, me, we, she, he, flea, plea.
Bow – low, grow, snow, throw, know.
Here bow (the rainbow) is said like “boh”, so it rhymes with go.
Rain – train, plain, chain, main, pain.
More: brain, drain, gain, grain, stain, again, Spain, plane, cane, lane, mane, crane, vane.
Sun – fun, run, bun, gun, none.
More: son, won, one, done, ton, spun, stun, shun.
Sea – tea, key, bee, tree, free.
More: knee, three, me, we, she, he, flee, flea, pea, plea, agree.
Sail – tail, mail, nail, rail, jail.
More: pail, fail, hail, snail, trail, whale, tale, pale, scale, male, sale.
And – hand, land, sand, band, stand.
More: grand, brand, gland, bland, strand.
Sky – fly, cry, dry, my, why.
More: try, shy, spy, buy, by, bye, high, sigh, tie, lie, pie, die, eye.
Far – car, star, jar, bar, tar.
More: scar, spar, guitar, sitar, afar.
Let us Speak — Pages 31–32Recite two poems in three different voices
a. In a happy voice
b. In an angry voice
c. In a surprised voice
The same words can mean very different things, depending on how you say them. That is what this task teaches. Here is how to make each voice.
| Voice | What your voice does | What your face and body do |
|---|---|---|
| a. Happy | Light and quick. Your voice goes up at the end of lines. You almost sing. | Smile. Eyes wide. Shoulders relaxed. Hands moving freely. |
| b. Angry | Loud and hard. Short, sharp words. Your voice goes down and stays low. | Frown. Jaw tight. Lean forward. Perhaps one hand on the hip. |
| c. Surprised | A small gasp first, then higher and faster. Stop suddenly in the middle of a line. | Eyebrows up. Mouth open. Head pulled back a little. Hands up near your face. |
You have a few crayons,
Red, yellow and blue.
Green, purple and black,
I have some too
I need the red
and you need the black.
If we share our crayons,
we have a full pack!
— Santoor, Grade 3
How to do it: Recite the poem three times — once in a happy voice, once in an angry voice and once in a surprised voice. The words stay the same; only your voice, face and gestures change.
| Voice | How to do it | The line to work hardest on |
|---|---|---|
| a. Happy | This is the natural voice for the poem. Say the colour names brightly, one by one, as if you are laying the crayons out on the desk. End loud and glad. | “If we share our crayons, we have a full pack!” |
| b. Angry | Say “You have a few crayons” as if you are complaining. Bite the words “I need the red”. It sounds like a quarrel over a pencil box. | “I need the red and you need the black.” |
| c. Surprised | Gasp a little at “I have some too” — as if you have only just noticed. Then say the last two lines as if the idea of sharing has just struck you. | “If we share our crayons — we have a full pack!” |
Once a mighty elephant,
Got a mighty cold.
It went to buy a handkerchief,
Where handkerchiefs were sold.
“A hanky for an elephant?”
The sales girl was surprised,
“Sorry sir but we don’t have
A handkerchief that size.”
“AACHOO!” said the elephant.
And shook its mighty head,
“Forget about the handkerchief
Give me a sheet instead.”
— Santoor, Grade 3
How to do it: Recite the poem three times — once in a happy voice, once in an angry voice and once in a surprised voice. The words stay the same; only your voice, face and gestures change.
| Voice | How to do it | The line to work hardest on |
|---|---|---|
| a. Happy | Tell it like a funny story to a friend. Bounce on the word “mighty” each time. Make the “AACHOO!” big and enjoy it. | “AACHOO!” said the elephant. |
| b. Angry | Be the elephant who is fed up. Growl the last three lines: it is unwell, it has been refused, and now it wants a sheet — at once. | “Forget about the handkerchief. Give me a sheet instead.” |
| c. Surprised | This poem is made for the surprised voice, because a character in it is surprised. Say “A hanky for an elephant?” with your eyebrows right up. | “A hanky for an elephant?” |
Let us Write — Page 33A. Share and write about a journey
Sample answer (spoken): Last October my family went by bus to my grandmother’s village for Diwali. On the way we crossed a long bridge over a river, and I saw small boats below. My grandmother gave me besan laddus, and in the evening we lit lamps in the courtyard. I did not like the mosquitoes, but I would go again tomorrow.
You may include the following points in your paragraph:
• Time of journey and destination
• Purpose of travel
• Whom you travelled with
• Things you liked or disliked during your travel
• Local dishes and snacks
• Monument, landmark or scenery
Last December, in the winter holidays, my parents, my younger sister and I went to Konark in Odisha to see the famous Sun Temple. We went by train to Bhubaneswar and then by bus to Konark. The temple is built like a huge stone chariot with giant carved wheels. In the evening we walked on Chandrabhaga beach and ate hot dahi vada and a sweet called chhena poda. I did not like the crowded bus on the way back, but it was still the best trip of my year.
Let us Write — Page 34B. A word joins a ‘friend word’ to make a new word
1. rain + bow = rainbow
| No. | Word | Friend word | New word | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | rain | bow | rainbow | |
| 2 | tea | cup | …………….. | |
| 3 | wrist | …………….. | …………….. | |
| 4 | arm | …………….. | …………….. | |
| 5 | earth | …………….. | earthworm | |
| 6 | …………….. | …………….. | sunflower | |
| 7 | table | cloth | …………….. | |
| 8 | note | …………….. | notebook | |
| 9 | …………….. | …………….. | earring | |
| 10 | tooth | …………….. | …………….. |
rain + bow = rainbow — this one is done for you in the book.
tea + cup = teacup — a cup made for drinking tea.
wrist + watch = wristwatch
arm + chair = armchair — a chair with rests for your arms (the picture shows a rocking chair with arms).
earth + worm = earthworm
sun + flower = sunflower
table + cloth = tablecloth — the cloth you spread on a table.
note + book = notebook
ear + ring = earring
tooth + paste = toothpaste
Here is the whole table, filled in.
| No. | Word | Friend word | New word | What the picture shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | rain | bow | rainbow | a rainbow between two clouds |
| 2 | tea | cup | teacup | a steaming red cup on a saucer |
| 3 | wrist | watch | wristwatch | a watch with a metal strap |
| 4 | arm | chair | armchair | a wooden rocking chair with arms |
| 5 | earth | worm | earthworm | a pink earthworm |
| 6 | sun | flower | sunflower | a yellow sunflower |
| 7 | table | cloth | tablecloth | a table with a green cloth |
| 8 | note | book | notebook | an open book |
| 9 | ear | ring | earring | a golden hanging earring |
| 10 | tooth | paste | toothpaste | a red tube marked TOOTH PASTE |
Let us Write — Page 35C. Words that are both nouns and verbs
a) I have seen a bridge made of roots in Meghalaya.
In the above sentence, the word ‘bridge’ is a noun.
b) Some planks of woods were used to bridge the stream.
In the above sentence, the word ‘bridge’ is a verb.
The same word can be a naming word in one sentence and a doing word in another. That is the whole idea of this exercise.
| Sentence | What ‘bridge’ is doing | So it is a… |
|---|---|---|
| “I have seen a bridge made of roots in Meghalaya.” | It names a thing — the thing you walk on. | noun |
| “Some planks of wood were used to bridge the stream.” | It tells an action — to join the two banks. | verb |
1. cut
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | I have a small cut on my finger. | Here cut names a thing — the little wound. You can say “a cut”. |
| Verb | Please cut the cake with this knife. | Here cut is an action somebody does. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | My new cricket bat is made of willow wood. | Here bat names a thing you hold. |
| Verb | Our team will bat first today. | Here bat is what the players do. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | This picture of the Taj Mahal hangs in our classroom. | Here picture names a thing on the wall. |
| Verb | Close your eyes and picture a rainbow over your village. | Here picture means to see something in your mind — an action. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | We heard a loud cry from the next room. | Here cry names a sound. You can say “a cry”. |
| Verb | Babies cry when they are hungry. | Here cry is something the babies do. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | The water filter in our kitchen has to be cleaned every month. | Here filter names a machine. |
| Verb | A thick cloth will filter the mud out of the pond water. | Here filter is an action — separating the dirt from the water. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Her Bharatanatyam dance was the best item in the programme. | Here dance names a performance. You can say “a dance”. |
| Verb | We dance in the courtyard on the night of Navratri. | Here dance is what we do. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | The tulsi plant near our door has fresh green leaves. | Here plant names a living thing. |
| Verb | Every July our school children plant saplings along the road. | Here plant means to put a young tree into the soil. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | The blue paint on our gate has begun to peel off. | Here paint names the stuff in the tin. |
| Verb | I will paint the rainbow in all seven colours. | Here paint is the action of using a brush. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | A fly settled on the plate of jalebis. | Here fly names an insect. You can say “a fly”. |
| Verb | Hundreds of kites fly over the town on Makar Sankranti. | Here fly is what the kites do. |
| Used as | Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | She washed her face at the tap in the corner. | Here face names a part of the body. |
| Verb | We must face our difficulties bravely. | Here face means to stand in front of something and deal with it. |
Let us Write — Page 36D. Opposites that all begin with ‘S’
a. large × small
large × small — this one is already done for you in the book.
Large means big in size. Small means little in size. They are opposite ends of the same idea.
weak × strong
Weak means having little power. Strong means having a lot of power.
fast × slow
Fast means moving quickly. Slow means moving with little speed.
rough × smooth
Rough means uneven to touch, with bumps. Smooth means flat and even, with no bumps.
dull × shiny
Dull means without shine — a surface that does not catch the light. Shiny means bright and gleaming.
curved × straight
Curved means bent, like a bow. Straight means going in one line without bending.
finish × start
Finish means to come to the end of something. Start means to begin it.
addition × subtraction
complicated × simple
Complicated means hard to understand, with many parts. Simple means easy and plain.
mild × spicy
When we talk about food, mild means gentle in taste, with very little chilli. Spicy means full of chilli and spices, and hot on the tongue.
blunt × sharp
Blunt means not able to cut — a flat, worn edge. Sharp means having a fine edge or point that cuts easily.
Sample answers — one sentence with each S-word:
| Word | Opposite (with S) | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a. large | small | The elephant is large and the ant is small. |
| b. weak | strong | Drink your milk every day and your bones will grow strong. |
| c. fast | slow | The tortoise was slow, but it never stopped walking. |
| d. rough | smooth | The potter’s hands made the clay pot perfectly smooth. |
| e. dull | shiny | My new steel tiffin box is bright and shiny. |
| f. curved | straight | Draw a straight line under the heading with your ruler. |
| g. finish | start | The race will start as soon as the whistle blows. |
| h. addition | subtraction | We learnt subtraction with borrowing today. |
| i. complicated | simple | My mother taught me a simple way to fold my shirt. |
| j. mild | spicy | The chaat at the corner stall is far too spicy for me. |
| k. blunt | sharp | Handle the knife carefully, because it is very sharp. |
Sample answer — our group chose the letter B:
| Question | Answer (all begin with B) |
|---|---|
| a. small × b____ | big |
| b. white × b____ | black |
| c. sell × b____ | buy |
| d. ugly × b____ | beautiful |
| e. worst × b____ | best |
| f. top × b____ | bottom |
| g. after × b____ | before |
| h. front × b____ | back |
| i. dull × b____ | bright |
| j. narrow × b____ | broad |
| k. sister × b____ | brother |
Let us Write — Page 37E. VIBGYOR — the colours of the rainbow
VIBGYOR is an easy way to remember the seven colours of the rainbow in order.
V – Violet, I – Indigo, B – Blue, G – Green, Y – Yellow, O – Orange, R – Red
(Scroll on the page: When sunlight passes through rain droplets, it splits into these seven beautiful colours forming a rainbow in the sky.)
VIBGYOR is a made-up word. Each letter stands for one colour of the rainbow, and they are in the right order.
| Letter | Colour | Where it sits in the rainbow |
|---|---|---|
| V | Violet | innermost band — the lowest arch |
| I | Indigo | next above violet (a deep blue-purple) |
| B | Blue | the middle-lower bands |
| G | Green | the middle band |
| Y | Yellow | above green |
| O | Orange | next to the top |
| R | Red | outermost band — the highest arch |
Let us Write — Page 37F. The colours of things in the kitchen
| Item | Colour | Name in mother tongue |
|---|---|---|
| clove | ||
| cinnamon | ||
| dry chilli | ||
| garlic | ||
| curry leaves | ||
| peppercorns | ||
| fennel seeds | ||
| cumin seeds | ||
| mustard seeds |
Answer: Here is the table filled in. Look at the real spices at home, and write the name used in your own mother tongue.
| Item | Colour | Name in mother tongue (Hindi first, then some other languages) |
|---|---|---|
| clove | dark brown, almost black | laung (Hindi) · lavang (Marathi, Gujarati) · kirambu (Tamil) · lavangalu (Telugu) |
| cinnamon | reddish-brown | dalchini (Hindi, Marathi) · daruchini (Bengali) · lavanga pattai (Tamil) |
| dry chilli | deep red | sukhi lal mirch (Hindi) · vara milagai (Tamil) · endu mirapakaya (Telugu) · sukhi lal marcha (Gujarati) |
| garlic | white or creamy white, with a papery pink-white skin | lehsun (Hindi) · rasun (Bengali) · poondu (Tamil) · velluli (Telugu) · lasun (Marathi) |
| curry leaves | dark green | kadhi patta or meetha neem (Hindi) · kadipatta (Marathi) · kariveppilai (Tamil) · karivepaku (Telugu) |
| peppercorns | black (white if the outer skin is removed) | kali mirch (Hindi) · golmorich (Bengali) · milagu (Tamil) · miriyalu (Telugu) |
| fennel seeds | light green, turning greenish-yellow when old | saunf (Hindi) · badishep (Marathi) · perunjeeragam (Tamil) · sompu (Kannada) |
| cumin seeds | brown to greyish-brown | jeera (Hindi, Bengali) · jeeragam (Tamil) · jeelakarra (Telugu) · jeeru (Gujarati) |
| mustard seeds | black-brown (rai) or yellow (sarson) | rai or sarson (Hindi) · shorshe (Bengali) · kadugu (Tamil) · aavalu (Telugu) · mohri (Marathi) |
Let us Write — Page 38G. Design and colour a Flowerpot Friend
(Picture on page 38: a large outline drawing of two flowerpots, one on top of the other, with leaves and three flowers on top, standing on a chair — this is the one you colour. Beside it are three coloured examples, where the pot has a face, the plant is its hair, it wears colourful clothes, and two small pots hang from the chair as shoes.)
Sample answer (under the drawing): My Flowerpot Friend is called Chameli. Her hair is white jasmine flowers with green leaves. Her face is an orange pot with round black eyes and a big smile. She wears a purple frock with yellow dots, and her shoes are two small red pots.
Let us Do — Page 39Colour combinations
1. red + blue = p __ __ __ __ e
red + blue = PURPLE
The four blanks take u, r, p, l — purple.
yellow + blue = GREEN
The three blanks take r, e, e — green.
red + yellow = ORANGE
The four blanks take r, a, n, g — orange.
red + white = PINK
The two blanks take i, n — pink.
red + black = MAROON
The four blanks take a, r, o, o — maroon.
red + yellow + blue = BROWN
The three blanks take r, o, w — brown.
Let us Explore — Page 40A. Types of boats · B. Human-made and natural things
Types of boats — rowing boat, coracle, shikara, kettuvallam (houseboat), catamaran, fishing trawler, sailing boat, ferry, bamboo raft and speedboat. They differ in what they are made of, how they move (oars, pole, sail or engine) and what they carry.
| Boat | Where it is used | What makes it different |
|---|---|---|
| Rowing boat | Rivers and lakes, all over India | Small and wooden. Moved by two oars. |
| Coracle (parisal, harigolu) | Kaveri and Tungabhadra rivers | Round like a big basket. Spins as it moves. Made of bamboo and covered to keep water out. |
| Shikara | Dal Lake, Srinagar | Long and narrow, with a canopy and cushions. Pushed with a heart-shaped paddle. |
| Kettuvallam | Kerala backwaters | A houseboat. Once carried rice; now it carries visitors, and people sleep on board. |
| Catamaran | Sea coasts of Tamil Nadu | Logs tied side by side. The word comes from Tamil — kattu maram, tied wood. |
| Fishing trawler | Open sea | Has an engine and big nets. Stays out for days. |
| Sailing boat | Seas and large lakes | Has a cloth sail. Uses the wind instead of an engine. |
| Ferry | Wide rivers and harbours | Carries many people, and sometimes cars, from one bank to the other. |
| Bamboo raft | Hill streams and the Ganga | Flat, with no sides. Pushed along with a long pole. |
| Speedboat | Harbours and tourist spots | Small, with a powerful engine. Very fast, and noisy. |
Human-made group: Ships and bridges are useful. A bridge helps us cross a river, and a ship carries people and goods across the sea. Natural group: Clouds and rainbows are free for everyone. Nobody built them, and they are more beautiful than anything we make — just as the poet says.
Chapter 3 of 10 – English
- Previous: Chapter 2 Gone with the Scooter
- Next: Chapter 4 the Wise Parrot
- All chapters: NCERT Solutions Class 5 English
Also for This Chapter
NCERT Solutions Class 5 English Chapter 3 the Rainbow – Overview
| Class | Class 5 |
| Subject | English |
| Chapter | 3 – the Rainbow |
| Textbook pages | 27 – 40 |
| Questions solved | 87 |
| Session | 2027 |
| Format | Full answers on this page + PDF |
NCERT Solutions Class 5 English Chapter 3 – FAQs
Where can I download NCERT Solutions Class 5 English Chapter 3 the Rainbow PDF?
Read every answer on this page, or download the free PDF from the table at the top.
Is this for the 2027 session?
Yes, it follows the latest NCERT Class 5 English book for 2027.
How many questions are solved in NCERT Class 5 English Chapter 3?
All 87 questions of the chapter (textbook pages 27 – 40) – the in-text questions, activities and the end-of-chapter exercises.
How should I use these solutions?
Read the chapter in the NCERT book first, attempt the questions yourself, then check your answers here.