English: Class 4 — Chapter 10: The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing,
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all,
Over the countryside.

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown,
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

• pleasantest: Most enjoyable or giving the most pleasure.
• cattle: Cows and bulls kept on a farm.
• countryside: Land outside of cities and towns; rural areas.

• What does the poet see when the swing goes over the wall? The poet sees wide views including rivers, trees, cattle, and the countryside.
• Does the poet enjoy swings? Which lines tell us that? Yes, the poet enjoys swings. The lines "Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing, / Ever a child can do!" show this.
• "Up in the air so blue" - Why do you think the poet says the air is blue? The poet refers to the clear blue sky seen while swinging high up.

• Have you seen a swing? Where have you seen it? What was it made of?
• What would you like to see when you are up in the air on a swing?

Practice building longer sentences step-by-step:

• Jeevan waited.
• Jeevan waited for the bus.
• Jeevan waited for the bus all morning.
• Jeevan waited for the bus all morning in the rain.
• Jeevan waited for the bus all morning in the rain because his scooter was in the garage being repaired.

Some words can function as both a verb (action word) and a noun (object/naming word).

• Word: swing
  - Verb: I swing on a swing. (action)
  - Noun: I swing on a swing. (object)
• Word: dance
  - Noun: The dance begins in an hour.
  - Verb: My friends and I dance when we are happy.
• Word: play
  - Verb: I like to play kho-kho.
  - Noun: We are going to watch a play tomorrow.
• Word: answer
  - Verb: Can you answer the questions?
  - Noun: I know the answer.
• Word: fly
  - Noun: There is a fly on the wall.
  - Verb: My friends fly kites on 15th August.
• Word: waves
  - Noun: The waves did not let us finish our sandcastle.
  - Verb: She waves to her siblings while leaving for school.

Tongue Twister: "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

Practice making an 'O' shape with your lips when pronouncing the W sound. Compare with the V sound (upper teeth on bottom lip).

Practice Words: fever, fewer, valley, white, vine, wise, win, wait, vet, wet.

• swing - thing
• ring - king
• blue - do
• wide - countryside
• brown - down

A preposition is a word used before a noun/pronoun to indicate its place, time, and direction.

Common Prepositions: on, beside, between, above, in front of, behind, under.

Practice Sentences:

1. There is a ladybug between the two flower pots.
2. A butterfly is flying above the flower.
3. A honeybee is sitting on the flower.
4. The watercan is beside the flower pots.
5. An ant is walking under the leaf.
6. A caterpillar is walking in front of a flowerpot.
7. A leaf has fallen behind the flower pot.

• Swings of Imagination: Draw a magical swing that can take you anywhere (outer space, a jungle, a book world) and write a short paragraph about your adventure.
• Festivals & Swings: Collect information about festivals or months in which people enjoy swinging on swings (e.g., Teej) and share it with the class.