Change of Heart: NCERT Class 6 English Story (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20266 min read

Every child knows the sting of losing a game. In this story, a boy who cannot bear to lose meets a classmate who simply loves to play, and slowly learns that fun matters more than the score. It is a good chapter for talking about honesty and sporting spirit at home.

Open now: the CALP Class 6 English course (Poorvi)
Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 6 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year, and “Start here” and the first chapter’s notes are free to try.
See the free lessons and enrol →

From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 6, unit “Sports and Wellness”. Unit 4.

What your child learns

Sports words: opponent, friendly match, scoreboard, sporting spirit
The past perfect tense (had + past participle) to show which action happened first
Using the magic words please, thank you and sorry politely
Writing a diary entry about one's own feelings

What the story is about

Prabhat always wants to win. He plays only the games he is sure of winning, like badminton, and losing makes him feel terrible. A new student, Surya, joins his school. Surya is an excellent badminton player who jokes and smiles all the time. When the two of them play a friendly match on the last Friday of the month, Prabhat is keeping the score, and he quietly changes the scoreboard while Surya looks away. Prabhat wins by cheating, but Surya does not mind at all and says they should play again.

That night Prabhat cannot sleep, and his win does not make him happy. Over the next days he watches Surya, who is great at some games and hopeless at others, yet enjoys every one of them. Prabhat realises that a game is to be enjoyed for its own sake, not for the tally of points. He begins to joke while playing, enjoys games like hide and seek, and soon his classmates say he has a great sporting spirit. The title shows this change in his heart.

New words, with Hindi meanings

defeat: a loss in a game or fight (हिंदी: हार)
opponent: the person you play against in a game (हिंदी: प्रतिद्वंद्वी, विरोधी)
significant: important (हिंदी: महत्वपूर्ण)
conducted: organised or held an event (हिंदी: आयोजित किया)
sensed: felt or knew without being told (हिंदी: भाँप लिया)
phenomenon: someone with very special qualities or skill (हिंदी: अद्भुत व्यक्ति)
hopeless: having no skill at something (हिंदी: बिलकुल कमज़ोर)
tally: a record of points or scores (हिंदी: गिनती, हिसाब)
observation: watching someone or something carefully (हिंदी: अवलोकन, ध्यान से देखना)
sporting spirit: playing fairly and respecting every player, win or lose (हिंदी: खेल भावना)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Why did Prabhat play only some games?
How did Prabhat win the badminton match against Surya?
Why could Prabhat not sleep well after his win?
What did Prabhat learn by watching Surya?
Tell about a time you lost a game. How did you feel, and what did you do?

Answers for parents

He could not bear losing, so he played only when he was sure he would win.
He was keeping the score, and he changed the scoreboard while Surya was looking away.
He knew he had cheated, and Surya did not even feel bad about losing, so the win did not make him happy.
He learnt that you play a game to enjoy it, not to keep a score; trying your best and having fun is what matters.
For example: I lost a carrom match to my cousin. I felt upset at first, but then I asked him to teach me his shot and we played again.

Grammar corner: The past perfect tense (had + past participle)

When we talk about two actions in the past, we use the past perfect for the action that happened first (the old action). It is made with 'had' and the third form of the verb, like 'had won' or 'had played'. The later action stays in the simple past.

The match had already started when Surya reached the court.
Prabhat had practised for a week before the friendly match.
By the time the bell rang, the coach had written the teams on the board.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with the past perfect: When we reached the ground, the game ___ already ___. (begin)
Match the word to its meaning: (a) opponent (b) defeat (c) significant — (1) important (2) a loss (3) the person you play against
Say aloud one polite sentence using 'sorry' for when you bump into a friend during a game.

Answers: 1. had, begun · 2. a-3, b-2, c-1 · 3. For example: I'm sorry, that was my fault. Are you hurt?

Try this

Play a short family game, like ludo, carrom or a race to the gate, with one rule: no one keeps score. After the game, each person says one thing they enjoyed and one thing someone else did well. Then talk about whether the game was more fun or less fun without a winner, just as Prabhat discovered.

Tip for parents

Ask your child in Hindi first: 'Prabhat ने धोखा क्यों दिया? जीतने के बाद भी वह ख़ुश क्यों नहीं था?' Let them answer in Hindi, then help them say the same idea in English, for example 'He cheated because he was afraid of losing.' Praise every try, even if the English is mixed, and share a time you yourself felt bad about losing.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of Change of Heart?

Play games to enjoy them and to do your best, not only to win. Cheating takes away the joy of winning, and sporting spirit means playing fairly and respecting every player.

Who are the characters in Change of Heart?

The main characters are Prabhat, a boy who always wants to win, and Surya, a new student who is an excellent badminton player and enjoys every game. Their classmates and coach are also in the story.

Is Change of Heart in the new NCERT book?

Yes. Change of Heart is in NCERT's new Poorvi book for Class 6 English, in Unit 4 (Sports and Wellness).

Learn every Class 6 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 6 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →