May I Come In?: NCERT Class 1 English Story (Raindrops Chapter 18)

etmantra4 Feb 20206 min read

This chapter teaches children polite English they can use at school every day, starting with “May I come in?”. It also shows a kind teacher who listens when a child is unwell.

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From the NCERT English book Raindrops for Class 1, chapter 18. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Raindrops.

Watch: May I Come In?

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Asking politely with ‘May I’
Saying how you feel: ‘I have a headache’
Kind words: please, take care, thank you
Acting out a short talk between two people

What the story is about

Ashok asks his teacher if he may come in, and she lets him in. She asks what the matter is. Ashok says he has a bad headache.

The teacher asks if he wants to go home and rest, and Ashok says yes. She asks if he can go alone or if she should call his father. Ashok says his house is nearby, so he can go alone. The teacher tells him to take care, and Ashok thanks her.

New words, with Hindi meanings

teacher: a person who teaches us at school (हिंदी: अध्यापक, टीचर)
matter: a problem; “What’s the matter?” means “What is wrong?” (हिंदी: क्या बात है)
headache: a pain in the head (हिंदी: सिरदर्द)
rest: to relax and not work, so the body feels better (हिंदी: आराम)
alone: without anyone else (हिंदी: अकेले)
nearby: close, not far away (हिंदी: पास में)
take care: be careful and look after yourself (हिंदी: ध्यान रखना)

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.

What did Ashok say before entering the class?
What was wrong with Ashok?
Why could Ashok go home alone?
What do you say to your teacher when you want to come into the class?

Answers for parents

He said, “May I come in?”
Ashok had a bad headache.
His house was nearby, so he could go alone.
For example: I say, “May I come in, ma’am?” and wait till she says yes.

Grammar corner: Asking politely with ‘May I’

We use ‘May I’ when we ask for permission in a polite way. It is kinder than just walking in or taking something. After ‘May I’, we put an action word, like come, go or drink.

May I go home, ma’am? I do not feel well.
May I drink some water, please?
May I sit next to Ashok?

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: ___ I come in, sir?
Match: ‘I have a headache.’ → (a) Thank you (b) Do you want to go home and rest?
Make a ‘May I’ question to ask your mother at home.

Answers: 1. May · 2. (b) Do you want to go home and rest? · 3. For example: May I play outside?

Try this

Role-play a classroom. Your child knocks on a door and says “May I come in?”, and you answer as the teacher. Then act out the rest of the talk, using “What’s the matter?”, “Take care” and “Thank you”. Swap so your child plays the teacher.

Tip for parents

Ask your child what they say in Hindi to come into a room: “क्या मैं अंदर आ सकता हूँ?” Then show that the English way is “May I come in?”. Use it at home every day, at the kitchen door or the bedroom door, and praise your child each time they remember.

Questions parents ask

Who are the characters in May I Come In?

The chapter has two people: a boy named Ashok and his teacher. Ashok's father is mentioned, but he does not appear.

What is the lesson of May I Come In?

It shows children how to ask politely before entering a class, how to tell an adult when they feel unwell, and to say thank you.

Which NCERT book has May I Come In?

It is Chapter 18 of NCERT's older Raindrops book for Class 1. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 1 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →