What a Tank! — Chapter Notes NCERT Extra Notes for Class 5 English Chapter 6 Santoor Book
What a Tank! — Extra Notes Class 5 English
Here are the Complete notes including Summary, New Words with Meanings, Paragraph-wise Questions & Answers , Theme, Moral, Extra Question and Answers, MCQs and Grammar practice for Class 5 English Chapter 5 – “The Frog” (Santoor / NCERT eesa106.pdf)
1. Summary / What Happens in the Chapter
- The chapter “What a Tank!” talks about water storage tanks and how people have used them over the years to conserve water.
- In Punjab, many houses have uniquely designed overhead water tanks. These tanks often reflect the interests, profession, or personality of the house owners — e.g. shaped like a tractor, a cricket ball, a chicken, or a flower.
- These tanks are built with steel rod frames and cement/concrete to form the final structure, and then installed on rooftops.
- The chapter also describes traditional methods of water storage in India, such as tankas in the Thar desert (underground tanks that can store water for 6–7 months), ooranis in Tamil Nadu, and Panam Keni in Kerala.
- It emphasizes that water is precious and must be used wisely, and that people from past centuries also practiced water conservation.
2. New / Important Words & Their Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tank | A container used to store water |
| Overhead | Located above something, e.g. rooftop |
| Concrete | A building material made of cement, sand, aggregate, and water |
| Frame | The supporting structure (e.g., made of steel rods) |
| Identity | Characteristics that show who someone is |
| Underground | Below the surface of the ground |
| Tanka | Traditional underground water tank in Rajasthan |
| Oorani | Traditional rainwater storage pond in Tamil Nadu |
| Panam Keni | Wells in Kerala that do not dry up easily |
| Conservation | The act of saving or protecting (especially natural resources) |
Chapter 6 – What a Tank! Paragraph-wise Questions & Answers (Class 5 English – Santoor)
Class 5 English – NCERT Santoor Textbook Paragraph-wise Questions & Answers with Grammar Questions
Paragraph 1
Water conservation is a practice that has existed for centuries. Even hundreds of years ago, there were huge water storage structures. These did not just store water but also protected cities from floods, provided drinking water, and brought people together.
Q1. What is water conservation?
A1. Water conservation means saving and using water wisely so that it does not get wasted.
Q2. What were the uses of old water storage structures?
A2. They stored water, protected cities from floods, provided drinking water, and brought people together.
Q3. Has water conservation been practiced for a long time?
A3. Yes, it has been practiced for hundreds of years.
Grammar Questions:
Q4. Pick out the nouns in this paragraph.
A4. Water, cities, floods, drinking water, people, centuries.
Q5. Change the tense of the sentence “Water conservation is a practice that has existed for centuries” into past tense.
A5. Water conservation was a practice that had existed for centuries.
Paragraph 2
Today in many parts of India, many communities still practice the traditional water management methods. In Tamil Nadu, Ooranis store rainwater for drinking and farming. In Kerala, Panam Keni wells are known for not drying up even in the hottest months. Similarly, Tankas as shown below are quite common in Rajasthan’s Thar region.
Q1. What are some traditional water storage systems mentioned in the lesson?
A. Ooranis in Tamil Nadu, Panam Keni wells in Kerala, and Tankas in Rajasthan.
Q2. What is special about Panam Keni wells?
A. They never dry up even in the hottest months.
Q3. Where are Tankas found and what are they used for?
A. Tankas are found in Rajasthan’s Thar region and are used to store rainwater.
Grammar Questions:
Q4. Find one proper noun and one common noun from the paragraph.
A. Proper noun – Tamil Nadu; Common noun – communities.
Q5. Write the plural form of the word community.
A. Communities.
Paragraph 3
They are underground tanks that can store enough water for six to seven months. Nowadays most people have water tanks to store water in their homes. These tanks store hundreds and even thousands of litres of water. Usually, they are kept or built on the roofs. Such water tanks are called overhead water tanks.
Q1. How long can Tankas store water?
A. They can store water for six to seven months.
Q2. Where are modern water tanks usually kept?
A. They are usually kept on the roofs of houses.
Q3. What are overhead water tanks?
A. Water tanks built or kept on rooftops are called overhead water tanks.
Grammar Questions:
Q4. Identify the adjectives in this paragraph.
A. Underground, enough, overhead, modern (from context).
Q5. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb:
“These tanks ___ (store/stores) hundreds of litres of water.”
A. store.
Paragraph 4
Most of us are familiar with water tanks but there is something different about the overhead tanks of Punjab. Punjab is a state in the northwestern part of India. Rich in culture and heritage, Punjab is also known for the unique designs of water tanks in its rural areas.
Q1. What is special about the water tanks in Punjab?
A. The water tanks in Punjab have unique and creative designs.
Q2. Where is Punjab located?
A. Punjab is located in the northwestern part of India.
Q3. What is Punjab famous for apart from its tanks?
A. Punjab is famous for its rich culture and heritage.
Grammar Questions:
Q4. Find two adjectives from this paragraph.
A. Rich, unique.
Q5. Combine the following sentences using and:
“Punjab is rich in culture. Punjab is rich in heritage.”
A. Punjab is rich in culture and heritage.
Paragraph 5
You may see tanks shaped like a giant flower, a large football, a brown rooster, a statue or even an aeroplane. People carefully plan the design of their water tanks. Every tank tells us something about the people of the house. For example, if the owner of the house is a farmer, the water tank may be in the shape of a tractor or a bullock cart or even a rooster. If the owner likes football, the water tank of the house may be shaped like a football.
Q1. What are some of the shapes of water tanks found in Punjab?
A. They can be shaped like flowers, footballs, roosters, statues, or aeroplanes.
Q2. How does a water tank tell us something about the owner?
A. The design of the tank often reflects the owner’s profession or interests.
Q3. What shape might a farmer’s water tank have?
A. It might be shaped like a tractor, bullock cart, or rooster.
Grammar Questions:
Q4. Underline the prepositions in this sentence:
“The water tank may be in the shape of a tractor.”
A. in, of.
Q5. Change the sentence to plural:
“The water tank is shaped like a football.”
A. The water tanks are shaped like footballs.
Paragraph 6
All these tanks are made of cement. The frame of the water tank is made using steel rods. Later, concrete is used to give it final shape. Then it is installed on the roof of the house. The final product is a unique tank that can hold hundreds of litres of water. These unique water tanks are the heart of the communities in rural Punjab.
Q1. What materials are used to make these water tanks?
A. Cement, steel rods, and concrete are used to make them.
Q2. Where are these tanks installed?
A. They are installed on the roofs of houses.
Q3. How much water can these tanks hold?
A. They can hold hundreds of litres of water.
Q4. Why are these unique tanks important to rural Punjab?
A. Because they are a symbol of creativity and community pride in rural Punjab.
Grammar Questions:
Q5. Identify the tense of the sentence “These tanks are made of cement.”
A. Present tense (Passive Voice).
Q6. Change the sentence to past tense:
“These unique water tanks are the heart of the communities.”
A. These unique water tanks were the heart of the communities.
Summary Question
Q. What message does the chapter “What a Tank!” give us?
A. The chapter teaches us the importance of saving water and celebrates the creativity of people in Punjab who design their tanks in artistic ways.
Chapter: What a Tank! — Extra Questions and Answers
Here are Extra questions & answers for “What a Tank!” (Class 5 English, Santoor, NCERT)
Q1. What is a water tank used for?
Answer: A water tank is used to store water for drinking, farming, and other daily needs.
Q2. Where are most overhead water tanks placed?
Answer: Overhead water tanks are usually placed or built on the roofs of houses.
Q3. What makes the overhead tanks of Punjab special?
Answer: The overhead tanks of Punjab are decorated in unique shapes (like animals, footballs, aeroplanes etc.) reflecting the owner’s identity.
Q4. How is the frame of these special tanks built?
Answer: The frame is made using steel rods, and then concrete is used for the final shape.
Q5. What do these decorated tanks tell us about the house owners?
Answer: The design of the tanks reveals the owner’s interests, profession, or personality.
Q6. What traditional water storage systems are mentioned in the chapter?
Answer: The chapter mentions Tankas (underground tanks in Rajasthan), Ooranis (ponds in Tamil Nadu), and Panam Keni (in Kerala).
Q7. What is special about Panam Keni?
Answer: Panam Keni wells in Kerala are known for not drying up even in the summers.
Q8. Why are tankas used in Rajasthan?
Answer: In the Thar desert of Rajasthan, underground tankas are used to store water for months and to reduce evaporation.
Q9. What is the benefit of storing water underground in tankas?
Answer: Underground storage keeps water cool and prevents it from evaporating.
Q10. Do people still use traditional systems today?
Answer: Yes, many traditional systems are still in use in rural areas for water conservation.
Q11. What is the underlying message of the chapter?
Answer: The message is that water is precious, and traditional and modern methods together help in water conservation.
Q12. What do the decorated tanks in Punjab illustrate besides utility?
Answer: They show that even everyday objects can reflect cultural identity and creativity.
Q13. Why is concrete + steel used for modern tanks?
Answer: Because concrete and steel make the structure strong, durable, and able to hold many litres of water.
Q14. How does the chapter connect tradition and modernity?
Answer: It shows how people used water storage methods in the past (tankas, ooranis) and now use overhead tanks—both serve the same purpose.
Q15. What lesson does the chapter ‘What a Tank!’ teach us for daily life?
Answer: It teaches us to value water, use it wisely, and learn from both past and present methods of conservation.
Chapter: What a Tank! — Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with Answers
Here’s an extended MCQ set (with answers) for Class 5 English Chapter – “What a Tank!” (from NCERT Book Santoor) including comprehension, vocabulary, and fact-based questions for Revision.
Comprehension-Based MCQs
- What is the main theme of the lesson “What a Tank!”?
a) Saving forests
b) Water conservation
c) Making toys
d) Festivals of India
Answer: b) Water conservation - What are the traditional water storage systems in Tamil Nadu known as?
a) Tankas
b) Ooranis
c) Panam Keni
d) Wells
Answer: b) Ooranis - Which part of India commonly uses Tankas for water storage?
a) Kerala
b) Tamil Nadu
c) Rajasthan
d) Gujarat
Answer: c) Rajasthan - What makes Panam Keni wells of Kerala special?
a) They are made of gold
b) They never dry up
c) They are only used in summer
d) They are very deep
Answer: b) They never dry up - What are the water tanks in Punjab famous for?
a) Their round shape
b) Their painted walls
c) Their creative shapes like animals, footballs, and airplanes
d) Their underground designs
Answer: c) Their creative shapes like animals, footballs, and airplanes
Regional Water Systems MCQs
- What is the purpose of ‘Ooranis’?
a) To store drinking water
b) To store oil
c) To store food grains
d) To raise fish
Answer: a) To store drinking water - What are the underground water tanks of Rajasthan called?
a) Ponds
b) Wells
c) Tankas
d) Bawdis
Answer: c) Tankas - Which state’s people decorate their water tanks creatively?
a) Rajasthan
b) Punjab
c) Kerala
d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: b) Punjab - What is the most common purpose of Tankas in Rajasthan?
a) Decoration
b) Rainwater storage
c) Bathing only
d) Washing clothes
Answer: b) Rainwater storage - The traditional Ooranis are still used today because—
a) They are easy to clean
b) They are eco-friendly and useful during water shortage
c) They are built by machines
d) They are colourful
Answer: b) They are eco-friendly and useful during water shortage
Vocabulary & Grammar MCQs
- The word “unique” in the chapter means—
a) Ordinary
b) Common
c) One of a kind
d) Beautiful
Answer: c) One of a kind - The opposite of “natural” is—
a) Artificial
b) Easy
c) Common
d) Useful
Answer: a) Artificial - Choose the correct plural form of “Tank”—
a) Tankes
b) Tankies
c) Tanks
d) Tankas
Answer: c) Tanks - Identify the correct verb form:
“People __________ rainwater in Tankas.”
a) storing
b) stored
c) store
d) stores
Answer: c) store - Choose the correct preposition:
“Water is collected ________ rain.”
a) of
b) from
c) to
d) for
Answer: b) from
Higher-Order Thinking MCQs
- Why do people in dry regions build underground tanks?
a) To save land
b) To keep water cool and prevent evaporation
c) To decorate their homes
d) To store food
Answer: b) To keep water cool and prevent evaporation - Which of the following is NOT a water conservation method mentioned in the lesson?
a) Ooranis
b) Panam Keni
c) Tankas
d) Dams
Answer: d) Dams - What does the lesson teach us about Indian traditions?
a) They are modern
b) They are wasteful
c) They are wise and scientific
d) They are unhelpful
Answer: c) They are wise and scientific - What do the colourful water tanks in Punjab reflect?
a) The owner’s creativity and interests
b) The number of people in the house
c) The shape of the house
d) The owner’s age
Answer: a) The owner’s creativity and interests - What message does the lesson “What a Tank!” finally convey?
a) Use as much water as possible
b) Do not build tanks at all
c) Conserve and value water resources
d) Paint your tanks
Answer: c) Conserve and value water resources
Grammar Exercises for “What a Tank!”
Here are Grammar Exercises for “What a Tank!” (Class 5 English, Santoor) — based on the “Let Us Learn” section and extra questions — along with answers.
A. Contractions / Short Forms
Write the contractions (short forms) for these phrases:
- do not → don’t
- is not → isn’t
- are not → aren’t
- cannot → can’t
- could not → couldn’t
- did not → didn’t
B. Rewrite using contracted forms
Rewrite the following sentences replacing the underlined parts with contractions:
- Partho is not feeling well today. His parents have decided that he will stay at home till he gets better. Partho is bored and cannot stay at home anymore. He decides to ask his grandmother if he can go outside, but he thinks she, too, would not agree.
→ Partho isn’t feeling well today. His parents have decided that he ’ll stay at home till he gets better. Partho’s bored and can’t stay at home anymore. He decides to ask his grandmother if he can go outside, but he thinks she, too, wouldn’t agree. - It is a rainy day, and Tina is not happy. She cannot go out to play with her friends. Her brother does not want to play indoors either. They have decided to watch a movie instead. Their mother says she will make popcorn for them.
→ It’s a rainy day, and Tina isn’t happy. She can’t go out to play with her friends. Her brother doesn’t want to play indoors either. They’ve decided to watch a movie instead. Their mother says she ’ll make popcorn for them.
C. Exclamatory Sentences
- Read the following:
- That’s so creative!
- He saw a rooster, a tractor, and a giant football, all made of cement!
- Hurrah! India has won the match!
These are exclamatory sentences because they express strong emotions.
Question: Can you name four emotions that exclamatory sentences express?
Answer (examples): happiness, surprise, excitement, astonishment
D. Identify Phrase Differences
- Say aloud “What a tank!” and “Water tank”.
- Do they both use the word “tank”? → Yes
- Do they mean the same? → No
- “What a tank!” is an exclamation expressing surprise about the shape/design.
- “Water tank” refers to a container for storing water.
- Say aloud “I scream” and “Ice cream”.
- Do they sound the same? → Yes
- Do they mean the same? → No
- “I scream” means to shout or cry out.
- “Ice cream” is a frozen dessert.