The Secret Garden

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Mary Lennox. Mary was not like other children. She was very lonely and often unhappy. She lived in India, but when her parents died, she was sent to live with her uncle, Mr. Craven, in a big, old house in England. The house was very different from what Mary was used to. It was cold and quiet, and she felt even more alone.

One day, while exploring the house, Mary found a hidden door in the garden wall. It was old and covered with ivy. Mary was curious. She wanted to know what was behind the door. After some time, she found the key under a stone. With her heart pounding, she unlocked the door and stepped into the garden.

What she saw took her breath away. The garden was wild and beautiful, full of colourful flowers and tall, green plants. Sunlight poured in, making everything glow. Mary felt a spark of joy for the first time in a long while. She decided to take care of the garden. Every day, she would come back to water the plants and pull out the weeds.

As Mary worked in the garden, she met a boy named Dickon. Dickon was kind and loved animals. He taught Mary how to care for the plants and even how to talk to the animals that lived nearby. They became good friends and spent many happy days together.

One day, Mary found out that her uncle had a sickly son named Colin, who had never left the house. Mary thought that the garden could help Colin feel better. With Dickon’s help, they brought Colin to the garden. At first, he was scared and didn’t want to come out, but Mary encouraged him. She told him how wonderful the garden was.

When Colin finally stepped into the garden, something magical happened. He smiled for the first time and felt stronger. The more time he spent in the garden, the better he felt. Mary, Dickon, and Colin laughed and played together, and the garden became a place of friendship and happiness.

As the seasons changed, the garden bloomed. Mary, Colin, and Dickon worked together to make it even more beautiful. They discovered that caring for the garden brought them joy and made them grow stronger too. The garden became not just a place of beauty, but a place of hope and healing.

In the end, Mary felt like she had found a family. The garden was their secret, a magical place that changed their lives forever.

Questions to Check Understanding

  1. Who is the main character in the story?
  2. Where did Mary live before moving to England?
  3. What did Mary find in the garden wall?
  4. Who helped Mary take care of the garden?
  5. Who was Colin?
  6. How did the garden make Colin feel?
  7. What did Mary do every day in the garden?
  8. How did Mary change throughout the story?
  9. Why was the garden special to Mary, Colin, and Dickon?
  10. What season did the garden bloom beautifully?
  11. What did Mary discover about friendship?
  12. Did Mary feel lonely in the garden?
  13. What animals did Mary and Dickon care for?
  14. How did the garden change Colin’s life?
  15. Did Mary enjoy working in the garden?
  16. What did Colin learn from Mary?
  17. Why did Mary unlock the door to the garden?
  18. Did Mr. Craven know about the garden?
  19. What kind of plants were in the garden?
  20. How did the garden help Mary and Colin grow?

Answers to Check Understanding

  1. Mary Lennox – She is the main character.
  2. India – Mary lived in India before moving to England.
  3. A hidden door – Mary found a hidden door in the garden wall.
  4. Dickon – Dickon helped Mary take care of the garden.
  5. Colin – Colin is Mr. Craven’s sickly son.
  6. He felt better – The garden made Colin feel stronger and happier.
  7. Water the plants and pull out weeds – Mary worked hard in the garden every day.
  8. She became happy and made friends – Mary changed from being lonely to joyful and friendly.
  9. It was a place of friendship and healing – The garden was special because it brought them together.
  10. Spring – The garden bloomed beautifully in the spring.
  11. Friendship is important – Mary discovered the joy of friendship with Colin and Dickon.
  12. No, she felt happy in the garden – The garden made her feel less lonely.
  13. They cared for birds and rabbits – Mary and Dickon took care of animals in the garden.
  14. It changed his life for the better – The garden made Colin healthier and happier.
  15. Yes, she enjoyed it a lot – Working in the garden brought her joy.
  16. He learned about courage – Colin learned to be brave and enjoy life.
  17. Because she was curious – Mary wanted to see what was behind the door.
  18. No, he did not know – Mr. Craven did not know about the secret garden.
  19. Colourful flowers and tall plants – The garden was full of beautiful plants.
  20. They learned to grow and care for others – The garden helped both Mary and Colin grow emotionally.

Questions to Check Vocabulary

  1. What does “curious” mean?
  2. What does “breathe” refer to in the story?
  3. What does “spark” mean when used in the context of joy?
  4. What does “wild” describe about the garden?
  5. What does “kind” mean in describing Dickon?
  6. What does “magical” mean in the story?
  7. What is a “secret” in the context of the garden?
  8. What does “healing” mean?
  9. What does “bloom” mean?
  10. What does “lonely” describe about Mary?
  11. What does “encouraged” mean?
  12. What does “stronger” mean in the story?
  13. What does “beautiful” describe?
  14. What does “friendship” mean?
  15. What does “exploring” mean?
  16. What does “quiet” describe about the house?
  17. What does “joy” mean?
  18. What does “happy” describe?
  19. What does “thoughtful” mean?
  20. What does “discover” mean?

Answers to Check Vocabulary

  1. Eager to learn or know – “Curious” means wanting to find out more.
  2. To take air in and out – “Breathe” refers to the action of respiration.
  3. A little burst of something – “Spark” in this context means a small amount of joy.
  4. Not controlled; free – “Wild” describes the garden as natural and untamed.
  5. Nice and caring – “Kind” means being friendly and helpful.
  6. Full of wonder – “Magical” means something that feels extraordinary.
  7. Something kept unknown – A “secret” is something that is not shared with others.
  8. To recover or feel better – “Healing” means getting better from a sickness.
  9. To produce flowers – “Bloom” means when plants or flowers open up.
  10. Feeling alone – “Lonely” describes Mary’s feelings at the beginning.
  11. To give support – “Encouraged” means to give someone confidence.
  12. More powerful or healthier – “Stronger” means feeling better physically or emotionally.
  13. Pleasant to look at – “Beautiful” describes something that is attractive.
  14. A bond between friends – “Friendship” means the relationship between friends.
  15. Looking around to find things – “Exploring” means searching or investigating.
  16. Not making noise – “Quiet” describes the silence of the house.
  17. A feeling of happiness – “Joy” means a strong feeling of happiness.
  18. Feeling good or pleased – “Happy” describes a positive emotion.
  19. Considerate and caring – “Thoughtful” means showing consideration for others.
  20. To find something new – “Discover” means to learn about something that was unknown.

Questions to Check Grammar

  1. What is the main verb in the sentence “Mary was not like other children”?
  2. Identify the subject in the sentence “Mary found a hidden door.”
  3. What tense is used in the sentence “Mary decided to take care of the garden”?
  4. Rewrite this sentence in the past tense: “Mary loves the garden.”
  5. What part of speech is “kind” in the sentence “Dickon was kind”?
  6. Change the sentence “Colin is scared” to a question.
  7. What is the adjective in the sentence “The garden was wild and beautiful”?
  8. Identify the pronoun in “They became good friends.”
  9. What is the conjunction in the sentence “Mary and Dickon played together”?
  10. What is the correct form of the verb in the sentence “Mary (find) the key”?
  11. Change the sentence “Colin feels better” to the negative form.
  12. What type of sentence is “The garden is magical”?
  13. Identify the preposition in the sentence “Mary went to the garden.”
  14. What is the object in “Mary watered the plants”?
  15. Rewrite “Dickon teaches Mary” in the passive voice.
  16. What is the adverb in “Mary worked hard”?
  17. Change “The garden helps Colin” to a question.
  18. Identify the article in the sentence “The garden was beautiful.”
  19. What is the subject in the sentence “Dickon and Colin played”?
  20. Change “Mary is happy” to the past tense.

Answers to Check Grammar

  1. Was – “Was” is the main verb in the sentence.
  2. Mary – The subject is who the sentence is about.
  3. Past tense – The tense used is past.
  4. Mary loved the garden. – The sentence is rewritten in the past tense.
  5. Adjective – “Kind” describes Dickon.
  6. Is Colin scared? – This is the question form.
  7. Wild and beautiful – Both are adjectives describing the garden.
  8. They – “They” is the pronoun.
  9. And – “And” connects Mary and Dickon.
  10. Found – The correct form is “found.”
  11. Colin does not feel better. – This is the negative form.
  12. Declarative sentence – It states a fact.
  13. To – “To” is the preposition.
  14. The plants – This is the object of the sentence.
  15. Mary is taught by Dickon. – This is the passive voice.
  16. Hard – “Hard” describes how Mary worked.
  17. Does the garden help Colin? – This is the question form.
  18. The – “The” is the article.
  19. Dickon and Colin – They are the subjects.
  20. Mary was happy. – This is the past tense form.

Questions to Check Punctuation

  1. What punctuation mark ends a statement?
  2. Where should a comma be placed in “Mary loves gardening she works hard”?
  3. What is the correct punctuation for a question?
  4. How do you show possession, like in “Mary’s garden”?
  5. What punctuation do you use to add excitement in a sentence?
  6. Where should the full stop go in “Mary found the key”?
  7. What punctuation goes at the end of “What a beautiful garden”?
  8. Identify the quotation marks in the sentence: Mary said, “I love the garden.”
  9. Where should the apostrophe go in “the boys hat”?
  10. What is the purpose of parentheses?
  11. Where do you place a comma in “Mary Dickon and Colin went to the garden”?
  12. What punctuation is used in “Oh no!”?
  13. How do you separate items in a list?
  14. What punctuation is needed in “Can you believe it”?
  15. Where do you put the question mark in “Is this the secret garden”?
  16. What punctuation is used to indicate a pause in a sentence?
  17. What is the correct way to write “i love gardens”?
  18. Where do you place the full stop in “The garden was beautiful”?
  19. What punctuation is needed in “Wow that looks amazing”?
  20. What is the correct way to write “mary” at the beginning of a sentence?

Answers to Check Punctuation

  1. Full stop (.) – It ends a statement.
  2. After gardening – A comma should be placed after “gardening.”
  3. Question mark (?) – It shows that it’s a question.
  4. Apostrophe (‘) – It shows possession, like “Mary’s.”
  5. Exclamation mark (!)* – It adds excitement.
  6. At the end of the sentence – The full stop goes at the end.
  7. Exclamation mark (!)* – It shows excitement.
  8. “ ” – Quotation marks are around what Mary said.
  9. After “boys” – The apostrophe goes after “boys.”
  10. To include extra information – Parentheses add information.
  11. After “Mary” – A comma should be placed after “Mary.”
  12. Exclamation mark (!) – It shows excitement or surprise.
  13. Commas (,) – Separate items with commas.
  14. Question mark (?) – It shows it’s a question.
  15. At the end – The question mark goes at the end of the sentence.
  16. Comma (,) – It indicates a pause.
  17. I love gardens. – Capitalise “I” and add a full stop.
  18. At the end of the sentence – The full stop goes at the end.
  19. Exclamation mark (!) – It shows excitement.
  20. Mary – Capitalise “Mary” at the beginning of the sentence.

This lesson on “The Secret Garden” helps students understand not just the story but also key elements of comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation. Encourage them to explore the themes of friendship, healing, and the joy of nature as they reflect on the story!