Class 8 CBSE English — Chapter 7: The Case of the Fifth Word MCQs with Answers
48 practice questions · 16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE English questions from Chapter 7, "The Case of the Fifth Word" — 48 NCERT-aligned multiple-choice questions with answers and explanations. The set is split into 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard, so you can warm up on the fundamentals and then push into the exam-level problems that separate top scorers in CBSE Board exams.
"The Case of the Fifth Word" is one of the chapters where comprehension, grammar and writing-skill questions really pays off. Each MCQ on this chapter is timed and uses exam-grade marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped), training the accuracy-under-pressure that real papers demand. Every question carries a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson rather than a dead end — the fastest way to close gaps before a test.
Use this chapter as targeted revision: attempt the Easy set first to confirm your basics on The Case of the Fifth Word, then move to Medium and Hard to test application and problem-solving. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically, and the chapter feeds into your overall Class 8 English mastery score. A sample question is shown below; sign in free to see its answer and practise all 48.
Key concepts: The Case of the Fifth Word (Class 8 English)
'The Case of the Fifth Word' is a detective story in Unit 3 ('Mystery and Magic') of the new NCERT Class 8 English reader Poorvi, adapted from Donald J. Sobol's 'Encyclopedia Brown' series. In the town of Idaville, a book-loving eighth-grader, Leroy 'Encyclopedia' Brown, quietly helps his father, Chief Brown, crack cases at the dinner table. Years earlier, jewellery was stolen in a masked hold-up at the Diamond Mart, and the two suspects, Nolan and Davenport, were never caught. When Nolan dies of a stroke, he leaves a will for his old accomplice Davenport along with four strange words, 'Nom Utes Sweden Hurts'. Encyclopedia sees that the words are the days Monday to Thursday in disguise (each with 'day' removed and the letters scrambled), so the missing 'fifth word' must be Friday, whose short form 'Fri' rearranges to 'Fir'. He asks one question about a young fir tree in Nolan's palm-tree nursery, and the stolen jewellery is found hidden in the jug of earth that the fir tree grew in. The story shows how careful observation and logical reasoning can solve a mystery that baffles the adults.
- Genre: detective/mystery story
- A short mystery from the 'Encyclopedia Brown' series: a puzzling clue, a sharp young investigator and a sudden logical solution, fitting the unit theme 'Mystery and Magic'.
- Setting and author
- Set in the town of Idaville and adapted from Donald J. Sobol's American 'Encyclopedia Brown' stories; the detective work happens at the Brown family dinner table.
- Leroy 'Encyclopedia' Brown
- The boy detective, an eighth-grader who has read more than anyone in town and forgets nothing; humble, observant and able to solve a case with a single well-chosen question.
- Chief Brown and Mrs Brown
- Encyclopedia's father is Idaville's Chief of Police who discusses his hardest cases over dinner; his mother is an English teacher, in a family that prizes reading.
Try a sample question
One free sample from this chapter — sign in to check your answer and practise the rest.
In the code, 'Utes' stands for Tuesday. How is each coded word actually formed from its day?
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See the answer and solution to this question, then practise all 48 questions (16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard) with timed scoring and instant feedback, plus the complete key-concept notes, formulas & exam tips. Sign in with Google — no card needed.
Start this chapter free →The Case of the Fifth Word — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 8 English The Case of the Fifth Word?+
'The Case of the Fifth Word' is a detective story in Unit 3 ('Mystery and Magic') of the new NCERT Class 8 English reader Poorvi, adapted from Donald J. Sobol's 'Encyclopedia Brown' series. In the town of Idaville, a book-loving eighth-grader, Leroy 'Encyclopedia' Brown, quietly helps his father, Chief Brown, crack cases at the dinner table. Years earlier, jewellery was stolen in a masked hold-up at the Diamond Mart, and the two suspects, Nolan and Davenport, were never caught. When Nolan dies of a stroke, he leaves a will for his old accomplice Davenport along with four strange words, 'Nom Utes Sweden Hurts'. Encyclopedia sees that the words are the days Monday to Thursday in disguise (each with 'day' removed and the letters scrambled), so the missing 'fifth word' must be Friday, whose short form 'Fri' rearranges to 'Fir'. He asks one question about a young fir tree in Nolan's palm-tree nursery, and the stolen jewellery is found hidden in the jug of earth that the fir tree grew in. The story shows how careful observation and logical reasoning can solve a mystery that baffles the adults. Key ideas include Genre: detective/mystery story, Setting and author, Leroy 'Encyclopedia' Brown, Chief Brown and Mrs Brown.
What does Class 8 English Chapter 7 (The Case of the Fifth Word) cover on XamBaaz?+
It covers 48 NCERT-aligned MCQs on "The Case of the Fifth Word" — 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard — each with a timed quiz and an instant explanation, suitable for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "The Case of the Fifth Word" questions free to practise?+
Yes — sign in with Google to practise "The Case of the Fifth Word" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year (limited-time launch price), with no per-chapter charges.
How should I revise "The Case of the Fifth Word" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to confirm your fundamentals, then attempt Medium and Hard for application-level practice. Review each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy on this chapter until it is consistently high.
Are these "The Case of the Fifth Word" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. This page shows one sample question so you can see the format; sign in free with Google to reveal the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation for it, then practise all 48 questions with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "The Case of the Fifth Word" quizzes?+
Yes — the timed quizzes use exam-grade marking: +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skipped question. Note that MHT-CET and the CBSE board papers themselves carry no negative marking — our mocks for those are scored their way, not this way.
Are these important questions for The Case of the Fifth Word?+
The set is curated to the NCERT syllabus and weighted toward the question patterns that actually appear in CBSE Board exams, across Easy, Medium and Hard — so it doubles as an "important questions" revision list for "The Case of the Fifth Word".