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CBSE Class 3 English★ 3-4 marks through reading comprehension, shape vocabulary, sequencing, and short writing tasks in CBSE Class 3 English (Santoor)

Best Friends

A delightful story about four shapes — Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle — who argue about who is best, until a wise star teaches them the value of teamwork and unity. CBSE Class 3 English (Santoor) Unit 1 Chapter 3.

⏱ 10 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Understand that teamwork and unity matter more than competition
2Identify and describe basic shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle
3Match shapes with real-life objects
4Sequence the events of the story in order
5Appreciate that everyone has unique and valuable qualities

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Why this chapter matters

Best Friends teaches teamwork and unity through four shapes that argue about who is best, until a wise Star shows that together they can make beautiful things. It blends English with early shape recognition and the value that everyone is special.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Basic shape recognition

Familiarity with names of common shapes like circle, square, and triangle.

Best Friends

About the Story

Story type: Moral story with shapes as characters What it is about: Four friends — Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle — start arguing about who is the BEST among them. Each shape boasts about its own qualities. A wise Star helps them understand that they are all special in their own way and that working TOGETHER creates beauty. The story teaches children that friendship and teamwork matter more than competing with each other.

The Story

There were four friends — Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle. One day there began a fight between the friends. Each of them said they were the best.

Circle said, "I am the best! I am round and beautiful. I have no sharp edges. Children use me to draw a smiling face. There are so many beautiful things in my shape. I am the best!"

The other shapes refused to agree with the circle.

Square then said, "I am the best! I have four sides and all of them are equal in size. Children eat many sweets which are square in shape. I look very beautiful and so I am the best!"

After listening to this, Triangle said in a loud voice, "I am the best! Just look at me! I am so beautiful. I have three sides. Children use me to draw mountains. They enjoy many yummy snacks in my shape. So, I am the best!"

Listening to the other three friends, Rectangle laughed aloud. "Of course not. No one can be better than me. I have four sides. Two are equally long and two are equally short. I look so beautiful. Children enjoy biscuits and chocolates in rectangle shape. They also use so many things in my shape. I am the best!" said the rectangle.

The friends could not decide who was the best among them. They decided to ask the first person they meet.

After some time, they met a Star. They stopped her and told her their fight. They asked her to decide who was the best among them.

The star was wise. She looked at all of them. She thought for a while. Then she said, "All of you are friends. Then why should you fight? Let me tell you something very important. Do you know what you could do if you were together? You could create the most beautiful pictures and patterns! Just look around. We find amazing designs and things in all shapes. So, stop fighting. Together we all can create wonders."

The friends realised their mistake and promised each other that they would never fight again. They remained best friends forever.

Let Us Think

Who were the four friends in the story? The four friends were Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle.
Why did the four friends start arguing? Each of them believed they were the best shape. They wanted to prove they were better than the others.
What did Circle say to show it was the best? Circle said, "I am round and beautiful. I have no sharp edges. Children use me to draw a smiling face."
What did Square say to show it was the best? Square said, "I have four sides and all of them are equal in size. Children eat many sweets which are square in shape."
What examples did Triangle give to support its claim? Triangle said, "I have three sides. Children use me to draw mountains. They enjoy many yummy snacks in my shape."
What did Rectangle boast about? Rectangle said, "I have four sides. Two are equally long and two are equally short. Children enjoy biscuits and chocolates in rectangle shape."
Whom did the friends decide to ask to solve their fight? They decided to ask the first person they met. That turned out to be a Star.
What advice did the Star give them? The Star said, "All of you are friends. Then why should you fight? Together you could create the most beautiful pictures and patterns! Stop fighting. Together we all can create wonders."
What did the friends learn at the end of the story? The friends realised their mistake and promised each other that they would never fight again. They remained best friends forever.
What is the moral of the story? We are all special in our own way. Instead of fighting over who is the best, we should work together. Unity and teamwork create beauty.

Let Us Learn

New Words

Word	Meaning
argue	to fight with words; to disagree loudly
beautiful	very pretty; pleasing to look at
edge	the sharp corner or side of an object
wise	having good judgement; smart and clever
realise	to understand something; to become aware
mistake	something wrong that someone does
forever	for all time; never ending
wonder	something amazing and beautiful

Shapes We Met

Shape	Number of Sides	Real-life Examples
Circle	0 (curved line)	Sun, wheel, bangle, coin, pizza
Square	4 equal sides	Chess board, handkerchief, tile, sweet
Triangle	3 sides	Mountain, samosa, traffic sign, pyramid
Rectangle	4 sides (2 long, 2 short)	Door, book, chocolate bar, mobile phone

Who Said What?

Match each shape to its dialogue from the story:

Shape	What It Said
Circle	"I am round and beautiful. I have no sharp edges."
Square	"I have four sides and all of them are equal in size."
Triangle	"I have three sides. Children use me to draw mountains."
Rectangle	"Two of my sides are long and two are short."
Star	"Together we all can create wonders!"

Story Sequence

Number these events in the order they happened (1 to 6):

[1] The four friends started a fight about who was the best.
[2] Each shape said why it thought it was the best.
[3] They decided to ask the first person they met.
[4] They met a wise Star.
[5] The Star told them to stop fighting and work together.
[6] They realised their mistake and remained best friends forever.

Fun Activity

Shape Hunt

Look around your classroom or home. Find and draw:

2 things that are CIRCLE shaped
2 things that are SQUARE shaped
2 things that are TRIANGLE shaped
2 things that are RECTANGLE shaped

Write their names below your drawings.

Teamwork Drawing

Using all four shapes — Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle — create a beautiful picture together with your classmates. What can you make? (Hint: a house, a car, a robot, a tree...)

Discussion

In your group, talk about:

Why is it important to value everyone's unique qualities?
Can you think of a time when working together with friends helped you do something better?

Unit 1: Fun with Friends

This chapter is part of Unit 1: Fun with Friends. The three chapters in this unit are:

Chapter 1: Colours — a poem about colours in nature
Chapter 2: Badal and Moti — a story about a boy and his loyal dog
Chapter 3: Best Friends — a story about shapes learning teamwork

Best Friends

About the Poem

Poem type: Rhyming friendship poem What it is about: This poem describes what it means to be a BEST FRIEND. Friends share, play together, help each other, and always stand by one another.

The Poem

We share our toys, we share our joy,
We never fight, we never annoy.
When I am sad, you make me smile,
Walking together mile by mile.
Best friends forever, that's what we are,
Shining together like a bright star!

Let Us Think

What do best friends share according to the poem? Best friends share their toys and their joy.
What does a friend do when you are sad? A friend makes you smile and cheers you up.
Who is your best friend? Why do you like them? Answers will vary. Share what makes your friend special.

Let Us Learn

Rhyming Words

Word	Rhymes with
joy	toy
smile	mile
are	star

New Words

Word	Meaning
annoy	to bother or trouble someone
mile	a measure of distance
forever	for always, never ending

Fun Activity

Friendship Card: Make a colourful card for your best friend. Write a short message inside telling them why they are special to you.

Unit 1: Fun with Friends

This chapter completes Unit 1: Fun with Friends:

Chapter 1: Colours
Chapter 2: Badal and Moti
Chapter 3: Best Friends

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Text type

story with a moral (about shapes)

Read it as a story: notice why the shapes argue and how the Star helps.

Main theme

teamwork and unity matter more than competition

Together, the shapes can create beautiful things.

Answer habit

Use evidence from the text

Support answers with a shape or the Star's advice from the story.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying one shape is truly the best

✓ The lesson is that all shapes are special and are best when they work together.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing a square and a rectangle

✓ A square has four equal sides; a rectangle has two long and two short sides.

WATCH OUT

✗ Writing one-word answers for why questions

✓ Use a full sentence with because or so.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Read, observe, and discuss

Discuss why the shapes argued, what the Star taught, and which real objects match each shape before writing answers.

Questions

Notebook practice

Short answers, shape-and-object matching, and ordering the events of the story.

Questions

Project or activity

Use circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles to draw one picture, like a house or a train.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Comprehension

Which four shapes are the friends in the story?

▶ Show solution

Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle.

Q2EASY· Comprehension

Who taught the shapes the lesson?

▶ Show solution

A wise Star taught them.

Q3MEDIUM· Inference

What did the shapes learn at the end?

▶ Show solution

They learned that no single shape is best; together they can create beautiful things, so teamwork matters more than competition.

Q4MEDIUM· Vocabulary

Name one real object for a circle and one for a triangle.

▶ Show solution

Circle — a wheel or a coin; triangle — a slice of pizza or a roof.

Q5MEDIUM· Writing

Write one way you and your friends work as a team.

▶ Show solution

Answers will vary, for example: we clean the classroom together or play a team game.

Q6HARD· Creative

Draw a picture using all four shapes and name the shapes you used.

▶ Show solution

Answers will vary; check that circle, square, triangle, and rectangle are all used and labelled.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Best Friends is Chapter 3 of Unit 1: Fun with Friends in the Class 3 Santoor textbook.
•Text type: a story with a moral, about four shapes.
•Main theme: teamwork and unity matter more than competition.
•Characters: Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle, and a wise Star.
•Lesson: together, the shapes can create beautiful things.
•Answer in full sentences and give one example from the story.

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 3-4 marks in school tests, oral checks, notebooks, and activities

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Very Short	1	2-3	Naming shapes, recalling characters, or matching shapes to objects
Short Answer	2	1-2	The lesson, reasoning, or vocabulary in sentences
Activity / Project	3	0-1	Drawing a picture using all four shapes

Prep strategy

Read the story once for meaning, then retell it in four sentences
Learn the four shapes and a real object for each
Explain the lesson about teamwork in your own words
Draw one picture using all four shapes

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Working as a team

The story shows children that cooperation achieves more than competing.

Recognising shapes

Spotting circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles helps in maths and everyday observation.

Valuing everyone

It teaches that each person, like each shape, has unique worth.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Underline the command word: which, who, what, name, or draw
Answer why questions in a full sentence with because
For shape questions, give the shape and a matching object
Check spelling of words like triangle and rectangle

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Find five objects at home and name the shape of each.
Make one new shape friend and write what special thing it can do.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 3 School AssessmentHigh

Class 3 Foundation / Olympiad PracticeMedium

Notebook and Activity EvaluationHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

No single shape is the best. The wise Star teaches that the shapes are special and can create beautiful things when they work together, so teamwork matters more than competition.

Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle, along with a wise Star who teaches them the lesson.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

CBSE Class 3 mock tests

CBSE Class 3 PYQs

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English flashcards

Related chapters

Students who read Best Friends usually read these next.

Colours

A joyful poem celebrating different colours found in nature and daily life. Children learn to recognise and name colours through rhyme and rhythm. CBSE Class 3 English (Santoor) Unit 1 Chapter 1.

Badal and Moti

A touching story about Badal and his loyal pet dog Moti. Teaches friendship, love for animals, and the joy of having a faithful companion. CBSE Class 3 English (Santoor) Unit 1 Chapter 2.

Out in the Garden

A joyful poem about playing with a ball, flying a kite, and having fun with friends in the garden. Celebrates outdoor play, friendship, and the simple pleasures of a fine day. CBSE Class 3 English (Santoor) Unit 2 Chapter 4.

Talking Toys

A make-believe story from CBSE Class 3 English (Santoor) Unit 2 in which the toys in a shop can talk and feel. They wait, hope, and wish to be taken home — and one by one a board game, a train, an aeroplane, a top and dolls find new families. These notes give the story, summary, theme, vocabulary, comprehension Q&A, grammar, writing tasks, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and revision points.