Class 7 · Language and expression
Interview a shopkeeper
A shopkeeper knows things about your neighbourhood that no book does. How can you find out, and report it fairly?
What you will learn: Plan open questions, record answers accurately, and write a short report.
Small test at the end: scroll down to the end of this page for five short questions that check what you have learnt. Tap an answer, then press Check answer. Go to the questions ↓
Jump to: Check yourself · For grown-ups · For teachers
Safety first
Go with a grown-up, ask permission, no photos or names without consent.
Keep it safe:
- Go with a grown-up. Ask permission before starting, and choose a quiet time for the shop.
- Do not take photos or use the person's name in your report without their consent.
- Do not ask about money they earn or other private things.
You will need
- A notebook and pencil
- A question planFive open questions written in advance.
- A grown-upWho comes with you.
Time: About 1 hour.
The story
Mr Joseph has run the stationery shop next to Dadi's stall for twenty years. "He knows everything that happens on this street," says Dadi. Tara wants to interview him for a school report. What should she ask, and how can she report his words fairly?
The idea
Open questions start with how, why or what, and get fuller answers: "What is the busiest time of day, and why?"
Closed questions limit the answer to yes or no, a choice, or a short fact: "Is your shop busy in the evening?" or "What time do you open?" Use them for quick facts.
Write down answers accurately. Use the person's exact words in quotation marks when you quote them.
In the report, keep what they said separate from your own opinion. Ask permission first, and do not use their name or photo without their consent.
Worked example
Meher interviews a stationery shopkeeper
- She asked permission first and said what the interview was for.
- Open question: "What do students buy most at the start of term?" Answer: "Notebooks and geometry boxes."
- She wrote it down and read it back to check.
- Report: When asked what students buy most at the start of term, the shopkeeper replied, "Notebooks and geometry boxes." My opinion: the shop could keep a list of what each class needs.
Open questions gave real information, and the report kept the shopkeeper's words separate from Meher's opinion.
Try it
Plan your questions.
Write five open questions. Change any closed one into an open one.
Ask permission.
With your grown-up, explain who you are, what it is for, and ask if they agree.
Interview.
Ask, listen, and write key words. Read back any quote to check it.
Thank them.
Tell them how you will use what they said.
Write the report.
About 150 words. Quotes in quotation marks. Your opinion in a separate paragraph.
What you make (paper or offline)
Your interview report
Your question plan.
Your notes.
A report of about 150 words, with quotes and a separate opinion paragraph.
Make it on paper. Keep it with you. Nothing to upload.
Check yourself
Five questions about what this page teaches. Choose an answer and press Check answer, or open "See the answer and why". Nothing is saved or sent: your choices stay on this screen and disappear when you leave or reload the page.
See the answer and why
- A. "Is your shop busy?" Not this one. It can be answered with yes or no.
- B. "Are you happy?" Not this one. Yes or no, and quite private.
- C. "Do you sell pens?" Not this one. Yes or no again.
- D. "What changes in your shop during the festival season?" Correct. It invites a full answer, not just yes or no.
See the answer and why
- A. The shopkeeper said the shop is always packed. Not this one. "Always packed" is not what they said.
- B. The shopkeeper said 6 to 8 is the worst time of day. Not this one. They said busiest, not worst.
- C. The shopkeeper said nobody comes in the morning. Not this one. They did not say anything about the morning.
- D. The shopkeeper said, "We are busiest from 6 to 8 in the evening." Correct. It uses their exact words in quotation marks.
See the answer and why
- A. So readers know which ideas are theirs and which are yours Correct. Mixing them could put words in the person's mouth.
- B. Because opinions are always wrong Not this one. Opinions are not always wrong. They just are not facts.
- C. To make the report longer Not this one. Length is not the reason. Fairness is.
- D. Because your opinion does not matter Not this one. Your opinion can matter. It just must be clearly yours.
See the answer and why
- A. Take the photo secretly so they act natural Not this one. Secret photos are not respectful and need consent too.
- B. Ask your friend instead Not this one. Only the person themselves can give consent.
- C. Nothing, because they own a shop Not this one. Owning a shop does not mean they agree to be named.
- D. Ask them and get their agreement Correct. Using someone's name or photo needs their consent.
See the answer and why
- A. "Do you really like your shop?" Not this one. It is still yes or no.
- B. "Tell me yes or no: is your shop good?" Not this one. It still only allows yes or no.
- C. "What do you enjoy about running your shop, and why?" Correct. It keeps the same subject but asks for a fuller answer.
- D. "You like your shop, don't you?" Not this one. That is closed and leading.
Think back
Which question gave the most interesting answer?
Did you find it hard to keep your opinion separate?
Investigate further
- Interview a family member about how the neighbourhood has changed.
- Read a newspaper interview. Find the quotes and the writer's opinions.
Same spark, other subjects
Dadi's chai stall
Prices, sums and the words people use when they buy and sell.
- The Magic of 11 at Dadi's Chai Stall Maths · Class 5 · Learning guide
- The Language Twins: Same Thought, Two Roads Language · Class 5 · Learning guide
- The little stationery shop: paying with coins Maths · Class 2
For grown-upsTap a heading to open it. The safety notes are at the top of the page.
Before you start
- Choose a shop you know, and go together at a quiet time.
- Help the child ask for permission.
Questions that help
- "Is that what they said, or what you think?"
- "Could you ask that so they can say more?"
What's really going on
Open questions, accurate quotes and separating reporting from opinion are basic skills of journalism and research.
Asking consent before naming someone is a real ethical rule, not just politeness.
Other ways to do it
- Interview a family member or neighbour you know well instead.
For teachersLearning aims, classroom ideas and what to look for.
Learning aims
- Plan open questions and record answers accurately.
- Write a short report separating quotes from opinion; practise consent.
Subject links
- Language: interviewing and report writing.
- Social science: local economy.
These links are general. They have not been checked against a specific board syllabus.
In the classroom
- Practise interviews in pairs before the real one; partners check quotes for accuracy.
What to look for
- Open questions.
- Accurate quotes and a clearly separate opinion.