MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

TERM 3

GRADE 7

Week Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4

1. Summary Writing Speech Writing Comprehension Vocabulary
- Choosing -Welcome Passage Synonyms
main ideas -Vote of Thanks
2. Summary Writing Speech Re-Writing Subject and Verb Vocabulary
Identifying and - Direct and Agreement -Words and Meaning
combining main Indirect
ideas.
3. Punctuation Comprehension Clauses Vocabulary
-Apostrophe - Types of Mnemonics
-Inverted Commas Poetry Clauses
Main and
subordinate clauses
4. Assessment Assessment Assessment Assessment
-Punctuating -Comprehension- -Vocabulary -Grammar
Passages Answering questions -Words and
Meaning
5. Comprehension Figurative Devices Writing narratives Vocabulary
-Passage -Cliches -The Personal -Equivalent
Narrative Sentences

1
Week: One
Lesson: One
Topic: Summary Writing- Choosing main ideas

What is a summary?
A summary: a short restatement of the main idea and important details in a piece of writing or another
work.

Summary Tips

 Identifies and tells only the main points or elements

 Written in the reader’s own words
 Short and focused on specific topic

Main points

- Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in 1631 for his wife
- The marbled monument can be found in Agra
- It houses the tombs of the couple
- It is one of the seven wonders of the world

2
Activity

Instructions: Read this extract on pollution of the atmosphere. Before you make notes, re-read the
extract a few times. Focus on the main points and in point form make your notes, then write a pargraph
using the points. Look at the factors responsible for pollution.

Polluting the Atmosphere

Human activities release vast amount of pollution every day. Exhaust fumes from 700 million motor
vehicles worldwide, together with plumes of smoke and gases from industry, send a huge variety of
pollutants into the atmosphere.

The thick layer of pollution released by a large city can create a choking, brownish-grey smoke,
especially when there is no wind to blow th pollutants away, acid gases from factory chimneys and
motor vehicles mix with fog, rain and snow can result in acid rain, which damages buildings and forests
and kills fish. Some pollutants escape into the stratosphere and destroy the natural ozone gas that
protects animals and plants from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Points

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3
Week: One
Lesson: Two
Topic: Speech Writing

Welcome Speech

Tips

- Greet everyone collectively

- Keep it Short, Simple, Sincere
- Focus on the introduction. ...
- Don't Forget to show your gratitude. ...
- Practice Makes Perfect. ...
- Deliver the Speech with conviction

Activity 1
a. Labour Day is May 1. You’re asked to
write and deliver the welcome
speech for a guest speaker at your
school’s assembly. In 40 words write
the speech.

b. Here’s an example of another speech. Reserch some examples for future reference.

4
Week: One
Lesson: Three
Topic: Comprehension

Instructions: Read the passage below and then answer the questions which follow.

Foresters wage a constant battle against forest enemies. The worst of these are fires, insect pests and
diseases. Lesser damage is caused by floods, dry weather, avalanches, and wild or domestic animals.
Poor use of forest lands such as improper harvesting of trees, also causes considerable damage.

Once it was believed that the world’s forests were so vast that they could never be destroyed. Now we
know this is not true. As our population grows, demands for wood, water, and recreation will continue
to increase. Making certain our forests are productive now and in the future is important to human
welfare.

Insect pests and tree diseases actually do more damage to forests than fires. Grubs of bark beetles bore
into trees’ vital cambium layer. When these pests are numerous , many trees are girdled and killed in a
short time. Caterpillars of some kinds of moths and butterflies eat the leaves from trees, starving the
trees by preventing them from manufacturing food. Other types of insects suck the fluids from trees’
stems and leaves, and some attack only the flowers or seeds. No tree is immune to insect attack at any
stage of its life. Foresters control outbreaks of destructive insects by good forest management. Healthy,
vigorous trees are less susceptible to insect attacks, but when insects become abnormally abundant,
spraying with insecticides is often necessary.

Insects can also be beneficial. Some types destroy pest insects. Others hurry the decay of fallen or
damaged trees, converting them to rich and useable humus on the forest floor.

5
Activity 1

Questions

1. “Foresters wage a constant battle”. What is the constant battle?

-

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. The expression “immune to” in paragraph 3 is best replaced by

(a) in danger of (b) treated against (c) free from (d) ready

3. According to the writer what is the worst danger to the forests?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

4. The tall trees are turned into rich and useable humus. What does the humus do?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

5. Which of the following statements are false?

(a) Some insects only attack flowers and seeds.
(b) Fires are not as destructive to forests as insects pests and tree diseases.
(c) Not all insects are harmful
(d) Harvesting of trees does the most serious damage to the forests.

6. According to the passage, why are forests most needed?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

7. Use one word or phrase to replace each of the following:

improper (line 4) damage (line 4) vast (line 5) important (line 8)
numerous (line 11) vigorous ((line 16) beneficial (line 19)
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

6
8. Give a suitable title for the passage.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

7
Week: One
Lesson: Four

Topic: Vocabulary-Cryptogram

A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted text. Generally, the
code used to convert the text is simple enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand.
Substitution ciphers where each letter is replaced by a different letter or number are frequently
used.
Many Ways to say happy
Here is cryptogram that includes ten words that are synonyms for happy. Use the code word
grid below.

Real A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
letters
Substitute G M U L P C F V N K A O E Q J W R B X Z H D T S I Y
letters

Activity 1
1. PLEASED WOPGXPL
2. _ _ _ FGI
3. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ XGZNXCNPL
4. _ _ _ _ _ KJOOI
5. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ZVBNOOPL
6. _ _ _ _ _ _ KJICHO
7. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ UVPPBCHO
8. _ _ _ _ _ _ POGZPL
9. _ _ _ _ _ _ KJDNGO
10. _ _ _ _ _ _ KJUHQL

8
Week: Two
Lesson: One

Topic: Summary Writing

On Making a Summary
Identifying and combining the ideas
In trying to make a summary of something you have heard or read about, you must first of all
ask yourself what the whole thing is about- its theme (main idea) or topic. Then, you must
choose only the important ideas related to that theme and put them together as briefly as
possible.
Instructions: Study this passage below. Identify what its theme is and what seem to be the
main points the writer is making, as if you are preparing to make a summary of it.
When thinking and learning about the world we should not forget that our world is the home of a very
great many people-peoples with different coloured skins, living different lives and having very different
ideas about a great many things such as religion, governemnt, education and social behaviour.

The circumstances under which different people make a great difference between the way in which
they live and the way in which we live, and it ought to be our business to try to understand those
different circumstances so that we can understand better the people of other lands. Above all, we should
avoid deciding what we think about people different from ourselves without first having learned a
great deal about them and the kind of lives they have to live. It is true to say that the more we learn
about other people the better we understand their ideas and, as a rule, the better we like those people
themselves.

From Trinidad, Tobago and Beyond by I.B. Beddoe, TRINIDAD

Points for Summary

- our world is the home of a very great many people

-very different ideas

- The circumstances under which different different people make a great difference between the way
in which they live

- our business to try to understand

- our business to try to understand

Here is an attempt at a summary

In learning about the world remember it is the home of people who differ physically and socially.
Different circumstances cause people to live in a different way from us. So we must try to understand
those circumstances and avoid forming opinions before we learn why they live differently.

9
Activity 2

Instructions: Read this extract from the short story “Seventh Grade” and then complete the chart at
the end.

“Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto

On the first day of school, Victor stood in line half an hour before he came to a wobbly card table. He
was handed a packet of papers and a computer card on which he listed his one elective, French. He
already spoke Spanish and English, but he thought someday he might travel to France, where it was
cool; not like Fresno, where summer days reached 110 degrees in the shade. There were rivers in
France, and huge churches, and fair-skinned people everywhere, the way there were brown people all
around Victor.

Besides, Teresa, a girl he had liked since they were in catechism classes at Saint Theresa’s, was taking
French, too. With any luck they would be in the same class. Teresa is going to be my girl this year, he
promised himself as he left the gym full of students in their new fall clothes. She was cute. And good in
math, too, Victor thought as he walked down the hall to his homeroom. He ran into his friend, Michael
Torres, by the water fountain that never turned off.

They shook hands, raza-style, and jerked their heads at one another in a saludo de vato.
“How come you’re making a face?” asked Victor.
“I ain’t making a face, ese.This is my face.” Michael said his face had changed during the summer. He
had read a GQ magazine that his older brother had borrowed from the Book Mobile and noticed that the
male models all had the same look on their faces. They would stand, one arm around a beautiful
woman, and scowl. They would sit at the pool, their rippled stomachs dark with shadow, and scowl.
They would sit at dinner tables, cool drinks in their hands, and scowl.
“I think it works,” Michael said. He scowled and let his upper lip quiver. His teeth showed along with the
ferocity of his soul. “Belinda Reyes walked by a while ago and looked at me,” he said.
Victor didn’t say anything, though he thought his friend looked pretty strange. They talked about recent
movies, baseball, their parents, and the horrors of picking grapes in order to buy their fall clothes.
Picking grapes was like living in Siberia, except hot and more boring.
“What classes are you taking?” Michael said, scowling.
“French. How ‘bout you?”
“Spanish. I ain’t so good at it, even if I’m Mexican."
“I’m not either, but I’m better at it than math, that’s for sure.”
A tinny, three-beat bell propelled students to their homerooms. The two friends socked each other in
the arm and went their ways, Victor thinking, man, that’s weird. Michael thinks making a face makes
him handsome.
On the way to his homeroom, Victor tried a scowl. He felt foolish, until out of the corner of his eye he
saw a girl looking at him. Umm, he thought, maybe it does work. He scowled with greater conviction.
In the homeroom, roll was taken, emergency cards were passed out, and they were given a bulletin to
take home to their parents. The principal, Mr. Belton, spoke over the crackling loudspeaker, welcoming
the students to a new year, new experiences, and new friendships. The students squirmed in their chairs
and ignored him, they were anxious to go to first period. Victor sat calmly, thinking of Teresa, who sat
two rows away, reading a paperback novel.

10
 This would be lucky year. She was in his homeroom, and would probably be in his English and math
classes. And, of course, French.
1 elective (n.) - optional course or subject
2 raza-style. . .saludo de vato - Spanish gestures of greeting between friends
3 ese - Spanish word for “man”
4 Sibera - region in northern Asia known for its harsh winters 5 conviction (n.) - belief

Story Map

Characters – Who Setting – When & Where

Problem

Event Event Event

Solution

11
Week: Two
Lesson: Two
Topic: Direct and Indirect Speech

English Language has two ways to narrate the spoken-words of a person. These two ways are as follows:

1. Direct Speech
2. Indirect Speech

These two ways usually are usually used to convey a message (spoken-words) of one person to
another person. For example, you are at your school. Mr. David, who is your teacher, says to you, “I
want to meet your parents’. When you come home, you inform your parents in the following two
ways:

Direct Speech: Mr. David said, “ I want to meet your parents”.

Indirect Speech: Mr. David said that he wanted to meet my parents.

Here’s another example

Direct Speech: Mr. John said, “ I bought a book for you”.

Indirect Speech: Mr. John said that he had bought a book for me.

Direct and Indirect Speech are also called Direct and Indirect Narrations.

Basic Rules for Indiect Speech

Rule No. 1. Words of the speaker (reported speech) are enclosed in inverted commas or quotation
marks “ “.

Rule No. 2. Usage of the word “that”. The conjunction is always used between reporting verb and
reported speech in indirect speech.

Example
Direct Speech: He said, “ I write a letter”.
Indirect Speech: He said that he wrote a letter.

Rule No. 3 -Change in tense of the reported speech.

Example

Direct Speech: She said, “ I am watching a movie”.

Indirect Speech: She said that she was watching a movie. ( Tense changed)

12
Activity 1 -Try these:

Sentences are given in the direct speech. Change them into indirect speech.

1. The captain said, ‘This is an occasion to celebrate.’

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. The mother said to her daughter, ‘I’m proud of your achievements.’

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. ‘I’ve spoken nothing but the truth,’ the prisoner said.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. The mother said to her son, ‘I will lend you the money but you have to listen to me.’

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. ‘Is your father at home?’ the stranger asked me.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

6. ‘Get out of the class,’ the teacher yelled at the boy.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Sarika said, ‘Let’s get something to eat.’

_____________________________________________________________________________________

8. Karan said, ‘Alas, how foolish I have been.’

13
____________________________________________________________________________________

9. The traveler said, ‘I’ve lost all my money.’

________________________________________________________________________

10. They said to her this morning, ‘We will meet you tomorrow evening.’
__________________________________________________________________________

14
Week: Two
Lesson: Three
Topic: Subject Verb Agreement (Neither…Nor; Either…Or.)

Subjects joined together by “either, or; neither, nor”.

When the subject closest to the verbs are singular, the verb must be singular.
Example
Neither the men nor the woman (was, were) interested in the match.
woman-subject closest to the verb-woman is singular.
“was” therefore is the correct verb form.
Neither the men nor the woman was interested in the match.
If the subject of the verb is plural, then the verb must be plural.
Example
Either the man or his daughters (is, are) selected to attend the function.
Either the man or his daughters are selected to attend the function.
Activity
Instructions: Give the correct form of the verb in each bracket.
Re-write the sentences.
1. Neither your dress nor your look (impress, impresses) me much.

________________________________________________________________________
2. Neither James nor his friends (is, are) responsible for the damage done to the vehicle.

________________________________________________________________________
3. Either the apple pie or the banana (is, are) good to eat.

4. Neither Pam or her sister (has, have) an interest in cooking.

________________________________________________________________________
5. Either the secretary or the president (resign, resigns) from the club.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Neither the fear of the rod nor his respect for authority (hinder, hinders) the stubborn
boy from his nightly escapades.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

15
7. Either your class or Tim’s team (has, have) the right to be selected.
________________________________________________________________________
8. Neither the crew nor their leader (is, are) acting with sense.
________________________________________________________________________
9. Either the children or the nurse (sweep, sweeps) the corridor.
________________________________________________________________________
10. Either the teacher or the principal (deserve, deserves) our thanks and appreciation.
________________________________________________________________________

16
Week: Two
Lesson: Four
Topic: Vocabulary-Synonyms

Activity 1

Use the words in the blank

spaces below.

Unhappy / sad
Bored / discontented
Grief-stricken / depressed.

1. The man was -

______________
at the loss of his
beloved wife.
2. We were becoming
increasingly
_______________
at the bad news on
the radio.
3. I always feel
_______________
when I have
nothing to do. Activity 2
4. Some students feel
Instructions: Write a short paragraph about a sad event in your life.
rather
Use at least 3 pairs of synonyms from the chart above.
_______________
when they start a
new school. -
5. We all liked ______________________________________________________
Suzanne very ______________________________________________________
much, and were ______________________________________________________
very ______________________________________________________
_______________ ______________________________________________________
to see her go.
6. Most of the people ______________________________________________________
he met seemed ______________________________________________________
______________, ______________________________________________________
and complained all ______________________________________________________
the time.

17
 Week: Three
Lesson: One
Topic: Punctuation-The Apostrophe
- Punctuating Conversations

Activity 1

Instructions: Rewrite these sentences by

correctly inserting the ( ‘ ).

1. Look in the box for Graces

earrings.
2. We went to the principals office.
3. My mother was shopping in the
ladies department.
4. There is a childrens play area
outside.
5. This is a mans watch not a ladys.

1. ______________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________

18
 3. ______________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________

Punctuating Conversations

Conversations are very useful in story writing because we learn so much about the characters in a story
from the way they speak. Try to remember this when you are writing your own stories.

Example

“You are my whole world,” sighed Eddie

as he examined the most important of all
his possession. I cannot live without.

“Eddie, come downstairs! It’s time for

breakfast!” shouted his mother from the
kitchen.

“Coming Ma,” mumbled Eddie. Then

turning to the love of his life he
exclaimed, “I cannot live without you.
You are the best hamster I ever had!”

Activity 2

Punctuate the following conversation. Each speaker has already been put in a new line which is
indented.

life could be much better if you would ask mr. weatherhead for a raise pleaded Janice to
her husband Emmanuel

you know i cant do that sighed Emmanuel preoccupied with the remote control he is so
grumpy and becomes fidgety whenever anyone in the office brings up the subject of a raise

if you don’t ask youll never know retorted Janice trying to reinforce her point but
somehow she knew it was a lost cause finally she ended then ill have to look for a job myself

_____________________________________________________________________________________

19
20
Week: Three
Lesson: Two
Topic: Comprehension-Poetry

DIVALI Activity 1
Winter stalks us Instructions-Read the poem and answer the following
like a leopard in the mountains questions.
scenting prey.
1. Select a simile from the first stanza and explain its
It grows dark, meaning.
bare trees sticks black bars ____________________________________________
across the moon’s silver eye. ____________________________________________
____________________________________________
I will light my lamp for you
2. Which figure in the Hindu religion is important at this
Lakshmi,
time according to the poem? How is this importance
drive away the darkness.
shown?
Welcome you into my home ____________________________________________
Lakshmi, ____________________________________________
beckon you from every window ____________________________________________
____________________________________________
With light blazes
3. What contrast is made between the houses which
out like flames
have lights and those that do not?
across the sombre sky.
____________________________________________
Certain houses ____________________________________________
crouch in shadow, do not hear ____________________________________________
your gentle voice. ____________________________________________
4. What is believed will be brought to those who
Will not feel celebrate Divali?
your gentle heartbeat ____________________________________________
bring prosperity and fortune. ____________________________________________
Darkness hunts them ____________________________________________
like a leopard in the mountains ____________________________________________
stalking prey. 5. Describe the emotions of the poet.
____________________________________________
David Hamer ____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

21
Week: Three
Lesson: Three
Topic: Clauses -Main and Subordinate Clauses

A main clause is a clause that makes sense on its own and can also exist in a sentence on its
own. A Subordinate clause is a clause that does not make sense on its own and cannot be a
sentence on its own.

Activity 1

Instructions: Place a tick ( ✔ ) in the correct column for the part of the sentence that is in bold and
identify the connective word in each sentence.

Main Subordinate
clause clause
When my father arrives, he will
give the directions.

When my mother shows, she will

bring the food.

While the flowers bloom, I will

plant more trees.
No matter how you look at it, we
are in good hands.

Unless you have the right size, do

not try on the shoe.

22
 Before the food gets cold, go sit at
the table.
Since I don’t have money, I will
not buy anything.

Until the sun sets, sit by the lake.

Because I can’t wait for the bus, I

will walk to school.

When the president arrives, he

will give a speech.

Activity 2

Instructions: Underline the subordinate clause in each sentence and highlight the subordinating
conjunction.

1. Lucy enjoyed playing football, especially when James asked her to take part.

2. When she was standing next to her brother, Anita looked very tall.

3. Even though he had little patience, Robert enjoyed chess.

4. Sue's skills were good although she had not been playing for long.

5. They finished the walk, which seemed never-ending.

23
 Week: Three
Lesson: Four
Topic: Vocabulary-Mnemonics

A mnemonic is a way of remembering something. It can be a rhyme or sentence that helps you
remember anything, not just spelling. You may already know mnemonics for other things, for example:

 Richard of York gives battle in vain =

 red orange yellow blue indigo violet (the colours of the rainbow).
 Angry elephants in orange underwear= A E I O U (the vowels of the English alphabet)

Initial letter mnemonic

In this the word is spelt out by the initial letters of the words in a sentence or phrase.

Activity 1-Try these

1. Big elephants are useful to Indians for unloading logs = beautiful

2. Big ears are useful to you=
3. Big unsinkable ocean yacht=
4. Citizens have abolished our systems=
5. Edith is going home to Henry=

Now create mnemonics for these words:

6. Heir: ________________________________________________________________
7. Indict: _______________________________________________________________
8. rhythm:______________________________________________________________
9. Mnemonic: ___________________________________________________________

Activity 2 -Jumble- Can you unjumble the letters to make words? Each has a clue.

USIBCIT AMALL ONEMEAN LESUORAC

________ ________ ________ ________

a food a mammal a flower At a fun fair

SSSSPPMIIII MOPIHPOPTAUS KBOILES HTIEWG

__________ _________ ________ _________

A river a mammal a stone heaviness

OUCTJNIN AEIFCFNE PICALNIRP UNYAMHRHTSCEM

________ ________ ________ ________

Where two roads Found in cola and Head of a school a flower
meet coffee 24
Week: Four
Lesson: One
Topic: Comprehension-Poetry (Assessment)
___________________________________________________________________________

Read the poem and examine the illustration then answer the questions.

The arched stone bridge A swan, with twin necks

In the pond in the park is an eye, with underlid forming the figure three,
all things are doubled: in the water. In its lens steers between two dimpled
Long buildings hang and dip crinkled heads with hats towers doubled. Fondly
wiggle gently. Chimneys are that don’t fall off. Dogs go by hissing, she kisses herself, and
bent legs bouncing barking on their backs. all the scene is troubled:
on clouds below. A flag a baby, taken to feed the water-windows splinter,
wags like a fishhook ducks, dangles upside-down, tree-limbs tangled, the bridge
down there in the sky. a pink balloon for a buoy. folds like a fan.
Treetops deploy a haze of May Swenson
cherry bloom for roots,
where birds coast belly-up
in the glass bowl of a hill;
from its bottom a bunch
of peanut-munching children
is suspended by their
sneakers, waveringly.

Questions

1. Where is the pond located? 1 mark

_________________________________________________________________
2. In stanza 1 identify an example of
a. personification b. simile 2 marks
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. “…the bridge is an eye…” explain why the bridge looks like an eye. 2 marks
_________________________________________________________________
4. Give a reason why you think “…all things are doubled in the pond…”. 1 mark
_________________________________________________________________
5. Identify an activity that describes relaxation in the poem I mark
________________________________________________________________
6. Suggest meanings for the words as they are used in the poem:
Crinkled deploy fondly 3 marks

25
Week: Four
Lesson: Two
Topic: Assessment-Punctuating Passages

Activity
Rewrite the following paragraphs, inserting full stops, commas and capital letters.

a. for ten years I lived in esperanza a tiny village surrounded by tall waving sugarcane fields
recently we moved to ferozbad where my father acquired a twenty acre parcel of land
for farming at ferozbad my brothers and sisters and I attended ferozbad government
school this is where I met my friend ramesh he was quite friendly and cheerful we went
for walks around the village often

b. our solar system includes the sun and all the planets moons dwarfs planets and
asteroids that orbit around it the four planets closes to the sun includes mercury venus
earth and mars those inner planets are made of rock and metals they are quite small
compared to the outer planets the four outer planets are called gas giants because they
are made mostly of gases the outer planets include jupiter saturn uranus and neptune
the most well-known dwarf planet in our solar system is pluto

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

26
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

27
Week: Four
Lesson: Three
Topic: Grammar-The ‘to be’ verb

Study the chart carefully and then complete the exercises which follow:

Activity 1
Instructions: Insert the appropriate
form of the ‘to be ‘verb.
1. These _________ my friends.
2. Robert _________ sick.
3. ________ he Mexican?
4. His tests ________ very difficult.
5. My parents are not rich, but my aunt ________.
6. I ________ older than my brother.
7. My sister and I ________ twins.
8. That ________ a really good movie!
9. These ________ not my socks.
10. ________ you happy?

28
Activity 2

Complete this chart.

Positive form Question form Negative form Question form

I am smart. Am I smart? I am not smart. Am I not smart?

Is Tom a carpenter?

Terry and Linda are

from Armenia.
Derek and Peter are
not police officers.
Is a BMW an expensive
car brand?
Are Alan’s friends’
doctors?
We are at home.

29
Week: Four
Lesson: Four

Topic: Vocabulary- Tricky Eights

Cross out the incorrect spelling of each of the following 12 words. Find the correct word in the
crossword. (none diagonal)

humourous
seperate accident nuisanse humorous
acsident commense definate nuisance
separate
commence definite
electric thorough
brochure bootique
spactious sanwitch elektric thurough
broshure boutique
spacious sandwich

S X E Y E C N E M M O C
E H T A D E S F G M O P
P G I J A M P M T Z S Q 1. ______________________

A U N U I S A N C E U S 2. ______________________

R O I E S Z C Q R R O A 3. ______________________

A R F M O Q I N F U R N 4. ______________________

T O E N J R O G H H O D 5. ______________________
6. ______________________
E H D X Z Y U I A C M W
7. ______________________
V T U Z T M S X B O U I
8. ______________________
W B O U T I Q U E R H C
9. ______________________
E L E C T R I C C B O H
10. ______________________
T N E D I C C A M N P R
11. ______________________
12. ______________________

30
Week: Five
Lesson: One

Topic: Comprehension

Instructions: Read the following extract and then answer the questions that follow.

Paul’s grandfather loves to smoke. He likes beer too. A few days ago, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He went to
see the doctor. The doctor told him to stop smoking. She wanted him to drink less beer, too. She gave him some
pills and told him to take each one morning.
The old man decided to give up smoking but he did not want to stop drinking beer. He felt quite unhappy. When
Paul showed him the following article from a magazine he soon cheered up.

How to live to be 100

Mrs. Nikko is 110 years old and lives in a small fishing village in Japan. She has six sons, five daughters
and 41 grandchildren. She sleeps eight hours a night and exercises regularly. Over the past 50 years, she
has gone swimming at the nearby beach every morning. She often goes for long walks in the woods and
also goes fishing with her grandchildren when the weather is fine.

She was having dinner when we visited her. There were fish, vegetables, rice and black bean soup on the
table. Mrs. Nikko told us that these were what she usually had for the evening meal. The old lady
seemed very healthy and strong. We thought that the reason for her good health was her diet, so we
questioned her.
“Mrs. Nikko, you exercise a lot. Do you eat a lot?”
“No. I don’t eat much. And I eat only rice, vegetables and fish. I rarely eat anything that has sugar in it.
It’s not good for you.
“Do you like fruit?”
“Oh yes. I love fruit and so I eat a lot of it.”
“And what do you drink?”
“I drink plenty of water, never coffee or tea. I also have a glass of beer with my dinner.”
“Every night?”
“Yes, I’ve had a glass of beer every night for 80 years.”

31
Activity 1

A. Write briefly on the following topics using information from the passage.
1. Her age _____________ 2. Where she lives ____________________
3. Her family ____________________________________________________________
4. Thing (s) she does regularly ______________________________________________
5. Thing (s) she does often _________________________________________________
6. Thing (s) she does occasionally ____________________________________________
7. Her usual diet__________________________________________________________
8. Favourite food and drink_________________________________________________
9. Thing(s) she avoids _____________________________________________________
B. Choose the most suitable options to complete the sentences.
1. The doctor asked Paul’s grandfather to ________ smoking.
A. prevent B. stopped C. quit D. give into
2. Paul’s grandfather has to take the pills that the doctor_________ for him.
A. prescribed B. sold C. gave D. dedicated
3. Paul’s grandfather was very __________
A. strong-willed B. upset after reading the article
C. reluctant to follow the doctor’s advice D. unhappy because he was ill
4. Mrs. Nikko is ___________ for her age.
A. happy B. talkative C. quite alert D. quite active and strong
5. The reporter interviewed Mrs. Nikko ___________
A. By the seaside B. after her evening meal

C. during the dinner time D. because of her diet

C. Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Why did Paul’s grandfather go to see his doctor?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think Paul showed his grandfather the article?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

32
3. Find a phrase in the passage to explain the reason why Mrs. Nikko does not drink coffee.

_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Name two possible reasons for Mrs. Nikko’s good health at such an advanced age.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
5. In what way (s) is Mrs. Nikko an interesting subject to read about?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

33
 Week: Five
Lesson: Two

Topic: Clichés

Activity 1 Instructions: Underline the clichés and briefly explain the meanings for ten of them.

Cleo, Queen of the Cliches.

Cleo has written a letter to her best friend. As usual, she has included many cliches, twenty to be exact.

Meanings

1. _______________________________
Dearest Maude,
Hello! It is as cold as ice here! The land, which is normally flat as a 2. _______________________________

pancake, now has a blanket of snow that is as smooth as glass. The distant 3. _______________________________
mountains are silhouetted against the sky. Rather than hearing the patter
4. _______________________________
of rain or its raining cats and dogs, I hear only the ocean’s roar. The whole
scene is a s pretty as a picture. This is God’s country! 5. _______________________________

At the crack of dawn, it is as black as coal here. Ominous silence 6. _______________________________

pervades. What looms on the horizon is beautiful. The morning’s mist is as
7. _______________________________
fresh as a daisy. Trees stand like sentinels guarding the morn. Little by little
in all its glory nature is magnificently showing her beauty. With all as white 8. _______________________________
as snow, I am exhilarated! I certainly have the life of Riley!
9. _______________________________
Yours truly,
10. _______________________________
Cleo.

34
Week: Five
Lesson: Three

Topic: Narrative Writing-The Personal Narrative

ACTIVITY 1

35
ACTIVITY 2

In paragraph form write your personal narrative and then complete the narrative checklist.

Beginning_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Middle_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

End__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

36
37
Week: Five
Lesson: Four

Topic: Vocabulary-Equivalent Sentences

An equivalent sentence is similar in meaning to the original, even though the structure and words are
different.

Activity 1
Instructions: Choose the sentence that means the same or almost the same as the ones given (a-d).

EXAMPLE: Notice that option C is equivalent to the original sentence.

1. The majority of our people will realise that it is only through hard work that a country will
develop.
a) Our country will develop with hard work.
b) Most people will understand that they have to work hard for their country.
c) Most people recognise that a country’s development depends on hard work.
d) It is hard work that will develop the people of a country.

Now, complete the others on your own.

2. With telephone and computer links, some people do not have to leave home to go to work.
a) Through telephone and computer network some people can work at home.
b) Now in many cases we do not have to go to work because we can work at ho,me through
telephone and the computer.
c) People may prefer to work at home and not go to work because of telephone and computer
links.
d) We can work at home, thanks to telephone and computer linkage.

3. Speed and recklessness prove to be more dangerous than traffic congestion.

a) Traffic congestion is not dangerous; it is speed and reckless.
b) The dangers of speed and recklessness are greater than that caused by traffic congestion.

38
 c) Traffic congestion though dangerous is not as severe as speed and carelessness.
d) Carelessness and excessive speed together with traffic cause problems.

4. It is important for us to look after the welfare of our friends.

a) Our friends’ welfare is important and useful.
b) There’s need for us to think of our friends.
c) Our care for our friends’ needs is important.
d) It is valuable for us to see our friends and what they need.

5. A holiday without adventure and thrill is boring.

a) A vacation without excitement aand thrill is lacking.
b) A holiday without action and excitement is uninteresting.
c) A holiday without adventure and action is often boring and routine.
d) We cannot enjoy a holiday without adventure and sport.

6. His story is not only dull but incredible.

a) His dull story is difficult to listen to.
b) His boring story is hard to understand.
c) His story is not only boring but hard to believe.
d) It is too boring for us to believe his story.

7. In many cities motor vehicles cause more pollution than factories.

a) Factories help cause more pollution together with motor vehicles.
b) Motor vehicles are a greater pollutant than factories in many cities.
c) To pollute the many cities factories are not as harmful.
d) Motor vehicles in many cities and factories cause pollution.

8. Wetlands are drained so that farmers can use the areas for planting crops.
a) Crops are planted in wetland by farmers.
b) To plant crops, farmers are given the opportunity to drain wetlands.
c) The drainage of wetlands gives farmers the chance to use these areas for cultivating crops.
d) Areas for cultivation of wetlands by farmers are drained.

39
9. Laws have been passed to protect the wetlands and prevent further damage.
a) In order to protect the wetlands and prevent damage, laws have been made.
b) The making of laws to protect wetlands will prevent further damage.
c) Laws were passed for the wetland areas and this may prevent damage.
d) Damage to wetland areas causes laws to beenforced.

10. In early times, mst people manufactured foods for their own use at home.
a) In the early days most people made foods for their use at home.
b) Only home foods were made by people for their use in the early times.
c) Several people in the early times made foods for their home use.
d) The manufacture of foods for home use in early days was done.

40
 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

TERM 3

GRADE 7

Week Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4

6. Persuasive Writing Vocabulary Creating Narratives Comprehension
Words in Context Autobiographies Cause and Effect
Memoirs
7. Summary Comprehension Grammar Vocabulary
Techniques Poetry Forming Plurals Spelling
Paraphrasing
8. Expository Writing Comprehension Grammar Vocabulary
-Comparison/ Fact and Opinion Irregular Past Tense Endings (-a/-re/-our)
Contrast Verbs
9. Grammar Proverbs/ Fables Narrative Writing Vocabulary
Simple and irregular Spellings
past tense
10. Comprehension Vocabulary Grammar Revision Dialogue Completion
Anagrams

1
Week: Six
Lesson: One
Topic: Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is writing that tries to convince a reader to do something or to believe what you
believe about a certain topic.
It takes a position for or against something.
Persuasive Writing can be used to…
Purpose Persuasive Statement

 Support a cause “Please support my football team by buying discount coupons.”

 Urge people to action “Vote for Sarah!”
 Make a change “The principal should let us wear hats.”
 Prove something wrong “Cell phones don’t cause brain cancer.”
 Stir up sympathy “If you don’t adopt this dog, it could have to live in a shelter.”
 Create interest “Better grades get you a better job and more money.”
 Get people to agree with you “I am sure you’ll agree that Milky Way is the best candy bar.”

Persuasive writing follows a certain format:

 INTRODUCTION with a “hook” and thesis statement
 BODY where the argument is explained
 CONCLUSION where main points are summarized and reviewed and the reader is left with
something to think about.

Before you start writing, you should know your audience:

o Who will read your writing? Who do you need to convince?
o The audience may be your friends, your teacher, your parents, your principal, the readers
of a newspaper or the President of the United States!
o Will you be graded? On What?
o Should you be casual or professional?
Pick a side!
 The writer must clearly state his/her position and stay with that position.
 Generally, the position is stated in the opening paragraph or introduction.
Do your research.
In order to convince the reader, you need more than just an opinion; you need facts or examples to back
your opinion. So, be sure to do the research!

2
 The great introduction
What makes a good introduction?
 It grabs or “hooks” the reader’s attention by using one or more of the following strategies:
o An anecdote or scenario
o A quotation
o An interesting fact or statistic
o A question
 It tells how the writing will be organized.
 The author’s position is clearly stated in a thesis statement.
Examples

Get your reader’s attention with a challenging thought.

 “What’s plain, and boring? What makes all students in a school building look the same and lose
their individuality? If you guessed UNIFORMS, you’re correct!”
Begin with a strong statement.
 Fast food consumption has risen 500 percent since 1970 and today reaches nearly every part of
society, including some public schools’ cafeterias.

Here’s an example!

Fast Food Is Killing The Youths! {CATCHY TITLE}

Did you know that a typical child needs 2,000 calories for an entire day and Burger King’s
Whopper with triple cheese has 1,230 calories? That is far more calories than anyone needs in one day!
Fast food consumption has risen 500 percent since 1970 and today reaches nearly every part of society,
including some public schools’ cafeterias. Fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases weight,
causes high blood pressure, and leads to sluggishness. Fast food is bad for your health! {THESIS
STATEMENT}
{YOUR THREE POINTS TO ARGUE}

Activity 1

Instructions: Select any two of the following statements and then write an introduction for each. Then,
using one of the introductions write a three-paragraph persuasive essay. Make sure your discussion
supports your position.

 Should computer games be used to teach?

 Do students sleep enough?
 Should the elderly receive free bus rides?
 Should public school students wear uniforms?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

4
Week: Six

Lesson: Two
Topic: Vocabulary-Words in context

Context is the surrounding circumstances, ideas and words woven together to form the setting or
background for an event, statement, or idea. Context—the words or ideas expressed before and after—
provides us with the information we need to fully understand, evaluate or interpret the ideas in the
passage.

Example: Stanley is a very generous person; if a friend is in need of money he offers help without
hesitation. The meaning of the word ‘generous’ in this sentence can be derived from its use in the
sentence, without the aid of a dictionary. The clues to the meaning are-offers help without hesitation.
The word ‘generous’ here means kind; willing to help.

Activity 1

Instructions: A word is underlined in each sentence. One of the four meanings given under the sentence
is the correct meaning of the word. Use the context to decide which one is correct.

1. Joan thought it was futile to try to warn the children about climbing the rails, because they kept
on doing it the more she spoke.
a. good b. useless c. vain d. helpless
2. His dad told him to be careful how he handled the knife, because of its fine edge.
a. strong b. neat c. healthy d. sharp
3. The vendor made a handsome profit on Saturday, because the goods he sold were in great
demand. a. fair b. good looking c. pretty d. abundant
4. About five miles from here, the two rivers merge to form one large river.
a. run b. separate c. meet d. rush
5. Joseph is an amiable person; he has many friends and gets along well with everyone.
a. carefree b. devoted c. sensible d. good natured
6. When he had smiled and nodded at me, I knew he had comprehended my words.
a. realized b. felt c. understood d. recognized
7. It amazed him that so much noise could come out of such small, weak creatures.
a. pleased b. surprised c. disturbed d. worried
8. The questions asked by the lawyer were pertinent to the case. In so doing he received all the
information he needed.
a. important b. useless c. related d. significant
9. The plan he gave us had never been carried out. It was quite a perilous undertaking that was full
of risks. a. massive b. dangerous c. strange d. famous
10. Many farmers are exposed to lethal insecticides. Those who spray plants without adequate
protection have been known to die from the effects.
a. dangerous b. effective c. deadly d. serious

5
Week: Six
Lesson: Three

Topic: Creating Narratives-Autobiographies and Memoirs

Example

6
Activity 1

Now you try it!

7
Week: Six
Lesson: Four

Topic: Comprehension-Cause and Effect

You use cause and effect every day when you solve problems and make decisions. As a result,
understanding causes and effects is extremely important. Learning to identify cause and effect
relationships can help you understand what has happened.

Look for cause and effect relationship. The cause

always happens before the effect. Something
happens which lead toa result.

Activity 1

Instructions: Read each statement carefully. Circle the part of the sentence which gives the cause and
underline the part which shows effect.

a. Because of the heavy rainfall, the water below the main bridge rose rapidly until the
bridge collapsed.
b. Hurricane Vibert came with such violent winds and heavy rains that it battered the
entire country destroying buildings and crops.
c. Mary’s mother planted some flowers in her new garden. Because of the intense
sunlight, the flowers were beginning to wither. As soon as she put water on the roots of
the flower, they sprang up back again.
d. Most houses are built on strong foundations of steel and concrete. If this foundation
were to be removed the houses would collapse.

Here are some statements of causes. Write what the result or effect might be.

e. The sky is overcast

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
f. The wind was violent
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
g. The car was overtaking the truck
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Here are some statements of results. Write what the cause might be.

h. Eva was punished……………………………………………………………………………………………………

i. She woke up screaming……………………………………………………………………………………………

j. The vegetation flourished ………………………………………………………………………………………

8
 Week: Seven
Lesson: One

Topic: Summary Techniques-Paraphrasing

What is paraphrasing?

 Putting someone else's facts and information into your own words.
 Because it is not your information, you must include an in-text citation to give credit to the
original source.
 You must rework the entire sentence and put in your own voice.
 Paraphrasing is not only replacing words with synonyms.
 Paraphrasing is not only changing the simple word order.

Example

Original: Ronald Reagan liked jelly beans and monkey bread.

Bad Paraphrase: Ronald Reagan enjoyed monkey bread and jelly beans.
Better Paraphrase: Jelly beans and monkey bread were a few of Ronald Reagan's favorite foods.
How to paraphrase

9
Activity 1

Instructions: Read and paraphrase each passage.

A. Insects are variously formed, but as a rule the mature ones have three and only three pairs of leg.
One pair of feelers, one pair of large eyes and one or two pairs of wings. The body is divided into a
head, thorax and abdomen. The head bears the eyes, feelers and mouth, the thorax bears the legs
and wings, and the abdomen is made up of a number of segments. (An Elementary Study of
Insects by Leonard Haseman)

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

B. The French Revolution was a pivotal ten-year-long period in European history that ended with the
rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this time, the country of France was completely remade, doing
away with absolute monarchy and the feudal system and paving the way for democracy. A bloody
conflict, it was demonstrated to countries around the world how much power is inherent in the
will of a citizenry.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

10
 Week: Seven
Lesson: Two

Topic: Comprehension- Poetry

THE CAT
Pleasures, that I most enviously sense,
Pass in long ripples down her flanks and stir
The plume that is her tail. She deigns to purr
And take caresses. But her paws would tense
Humbly, I bend to stroke her silken fur,
I am content to be a slave to her.
I am enchanted by her insolence.

No one of all the women I have known

Has been so beautiful, or proud, or wise
As this angora with her amber eyes.
She makes her chosen cushion seem a throne,
And wears the same voluptuous, slow smile
She wore when she was worshipped by the Nile.

W. Adolphe Roberts

Activity 1

1. Two images of the cat are presented in stanza 1. What are they?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. What does the poet mean by “I am content to be a slave to her.”?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. What comparison is made at the start of the second stanza?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
4. What final quality of the cat is stated in the second stanza?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
5. In your own words explain the meaning of “ …when she was worshipped by the Nile”.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

11
 Week: Seven
Lesson: Three

Topic: Grammar -Forming Plurals

Activity 1
Instructions: Use a dictionary to help you with the English plurals and then to find and write the
meaning for the words of Latin origin listed below.
Plurals of Foreign Nouns
The plurals of words which have come into English from a foreign language such as Latin or Greek often
have two possible spellings: the foreign plural spelling and an English one. For example, you can spell
the plural of aquarium (from Latin) as either aquaria (the Latin plural) or aquariums (the English plural).
Words of Latin origin
Here’s a list of some words that came into English from Latin which can form their plurals in two ways:

Word Latin plural English plural

antenna antennae Antennas

appendix appendices

cactus cacti

curriculum curricula

formula formulae

index indices

millennium millennia

referendum referenda

stadium stadia

terminus termini

thesaurus thesauri

vortex vortices

12
 Week: Seven
Lesson: Four

Topic: Vocabulary-Spelling

Activity 1

Instructions: These pairs of words are often confused. See if you can complete the sentences with the
correct word.

imminent excerpt among device

premiere
eminent exert amid devise
premier

hangar accept excess

serial
hanger except access
cereal

1. Sarah put her new jacket on the ________________ behind the door. The jet fighters were in a line
in the large aircraft ____________________.

2. There was an____________________ of smoke pouring from the chimney. _________________ to

the building was restricted by all the park cars.

3. He was, without doubt, the __________________ footballer of his generation. The

evening_________________ of the musical was a very lavish occasion.

4. The audience cheered wildly at the ___________________ arrival of the pop star. The most
__________________ person was the mayor.

5. They saw an ______________ from the movie on television during the weekend. Darren had to
__________________ himself to haul in the heavy fishing net.

6. The children ate their picnic lunches _____________________ a sea of bluebells. Julie stood
________________ the small crowd outside the shop.

7. The clever_________________ helped the disabled lady to turn on the tap. “I shall
__________________ a plan to beat him at his own game,” said James.

8. The television ______________________ had all the viewers glued to their seats. For breakfast
Joanne chose_____________________, toast, and coffee.
9. “Please _______________________ this gift on behalf of all the pupils,” said the headmaster. They
all came to the party____________________ Jane and Johnathan.

13
 Week: Eight
Lesson: One
Topic: Expository Writing-Comparison-Contrast
__________________________________________________________________________________

The idea of comparing items is quite interesting. A person may find many things which are similar and at
the same time, find differences between two items. The word comparison means to look at similarities
and differences. Contrast means to look at differences only.

Comparison and contrast are ways of looking at objects

and thinking about how they are alike and different. For
instance, all of these items are alike because they are
kinds of food, but there are many ways that they are
different. For example, they belong to different food
groups. Some must be cooked before eating, and some
can be eaten raw. When you write comparison and
contrast, you will pay attention to these kinds of details.

Study this chart and note some of the signal words for comparison-contrast.

Methods of comparison and contrast. When comparing we can use either the point-by-point method or
block method. Examine the chart below.

14
Activity 1

Read the extracts below and make a list of the differences between the eagle and seagull.

15
Activity 2

Select the metaphors in passage A and explain each comparison. In passage B explain the
highlighted examples of imageries.

A. Splash! Splash! The children dived into the liquid mirror. At first, they pretended to be playful
seals tumbling the ocean. Then Michelle was a mermaid combing her long green, hair with a shell
comb. Alex was a shark swimming in circles, in search of prey. Then they were deep-sea divers
searching for buried treasure.

B. As the day made its entry the sun guided us to that beautiful heaven with its various colours of
red, blue, orange and white set amidst the forest green. The grass on which we trampled was a
green comfort, soft and woolen. We bathed in the sunshine, soothed by the gentle breeze and
guarded by towering trees. This was a day which will always be anchored in our memory.

A METAPHORS B
liquid mirror (the clear water in the pool was
very calm and smooth)

16
Week: Eight
Lesson: Two
Topic: Comprehension-Fact and Opinion
_____________________________________________________________________________________

A fact is something that is true. An opinion is what a person thinks about someone or something, and
may or may not be true.

Examples

Some statements of facts

1. The parcel weighs two grams.

2. Hurricane winds may exceed ninety miles per hour.
3. Pollution of our rivers and seas has destroyed many of our fishes.
4. Rain hardly ever falls in a desert.

Some statements of opinion.

1. Money spent on space exploration is wasted.

2. It is wrong for man to kill and eat other animals.
3. Parents are responsible for the misbehaviours of their children.
4. Animals should not be used for experiments in laboratories.

Activity

Read each statement below and decide if it is a fact or opinion. Then write fact or opinion in the blank
spaces provided.

1. It is very easy to play chess. ________________

2. V.S Naipaul is a famous Trinidadian novelist. ________________
3. Natural gas is a source of energy. ________________
4. That was not an interesting film. ________________
5. Motor bike riding is a dangerous sport. ________________
6. Every child should learn to take care of a pet. ________________
7. Travel by air is safer than travel by land. ________________
8. The ship was anchored two miles from the harbour. ________________
9. Last evening, there were one thousand five hundred spectators at the football match.
________________
10. August is the best month of the year. ________________
11. Olympic games are held every four years. ________________
12. Television does more harm than good. ________________
13. One can feel lonely in a large city. ________________
14. Islands in the West Indies are in the hurricane zone. ________________

17
 Week: Eight
Lesson: Three
Topic: Grammar-Irregular Past Tense Verbs
______________________________________________________________________________
Read this paragraph and note the underlined words.
Present Past Present Past
beat draw Mother drove from the country where we live into
bend feed the city. We went shopping for Christmas gifts for
bite find
friends and relatives. We saw a variety of items and
bleed freeze
build go we chose useful gifts. We bought clothing, toys and
burst hide books for which we paid the cashier. We got
come hold discounts on several items. We left the city at six
cost hurt o’clock that evening. When we got home, I took the
cut lend parcels out oof the car. The journey made us
slay let
exhausted.
spend lose
wake shine Drove, went, saw, bought, paid, got, left, took, paid,
dig shoot
made, are all irregular past tense verbs.
do tear

Activity 1
Here are some common irregular past tense verbs. Complete the table below by giving the past
tense form of each of the following present tense verbs.

18
Activity 2
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs:

go, eat, see, meet, run, fight, leave.

Yesterday, Peter ___________ lunch in the school’s cafeteria. There he __________ his friend Paul and
they ____________ to a football match together. They _____________ many other friends. Halfway
through the match, they _______________ because the spectators _______________ into the playing
field and _________________ with one another.

19
Week: Eight
Lesson: Four
Topic: Vocabulary-Endings -a/-re/-our
______________________________________________________________________________
Activity 1
Fill in the endings of these words with 1, 2, or 3 letters -a, -re, or -our. Use your dictionary to check!

Banan Rum Neighb

Col Lit Millimet
Cent Camer Larv
Fib Arm Kilomet
Flav Centimet Harb
Zebr Ide vanill
Fill in the 6 words for each notepad.
-a -re -our

Activity 2-
Silent Partners
Usually the sound of one letter could be heard in words which have a combination of the following
groups of letters. mb, mn, lm, gn, kn, wr, stle, gh, ght, lk, ft.

Examples Thumb is pronounced thum. The b is silent.

Calm is pronounced cam. The l is silent.

Add silent partners to the following to create new words.

cau____ desi___ _____ inkle bo_____ so____ ly

_____ack thou_____ colu_____ ____ob _____ite

Whi____ ____eel throu______ ta_____ nu_____

Fou_____ _____aw ______estle cli_____ hei______

______owledge sa_____on rei_____ wa______

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Week: Nine
Lesson: One
Topic: Grammar-Confusion of Tenses (Simple and Irregular Past Tense)
______________________________________________________________________________
Present and Past Tenses Confused:
Remember: Do not switch from the past to the present tense without having a good reason
for doing so.
Incorrect: We ran to the door but nobody is there.
correct: We ran to the door but nobody was there.
Incorrect: The neighbours walked into my house and give me the flowers.
Correct: The neighbours walked into my house and gave me flowers.
Activity 1
Rewrite the following sentences in their corrected forms.
1. I went to the grocery and buy the fruits.
__________________________________________________________
2. Tom wrote the letter and send it to his teacher.
__________________________________________________________
3. After Johnny reach home he phoned his friend.
__________________________________________________________
4. The dog groaned in pain and then die.
__________________________________________________________
5. At the concert Rita play splendidly and the audience arise to applaud her.
__________________________________________________________
6. All of them decided to go to the fair and they tell their parents of their plans.
____________________________________________________________
Activity 2
Now try this! Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the past tense of the verbs in brackets.
Billy ___________ (walk) her round the garden, speaking quietly to her all the time.
Then he ______________ (turn) up the path at the side of the house and
___________ (approach) the front gate, watching the hawk for her reactions. A car
___________ (come). The hawk was ___________ (tense), ____________ watching it
(pass), then ______________ (resume) her meal as it ____________ (speed) away up
the avenue. On the opposite pavement a little boy, pedalling a tricycle round in tight
circles, __________ (look) up and ___________ (see) them, immediately
___________ (unwind) and ________ (drive) straight off the pavement, as the wheels
___________(drop) down into the gutter.

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Week: Nine
Lesson: Two
Topic: Proverbs and Fables
______________________________________________________________________________

22
Activity 1
Complete the proverbs by writing the last word.
1. You can’t teach an old dog new _____________ .
2. A chain is only as strong a its weakest ______________.
3. A change is as good as a __________________ .
4. You are what you _________________.
5. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single _________________.
6. Blood is thicker than ___________________.
7. A penny for your _______________________.
8. A penny saved is a penny ___________________.
9. Easy come, easy ________________.
10. Laughter is the best _______________________.
11. Don’t count chickens before they _________________.
12. A problem shared is a problem ___________________.
13. Absence makes the heart grow ___________________.
14. Go the whole nine __________________.
15. Familiarity breeds __________________.
16. If you want something done right, you have to do it ___________________.
17. Cold hands, warm ____________________.
18. Don’t bite the hands that feed ____________________.
Activity 2
Read the following scenarios and say what the moral is.
1. The Fox and the Grapes
A fox was very hungry and came into a vineyard where lots of lovely ripe grapes were hanging
on the vines. The fox jumped up and up again until he was tired but he did not get one grape.
So he said to himself, "Let somebody else have the stupid grapes. They are so green and
probably sour, I don´t want them."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Boys and Frogs

Some mischievous boys were watching at the side of a pond. When any frogs showed their
heads, the boys threw stones at them. One of the frogs said, "Maybe it´s fun for you to throw
stones at us, but this sport could kill us".
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 3. Crow and Pitcher
A thirsty crow found a pitcher with a little water in it but the water level was so low that he
could not reach it. He first tried to break the pot and then to overturn it, but it was both too
strong and heavy for him. At last, he decided to drop many little pebbles into the water and this
raised the water until he could reach it.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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Week: Nine
Lesson: Three
Topic: Narrative Writing
______________________________________________________________________________
Review these charts.

25
Activity

Study the images below in sequence and then write a fictional story in about 200 words.

26
Week: Nine
Lesson: Four
Topic: Vocabulary- Spelling
______________________________________________________________________________
Activity
A Letter from Camp
Poor Harold. He has written this letter to his parents about his summer camp experience.
Unfortunately, he seems to have mixed up the spelling of quite a few words. Help Harold out by
correcting the misspelled words in each line. Write the correct spellings on the lines below the
letter.
Dear Mom and Dad,
1 Its been a while cents eye spoke yew. There is so much
2 to right to you about hour summer camp. The whether has been
3 butteful this weak. Aisle begin by telling you about the animals
4 wee have hear. They’re hoarses, hairs, bares, and doughs.
5 Last night too girls rode passed us in ther boats. They just
6 stayed out on the lake four several ours even dow the concilor
7 called too of them from the sure. Won of the girls, the
8 dauther of a school principle, kept waiving to the pilot of
9 a plain above her. Than she let her live preservor lose and
10 it was found by the mail camp concilor. He was all together
11 onhappy with her and gave her sum advise. Watt he said to her
12 was not complementary. It wasn’t a pieceful seen. The morale
13 of this tail is: Don’t waist thyme and no whose watching you.
14 Please right when you can.

15 Sincerrly,
16 You’re sun, Harold

1 9
2 10
3 11
4 12
5 13
6 14
7 15
8 16

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Week: Ten
Lesson: One
Topic: Comprehension
______________________________________________________________________________
Activity 1
Read the extract carefully and then write responses for the questions which follow:
The streams in the Northern Range which make up its course are beautiful and cool and crystal-
clear flowing from the hills to the valleys over rock and pebble but once they get out of the
valleys, they become dustbins for Trinidadians who do not care anything about polluting or
dirtying the clean waters. By the time the streams reach the Eastern Main Road, which runs
across the breadth of the island from Port-of-Spain to the East Coast, they have collected every
imaginable kind of refuse, from dead bodies, bipeds and quadrupeds, - to rusty, discarded cars
and their parts….
By the time they join the main stream on the plains of Caroni, the river is a muddy, sickly
brown, sluggish and filthy, and so lazy to move (except in the rainy season) that it is a wonder it
gets to the sea at all. It meanders and turns and twists as if to avoid all movement and flow,
backing into a bend here, and almost stagnant in a pool there. Sometimes it turns back and
heads for the hills, and sometimes it is still and lifeless like a long lake. But in the rainy season,
when it cannot accommodate the swollen streams, it overflows its banks and destroys crops
and livestock, and make some passing roads impossible to cross.
from ‘The Plains of Caroni’ by Samuel Selvon
1. What does the writer say about the streams in their upper course?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. In what way are the streams different in their lower course?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the reason for the change in the lower course?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. What happens when the river overflows?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

28
5. Select the words which describe the movement of the river?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. What does the writer think about Trinidadian?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
a. Pollutants b. Changing the river

c. The streams of Northern Range d. Pollution of the Streams

29
Week: Ten
Lesson: Two
Topic: Vocabulary-Anagrams
______________________________________________________________________________
Activity
Word for Word

WOLVES and VOWELS are very different! ...but they do have something in common. Both words
contain the same letters-they are anagrams of one another. See if you can solve these pairs of
anagrams. Use the clues and your dictionary.

L E H E
C A
M E
O
*a light boat; e.g. the Pacific * a yellow fruit; a large fruit * a body organ; a planet

T E P

*a furniture item; cry of a sheep * an arm joint; a large fruit * a juicy fruit; inexpensive

H O A S D Y

*a kind of large wasp; *to climb; * electricity making device;

a royal seat moves to music day of the week

K I B E

*a cooking room; to make less thin *a sleeping place; lack of interest

N O O R
L I C A

*silent; female wild cats *a group of musicians; a large working animal

30
Week: Ten
Lesson: Three
Topic: Grammar -Revision
______________________________________________________________________________

31
Activity
Fill in the correct form of the verb – All tenses
1. My family have ___________________ (buy) some land in southern France recently.
They ___________________ (build) a summer house there at the moment.
2. Andy and Mary ___________________ (go) to a concert tomorrow night. They
____________________________ (look forward to) it the whole week.
3. Jonathon ___________________ (watch) the news on TV every day and it
___________________ (help) him with his English.
4. My car ___________________ (break) down when I ___________________ (drive)
home from work. I ________________________ (fix) it if I ___________________
(know) what was wrong. But I didn’t so I ___________________ (have) to take it to the
garage.
5. When he ___________________ (found) Microsoft, Bill Gates was only 20 years old. He
___________________________ (already write) his first computer programs six years
earlier.
6. An accident ___________________ (happen) near my house last night. A car
_______________ (hit) a young man. He ___________________ (ride) his bike when
someone in front of him suddenly ___________________ (open) a car door. Many
people ___________________ (see) the accident. The police ___________________
(interrogate) them last night.
7. Mrs Smith said that one day she ________________________ (retire) from teaching.
She said that she ___________________ (spend) her new free time learning about
computers.
8. I ______________________ (not sleep) at all last night. Someone
___________________ (listen) to music all night.
9. I ___________________ (see) a film a week ago, but I _______________________ (not
enjoy) it very much because I _______________________ (already read) the book. If I
___________________ (not read) the book I ____________________________
(probably enjoy) the film more.
10. The judge sentenced the man to eight years in prison because he
___________________ (rob) a bank.
11. They ________________________ (stand) in the queue for over an hour when the
manager ___________________ (tell) them that there were no more tickets.
12. Alan ___________________ (be) in the car accident yesterday. The other driver
___________________ (lose) control of his car because he ___________________ (fall)
asleep.
13. She ___________________ (not see) her father since he ___________________ (start)
to work in Marseille two years ago.
14. I ___________________ (sleep) when the fire broke out.

32
15. Linda phoned and explained that she _________________________ (not can) to come
to the party the next day because she ___________________ (be) still sick.
16. I ________________________ (just see) the film “The Da Vinci Code”. –
___________________ (you see) it too? – No, I ___________________ (not have) but I
___________________ (read) the book.
17. My sister ___________________ (fly) home from London today. Her flight
___________________ (arrive) in an hour so I ___________________ (leave) for the
airport right now to get there in time.
18. Unless he ___________________ (sell) more he won’t get much money.
19. While he ___________________ (wait) for the bus there ___________________ (be) a
robbery at the bank. After the robbers ___________________ (go) away the police
___________________ (come) but they ___________________ (not can) to catch them.
20. I ___________________ (use) to ski when I was at the university but I
___________________ (break) a leg five years ago and since then I
___________________ (not ski) any more.

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Week: Ten
Lesson: Four
Topic: Dialogue Completion
______________________________________________________________________________
Activity

A. Ram’s mother fell ill all of a sudden and he had to look after her so he couldn’t go his school.
Complete the following conversation between him and his teacher in about 100 words:

Teacher: Ram, why didn’t ____________________________________________________________ ?

Ram: Madam, my mother _________________________________________________________ .

Teacher: Wasn’t any ________________________________________________________________ ?

Ram: No, madam. Father was out of station and my sister is too young to help her.

Teacher: What _____________________________________________________________________ ?

Ram: The doctor said that she had food poisoning.

Teacher: I see! What ________________________________________________________________ ?

Ram: She ate the food that had come from a hotel.

Teacher: Oh! Many a time hotel food gets poisonous. Don’t worry, she
____________________________________________________________________________________ .

Ram: Thank you, madam.

B. Complete the dialogue choosing the correct options:

Mother: Son, you __________________________________ morning. Take rest for an
hour as you may be tired. [are working since/ have been working since]

Son: Mumma, I ____________________________ as you think. But since say so, I

shall _____________________________. [am not tired/was not tired], [ took some rest/ take
some rest]

Mother: After ____________________________ you will feel fresh and shall study well.
[going to sleep/ taking rest for some time]

34