1 english skills - tom newby

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English Skills Grade Seven

Consolidation and Revision Exercise Description Page

1 Alphabetical order 3

2 Alphabetical order – Codes 3

3 Alphabetical order – First Letter 4

4 Alphabetical order – Second Letter 5

5 Alphabetical order – Third Letter 6

6 Language skills – Vowels and consonants 7

7 Dictionary skills – Guide words 8

8 Dictionary skills – Syllables 9

9 Dictionary skills – Head words 10

10 Dictionary skills – Meaning 11

11 Dictionary skills – Parts of speech 12

12 Dictionary skills – Pronunciation 13

13 Spelling – Patterns and rules 14

14 Spelling – Pattern 1: i before e except after c 15

15 Spelling – Pattern 2: Plurals 16

16 Spelling – Pattern 3: Plurals 17

17 Spelling – Pattern 4: Adding a suffix to words ending in y 18

18 Spelling – Pattern 5: Adding a suffix to words ending in e 19

19 Spelling – Pattern 6: Doubling the final letter for a suffix 20

20 Word meanings – Prefixes 21

21 Word meanings – Suffixes 22

22 Word meanings – Suffixes 22

23 Word meanings – Imagine this 23

24 Language skills – Prefixes 24

25 Word meanings – Homophones 25

26 Word meanings – Homophones 25

27 Vocabulary – Synonyms 26

28 Vocabulary – Antonyms 27



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31 Vocabulary – Antonyms 28

32 Language skills – Parts of speech 28

33 Language skills – Nouns 29

34 Language skills – Adjectives 30

35 Language skills – Verbs 30

36 Language skills – Adverbs 31

37 Language skills – Simple sentences 31

38 Language skills – Parts of speech 32

39 Language skills – Prepositions 33

40 Language skills – Conjunctions 34

41 Language skills – Pronouns 35

42 Language skills – Articles 36

43 Dictionary skills – Vocabulary enrichment 37

44 Dictionary skills – Gender 38

45 Figurative expressions – Proverbs 39

46 Figurative expressions – Idioms 40

47 Spelling – Plurals 41

48 Vocabulary enrichment – Collective nouns 41

49 Vocabulary enrichment – Animal sounds 42

50 Vocabulary enrichment – Diminutives 42

51 Figures of speech – Comparisons: Similes 43



54 Punctuation – The apostrophe: Contractions 45





59 Punctuation – The apostrophe: Ownership 50

60 Punctuation – The apostrophe: Ownership of singular nouns 51

61 Punctuation – The apostrophe: Ownership of plural nouns 52

62 Punctuation – The apostrophe: Ownership of plural nouns 53

63 Punctuation – The apostrophe: Contractions and ownership 54

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Exercise 1

ALPHABETICAL ORDER

1. How many letters are there in the alphabet? 2. Guess which two are the middle letters. 3. Cover up the alphabet and try to say it to yourself in 5 seconds. 4. Cover up the alphabet and answer these questions:

a. Which three letters come before ‘f’? b. Which three letter come before ‘i’? c. Which three letters come before ‘r’? d. Which four letter follow ‘n’? e. Which five letters follow ‘p’?

5. Arrange these letters in alphabetical order to make words: a. mai

b. yan

c. mih d. mdi e. pid

6. Arrange each group of letters into alphabetical order: a. endcy

b. oltfg

c. xzear

d. itebz e. mtubi

7. Cover up the alphabet. Write it out as quickly as you can. Write your time down.

Exercise 2

ALPHABETICAL ORDER CODES

1. Write out the next letter after each letter of the alphabet below, to get this message.

Example: lzm = man rdbqds = secret

aqhmf sgd akzbj anw snmhfgs 2. Write out the letter before each letter of the alphabet to get this message.

Example: gzoox = happy Note: (z comes before a)

uif mfuufs jt jo uif pme pbl usff

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

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3. Each number in the message below refers to a letter of the alphabet in order. 1=a, 2=b, 3=c and so on. Note: / shows a break between words. Break the code to find the message:

20 8 5 / 19 5 3 18 5 20 / 6 9 12 13 / 9 19 / 9 14 / 25 15 21 18 / 12 5 6 20 / 2 12 1 3 11 / 19 8 15 5

Exercise 3

ALPHABETICAL ORDER First Letter

If all the words begin with the different letters, look at the first letter to work out the alphabetical order.

cat dog elephant fox zebra

1. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the first letter.

a. BEAUTIFUL b. SECRETARY

c. DISAPPOINT d. COLOURFUL e. LIBRARY f. THROUGH g. WEDNESDAY 2. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the first letter.

a. ETCETERA b. ORANGE

c. ANTHILL d. UMBRELLA e. INSECT

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3. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the first letter.

a. IGLOO

b. TRAIN c. IMPRESSION d. ALCOHOL e. EQUIPMENT f. QUINCE

g. PSYCHOLOGY h. DISAPPEAR i. BICYCLE j. FEBRUARY

Exercise 4

ALPHABETICAL ORDER Second Letter

If all the words begin with the same letter, look at the second letter to find the alphabetical order.

DART DEAR DIN DOUBT DUST

1. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the second letter.

a. OPEN b. OATS c. OZONE d. OLIVE e. ORCHARD f. OBESE g. OCEAN


a. TIN b. TOP c. TRICK d. TEDDY e. TUMBLER f. TARGET g. TWIST

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a. PLUG b. PRUNE c. PIT d. POTTER e. PHYSICS f. PNEUMONIA g. PALATE h. PSYCHOLOGY i. PEG j. PUG

Exercise 5

ALPHABETICAL ORDER Third Letter

If all the words begin with the same TWO letters, look at the third letter to find the alphabetical order.

OPEN OPPOSITE OPTIMUM 1. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the third letter.

a. PANE b. PATTERN c. PAD d. PASSWORD e. PALE f. PACE g. PAW 2. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the third letter.

a. SOFA b. SOAP c. SOLACE d. SOPPY e. SON f. SOWER g. SODA

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3. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the third letter.

a. BEGIN b. BEAN c. BENEFIT d. BECKON e. BELL f. BETTER g. BED

Exercise 6 LANGUAGE SKILLS

VOWELS and CONSONANTS

There are five vowels in the alphabet:

a e i o u The rest of the letters are called consonants:

b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z 1. Shade over the vowel sounds in these words:

ambulance sky yacht consider physics mystery meander yes

wonder undergrowth undo ooze

Be careful with the ‘y’. Only underline it if it is being used to make a vowel sound.

Y IS A SPY THE LETTER Y CAN ALSO BE CALLED A SEMI VOWEL (SEMI MEANS HALF) BECAUSE IT CAN BE USED TO MAKE A VOWEL SOUND. FOR EXAMPLE : DRY / HAPPY

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2. Write two words that have the following vowel sounds in them.

Example

ai brain

ea near

ee seen

oi coin

oa float

ou hour

ay say

ey prey

oy boy

Exercise 7 DICTIONARY SKILLS

Guide words

All dictionaries are arranged in alphabetical order. This helps a reader to find the words more quickly. To help the reader even more, dictionaries have guide words at the beginning and end of each page. Here is an example:

The words on page 20 & 21 in this dictionary all start with the letters ‘ar’ or ‘as’. If a reader was looking for the spelling or meaning of octopus, they would be able to tell, from the guide words, that ‘octopus’ does not appear on this page because octopus starts with the letters ‘oc’.

arrogant associate

pg. 20 pg. 21

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Look at the guide words below. If you think the word in the square on the right would probably be found on that page, write yes. If not, write no.

contagious pg.88 pg. 89 control

for pg.168 pg. 169 former

monument pg.292 pg. 293 mottled

spread pg.452 pg. 453 squeak

undivided pg.520 pg. 521 unknown


Syllables

All languages have a rhythm. Read the following sentence and try to clap its rhythm: I am going home. If you clapped 5 times then you found the correct rhythm for the sentence. When we clap a rhythm to words in this way we name each separate sound that was clapped, a syllable. 1. Clap each sentence below and write the number of syllables that you

clapped. Don’t force the rhythm of the sentences. Say them is a normal speaking voice when you clap the rhythm.

a. Themba is a good girl. b. Yesterday we went out. c. Mount Kilimanjaro is very high. d. Dictionaries help us to spell correctly. e. Chocolate is my favourite food.

contrary

fortunate

monumental

squeal

uncomplicated

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2. Syllables are useful because they can help us work out the spelling of words. Clap each of the words below and write how many syllables each word contains.

a. knowing b. uninterrupted c. isangoma d. president e. confused 3. Dictionaries often break words up into syllables. Your teacher will show

you how this is done using your school dictionaries. Use your dictionary to find out how the words below are divided into syllables. Write the word out like this:

a. numerical b. intuition c. fuse d. figure e. sticky


Head Words

Head words are normally written in bold letters to make them easy to see. Sometimes other words that can be made from the head word are also listed in bold print. These are called sub head words. Usually, the head word is a root word. In other words, artist might be listed as the head word and artistic and artistry, might be listed as sub head words. Some dictionaries also list examples of how suffixes can be added to the head word. These words are usually written in bold and placed in brackets.

Un / friend / ly

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1. Find the word assemble, in the dictionary. a. List three ways that the dictionary gives for adding suffixes to this word. b. List two sub head words.

2. Find the word introduce, in the dictionary.

a. List the three ways that the dictionary gives for adding suffixes to this word b. List two sub head words.


Meaning

A dictionary is normally used to find the spelling or the meaning of a word. When a word can have more than one meaning, the meanings are numbered.

1. Look up the word join. a. What is the first meaning given? b. What is the second meaning given? c. What is the third meaning given?

2. Look up the word invalid. a. What is the first meaning given? b. What is the second meaning given? Even though the two meanings are spelled in the same way, the way that they are spoken indicates what the speaker is trying to say. c. Look at the accent and syllable marks that have been used in the

dictionary. Underline the syllable that must be stressed for each meaning. Meaning 1 Meaning 2

in / va / lid in / va / lid

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Parts of speech

Parts of speech are usually written in italics. For example: Joke noun Join verb Jokingly adverb Jovial adjective Look up the following words and write down what part of speech the word is listed as in the dictionary.

a. dab i. arsenic b. oxygen j. slowly c. disappointed k. athlete d. overflow l. shorts e. lately m. golf f. warp n. marathon g. handicap o. equipment h. jubilant p. atrocity

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Pronunciation

Most dictionaries provide a pronunciation chart within the first few pages.

If a pronunciation guide is given for a word then it is listed after the head word. 1. Write the pronunciation symbol that your dictionary’s pronunciation chart

gives for each of the following sounds:

a. The letter i in pin. b. The letter a in about c. The letter u in put d. The letter e in bed e. The letter th in then f. The letters sh in she g. The letters ch in each h. The letters ea in bead i. The letters ir in bird j. The letters oo in poor k. The letter a in cat

2. Write out the pronunciation of these words using your dictionary’s

pronunciation chart. Say the words out loud.

a. assegai b. breakfast c. crystal d. encyclopedia

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Exercise 13 SPELLING

Thinking about spelling patterns and rules

English words are one of the most difficult to spell correctly. Long ago, England was invaded by people from many countries. Each new country that invaded England brought its own language with it and some of these foreign words became mixed with English. As a result of this, spelling patterns have become very complicated. There are many ways to spell the same sounds. For example: The long e sound can be made in many different ways:

cheese and seize and leave

The long o sound can be made in many ways too:

two and threw and you and glue

All of this can be very confusing! However, it is possible to become a better speller with practice…and with the help of a dictionary and some basic rules. One of the most important things you must be able to do is to hear the difference between long and short vowel sounds. Here are some examples: LONG VOWEL SOUNDS: ME, BELIEVE, MOOD, BIKE, SAVED, CUBES

SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS: MEN, PIG, SPIN, MUDDY, OBVIOUS, APPLE, ASK, BIRD

Say the following words out loud. Write whether you think the underlined sound is a long or a short vowel sound.

REMEMBER>>>> YOU MUST WORK ACCORDING TO THE SOUND NOT THE WRITTEN LETTERS!!!!

a. MOTHER f. WORKSHEET b. FIELD g. IRONING

c. MAT h. WONDER

d. MATES i. CRUISE

e. BETTER j. PRETTY

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Spelling Pattern 1

In English, you cannot rely on learning spelling rules to improve your spelling because the rules don’t work all of the time. However, if you become familiar with certain spelling patterns, they will help you to make spelling choices that are more likely to be correct. Here is one basic spelling pattern: For example

chief brief receipt receive Use this spelling pattern to fill in the missing letters, either ‘ie’ or ‘ei’. Write the whole word out.

a. bel___ve f. rel___f b. c___ling g. s___ge c. conc___ve h. dec___t d. gr___ve i. p___ce e. conc___ted j. br___f

Here are some words that don’t follow this rule:

seize neither either sheik

‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ <<<(if it’s making a long ‘ee’ sound)>>>

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Spelling Pattern 2: Plurals

Most words can be changed into their plurals by adding the letter ‘s’. For example:

Dog – dogs Hen – hens Alphabet – alphabets However, some words need ‘es’ to form their plurals. Add ‘s’ or ‘es’ to each of the following singular nouns to make a plural.

a. church b. computer c. class d. telephone e. staple f. business g. scissor h. princess i. box j. wish

If a word ends in ‘ch’ ‘s’ ‘ss’ ‘sh’ or ‘x’

add ‘es’

to form the plural

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Spelling Pattern 3: Plurals

For example: Wolf - wolves Wife - wives

Use the spelling pattern to change these words into their plurals:

a. loaf b. knife c. leaf d. half e. calf f. roof g. wolf h. shelf i. thief j. wife

Some words that do not follow this pattern are: Chief / chiefs Roof / roofs

If a word ends in

‘f’ or ‘fe’

drop the letters and add

‘ves’

to make a plural

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Spelling Pattern 4: Adding suffixes - Changing ‘y’ to i’

Here are four things you need to know before you can use this spelling pattern:

1. What is a vowel? aeiou 2. What is a consonant? bcdfghjklmnpqrstvwxyz 3. What is a suffix?

A letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word, e.g. ‘ing’, ‘ed’, ‘ful’, ‘able’.

1. Add the suffix in the second column to the root word in the first column:

a. apply ed

b. occupy able

c. reply es

d. deny ed

e. marry able 2. Add the suffix in the second column to the root word in the first column:

a. joy ous

b. convey ance

c. holiday s

d. destroy er

e. play ful

If the letter before the ‘y’ is a consonant then the ‘y’ becomes an ‘i’ when a suffix is added.

Lady - ladies Apply – applied

If the letter before the ‘y’ is a vowel then the ‘y’ does not change when a suffix is added.

Enjoy – enjoyed Play - playful

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3. Add the suffix ‘ing’ to the root word in the first column:

a. apply ing

b. enjoy ing

c. reply ing

d. convey ing

e. spy ing

Here is an exercise that will give you practice using all three of the spelling patterns from this section. Try to complete the exercise without referring back to the guidelines. 4. Add the suffix in the second column to the root word.

a. apply ed f. community es

b. occupy er g. study ed

c. spy ing h. dry est

d. lady s i. destroy able

e. holiday ing j. reply es


Spelling Pattern 5: Adding suffixes to words ending in ‘e’

1. Try this pattern on the following words:

a. hope (ing) c. taste (ing) b. use (ed) d. pore (ous)

If you are adding the suffix ‘ing’ then the ‘y’ does not change when the suffix is added.

Enjoy – enjoying try - trying

Drop the ‘e’ when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.

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2. Find the root words for the following by removing the suffix: a. placed d. famous b. housing e. observatory

c. received

3. Add ‘d’ or ‘ed’ to each of the following depending on how the word ends: a. enrage d. behave b. award e. water c. love


Spelling Pattern 6: Adding suffixes - Doubling the final letter

If a verb (action word) ends with a short vowel sound and a consonant, the general pattern is to double the consonant when adding a suffix. This is not always the case, so if you’re not sure, check the spelling in a dictionary. 1. Complete the following exercise, using the example as a guide. These

words all follow this spelling pattern.

a. regret regretting regretted b. expel c. control d. level e. shrivel f. shrug g. drip

h. prefer

i. distil

j. pedal

k. cancel l. dub

Add ‘d’ (NOT ‘ed’) as a suffix to words that end in ‘e’.

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Challenge

Explain why the final consonant of the root word is not doubled when a suffix is added to the end of these words (Clues have been highlighted): a. crash crashing b. hoot hooted c. take taking

Exercise 20 WORD MEANINGS

Prefixes

A prefix is an extra part added to the beginning of a word. A prefix may be made up of one letter or more than one. Prefixes have the ability to change the meaning of a root word, because each prefix has its own meaning. Look at the following prefixes and how they have been added to a root word to change its meaning:

happy

unhappy (not happy) arrange

rearrange (to do again)

like

dislike (to not like) cook precook(to do before)

Use a dictionary to make a word using each of these prefixes. Also write the root word.

Your word The root word

sub (under) submarine marine

un (not)

super (above/over/better) tele (over a distance)

trans (across)

Important: If, once you remove the prefix, the root word does not make sense, then the letters at the beginning of the word are not considered to be a true prefix. Example: subject = sub + ject. ject is not a recognised English word, so sub is not a true prefix.

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Suffixes

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word. Each suffix has a function and adding it to a word can change the word’s meaning or function in a sentence.

The suffixes ‘er’, ‘or’ and ‘eer’ show a person’s job or position in society. Find words to suit the following descriptions. Use a dictionary if you are not sure of the answer or the spelling. Underline the suffix in your answer. The first letter or two have been provided as clues.

a. A person who installs or mends pipes p… b. A person who papers and paints houses d… c. A person who climbs high m… d. A person who performs on stage a… e. A retired person p… f. A person who sells fruit and vegetables g… g. A person who designs machines en… h. A person who makes a speech or… i. A person who works on a ship sa… j. A person who goes to war wa…


Suffixes

The following suffixes indicate a place for a particular activity:

ory ary ery

Find a word to match each meaning by adding the correct suffix to the starting letters that have been provided. Use a dictionary if you are not sure of the answer or the spelling. Underline the suffix in your answer.

a. A room with scientific instruments. lab… b. A place where medicines are prepared. disp… c. A place where chickens may be born. hat

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d. Where you go to borrow a book. lib… e. Where dead bodies are taken. mor… f. Where monks live. mon… g. A building where the stars are studied. ob…

h. Where birds are kept. av… i. A reform school. re… j. A training college for priests. sem…


Imagine this

Do you watch the TV show Big Brother? The idea of somebody always watching what you are doing was taken from a book called 1984. It was written by a man called George Orwell. In his book, George Orwell describes a world full of cruelty and oppression in which everybody is ruled over by a dictator called ‘Big Brother’. One part of the Big Brother dictatorship was the removal of some words from the dictionary. The idea behind this was that if people knew fewer words, they would be less likely to think for themselves. Here is an extract from his book:

What justification is there for a word that is simply the opposite of another word? A word contains the opposite in itself. Take ‘good’, for example. If you have a word like ‘good’ there is no need for a word like ‘bad’. ‘Ungood’ will do just as well. Or again, if you want a stronger word than ‘good’, what sense is there in a whole string of vague words like ‘excellent’ or ‘splendid’? ‘Plusgood’ will do just as well. ‘Doubleplusgood’ will do if you want something even stronger.

1. Imagine you are involved in the making of a 1984 dictionary. Write the words you would use to express these ideas. The first one is done for you.

a. Extremely dark Double plus unlight

b. Old

c. Ugly

d. Emaciated

e. Frozen

f. Very bald

2. Strange as it may sound, there are words in English where we use the 1984 method of writing and speaking English. Think of words like happy and unhappy. Write six words English words where a prefix has been used to change a word to its exact opposite.

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3. What do you think the following 1984 descriptions mean? a. He got into trouble at school because of his unbagness? b. Your doubleplusunsoapified face is disgusting.


Prefixes

1. Find a word to fit each description. All of the words begin with the prefix

‘tri’ (meaning three): a. A shape with three sides b. Three people singing c. One of three children d. A vehicle with three wheels e. Three times as much f. A stand with three legs g. Three related stories

2. Find a word to fit each description. All of the words begin with the prefix ‘pre’ (meaning before): a. Made in advance b. Say in advance c. Care taken to avoid an accident d. Before the expected time

3. Find a word to fit each description. All of the words begin with the prefix ‘multi’ (meaning many): a. Having many races b. Having many floors c. A large crowd d. Having many millions

4. Find a word to fit each description. All of the words begin with the prefix ‘inter’ (meaning between): a. Fit or fasten together b. Between nations c. To cross or meet d. To stop a quarrel

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Homophones

Homophones are words with same sound but different spelling and meaning. Choose the correct word for each sentence. Write the given sentence out, using the word that you have chosen. Then, write a sentence of your own with the word you did not choose.

a. The children did not know/no the right answer. b. There was too/to much left over.

c. Smoking is no longer allowed/aloud in buildings. d. The film was about a cereal/serial killer. e. He needed a new pane/pain of glass for the window. f. I am going two/to go home.


Homophones

Homophones are words with same sound but different spelling and meaning. Shade the numbers in the grid for the sentences with correctly used homophones. If your choices are correct, the shaded areas will reveal a common homophone.

1. Some things just aren’t fair. 1 2 3

2. The taxi fare is too expensive, so I can’t go to the match with you.

4 5 6

3. I think there will be clowns and rides at the fair. 7 8 9

4. There are many hard problems to solve in the maths homework.

10 11 12

5. You meet a lot of people when you travel and their always speaking in languages I don’t understand.

13 14 15

6. The Statue of Liberty is in America. I would like to go there.

15 17 18

7. I went to the zoo but I can’t bear to see animals in cages.

19 20 21

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Exercise 27 VOCABULARY

Synonyms

A synonym is a word that has a similar meaning to another word. Shade the block for the synonym for each word in the first column.

Use a dictionary to help you.

sanctified holy broken normal badge form emblem mount

casket muffin necklace coffin

famous known celebrated open

gammy lame cards brave hectic old broken feverish

kind considerate nursing helping

oblique arched slanting curved wager bet mistake musician

8. Animals like a bear and a tiger should be free. 9. The zoo keeper was not wearing a hat. His head

was bare.

10. There was a narrow bored placed across the stream.

11. I was bored during the movie so I fell asleep. 12. Mrs Brown is the principle of our school. 13 What is the principal reason for you wanting to

visit America?

14. I could not join that political party because their principles about right and wrong are not the same as mine.

15. Always begin names with a capital letter. 16. My mother said, “Come here.” 17. “I can’t here you,” I replied. 18. “Can you hear me now!” my mother shouted. 19. I think you are the nicest person in the whole

world.

20. The mole dug a hole in our yard. 21. Did you break your foot when you stepped on the

brake.

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Antonyms

An antonym is word that has the opposite meaning to another word. Shade the block for the antonym for each word in the first column.

Use a dictionary to help you.

happy miserable blissful elated

good worthy malevolent benign rich fecund infertile elaborate

clean hygienic antiseptic polluted

big hulking miniature corpulent

sweet rancid luscious cloying shocking execrable repugnant acceptable

black dusky begrimed ashen

wet parched soggy moistened


Synonyms

A synonym is a word that has a similar meaning to another.

Find a synonym for each of the words below that fits into the grid. Number one should be placed into the A column and number 2 into the B column, etc. 1. Unhappy 8. Strike 15. Truthful 21. Unattractive 2. Lovely, pretty 9. Intelligent 16. Dumb 22. Trip, journey 3. Wide 10 Fair 17. Fast 23. Terrible 4. Act 11. Murder 18. Easy-going, 24. Blend 5. Argue 12. Go pleasant 25. Neat 6. Frightened 13. Nearly 19. Nervous 26. Blue 7. Odd, unusual 14. Crazy 20. Skill

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Synonyms

Complete this exercise in your answer book. Find two synonyms for each given word in the word sleuth. Once you have found them, slot them into the grid next to each word.


Antonyms

Complete this exercise in your answer book. Find two antonyms for each given word in the word sleuth below. Once you have found them, slot them into the grid next to each word.


Parts of speech

Scrabble Imagine four people playing a game of Scrabble. Here are the letters they have:

Innocent L F G M B C

Carol B L O E S T

James L L L L L L

Themba E I A U E O

Only Carol can make a word. It’s obvious why James can’t do anything, but why can’t Innocent and Themba build any words? Word scrabble

The aim of this game is to make a sentence from the collection of words held by each player.

Innocent old thin tall dead angry

Carol if and when unless but

James over on in by to

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Themba clumsily bravely nearly clearly Slowly

Andrew take have decide come Walk

Sam he she they it Them

Nonhlanhla pig car desk meeting Autumn

Nasheen badly played soccer very we

1. Only Nasheen can use all her words in one sentence. What is the sentence?

None of the other players can make a sentence. This is because each group contains only one type of word, one part of speech. Parts of speech are the names given to the different types of words needed to make up a sentence.

2. Use your dictionary to find out what part of speech each player has. a. Innocent e. Andrew b. Carol f. Sam c. James g. Nonhlanhla d. Themba


Nouns

A noun is a word whose job it is to name:

people places objects ideas

The first words you spoke were probably nouns: mama, dada, dummy. The simplest test for nouns is to check whether you can use it with one of the following noun markers: the a an

If it sounds right, then it’s probably a noun. Use the picture on the right. Make a list of five nouns, in your answer book.

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Adjectives

Adjectives are words that provide more information about nouns. They help us to form a better picture in our heads of what qualities a noun has – How big? What colour? How old? and so on. Transfer your list of nouns from the previous page onto the table provided in your answer book. Supply an adjective to describe the noun and draw a picture to illustrate. Select adjectives that are easy to draw, e.g. colours, shapes and sizes.


Verbs

Verbs are action words.

EAT JUMP SLEEP

Groups of words usually need a verb to make sense.

HE MUST ON THE TABLE. HE MUST LEAN ON THE TABLE.

Verbs are the only parts of speech that can be used on their own and still make sense.

Write a suitable verb for each picture provided, in your answer book.

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Adverbs

Adverbs are easy to identify. They do exactly what their name says they will…. they add to the verb.

Almost all adverbs add to your knowledge of a verb by telling you how, when or where the action took place.

run quickly sleep today study outside

Try to find an adverb for each of the verbs you chose for the Verb Exercise. Try not to use the same adverb twice. Use the table in your answer book. An example has been given to guide you. Look at your adverbs for HOW. What suffix do most of them end with? ______


Simple sentences

In English, we can’t build many sentences using only the four main parts of speech – Noun, verb, adverb and adjective. Quite often these sentences sound like ‘baby talk’. For example:

Jane eats food today. Girl put case downstairs. Big dog bit ugly cat. Mother bought colouring in book. Boy go home tomorrow. Working tired.

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To make a more sensible or complex sentence, other parts of speech must be used too. Look at the words in bold and how they give new meaning to the sentences: Jane eats her food today. The girl put the case downstairs. The big dog bit an ugly cat. My mother bought me a colouring in book. The boy will go home tomorrow. I am working although I am tired. Here are the correct names for these new parts of speech:

the, a, an article

her, my, me, I pronoun

will, am auxiliary verb

although conjunction

Challenge: Fill in the missing articles, pronouns, conjunctions and auxiliary verbs in this sentence. Write the new sentence out.

(Pronoun) saw (article) advertisement for (article) bike (preposition) (article) newspaper. (pronoun) father gave (pronoun) money (conjunction) I (auxiliary verb) going to buy (pronoun).


Parts of Speech

Why do we need to know parts of speech?

Imagine a bicycle building manual that gave you the following information: Undo the screwy thing that holds the big round part onto the middle bit at the back, taking care not to bend the long silvery bits. A bit confusing isn’t it?

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Here’s the same information, using the correct words:

Undo the nut that holds the wheel onto the axle at the back, taking care not to

bend the spokes.

Giving names to each part of speech is just as useful. Even though it is difficult to learn all the correct names for the different parts of speech, your

English writing, reading, speaking and spelling will definitely improve. Here is a list of the main Parts of Speech.

Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Pronoun, Auxiliary verb, Preposition, Conjunction, Article

Use your dictionary to find out what part of speech each of the following words is in each sentence.

a. A ten cent piece is a coin. b. The dense mist made driving dangerous. c. Water will flow downhill. d. The car is here. e. He did the work happily. f. You must leave. g. I am happy. h. Put it in the box. i. I passed because I studied. j. That is an apple.


Prepositions

1. Rewrite these sentences, changing the underlined word to make the sentence sensible.

a. They sealed the bargain under a handshake. b. The ship sailed behind the water. c. My neighbour climbed with our fence. d. Your dinner is through the fridge.

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The words you have altered are called prepositions. Prepositions show the relationship between one noun and another – their position in relation to each other. Prepositions can show relationships of when, where and how. Is Andrew in his car? Is he under it? (Where preposition) Does the game start before two o’clock or at two o’clock? (When preposition) They arrived without their match clothes. (How preposition)

2. Construct one sentence for each of the kinds of prepositions: Where, when and how. You can use any prepositions from this list:

after on at by of to into up down from

over under through above below behind with


Conjunctions

Conjunctions are linking words. They can establish a connection between: a) two words – Tom and Jerry b) two phrases – out of the frying pan and into the fire c) two sentences – I will visit when I am ready or I will not visit at all. Make each of these pairs of sentences into one sentence by using a conjunction from the list below. Rewrite the new sentence: a. The water came in. The boat had a hole in it. b. He saw his chance. He rushed through the gate. c. He dropped the kettle on his foot. The handle was very hot. d. I will report you. You copy my homework. e. There is the man. He stole my watch. (Take care with this one!!!)

after although as because If

since so than though unless

what when where

who why until

which

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Pronouns

A pronoun can be used to replace a noun.

When Mary’s shoes and socks were off, Mary arranged the shoes and socks neatly on the bank. Mary looked at Thandi swimming. “Thandi can swim well,” Mary said. Mary tested the water with one toe. “The water’s warm,” Mary said. “What did Mary expect?” asked Thandi. “Mary expected the water to be cold,” Mary replied. Replace each of the bold print words or phrases with one word. The words you will use will all be pronouns.

Here are some commonly used pronouns:

Personal Pronouns (refer to people or things) I we me us

you you you you

he, she, it they him, her, it them

Possessive Pronouns (show belonging or ownership) my our mine ours

your yours

his, her, its their his, hers, its theirs

Select an appropriate pronoun to replace the underlined word/words. Write the entire sentence out, with your chosen pronoun. a. The babies cried when the babies were hungry. b. The queen said that the queen was leaving. c. Nick’s mother asked Nick to clean his room. d. The tiger ate the deer ant the tiger licked the tiger’s lips.

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Articles

There are only three articles in the English language:

the an a

Definite article THE is a definite article. We use this word when we are referring to

something specific. If, for example, I ask for ‘the chair’, then it is a specific chair that I am asking for. Indefinite article

AN and A are indefinite articles. When these words are used before a noun they are not referring to any specific object. So, if I ask for ‘a chair’ then it means you can bring me any chair.

AN is used before words that begin with a vowel SOUND. An apple An owl An honest man (the ‘h’ is silent, so this word starts with a vowel sound) A is used before a consonant SOUND.

A car A yoyo Choose the most appropriate article for each of these sentences: a. _______ moon revolves around the Earth. b. I have never seen ____ostrich that can fly. c. She threw _____ rotten apples away. d. Can you fly ____aeroplane? e. _____stitch in time saves nine.

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Exercise 43 DICTIONARY SKILLS Vocabulary Enrichment

Use a dictionary to find words for each of the following:

1. Find the following words that begin with the letters ‘per’:

a. Without faults b. At right angles to something c. Puzzled d. To sweat e. To make a hole f. Any length of time

2. Find the following words that begin with the letters ‘ob:

a. To notice or look at b. Not clear/difficult to see c. Quick to notice d. Out of date e. Sloping

3. Find the following words that begin with the letters ‘man:

a. Handle skillfully b. A large house c. Compulsory

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Gender

The word feminine is used to describe words that refer to the female gender. The word masculine is used to describe words that refer to the male gender. Complete the following table, in your answer book, by filling in the missing masculine or feminine form. Use a dictionary if you are not sure of the correct word:

Masculine Feminine

a. Male

b. Actor

c. Uncle

d. Bull

e. Steward

f. King

g. Hero

h. Wizard

i. Lord

j. Lioness

k. Waitress

l. Niece

m. Sister

n. Mistress

o. Lady

p. Spinster

q. Grandmother

r. Nun

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A in saves 9.

A in the is worth 2 in the .

Many make work.

People in shouldn’t throw stones.

Exercise 45 FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS

Proverbs

Listed below, are riddles for five well know proverbs. Use the picture clues to help you work out the proverb. Write the whole proverb out.

One man’s is another man’s .

a.

d.

e.

c.

b.

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3.


Idioms

Complete the idioms below by entering the number of the animal the idiom refers to. Then, transfer the numbers into the grid. If your answers are correct, the numbers in the cross will total 26 in the horizontal and vertical rows.

A. As blind as a ____________. B. As busy as a ____________.

C. Scaredy ____________. D. As dumb as an ____________. E. As sly as a ____________. F. As big as a ____________. G. As brave as a ____________. H. Is he a man or a __________? I. As stubborn as a _________. J. As slow as a ___________. K. As wise as an ___________. L. As dirty as a ____________.

A B

C

D E F

G

H I J

K L

4.

5.

6.

7.

10. 11.

9.

8.

12.

1.

2.

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Plurals

Find the correct plural for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle in your answer book. Clues Across Down 1 Woman (women) 2 Ox 4 Foot 3 Goose 7 Man 5 Thief 10 Mouse 6 Tree 11 Knee 8 Tooth 12 Leaf 9 Lily 14 Child 11 knife 14 Story 15 sheep

Exercise 48 VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT

Collective nouns

Find the correct collective noun for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle in you answer book.. Clues Across Down 1 A school of fish 2 A _____ of sailors 4 A _____ of oxen or horses 3 A _____ of bread 5 A _____ of players or horses 7 A _____ of puppies, pigs or kittens 6 A _____ of sheep 8 A _____ of chickens 9 A _____ of bees or locusts 9 A _____ of tools 10 A _____ of teachers 11 A _____ of ships or cars 12 A _____ of monkeys 13 A _____ of paper 14 A _____ of trees 15 A _____ of people

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Animal Sounds

Find the correct animal sound for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle in your answer book. Clues Across Down

1 A bird chirps. 2 A hen ______. 4 Frogs ______. 3 Donkeys ______. 6 A snake ______. 5 A lion ______. 8 A duck ______. 6 Owls ______. 12 An elephant ______. 7 Pigs ______. 13 Dogs ______. 9 Cats ______. 14 A cow ______. 10 Doves ______. 15 A rooster ______. 11 A wolf ______.


Diminutives

Find the correct diminutives for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle in your answer book. Clues Across Down

2 Goat - kid 1 Elephant 4 Sheep 3 Frog 5 Cow 6 Mare 8 Horse 7 Deer 10 Poultry 9 Pig 12 Owl 11 Horse 14 Turkey 13 Lion 15 Cat

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Exercise 51 FIGURES OF SPEECH Comparisons - Similes

Find the correct similes for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle in your answer book. Clues Across Down

3 As gentle as a lamb. 1 As good as ______. 5 As slow as _____. 2 As sly as a ______. 7 As stubborn as a ______. 4 As busy as a ______. 9 As sick as a ______. 6 As white as ______. 11 As wise as an ______. 8 As brave as a ______. 12 As strong as an ______. 10 As fresh as a ______. 13 As free as ______. 14 As heavy as ______. 15 As ugly as ______. 16 As slippery as an ______. 18 As light as a ______. 17 As faithful as a ______. 19 As greedy as a ______.


Proverbs

Find the correct proverb for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle, in your answer book. Clues Across Down

1 Beggars cannot be choosers. 1 _______is thicker than water. 3 _________ have ears. 2 All that glitters is not _______. 7 ________ and steady wins the

race. 4 While there is _______, there is hope.

9 The ______ of the pudding is in the tasting.

5 _________wisely or not at all.

10 Every _______ has its day. 6 __________goes before the fall. 11 Every dark _______has a

silver lining. 8 Where there is a ________ there is a way.

13 Tell the truth and shame the _________.

12 Dead ________ men tell no tales.

14 No _________ is good news.

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Proverbs

Find the correct proverb for each of the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle, in your answer book. Clues Across Down

1 A new broom sweeps

clean. 1 _______ of a feather flock together

6 There is no _____ without fire.

2 It’s no use crying over spilt ______.

7 Spare the _____ and spoil the child.

3 There’s no _______ like an old fool.

9 A little _______ is a dangerous thing.

4 To put _______together.

10 A ______ in need is a friend indeed.

5 Good ________ needs no bush.

6 He who sups with the devil needs a long _________.

8 There are none so _______ as those who will not hear.

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Exercise 54 PUNCTUATION

The Apostrophe: Contractions

We often join two words when we speak. In the process of joining these words, letters are sometimes left out (omitted). The word contract means to become smaller. Because the two words joined together are smaller than the two words when they are apart, we say that the words are contractions.

An apostrophe can be used to show where the

letter or letters have been omitted in contractions.

1. Find the contraction in each of the following sentences. Write the contraction out correctly. Make sure that you form the apostrophe correctly. It should look like a ‘9’ with the head coloured in.

a. This knife isn’t sharp. b. Let’s erase the writing on the board. c. I don’t want to travel by aeroplane. d. I wouldn’t go with him to the movies. e. I will fire him if he doesn’t come on time. f. He shouldn’t have stolen the money. g. If I hadn’t arrived on time, they would have left without me. h. Weren’t you supposed to wash the dishes/

2. In each of the following sentences, two words can be joined to make a contraction. Write the two words.

a. I do not want to go with you. b. I could not hear what she was saying. c. Let us see if we can afford a new car.

d. It will be sunrise soon. e. We could have received a merit for our work. f. I cannot understand what you are saying. g. I must not forget to water the plants. h. We had better hurry up.

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The apostrophe can be used to show missing letters in words that have been joined. These joined words are called contractions. Identify the letters that have been left out of each contraction and shade the letters or letters that the apostrophe is replacing.

s h o u l d + n o t = s h o u l d n ’ t

y o u + a r e = y o u ’ r e

I + h a v e = I ’ v e

t h e y + w i l l = t h e y ’ l l

s h o u l d + h a v e = s h o u l d ’ v e

w e + s h a l l = w e ’ l l

w e + w i l l = w e ’ l l

t h e y + a r e = t h e y ’ r e

s h e + h a d = s h e ’ d

w o u l d + h a v e = w o u l d ’ v e

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The apostrophe can be used to show missing letters in words that have been joined. These joined words are called contractions.

1. In each of the following pairs of words, the letters that should be left out when they are joined have been highlighted. Write a contraction for the two words by adding an apostrophe correctly.

a. We will b. They have c. I am d. We are e. Have not f. Cannot g. Should have

h. She had

i. They are

j. Ought not

2. For each of the following contractions, write the two words that it came

from. The letters that were left out have been written in brackets. a. She’s very naughty. (i) b. He’d better be on time. (ha) c. We’ve got work to do. (ha) d. They’re late. (a) e. I should’ve eaten the apple. (ha)

f. What’s the time? (i) g. We’d have been early if the traffic wasn’t congested. (woul)

h. They’ll be here soon. (wi)

i. I don’t like spinach. (o)

j. I’m not feeling well. (a)

A contraction that does not follow the rules

Will + not = won’t

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1. Look at the following silly sentences. Each word in heavy type is a contraction

made with the letters us or not. Decide which two words were used to make the contraction and write the two words on the line provided for your answer. a. “This knife isn’t blunt,” she said sharply. b. “Let’s erase the board,” the teacher said blankly.

c. “I don’t want to turn on the heat,” she said warmly. d. “I wouldn’t go with him because he is dull,” he said bluntly. e. “I will fire him if he doesn’t come on time,” he said coldly. f. “He shouldn’t ask me for the meaning of the word. He should use a

dictionary,” she said meaningfully.

2. Match the contraction in column B with the words in column A. Write the contraction next to the appropriate number.

A B 1. Do not Couldn’t 2. Let us Weren’t 3. Could not Hadn’t 4. Were not Doesn’t 5. Had not Haven’t 6. Does not Wouldn’t 7. Have not Don’t 8. Would not Let’s

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1. Read the story below. Each pair of words in heavy type can be joined to

form a contraction. Write the contraction.

“I will (1) grant each of you one wish,” said Queen Dazzle to the star, the moon and the fluffy white cloud. “But, these are the conditions. You will (2) always shine on my land.” “That’s impossible,” said the star. “I would (3) like two nights off each week, to rest and the moon said he would (4) like three nights off.” “I would (5) like time off too,” said the fluffy white cloud. “Impossible,” said the Queen. “I must have beautiful nights. You will (6) not get your wishes.” The star, the moon and the fluffy white cloud got together to discuss the situation. The star and the moon decided that they would (7) hide behind the cloud, who would (8) fill up with rain and pour it down upon Queen Dazzle’s land. “She will (9) be sorry,” said the cloud. “I will (10) rain for many nights.” 2. Decide which contraction can be made from each of the underlined words.

Write the contraction. a. She would not grant their wishes unless they agreed to her conditions.

b. We would not give in to her demands. c. We will rain on her lands.

d. She will not get her own way. e. It will rain for weeks f. They will suffer for their lack of co-operation g. I will never give you what you want. h. She would rather get wet than let them get their own way.

i. We would like to shine for only two days. j. They would like to teach her a lesson.

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The Apostrophe: Ownership

The words on both bags mean the same thing. They both mean that the bag belongs to Sally. But, the words on the second bag are an easier and faster way to write or say that the bag belongs to Sally.

An apostrophe has been used to show ownership. Sometimes, the apostrophe can be used on its own and sometimes it must be used with the letter s. In each of the following sentences an ownership apostrophe has been used. If an apostrophe has been used on its own, write (’). If an apostrophe has been used with the letter s, write (’s) 1. The family’s car needs a service. 2. That boy’s school is down the road. 3. Miss Smith’s house is very big. 4. The women’s clothing store is closed. 5. All the ladies’ hats are brown. 6. Many cars’ licenses are overdue. 7. Jesus’ disciples caught many fish. 8. The bus’s wheel was flat. 9. The buses’ wheels were flat. 10. The mice’s whiskers quivered in fear.

The bag of Sally Sally’s bag

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The Apostrophe: Ownership of Singular Nouns

If the owner is singular then add an apostrophe and the letter s

to the owner.

For Example

One dog owns a tail. The dog’s tail. One lady owns a bicycle. The lady’s bicycle.

One boss has a bad temper. The boss’s bad temper. Use the rule for singular nouns and apostrophes to rewrite bracket section of the following sentences. Write the whole sentence out. 1. The (classroom) desks and chairs were neatly arranged. 2. A (fly) wings are transparent. 3. The (house) roof is in need of repair. 4. He hammered a nail into the (bookcase) shelf to keep it in place. 5. The ambulance stopped at the (hospital) emergency entrance. 6. She punctured the (apricot) skin with a knife. 7. The prince put the ring on the (princess) finger. 8. The boat drifted gently into the (town) harbour. 9. The fishmonger removed the (fish) scales. 10. He fell asleep to the (guitarist) sweet melody.

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The Apostrophe: Ownership of Plural Nouns

If the owner is a plural that does not end with and s then

add an apostrophe and the letter s to the owner.

For Example

Many mice own tails. The mice’s tails. Many children own cases. The children’s cases.

Use the rule for plural nouns and apostrophes to rewrite bracket section of the following sentences. Write the whole sentence out. 1. The false (teeth) cases were packed and ready for delivery. 2. The (feet) smell was unbearable. 3. The doctor removed the (lice) eggs from the boy’s scalp. 4. He was irritated by the (mice) mischief. 5. She counted up the score on the (dice) numbers. 6. She made a duvet using (geese) feathers. 7. The storekeeper put prices on the (women) hats. 8. The tailor sewed the (men) trousers. 9. The farmer replenished the (oxen) water trough. 10. He was irritated by the (children) noisy shouting.

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The Apostrophe: Ownership of Plural Nouns

If the owner is a plural that ends with and s then

add an apostrophe only to the owner.

For Example

Many houses own roofs. The houses’ roofs. Many monkeys own tails. The monkeys’ tails.

Use the rule for plural nouns and apostrophes to rewrite bracket section of the following sentences. Write the whole sentence out. 1. He collects photographs of (churches) steeples. 2. The (wolves) excellent sense of smell led them to the herd of deer. 3. The doctor removed the (babies) cribs from the nursery. 4. He was fascinated by the spots on (tomatoes) leaves. 5. The conductor complained that all the (pianos) players were terrible

musicians. 6. The Eskimos used chisels to shape the ice around their (igloos) doors. 7. The storekeeper put plastic covers on the (scissors) handles. 8. The newspaper published a story about the many (heroes) good deeds. 9. The decorator planned the (bedrooms) new colour co-ordinates. 10. He laced six (glasses) rims with poison.

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The Apostrophe: Contractions and Ownership

1 She’s leaving home

THE BEATLES

6 Junior’s farm

PAUL MC CARTNEY

11 Let’s spend the night

together ROLLING STONES

16 Let’s stay together

TINA TURNER

2 Let’s dance

DAVID BOWIE

7 Zorba’s dance MARCELLO

MINERBI

12 It’s never too late

DIANA ROSS

17 I think it’s going to

rain UB40

3 It’s been nice

EVERLY BROTHERS

8 Let’s go crazy

PRINCE

13 Shakespeare’s sister

THE SMITHS

18 Life’s been good

JOE WALSH

4 Rosalinda’s eyes

BILLY JOEL

9 It’s a hard life

QUEEN

14 It’s raining again SUPERTRAMP

19 It’s almost tomorrow

MARK WYNTER

5 Everybody’s got to

learn sometime THE KORGIS

10 Somebody’s watching me ROCKWELL

15 It’s growing

THE TEMPTATIONS

20 She’s lost you

THE ZEPHYRS

This jukebox can play twenty songs. Each title has an ’s in it.

In some titles, ’s shows ownership.

In some titles, ’s means is.

In some titles, ’s means has.

In some titles, ’s means us.

Decide which group the song title belongs to and write the number

into the correct CD, in your answer book.

1 english skills - tom newby

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