english skills - tomnewbyschool.co.za
TRANSCRIPT
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English Skills Grade Seven
Consolidation and Revision
Contents 1. ALPHABETICAL ORDER: The alphabet ...................................................................... 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 .............................................................................. 10 11. DICTIONARY SKILLS: Parts of speech ................................................................... 11 12. DICTIONARY SKILLS: Pronunciation ...................................................................... 11 13. SPELLING: Thinking about spelling patterns and rules ........................................... 12
14. SPELLING: Pattern 1 ............................................................................................... 13 15. SPELLING: Pattern 2 - Plurals ................................................................................. 14
16. SPELLING: Pattern 3 - Plurals ................................................................................. 15 17. SPELLING: Pattern 4 - Adding suffixes (Changing ‘y’ to i’) ...................................... 16 18. SPELLING: Pattern 5: Suffixes and words ending in ‘e’ ........................................... 17
19. SPELLING: Pattern 6: Suffixes and doubling the final letter .................................... 18 20. WORD MEANINGS: Prefixes ................................................................................... 19
21. WORD MEANINGS: Suffixes ................................................................................... 20 22. WORD MEANINGS: Suffixes ................................................................................... 20
23. WORD MEANINGS: Imagine this ............................................................................ 21 24. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Prefixes ................................................................................. 22 25. WORD MEANINGS: Homophones .......................................................................... 22
26. WORD MEANINGS: Homophones .......................................................................... 23 27. VOCABULARY: Synonyms ...................................................................................... 24
28. VOCABULARY: Antonyms ....................................................................................... 24 29. VOCABULARY: Synonyms ...................................................................................... 25 30. VOCABULARY: Synonyms ...................................................................................... 25
31. VOCABULARY: Antonyms ....................................................................................... 25 32. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Parts of speech ..................................................................... 25 33. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Nouns .................................................................................... 26 34. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Adjectives .............................................................................. 27
35. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Verbs ..................................................................................... 27 36. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Adverbs ................................................................................. 28 37. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Types of adverbs................................................................... 28
38. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Simple sentences .................................................................. 31 39. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Parts of Speech .................................................................... 32 40. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Prepositions .......................................................................... 33 41. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Conjunctions ......................................................................... 33
42. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Pronouns ............................................................................... 34 43. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Articles .................................................................................. 35
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44. DICTIONARY SKILLS: Vocabulary Enrichment ....................................................... 36 45. DICTIONARY SKILLS: Gender ................................................................................ 36
46. SPELLING: Plurals .................................................................................................. 37 47. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: Proverbs................................................................. 38 48. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: Idioms .................................................................... 39
49. VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT: Collective nouns ................................................... 40 50. VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT: Animal Sounds ...................................................... 40 51. VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT: Diminutives ........................................................... 41 52. FIGURES OF SPEECH: Comparisons - Similes ...................................................... 41 53. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: Proverbs................................................................. 42
54. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: Proverbs................................................................. 42 55. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions .................................................... 43 56. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions .................................................... 44 57. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions .................................................... 44 58. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions .................................................... 45
59. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions .................................................... 46
60. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Ownwership ..................................................... 47
61. PUNCTUATION: Ownership apostrophe - Singular Nouns ...................................... 48 62. PUNCTUATION: Ownership apostrophe - Plural Nouns.......................................... 48 63. PUNCTUATION: Ownership apostrophe - Plural Nouns.......................................... 49 64. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions and Ownership ........................... 50
65. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Degrees of comparison ......................................................... 51 66. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Degrees of comparison – The comparative degree .............. 52 67. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Degrees of comparison – The superlative degree ................ 54
68. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Irregular degrees of comparison ........................................... 55 69. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Absolute adjectives ............................................................... 56
70. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Compound nouns .................................................................. 57 71. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Countable and uncountable nouns........................................ 59 72. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Subject and predicate ........................................................... 60
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1. ALPHABETICAL ORDER: The alphabet
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.
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
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
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. 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 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
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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 2. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the second letter.
a. TIN b. TOP c. TRICK d. TEDDY e. TUMBLER f. TARGET g. TWIST 3. Put these words into alphabetical order according to the second letter.
a. PLUG b. PRUNE c. PIT d. POTTER e. PHYSICS f. PNEUMONIA g. PALATE h. PSYCHOLOGY i. PEG j. PUG
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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 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
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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.
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
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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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’. 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
contrary
fortunate
monumental
squeal
uncomplicated
arrogant associate
pg. 20 pg. 21
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8. DICTIONARY SKILLS: 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. Do not 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.
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
Un / friend / ly
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9. DICTIONARY SKILLS: 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.
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.
10. DICTIONARY SKILLS: 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.
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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
11. DICTIONARY SKILLS: 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
12. DICTIONARY SKILLS: 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:
in / va / lid in / va / lid
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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
13. SPELLING: Thinking about spelling patterns and rules
English words are some 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
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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
14. 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
‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ <<<(if it’s making a long ‘ee’ sound)>>>
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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
15. 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
If a word ends in ‘ch’ ‘s’ ‘ss’ ‘sh’ or ‘x’
add ‘es’
to form the plural
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c. class d. telephone e. staple f. business g. scissor h. princess i. box j. wish
16. 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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17. SPELLING: Pattern 4 - Adding suffixes (Changing ‘y’ to i’)
There are four things you need to know before you can use this spelling pattern:
What is a vowel? aeiou What is a consonant? bcdfghjklmnpqrstvwxyz 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
using the following spelling pattern:
If the letter before the ‘y’ is a consonant then the ‘y’ becomes an ‘i’ when a
suffix is added. Examples
Lady – ladies Apply – applied
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
using the following spelling pattern:
If the letter before the ‘y’ is a vowel then the ‘y’ does not change when a suffix
is added. Examples
Enjoy – enjoyed Play - playful
a. joy + ous
b. convey + ance
c. holiday + s d. destroy + er e. play + ful
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3. Add the suffix ‘ing’ to the root word in the first column using the following spelling pattern:
If you are adding the suffix ‘ing’ then the ‘y’ does not change when the suffix
is added. Examples
Enjoy – enjoying try - trying
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 + ing f. community + ing
b. occupy + ing g. study + ing
c. spy + ing h. dry + ing
d. lady + ing i. destroy + ing
e. holiday + ing j. reply + ing
18. SPELLING: Pattern 5: Suffixes and words ending in ‘e’
1. Try this spelling pattern on the words listed below:
Drop the ‘e’ when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.
a. hope (ing) c. taste (ing) b. use (ed) d. pore (ous)
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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. Use the following spelling pattern and add ‘d’ or ‘ed’ to each of the following depending on how the word ends:
Add ‘d’ (NOT ‘ed’) as a suffix to words that end in ‘e’.
a. enrage d. behave b. award e. water c. love
19. SPELLING: Pattern 6: Suffixes and 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 are not sure, then use a dictionary to check the spelling. 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
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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
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 underlined 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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21. WORD MEANINGS: 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 pl… b. A person who papers and paints houses de… c. A person who climbs high mo… d. A person who performs on stage ac… e. A retired person pe… f. A person who sells fruit and vegetables gr… 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…
22. WORD MEANINGS: 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 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…
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h. Where birds are kept. av… i. A reform school. re… j. A training college for priests. sem…
23. WORD MEANINGS: 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.
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.
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24. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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
25. WORD MEANINGS: 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.
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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.
26. WORD MEANINGS: 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
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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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
28. VOCABULARY: 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
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29. VOCABULARY: 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
30. VOCABULARY: 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.
31. VOCABULARY: 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.
32. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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
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Themba E I A U E O
Only Carol can make a word. It is 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
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
33. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Nouns
The first words you spoke were probably nouns: mama, dada, dummy. A noun is a word whose job it is to name: people, places, objects and ideas The simplest test for nouns is to check whether you can use it with one of the following noun markers: the a an
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If it sounds right, then it is probably a noun. Use the picture on the next page to find five nouns. Write the nouns in your answer book.
34. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Adjectives
Adjectives are words that provide more information about nouns. They help us to form a better picture in our minds of what qualities a noun has – How big? What colour? How old? and so on. Transfer your list of nouns from the exercise 33 to 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.
35. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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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36. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Adverbs
Adverbs are easy to identify. Most of the time, they do exactly what their name says they will….
they add to the verb. Adverbs can add information to 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 Verb Exercise 37. 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?
What else can adverbs describe?
Adverbs can add more information to an adjective.
Example: The girl climbed dangerously high up the tree.
Adverbs can add more information to another adverb.
Example: It is too early to eat breakfast.
37. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Types of adverbs
Adverb Adjective
Adverb Adverb
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Adverbs have many different functions. They are especially important for indicating the time, manner, place and degree of something. However, they can also be used to link sentences or parts of sentence. Time adverbs Time adverbs tell us about when something happens. Here are a few examples of time adverbs and how they are used in sentences:
already lately still tomorrow
early now soon yesterday
finally recently today yet
Have you seen Sipho today? I would prefer to leave early. I went to the cinema on my own recently. There has been an increase in house burglary lately.
Place adverbs
Place adverbs tell us about where something happens or where something is. Here are a few examples of place adverbs and how they are used in sentences:
behind below east towards
above backwards downstairs far
here inside there under
There was somebody standing nearby. Is that your scarf there? You go upstairs and do your homework. I’ll come up in a minute.
Manner adverbs
Manner adverbs tell us about the way something happens or the way something is done. Manner adverbs often end in ‘ly’, but this is not always the case. Here are a few examples of manner adverbs and how they are used in sentences:
accurately beautifully expertly professionally
anxiously carefully greedily quickly
badly cautiously loudly quietly
fast wrong right straight
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She spoke very loudly. We waited anxiously by the phone. We walked up the stairs very quietly because Mum and Dad were asleep. Driving fast is dangerous People always spell my name wrong. That builder never does anything right! Let’s go straight to the airport
Degree adverbs
Degree adverbs express degrees of qualities, properties, states, conditions and relations. Here are a few examples of degree adverbs and how they are used in sentences:
absolutely enough perfectly somewhat
entirely a bit a little a lot
extremely quite too almost
fairly totally awfully remarkably
completely slightly lots very
It is almost holiday time. She was quite surprised that they attended the function. It cost R15.35 if you want to be totally accurate.
Linking adverbs
Linking adverbs show a relationship between two clauses or sentences (a sequence in time, cause and effect, contrast between two things). Here are a few examples: Sequence linking adverb I left my house in the morning, then I went to pick up Leanne at her house. Cause linking adverb We talked until the early hours and consequently I overslept the next morning. Contrast linking adverb The sun will be shining in Johannesburg. However, heavy rain is expected in Durban. Identify the type of adverb that has been used in each of the sentences below. Write your answer next to the sentence in your answer book. a. Have you seen any good films recently? b. I always get multiple choice answers right.
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c. I left school at 13:00, then I went to soccer practice. d. It was awfully quiet when I got home. e. My hair was professionally cut by a qualified hair stylist. f. She screamed when the dragon turned towards her. g. I am already late for school. h. She put a lot of effort into her assignment.
38. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Simple sentences
In English, we cannot 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.
To make a more sensible or complex sentence, other parts of speech need be used too. Look at the bold underlined words in the sentences below and notice 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:
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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).
39. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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? 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.
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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.
40. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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.
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
41. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Conjunctions
Conjunctions are linking words. They can establish a connection between: a) two words – Tom and Jerry
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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
42. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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
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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.
43. LANGUAGE SKILLS: 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:
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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.
44. 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
45. DICTIONARY SKILLS: Gender
The word feminine is used to describe words that refer to the female gender.
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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
46. SPELLING: 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
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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.
47. 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.
48. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: 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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49. 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
50. VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT: 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 ______.
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51. VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT: 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
52. 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 ______.
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53. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: 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.
54. FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS: 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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55. 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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56. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions
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
57. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions
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
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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)
58. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions
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.
A contraction that does not follow the rules: Will + not = won’t
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2. Match the contraction in column B with the words in column A. Write the contraction next to the appropriate number.
59. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Contractions
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.
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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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.
60. PUNCTUATION: The Apostrophe - Ownwership
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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61. PUNCTUATION: Ownership apostrophe - 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.
62. PUNCTUATION: Ownership apostrophe - 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.
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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.
63. PUNCTUATION: Ownership apostrophe - 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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64. PUNCTUATION: 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.
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65. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Degrees of comparison
Adjectives are words that can be used to describe, identify, change or quantify nouns. Adjectives can also be used to compare people or things. When adjectives are used in this way, then they are called degrees of comparison. There are three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative. The positive degree of an adjective is used when the adjective is simply describing one thing. For example: His cat is big. The comparative degree of an adjective is used when the adjective is comparing one thing to another thing. For example: His cat is bigger than my cat. The superlative degree of an adjective is used when the adjective is comparing more than two things. It is also used to describe the best or the most. For example: We all have cats. His cat is the biggest. Identify the degree of comparison in each of the following sentences. Write positive degree, comparative degree or superlative degree in the spaces provided in your answer book.
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a. The Sahara desert is hotter than the North Pole. b. Sylvia has the bluest eyes in our class. c. This coffee is cold. d. Brad Pitt is more handsome than Justin Bieber. e. Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist. f. That was the worst movie that I have ever seen.
66. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Degrees of comparison – The comparative degree
There are a few general rules that can be applied when using an adjective to compare one thing to another thing.
Rule 1 When the adjective ends in a consonant, then the comparative degree can be formed by adding the letters ‘er’ to the end of the adjective. Examples:
brighter blacker bolder In your answer book, shade the adjectives that would be changed to their comparative degree by the addition of an ‘er’. Rule 2 When the adjective ends in the letter ‘e’, then the comparative degree can be formed by adding the letter ‘r’. Examples:
finer larger nicer In your answer book, shade the adjectives that would be changed to their comparative degree by the addition of an ‘r’. Rule 3 When the adjective ends in the letter ‘y’, then the comparative degree can be formed by changing the ‘y’ to an ‘i’ and adding the letters ‘er’ to the end of the adjective. Examples:
costlier drier easier happier heavier lasier
Some exceptions to Rule 3
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Dry - dryer Shy - shyer Use Rule 3 to change the adjectives listed in your answer book from the positive degree to the comparative degree. Rule 4 Some adjectives can be converted into the comparative degree by placing the word ‘more’ before the adjective. Generally speaking, two types of adjectives follow Rule 4: a) Adjectives that have three or more syllables. Here are a few examples:
more attractive more suitable more courageous more difficult more important more popular
b) Adjectives that end in ‘ful’. Here are a few examples:
more careful more beautiful more faithful more spiteful more playful more helpful
Exceptions to Rule 4 Here are a few examples of adjectives that are an exception to Rule 4:
more active more proper more splendid The adjectives listed below are converted to their comparative degree by using the word ‘more’. In your answer book, provide the correct comparative degree and explain why the word ‘more’ is used rather than adding an ‘er’ or and ‘r’. a. Dangerous b. Delightful c. Physical
Rule 4 WARNING!
We change the degree of an adjective with either
more OR an -er .
They emigrate because they are looking for a better life. Not: … a more better life
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67. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Degrees of comparison – The superlative degree
There are a few general rules that can be applied when using an adjective to compare three or more things. Rule 1 When the adjective ends in a consonant, then the superlative degree can be formed by adding the letters ‘est’ to the end of the adjective. Here are a few examples:
cleverest coldest fastest Rule 2 When the adjective ends in the letter ‘e’, then the superlative degree can be formed by adding the letter ‘st’. Examples:
noblest palest simplest Rule 3 When the adjective ends in the letter ‘y’, then the superlative degree can be formed by changing the ‘y’ to an ‘i’ and adding the letters ‘est’ to the end of the adjective. Examples:
costliest driest easiest Exceptions to Rule 3
Dry - dryest Shy - shyest Rule 4 Some adjectives can be converted into the superlative degree by placing the word ‘most’ before the adjective.
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Generally speaking, two types of adjectives follow Rule 4: a. Adjectives that have three or more syllables. Here are a few examples:
most attractive most suitable most courageous most difficult most important most popular
b. Adjectives that end in ‘ful’. Here are a few examples:
most careful most beautiful most faithful
Exceptions Here are a few examples of adjectives that are an exception to Rule 4:
most active most proper most splendid
Identify which rule has been used to change each of the following adjectives to their superlative degree. Write your answer in the spaces provided in your answer book: a. Most meaningful f. Laziest b. Strangest g. Calmest c. Brightest h. Most resentful d. Waviest i. Purest e. Most deceptive j. Sweetest
Rule 4 WARNING!
We change the degree of an adjective with either
most OR an -est.
The hotel at Sun City is one of the biggest in South Africa. Not: … the most biggest
68. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Irregular degrees of comparison
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Some adjectives do not follow the normal rules for degrees of comparison. They are called irregular degrees of comparison. Here are a few examples of irregular degrees of comparison.
Positive Degree Comparative Degree Superlative Degree
Bad Worse Worst
Good Better Best
Little/Few Less Least
Many/Much More Most
Less Lesser Least
Far Farther/Further Farthest/Furthest
WARNING!
Do not use more/most or an –er/-est
with an irregular degree of comparison.
The beach hotel in Durban is worse than the beach hotel in Cape Town. Not: … more worse
The main hotel in Durban is the worst in South Africa.
Not: … the most worst Complete the following sentences by selecting the appropriate degree of comparison. Write the word you have selected in the space provided in your answer book. a. Shiela did (good) than you in the exam because she studied (much). b. Cape Town is (far) than Durban from Johannesburg. c. I have the (less) amount of chips in my packet. d. Being polite is the (far) thing from my mind during a fire evacuation. e. There are (few) people who can say that they have climbed Mount
Everest.
69. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Absolute adjectives
Some adjectives do not have degrees of comparison. These adjectives express ideas that cannot be graded. For example, dead has no comparative or superlative, because
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something cannot be more or less dead. These adjectives are called non-gradable or absolute adjectives. There are very few absolute adjectives, so you can learn them by heart if you really want. Here is a list of some of the more common absolute adjectives.
basic pregnant dead
chemical starving empty
digital boiling fatal
entire complete full
final freezing alive
giant impossible square
perfect spotless unique
Find the absolute adjectives hiding in the word search in your answer book. The first one has been done for you.
70. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Compound nouns
A compound noun is a noun that is made up of two or more words. For example: The words ‘tooth’ and ‘paste’ are each words in their own right, but if you join them together they form a new word - toothpaste. There are three main groups of compound nous: closed, hyphenated and open. Closed compound nouns Compound nouns are sometimes one word, like toothpaste, haircut, or bedroom. These compound nouns are called closed compound nouns. Hyphenated compound nouns Sometimes compound nouns are connected with a hyphen. Dry-cleaning, daughter-in-law and well-being are some examples of hyphenated compound nouns. Open compound nouns Sometimes compound nouns appear as two separate words. Full moon, Christmas tree and swimming pool are some examples of compound nouns that are formed with two separate words. These are called open compound nouns. Truth be told, there are no rules governing why some compound words are hyphenated, some are closed and others remain open. You simply have to
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study a word list or consult your dictionary. However, when in doubt, use a hyphen. 1. Find and identify the compound noun that has been used in each sentence
below. a. Softball is a popular sport at our school. b. He bought a six-pack of Fanta. c. The post office is closed on a Sunday afternoon. d. Film star always look glamourous because their makeup is done by
professionals. e. Most people that live in Sandton have a middle class income. f. The six-year-old children were registered to start Grade 1.
Compound nouns can be made with two nouns: While you’re at the store, please buy up some toothpaste and some egg rolls. Compound nouns can be made with an adjective and a noun: Let’s watch the full moon come up over the mountain. Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a noun: Let’s be sure to stay somewhere that has a swimming pool. Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a preposition: Checkout is at noon. Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a prepositional phrase: My mother-in-law is the kindest person I know. Compound nouns can be made with a preposition and a noun: Do you believe in past lives? Compound nouns can be made with a noun and an adjective: We need a truckful of compost for the garden. 2. Use the pictures and written clues to find the compound noun. Write the
compound noun in the space provided in your answer book.
a. Let’s just wait at this (open compound noun – noun + verb).
b. I love watching (closed compound noun – noun + verb) on warm summer nights.
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c. Please erase the (closed compound noun – adjective + noun) for me.
d. Please remember to schedule your dog’s annual (hyphenated compound noun – verb + preposition).
71. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Countable and uncountable nouns
Countable Nouns
Anything that can be counted, whether singular (a dog, a house, a friend) or plural (a few books, lots of oranges, ten houses) is a countable noun. Here are a few examples of countable nouns: 1. There are at least twenty Italian restaurants in Little Italy. 2. Megan took many photographs when she went to the Grand Canyon. 3. Your book is on the kitchen table. 4. How many candles are on that birthday cake? 5. You have five paintings to study in art appreciation class. 6. There is a big brown dog running around the neighbourhood.
Uncountable Nouns
Anything that cannot be counted is an uncountable noun. Here are a few examples of uncountable nouns: 1. There is no more water in the pond. 2. Please help yourself to some cheese. 3. I need to find information about Pulitzer Prize winners. 4. You seem to have a high level of intelligence.
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5. Please take good care of your equipment. 6. We need to get rid of the garbage. Uncountable nouns can be paired with words that express a quantity. Here are some examples: Garbage – There are nine bags of garbage on the curb. Water – Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day. Advice – She gave me a useful piece of advice. Bread – Please buy one loaf of bread. Furniture – A couch is a piece of furniture. Equipment – A BMW engine is an expensive piece of equipment. Cheese – Please cut ten slices of cheese for me. Is the underlined noun in the sentences below countable or uncountable? Tick the appropriate column in your answer book. a. The children fell asleep quickly after a busy day of fun. b. Be careful! The water is deep. c. The parade included fire trucks and police cars. d. We like the large bottles of mineral water. e. My mother uses real butter in the cakes she bakes. f. How many politicians does it take to pass a simple law? g. Most kids like milk, but Joey hates it. h. Most pottery is made of clay. i. Michael can play several different musical instruments. j. I was feeling so stressed that I ate an entire box of cookies.
72. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Subject and predicate
Every complete sentence contains two parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject The subject is who or what the sentence is about. It is the person or the thing that is performing an action/doing something. The subject is normally a noun. The predicate The predicate is normally all of the parts of the sentence that do not belong to the subject. The predicate provides information about the subject and it always begins with a verb. If there is an auxiliary verb then this auxiliary verb is part the predicate because it is working with or in place of the verb.
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SUBJECT PREDICATE
The mouse ate the cheese.
The mouse eats.
The mouse is eating the cheese.
The mouse Is cute.
The subject of a sentence can be more than one person or thing.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
Judy runs on the beach every morning.
Judy and her dog run on the beach every morning.
How to find the subject of a sentence Find the verb. Make a question by placing "who?" or "what?" before the verb. The answer to the question is the subject. Example The audience littered the theatre floor with torn wrappings and spilled popcorn. The verb in the above sentence is ‘littered’. Who or what littered? The audience did. ‘The audience’ is the subject of the sentence. ‘littered the theatre floor with torn wrappings and spilled popcorn’ is the predicate of the sentence. When are YOU are the subject? In some sentences the subject is not so easy to find. Here is an example of a sentence that seems to have no subject: Sit down in that chair. The verb is ‘sit’, but who is doing that action? The only noun present is ‘chair’ but certainly the chair is not about to ‘sit!’ In this sentence the speaker is giving a direct command to another person, and might have said, “You, sit down in that chair.”
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The rule to remember for a sentence that is a command is that if the subject is not named, we can assume that subject is ‘you’. Find the subject and predicate in each of the sentences below. Shade the verb in the predicate. Write your answers in the table provided in your answer book. The first one has been done for you. a. The Sun was shining brightly. b. The dogs were barking loudly. c. The pretty girl was wearing a blue dress. d. Fetch your English book. e. The man and his wife were working in their garden.