year 7 spag focus booklet - belper school

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YEAR 7 SPAG Focus

Booklet


Activity 1

INVESTIGATING VOWEL CHOICES This unit will help you investigate the ways vowel sounds are used in words and how they influence spelling. The five vowels are a e i o u (with y sometimes used instead of i or e). All of out vowels have long and short sounds that affect the way we spell them.

A long vowel sound makes the same sound as when you say the name of the vowel e.g. name, skate,

here, pie, sight, oats, fuse.

A short vowel doesn’t make the sound as when you say the name of the vowel e.g. pasta, mat, cherry, sit, olive, fuss, under

Activity 1 Investigating simple long and short vowel sounds 1. The extract below is from ‘The Shadow Men’ on page 7. Some of the vowel sounds have been underlined. Organise

them into two lists of short vowel sounds and long vowel sounds.

She made herself shout. And again, and again. She even picked up a fist sized rock that lay at the bottom of the pile and banged on each stone wall slowly and rhythmically, In between each burst of noise, she listened.

Activity 2 Investigating the long a vowel sound

The long vowel sound is spelled in three main ways: ai (rain) a_e (came) ay (play)

It can also be spelled in the less common ways outlined below:

ei (feint) ey (grey) ea (break)

1. Read the poem ‘Millers End’. Find and note down three common spellings of the long a vowel sound, and one less

common one. 2. Copy and complete the sentences below. Study the words you have noted down, and the words you listed in Activity 1, to

help you complete the spelling guides. a. The _______ spelling is most likely at the end of words. b. The _______ spelling is most likely in the middle of words c. The _______ spelling is most likely in a combination with different consonants

Remember All of the long vowels sounds have different spelling patterns:

The long e is spelled in four main ways – ee (wheel), ea (mean), ie (chief) or e-e (here). The long i spelled in three main ways - i-e (slide), y (sky), of igh (sigh). The long o phoneme is spelled in one of three main ways – o-e (home)

oa (moan), or ow (flow). The long u is spelled in three main ways – u-e (tune), oo (room), or ew (knew).

Miller’s End When we moved to Miller’s End, Every afternoon at four A thin shadow of a shade Quavered through the garden-door. Dressed in black from top to toe And a veil about her head To us all it seemed as though She came walking from the dead. With a basket on her arm Through the hedge-gap she would pass, Never a mark that we would spy On the flagstones of the grass. When we told the garden-boy How we saw the phantom glide, With a grin his face was bright As the pool he stood beside. ‘That’s no ghost-walk,’ Billy said, ‘Nor a ghost you fear to stop – Only old Miss Wickerby On a short cut to the shop.’

So next day we lay in wait, Passed a civil time of day, Said how pleased we were she came Daily down our garden-way. Suddenly her cheek it paled, Turned, as quick, from ice to flame. ‘Tell me,’ said Miss Wickerby, ‘Who spoke of me, and my name?’ ‘Bill the garden-boy.’ She sighed, Said, ‘Of course, you could not know How he drowned – that very pool – A frozen winter – long ago.’ Charles Causley


Activity 2

LEARN HOW TO CHANGE THE END OF A WORD Changing the end of a word by adding ‘ing’, ‘ed’ or making a word plural often leads to spelling mistakes. Changing verbs by adding ‘ing’ or ‘ed’:

Most words just add ‘ing’ or ‘ed’.

Some words drop the last letter ‘e’ before adding ‘ing’.

A few words, those with a short vowel sound, double the last letter before adding ‘ing’ or ‘ed’.

Add ‘ing’/’ed’ to these words and put them in the correct column. Underline the exceptions.

drip travel donate but watch succeed meet

decide come swim write chop begin enjoy

Just add ‘ing’ or ‘ed’ Drop last letter ‘e’ Double last letter

catching/caught

hoping/hoped

running/ran

Note There are some exceptions in making the past tense, where, Rather that adding ‘ed’ a new word is created, e.g. fight, fighting, fought


Activity 3

PLURALS Making plurals – more than one There are two common ways of making plurals . 1. By adding ‘s’ to the word, e.g. book - books 2. By adding ‘es’ to the word, for example:

words that end in x or z add ‘es’ e.g. boxes, buzzes words that end in ch or sh add ‘es’, e.g. branches, dishes words that end in s or o add ‘es’. e.g. glasses, heroes words that end in f change to ‘ves’. E.g. halves, calves

Use these guidelines to write the plural of the words below:

wish wolf hairbrush

mass address leaf

tax volcano loaf

tomato witch sandwich

Some words have different rules. Look at the groups of words below and write the rule that applies to them when changing from singular (one) to plural.

keys donkeys days boys BUT pennies armies cities parties

The rule is: when a word has a vowel before the final ‘y’ _________________ But when a word has a consonant before the final ‘y’ ____________________

Now try these CREATE 2 COLUMNS LABELLED SINGULARS AND PLURALS. IN THE SINGULARS COLUMN LIST THE WORDS BELOW. IN THE PLURALS COLUMN WRITE THE PLURAL FORM OF EACH WORD (EG GLASSES): knife glass hammer child sheep goose potato piano hero memory diary witch tooth city woman radio baby handbag deer life break lady muscle

NOTE There are some words such as oxen, roofs that break the rule.


Activity 4 INVESTIGATING PLURALS This unit will help you to spell correctly when making a word that doesn’t end in ‘e’ into a plural.

Remember Singular means there is only one, e.g. one book. Plural means there are more than one, e.g. five books.

Activity 1 Words ending in –o, -y, -a and –I

There are no clear rules for words ending in –o. If a word ends in –o, it usually needs an –s to make it plural, e.g. Piano = pianos radio = radios zoo = zoos However, some words ending in -o need an –es to make them plural, e.g. tomato = tomatoes halo = haloes potato = potatoes The rule for words ending in –y are much clearer If a word ends in a vowel before the –y, just add –s, e.g. boy = boys monkey = monkeys quay = quays If a word ends in a consonant before the -y, change the –y to an –i, then add –es, e.g. party = parties puppy = puppies worry = worries

1. Write out a menu for your school canteen. Include all of the foods below as

plurals using a dictionary if you need help.

risotto tomato potato mango cherry strawberry

turkey ice lolly jelly curry French fry chutney

Activity 2 Irregular plurals There are no clear rules for irregular plurals, but most of them are in common use and there are some patterns you can look for. 1. Use a dictionary to help you turn these singular words into irregular plurals.

Discuss the patterns you notice emerging with a partner

cactus formula larva stimulus deer crisis emphasis mouse child louse tooth man foo

t


Activity 5 HELP WITH HOMOPHONES This unit will help you be aware of homophones and to choose the right one. Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Activity 1 Choosing the right spelling 1. Write out each of the sentences below, using the correct homophone. Use a

dictionary if you need help.

A ‘Wear/where – is your world? How did you get here/hear?’

B She shrugged ‘I walked . . . I didn’t know/no – where/wear I was going.

At least I new/knew I was going out of my world.’

C Jimmy’s father had let hymn/him – here/hear about that little trick and Jimmy never tried it again.

D ‘Once upon a time a fare/fair young maiden . . . watched a night/knight I gleaming armour sleigh/slay the dragon and ride his white steed up to/too/two the tower gate.

E The wait/weight of there/their/they’re numbers perching in trees could brake/break off quite large branches.

F ‘Would/wood you like to see/sea the menu?’ he said. ‘or wood/would – you/yew like to meat/meet the Dish of the Day?’

G ‘That’s cool, said Zaphod, ‘we’ll meat/meet the meat/meet.’

2. The following newspaper headlines have some homophone errors. Write out

the headlines correctly. 3. Write your own humorous headlines homophone mix-ups. Swap with a friend

and write each other’s out correctly.

PUPIL EXPELLED FOR BLEACHING HARE

BRITAIN HAS DIRTIEST BEECHES

LOTTERY MONEY WASTED

BREAKS FAILURE CAUSES MOTORWAY PILE UP

PRISON SELL BREAK-OUT

Garden fate rained off!


Activity 6

INVESTIGATING PREFIXES This unit will help you to spell unfamiliar words by identifying prefixes. Remember A prefix is a group of letters that is added to the front of the base word. Activity 1 Read the extracts below. The prefix –un has been used in each sentence.

The astrologer felt very uncomfortable. (An Astrologer’s Day). Chumley … a fierce and untrustworthy monster. (The Overloaded Ark).

a What do you think the prefix –un means? b Does adding the prefix alter the spelling of the base word?

Remember If the last letter of the prefix is the same as the first letter of the base word, you just double up the letter. For example, unnatural, innumerable. Write down five other examples of words where the letters double up. Activity 2 Searching for meanings Note down the prefixes below, with their specific meanings. For each prefix, write down at least five example words. Test the way they affect the meaning of the root word. Use a dictionary if you need help.

Anti (against) Bi (two) contra (against)

De (undo) In (not) re (again)

Ex (out of) Inter (between) un (not)


Activity 7

ADVERBS DESCRIBE|: - manner (how) – patiently, quickly, bravely

she smiled happily at everyone in the room. - place (where) – there, everywhere, near

I’ve found it here, by the sofa. - time (when) – now, soon, then

They left today for a holiday abroad. - frequency (how often) – often, twice, always

We visit my cousins occasionally. - degree (how much) – very, fairly, quite

My brother does hardly any work at all. - interrogation (beginning questions) – why? how? where?

How do you start the engine?

TASK Read the sentences below and identify the adverbs. Copy out and complete the table, indicating what kind of adverb (of manner, place, time, frequency, degree or interrogation) each one is. Look back at the rules to help you. The first one is done for you as an example. 1. The piece of paper fluttered slowly to the ground. 2. We shall shortly be flying over Istanbul. 3. I thought that boy was quite stupid. 4. Why were you climbing out of the window? 5. Occasionally I wonder if I’m in the right job. 6. The lift went down to the basement. 7. She glanced up to see if anyone was looking. 8. Nanette was watching too. 9. You do that well.

10. Where shall I put these videos?

Sentence/adverb Kind of adverb

slowly Manner

shortly

quite

why

occasionally

down

up

too

well

where


Activity 8

CLAUSES Exercise A: Identifying main clauses Copy out and underline the main clauses in the following sentences: 1. They stared at the pictures which reminded them so much

of home. 2. Just as I looked up, there was a loud explosion. 3. Before opening the letter, I studied the envelope carefully. 4. After finishing his poem, Bill smiled with satisfaction. 5. Swimming against the current, she looked certain to perish. Exercise B: Identifying subordinate clauses Copy out and underline the subordinate clauses in the following sentences. Remember, a subordinate clause adds extra information to the main idea. 1. The album, recorded in the early 60’s, sells thousands of

copies even today. 2. The branches swayed but the monkey found its grip

effortlessly. 3. I shivered fiercely as I clung onto her arm. 4. He barged into the classroom, leering and grinning,

unaware that the teacher was there. 5. Amused by his own sharp wit, the comic burst into a fit of

laughter.


Activity 9

JOINING SENTENCES (ONE) AVOIDING “AND”

This work is aimed at improving your writing skills and your marks by helping you to make varied and interesting sentences. LOOK AT THIS SENTENCE: Ben won the race and he was given a medal. REMEMBER: “and” is BORING . . . BORING . . . BORING LOOK AT THESE

Because he won the race, Ben was given a medal. Having won the race, Ben was given a medal.

Ben, the winner of the race, was given a medal. After he won the race, Ben was given a medal.

Ben, who won the race, was given a medal.

After winning the race, Ben was given a medal.

NOTICE ANYTHING?

NOT ONE OF THEM USES BORING OLD “AND”! TASK Remove boring old “and” from the following sentences by filling in the blanks. Use the sentences above as examples. Sentence 1 J.K. Rowling is the author of the “Harry Potter” books and is a millionaire. Becomes J.K. Rowling, the ___________________________________________ _____________________, is _________________________________________ Sentence 2 Sophie finished her homework and went to the cinema Becomes After finishing _______________________________, Sophie _______ ________________________.

Sentence 3 Sam liked History and decided to study it at G.C.S.E. Becomes Because he ___________________________________________, Sam __________________________________________________________G.C.S.E.


Activity 9 (continued)

Sentence 4 I was listening to the car radio on the way to school and I recognised the voice of a boy in my class. Becomes Listening to_______________________________________ school, I recognised ___________________________________________________________ class. Sentence 5 Jo examined the problem closely for at least an hour and realised she needed the teacher’s help. Becomes Having examined ___________________________________________ hour, Jo ______________________________________________________ help. Sentence 6 Adam left school on Friday and doesn’t start his new school in Australia until January next year. Becomes Adam, who _________________________________________, doesn’t _____________________________________________________________ year. Sentence 7 I couldn’t find Miss Jackson at break to tell her about my Science homework so I waited for her at lunch. Becomes As I ______________________________________________________ homework, I ________________________________________________ lunch. Sentence 8 Emma was looking through the contents of an old suitcase in the loft and suddenly found something that made her gasp. Becomes Looking __________________________________________________ loft, Emma ____________________________________________________ gasp.


Apostrophes can also be used to give the reader an impression of a character’s accent. This is a good technique to make your characters seem more realistic.

Activity 10

REVISING APOSTROPHES This unit will help to increase your confidence when using apostrophes for omission and possession.

Activity 1

Remember An apostrophe can be used to show that a word has been shortened. The apostrophe is always placed where the missing letters once were.

1. Read lines 87-97 from A boy’s Best Friend. Write out the words where an

apostrophe has been used for omission.

‘It’s hard to explain,’ said My Anderson, ‘but it will be easy to see, The dog will really love you. Robutt is just adjusted to act as though he loves you.’ ‘But Day, we don’t know what’s inside the dog, or what his feelings are. Maybe it’s just acting, too’ Mr Anderson frowned. ‘Jimmy, you’ll know the difference when you experience the love of a living thing.’ Jimmy held Robutt tightly. He was frowning, too, and the desperate look on his face meant that he wouldn’t change his mind. He said, ‘But what’s the difference how they act? How about how I feel? I love Robutt and that’s what counts.

2. Test out the rule above by writing out the shortened words in full, for example:

don’t = do not.

3. Now read the text below. Write the underlined words down in their shortened form, using apostrophes, for example: I cannot = I can’t.

Driver: I like young people, otherwise I would not be doing this job, but they do get a bit much sometimes. It is all the pushing that gets me down. I cannot take their fares any quicker and when they are all queuing up to get on the bus I cannot see what is going on at the back … I am not having him on my bus again, that is for certain.

4. Look at the example of Fagin’s speech from Oliver Twist to see how the writer uses punctuation to show how his character speaks.

There are a good many of ‘em, ain’t there? We’ve just looked ‘em out, ready for the wash: that’s all. Oliver; that’s all.

Exceptions There are some irregular uses of apostrophes e.g. won’t which is short for will not and shan’t which is short for shall not. These exceptions probably evolved because willn’t and shalln’t were too awkward for every day use.


Activity 10 (Continued)

Activity 2 Apostrophes for possession An apostrophe can be used to show that something is owned by, or linked with, something else. With a single noun or collective noun the apostrophe is added before the –s e.g. the bird’s cage, the people’s vote. When the word is a plural ending in –s, the apostrophe is added after the –s e.g. the birds’ cages, the teachers’ staff room. If you find you often get confused about when to use apostrophes for possession, try out the rule in the box below:

Ask yourself ‘Who does it belong to?’ Underline the answer and then place your apostrophe immediately after your underlined answer.

The boys changing room is upstairs. The boys’ changing room is upstairs.

The dogs lead has gone missing. The dog’s lead has gone missing.

Pauls trainers are here. Paul’s trainers are here.

The students bus is here. The student’s bus is here.

Try out this rule with the examples below, taken from texts in this book. Copy out the sentences and add apostrophes in the right places. Be careful, because two of the examples do not need apostrophes!

1. They collided in St. Marks Square. 2. A mans hand grabbed roughly at her sleeve…. 3. The house was horrid: it was as cold as a polar bears fridge… 4. Saturdays sky was ghostly grey. 5. Er Mum – I’ve just spilt Grandads maggots. 6. The world is a delicate and as complicated as a spiders web… 7. My Kitty spends her time going to meetings and shaking collecting cans

under peoples noses. 8. These were the most expensive seats, which only courtiers or members of

noble families could afford. 9. But it is Icelands extraordinary landscape … that makes for an

unforgettable visit. 10. In the crystal clear air of autumn, the Northern Lights make a breathtaking

display…

Extension Work Copy out these tricky examples, adding apostrophes in the right place.

1. The mens Department closed for the day due to a fire. 2. The ladies handbags went missing. 3. The girls locker room has been vandalised. 4. The princesses jewels were put on display. 5. James bag is missing.

Ask yourself, ‘Who does the changing room ‘belong’ to? The boy or the boys.

‘Who does the bus ‘belong’ to? The student or the students.


although

whereas

yet

though

Activity 11

JOINING SENTENCES (THREE) AVOIDING “BUT” Just as BORING BORING BORING as “AND” is “BUT”. Very often you can use one of these conjunctions instead:

THOUGH ALTHOUGH WHEREAS YET LOOK AT THESE. THE WORD “BUT” HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A MORE INTERESTING CONJUNCTION. 1) Tom likes running but he knows that he isn’t very fast. 2) Simon is extremely tall but his brother James is quite short. 3) Rachel’s mother hates hockey but she always goes to the matches to support her daughter. 4) The students started the work in the lesson but the teacher knew that they would not finish it. TASK Remove boring old “but” from the following sentences by replacing it with one of the four conjunctions above. Try to use all four. 1) The tennis player knew that he could not win but he was determined to do his

best. 2) My mother likes cats but my father prefers dogs. 3) I liked the poem but I found it difficult to understand. 4) Laura volunteered to help at the charity children’s party but she already had too

many things to do that day. 5) Mrs Barnett always drives to the shops but her fitness-fanatic husband usually

chooses to jog. 6) Many people would have given up after failing the driving test ten times but

David kept at it.


Activity 12

JOINING SENTENCES (FOUR) PLACING CONJUNCTIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF SENTENCES A conjunction is a word that joins, or creates a junction between, two sentences. It acts like a piece of Sellotape making two sentences stick together but YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO STICK THEM TOGETHER IN THE MIDDLE. This is BORING…..BORING…..BORING. More varied and interesting sentences, improving your writing skills and your marks, are created if you realise that you can place most conjunctions (though not all) at the beginning of a sentence. EXAMPLE Jake was not allowed to go out until he had finished his homework. “until” is the conjunction. Try starting the sentence with it. Until he had finished his homework, Jake was not allowed to go out. TASK Change the order of the following sentences. Find the conjunction in the middle and make your new version begin with it. The first one has been started for you.

1) Rebecca decided to walk into the village although her ankle was slightly swollen. Becomes: Although her ankle…………………………………………., Rebecca ………………………………………….

2) The coach will arrive in Birmingham at midday unless there are traffic problems on the motorway.

3) Matthew has been out every night since he passed his driving test six weeks ago.

4) The writer describes the Smiths’ house in great detail before he introduces the main character.

5) Some people had to travel to the match by car because there was not enough room on the minibus.

6) Jane decided that she would go to the concert whether or not Stephen chose to go with her.

7) Mum was watering the plants while Dad was washing the car.


Activity 12

(Continued)

8) I looked for the book I wanted on the library shelves after I had checked its details on the computer.

9) The teacher gave the class no homework on Friday as everyone had worked very hard during the lesson.

10) You will find the buried treasure where the river forks next to an old oak tree.

11) Anna pretended that she was very keen to borrow the book though she had no intention of ever reading it.

12) Passengers will not be allowed on their flight it they do not arrive at the check-in desk by three o’clock.

13) Lizzie was not allowed to leave the theatre until she had checked that every dressing room was empty.

14) The family was going on a luxurious holiday in Mauritius when Helen’s and Robert’s exams were over.

15) I received a letter from the shop demanding payment after I had sent a cheque to them for the correct amount.


Activity 13

JOINING SENTENCES (FIVE) WHO THAT WHICH WHOSE WHOM You might already have seen this example:

Ben won the race and he was given a medal.

To remove boring old “and”, this was suggested:

Ben, who won the race, was given a medal.

This sentence replaces “and” by using the word “who.” There are other words like this which can be used to join sentences together in a varied and interesting way, helping your writing skills and your marks. (They are called relative pronouns though knowing that isn’t as important as using them). Here they are again. WHO THAT WHICH WHOSE WHOM LOOK AT THESE SENTENCES A. I have looked everywhere to find that book. I borrowed it from Mr Spicer three weeks ago. Becomes I have looked everywhere to find that book which (or “that”) I borrowed from Mr Spicer three weeks ago. B. When Eleanor was at the shops, she saw one of our neighbours. His dog has recently died. Becomes When Eleanor was at the shops, she saw one of our neighbours whose dog has recently died.


Activity 14 (Continued)

TASK Join these sentences together by using one of the above five words. Re-read the sentences above to serve as examples. You are given some help with the early ones. 1) Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616. He is the world’s greatest

playwright. Becomes: Shakespeare, who is the world’s ……………………………………………

2) At the end of the party, I looked everywhere for Guy Hughes. I had found his

wallet under an armchair. (Clue: you’re going to need “…………………..whose wallet …………………………………………….”)

3) When Alex was young, someone gave him a horse. The horse was so vicious

that he never rode it. 4) On the train to London last week, I saw Nicola Dwyer. I had not seen her since

junior school. (Clue: quite a tough one! You’re going to need “whom”). 5) Next week David Beckham is making a guest appearance at a London sports

shop. He is my younger brother’s hero. 6) My sister and her new husband are spending their honeymoon in Paris. Many

people think it is the most romantic city in the world. 7) Will realised that the girl he had been chatting to was Amy Mullins. He had

known her brother, Chris, for years. 8) My cousin has won first prize in her medical exams. She is training to become a

doctor. 9) I can’t understand how Capelham has become such a run-down and shabby

place. It always used to be an attractive and tidy town. 10) Julia Jordan went to New York after the war to marry an American. His death

two years later left her thousands of miles from her family.


Acivity 13 (Continued)

TASK Join these sentences together or replace the word “and” by making one of these phrases. Use the above sentences as examples. You are given some help with the early ones. 1) Thomas Hardy wrote only a handful of novels. He decided to concentrate on

poetry after his book “Jude the Obscure” was harshly criticised. Becomes: Thomas Hardy, the writer of only ………………………………………………………

2) London Bridge is one of the world’s greatest bridges and is fairly recent though there has always been a crossing at that place. Becomes: London Bridge, one of …………………………………………………………………….

3) Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Second

World War. He was probably the greatest speaker of the twentieth century. 4) Mrs Crawford teaches me Geography. She lives in an enormous house in the

same avenue as my friend. 5) Andrew Mitchell rode the winning horse Chestnut Cracker. He announced after

the race that he intends to retire at the end of the season. 6) Albert Swinton was the Wimbledon men’s tennis champion in 1949. He has died

peacefully in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles. 7) “Falsely Accused” is an examination of ten murder trials. It is an exciting book

which comes highly recommended. 8) Loch Ness is the largest inland lake in the British Isles. It is famous for the

monster which is said to live in its depths. 9) Mr Downham is the chairman of Sefton Residents’ Association. He has written

to the Prime Minister about the increasing level of crime in the area. 10) Covent Garden is now a busy shopping area. It was once owned by the abbot

and monks of Westminster.


Activity 14

JOINING SENTENCES (SIX) PHRASES IN APPOSITION You might already have seen this example:


To remove boring old “and”, this is suggested:

Ben, the winner of the race, was given a medal.

This sentence replaces “and” by making the phrase “the winner of the race” out of “won the race”. You can often make phrases like this to join sentences in a varied and interesting way. They save you from having to use “and”. (They are called phrases in apposition but knowing their name isn’t as important as being able to make and use them). They are quite easy: you simply make a phrase which refers to the same person or thing that you’ve just mentioned and then put commas around it. EXAMPLES 1. This one removes “and”. It is easy as the words are already the same: Sentence: Rome is the capital of Italy and is a fascinating place to visit. Becomes: Rome, the capital city of Italy, is a fascinating place to visit. 2. This one joins two sentences. You have to change the words by making

“director” from “directed”:

Sentence: Steven Spielberg directed “E.T.” in 1982. He has now moved away from making children’s films. Becomes: Steven Spielberg, the director of “E.T.” in 1982, has now moved away from making children’s films.


Activity 15

JOINING SENTENCES (SEVEN A.) USING PARTICIPLES You might already have seen this example:


To remove boring old “and”, these were suggested:

Having won the race, Ben was given a medal. After winning the race, Ben was given a medal.

These sentences have been made by changing the verb from “won” to “having won” and to “winning”. This is a very useful way to build sentences when you have: a) two things happening at the same time. e.g. Walking through the park, Jack saw a badger. b) one thing happening after another. e.g. Having walked through the park, Jack went to the shops. As it is quite sophisticated, clever and impressive construction, it is worth taking some time to understand it. LOOK AT THESE Sentence: Phil was playing his best tennis for several years and he knew that he had a chance of winning the tournament. Becomes: Playing his best tennis for several years, Phil knew that he has a chance of winning the tournament. Sentence: Claire was sipping a cocktail near the golden beach and turquoise sea. She thought that this was the best holiday she had ever had.

Becomes: Sipping a cocktail near the golden beach and turquoise sea, Claire thought that this was the best holiday she had ever had.


Activity 15 (CONTINUED) TASK Copy the same construction in the following sentences by filling in the blanks. Copy the sentences out in full. Most of them have been started for you. Sentence: The police were clearing the streets after the worst riot for years. They found thousands of pounds’ worth of damage. Becomes: Clearing the _______________________________________________, the police found ____________________________________________ of damage. Sentence: My brother applied for a very exciting job at the B.C.C. He is now spending his time doing research ready for his interview.

Becomes: Having applied for ____________________________________________, my brother is now ___________________________________________ his interview. Sentence: Victorian children were raised by their parents or nannies very strictly. They had to obey the rule they should be seen and not heard.

Becomes: Raised by their ________________________________________ strictly, Victorian children _____________________________________________ not heard.

In all the above sentences, the new form of verb has been put in italics. They are parts of the verb and so are called participles. Without realising it, you have been using participles to make those sentences!

There are two participles for every verb:

1) present participles. These are very easy as they always end in “_____ing”. Above, there were:

playing sipping clearing

2) past participles. These are a little more tricky because there are many different ones. Above, there were:

applied raised

You need to check that you can make these participles before you can build sentences which use them. You’ll find that you do know most of them!


Activity 15 (CONTINUED) TASK. Complete the following columns. The way to make a present participle is to put “I am” in front of it. The way to make a past participle is to put “I have” in front of it. The first ones have been done for you.

VERB PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

fly flying flown

swim swimming swum

ride riding rode

write

sit

bring

forget

buy

dive

buy

lie (down)

lay (a carpet)

pay

sneak

prove

get

speak

go

break

drink

say

catch

rise

sing

do

shake

begin

They’re really not difficult, are they? The only reasons that you could have gone wrong are:

1) spelling

2) ones that you’ve learned incorrectly, perhaps a common error in this region or perhaps because we pick up American variations


Activity 16

JOINING SENTENCES (SEVEN B.) USING PARTICIPLES

DON’T FORGET More varied and interesting sentences will raise your writing skills and your marks. If you can learn and use this participle construction – as well as other methods – your writing will improve. LOOK AT THESE 1) Looking through a magazine, I saw some trousers that I really liked. 2) Scattered over the slopes, the cottages looked tiny from the hilltop. 3) Situated in a sheltered valley, Mintown rarely has severe weather. 4) Tip-toeing quietly down the stairs, Robbie froze when he heard his father

call out. All four of these are built by using participles. Look carefully and decide: Which two begin with a present participle? Which two begin with a past participle?

Check your answers at the top of the next page.

Before you can start to build your own sentences in this way, there is one point to understand. If you read the beginnings of these sentences, you will see that the writers haven’t yet made clear who or what is doing that action. Look: 1) Looking through a magazine, _ _ _ _ _ who is? 2) Scattered over the slopes, _ _ _ _ _ what are? 3) Situated in a sheltered valley, _ _ _ _ _ what is? 4) Tip-toeing quietly down the stairs, _ _ _ _ _ who is? The very next word after the comma MUST answer that question. It MUST say who or what is doing the action. 1) Looking through a magazine, I _ _ _ (then finish the sentence.) 2) Scattered over the slopes,the cottages _ _ _ (then finish the sentence.) 3) Situated in a sheltered valley, Mintown _ _ _ _ (then finish the sentence.) 4) Tip-toeing quietly down the stairs,Robbie _ _ _ (then finish the

sentence.)


Activity 16 (CONTINUED)

ANSWERS 1) and 4) begin with present participles. 2) and 3) begin with past participles.

TASK Change the following sentences into ones that begin with participles. Remember to check the point that has just been covered. There is some help with the early ones. 1) The vandals were congratulating themselves on not being spotted. They strolled casually down the road. (Clue: begin with “Congratulating themselves ________) 2) Newtown has been built at the centre of three motorways and it is a

perfect place for new business. (Clue: begin with “Built at _______)

3) I opened the front door to see who had rung the bell so late at night. I was amazed to find my Australian cousin.

(Clue: begin with “Opening the ___________) 4) Dan was waiting in the queue for at least half an hour and he was

furious when the bus arrived full. 5) Michelle was forced by her father to be home every night by nine

o’clock. She tried to stay at a friend’s house as often as possible. 6) The Headteacher was lowly making her way down the corridor. She

was astonished when she suddenly heard Miss Blake scream loudly.

7) The actor was living pleasantly in Ireland ten years ago. He

accepted, reluctantly, that London was the place to be for more work.

8) Helen Haywood was sitting in an airport lounge in Florida with her

parents and she was approached by a top modelling agency. 9) Mr. Muller was cleaning the gutters at the top of his house. He

over-reached and fell thirty feet to the ground. 10) The soldiers were dressed in full marching kit on a hot July day.

They had sweat pouring from them after ten minutes.


Activity 17

JOINING SENTENCES (EIGHT) ALTERNATIVES TO “IF”

LOOK AT THESE Here are some sentences from recent newspapers: 1) Had the politician been offered a job, he would have accepted it. 2) Had Jessica Smith not divorced Lord Timpson two years ago, she would

now be Lady Timpson. 3) Should any of our readers be able to help, they can write to this address.

The writers of these sentences have chosen to avoid using “if.” Can you prove this by re-writing each one using “if”? there is noting wrong with “if” but you might want a change or to show that you can handle this construction. Notice: “had” will be used if it is in the past. “should” will be used for the present or future. TASK Change these sentences, reworking them to remove “if”. Use the ones above as examples. Some help is given at first. 1) If you had been here on time, this would not have happened. Becomes: Had you been ____________________________. 2) If any Year 10 students are interested in helping with the children’s party,

they should see Mr. Weston at break.

Becomes: Should any Year 10 ________________________.

3) If Michael had not phoned the police when he did, the situation would have been much worse.

4) If Eddie Carter had auditioned for the lead part in the play, he would have got it.

5) If the victim had seen the robber more clearly, he could have given the police a better description.

6) If you should want to picnic in the park before the concert, the gates will be open at four o’clock.


Activity 18

DIRECT SPEECH PROBLEM You do not seem certain about how to punctuate direct speech. It becomes confusing when we use words which come outside the inverted commas, like he said and said Julie, angrily. EXPLANATION Examples are better than a list of rules, so we are only suggesting three rules. 1. Only one person should speak in any one paragraph. 2. Start each new speech with a capital letter. 3. All punctuation of the spoken words goes INSIDE the inverted commas. The only

punctuation outside the inverted commas is punctuation of the words outside the inverted commas, like he said and said Julie, angrily.

The following passage contains examples of almost everything you will need. Use it as a model. “There’s something funny happening in town, “said Julie. Ben looked worried. He asked, “What’s that?” “I don’t know,” replied Julie, “but I’d very much like to find out.” “I’ve seen it, too,” said Ashraf. “They’ve put crowd barriers up. Perhaps someone famous is coming.” “Shall we go and look?” said Julie. PRACTICE Continue the above co0nversation for a least four more exchanges. Do not always put the he said words at the end.

REMEMBER You will need to take care with use of inverted commas until you are familiar with them. Use our examples as a model.


Activity 19

COMMAS (pauses within sentences) Commas show where to pause in a sentence. Each sentence group needs the number of commas marked in brackets. HAMMY 1. Have you read about the famous Hammy? Hammy is of course a

hamster but you probably guessed that. (3) 2. Now you might think that a hamster is a funny subject for a story but

Hammy is an escape artist. Worse still not only does she escape but she is also a one-hamster demolition team. (3)

3. My big brother is a carpenter and he built Hammy’s cage complete

with house and exercise area from wire and old boxes. (2) 4. From her very first day in the new house Hammy could escape

without leaving a trace of how she did it. One day lying quietly on my so that she could not see me I watched her for twelve hours. As soon as I fell asleep Hammy was gone. (4)

5. It would not matter but whenever she gets out she always seems to

cause damage. One time she gnawed all the curtains and another she ate a hole in the carpet. One Christmas she even bit through the cable of the Christmas tree lights luckily for her the lights weren’t on at the time. (4)

6. Her most famous escape was last weekend just after dad had

finished gardening. He was tired so he lay on the couch to watch the football. Within a few minutes he was sound asleep his moustache twitching as he snored. (2)

7. Unfortunately Hammy had just woken up and decided to go

exploring. (1) 8. When Dad opened his eyes there was Hammy not two centimetres

away peering at him. He must have thought that a giant rat was attacking him because he let out a huge bellow. (3)

9. Anyway my brother now has strict orders to build as quickly as

possible an escape-proof cage. I bet he can’t keep Hammy locked up. (3)


Activity 20

UNDERSTANDING GENRE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF FICTION There are two parts to this homework. 1. Go to your local or school library or bookshop. Your aim is to find

five books, each of a different type. The five types of book you are looking for are:

adventure

ghost

science fiction

detective

romance

Look carefully at the covers of the books. For each book write:

the name of the book

the name of the author

the name of the publisher

the date when the book was first published

the ISBN (International Standard Book Number – you will find this on the back of the title page or with the bar code on the back cover).

2. Choose the type of story you like best from the list in 1. Invent a

book of this type. Design a book cover for the story of your choice. You will need to:

give your book a title

write the author’s name - it could be yours!

think of an appropriate picture for the front cover

write a short summary of the back cover. This is called the blurb.


Activity 21

SHAPING STORIES ALPHABET STORIES An alphabet story is a story with 26 sentences. The first sentence begins with the letter A, the second with B and the last with Z. The writer can start at any point in the alphabet but must use the letters in the correct order. For example, the writer can begin with the letter M, the second sentence would then begin with an N and the last sentence would begin with an L. Because of the difficulty of having to use the letters of the alphabet, the writer has to think of interesting ways to shape sentences. The story has to make sense and should, like most stories, have a mixture of plat, description and speech. It should also be paragraphed. Here is an example of a beginning:

After a year or so, things calmed down. By November, when they had been in the house for eighteen months, the noises had stopped. Colin wouldn’t let it rest, though. During his lunch-break he went down to the Reference Library and combed through the local history books. Eventually he found what he was looking for. For fifty pence he was able to photocopy the relevant page, which done, he folded the piece of A4 twice and put it safely in his wallet. ‘Gemma. Hello! I’m home!’ ‘Just a minute,’ Gemma called from the kitchen, ‘I’m cooking.’ ‘Kippers?’ ‘Lasagne.’ ‘Mind if I leave you to it?’ ‘No.’ Opening his wallet and removing the folded piece of paper …

Now plan and write your own alphabet story. One word of advice; it might be a good idea to think ahead to the ‘difficult’ letters, such as X and Z, before you get too far into your story.


Activity 22

SHAPING POETRY PATTERNS Some poems have particularly interesting shapes. Look at the following poem called ‘Louder’ by Roger Stevens.

OK, Andrew, nice and clearly – off you go. Welcome everyone to our school concert …

Louder, please, Andrew. Mums and Dads won’t hear you at the back, will they? Welcome everyone to our school concert …

Louder, Andrew. You’re not trying. Pro – ject – your – voice. Take a bigger breath and louder! Welcome everyone to our school concert … For goodness sake, Andrew. LOUDER! LOUDER!

Welcome everybody to our school concert! Now, Andrew, there’s no need to be silly.

The poet has used varying sizes of letters to suggest how loudly or softly the words are spoken. Think of an idea for a similar poem of your poem. Think about occasions:

when sound grows and fades

when noise levels go up and down

when sound echoes

when sound s die down if you have access to a computer, you will be able to use the formatting capability in word-processing. If you haven’t got a computer at home, you can rough out your idea and word-process it at school.


Activity 23

ENGAGING WITH INFORMATION THE LINK BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND PURPOSE Travel brochures aim to sell a holiday. To do this they must persuade the reader that he or she wants to go to a particular place. Read this extract from a travel brochure on Disneyland Paris. Some of the persuasive phrases are underlined:

There’s a dreamlike quality to Disneyland Paris, from its fairy-tale castle and fire-breathing dragon to its Wild West show. It’s a fantasy world for little ones – awestruck at seeing Mickey. It’s a thrill a minute for older children on white-knuckle rides with space-age technology. And it’s an all-American extravaganza enjoyed by the child in everyone. There are excellent shows and exciting parades, fast food and feast food in varied themed venues, and hotels with a broad range of prices and styles that bring the fun of the Theme Park right into your room. A magical holiday and a memorable experience, perhaps the best part of all is that Europe’s most extravagant Theme Park is very close to home.

Complete the chart to explain how the words are being used to persuade the reader that this is the place for them. The first two are done for you.

WORDS USED THE WAY THEY PERSUADE

A dreamlike quality This makes it seem like something you would dream of.

A fantasy world The word ‘fantasy’ suggests something wonderful and out of this world.

A thrill a minute

White-knuckle rides

Space-age technology

An all-American extravaganza

Excellent shows and exciting parades

The fun of the Theme Park

A magical holiday

A memorable experience

Europe’s most extravagant Theme Park


Activity 24

PRESENTING INFORMATION EFFECTIVELY INFORMATION BOOKLET Choose a topic you know something about. This could be:

a place where you regularly spend your holidays

a sport or hobby

an animal or a pet

the books of a particular author, for example Roald Dahl or Philip Pullman, or

something else you know quite a bit about. Write an information booklet called Everything You Need to Know About … Follow this outline: 1 Make a list of all the information you want to put across to your readers. 2 Make a list of the headings you will use in your booklet; this will help you with

the next task.

3 Decide on the order in which you will present your information. 4 Think about the diagrams that you will include. 5 Write your first draft, including rough sketches of illustrations. 6 Show your work to someone else and ask them to tell you if they have

learned anything from your information booklet. The answer should be ‘yes’! 7 Read your booklet again, think about changes you make. Use the checklist to

help you:

Is the layout of my pages clear and easy to follow?

Have I used headings to guide my readers and make my pages look interesting?

Have I included enough information for my readers without going into too much detail?

Does my booklet look interesting and attractive to read? 8 Now make any alterations you need to and then produce the final version.


Activity 25

WRITING TO ANALYSE AND REVIEW (ii) WRITING A REVIEW Write a review of a text you have been reading in school. Plan your ideas using this frame.

STRUCTURE NOTES

Introduction/paragraph 1

Title of text. Explain briefly what it is about. Write 3 or 4 lines here.

Paragraph 2

Tell the readers about the good points of your text. For example: an exciting plot, a particular incident in the plot, a quarrel between two characters. Explain why you think they will find it interesting.

Paragraph3

Explain how the writer uses language to make the text interesting for readers. Use quotations from the text to give examples.

Conclusion/paragraph 4

What is your overall opinion of the text? Why do you think other readers will enjoy it?

WORD BANK SENTENCE STARTERS

exciting He/she describes the main characters as …

realistic The language use is …

gripping The most interesting part of the story is …

enjoyable This will appeal to readers because …

because

in this way …


Activity 26

WRITING TO PERSUADE AND ADVISE (ii) PRESENTING AN ARGUMENT Use the writing frame and the word bank to help you write your argument for banning school uniform.

ARGUMENT VIEW

Explain why you think school uniform should be banned.

I think uniform should be banned because

Finish this sentence by arguing against what the teachers say.

Teachers say that school uniform does not have to be attractive, but

Explain why school uniform is not comfortable.

In addition, school uniform is not very comfortable to wear because

Explain how you think teachers could spend their time if they were not worrying about uniform problems.

If teachers weren’t worrying about school uniform, they could

Sum up you arguments about banning school uniform here.

Finally, I also believe that

WORD BANK ugly workrate uncomfortable interfere unsuitable surely old-fashioned nevertheless outdated on the other hand

year 7 spag focus booklet - belper school

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