Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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. Write out the next letter after each letter of the alphabet below, to get this message.
Example: lzm = man rdbqds = secret
2. Write out the letter before each letter of the alphabet to get this message.
Example: gzoox = happy
Note: (z comes before a)
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.
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
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If all the words begin with the different letters, look at the first letter to work out the
alphabetical order.
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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If all the words begin with the same letter, look at the second letter to find the alphabetical
order.
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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If all the words begin with the same TWO letters, look at the third letter to find the
alphabetical order.
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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a e i o u
The rest of the letters are called consonants:
bcdfghjklmnpqrstvwxyz
Y IS A SPY
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
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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:
arrogant associate
pg. 20 pg. 21
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.
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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.
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:
Un / friend / ly
a. numerical
b. intuition
c. fuse
d. figure
e. sticky
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a. List three ways that the dictionary gives for adding suffixes to this word.
b. List two sub head words.
a. List the three ways that the dictionary gives for adding suffixes to this word
b. List two sub head words.
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
in / va / lid in / va / lid
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
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.
a. assegai
b. breakfast
c. crystal
d. encyclopedia
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:
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
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.
For example
chief brief
receipt receive
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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
Most words can be changed into their plurals by adding the letter ‘s’. For
example:
If a word ends in
‘ch’ ‘s’ ‘ss’ ‘sh’ or ‘x’
add ‘es’
to form the plural
Add ‘s’ or ‘es’ to each of the following singular nouns to make a plural.
a. church
b. computer
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c. class
d. telephone
e. staple
f. business
g. scissor
h. princess
i. box
j. wish
If a word ends in
‘f’ or ‘fe’
drop the letters and add
‘ves’
to make a plural
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
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There are four things you need to know before you can use this spelling
pattern:
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.
Drop the ‘e’ when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.
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2. Find the root words for the following by removing the suffix:
a. placed d. famous
b. housing e. observatory
c. received
3. Use the following spelling pattern and add ‘d’ or ‘ed’ to each of the
following depending on how the word ends:
a. enrage d. behave
b. award e. water
c. love
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.
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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
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:
Use a dictionary to make a word using each of these prefixes. Also write the
root word.
Example: subject = sub + ject. ject is not a recognised English word, so sub
is not a true prefix.
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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.
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h. Where birds are kept. av…
i. A reform school. re…
j. A training college for priests. sem…
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:
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.
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.
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
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
James over on in by to
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
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.
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.
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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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?
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
Place adverbs
Manner adverbs
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:
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Degree adverbs
Linking adverbs
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.
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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.
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:
Look at the bold underlined words in the sentences below and notice they
give new meaning to the sentences:
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).
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.
Undo the nut that holds the wheel onto the axle at the back, taking care not to
bend the spokes.
Use your dictionary to find out what part of speech each of the following
words is in each sentence.
The words you have altered are called prepositions. Prepositions show the
relationship between one noun and another – their position in relation to
each other.
2. Construct one sentence for each of the kinds of prepositions: Where, when
and how. You can use any prepositions from this list:
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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.
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your yours
his, her, its their his, hers, its theirs
the an a
Definite article
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 apple
An owl
An honest man (the ‘h’ is silent, so this word starts with a vowel sound)
A car
A yoyo
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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
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
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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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.
a.
A in saves 9.
b.
c.
d.
e.
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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 ____________. 1.
B. As busy as a ____________.
C. Scaredy ____________.
D. As dumb as an ____________. 2.
E. As sly as a ____________.
F. As big as a ____________.
G. As brave as a ____________.
H. Is he a man or a __________? 3.
I. As stubborn as a _________.
J. As slow as a ___________.
K. As wise as an ___________. 4.
L. As dirty as a ____________.
A B
C D E F 5.
G H I J 6.
K L
7. 9.
8.
12.
10. 11.
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Find the correct collective noun for each of the clues below to complete the
crossword puzzle in you answer book.
Clues
Across Down
Find the correct animal sound for each of the clues below to complete the
crossword puzzle in your answer book.
Clues
Across Down
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Find the correct diminutives for each of the clues below to complete the
crossword puzzle in your answer book.
Clues
Across Down
Find the correct similes for each of the clues below to complete the crossword
puzzle in your answer book.
Clues
Across Down
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Find the correct proverb for each of the clues below to complete the
crossword puzzle, in your answer book.
Clues
Across Down
Find the correct proverb for each of the clues below to complete the
crossword puzzle, in your answer book.
Clues
Across Down
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We often join two words when we speak. In the process of joining these
words, letters are sometimes left out (omitted).
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.
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The apostrophe can be used to show missing letters in words that have been
joined. These joined words are called contractions.
Identify the letters that have been left out of each contraction and shade the
letters or letters that the apostrophe is replacing.
s h o u l d + n o t = s h o u l d n ’ t
y o u + a r e = y o u ’ r e
I + h a v e = I ’ v e
t h e y + w i l l = t h e y ’ l l
s h o u l d + h a v e = s h o u l d ’ v e
w e + s h a l l = w e ’ l l
w e + w i l l = w e ’ l l
t h e y + a r e = t h e y ’ r e
s h e + h a d = s h e ’ d
w o u l d + h a v e = w o u l d ’ v e
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.
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.
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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.
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
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.
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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.
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.
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Use the rule for singular nouns and apostrophes to rewrite bracket section of
the following sentences. Write the whole sentence out.
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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.
Use the rule for plural nouns and apostrophes to rewrite bracket section of
the following sentences. Write the whole sentence out.
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Decide which group the song title belongs to and write the
number into the correct CD, in your answer book.
1 6 11 16
She’s leaving home Junior’s farm Let’s spend the night Let’s stay together
THE BEATLES PAUL together TINA TURNER
MC CARTNEY ROLLING STONES
2 7 12 17
Let’s dance Zorba’s dance It’s never too late I think it’s going to
DAVID BOWIE MARCELLO DIANA ROSS rain
MINERBI UB40
3 8 13 18
It’s been nice Let’s go crazy Shakespeare’s sister Life’s been good
EVERLY PRINCE THE SMITHS JOE WALSH
BROTHERS
4 9 14 19
Rosalinda’s eyes It’s a hard life It’s raining again It’s almost tomorrow
BILLY JOEL QUEEN SUPERTRAMP MARK WYNTER
5 10 15 20
Everybody’s got to Somebody’s It’s growing She’s lost you
learn sometime watching me THE THE ZEPHYRS
THE KORGIS ROCKWELL TEMPTATIONS
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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.
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:
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:
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:
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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:
Exceptions to Rule 4
a. Dangerous
b. Delightful
c. Physical
Rule 4 WARNING!
We change the degree of an adjective with either
more OR an -er .
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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:
Rule 2
When the adjective ends in the letter ‘e’, then the superlative degree can be
formed by adding the letter ‘st’. Examples:
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:
Exceptions to Rule 3
Rule 4
Some adjectives can be converted into the superlative degree by placing the
word ‘most’ before the adjective.
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a. Adjectives that have three or more syllables. Here are a few examples:
Exceptions
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:
Rule 4 WARNING!
We change the degree of an adjective with either
most OR an -est.
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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.
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
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.
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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.
Find the absolute adjectives hiding in the word search in your answer book.
The first one has been done for you.
There are three main groups of compound nous: closed, hyphenated and
open.
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.
2. Use the pictures and written clues to find the compound noun. Write the
compound noun in the space provided in your answer book.
c. Please erase the (closed compound noun – adjective + noun) for me.
Countable Nouns
Uncountable Nouns
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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:
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.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
Judy runs on the beach every morning.
Judy and her dog run on the beach every morning.
Example
The audience littered the theatre floor with torn wrappings and spilled
popcorn.
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!’
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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.
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