Notes on the English Language Covering Every Single Lesson in English Class for Tzu Chi Primary Six’s

Second Semester to Help with the Oncoming Semestral Exam

Degrees of Comparison
Positive: no comparison at all.
Comparative: compares one noun with another. (Usually uses -er)
Superlative: says one noun has the greatest or least degree of a quality compared to other nouns (more
than two). (Usually uses –est)

Main Idea
The main idea is the most important idea in a paragraph or a text.
Supporting details support, describe, or explain the main idea in a paragraph or a text.
A stated main idea is written inside the passage but an implied main idea is not.

Writer’s Effect
Can be to: stimulate our five senses; or convey a scene, idea, or emotion.
A writer tries to create: emotion, a connection, a new experience.
Effect can be cause by word choice, connections, rhythm and phase of the words and sentence
structure, and figurative language.
Word Class
Noun: person, animal, thing, place, or an idea.
Pronoun: replaces a noun.
Verb: an action.
Adjective: describes a noun or a pronoun.
Adverb: describes a verb, adjective, or other adverbs.
Preposition: connects a noun or a pronoun to some other word in the sentence and forms a phrase that
shows where, when, how, or why.
Conjunction: connects phrases, words, and clauses.
Interjection: Word/phrase used to express emotion.
Horror
Horror is a genre of fiction that is written to scare, frighten, and terrify its readers by creating suspense
and terror.
Features:

 Plot has frightening and unexpected incidents

 Dark, foreboding, menacing atmosphere
 Set in spooky places
 Often involve supernatural characters such as vampires or zombies.
 Often include a scary, unexpected twist or at least an “uh-oh” moment when the character
realizes something is not the way it seems.
Story Beginning Strategies
1. Begin with action/dialogue
2. Use engaging narrative voice
3. Ask a question
4. Describe the setting
5. Begin with background information
6. Introduce the characters

Conditionals
Conditionals have to clauses: the main clause states the result and the “if clause” that states the
condition.
i) Zero conditional is used for general truths or scientific facts.
If clause: If/When + simple present, Main clause: simple present
ii) First conditional is used to talk about likely future events,
If clause: If + simple present, Main clause: Will+ simple future
iii) Second conditional is used to talk about impossible or unlikely situations.
If clause: If + simple past, Main clause: Would + simple present
iv) Third conditional is used to describe an event that could have happened and its consequences. It can
also be used to talk about something in the past which can no longer be changed.

Recounts
There are two types of recounts: factual and personal.
Examples of personal recount: diary, personal letter, write-up of a trip or activity
Examples of factual recount: news report, experiment report, biography, historical recount
Features of recounts:

 Purpose is retelling an event

 Opening answers who, what, when, where
 In chronological order
 Focus on specific people or events
 First or Third Person POV
 Use of connectives + conjunctions (especially time connectives)

Fiction
Historical fiction: setting is real, plot and characters may be made-up, historical facts are usually present
to make it more real and authentic.
Realistic Fiction: takes place in modern times, events can possibly happen in real life, plot and characters
are made-up but based on actual fact.
Science fiction: often set in the future, in space, or a different world/universe/dimension/planet. It
includes a human element that explains new scientific discoveries and their impact on humans and
society.
Nonfiction
1. Narrative nonfiction

 Factual writing but also contains a story

 Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Diary

2. Expository nonfiction

 Main purpose is to explain

 Provides facts, not opinions
 News Report, Textbook

3. Persuasive nonfiction

 Main purpose is to convince

 Author asks reader to agree with author’s point of view
 Editorial, Advertisement, Review

4. Descriptive nonfiction

 Main purpose is to describe an event, a place, a person, etc. in a highly-detailed manner

 Travelogue, Information Texts/Non-Chronological Reports, Explanation Texts

Non-Chronological Report
Features:

 Eye-catching heading
 Brief introduction paragraph which gives a who/what/where view
 Split up into paragraphs with each paragraph covering different aspects
 Subheadings for each paragraph
 Third Person pronouns and in a formal style
 Present tense verbs unless text is historical
 Strong concluding paragraph

Explanation Text
Tells audience how something works or why something happens. They describe a process and they
provide reasons.

Fiction
Adventure: string element of danger; usually includes quests, voyages, and journeys; fast-paced, action-
packed plot.
Fantasy: features magical and supernatural elements that do not exist.
Mystery: basically a detective story