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English
Grade 2
Learner’s Book

Esther Mushaninga
 CONTENTS
Unit 1: It’s a new year..................................................................... 1
Unit 2: Greetings............................................................................... 4
Unit 3: Describing objects.............................................................. 7
Unit 4: My family............................................................................... 10
Unit 5: Where do you live?............................................................. 13
Unit 6: Revision............................................................................. 17
Unit 7: Place....................................................................................... 21
Unit 8: Our school............................................................................. 25
Unit 9: Our needs.............................................................................. 28
Unit 10: My body............................................................................... 32
Unit 11: Every day............................................................................ 33
Unit 12: Revision........................................................................... 38
Unit 13: We like friends.................................................................. 42
Unit 14: Our animals ...................................................................... 47
Unit 15: Yesterday............................................................................ 51
Unit 16: Occupations....................................................................... 55
Unit 17: Animals............................................................................... 59
Unit 18: Revision........................................................................... 63
Unit 19: Place..................................................................................... 66
Unit 20: Time...................................................................................... 71
Unit 21: Months of the year........................................................... 75
Unit 22: Our sports day ................................................................. 79
Unit 23: After school........................................................................ 84
Unit 24: Revision........................................................................... 88
Unit 25: It’s a new term.................................................................. 92
Unit 26: Whose is it?........................................................................ 96
Unit 27: What have you done?..................................................... 100
Unit 28: The food we eat................................................................ 105
Unit 29: Fire is dangerous.............................................................. 109
Unit 30: Revision........................................................................... 113
Unit 31: Keep our country clean.................................................. 118
Unit 32: What is it made of?......................................................... 122
Unit 33: We must follow the rules............................................... 126
Unit 34: Plant a tree......................................................................... 130
Unit 35: What happened?............................................................. 137
Unit 36: Revision and end of year test.................................... 142
 Unit IT’S A NEW YEAR
1
New words
today busy happy ready wear packing
helping class welcome classroom teacher

Let’s talk

It is a new year. We are all back to school.

What class are you in now?
Who is your teacher?

What can you see in the picture?

1
 Read
Today is a very busy day. Everyone is busy. We are getting
ready for school. Mother is packing our bags. Father is helping
Takura the little boy to wear his shoes. We are all happy today.

Hello boys and girls. Welcome to Grade 2. My name is Mrs

Banda. I am your Grade 2 teacher. This is our classroom. Greet
one another and find a place to sit.

2
 Write

My name is ____.
I am a ______. (boy/girl)
I am __ years old.
I am in Grade _.
My teacher is ________.
My friend is ___________.

Make words
b________ f_________ h_________ t__________
w________ m________ p_________ g__________

3
 Unit GREETINGS

2
New words
hello how new friend welcome greet
another children start break morning term
school stand walk back line bell

Let’s talk

Hello Tongai Hello Jabulani.

How are you?

Greet one another in your class.

Are there new learners in your class?
Say hello to new learners and welcome them all.
It is the first day of the term. All learners are happy. They like
their new teacher. Their new teacher is Mrs Banda.
4
There is a new girl in the class. All the learners do not know
her. She is not happy.
Mrs Banda says, “Good morning learners.” All learners listen to
the teacher. Mrs Banda tells the class. “We have a new friend.
Her name is Chipo.”

Now it is break time. The children are playing. They are in the
playground. Boys and girls are happy. Chipo is standing alone.
She has no friend.
Nyengeterai goes to Chipo. She is talking to her. She wants to
play with Chipo.
Nyengeterai: Hello dear. What’s your name?
Chipo: Hello. My name is Chipo Mago. What about
you?
Nyengeterai: I am Nyengeterai Mukunde.
Chipo: I am happy to meet you Nyengeterai.
Nyengeterai hugs Chipo.
They are happy. Break time is over. The bell rings and Mrs Banda
calls the children back to the classroom. All children stand in a
line and walk to their classroom.
5
 Let’s talk

What’s your name?

How old are you?
Where do you live?
Who is your friend?
Sound the letters and read.
b ball, book, bag, bottle, bus, bun
l leaf, look, lorry, long, last, left
f foot, far, fall, fire, fruit, food
d door, duck, dam, dish, donkey

Write

Bb Bb Bb Bb Bb
Make words starting with b
_all _ox _in _ottle _uy
_ag _at _ig _ack _lack

6
 Unit YESTERDAY

15
New words
children family reach time clay
party invited hungry angry another failed

Let’s talk

Every day I Yesterday I

walk walked
help helped
play played
cook cooked

Complete the following;

add -ed
1. stay ______.
2. look ______.
3. visit _______.
4. talk ______.
5. laugh _______.

51
 Read

Shoko the monkey and his friend Shuro

Shoko the monkey was a friend of Shuro the hare. They both
lived in the forest. Shoko had a wife and four children. Shuro and
his wife had two children.
One day Shoko invited Shuro and his family at his home. They
were having a party. Shuro and his family went to Shoko’s house.
Mrs Shoko put all the food in pots made of clay.
When it was time to eat, Shoko and his family ate from the pots.
They have long hands. They could reach for the food in the pots.
Shuro and his family are short. They could not eat from the pots.
They all tried to get the food but they failed.
Shuro and his wife were angry. Their two children were crying
because they wanted to eat the food. They went back home.
They were all hungry because they did not eat the food from the
pot.

52
Answer these questions using because. Match each sentence
with the correct sentence ending.
1. Shoko invited Shuro and his family ___________.
2. Shuro and his family went to Shoko’s house ___________.
3. Shuro could not eat food from the pots ______________.
4. Mrs Shuro was angry ________________.
5. Shuro’s children were crying _______________.

Choose the correct answer

because his legs were short.
because they were hungry.
because Shoko invited him and his family.
because they had a party.
because she could not eat the food.

Say the sound

-or-
horn short for more
form sport storm north

Write

m__ning st__y gl__y f__get f__give

w___k f___k do__ h__se b__n

53
 Read

Mago sat on a chair. He had worked hard in the afternoon. He

wanted to have his supper and go to bed. He waited for the
food. He listened to the news on the radio.
Mrs Mago cooked the food and served quickly. They ate the food.
Mrs Mago washed the plates. Mago went to sleep early.
Find words ending in -ed from the story and write them
down.

54
 Unit OCCUPATIONS
16
New words
lived worked built made try stayed
did weak builder dressmaker truck tired
people drove tried shopkeeper pilot

Let’s talk

My sister is a builder. My father is a farmer.

My mother is a shop keeper. My aunt is a driver.

55
My uncle is a dressmaker.

Talk about work

What do you want to be when you grow up?
When I grow up I want to be a pilot.

Mbuya Nyangwe lived in Kariba. She was a builder. She built

houses and walls. She worked very hard. She worked with men
and women.
They built some schools and houses in Kariba. They built a clinic
too. They made very beautiful buildings.

56
Mbuya Nyangwe was now old. She was weak. She tried to work
but she was not strong. Sometimes she did not go to work. She
was feeling sick. She stayed at home.

Read
Present tense Past tense
make made
have had
is was
do did
try tried
build built
Make sentences using the words.

Write

Change the coloured word to the past tense. For example;

(a) Mbuya Nyangwe is a buider in Kariba.
(b) Mbuya Nyangwe was a builder in Kariba.
1. Mbuya Nyangwe work with men and women.
2. They build many schools in Kariba.
3. They make very beautiful buildings.
4. Mbuya Nyangwe try to work but she was feeling weak.
5. Sometimes she stay at home.

57
Use and or but
Mbuya Nyangwe worked with men __________ women.
She built clinics __________ schools.
She tried to work ___________ she was weak.
She came to work ___________ she could not work.

Read

Mr Thembo was a bus driver. He drove buses around town. He

also took learners to school. He drove very carefully. He followed
road rules. People liked Mr Thembo because he was polite to
passengers.

Write

1. Mr Thembo was a _________.

2. Mr Thembo also _____ learners to school.
3. What did Mr Thembo follow when he drove the bus?
4. Why did people like Mr Thembo?

58
 Unit ANIMALS
17
New words
wild forest saw keep kept giraffe wild
game try tried made stayed crocodiles
heard ostrich geese dove branches

Let’s talk

Wild animals

Say the names of the animals.

Draw any wild animal you like.
59
Last year the learners visited Gonarezhou Game Park. They saw
many animals at the game park. The animals at the game park
were wild animals. Wild animals are animals which live in the
forest. These animals are not kept at home.
There are many wild animals in the forest. Some animals eat
grass. Others eat meat. The giraffes at the game park ate leaves
from trees.
Crocodiles were swimming in water. Some crocodiles ate meat.
They are dangerous animals. Lions eat meat too. People must
be kept safe from the dangerous animals.

Write

Answer these questions.

1. Wild animals live in the ______.
2. Wild animals are not ____ at home.
3. Learners saw the animals at the ________.
4. A giraffe eats ______.
5. Crocodiles and lions eat ____.

Past tense
1. eat ____.
2. keep ____.
3. go ____.
4. see ____.

60
Using True or False
1. Wild animals live in the house.
2. Some animals are dangerous.
3. At the game park the animals are kept in a fence.
4. The giraffe ate some leaves from trees.
5. Lions were eating grass.
6. People at the game park are kept safe.
Make words
bl________ sl_________ pl_________
fl_________ cl_________ gl_________

Read

Birds are kept at the game park. The ostrich and other birds
were in the park. Small birds were in a cage. Some birds were
on tree branches. The birds were singing. The ostrich and geese
walked around. All the children were very happy.

61
Many people visit Gonarezhou Game Park. Some come from
places that are very far to see the animals. People bring money
to the park. They pay money to see the animals.

Complete the sentences with the words below.

pay branches cage big

1. The small birds at the game park were in a ____.

2. The ostrich is a ___ bird.
3. Some birds were on the ________ of trees.
4. People ___ to get into the game park.

Say the sound

-ee-
geese cheese feet weed meet
week need seed sheep feel

Write

sl__p tr__ h__l r__d b__

gr__n qu__n ch__k wh__l thr__

62
 Unit REVISION
18
New words
police station millet wheat plants sorghum
weed sale hospital field

Let’s talk

Where do they work?

clinic school office airport
1. Mamoyo lives in a town. She is a pilot. She works at the
_______.
2. Gono is a clerk. He works in an ______.
3. Mr Khumalo is the head teacher at Ngwenya school. He works
in a _______.
4. Dakalo is a nurse. She works at the ______.

Write

police station airport school field hospital

1. A teacher works in a ______.
2. A doctor works in a ________.
63
3. A policeman works at the ___________.
4. A farmer works in the _____.
5. A pilot works at the _______.

Read

I live in Hurungwe. There are many farmers near my home. Some

grow maize and wheat. Others grow sorghum and millet. All
these plants are grass crops.
The farmers work very hard in their fields. They plant and weed
the fields. They harvest the crops and sell them at the big markets.
They get a lot of money after selling their crops.

Complete the following sentences.

1. Farmers in Hurungwe grow _____ and _____.
2. The farmers plant their crops in the ______.
3. They sell their crops at the ______.

64
 Say the sound

__ea__
eat meat beans weak
read near leaf tea

Complete
pl__se t__cher w__ther b__ch
sp__k dr__m cl__n sp__r

Write

puppy kitten chick lamb calf

1. The young one of a cow is a ____.

2. The young one of a sheep is a ____.
3. The young one of a cat is a ______.
4. The young one of a dog is a _____.
5. The young one of a hen is a _____.

Change the underlined words to the past tense.

1. I wash the plates yesterday.
2. Nyarai walk to school yesterday.
3. The learners visit the game park.
4. Kudzanai help his friend to dig the garden.
5. Chamu play with his young brother.
Write five sentences about your home.
65
 Unit REVISION AND END
OF YEAR TEST
36
Let’s talk

Comparing things
This medicine bottle is smaller than the juice bottle.
The sun is brighter than the moon.
Water from the tap is cleaner than water from the dam.
Paul is taller than Matipa.
Make words
ch_________ th________ wh_________ sh_________
pl__________ gl________ fl___________ bl__________
dr__________ fr_________ gr___________ br__________
str__________ thr________ pr___________ qu_________
Opposites
1. clean dirty
2. wet __________________.
3. thin __________________.
4. big __________________.
5. weak __________________.
142
6. old __________________.
7. up __________________.
8. inside __________________.
9. long __________________.
10. sad __________________.

Read

Big Brown Hen lived in a barn. She had five little chicks. She
lived happily with her children. A pig, a cat, and a duck came to
live with Brown Hen and her chicks. Brown Hen worked hard for
her family.
Every morning she woke up very early and went out to look for
food for her family. She asked Pig, Cat and Duck to join her but
they were lazy. They refused and stayed in the barn. They only
came out to sleep in the sun.

143
One day Brown Hen found some corn. She asked Pig, Cat and
Duck, “Who can help me to sow the corn?” They all said, “Oh no!
We want to sit in the sun.” Hen said, “I will do the work alone.”
She sowed the corn. The little chicks helped her.
The corn grew and there were some weeds in the field. Brown
Hen asked Pig, Cat and Duck to help her weed the field. They
all said, “No we can’t weed the field.” Brown Hen and the chicks
weeded the corn field.

The corn was now ripe. It was time for harvesting. Brown Hen
asked Pig, Cat and Duck, “Who will harvest the corn?” They all
refused. They said, “No we can’t harvest the corn.”
144
Brown Hen and her chicks harvested the corn. She put the corn
in a sack and asked them to take the corn to the mill.
Pig, Cat and Duck would not take the corn to the mill. Brown Hen
carried the sack of corn to the mill and the little chicks helped
her. The corn was now fine and ready for baking.

Brown Hen asked Pig, Cat and Duck, “Who will bake the cake?”
Pig, Cat and Duck said, “We will not bake the cake.” Brown Hen
said, “I will bake the cake. The little chicks will help me.” She
baked the cake and the little chicks helped her.
A good smell of hot cake came from the barn. Pig, Cat and Duck
sat up getting ready to eat the cake. Brown Hen asked, “Who
will eat the cake?” Pig’ Cat and Duck shouted loudly, “We will
eat the cake! We will eat the cake!”
Brown Hen shouted, “Oh no! You will not eat the cake. I will eat
the cake with my chicks. Go out and sleep in the sun.” Brown
Hen ate all the cake with her chicks.
1. Retell the story to your friend briefly in your own words.
2. What do we learn from the story?
145
Past tense
-ied
1. cry cried
2. try tried
3. fry fried
4. carry carried
5. marry married

Complete the sentences below.

1. Mother ________________ some eggs in a pan.
2. Mr Banda _______________ a very good woman.
3. The learners ______________ their bags.
4. He ________________ to open the door.
5. The baby _______________ loudly.

Say the poem

There were five in a bed.

The little one said, ‘Roll over. Roll over.”
And one fell off.
And they were four.
There were four in a bed
The little on said, “Roll over. Roll over.”
And one fell off.
And they were three.

146
 There were three in a bed,
The little one said, “Roll over. Roll over.”
And one fell off.
And there were two.
There were two in a bed.
The little one said, “Roll over. Roll over.”
And one fell off.
Then there was one.
There was one in a bed.
And he rolled over. He rolled over.
And he fell down.
Then there was none.

Change the underlined words to the past tense.

1. Taurai come running from school.
2. Uncle Tongai drive the big car.
3. Mrs Banda stand in front of her class.
4. Father buy a new car last week
5. The little girl fall from the tree.
6. Mother make supper.
7. We do our homework.
8. They sleep late last night.
9. We have breakfast together.
10. Grandfather carry a very heavy bag.

147
 Use is or are
1. The gum tree ______________ very tall.
2. The twins ________________ going to visit us.
3. The boys ________________ herding cattle.
4. Rutendo ______________ smiling.
5. The learners _______________ planting trees.
6. Jangano _______________ going to cut the grass.

148