LEARNING ENGLISH

Unit 1- Obeying the law

have discussed, the first and last paragraph,
predict the content of the story.
By the end of this unit, students must be able to:
c. Speaking
a) Predict the content of an oral description, Listen to the whole story then answer the
narrative, exposition or report from the title, following questions:
picture, first and last paragraphs. 1. What initiated the desire to acquire
stripes?
b) Plan a logical oral description, narrative,
exposition, report or argument from a title,
picture, first or last paragraph.
2. What had led zebra to the magic waters?
c) Predict the content of a written description,
narrative, exposition, report or argument from
the title, picture, first and last paragraph.
3. How did the other animals take zebra’s new
d) Answer comprehension question on a text.
body change?
e) Write a plan of a logical description, narrative,
exposition, report or argument from the title,
picture, first and last paragraph.
4. Why do zebras have stripes?
f) Explain concepts and vocabulary from other
subjects.
g) Use concepts and vocabulary from other
subjects. ‘Why do zebras have stripes?’
h) Use nouns correctly in oral and written texts.
Source: Fables1 and animal stories by Chrigi-in-Africa
i) Form nouns.
of San clan.
j) Use pronouns correctly in oral or written texts
k) Write a list of pronouns There are many stories and questions on how the
l) Describe the distinguishing features of a short zebra got his stripes, and here in Africa one of the
story. most well-known is from the San/Bushmen people of
A. Listening actively the Namibian Kalahari Desert.
Predicting content of oral texts Many African tales and stories are told of the wild
animals in Africa, to explain their unique look or
a. Picture discussion.
behavior.
Study the picture and explain what ye can see.
b. Listening to a story So, how did the zebra got his black stripes, or is it the
Listen to your teacher read the first and last white stripes? Well, let me tell you the fable.
paragraphs of ‘why zebras have stripes’.
Citing evidence from the title, the picture you

1
Fable: a short story, typically with animals as characters,
conveying a moral.
Long ago, when animals were still new in Africa, the up their tails to ease the sore rock-burn of their bald
weather was very hot, and what little water there was patched bottoms.
remained in a few pools and pans.
B. Reading
One of these remaining water pools was guarded by a
Content of written texts
boisterous2 baboon, who claimed that he was the ‘lord
of the water’ and forbade anyone from drinking at his Pre-reading activities
pool.
Answer the following questions in pairs
One fine day when zebra and his son came down to
1. Have you ever seen someone breaking the law?
have a drink of water, the baboon, who was sitting by
Tell the class what would you do to intervene.
his fire next to the waterhole, jumped up and barked
in a loud voice, ‘Go away, intruders. This is my pool
and I am the lord of the water.’
‘The water is for everyone, not just for you, monkey-
2. Read the title of the story below. Look at the
face,’ the zebra’s son shouted back.
story. Predict what the story is about from the
‘If you want some of the water, you must fight for it,’ title and the picture.
returned the baboon in a fine fury, and in a moment
the two were locked in combat.
Back and forth they went fighting, raising a huge
cloud of dust, until with a mighty kick, the zebra sent Habib and Goba help the police
the baboon flying high up among the rocks of the cliff
One morning Habib and her cousin Goba were
behind them. The baboon landed with a smack on his
standing by the window of Habib’s house. The house
seat, taking all the hair clean off, and to this very day,
was on the third floor of the four-storey building.
he still carries the bare patch where he landed.
Across the compound, they saw some people
The tired and bruised young zebra, not looking where unloading some things from a van into a neighbouring
he was going, staggered3 back through the baboon’s house.
fire, which scorched him, leaving black burn stripes
“Those people have many televisions,” Habib said, “I
across his white fur.
have counted five already. Why do they need so many
The shock of being burned, sent the zebra galloping4 of them?”
away to the savannah plains, where he has stayed
“Maybe they sell TVs,” Goba said, “Look, the TVs are
ever since.
almost new,” Habib said. “Why do those people keep
The baboon and his family, however, remain high up looking around? They are also moving very fast. They
among rocks where the bark defiance5 at all don’t look like good people. Why don’t we ring the
strangers, and when they walk around, they still hold police and report them?”

2
Boisterous: noisy, energetic, and cheerful; wild or stormy (of 4
Gallop: moving at a pace and seemingly uncontrollable manner;
weather or water). 5
Defiance: open resistance/opposition
3
Stagger: walk or move unsteadily as if about to fall
“Will the police believe us?” Goba asked. “We are only most wanted robbers in this town. We are proud of
children.” you.”
“The police are good people,” Habib said. “We “You are welcome,” Habib and Goba said in unison6.
shouldn’t be afraid of them. We will not tell them our
Questions
names.”
1. Why did Habib and Goba think that the people
“I will tell them to come immediately,” Goba said as he
they saw were thieves?
walked towards the telephone.
“Give them directions on how to get here,” said Habib.
The children called the police. After fifteen minutes
they heard a loud bang across the street. They 2. Why did Goba think that the police would not
rushed to the window. Ten officers were surrounding believe them?
the neighboring house. There was a police lorry and
car in front of the house. Windows and doors banged.
There was also the sound of a breaking door. Police
officers then led two men and a woman in handcuffs
3. What had Habib and Goba helped the police to
out of the house. Another man jumped out of the
do?
window at the back of the house. He almost jumped
over the fence, but the police were too quick for him.
The children watched in disbelief as the police
officers carried many televisions, radio-cassette
4. Mention three things the thieves had stolen.
player and a box full of mobile phones out of the
house.
“Good morning sir,” Habib’s father said. “Is there any
problem?”
5. How many people were arrested?
“someone called us one hour ago and gave us
directions to a house. We found stolen goods there,”
one of the police officers said. “It was the voice a
young girl. We have found out that the call came from
Questions on critical thinking and reasoning
this house.” Habib and Goba were very frightened.
They could not help trembling. 1. What do you think happened to the thieves?
“We…we…we only tried to he…he…help,” Habib said.
“You don’t need to be afraid,” the other policer said.
“you did not do anything wrong. We have come to
thank. You have actually helped us arrest the three

6
Unison: utterance of speech simultaneous; coincidence in pitch of
sound.
 2. If you were Habib and Goba, what would you have 2. Exchange your essay plan with the essay plan of
done when you saw the thieves? another student. Predict how the story will
unfold. Check out for the flow ideas and if they
make sense.
Group work
3. Infer the meanings of these words as used in the
1. In groups, discuss and write a plan for a
passage.
description, narrative, exposition or report.
a) Handcuffs
2. Have a representative read it in front of the
b) Compound class as the class checks for the for the
appropriateness of this plan.
c) Verandah
Exercise
d) Robbers
Write an essay on how you helped the police arrest a
Discussion
criminal who had been molesting young girls in your
Discuss ways in which the government can reduce crime community.
in Malawi and have the citizens obey the law.
D. Critical thinking and reasoning
C. Writing
Explaining and using concept and vocabulary from
Writing a plan other subjects.

For you to write a good essay, you must have a plan. To Every field has a specific ‘language code’. This language
make a good plan, you must focus on the topic title and code is called a register. A register is a variety of
the pictures, if any, so as to generate as many ideas as language typically used in a specific type of
possible. communication setting.

Thus, to write a good essay, you have to think through the From the different registers, we have words in English
topic, come up with the desired and expected points and that only appear in certain subjects e.g. biological terms
then organize events in the order in which they will occur which are in English but more inclined to biology. Thus, to
in the essay. An essay has three parts as discussed below. get the right meaning of the word, you ought to look up its
dictionary meaning and match it with the way the word is
First, you must identify the introduction by making the
used in the passage/context.
characters of the story known to the reader.
Exercise
Secondly, you need to develop the body of the essay. Here,
you let the event and/or the actions of the story unfold. In this unit you have studied about obeying law.

Finally, there is the conclusion where the story comes to Look at the following words commonly used in the field of
a halt and the final resolutions or remarks are noted. law. Write their meanings and use them in constructing
sentences of your own.
Activity
a) The bar
1. Choose a favorite topic. Write down the intended
plan of the story. b) Legislation
 c) Respondent Abikanile (subject) is an obedient girl.
d) Plead guilty (b) Using nouns are objects
e) Ruling Nouns can also be used as objects. This means that they
are receivers of the action in sentences.
f) Summon
For example:
g) Jury
The cat chase away the rats(object).
h) Filing
Activity
E. Structure and use of language (grammar)
Look at the passage you read in this unit, entitled ‘Habib
Nouns and pronouns
and Goba help the police’. Identify five nouns used as
i. Nouns subjects and five nouns used as objects.
Nouns are naming words. They name people, places, Exercise
objects and things.
Identify the subjects or the objects in the following
Functions of nouns sentences.
As you have previously seen, nouns can be used for 1. Buseje likes Bwerani.
different purposes in a sentence.
2. Azibo kicks the ball.
(a) Using nouns as subjects
3. My dog is friendly.
The subject is the doer of the action in a sentence. To
4. The police gave me a present.
identify subjects in sentences, ask the question ‘who or
what…?’ 5. What does mother want?
Look at the sentence: 6. Her door is closed.
The girl threw the ball. 7. She obeyed the Laws of Malawi.
Think about which would in the sentence be the noun that Plural of nouns
performs the action.
As already learn in form 1 and 2, nouns can either be
Here, the noun ‘girl’ is the subject of the sentence as the plurals following a regular or irregular pattern hence the
girl performs the action. classification of nouns as regular and irregular nouns.
A simple sentence has only one subject and a predicate7. (a) Regular nouns
A subject is an essential part of a sentence. Every
Just as the word suggests, regular nouns form their
sentence must have one to be complete.
plurals in a conventional8 way, that is, by adding –s, -es
For example: or –ies.

7
Predicate: the part of the sentence containing a verb and stating 8
Conventional: based or in accordance with what is generally done
something about the subject. or believed.
Examples:
Girl-girls Commando-commandos
Box-boxes (b) Irregular nouns
Brush-brushes These are nouns that form their plurals without following
the pattern discussed under regular nouns.
Pony-ponies
Examples:
Pen-pens
1. Nouns that end in –f or –ef form their plural by
Dress-dresses
changing –f or –fe into –v and then adding –es
Church-churches as:
Dress-dresses Thief-thieves
Lady-ladies Sheaf-sheaves
Note: Calf-calves

a. Nouns that end in –y which is preceded by a Knife-knives

vowel do not lose the –y when forming plurals
Wife-wives
but rather by adding –s after the singular form
of the word Life-lives
Example However, there are exceptions to this rule. Some nouns
ending with –f take either –s or –ves to form their plural.
Boy-boys
Example
Toy-toys
Dwarf-dwarfs or dwarves
b. Nouns that end in –o often form their plurals by
adding –es. Wharf-wharfs or wharves
Example Hoof-hoofs or hooves
Cargo-cargoes Scarf-scarfs or scarves
Volcano-volcanoes Other words ending in –f or –fe add –s to the singular
form of the word.
Potato-potatoes
Examples:
However, there are exceptions to this rule as a few nouns
ending in –o merely adds –s. Gulf-gulfs
Example Cliff-cliffs
Kilo-kilos Handkerchief-handkerchiefs
Stereo-stereos Proof-proofs
 2. There are nouns that form their plural by adding Exercise
–en to the singular form of the noun.
Write the sentences into plural
Example
1. This street of the city is noted for its
Ox-oxen crookedness.
Child-children
3. There are nouns that form their plural by
changing the inside vowel of the singular form.
2. What is your verdict, gentlemen of the jury?
Examples
Man-men
Louse-lice
3. The class is studying grammar.
Mouse-mice
Foot-feet
4. There are nouns that have their singular form
4. I believe in innocence.
plural form alike.
Examples
Swine
5. The soldier was rewarded for his bravery.
Sheep
Aircraft
Salmon
6. I went out during the mathematics lessons and
5. There are some nouns that don’t have a singular
measured the radius of the flag-post area.
form. They always have two parts forming a kind
of pair.
Examples
Scissors 7. Chaonaine brought in the radio that was
recovered as proof of his attempted theft.
Trousers
Spectacles
Shorts
8. The student said that foot of goose is webbed;
Pincers
so is a duck’s.
 c. Demonstrative pronouns
9. A rock climber is so brave that he/she jumps off d. Possessive pronouns
a cliff.
e. Reflexive pronouns
a. Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns stand for nouns referring to people,
10. I had forgotten to put a logo of the school on the places, objects and ideas. Personal pronouns have a
letterhead. possessive form. We say: They are out hats or they are
ours.
The table on page 11 summarizes personal pronouns.

Personal pronouns
ii. Pronouns
singular plural
As already learnt in form 1 and 2, a pronoun is a word that Subject Object posse subject object posse
can be place of a noun. The words I, you, he, she, it, they ssive ssive
are pronouns. 1st I Me Mine We Us Our
person
Pronouns help to avoid unnecessary repetitions of nouns 2nd You You Yours You You Yours
in a sentence. The following sentence does not have any person
pronoun. As such, it is repetitive; 3rd He, she, Him, His, They Them Theirs
person it her, it her,
John drove john’s car to john’s workplace, where john its
meets john’s boss. b. Relative pronouns
After using pronouns, the sentence reads as follow: Relative pronouns relate a noun to a clause which they
John drove his car to his workplace, where he meets his introduce. They can be defining/restricting, or non-
boss. defining or non-restricting.

By using pronouns to stand for John, we replace four Examples of relative pronouns are that, which, who,
johns with he and his. In that way, the sentence is neither whom, whose, when, where and why.
too long nor repetitive. Example sentences:
Activity The man who ate the food was hungry.
Look at the passage you read in this unit, entitled ‘Habib If we ask ‘who ate the food?’, we will find ‘who’ stands for
and Goba help the police’. Identify and list as many the noun phrase, ‘who’.
pronouns as you can see.
The clauses with a relative pronouns function as
Types of pronouns adjectives; they modify a noun.
There are several types of pronouns c. Demonstrative pronouns
a. Personal pronouns
b. Relative pronouns
We use the demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, and These are pronouns that refer back to the subject. They
those when pointing at something, or referring to include myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves,
something previously mentioned. yourselves, ourselves and itself.
For example, the pronouns this, that, there and those can Exercise
be pure pronouns or both pronouns or determiners. As
Complete the following sentences using appropriate
determiners, they appear before a noun, and tell us which
pronouns.
noun we are talking about. See the table below.
1. Moses, to ______________the orphan was
Pronouns Comment Determiners
entrusted has declined the task.
That is the That is a pronoun, That woman
woman who because it stands pressed the 2. I saw the young man whom ___________is
pressed the for the woman in button betrothed.
button. the sentence
He gave me This is a pronoun He gave me 3. Did you receive the letter______________?
this. because it stands this report
4. Is that the learner who says that the book is
for the thing in
______________?
the sentence.
Of all the These is a These flowers 5. Mr. Bwalya has a new suit. ________ bought
flowers pronoun because are the ones I _________ from the US.
here, these it stands for like the best.
are the ones something in the 6. The musician arrived to take the prize ________.
I like the sentence.
7. The hospital in which the wonderful baby was
best.
born has been upgraded. _________looks
Can I have Those is a Can I have
some of pronoun because some of those beautiful.
those? it stands for an chocolates 8. __________is the manager I worked with.
abject in the please?
sentence. 9. My friend ___________ lives in Lilongwe has won
d. Possessive pronouns a scholarship.

Mine, yours, his, hers, its, and ours, theirs are possessive Exercise
pronouns. They are also regarded as personal pronouns.
Complete the following sentences using appropriate
Examples relative clauses.
1. The pen is my pen. The pen is mine. 1. The boy soon found the pen _________________.
2. Is this your hat? Is this hat yours? 2. That is the woman ________________________.
3. His car is in the garage. His is in the garage. 3. I bought a new car ________________________.
4. Her money has been paid. Hers has been paid 4. My brother met the man ___________________.

e. Reflexive pronouns 5. He destroyed ____________________________.

6. He owns the parrot _______________________.
 7. Anne brought home a friend ________________. satisfying short stories have the most
unexpected, but possible endings.
F. Critical analysis
5. They usually end at or soon after the climax:
Features of a short story.
while a novel may reach the climax and then take
Short stories are generally longer than a scene in a play a chapter or two to tie up all the loose ends, the
but shorter than a novel. There are general features that short story will often leave much to the reader’s
set a short story apart from the kinds of the literally texts, imaginations. The writers usually ‘springs’ the
namely: surprising ending on us, leaving us to reflect on
the unexpected twist and its ongoing
1. It is short: while this point is obvious, it needs to
significance for the characters and action. Quite
be emphasized. Short stories can usually be
often, the story is only truly completing as we
read at a single sitting. This means that writers
think out the ongoing effects of the events that
have to reduce descriptions and ensure that the
have occurred at the end of the story.
action moves swiftly. Unnecessary words are
simply omitted – they are a luxury that the short Exercise
story writer cannot afford.
Read the short story below. And identify the features
2. A short story tends to have a single focus: discussed above in the short story.
writers of full-length novels can allow
The unfaithful worker
characters to develop and change as time
passes. They can develop a complex plot and Many years ago, in Jenula village, there lived a man
include some interesting sub-plots. They can who owned a groundnuts garden. The man had
elaborate on the setting or atmosphere, and pay contracted a group of people to harvest the
attention to background details. Characters. groundnuts in his garden. From a group of ten people,
Action, setting, themes, atmosphere – all of he chose Dyelatu to supervise the workers. Before
these can be developed in a novel. However, with the work started, the owner of the groundnuts said to
a short story the focus is usually on only one of Dyelatu, ‘no one among you should eat even a single
these aspects. groundnut. If anyone of you will be discovered to have
eaten the groundnuts, that worker shall forfeit his or
3. Characters are few in number: characters have
her pay.’
to be introduced sparingly into short stories
because each new character usually requires Dyeratu promised to follow the instructions strictly
background information of his or her presence. and ensure that no one ate the groundnuts. The owner
No unnecessary character can be introduced in advised the workers to start harvesting the
the short story the focus is usually on only one groundnuts the following morning.
of these aspects.
Early in the morning of the following day, all the
4. There is often a surprise ending: short stories workers had come to start digging up the groundnuts.
frequently have an often satisfaction from the Before they started working, Dyelatu gathered them
way the threads have been pulled together all all and said, ‘ladies and gentlemen, you all know that
the way to completion, even if we find ourselves the owner of the garden came to give me the
completely caught by surprise. Many of the most instructions. He instructed me to tell you that no one
should be allowed to chew even a single groundnut.
He further said that if he discovered that someone
ate some groundnuts, that worker shall have to
forfeit his or her pay. “is that clear?” all the workers
responded, “yes, it is sir!”
The work started soon after the workers had been
given the instructions. Everyone worked very hard
and observed the instructions. As the work
progressed, Dyeratu failed to observe the
instructions. He took the groundnuts, went behind a
nearby anthill and ate them. Dyeratu had an
assumption that no one saw him eating the
groundnuts.
When the work was over, the owner of the work came
to pay the workers. But before any payment was
made, he ordered every worker including Dyeratu to
open his mouth with water from one container and
spit into another container of water. One by one all
the workers rinsed their mouths and spat into the
second container of water.
After all except Dyeratu had rinsed their mouths
except Dyeratu and none had been discovered having
eaten groundnuts, it was assumed that everybody
obeyed the instructions. When Dyeratu’s turn came
to rinse his mouth and spit into the container of
water; to the surprise of everyone, the water from
his mouth contained particles of groundnuts. All the
workers shouted at the top of their voices saying,
“Dyeratu! Dyeratu! Dyeratu!”
Dyeratu was very ashamed. The owner of the garden
stated openly that Dyeratu would not get his pay.
(unpublished story by Syvester J.L. Ngoma).