Literacy and Writing

Grade 5

Unit Sheet 1
Name: ___________________________
Class: ____________

Fiction
A story that teaches a lesson
A story from a different POV

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Saffy’s Angel (realistic story)
Word
Word Synonym Meaning/Definition
class
When you are crouching, your legs are bent
squat
crouch verb under you close to the ground and leaning
kneel down
forward slightly.
The floor of the fireplace usually of stone or
hearth noun
brick that extends into the room floor
classify Separate things into different classes or
sort verb
divide groups.
A hard black substance that is extracted
coal noun charcoal
from the ground and burned as fuel
lump noun mass A hard solid piece of something
freckled Covered or marked with a large number
speckled adjective
spotted of small spots or patches of colour
An orange-yellow herb used to dye food
saffron noun
and add flavour
avoid
elude verb To ignore or escape from something
escape
To take in or soak up
absorb verb
To be greatly interested in something
The under surface of a person’s foot or
sole noun
shoe

belligerently

poker

clench

fist

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Features and characteristics of a realistic story:

Definition:
A classification of literature containing stories that could happen in the real world, in a
time and setting that is possible, and with characters that are true to life, yet drawn
from the writer’s imagination. It is categorized as historical or contemporary based
upon the time period of publication (Contemporary begins at 1960). Experts define
categories of realistic fiction using aspects of theme (e.g., survival, friendship, diversity,
tolerance, environmental preservation, courage, freedom, justice).

Purposes:
• to entertain or enlighten
• to help readers understand problems and issues that might be encountered in
their own lives
• to have readers empathise with characters engaged in resolving problems
• to have readers recognise the complexity of human relationships

Characteristics:
• Narrative elements: characters, setting, a plot involving conflict or tension
revolving around a problem, and a resolution providing the conclusion
• Can be humorous, adventurous, romantic and/or imaginative

Themes:
• Reflecting realistic human and life experiences

Characters:
• True to life, vivid, imaginary characters that seem real and behave in realistic
ways
• Fictional characters (animals, people) that are confronted with challenges
• Protagonist (main character’s problem causes tension)
• Often includes antagonists, who are the opposing force in the main character’s
conflict

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 • Vivid, detailed descriptions and dialogue help the reader understand the
thoughts, feelings, values and personalities of characters.

Setting:
• Usually takes place in the present
• Location, season, weather, and time period are important to the plot,
characters, problem, and theme.
• Vivid, detailed descriptions help the reader envision the places encountered.

Plot:
• Engages the reader in understanding universal human problems
• Reflects the character’s problem
• Various forms of conflict (person vs. person, etc.)
• True to life, vivid, imaginary events seem real
• Variations of plot including foreshadowing and flashback

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 Fiction Reading

Stories that teach a lesson

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Reading sample 1: Realistic fiction that teaches a lesson

Wait for the Brick

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighbourhood street, going a
bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between
parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed,
no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed
on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.
The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him
up against a parked car, shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just
what the heck are you doing?

That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you
do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please mister … please, I’m sorry… I didn’t know what
else to do,” he pleaded. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop…”

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just
around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of
his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get
him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.” Moved beyond
words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly
lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy
handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him
everything was going to be okay.

“Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up
for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother
down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The
damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side

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door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don’t go through life so
fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have
time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.

It’s our choice: Listen to the whisper … or wait for the brick!

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Reading sample 2: Realistic fiction that teaches a story

A Day with Pigs

There once was a boy who would never get dressed when his parents told him to, nor
would he put on what they wanted him to after his bath. He preferred to dress in a
much stranger manner, but above all, he liked to take his time. His parents were
always in a rush, and wanted him to be a lot quicker, but the boy didn't like this, and
he would slow down even more.

One day, his parents were in their usual hurry, and they got so angry when he refused
to dress, that they told him that he would have to go out naked. The boy didn't mind
this in the least. So out they went.

While the boy was standing naked outside his house, waiting for his parents to bring
the car, along came the local pig farmer. The pig farmer was hard of hearing and had
poor eyesight.

Not only that, but he'd also forgotten to put his glasses on that day. When he saw the
little boy's pink skin, he thought it was one of his pigs. And, with a bit of shouting,
prodding, and pushing, the farmer managed to get the boy safely back to a pigsty.

The boy protested the whole way there, but as the farmer was almost deaf, his
complaints didn't help him. And there he was for the whole day, living amongst the
pigs, thought to be a pig, and sharing their food and home.

Finally, though, his parents found him. The boy had had such a regrettable day that
never again did he want to be mistaken for anything other than a human being.
Nowadays he's the first to get dressed, and look perfectly neat and tidy, just like those
children in the clothes catalogues.

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 Fiction Writing
Realistic Story
(A story that teaches a lesson)

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 We can choose to end our stories with
morals. A fictional work that teaches a
lesson is always an unforgettable story!

Guided writing task 1 (classwork)

Write a realistic story about a boy who used to suffer from bullying in his school.

Your story should teach a lesson at the end.

 Think about an attention-grabbing beginning like scenery, sound or action

start.

 Your problem should be realistic; it means it could happen to anyone in real

life.

 Write a realistic believable solution and ending that stays true to the heart of
the story with a lesson learned.

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Plan your story here.
1- Setting

Time: __________________________________________________________________

Place 1: ________________________________________________________________

Description: (short/use phrases)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Adjectives: (use impressive words)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Time: __________________________________________________________________

Place 2: _________________________________________________________________

Description: (short/use phrases)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Adjectives: (use impressive words)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

2- Mood

Description: (use adjectives)

_______________________________________________________________________
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 3- Characters

Character 1 name: Character 2 name:

_________________________________ _________________________________

Epic description: (short/use phrases) Epic description: (short/use phrases)

_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________

Adjectives: Adjectives:
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________

4- Impressive words

Impressive words: (include interesting words from your Impressive Vocabulary Sheet)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 5- Plot

Opening: Start by hooking readers with a sizzling start. Introduce the characters and
setting. Use phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Build-up: This is the beginning of complicated events. How does it all start? Use phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Problem/conflict/climax: What will go wrong for the characters?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Resolution: List 3 events that will take place as characters try to solve the problem. Use
phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Ending: Think of an exciting way that the problem is solved in. Use phrases.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

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Write your story here.

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Realistic story checklist

Tick if
My writing has… Teacher’s assessment
done

Attention-grabbing beginning

Characters and setting that could be found in

real life

One realistic problem

Effective and powerful words to describe the

feeling of the characters

Show-not-tell details

A realistic and believable solution to

character’s problem
An ending that stays true to the heart of the
story with a lesson learned

Past tense narrating

Correct spelling and punctuation

Short dialogues to develop the event and to

help characters to show their feelings

A clear moral lesson at the end

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Homework writing task 1
Write a realistic story about a girl who fears darkness. Her worries caused her lots of
problems, but at the end she could overcome all her fears.

-Your story should teach a lesson at the end.

 Think about an attention-grabbing beginning like scenery, sound or action

start.

 Your problem should be realistic; it means it could happen to anyone in real

life.

 Write a realistic believable solution and ending that stays true to the heart of
the story with a lesson learned.

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 Plan your story here.
1- Setting

Time: __________________________________________________________________

Place 1: ________________________________________________________________

Description: (short/use phrases)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Adjectives: (use impressive words)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Time: __________________________________________________________________

Place 2: _________________________________________________________________

Description: (short/use phrases)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Adjectives: (use impressive words)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

2- Mood

Description: (use adjectives)

_______________________________________________________________________

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 3- Characters

Character 1 name: Character 2 name:

__________________________________ __________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________

Epic description: (short/use phrases) Epic description: (short/use phrases)

__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Adjectives: Adjectives:
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

4- Impressive words
Impressive words: (include interesting words from your Impressive Vocabulary Sheet)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 5- Plot

Opening: Start by hooking readers with a sizzling start. Introduce the characters and
setting. Use phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Build-up: This is the beginning of complicated events. How does it all start? Use phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Problem/conflict/climax: What will go wrong for the characters?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Resolution: List 3 events that will take place as characters try to solve the problem. Use
phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Ending: Think of an exciting way that the problem is solved in. Use phrases.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

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Write your homework task 1 here.

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N.B: Refer to the last page to understand the used abbreviation in the correction.

Content Grammar & punctuation

Audience Spelling & vocabulary
Text structure & organisation

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Realistic story checklist

Tick if
While writing I have used… done
Teacher’s assessment

Attention-grabbing beginning

Characters and setting that could be found in

real life

One realistic problem

Effective and powerful words to describe the

feeling of the characters

Show-not-tell details

A realistic and believable solution to character’s

problem

Past tense narrating

Correct spelling and punctuation

Short dialogues to develop the events and to

help characters show their feelings

A clear moral lesson at the end

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Rewrite your story including all the corrections.

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 Fiction Writing
Stories from a different
POV

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 Narration Point of View

What is a story point of view (POV)?

The point of view, or POV, in a story is the “eye” or narrative voice through which
you tell a story. When you write a story, you must decide who is telling the story, and
to whom they are telling it. The story could be told by a character who is involved in
the story, or by the narrator that sees and knows all of the characters but is not
one of them.

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Exercises
Determine from which point of view the passage is narrated.
[first person – second person – third person]
Passage 1: “The dew on the grass made my running shoes damp. It didn't bother me. The
sound of my feet hitting the street formed a rhythm, a steady pattern of light thumps. I
timed my breathing with the rhythm. These sounds filled my head. I thought of nothing
other than the next step and keeping my tempo. I soared over the sidewalks like concrete
clouds.”

Narrator's point of view: __________________________

Passage 2: “Red looked across the prairie. He didn't see anything concerning. He
wondered why Texas Joe had hollered like that. Texas Joe turned to him. The ghost that
Texas Joe had just seen was gone. Texas Joe swatted at the air. Now he felt crazy. "You
have to believe me, Red. It was just here," said Texas Joe. Red scowled at him in disbelief.
"What was just here, Joe?" he asked. Red was angry with Texas Joe for disturbing his
sleep for no apparent reason.”

Narrator's point of view: __________________________

Passage 3: “Jeremiah squinted from the sun. He was thinking about the game. They could
have won. He could have won the game for them. All he needed to do was catch the ball,
but he didn't. He dropped it. His coach talked to him. "Jeremiah, we had a great season.
Nobody's perfect. Look at me. Ha ha," he said. Jeremiah smiled at the coach, but he
couldn't forgive himself so easily.”

Narrator's point of view: __________________________

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Passage 4: “You look at the blueprints laid before you. You have no idea how to read
them. "Why did I lie to get this job?" you wonder to yourself. The men in the room are
watching you. The man in the suit who hired you asks, "Well, what do you think about
these plans? Should we go for it?" You pick up the blueprints and pretend to study them
carefully. "Um, well, have we done any fault testing?" you ask. The man in the suit
squints at you and says, "Fault testing? What's fault testing?" To buy yourself time in a
really smooth way you say, "Uhh..."”

Narrator's point of view: __________________________

Passage 5: “”You already told me that story," said Shanice. She looked genuinely
disappointed. I laughed awkwardly. "Sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to bore you with a
rerun." I tried to laugh it off but she just wouldn't let it go. "Don't you even consider your
listener before you tell a story?" she inquired acerbically. This caught me off guard. I
replied, "I'm just trying to keep you entertained, Shanice." I pleaded. She smacked me
down with another sharp comment, "Yeah, well, you should try harder."”

Narrator's point of view: __________________________

Passage 6: “Pete didn't feel like doing homework. He felt like playing baseball. He
grabbed his mitt off the shelf and began to fantasize about being out in the field. His
fantasy was interrupted shortly by the opening of his bedroom door. It was his mom. She
started to yell, "Pete, you're not failing baseball class! You're failing math class! You need
to study. Put the mitt away!" Pete put the mitt away, but he didn't know the first thing
about studying math.”

Narrator's point of view: __________________________

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Guided writing task 2 (classwork)
Let’s practise writing the same story from a different POV.

Changing the POV presents the story from a totally different perspective.

Remember the same story you wrote about a boy who used to suffer from bullying in his
school on p.14?

Write the same story from the perspective of the bully using the first person POV.

It’s possible that the bully is a character of no bad intentions.

Plan your story here.

1- Setting

Time:
_________________________________ Place 2:
_________________________________
Place 1:
_________________________________ Description: (short/use phrases)
_________________________________
Description: (short/use phrases)
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_______________
_________________________________
_______________ Adjectives: (use impressive words)
_________________________________
Adjectives: (use impressive words)
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

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2-Mood:

Description: (use adjectives)

_______________________________________________________________________

3-Characters

Character 1 name: Character 2 name:

__________________________________ __________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________

Epic description: (short/use phrases) Epic description: (short/use phrases)

__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Adjectives: Adjectives:
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

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 2- Impressive words
Impressive words: (include interesting words from your Impressive Vocabulary Sheet)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4-Plot

Opening: Start by hooking readers with a sizzling start. Introduce the characters and
setting. Use phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Build-up: This is the beginning of complicated events. How does it all start? Use phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Problem/conflict/climax: What will go wrong for the characters?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Resolution: List 3 events that will take place as characters try to solve the problem. Use
phrases.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Ending: Think of an exciting way that the problem is solved in. Use phrases.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

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Write your story here.

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Homework writing task 2
Rewrite the story from your previous homework about the girl who fears darkness in the
first person POV.
 Use pronouns I, we, me and my.

 Describe the whole story from the girl’s point of view.

 Use your imagination to add reasonable details, dialogue, etc.

 Try to maintain the same style (tone, word choice, etc.) as the main story you wrote
before

Write your story here.

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N.B: Refer to the last page to understand the used abbreviation in the correction.

Content Grammar & punctuation

Audience Spelling & vocabulary
Text structure & organisation

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Rewrite the story including all the corrections.

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Correction symbols for homework editing

Correction Symbol Meaning

WW wrong word

SP check spelling

WT wrong tense

SVA subject-verb agreement

run-on sentence (two sentences run together with no

RO
punctuation)

FR Fragment

, add comma

CS comma splice (two sentences connected by a comma)

pun check punctuation

. add full stop

cap capitalize the letter

41
Part One: Punctuation
Full Stop (.)
A full stop should always be used to end a sentence. The full stop indicates that a
point has been made and that you are about to move on to further explanations
or a related point.

Less frequently, a series of three full stops (an ellipsis) can be used to indicate where a
section of a quotation has been omitted when it is not relevant to the text, for
example:

“The boy was happy… at the start of his summer holiday.”

A single full stop may also be used to indicate the abbreviation of commonly used
words as in the following examples:

 Telephone Number = Tel. No.

 September = Sept.

Question Mark (?)

The question mark simply indicates that a sentence is asking a question. It
always comes at the end of a sentence:

For example: Are we at the end?

Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark indicates strong feeling within a sentence, such as fear,
anger or love. It is also used to accentuate feeling within the written spoken
word.

For example: “Help!” and “I love you!”

In this way, it can also be used to indicate a sharp saying: “Stop! Police!”

or to show humour: “Ha! Ha! Ha!”

The exclamation mark at the end of a sentence means that you do not need a full
stop.

42
Quotation or Speech Marks (“….”)
Quotation or speech marks are used to:

1. To mark out speech

2. When quoting someone else's speech

For example:
My mum said, "Share your chocolates with your friends."
"Will you get your books out please?” said Mrs. Jones.

Capitalisation
There are lots of times when you need to use capital letters – for example, to
start a sentence or for the pronoun I. Here are some other important rules for
using them.

Days, months and holidays

We capitalise days of the week, months and festivals, but not seasons.

His birthday party is on Thursday.

Schools are closed at Christmas.
It rains a lot in April and May.

Names of people and places

We capitalise the names of people and places, including streets, planets,

continents and countries.
For example:

Some Canadians speak French.

Londoners eat a lot of Indian food.

How to use commas in sentences

Adding a comma can change the meaning of a sentence.
 Let's eat Albert. = We're going to eat Albert.

43
 Let's eat, Albert. = We're eating with Albert.

In a long sentence, you can use commas to separate out extra information and make the
sentence easier to read. These commas do the same job as brackets but look a lot neater in
your writing.

 Albert (the alien with blue spots) is from the planet Zoink.
 Albert, the alien with blue spots, is from the planet Zoink.

A clause is the building block for a sentence. Commas can be used to break up sentences
that have more than one clause and make them easier to read.

 When Albert saw the food, his tummy started to rumble.

 Albert got used to the blue spots, but then they started itching.

These clauses need the main part of the sentence to make sense, so they are
connected with a comma.

The comma shows that they are closely connected to the main part of the sentence.

For example:

 Albert was excited about eating. He wanted to use a knife and fork.

Comma
We use commas with words, phrases, or clauses that come in a series. Use commas:

-With three or more items in a series joined by and or or. Use a comma when a sentence
contains a series of items (nouns, phrases, or clauses) joined by and.
Examples:

-He served broccoli, mashed potatoes, and carrots with dinner.

-They went to the mall, shopped for new clothes, and went to the movies.
-Alison vacuumed the living room, Tim washed the dishes, Diane cleaned the bathroom,
and
-Liz shouted instructions to all of them.

44
The last comma in the series (before and) is optional.
-He served broccoli, mashed potatoes and carrots with dinner.

-With such as. Such as can be used to introduce an example or examples. Use a comma
before such as.
This summer, I want to learn to cook Italian food, such as lasagna, spaghetti, and linguine.

-Between two or more adjectives in a series. Use a comma between two or more
coordinate
adjectives in a series. (Coordinate adjectives can have their order changed and can be

45
joined
with and.)
-He bought some ugly red T-shirts. (You cannot say “red ugly T-shirts,” so a comma is not
needed.)
-The intelligent, hardworking students got high grades. (You can say “hardworking,
intelligent,” so a comma is needed.)
-Between two independent clauses in a sentence. Use a comma when two independent
clauses are joined into a single sentence with and, but, or, nor, for, yet, or so. An
independent clause has a complete subject and verb and can stand alone as a sentence.

-My dog likes to go outside, and my cat likes to sleep in front of the fireplace.
-He went to the supermarket, but he forgot to buy milk.
-The mechanic will fix the problem, or I will have to buy a new car.
-She was locked out of her apartment, for she lost her keys on the bus.
-He spent the whole day at the water park, yet he never got wet.
-They didn’t check a map before leaving, so they got lost almost right away.

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 Other subordinating conjunctions include so that, that, and in order that.

-After an introductory participial phrase. A present participle is a verb + -ing. A past

participle is a verb + -ed. Participles are used with forms of be or have to form various
tenses.
Participles can also be used as modifiers. An introductory participial phrase is formed
with a
present or past participle and its objects and modifiers. An introductory participial phrase
is
followed by a comma.

Examples:
-Quickly running downstairs, Dale tripped and fell down.
-Bored by the long speeches, Laura and Julie dozed off.

47
After an introductory adverb. When an adverb begins a sentence and modifies the whole
sentence, it is set off with a comma.
-Exceptionally, employees may be granted time off if they make up the time.

Exercises

A- Read each sentence and end each one with a period, question mark, or exclamation
mark, as
needed.
1. Can I make an appointment on July 8
2. Watch out for the bee
3. I am going to the library this afternoon
4. Where is the mall
5. I am thinking about selling my car
6. Hurry up or we will be late
7. Would you like to go to a concert next weekend
8. I am so angry I could scream
9. I am cooking spaghetti for dinner tonight
10. I wonder when the movie begins tonight

48
B- Rewrite the sentences, using correct punctuation.
1. If I lose my job in a layoff I will go back to school, to become a medical lab technician.
_____________________________________________________________
2. Some cool refreshing ice, cream would taste good right about now, Anne.
_____________________________________________________________
3. Although, the team won the first game of the play-offs they lost the following three
games, and were eliminated from the championship.
_____________________________________________________________
4. In winter, you should always wear warm, clothes.
_____________________________________________________________
5. Ali and Fatima have several grown children, they do not have any grandchildren.
_____________________________________________________________
6. I have a suggestion; let’s get a new TV for the living room.
_____________________________________________________________
7. John likes to watch movies on TV, his brother likes to rent videos from a store.
_____________________________________________________________
8. Let’s sell: brownies, cookies, coffee cake, coffee, and, tea at the bake sale, next
weekend.
_____________________________________________________________
9. He got up early exercised, took a shower, and, drove to work, every day last week.
_____________________________________________________________
10. Sonya is very busy these days, she has a full-time job during the week, and a part-
time job on Saturdays.
____________________________________________________________

49
Punctuation Exercises
A. Write the proper punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.

1. What time does the bus arrive _____

2. My favorite food is pizza _____

3. The baby cub likes to snuggle up to his mother to keep warm _____

4. Do you know how to ride a bicycle _____

5. What is your favorite season _____

6. My brother plays football _____

7. Did you enjoy Joey’s birthday party _____

8. Is your mother a good cook _____

9. It rained on Wednesday _____

10. I love to read _____

11. Tommy’s favorite sport is basketball _____

12. Where are you going on vacation _____

13. Do you like vegetables ____

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B. Rewrite and punctuate the sentences below.

1. on Monday we played a new game

____________________________________________________________________

2. next Sunday youssef is having a party

____________________________________________________________________

3. george asked miss anderson to tell a story

____________________________________________________________________

4. mr andrews came to school with marell and retal

____________________________________________________________________

5. zeina and I were at the circus

____________________________________________________________________

6. tony put his initials t b on the poster

____________________________________________________________________

7. the children have been to rawtenstall many times

____________________________________________________________________

8. we watched the performance of cinderella last Thursday

____________________________________________________________________

9. mrs jones says susan and peter are polite children

___________________________________________________________________

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C. Write the correct sentence underneath by adding in capital letters, full stops and
question marks.

1. my brother’s dog is called tess

_________________________________________________________________________

2. on sunday she went to the park

_________________________________________________________________________

3. the titanic sank in 1912

_________________________________________________________________________

4. jonathan and mark are going to spain in march

_________________________________________________________________________

5. martha took her children to the zoo yesterday

_________________________________________________________________________

6. john and i are going to town on Friday

_________________________________________________________________________

7. did you sell buns at the fair

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Part Two: Types of Nouns
Nouns are an important part of speech in English, probably second only to verbs. It is
difficult to say much without using a noun.

There are several different types of English nouns. It is often useful to recognize what
type a noun is because different types sometimes have different rules. This helps you to
use them correctly.

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

Common Nouns
Most nouns are common nouns. Common nouns refer to people, places and things in
general like chair or dog. Any noun that is not a name is a common noun.

Examples: teacher, car, music, danger, receipt

 Have you seen my dog?

 The books are on your desk.
 ...the pursuit of happiness.

Proper Nouns
Names of people, places or organizations are proper nouns. Your name is a proper
noun. London is a proper noun. United Nations is a proper noun.

Rule: Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.

Examples: Jane, Thailand, Sunday, James Bond, Einstein, Superman, Shakespeare

 Let me introduce you to Mary.

 The capital of Italy is Rome.
 He is the chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
 I was born in November.
Note: Adjectives that we make from proper nouns also usually start with a capital letter,
for example Shakespearian, Orwellian.

Concrete Nouns and Abstract Nouns

Concrete Nouns
Concrete nouns are physical things that you can touch.

Examples: man, rice, head, car, furniture, mobile phone

 How many stars are there in the universe?

 Have you met James Bond?
 Pour the water down the drain.

Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns are the opposite of concrete nouns. They are things that you cannot
touch. Abstract nouns are ideas, concepts and feelings.

Examples: happiness, courage, danger, truth

 He has great strength.

 Who killed President Kennedy is a real mystery.
 Sometimes it takes courage to tell the truth.
 Their lives were full of sadness.

Countable Nouns and Uncountable Nouns

Countable Nouns
(also called count nouns)

You can count countable nouns. Countable nouns have singular and plural forms.

Examples: ball, boy, cat, person

 I have only five dollars.

1
  The Earth was formed 4.6 billion years ago.
 There are lots of people but we don't have a car.

Uncountable Nouns
(also called mass nouns)

You cannot count uncountable nouns. You need to use "measure words" to quantify
them.

Rule: We never use uncountable nouns with the indefinite article (a/an). Uncountable
nouns are always singular.

Examples: water, happiness, cheese

 Have you got some money?

 Air-conditioners use a lot of electricity.
 Do you have any work for me to do?
 Many Asians eat rice.

Collective Nouns
A collective noun denotes a group of individuals.

Examples: class (group of students), pride (group of lions), crew (group of sailors)

Rule: Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural..

 His family live in different countries.

 An average family consists of four people.
 The new company is the result of a merger.
 The board of directors will meet tomorrow.

2
Compound Nouns
A compound noun is a noun that is made with two or more words. Most compound
nouns are [noun + noun] or [adjective + noun]. Each compound noun acts as a single
unit and can be modified by adjectives and other nouns.

Compound nouns have three different forms:

1. open or spaced - space between words (bus stop)

2. hyphenated - hyphen between words (mother-in-law)
3. closed or solid - no space or hyphen between words (football)

Examples: cat food, blackboard, breakfast, full moon, washing machine, software

 Can we use the swimming pool?

 They stop work at sunset.
 Don't forget that check-out is at 12 noon.

3
 Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are words for single things that are made up of more than one
person, animal, place, thing, or idea.

Collective Noun Examples

Remember that nouns are words naming people, animals, places, and things.
Collective nouns are in a class all their own. Once you’ve read these examples, you’ll
find it much easier to recognize collective nouns when you see them.
 Our class took a field trip to the natural history museum.
 The herd of bison ran across the prairie, leaving a massive dust cloud in its wake.
 We waited anxiously for the jury to come to a verdict.
 This year’s basketball team includes three players who are over six feet tall.
 Napoleon’s army was finally defeated at Waterloo.
 The town council has approved plans to create a new park.
 He comes from a huge family: he’s the oldest of eleven kids.
 The rock group has been on tour for months.
 Everyone in the audience applauded loudly when Elvis appeared on stage

List of Common Collective Nouns

This list of common collective nouns contains words that describe groups of animals,
people, or things.
herd A group of herbivore animals
pack  A group of canine animals such as
wolves or dogs; also used to describe
playing cards and packages containing
multiple objects.

flock A group of birds; also used to discuss

small hooved animals such as sheep or
goats

4
swarm A group of insects
shoal  A group of fish

group A very general term used to describe

people, places, things, and animals
crowd Usually used to describe a group of
people
gang Usually used to describe a group of
criminals; also used to describe a group
of workers, particularly sailors or dock
workers
mob Normally used to describe an angry or
unruly group of people; also used to
describe a group of kangaroos
staff A group of people who work in the
same place
crew Usually used to denote a group of
workers; also used to describe aircraft
and ships personnel
choir A large, organized group of singers
panel A group of experts
troupe  A group of actors or acrobats; also used
to describe a group of monkeys

board A group of people, usually

professionals, who take on an advisory
role

bunch  Usually a group of smallish objects such

as grapes, flowers, keys, or bananas
pile  An untidy collection of items such as
rubbish

5
 Collective Noun Exercises
Each of these sentences contains a collective noun. Select the correct answer from the
options that follow the sentence:

1. Keys, marbles, and rubber bands were just a few of the things in the pile of objects in
his drawer.
A – marbles, B – things, C – pile
2. The boys decided to join the navy after graduation.
A – boys, B – navy, C – graduation
3. After the performance, all the actors joined hands and bowed toward the audience.
A – performance, B – actors, C – audience
4. The team celebrated heartily after scoring a winning goal.
A – team, B – winning, C – goal
5. Most of the students on the council are also on the honor roll.
A – students, B – council, C, – honor roll
6. The boat’s crew worked all night to stop the leak.
A – boat’s, B – crew, C – leak
7. The talent show featured several individual performers, along with three bands.
A – show, B – performers, C – bands
8. Our extended family includes great-grandparents and second cousins.
A – family, B – great-grandparents, C – cousins
9. All of the students are attending a school assembly on Friday.
A – students, B – school, C – assembly
[Link] senate will be voting on three education funding bills tomorrow.
A – senate, B – bills, C – tomorrow
[Link] teachers and administrators held a meeting in the faculty office.
A – teachers, B – administrators, C – faculty

6
7
8
9
10
Part Three: Plurals
Plural forms have special spelling rules.

11
12
13
14
15
Exercises

16
17
 Past progressive tense (Continuous)
The past progressive describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the
past. It can be used:
To describe an action that started in the past and was interrupted by another action:

1. He was writing an e-mail when the phone rang.

2. When the phone rang, he was writing an e-mail.
3. While he was writing an e-mail, the phone rang
To describe two actions that were in progress at the same time in the past:

1. I was preparing dinner while Melanie was working upstairs.

2. While Melanie was working upstairs, I was preparing dinner
Note: The word order in the sentence can be switched around as in the examples
above, however, it is important to remember that we use the time expression while
before the past progressive and the word when before the past simple part of the
sentence. Use only one of these time expressions in each sentence.
The past progressive is formed using was or were and the ing (present participle) form
of the verb.

Subject a form of be + verb rest of sentence

ing

I / He / She / It was finishing the exam when the bell rang

You / We / were paying the bill while I was waiting to be

They seated

18
Negatives in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 1st & 3rd person (I, he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not
and add an apostrophe (‘)
was not > wasn’t
were not > weren’t
The negative in the past progressive tense is created using was not or were not + the
ing (present participle) form of the verb.
Note: In general, use these contractions in the negative: wasn’t, weren’t. Save the long
forms for when you want to create emphasis.

Subject a form of be + verb ing rest of sentence

I /He / She / It wasn’t crying when you came home

You / We / They weren’t hiking there when the earthquake hit

1. I wasn’t sleeping when you came home last night.

2. When Ms. Foster came in, the girls weren’t studying.
3. Sam wasn’t lying when he said he loved you.

19
Yes/No Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

To ask a question that will be answered with either a yes or no, start with Was or
Were, (Wasn’t or Weren’t for a negative question) then choose your subject (the
person or thing doing the action), followed by the ing (present participle) form of the
verb and then the rest of your question.

A form of subject Verb ing rest of sentence

Be

Was I walking too fast

Was he / she / it shouting while you were trying to

sleep

Were you / we / waiting for her when the plane

they landed

1. Was I talking to you?

2. Were you writing the report when the electricity went off?
3. When you came home, was he singing in the shower?
4. Wasn’t Tom sitting in the cafe when you drove past?
Wh-Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical
wh- words are what, where, when, which, why, who, and how.
To create a wh-question, start with the Wh-word, then was or were (wasn’t or weren’t
for a negative question), then the subject (a person or thing that does the action),
followed by the ing (participle) form of the verb and only then add the rest of the
sentence.

20
 Wh a form subject Verb ing rest of sentence
Word of be

Who was I talking to

What was he / she / doing

it

When were you / we / planning on telling me the

they bad news

1. Where were you standing when the trouble started?

2. Who was I talking to? I can’t remember.
3. Why wasn’t she waiting at the meeting point?

21
 Exercises – Past Progressive
Fill in the correct form of the verb in Past Progressive (Continuous) or Past Simple as in
the examples.

1. Tom was wrapping the gift when I walked in the room. (wrap / walk)
2. Did he comfort her while she was crying? (comfort / cry)
3. What were you doing when the accident occurred? (do / occur)
1. What _______the manager ________ at 7:00 pm yesterday? (do)
2. Tina and Shelly ____________ to the hotel when it _________ to rain. (walk/start)
3. When Donny _________ the room, everyone ______________. (enter/talk)
4. I _________ in the sales department when I first _________ Sofie. (work/meet)
5. My brother ______the computer while I ______ for my trip. (use/pack)
6. ______ you ______ attention when the teacher ______ your name? (pay/call)
7. We ______ TV when the lightning ________. (watch/ strike)
8. She _______ about me behind my back, wasn’t she? (whisper)
9. ______ the client really ______out while Troy ______ the proposal? (walk / present)
[Link] morning, while I ________ breakfast, someone _______ on the door. (eat /knock)

22
Past simple and past progressive( continuous)
1 -Write the past simple form of these regular and irregular verbs.
1-cry _______ 8-chat _______
2-travel _______ 9-happen _______
3-send _______ 10-say _______
4-enjoy _______ 11-know _______
5-stop _______ 12-try _______
6-break _______ 13-cut _______
7-fall _______ 14-turn _______

2- Complete the sentences with the past simple form of the verbs in Exercise 1.
1- Last summer, my friend and I______ around the south of France. We really_______
ourselves.
2-_______ you_________ at the end of the film? I thought it was really sad.
3- Sarah is very angry. What________ you to her? You_______ to her yesterday.
4 -I________ my grandmother an email yesterday with a photo but she_____ (not)
how to open the attachment!
5 -My mobile phone________ on the floor but the screen_____ (not). That was lucky!
6 -I didn’t see the accident. It ________all very quickly.
7- My PC was making a strange noise so I___________ using it and ______ it off.
8 -We__________ to open the box with a knife but my dad________ himself. There
was blood everywhere!

3-Complete the sentences with the past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
1- I____________ (make) my dinner at 8 o’clock last night.
2- Joe and Sam__________ (use) the wrong program in IT yesterday.
3 -Who was that guy you_________ (dance) with at the party?
4- Paula___________ (come) home from school when she saw an accident.
5- In 1999 my father___________ (live) in Dublin. That’s where he met my mother.
6- He____________ (open) the box when he cut his finger.
7- This time last week, we____________ (visit) my grandmother.
8- I ___________(sit) at the back of the classroom so I couldn’t see the screen.

23
9- Andrew_____________ (insert) a photo into his document when the teacher
stopped the class.
10- I___________ (start) to do my homework when my friend sent me a message.

4- Choose the correct options.

1- I listened / was listening to the radio when I heard / was hearing this fantastic
song.
2- When the teacher said / was saying ‘Stop!’, I still tried / was still trying to finish
the last question.
3- I feel really silly! While I danced / was dancing, I fell / was falling and broke / was
breaking my elbow.
4- Tim played / was playing a computer game when his mum called / was calling him
for lunch.
5- I looked / was looking for a file on my memory stick when I noticed / was noticing
there was a virus.
6- Ron found / was finding a really interesting website about dance music while he
surfed / was surfing the internet.
7- My mum had / was having breakfast near the computer when she spilled / was
spilling her cup of coffee on the keyboard.
8 -When you saw / were seeing me yesterday, I didn’t go / wasn’t going to school, I
went / was going to the doctor’s – I felt terrible.
9- How many pictures did you take / were you taking while you travelled / were
travelling around Ireland?
10 -Why did you chat / were you chatting to Philip while I tried / was trying to tell you
something really important?

24
5- Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous form of the
verbs in brackets.
1- I____________ (switch off ) the computer because it_______ (make) a strange noise.
2- My dad____________ (listen) to classical music when I__________ (arrive) home
from school.
3- We ___________(play) video games when my mum ,___________(say) ‘Turn the
volume down!’
4- My cousin ___________(meet) his wife, Bianca, while he__________ (live) in Italy.
5- My little sister___________ (draw) a picture while I ___________(study) for my
French exam.
6 -While they________________ (try) to fix the computer, all the lights__________ (go
out).
7- When we __________(leave) school yesterday, it _________(pour) with rain.
8- When _____________ (see) Paul, he______________ (wear) a black jacket?
9- I ____________(try) to log on when the WiFi_____________ (stop) working.
10- While Dad ____________(print) an article, the printer____________ (run out)

25