WORD CLASSES

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M. Macinnes 2007

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

S1

HOMEWORK

BOOKLET

1

CAPITAL LETTERS AND FULL STOPS

You might feel that you can do this inside out – if so, then this homework should be easy! I bet you still forget to put capital letters and full stops in the correct places in your schoolwork though. And not just English; you should be writing beautiful accurate sentences in all subjects. Remember that!

Exercise A

Rewrite this passage putting in the capital letters and all the full stops. here is a famous problem called the monty hall problem which i have included in this book because it illustrates what i mean there used to be a column called ask marilyn in a magazine called parade in america and this column was written by marilyn vos savant and in the magazine it said that she had the highest iq in the world in the guinness book of records hall of fame in the column she answered maths questions set by readers in september 1990 this question was sent in by craig f whitaker of columbia maryland

This extract was taken from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the

Night-time by Mark Haddon.

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Lines continued on next page if you need them.

M. Macinnes 2007

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How confident do you feel about CAPITAL LETTERS AND

FULL STOPS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

discussion

2.

magician

3.

completion

4.

promotion

5.

passion

6.

collision

7.

opposition

8.

emotion

9.

possession

10.

electrician

Focus: ‘shun’ words

M. Macinnes 2007

3

PARAGRAPHS

A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea. It can be as short or as long as you like.

The topic of a paragraph is generally introduced by a key sentence.

This is often called a topic sentence. As its name suggests, this sentence contains the central idea of the paragraph. It may make a statement that the rest of the sentence develops. It often - but not always - comes at the beginning of the paragraph.

Topic sentence - the first sentence of a paragraph that tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

Supporting sentences - these sentences add details to the topic sentence.

Ending sentence - this concludes or closes the paragraph.

If in doubt, make your paragraphs shorter rather than longer. Long paragraphs are difficult to read.

Take a new paragraph for a change in:

 Time

 Speaker

 Place

Exercise A

Write a topic sentence for each of these examples.

1.

………………………………………………………………………………..

One of the most popular is Edinburgh Castle which is situated at the top of the Royal Mile.

2.

………………………………………………………………………………………… Juices and sodas have a lot of sugar in them and aren't a good source, so if you drink them, they don't count towards your daily amount. Diet sodas aren't a good choice either. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine.

3.

……………………………………………………………………………………… They make great company; they are independent, loving and clean and are remarkably easy to look after, especially if you have a cat flap to allow the cat to roam freely outside.

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Exercise B

Rewrite this chunk of text correctly, making it into 3 paragraphs.

That morning I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat any breakfast. I got dressed in my new uniform and felt like a bit of a prat actually, in my new blazer, nearly two sizes too big. I felt better when I met my friends at the bus stop. They looked as frightened as me. When the bell rang for the start of school, a teacher came to collect us and take us to our first lesson.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

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How confident do you feel about PARAGRAPHS?

Great! Got a few wrong

Need practice

Spelling

1.

impatient

2.

misbehave

3.

unfortunate

4.

antibiotic

5.

irregular

6.

impractical

7.

incredible

8.

immature

9.

misplace

10.

unrealistic

Focus: antonym prefixes

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5

COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

Some words are often confused. We are going to sort this out! The definitions for the commonly confused words are in the boxes at the top of each exercise.

Exercise A

quiet = without noise quite = to an extent, completely

1.

The village was …………………….and peaceful.

2.

It is ……………….beautiful and I am …………….content here.

3.

I am ………………….happy to turn it down if it is not

…………….enough for you.

4.

After a ……………..noisy start the class were ……………..

…………….. .

Exercise B

Choose from the following pairs of words to complete the sentences.

Past/passed a) It’s all in the ……………………….. b) We ……………… a fairground on the way.

Addition/edition a) The later …………….. of the paper is better. b) The baby is a new ……………….. to the family.

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Off = direction (off somewhere) & also the opposite of ‘on’

Of = amount of & belonging

Don’t confuse of with have when saying ‘ would have’ ,

‘ might have’ and ‘ should have’ .

Exercise C

1.

Having set …………….. in the wrong direction, he then fell

…………….. his bicycle.

2.

A kilogram ……………..potatoes, …………….. course, makes a lot …………….. chips.

3.

I should …………….. gone, and I could …………….gone!

4.

How many ……….. you felt ……….. colour at the weekend?

How confident do you feel about CONFUSED WORDS?

Great!

Spelling

1.

gallery

2.

highlight

3.

illusion

4.

kiln

5.

palette

6.

pastel

7.

perspective

8.

portrait

9.

sketch

10.

spectrum

Got a few wrong Need practice

Focus: subject specific vocabulary – Art

M. Macinnes 2007

7

COMMON SPELLING ERRORS

We’ve been working at improving our spelling each week. It’s time to put you to the test!

Exercise A

Spot the spelling mistake in each of the following sentences and write the misspelled word out correctly.

1.

Our holiday acommodation was terrific.

The correct spelling is …………… ………………..

2.

There is an introduction at the begginning of this book.

The correct spelling is …………………… ………………..

3.

There is a huge busness park on the edge of town.

The correct spelling is ……………..……………………..

4.

The Prime Minister was very definate on his decision to change the law.

The correct spelling is ………………… ……………………..

5.

You look very disapointed.

The correct spelling is ………………… …………..

6.

The man looked very embarased when his hat blew off.

The correct spelling is …………………… …………..

7.

I write in my dairy every day.

The correct spelling is ………………………… ………………..

8.

Vandalism damages the envioment.

The correct spelling is ………………………………..

9.

Is it necesary to wear make-up to school?

The correct spelling is ……………………… ……………..

10.

Those lines are paralel.

The correct spelling is ……………………… ………………..

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Exercise B

Use a dictionary to find the missing consonants.

1.

campai____n

2.

colum____

3.

cons_____ience

4.

desi____n

5.

ex____aust

6.

Feb____uary

7.

knowle_____ge

8.

lis____en

9.

obstac___e

10.

ras __ _berry

11.

reco____nise

12.

tec___nique

13.

tex___ _ _ure

14.

autum___

How confident do you feel about SPELLING?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

narrator

2.

onomatopoeia

3.

pamphlet

4.

paragraph

Focus: subject spelling – English

5.

personification

6.

playwright

7.

prefix

8.

resolution

9.

rhyme

10.

simile

See what happens if you don’t practise!

M. Macinnes 2007

9

WORD CLASSES

Words are divided into different classes. Here are three of them: noun

(naming word); verb (doing word) and adjective (describing word).

Exercise A

Identify what the words below are from the following sentence, by underlining, circling or highlighting.

There was a lovely flower in the house but the dog ate it which caused a fight

1.

house noun/verb/adjective

2.

eat

3.

flower

4.

lovely

5.

fight noun/verb/adjective noun/verb/adjective noun/verb/adjective noun/verb/adjective

Exercise B

Now, pick out all the nouns and verbs from this extract.

Alan sighed and picked up the brush. He looked at the painting. He had finished the trees and the fields, but had to complete the sky. He also wanted to paint in some people, cows and birds to make it more interesting.

Nouns (naming words) Verbs (doing words)

M. Macinnes 2007

10

Exercise C

Fill the spaces below with a suitable word:

Leaning back in a wicker chair sat Doctor Pimm, a plump, red-faced man with a shiny, _________________ head and _________________, beady eyes. His wife Jane, was a tall, _____________ freckled woman with closely-cropped ___________________ hair.

The words which fit the spaces above are: nouns/ verbs/ adjectives

(please circle the correct one).

Great!

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

Spelling

beat

6.

7.

8.

sweet bright white wheat might heat knight

9.

bite

10.

seat

How confident do you feel about identifying NOUNS,

VERBS and ADJECTIVES?

Got a few wrong Need practice

Focus: vowel choices

Extension: collect, list and categorise spellings of a long vowel sound by spelling pattern.

M. Macinnes 2007

11

SENTENCE TYPES

It’s time to move on to sentences. They come in three main types:

Simple sentence – will have one complete verb and a subject making one main idea.

Compound sentence – joins two or more main ideas together with words like and, but, nor, then and yet.

Complex sentence – have more than one idea; a main idea which makes sense on its own, and a subordinate clause which depends on the main clause and would not make sense on its own.

A clause is an idea in a sentence. There are main clauses and

subordinate clauses.

Exercise A

Combine two simple sentences to make a compound sentence using the words and, but, nor, then and yet. Note, there is only one complete verb in each simple sentence.

1.

He fell off his bike. He really hurt himself.

………………………………………………………………………………………

2.

Buy a new car at this price. You’ll never regret it.

………………………………………………………………………………………

3.

She’s been playing music for two hours. It’s driving me mad.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise B

Underline the subordinate clause in each of these sentences.

1.

Keen to go home, Roy threw a tantrum.

2.

Speaking from his heart, he displayed how he really felt.

3.

My barber, who is very wealthy, has cut his prices.

4.

Until the bridge was built, people crossed the river by boat.

5.

Whenever it snows, the mountains look beautiful.

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12

Exercise C

Identify whether these sentences are simple, complex or compound.

Underline the main clause(s) in each sentence to help you.

1. I was late so I ran for the bus. ……………………….

2. It’s for John who lives in New York.

3. Today was a good day.

……………………….

……………………….

4. Like all his friends, he has a devilish grin.

5. I love pizza so I eat it all the time.

6. Despite losing, he played it again.

……………………….

……………………….

……………………….

7. She opened the door of the cage.

8. After seeing that, I never went again.

……………………….

……………………….

Great!

How confident do you feel about identifying

SENTENCE TYPES?

Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling Focus: plurals of words ending in -y

1.

babies

2.

monkeys

If the word ends in a

3.

parties

4.

trays

5.

lollies

6.

cries

7.

days

8.

jellies

9.

keys

10.

worries consonant and then y, change the y to –ies to pluralise it.

M. Macinnes 2007

13

COMPLEX SENTENCES

You need to know about different types of sentence so that you add variety to your writing. Make sure you use complex sentences as well as compound and simple ones.

Exercise A

Combine each pair of sentences into one sentence containing a

subordinate clause.

1.

John was travelling by train. He was going to visit his grandma.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

2.

The dog growled at the man. It moved closer to him.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

3.

The manager was in a desperate hole. He mumbled that it was a game of two halves.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Exercise B

Write a sentence with a subordinate clause, using each of the following words to start it.

1. Going ……………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Having ……………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. Wearing ………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………….

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14

Exercise C

Identify the main clauses and the subordinate clauses in these complex sentences by highlighting in different colours.

1.

Her giant poster of Johnny Depp fell off the wall while she was asleep.

2.

Although I was tired, I stayed up late to do my homework.

3.

Our team lost the match, even though our striker was brilliant.

4.

Since Penny was late for the third time this week, Mr Edwards put her in detention.

5.

Alison, who went out with Tony, is now going out with Adam.

How confident do you feel about identifying MAIN CLAUSES

AND SUBORDINATE CLAUSES?

Got a few wrong Great!

Spelling Focus: plurals

1.

calves

2.

radios

3.

skis

4.

thieves

5.

umbrellas

6.

knives

7.

tomatoes

8.

tattoos

9.

potatoes

10.

heroes

Need practice

M. Macinnes 2007

15

COMMON & PROPER NOUNS & CAPITAL LETTERS

You already know that nouns are naming words, but did you know that you get common and proper nouns?

 Common nouns – used for general people, places and things e.g. girl.

 Proper nouns – for particular people, places and things e.g.

Edinburgh. Proper nouns must begin with a capital letter.

Exercise A

Sort these nouns into common and proper nouns:

Brian, cow, Manchester, chair, books, Globe Theatre, houses, bracelet, Lucy, elephant, carpenter, Earlston, Stormbreaker

Common Nouns Proper Nouns

Exercise B

Copy the passage onto the space on the next page, putting capital

letters where needed (there should be 35) and underlining all nouns. my cousin ella was coming from hong kong to spend christmas with us in devon. as i had never met her i was really excited. her father and mother, my uncle charles and aunt anne worked for the foreign office and they were being sent to china with british airways. ella was travelling down from london on the riviera express and we were to meet her at exeter station on the friday, the day before christmas eve. on boxing day we were going to see cinderella at the theatre royal, plymouth.

M. Macinnes 2007

16

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How confident do you feel about identifying COMMON &

PROPER NOUNS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

century

2.

cistern

3.

cyclone

4.

cinnamon

5.

decision

6.

incident

7.

circle

8.

accident

9.

circuit

10.

ceiling

Focus: soft ‘c’

HINT: -ci, -ce and –cy usually soften the c sound.

M. Macinnes 2007

17

CONCRETE, ABSTRACT & COLLECTIVE NOUNS

There’s more! Nouns are also broken into concrete and abstract nouns.

Abstract noun – the name of something we cannot see, hear or touch (e.g. love, freedom).

Concrete noun – the name of something we can see, hear and touch (e.g. tree).

Collective noun – the name for a special group of people or animals (e.g. choir, crew, audience, herd).

Exercise A

Sort these 4 concrete nouns and 4 abstract nouns and put them in the list: hatred, thought, pyjamas, honesty, toast, ice, happiness, mouse.

Concrete Nouns Abstract Nouns

Cards

Players

Sheep

Puppies

Fish

Geese

Exercise B

What is the collective noun for each of these groups? (You might have to look some up).

Noun Collective Noun

Bees

M. Macinnes 2007

18

Exercise C

Pick out the nouns in the passage below and identify them.

It was a bitterly cold Saturday in February. Liz and her brother Danny, were watching a choir in total happiness, snowflakes settling gently on their shoulders and eyelashes.

Noun Type of Noun

How confident do you feel about identifying NOUNS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

balloons

2.

kisses

3.

sisters

4.

lunches

5.

watches

6.

boxes

7.

meals

8.

girls

9.

churches

10.

buses

Focus: plurals

Nouns ending in hissing/buzzing/shushing sounds usually and –es in the plural.

M. Macinnes 2007

19

MAKING VERBS AGREE

Verbs take different forms depending on their tense. The verb to be looks like this in the present and the past tense.

Present Simple Tense

I am

Past Simple Tense

I was

You are

He/she/it is

You were

He/she/it was

We are

You (plural) are

They are

We were

You (plural) were

They were

Exercise A

Look carefully at the verb tables above and choose the correct verb forms in these sentences.

1.

The chickens was/were kept in a large pen.

………………………………………………………………………………………

2.

I is/am/are hoping to see you soon.

………………………………………………………………………………………

3.

There is/are a long row of houses.

………………………………………………………………………………………

4.

We was/were thirty altogether in the class.

………………………………………………………………………………………

5.

Mr and Mrs Smith is/are living at 4 Reiver Avenue.

………………………………………………………………………………………

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20

Exercise B

There are 11 mistakes of agreement in this passage. Rewrite it, underlining your corrections.

There is hundreds of rabbits at Holly Farm. Almost everybody like rabbits except the farmer, Mr. Davis, and he hate them because they eats his cabbages and digs holes in his fields. He and his son tries to scare them off but it do not work. The number of rabbits continue to grow and Mr Davis have had enough. He and his son says they is going to call in the Pest Control Officer.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

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………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………….

How confident do you feel about MAKING VERBS AGREE?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling 18

1.

benefited

2.

chaos

3.

chemistry conscience 4.

5.

cupboard

6.

description

7.

environment

8.

February

9.

fiend

10.

hymn

Focus: strategies for learning spellings

You need to make up your own ways of remembering how to spell these words.

Try creating a mnemonic, a rhyme, sounding out each syllable or drawing pictures.

M. Macinnes 2007

21

ADVERBS

Now you know about nouns, verbs and adjectives, it’s time to learn about adverbs. Adverbs describe verbs. They tell you how, when and where things are done.

To identify adverbs you can:

 Find the verb in the sentence, then ask yourself the where, when or how question. The word that tells you the answer is the adverb.

 Or you can often identify adverbs by finding words ending in –ly.

Remember though, lots of adverbs do not end in –ly (like yesterday, fast etc).

Exercise A

Identify the adverbs in the sentences below by underlining, circling or highlighting.

1.

She smiled cheerfully at her boyfriend.

2.

I quickly put the keys down.

3.

My dad is coming here soon.

4.

Dale was shaking terribly and muttering incoherently.

5.

He slammed the glass down hard on the side.

6.

The journey was mercifully short.

Exercise B

Now add in adverbs to these sentences to make them more interesting.

1.

Talk __________________ or you will waken the baby.

2.

He frowned, and then looked at Jason _____________________.

3.

He went home ______________________.

4.

He plays pool ___________________.

5.

I’ll be ready _________________________.

6.

________________ I’m going to the dentist.

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22

Exercise C

In Box A are five verbs and in Box B are five adverbs. Use them in 1-5 to complete the sentences.

BOX A broke flew finished failed completed

BOX B soon easily gently

unfortunately over

1.

Kelly _____________ the exam ________________.

2.

The plane _________________ _______________ the house.

3.

The vet _____________ the news to the old lady _____________.

4.

How many __________________ their homework ________________?

5.

Is the programme _______________ so _________________?

How confident do you feel about identifying

ADVERBS?

Great!

Spelling

1.

mopping

2.

feeling

3.

burning

4.

dragging

5.

disgusting

6.

running

7.

stopped

8.

begging

9.

writing

10.

hiding

Got a few wrong

Focus: doubling consonants

Need practice

It all depends on the sounds of the vowel before the end of the word. If it’s a short vowel and a single consonant (like fit), you double the letter (e.g. fittest, fitter). If it’s a long vowel (like stoop) you don’t double it (e.g. stooped).

M. Macinnes 2007

23

PREPOSITIONS

A preposition is an important little word which shows the

position of one noun or pronoun in relation to another.

These are all words which can be used as prepositions: to at before after since on off under beneath above against until near with without of across for from over around by along between among opposite below through beside up in

Exercise A

Use a suitable preposition from the list above to complete each of these sentences. Do not use the same one twice!

1.

The cat sat …………… the mat.

2.

Alice went…………… the looking glass.

3.

Jack went …………… the hill …………… Jill.

4.

Pride comes …………… a fall.

5.

Greg was guilty …………… apostrophe crime.

6.

Ailsa was similar …………… Molly.

7.

Alright, you can stay …………… twelve.

8.

Who set the cat …………… the pigeons?

9.

The cow jumped …………… the moon.

10.

You won’t get in …………… a ticket.

11.

Sinbad sailed …………… the sea.

12.

E.T. came …………… Outer Space.

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24

Exercise B

Which preposition would be most suitable to use with each of these words?

1.

Ashamed …………… 8.

Prevented ……………

2.

Rely ……………

3.

Involved

9.

10.

Apologise ……………

Opposite ……………

……………

4.

Afraid ……………

5.

According ……………

6.

Responsible ……………

7.

Comment ……………

11.

12.

13.

14.

Interfere ……………

Blame ……………

Exposed ……………

Divide ……………

How confident do you feel about PREPOSITIONS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

psyche

2.

psychiatrist

3.

psychologist

4.

rhyme

5.

rhythm

6.

separate

7.

siege

8.

Wednesday

9.

minute

10.

diary

Focus: strategies for learning spellings

You need to make up your own ways of remembering how to spell these words.

Try creating a mnemonic, a rhyme, sounding out each syllable or drawing pictures.

M. Macinnes 2007

25

PRONOUNS

A pronoun is a word which is used instead of a noun. There are a few different kinds of pronouns but we’re going to start first with personal

pronouns.

Subject Form

(the person/thing doing the verb)

Object Form

(the person/thing having the verb done to them

)

I Me

You You

He

She

It

Him

Her

It

We

You (plural)

Us

You

They Them

Exercise A

Rewrite the passage below using some of the above pronouns instead of the underlined nouns.

Lewis and Lucy had tickets for a concert which Lewis and Lucy had bought when Lewis and Lucy were in London. Unfortunately, Lewis and Lucy had lost the tickets. Lucy said, ‘Lucy remembers Lucy gave the tickets to

Lewis.’

‘What is Lucy talking about?’ Lewis replied. ‘Lucy knows Lewis hasn’t seen the tickets.’

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

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…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

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26

A possessive pronoun is a word used without a noun to show something belongs to someone/something. E.g. mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours,

yours and theirs.

Exercise B

Rewrite these sentences using a possessive pronoun. E.g. John’s seat becomes his seat.

1.

I thought that pencil was Karen’s.

………………………………………………………………………………………

2.

You said we were going to your house.

………………………………………………………………………………………

3.

We said we’d share our umbrella with them.

………………………………………………………………………………………

4.

Jenny and Neil said the CD belonged to them.

………………………………………………………………………………………

5.

Hey! That cake belongs to me!

………………………………………………………………………………………

How confident do you feel about PRONOUNS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

abstract

2.

acrylic

3.

charcoal

4.

collage

5.

collection

Focus: subject spelling – Art

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

colour dimension easel exhibition frieze

M. Macinnes 2007

27

BUILDING SENTENCES CONJUNCTIONS

Who, whose, which and that are very useful for joining sentences. E.g.

This is John. + He is a postman. = This is John who is a postman.

Exercise A

Join each pair of sentences using who, whose, which or that.

1. This is my aunt. She is thirty years old.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

The bites are really itchy. 2. We were attacked by midgies.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

He built his own car. 3. That is David Ellis

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. We are going with Lucy. Her dad has a flat in Wick.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. She used to be in Eastenders. It is a soap opera.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. This is my dog Alf. His mother was a Crufts’ champion.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. We are country people. We need public transport.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. They flew first class to New York. It was rather expensive.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

She lives in Dunblane. 9. Do you know Karen?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. Where is the toy train? It makes a funny noise.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

28

Remember, conjunctions are joining words. Here are eleven conjunctions which give great variety in your writing. and while but so because when

Exercise B before after whereas

Join these groups of sentences using the above words.

1.

The lady hurried to catch the lift. I held the door open. She was extremely old.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.

Lisa was not placed. Danni came first. Both sisters competed.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.

There was a violent thunderstorm. The sky was almost black. It was unbelievably hot.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

How confident do you feel about BUILDING SENTENCES?

Got a few wrong Need Great! practice

Spelling

1.

Australia

2.

practice

3.

mourn

4.

drought

5.

learn

Focus: common letter clusters

6. weight

7. notice

8. claustrophobia

9. because

10. apprentice

M. Macinnes 2007

29

BUILDING VOCABULARY

Dictionaries are useful things, but they weren’t always around. The first major English dictionary was written by a man called Dr. Samuel Johnson in 1755.

It took him about 10 years to complete. Because

Johnson wrote most of it himself, he allowed humour to come into some of his definitions. Here’s one you might enjoy: " Oats : a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people”. You can probably guess that Johnson wasn’t a fan of the Scots.

But don’t let that put you off!

Exercise A

Now to get on with building your vocabulary; here are some words you might find useful if you were to meet Dr. Johnson. Find the definitions and write them on the dotted lines.

1.

lexicographer

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.

malicious

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.

lucid

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

4.

pithy

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

5.

postulate

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

6.

proficiency

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

30

Exercise B

It’s time you wrote down 5 interesting words you don’t know and find the definitions. To find them, just listen to what people say – on the television, in newspapers, at school and at home. You must find five

words. No excuses!

WORD DEFINITION

How confident do you feel about BUILDING YOUR

VOCABULARY?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

adorable

2.

probable

3.

terrible

4.

possible

5.

horrible

6.

reliable

7.

miserable

8.

invincible

9.

respectable

10.

credible

Focus: -able and –ible endings

M. Macinnes 2007

31

APOSTOPHES

Apostrophes look like this:

They are used to show that:

 a letter is missing e.g wouldn’t (=would not). This is called

OMISSION.

 something belongs to someone/something. This is called POSSESSION.

A lot of people make mistakes in using apostrophes (just look at pub menus and shop names), but YOU won’t be one of them!

Exercise A

Put the apostrophe in the correct place to show the OMISSION of letters. Write the word correctly on the dotted line.

1. I shouldnt go to the concert, but I will. …………………..

2. Shell be a bit late Im afraid. ………………

3. Its a shame Lucy cant be there. ………………

…………………..

…………………..

4. Whenre you coming back?

Exercise B

…………………..

Now for possession. Please note, if something belongs to more than one person or thing, the apostrophe goes after the end of the word.

E.g. The girls’ toilets = the toilets belonging to the girls.

1. Alfs pencil case was broken.

2. The cat is at Erins house.

3. The teachers staffroom is a sacred place.

4. All the dictionaries covers were torn.

5. I told you Alexs girlfriend was hot!

………………….

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

32

Exercise C

One of the most commonly wrongly used apostrophe words is it’s.

That’s because if something belongs to it, you DO NOT put in an

apostrophe between the t and the s. After all, you wouldn’t say something belonging to him was hi’s, would you? I know it breaks the rule of belonging, but just remember: only use it’s if it means IT IS or IT

HAS.

Now, write the missing it’s or its correctly in the gaps.

1.

……..…. too late, I’ve already lost it.

2.

Gosh! ………….. hot today isn’t it?

3.

The dog has cut ………. paw.

4.

This pencil Miss, ……..….. lead is totally broken!

5.

When’s he going to tell us ……….… ready?

How confident do you feel about APOSTROPHES?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

manager

2.

occasional

3.

fiercest

4.

hopeful

5.

merciless

6.

originally

7.

exceptional

8.

thankless

9.

likely

10.

beautiful

Focus: suffixes

M. Macinnes 2007

33

AVOIDING APOSTROPHE CRIMES

Remember the rules on the use of the apostrophe? Apostrophes are used for….. OMISSION (missing letters out) AND POSSESSION (showing

something belongs to someone or something).

The exception to the rule is

How do you know when to use it’s or its? (HINT: Look back at the work on apostrophes you did before).

Its = ………………………………………………………………………………….

It’s = .…………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise A

Put the apostrophe(s) in the correct places in these sentences.

1.

My best friends sister is called Jodie.

2.

I havent done my homework.

3.

The boys changing rooms stink!

4.

If they go down the shops, theyll miss the start of the football.

5.

Andys project is brilliant.

6.

Thats not my monster! Its skin is too rough.

7.

‘Youre my best friend’ said Lucy.

8.

Michelle shouldve caught the half-eight bus, but she missed it.

9.

Im always later for school in the mornings, it’s my dads fault.

10.

Weve won lots of cups this year; were the Borders best school.

M. Macinnes 2007

34

Exercise B

Now try putting the apostrophe in these ones…

1.

Im sure its hurt, its got its wing stretched out.

2.

When were done well do ours and then theyll do theirs.

3.

I dont know why mens toilets are always smellier than ladies.

4.

The planes are about to take off - hear the roar of the aircrafts engines!

5.

Im watching Sundays game in an hours time.

Exercise C

Use apostrophes and an s to change the clumsy phrases below into a quicker way of saying the same thing.

E.g. The hat belonging to Joe = Joe’s hat

1.

the hutch belonging to the rabbit

………………………………………………………………………………………

2.

the edge belonging to the cliff

………………………………………………………………………………………

How confident do you feel about APOSTROPHES?

Got a few wrong Need practice Great!

Spelling

1.

jealous

2.

jewellery

3.

knight liaison 4.

5.

library

6.

medicine

7.

miniature

8.

mnemonics

9.

parliament

10.

rhythm

Focus: strategies for learning spellings

You need to make up your own ways of remembering how to spell these words.

Try creating a mnemonic, a rhyme, sounding out each syllable or drawing pictures.

M. Macinnes 2007

35

VOCABULARY BUILDING

To make your writing better, you not only have to be able to write fluid, interesting sentences, you also have to use interesting and varied words to really get across what you mean. Get into the habit of noting down and looking up unknown words in the dictionary (try to do at least 3 a week). This week, you’re being given a helping hand to start you off. It’s a joy learning new words and this is your next task.

Exercise A

Look up the definitions of these words and write them down underneath them.

1. impudent

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. discretion

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. intuition

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. audacity

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. infallible

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. anecdote

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

1.

specious

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

36

Exercise B

Next you need to know where to look to find interesting words to replace more commonplace ones in your writing. The answer lies in the thesaurus.

To use a thesaurus:

 look up the word you want to replace, just as you would in the dictionary e.g. ‘nice’.

 you’ll find lots of other words that mean the same as

‘nice’ in different ways. For example, pleasant, kind, polite, good, fine, lovely.

Look up the following words in the thesaurus and write down three of the alternatives underneath them.

1.

say

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

1.

hope

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

NOW TRY AND LEARN SOME OF THE MORE UNUSUAL ONES!

How confident do you feel about looking things up in a

DICTIONARY and THESAURUS?

Great!

Spelling

1.

animal

2.

literate

3.

jewellery

4.

lettuce

5.

difference

6.

definitely

7.

parallel

8.

similar

9.

television

10.

reference

Got a few wrong

Focus: unstressed vowels

Need practice

M. Macinnes 2007

37

SPEECH MARKS

You need to use speech marks (inverted commas) to show speech.

The words in the inverted commas show the exact words spoken.

 Where you write the closing speech mark, there is always a

punctuation mark inside the speech marks.

 Each utterance begins with a capital letter. E.g. He said, “We should have gone too.”

 If you’re writing sentence that has normal prose and then speech, a comma before the words spoken.

 Use a comma if speech continues in the same sentence. E.g.

“Yes,” replied Arthur, “I am.”

 Take a new line if a different person is speaking

Indent the beginning of speech slightly.

Exercise A

Rewrite the sentences, punctuating them correctly using speech marks.

1.

I must go home now said anne

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.

father thundered sit down at once

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.

do you think he did it asked jenny softly

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

4.

the man said you have forgotten your change

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

5.

david cried out manchester united will never beat chelsea

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

38

Exercise B

Rewrite this passage as dialogue (speech). Remember to take a new line when someone else speaks.

Name asked the doctor Blenkinsop replied the patient pardon I said

Blenkinsop.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

How confident do you feel about SPEECH MARKS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

disappointed

2.

inconvenient

3.

misunderstood

4.

premature

5.

international

6.

biological

7.

relive

8.

submarine

9.

nonsense

10.

indescribable

Focus: common prefixes

M. Macinnes 2007

39

BUILDING VOCABULARY

The words below can all be used to describe people – their characteristics, moods, attitudes and personalities. Using your dictionary to help you, write out the correct meaning.

1.

audacious

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.

benevolent

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.

culpable

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

4.

callous

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

5.

gregarious

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

6.

inhibited

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

7.

inconsistent

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

8.

dynamic

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

9.

stalwart

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

10.

illustrious

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

40

Rewrite the following sentences, using suitable words from the list from the previous page to fill the gaps:

1.

Although he was usually a very friendly person, he behaved towards the visitors in a rather _____________________ way.

2.

The vet was shocked when he heard of the man’s

__________________________ treatment of the dog.

3.

Andy is a real _________________ friend.

4.

The behaviour of the _______________________ criminal had clearly been ______________________.

How confident do you feel about BUILDING YOUR

VOCABULARY?

Got a few wrong Need Great! practice

Spelling Focus: homophones

1.

knew (to know someone)

2.

weak (as weak as a kitten)

3.

serial (the serial killer)

4.

heard (I heard a noise)

5.

allowed (I’m not allowed out)

6.

knot (the knot came loose)

7.

peace (peace and quiet)

8.

new (my new skirt)

9.

aloud (I read aloud)

10.

piece (a piece of homework)

M. Macinnes 2007

41

REVISING WRITING SPEECH

Look back at your previous homework on writing speech to remind you of the rules. You should constantly be revising your basic skills as it’s easy to forget, or becoming sloppy in your writing.

Exercise A

Rewrite each sentence/ group of sentences with all the correct punctuation.

1.

Tackle her shouted the goalkeeper before she shoots.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………

2.

Amanda closed her eyes and said dreamily your brother is the best-looking boy in the whole school.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

3.

Pass this note to Emma whispered Katie as she pretended to pay attention to what Mr Cole was saying to the whole class.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

4.

Your table manners Granny said to Malcolm are the worst in the whole family.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

5.

What a mess exclaimed Mrs Mullen as she went into her daughter’s bedroom.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

M. Macinnes 2007

42

Exercise B

Write out the following conversation, adding speech marks and starting a new line, in from the margin, for each new speaker. Do not change any of the other punctuation.

I do not think this is a very modern life, said Barney to his aunt as the door banged shut. Do you think it is safe? asked Aunt Jess. I suppose so, said Barney as he pressed the green button marked UP. The lift jerked upwards for a few feet then stopped. We’re stuck! gasped Aunt

Jess and she started to scream.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

How confident do you feel about WRITING SPEECH?

Great!

Spelling

1.

estuary

2.

habitat

3.

infrastructure

4.

interfere

5.

latitude

Got a few wrong

Focus: subject spelling – Geography

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Need practice location pollution regional transportation weather

M. Macinnes 2007

43

USING COMMAS

You will hopefully have been using commas in your writing anyway.

The work we did on clauses should have helped you decide where to put them. Here’s some revision for you.

One of the ways commas can be used is to mark off groups of words which are not absolutely necessary as the sentence would still make

sense without them. E.g. Dad, lying in the bath, got his toe stuck in the tap. You should have spotted that lying in the bath is a subordinate

clause; it is extra information which is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence.

Exercise A

Each of these sentences has extra information. Put the comma(s) in the correct place in each sentence.

1.

Singing loudly she began to wash the dishes.

2.

Sitting up in Grandmother’s bed the wolf looked greedily at Red

Riding Hood.

3.

Dressed in his best suit Tom went off happily to his first day at work.

4.

Having taken an enormous mouthful she began to eat with her mouth open.

5.

Last night Catherine walking in her sleep fell downstairs.

6.

The referee feeling he ought to be strict sent Wakefield off the pitch.

7.

The walkers all thoroughly exhausted collapsed on the ground.

8.

Balancing carefully the acrobat began to walk across the wire.

M. Macinnes 2007

44

Exercise B

Another time you should use commas is when there is a group of words which is another way of describing what goes immediately before it in a sentence. E.g. Mrs Campbell, the village gossip, was leaning on the wall. Here the village gossip is not a clause as it does not contain a verb, but it is extra information about Mrs Campbell.

Put the commas in these sentences.

1.

My mum wrote a letter to Miss Clarke my teacher to explain why my homework was late.

2.

Haggis the stomach of the sheep is a traditional dish of the Scots.

3.

The homework a difficult exercise was not done correctly by anyone.

4.

He kept pigs animals he was very fond of as well as hens.

5.

The garden a jungle of weeds was full of mice, voles and hedgehogs.

How confident do you feel about COMMAS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

soliloquy

2.

subordinate

3.

synonym

Focus: subject spelling - English & Geography

4.

tabloid

5.

vocabulary

6.

amenity

7.

authority

8.

climate

9.

employment

10.

erosion

M. Macinnes 2007

45

SYNONYMS

Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings (e.g. worried/anxious; big/large; small/tiny; gorgeous/beautiful).

Exercise A

Using a thesaurus find synonyms for the following words.

1.

cold

2.

hot

3.

weird

4.

dark

………………………………………………………………...

………………………………………………………………...

………………………………………………………………...

………………………………………………………………...

5.

quick

6.

horrid

………………………………………………………………...

………………………………………………………………...

7.

lovely ………………………………………………………………...

Exercise B

Find the correct synonyms for the following words using a thesaurus and the word parts in the grid. The first one is done for you.

Enormous gigantic

………………

Clear

………………

Dangerous

………………

Strong

………………

Difficult

………………

Brave

………………

Easy

………………

Thin

………………

Bright

………………

Wide

……………… gigan trans ful cour tri sim hazard ageous der ad power ple bro iant slen ous cky parent tic brill

M. Macinnes 2007

46

Exercise C

Find the word in each group of synonyms which is the odd one out.

Odd One Out a) happy, ecstatic, merry, dejected b) crestfallen, elated, desolate, miserable

………………………

……………………… c) beautiful, hideous, alluring, gorgeous ……………………… d) palatable, delectable, delicious, unpalatable ……………………… e) hostile, amiable, convivial, friendly f) kind, charitable, generous, miserly

……………………….

……………………….. g) horrible, loathsome, revolting, delightful h) active, indolent, energetic, industrious

………………………..

………………………..

How confident do you feel about using SYNONYMS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

aesthetic

2.

technology

3.

disassemble

4.

evaluation

5.

innovation

6.

specification

7.

manufacture

8.

portfolio

9.

brief

10.

production

Focus: subject spelling – Craft & Design

M. Macinnes 2007

47

ANTONYMS

Antonyms are words with the opposite meaning to another word

(e.g. hot/cold; love/hate; big/small). Very often a thesaurus will list antonyms of words as well as synonyms.

Exercise A

Using a thesaurus, find as many antonyms as you can for the following words.

1.

easy ………………………………………………………………………..….

……………………………………………………………………………………....

2. wide ……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………....

3.

sad …………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………....

4.

small …………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………..

5.

ugly……………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Exercise B

Put the following antonyms into pairs.

Light

Heavy

Cure

Rich

Fresh

Short

Far

Near

Long

Stale

Poor

Injure

……………….. + …………………

……………….. + …………………

……………….. + …………………

……………….. + …………………

……………….. + …………………

……………….. + …………………

M. Macinnes 2007

48

Exercise C

Find the antonyms for the following words using a thesaurus and the word parts in the grid. One is done for you.

Poor - ………………………

Vague - ………………………

Hope - ………………………

Tiny - ………………………

Friend - ………………………

Fact - ………………………

Export - ………………………

Weak - ………………………

Arrive - ………………………

Deep - ………………………

Clever - ………………………

Optimistic - pessimistic

pessi my ene llow dep weal power im defi air art thy desp port ive sha mistic fic ful stu nite pid mass tion

How confident do you feel about using ANTONYMS?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

applause

2.

character

3.

director

4.

dramatise

5.

improvise

6.

performance

7.

rehearsal

8.

scenario

9.

theatre

10.

curtain

Focus: subject spelling – Drama

M. Macinnes 2007

49

PREFIXES

A prefix is a group of letters that go before a word to change its meaning.

Exercise A

Find out what these prefixes mean and write them in the box below.

Prefix Meaning

Anti

Mis

Sub

Pre

Pro

Contra

Exercise B

Prefixes that turn a root word into its opposite are called antonym

prefixes. Use a prefix to make these words into their opposites.

Prefix

in accurate

Root Word

fortunate biotic convenient legal mature fiction helpful inform legible proper freeze count decent reasonable

M. Macinnes 2007

50

Exercise C

Find two more examples of words that use these prefixes:

Prefix Example 1 Example 2

Tele

Bi

Micro

Auto

Aqua

Circum

Aero

Re

How confident do you feel about PREFIXES?

Need practice Great! Got a few wrong

Spelling classical prefixes

Focus:

1.

aeroplane

2.

television

3.

transatlantic

4.

superpower

5.

audience

6.

autobiography

7.

bilingual

8.

circulate

9.

audible

10.

microphone

M. Macinnes 2007

51

WHERE WORDS COME FROM

Many English words have Greek and Latin roots. You might remember some of these bits of English words from Greek and Latin from our work on prefixes.

Audio (to hear) Geo (earth) Metre

(measure)

Phone

(voice/sound)

Bio (life) Chromo

(colour)

Chrono (time) Logo

(word/reason)

Graph (writing) Scope (target)

Sphere (ball) Photo (light)

Exercise A

Below are some prefixes from Greek and Latin. Look up the prefixes in a dictionary to find out exactly what they mean.

1.

bi = ………………………………………………………………..

2.

com = ………………………………………………………………..

3.

epi =

4.

ex =

5.

mega =

6.

tetra =

7.

mono =

8.

sub =

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

9.

hypo =

10.

uni =

11.

syn =

12.

tele =

13.

inter =

14.

mal =

15.

poly =

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………..

M. Macinnes 2007

52

Exercise B

Guess what each of the following words mean using your knowledge of prefixes. For each word, write down your guess, then look it up in the dictionary. If you were wrong, write down the correct meaning.

1.

anteroom = ………………………………………………………………..

……………………….………………………………………………………………..

2.

biofuel = ………………………………………………………………..

……………………….………………………………………………………………..

3.

tetrapod = ………………………………………………………………..

……………………….………………………………………………………………..

4.

monochromatic = …………………………………………………………

……………………….………………………………………………………………..

5.

polyphone = ………………………………………………………………..

……………………….………………………………………………………………..

6.

hypoacidity = ………………………………………………………………

……………………….………………………………………………………………..

How confident do you feel about WHERE WORDS COME FROM?

Great!

Spelling

1.

agriculture

2.

castle

3.

bias

4.

cathedral

5.

chronology

Got a few wrong

Focus: subject spelling – History

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Need practice civilisation constitution current defence disease

M. Macinnes 2007

53

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

You can make description really interesting, not only by the words you choose, but by the comparisons you make between things. Figurative

language involves metaphors, similes or figures of speech.

 A simile is a comparison between two things using the words like or as. E.g. Her hand was as cold as ice.

 A metaphor compares by saying something is something else.

E.g. You are a devil.

Exercise A

Identify whether these are similes or metaphors.

1.

The sun was an orange ball in the sky.

…………………………………….................

2.

He took to it like a duck to water.

…………………………………….................

3.

Emma was as white as a sheet.

…………………………………….................

4.

His breath was on fire after eating the chilli.

…………………………………….................

5.

I’m feeling as fit as a fiddle!

…………………………………….................

6.

He shot after them like a bat out of hell.

…………………………………….................

7.

You’re as high as a kite!

…………………………………….................

8.

You are a nosy cow!

…………………………………….................

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Exercise B

Complete these similes:

1.

As strong as ……………………………………………………………….

2.

As proud as ………………………………………………………………..

3.

As weak as …………………………………………………………………

4.

As sharp as …………………………………………………………………

5.

As cunning as ……………………………………………………………...

Now you know what figurative language is, you should try to put your own similes and metaphors into your writing.

How confident do you feel about FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE?

Great! practice

Got a few wrong Need

Spelling

1.

mourn

2.

apprentice

3.

through

4.

height

5.

sausage

6.

thought

7.

police

8.

bright

9.

enough

10.

journey

Focus: common letter clusters

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IMAGERY – PERSONIFICATION

We have already looked at imagery, or figurative language, when we worked on similes and metaphors. Another important aspect of imagery is PERSONIFICATION. Personification is when we describe something that is not really alive as though it were a person or animal.

E.g. the wind howled.

Exercise A

Give each of these machines animal or human characteristics (e.g. camera – ‘the camera winked its lens, and the photo was taken.’)

1.

car

………………………………………………………………………………………

2.

TV

………………………………………………………………………………………

3.

train

………………………………………………………………………………………

4.

stapler

………………………………………………………………………………………

5.

computer printer

………………………………………………………………………………………

6.

lawnmower

………………………………………………………………………………………

7.

sea

………………………………………………………………………………………

8.

house

………………………………………………………………………………………

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Exercise B

Read the extract below from the poem In The Kitchen by John Cotton.

In the kitchen

After the aimless

Chatter of the plates,

The murmurings of the gas,

The chuckle of the water pipes

And the sharp exchanges

Of knives, forks and spoons,

Comes the serious quiet,

When the sink slowly clears its throat…

Explain why these examples of personification were good ones, why plates could be said to ‘chatter’ for example.

1.

the aimless/ Chatter of the plates

This is effective because…………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2.

the chuckle of the water pipes

This is effective because…………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

How confident do you feel about PERSONIFICATION?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

advertise

2.

alliteration

3.

apostrophe

4.

atmosphere

5.

chorus

6.

clause

7.

cliché

8.

comma

9.

comparison

10.

conjunction

Focus: subject spelling – English

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ONOMATOPOEIA

Onomatopoeia is an effect in speech or writing when words sound like the noise they describe. (e.g. The firework exploded with a loud bang.

The angry driver made the car horn honk loudly.)

Exercise A

Complete the following sentences with a suitable onomatopoeic word from the list below.

Wailing Crunched

Crackled

Fizzed

Screeched

Squawked

Hissed

Chirped

Plopped

Splashed

1.

The speeding car …………………….. to an abrupt halt.

2.

The firework’s fuse …………………….. .

3.

The chicks …………………….. in their nest.

4.

the jam …………………….. into the rice pudding.

5.

A large stone …………………….. into the large still pool.

6.

The turkey …………………….. as the farmer chased it.

7.

Small twigs …………………….. in the fire.

8.

Gravel …………………….. under his heavy boots.

9.

The snake …………………….. in the grass.

10.

The …………………….. of the baby caught his mother’s attention.

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Exercise B

Use five of the following onomatopoeic words in sentences.

Babbling

Tinkle

Clang

Rattled

Clicked

Jangled

Neigh

Meow

Oink

Hoot

1.

………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………….

2.

………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………….

3.

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

4.

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

5.

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

How confident do you feel about ONOMATOPOEIA?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

consonant

2.

dialogue

3.

exclamation

4.

expression

5.

figurative

6.

genre

7.

grammar

8.

imagery

9.

metaphor

10. myth

Focus: subject spelling – English

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REVISION SO FAR….

All of the exercises you’ve done so far should have helped you to focus on improving your writing. You should be using complex, accurate sentences in your work, using adverbs and adjectives to make writing more interesting, and using both dictionaries and thesauruses to help you build your vocabulary and improve spelling. Now to revise…

Exercise A

Sort these words into nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. apple gorgeous groaned expertly tomorrow sunshine hill terrified fought delightful

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

Exercise B

Highlight main and subordinate clauses in each sentence and state which type of sentence it is (remember – simple, complex or compound) on the dotted line.

1. Until I get home, I can’t change out of these wet clothes. …………..

2. I love the sound of rain on the roof. …………..

3. Gary was there so I didn’t go in. …………..

4. Tim chatted to his housemates whilst straightening his hair. …………..

5. Although she felt sad, she sang at the concert

6. Whenever he chased his tail, the dog ran in circles.

…………..

…………..

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Exercise C

Look at the following sentences. Into each one insert a subordinate

clause that uses who, when, where or which.

1.

The knife was sharp………………………………………………………....

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Henry wanted an eighth course……………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. The detective drove to the scene of the crime…………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

How confident do you feel about YOUR REVISION?

Great! Got a few wrong Need practice

Spelling

1.

separate

2.

medicine

3.

January

4.

generally

5.

benefit

6.

alcohol

7.

abominable

8.

description

9.

compromise

10.

literature

Focus: unstressed vowels

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TARGET SETTING

Congratulations! You’ve finished your homework booklet and covered all the main basic skills as well as learning 300 spelling words. That’s good going. However, don’t think you can rest on your laurels; you will probably have found some topics in the booklet trickier than others. These are the areas you need to target.

That means that you must keep going over these areas – ask your teacher for extra worksheets. A little work now will pay off later.

Your new teacher will probably ask you what your targets are. Note them down here to remind yourself and keep this homework booklet for future reference. Look it up if you’ve forgotten how to write speech or when to use an apostrophe for example. I bet you’ll need it at some point!

My Targets are:

1. ………………………………………………………………………………………

How will I achieve my target? …………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. ………………………………………………………………………………………

How will I achieve my target? …………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. ………………………………………………………………………………………

How will I achieve my target? …………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………….

My Strengths are:

1. ……………………………………………………………………………………

2. ……………………………………………………………………………………

3. ……………………………………………………………………………………

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EXTRA SPELLINGS

Spelling 31

1.

document

2.

dynasty

3.

economical

4.

emigration

5.

government

6.

imperial

Focus: subject spelling – History

7.

immigrant

8.

independence

9.

parliament

10.

propaganda

Spelling 32 Focus: subject spelling – ICT

1.

connection

2.

delete

3.

document

4.

electronic

5.

interactive

6.

processor

7.

program

8.

spreadsheet

9.

icon

10.

cartridge

Spelling 33

1.

alphabet

2.

anthology

3.

article

4.

catalogue

5.

dictionary

6.

encyclopaedia

7.

glossary

8.

thesaurus

9.

relevant

10.

librarian

Focus: subject spelling – Library

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Spelling 34

1.

choir

2.

chord

3.

instrument

4.

percussion

5.

synchronise

6.

timbre

7.

harmony

8.

composition

9.

lyric

10.

musician

Spelling 35

1.

activity

2.

athletic

3.

exercise

4.

medicine

5.

muscle

6.

tactic

7.

squad

8.

qualify

9.

league

10.

field

Focus: subject spelling – Music

Focus: subject spelling – PE

S1 Homework Book Complete!

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