f1 English Notes

1|Page New Curriculum
English Language Form 1

Introduction
 Intensive reading is the slow and careful reading of a small difficult
text, which a person has to understand and remember.
 It involves learners reading in detail with specific learning aims and

tasks, for example reading for answering comprehension
questions.
Answering comprehension questions

 Reading comprehension implies understanding the meaning of a
given article or a short passage.
 Comprehension exercises and tests are meant to test the level of

understanding.
Points to note when answering comprehension questions

 Read the instruction carefully.
 Read the questions first.
 Never use outside knowledge.
 Deduce contextual meaning of words.
Now, read the following passage. We will be constantly

referring to it.
Sam’s Visit
When Sam finally reached Gweru, he was tired, hot, and
dirty. He had been on the road all day. They had
experienced a three -hour breakdown not long after
Kwekwe and this had caused a setback on their journey.
When the bus broke down, passengers had to get out and
wait by the roadside while the driver fiddled with various
parts of the engine. Sam was not surprised by the
breakdown because the bus had been belching out great

clouds of black smoke ever since they left Harare.
People shared their food so everyone had something to

eat. Sam ate his bread and juice. An old woman also gave
him a big piece of fish. He really enjoyed that, but he
was not happy about spendi ng the first day of his
holidays sitting beside a broken down bus in the middle
of nowhere. Eventually, someone stopped and helped the
driver to get the vehicle back in action until the final
destination.
His aunt and cousins collected him at the roadside store

that was near their village. Sam and his cousin Sherry
chattered nonstop. Sam full of his city news and Sherry
promising to show him mountains, bird nests and wild
animals. Sam admitted that Sherry was nearly as good as
a boy; though his aunt often scolded her for being such a
tomboy.
That evening Sam washed his hands and face before

having supper. They ate sadza and dried vegetables. “You
will have to wait till tomorrow for a proper bath,” said his
cousin. “We are short of water at the moment.” Sam was
too tired to bother anyway. He had no trouble falling
asleep, in spite of strange sounds from insects, cattle
and goats. He was used to sounds of car engines, and
neighbours’ radios.
Sherry and her young sister were so overwhelmed by

Sam’s visit that they woke up early. Little David was
shaking Sam’s shoulder as Sherry spoke. “Wake up,” she
said. “Let’s go and fetch your bath water. The borehole
pump isn’t working so we’ll go to the well. It’s not far.”
Sam was not completely awake. “What do you mean ? Does

all your water come from the hole? ” At Sherry’s old
place, they used river water mostly.
Sherry was about to laugh at him when she saw that he

was genuinely puzzled. Poor Sam, he could not adjust to
their rural life.
Skimming
 It is a form of speed reading that involves reading quickly to get
the general idea.
 A process involving visual searching of the sentences on a page for

clues that give meaning.
Scanning
 It is a process where one actively looks for information using a
brief knowledge formed from skimming.
 It involves reading quickly to find specific information.
Task
Quickly scan the first two paragraphs of the passage
‘Sam’s visit’ and answer the following questions.
1. What was Sam’s final destination?
2. Why was Sam not surprised by the bus breakdown?
Deduction and inference

 Deduction and inference refer to a conclusion reached on the basis
of evidence and reasoning.
 This involves reading between the lines.
 Let us look at the question below.

What indicates that Sam had visited the rural areas? (2)
1. Strange sounds from insects, cattle, and goats
2. They used water from the river mostly at Sherry’s house
 You do realise that there is no mention of ‘rural areas’ in the

passage but from the given information you can easily conclude
that Sam was in the rural areas.
Read the statements in the column A and try to picture

when the story takes place
STATEMENTS/SITUATION INFERENCE
-Nighttime in w
1. My mother told me to take out firewood. I put on my jacket on my jacket,
something warm
grabbed a torch and then rushed out.
darkness.
2. I jumped out of bed threw on my swimming costume and rushed to the pool. -Daytime in sum
After a few laps, I helped myself with a scoop of ice cream. that is, swimmin
Contextual meaning of words

 Did you know that one word can have different meanings
depending on the context it is used?
 Therefore, it is important to understand how a word is used in

different contexts.
 When you work out the meaning of a word by the way it is used in
a sentence, paragraph, or other context, that is deducing the
contextual meaning of words.
 Let us look at how the word 'experienced' is used in the following

sentence from the passage ‘Sam’s visit’.
They had ‘experienced’ a three-hour breakdown not long after
Kwekwe and this had caused a setback on their journey.
 In this case the word experienced means encountered.
 You can substitute the word ‘experienced’ with encountered in the

sentence and the meaning of the sentence does not change.
 The word ‘experienced’ is a common word but without

surrounding words, you do not know if it refers to skilled,
qualified, or encountered.
Note making
 When you are learning new material, you have to ensure that the
material is processed that is, understood, and remember.
 Note making is very important as it helps you to make sense of

what you are reading and to remember it later.
 You write the key points in short.
Task
 From the passage Sam’s visit, write down notes on Sam’s
experiences.
Evaluation
 After intensive reading, the comprehension passage is evaluated.
 Evaluation involves weighing and measuring of the read material,

checking how much of its information has been recalled and
understood.
 When evaluating, you answer

the ‘WH’, ‘How’, ‘Describe’ and ‘Analyse’questions.
Fig.1
Picture showing ‘Wh’ and ‘H’ questions
 Other evaluation strategies involved in evaluating a story involve

retelling of what occurred in the text.
Task
Retell the story ‘Sam’s visit’.
How to write a summary

 Below are the key steps on how to write a good summary.
 You first, read the passage to get a general idea of the subject
matter.
 Analyse the question and the key demands of the question.
 Read through for the second time to identify the main points;
paragraph by paragraph.
 Write the main idea of each paragraph in one sentence using your
own words.
 Pull out key facts or findings from the passage, which supports the
author’s main ideas.
 Write your points in a paragraph using reported speech and count

the words.
 Correct the language and write the final draft.

Note: Main points should be written in chronological order, that is,
you should sequence the events in the manner they occur.
Sequencing details
o This refers to giving details in their chronological order.
o Sequencing details involves:
i. Identification of the components of a story, the

beginning, middle and the end.
ii. Retelling the events within a given text in the order in

which they occurred.
o Sequencing details is required when narrating a story or

giving a report.
Task
Write a summary of Sam’s visit and apply the skills you
have learnt on summary writing.
 Now, read the following comprehension ‘A visit to the Park’ and

answer the comprehension questions that follow.
A Visit To The Park

On that Monday morning, the streets of Bulawayo were
full of people. They jostled on each other as they got out
of buses. Emergency taxis pulled up in restricted areas
and let out passengers. Most of the taxis were packed
tightly because it was the rush hour and everyone was
going to work. One of them stopped in front of Centurion
Park. Two children struggled out of the back door and
stood brushing their clothes with their hands to reduce

wrinkles. “I ironed my dress this morning, look a t it
now!” said the girl whose name was Kayla.
“I sat next to a woman who was wearing so much perfume

that almost made me sick, ooh!” said her brother Trust.
“Let’s walk around the park before we go to the shops,”
suggested Kayla. “It’s a beautiful day, w e should enjoy
it.” The Park was full of flowers. At one end, there was a
playground with slides and a roundabout and a restaurant
nearby. “I wish we could buy scones,” said Trust as they
walked around, looking at the people sitting under the
tree shades.
“Let’s see how much money we will have left after we buy
the uniforms,” said Kayla. “Things are so expensive that
we may need it all.” Trust went down the slides a few
times whilst Kayla pushed the roundabout. They both
played on the swings. Trust also sa t on a toy train and
pretended to be an engine driver, but Kayla thought she
was too old for such games.
“Look at that little girl,” she said as Trust got off the
train. “She is getting terribly dirty in the mud; I wonder
why her mother does not stop her. ”
“She is eating it,” cried Trust. He went over and made the
little girl open her hands. Clumps of mud fell to the
ground. The little girl’s mouth was smeared with dirt.
Kayla picked her up and laid her on clean grass. Then she
wet a handkerchief and was hed the child’s mouth. “I
wonder what she is doing here,” she said. Trust and Kayla
looked at the little girl they had found. “How old do you
think she is?” said Trust.
“Three or four I am not sure, still, she is too young to be

alone.” Kayla set on the g rass with the little girl. “Where
is your mother?” she asked. The little girl stared at her.
“Where is your mother?” Kayla repeated, slowly. “Perhaps
she does not speak English,” suggested Trust. She
repeated the question in Shona and Ndebele but the littl e
girl continued to stare at them. “She must be too young
to talk,” said Kayla.
“Surely one of her relatives is in this park. There are so

many people here. Now we have to go and buy uniforms.
We can come back after we are finished. They left the
little girl sitting on the grass. She did not seem worried
or frightened.
Questions
1. Where did the children drop off?
2. Why were the taxis full?
3. What was their mission in town?
4. The phrase that means the same as ‘bumped onto each other’ in
the passage is ______.
5. Who is older between Kayla and Trust? Why do you say so?
6. What can you say about Kayla considering her gesture towards the
baby in paragraph five?
7. Give the meanings of the words:
i. perhaps
ii. suggested
10 | P a g e New Curriculum
8. The woman’s perfume almost made Trust sick. Which of the

following statements is the most appropriate if he wanted to ask
the woman to open the window for him?
o Your perfume is sickening me, can you open the window.
o Excuse me ma’am, may you please open the window for me. I
am not feeling well.
9. In not more than 90 words, summarize what the two children did
in the park. Start with the opening sentence: When Kayla and Trust
got off the taxi at Centurion Park …..
Possible Answers
1. Centurion Park
2. It was the rush hour
3. They were going to buy uniforms.
4. jostled on each other
5. Kayla because she says she is too old for playing driver on a toy
train.
6. She is caring.
7.
i. maybe
ii. recommended
8. Excuse me ma’am, may you please open the window for me. I am
not feeling well.
9. Summary points
o They tried to remove wrinkles on their clothes.
o They walked around the park.

o Trust went down the slides a few times while Kayla pushed
the roundabout.
o They both played on the swings.
o Trust sat on the toy train pretending to be the engine driver.
o Trust made the little girl throw away the mud she was eating
and Kayla cleaned her up with a wet handkerchief.
o They tried to get answers from the little girl about her
mother.
o They left the girl and went to buy uniforms.
Task
Rearrange the following statements from the passage ‘A
visit to the Park’ in their chronological order.
1. Kayla asked the little girl where her mother was in three languages.
2. Trust wanted to buy scones.
3. Kayla and Trust played on the swings.
4. There were many people in the streets of Bulawayo.
5. The park was full of flowers.
6. They saw a little girl eating mud.
Answers
1. There were many people in the streets of Bulawayo.
2. The park was full of flowers.
3. Trust wanted to buy scones.
4. Kayla and trust played on the swings.
5. They saw a little girl eating mud.
6. Kayla asked the little girl where her mother was in three languages.
Task
 The passage makes use of direct speech.
 Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
1. “I sat next to a woman who was wearing so much perfume

that almost made me sick, ooh!” said her brother Trust.
2. “Let’s walk around the park before we go to the shops,”

suggested Kayla.
3. “Where is your mother?” she asked.
4. “How old do you think she is?” said Trust.
Intensive-Reading-Exercise 1
Read the comprehension below to answer the following questions.

Sam’s visit
When Sam finally reached Shangani, he was tired, hot and dirty. He had been on the
road all day. They had experienced a three-hour breakdown not long after Kwekwe
and this had caused a setback on their journey. When the bus broke down,
passengers had to get out and wait by the roadside while the driver fiddled with
various parts of the engine. Sam was not surprised by the breakdown because the
bus had been belching out great clouds of black smoke ever since they left Harare.
People shared their food so that everyone had something to eat. Sam ate his bread
and juice. An old woman also gave him a big piece of fish. He really enjoyed that, but
he was not happy about spending the first day of his holidays sitting beside a broken
down bus in the middle of nowhere. Eventually someone stopped and helped the
driver to get the vehicle back in action until the final destination.
His aunt and cousins collected him at the roadside store that was near their village.
Sam and his cousin Sherry chattered nonstop; Sam full of his city news and Sherry
promising to show him mountains, bird nests and wild animals. Sam admitted that
Sherry was nearly as good as a boy; though his aunt often scolded her for being
such a tomboy.
That evening Sam washed his hands and face before having supper. They ate sadza
and dried vegetables. “You will have to wait till tomorrow for a proper bath,” said his
cousin. “We are short of water at the moment.” Sam was too tired to bother anyway.
He had no trouble falling asleep, in spite of strange sounds from insects, cattle and
goats. He was used to sounds of car engines, and neighbours’ radios.
Sherry and her young sister were so overwhelmed by Sam’s visit that they woke up
early. Little David was shaking Sam’s shoulder as Sherry spoke. “Wake up,” she
said. “Let’s go and fetch your bath water. The borehole pump isn’t working so we’ll
go to the well. It’s not far.”
Sam was not completely awake. “What do you mean? Does all your water come
from the hole?” At Sherry’s old place, they used river water mostly. Sherry was about
to laugh at him when she saw that he was genuinely puzzled. Poor Sam, he could
not adjust to their rural life.
1) Where was Sam going?
2) Where did Sam and the other passengers wait when the bus was being fixed?
3) Sam could not have a proper bath because of what?
4) A phrase that means the same as 'truly confused' in the passage is ________ .
5) The statement "Sam was not surprised by the breakdown" suggests that
________ .
6) Which of the following statements indicates that Sam was at a rural area?
7) 'People shared their food.' What does this statement show about people in the in
the bus?
8) Rewrite the following direct speeches using indirect speech.
a. "You will have to wait till tomorrow for a proper bath," said his cousin.
b. "Wake up," she said. "Let's go and fetch your bath water. The borehole pump
isn't working so we'll go to the well. It's not far."
9) Use the conjunctions so that, and, because and even though to join the
following pairs of sentences.
i) Everyone shared the food. Everyone had something to eat.

ii) An old woman gave him a big piece of fish. He enjoyed it.
iii) You will have to wait until tomorrow for a proper bath. We are short of water at the
moment.
iv) He had no trouble falling asleep. There were sounds from insects, cattle and
goats.
v) Sherry was overwhelmed by Sam's visit. Her young sister was overwhelmed by
Sam's visit.
vi) They ate sadza and dried vegetables. They also ate fish.
10) In not more than 80 words, write a summary of the story 'Sam's visit'.
1. Where was Sam going?
Suggested Answer
Shangani
2. Where did Sam and the other passengers wait when the bus was being fixed?
Suggested Answer
By the road side.
3. Sam could not have a proper bath because of what?
Suggested Answer
There was not enough water.
4. A phrase that means the same as 'truly confused' in the passage is ________ .
Suggested Answer
genuinely puzzled
5. The statement "Sam was not surprised by the breakdown" suggests that
________ .
Suggested Answer
he expected that a breakdown would occur
6. Which of the following statements indicates that Sam was at a rural area?
Suggested Answer
'----- inspite of strange sounds from insects, cattle and goats.'
7. 'People shared their food.' What does this statement show about people in the in
the bus?
Suggested Answer
They are generous.
8. Rewrite the following direct speeches using indirect speech.
a. "You will have to wait till tomorrow for a proper bath," said his cousin.
b. "Wake up," she said. "Let's go and fetch your bath water. The borehole pump
isn't working so we'll go to the well. It's not far."
Suggested Answer
9. Use the conjunctions so that, and, because and even though to join the following
pairs of sentences.
i) Everyone shared the food. Everyone had something to eat.

ii) An old woman gave him a big piece of fish. He enjoyed it.
iii) You will have to wait until tomorrow for a proper bath. We are short of water at the
moment.
iv) He had no trouble falling asleep. There were sounds from insects, cattle and
goats.
v) Sherry was overwhelmed by Sam's visit. Her young sister was overwhelmed by
Sam's visit.
vi) They ate sadza and dried vegetables. They also ate fish.
Suggested Answer
i) Everyone shared the food so that everyone had something to eat.
ii) An old woman gave him a big piece of fish and he enjoyed it.
iii) You will have to wait until tomorrow for a proper bath because we are short of
water at the moment.
iv) He had no trouble falling asleep although there were sounds from insects, cattle
and goats.
v) Sherry and her young sister were overwhelmed by Sam's visit.
vi) They ate sadza, dried vegetables and fish.
10. In not more than 80 words, write a summary of the story 'Sam's visit'.
Suggested Answer
• Sam spent the whole day travelling from Harare to Shangani due to a three hour
engine breakdown that happened just after Kwekwe.
• Upon arrival Sam dropped off at the roadside store where he was met with his
aunt and two cousins.
• Sam and his cousin Sherry talked incessantly, catching up on rural and urban
activities.
• That night Sam could not take a proper bath before having supper as the house
was short of water.
• Sam showed he was not acquainted with rural life when he was woken up early in
the morning to fetch water.
Nouns
 A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea.
Fig. 1.1
Nouns
 Nouns usually function as subjects telling us what the sentence is

all about for example ,
Stan is running.
 The noun in this case is Stan and the sentence tells us what Stan is
doing.
 Let us look at the different types of nouns.
Types of nouns
Common nouns
 Common nouns names nonspecific people for
example grandfather or teacher.
Fig. 1.2
Examples of common nouns
 They refer to non-specific places like; home, airport, hospital and

zoo.
 Common nouns also refer to non-specific things like; bicycle, book

or car.
 A common noun names a class of similar things and not an

individual member of a specified group of people or things .We do
not capitalize the first letter of a common noun unless it is the first
word in a sentence.
 Common nouns can either be plural or singular nouns. The general

rule is to add an (–s) or (-es) on the singular common nouns to
make them plural.
Task
Give examples of nouns and use them in constructing
sentences.
Proper nouns
 These are used to name a specific individual person, place or
thing, for example,‘Ruth’’, ‘Kariba’.
 It is a must that proper nouns should start with capital letters.
 Proper nouns also refer to specific categories as illustrated by the

table below;
PEOPLE OR RELIGIOUS
TITLES LANGUAGE HOLIDAYS
PETS TERM
Percy Methodist Doctors Shona Easter
Lovejoy Pentecostal Judge Ndebele Christmas
Remy Christian President English New Year
Mr./Mrs. Kudzai God Queen French Thanksgiving
Sparky Allah King Spanish Heroes
 Task
 Identify proper nouns in your own environment.
 There is a relationship between proper nouns and common nouns.

Common nouns do not point the exact things but generalise
whereas proper nouns refer to specifics as illustrated below by the
diagram.
Fig. 1.3
Common and proper nouns
Countable nouns
 These have a singular and plural form and can be used with a
number, for example, ‘2 boys’ or by the use of articles a/an for
example ‘an umbrella a cat ,the bag”
Uncountable nouns
 These are nouns that cannot be counted.
 They often refer to substances, liquids and abstract ideas for

example love, information, happiness, fear, bread
Task
Identify countable and uncountable nouns from the
following sentences.
1. Chipo, go and buy sugar.
2. Do not break my glass please.

3. I bought you a dress.
4. Where is the milk you bought yesterday?
Possible Answers
1. sugar- uncountable
2. glass- countable
3. dress- countable
4. milk - uncountable
Collective nouns
 They refer to a set or group of people, animals or things. Collective
nouns are often followed by “of+ plural noun” as illustrated by the
table below;
PEOPLE ANIMALS OTHER
Group of footballers Herd of cattle Bunch of flowers
Team of athletics Flock of sheep Pile of books
Gang of hoodlums Swarm of bees Set of water glasses
Jury of judges Sack of potatoes Series of events
Class of students Pride of lions A set of kitchen utensils.
Task:
Research and find out more on collective nouns.
Nouns-Exercise 1
Choose nouns from the following statements.
1) Percy wants to know how old you are.
2) There are a lot of camels in Africa.

3) She is always at home.
4) We went out to play basketball.
5) People were seated on white chairs.
6) Tsitsi imagined herself walking with a bucket on her head.
7) Archeologists study history by looking at the things earlier people built and
made.
8) Lions are dangerous animals.
9) I saw your aunt at the hospital.
10) Vusi has a lot of scratches.
1. Percy wants to know how old you are.
Suggested Answer
Percy
2. There are a lot of camels in Africa.
Suggested Answer
 Camels
 Africa
3. She is always at home.
Suggested Answer
home
4. We went out to play basketball.
Suggested Answer
basketball
5. People were seated on white chairs.
Suggested Answer
 People
 chairs
6. Tsitsi imagined herself walking with a bucket on her head.
Suggested Answer
 Tsitsi
 bucket
 head
7. Archeologists study history by looking at the things earlier people built and
made.
Suggested Answer
 Archeologists
 history
 things
 people
8. Lions are dangerous animals.
Suggested Answer
 Lions
 animals
9. I saw your aunt at the hospital.
Suggested Answer
 Aunt
 hospital
10. Vusi has a lot of scratches.
Suggested Answer
 Vusi
 scratches
SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION
BY THE END OF THE TOPIC, LEARNERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
1. differentiate simple and compound sentences
2. connect sentences using conjunctions
3. punctuate sentences correctly
4. use articles, determiners and prepositions correctly in sentences
 A sentence is a group of words joined together in an order that makes sense to form a
statement, ask a question or express a command.
Types of sentences:
Statement
Command
Exclamation
Question
Statement
 It is a declarative sentence which simply makes a statement or expresses an opinion.
 It ends with a full stop.

I will visit Mary on Monday.
Command
 A command orders someone to do something.
 It ends with a fullstop but can also end with an exclamation mark depending on the
circumstances.
Go take a bath!
Question
 It is a sentence that asks a question and ends with a question mark.

 It ends with a question mark.

Will you go to the market?
Exclamatory
 It is a sentence that shows strong feeling and ends with an exclamation mark.
What a lovely surprise!
Simple Sentences
 They have one independent clause.
 A simple sentence has a subject and a verb.
The girl ran fast.

Subject + one Verb= Simple Sentence
Compound Sentences
 Compound sentences are formed when one joins two main clauses with a connective
conjunction.(and, so, or, but)
I like bananas and l like apples.

Main clause + conjunction + main clause=Compound sentence
Complex Sentences
 Complex sentences are formed by linking a main clause and a subordinate clause with a
conjunction
 A subordinate clause is one that relies on a main clause to make sense.
Although she had invited me, I chose not to go to the wedding.

Main clause + Conjunction+ subordinate clause=Complex sentence
 Sentences can contain subjects and objects.
 The subject in a sentence is a person or thing carrying out an action.
 The object in a sentence is involved in an action but does not carry it out, the object comes
after the verb.
Fig 1
Image showing components of a sentence
Task
Read the following passage and identify simple sentences and compound sentences.
The tube was pumped up. Sipho pushed it down slowly, bit by bit, into a dish of water. “What’s that
for?” asked Tinotenda. “Look for the air bubbles then you will identify the puncture Sipho.” As he
pushed the next section under the water, a line of bubbles streamed into the water. “They look like
tiny jewels,” said Tinotenda. Sipho gave her the filer immediately saying “Rub it over that part of the
tyre to roughen it. Then the patch will stick better.” Tinotenda filed the tube and the patch then
Sipho put a thin layer of solution onto them both. He pressed them together tightly until they were
stuck firmly.
Tinotenda blew up the tube again and tested it in the water.”
This time there were no bubbles. Sipho smiled happily because his repair job had worked.
Conjuctions
Fig 2
Picture showing conjunctions
 Conjunctions are parts of speech which are used to join words, phrases, clauses or
sentences.
 They permit one to form complex sentences and avoid the use of numerous short sentences.
Thabani and James went up the hill.

The water was warm but l did not swim.
His father does not drink nor smoke.
Rutendo is sick yet she is working.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Fig 3
Coordinating conjunctions
 They link independent sentences.
 FANBOYS is used as a recalling tool for coordinating conjunctionsfor, and, nor, but, or, yet
and so.
 Coordinating conjunctions like and, nor, so link equal parts of a sentence, be it words,
phrases or clauses.
The park is empty now.
The park will be filled with children later.
The park is empty now but it will be filled with children later.
Subordinating Conjunctions
 They join dependent clauses and independent clauses.

Whenever I go to town, l buy chocolates.
Some Examples Of Subordinating Conjunctions
Because
while
as
since
while
though
Because- l took my umbrella because it was sunny.
 Because shows the relationship between the two clauses.

 Although expresses contrast between ideas.
 A subordinating conjunction mostly comes before the dependent clause but the dependent
clause itself can come before the independent clause followed by a comma or after it
without a comma.
Although it was cold, he was putting on warm clothes.
He was not putting on warm clothes although it was cold.
Task
 Research more on subordinating conjunctions.
 Construct sentences using the conjunctions because, while, as, since, while and although.
Correlative conjunctions
Fig 4
Correlative Conjunctions
 They are a pair of conjunctions that must be used together.

I want either apples or bananas
Punctuation
Fig 5
Picture showing a punctuation tree
 Punctuation is used to create clarity and stress in a sentence.
 Punctuation marks are used when one is writing.
 They show the reader where sentences start and finish.
 If used properly, they make writing easy to understand.
Fullstop
.
 A full stop is placed at the end of a complete sentence.

My favourite language class is French.
Tom is always late for work.
 It is also used after abbreviations.

Dr. Moyo
Question Mark
 A question mark is used at the end of a question or interrogation.

Is the family still coming to town?
What is your name?
Comma
,
 A comma is used to separate items on a list.

I bought milk, bread and cheese.
 It is also to separate two adjectives when the order of adjectives is interchangeable. He is a

strong, healthy man.
Apostrophe
's
 An apostrophe is used to show possession.
 To show possession with a singular noun, one has to add an apostrophe plus the letter s.
A woman’s bag
 For proper nouns ending with an s, the apostrophe is placed outside the word in
question. The pen belongs to Mr.Jones
Mr. Jones’ pen.
Capital Letters
 Capitalisation is the writing of a word with its first letter as upper case and the remaining
letter in lowercase.
 Capital letters are used to begin a sentence and to identify proper nouns. Aa Bb Cc
Dd Ee Ff
 We write capital letters for;
NAMES Dorcas Themba
COUNTRY Zimbabwe Kenya
DAYS Monday Tuesday
LANGUAGES Ndebele Shona
Exclamation
 It is used to show emotion, emotion or surprise.

Oh, that’s good news!
 However, avoid writing an exclamation mark in formal business writing.
Colon
 A colon is used to introduce a series of items.

I want the following items: bread, sugar and eggs.
NB: Do not capitalize the first item after the colon.
Semi-colon
 A semi colon is used to connect independent clauses

John was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him.
Quotation marks
""
 Quotation marks are used to mark the beginning and end of direct speech.
(speaker’s word written down exactly as they were spoken.)
“What time will he arrive at the airport?” mother asked.
Task
Add necessary punctuation marks to the following passage.
the tube was pumped up. sipho pushed it down slowly, bit by bit, into a dish of water. What’s that
for?” asked tinotenda. “Look for the air bubbles then you will identify the puncture Sipho.” As he
pushed the next section under the water a line of bubbles streamed into the water. “They look like
tiny jewels,” said inotenda. Sipho gave her the filer immediately saying “Rub it over that part of the
tyre to roughen it. Then the patch will stick better. inotenda filed the tube and the patch then Sipho
put a thin layer of solution onto them both. He pressed them together tightly until they were stuck
firmly.
Tinotenda blew up the tube again and tested it in the water.
this time there were no bubbles. Sipho smiled happily because his repair job had worked.
Determiners
Fig 6
Determiners
 A determiner is a word that comes before the noun.
 They are used to:
 State that something or someone is specific.

I want the purple dress.
 State how things or people are distributed.

The girls each get two cups of coffee.
 To state the difference between nouns.

Do you want the black dress or the pink dress?
Articles
 An article is part of speech used to indicate a noun and to specify a noun’s function.
 Articles are placed before nouns.
 Articles fall into two categories; definite and indefinite articles.

Fig 7
Image showing articles
 a and an are indefinite articles.
 a is used before any beginning with a consonant or a consonant sound.
A cow An old house
A cucumber An enemy
A cat An animal
 an is used before any word beginning with a vowel or vowel sound.
 In indefinite articles, the nouns following them are nonspecific.

Do you have a pencil?
I want an orange.
 Whether to use the singular indefinite article a or an depends on the noun, or noun phrase.
 New information is usually signaled by the indefinite article.
 Old or previously mentioned information is usually signaled by the definite article. .

NEW: A face appeared in the window.
OLD: The face was familiar.
Demonstratives
 They point to a particular noun or to the noun it replaces.

 There are “near” demonstratives this, these.
 “Far” demonstratives are that, those.
 This and that are singular demonstratives.
 These and those are plural demonstratives.

This game is boring.
That idea is excellent.
These pancakes are delicious.
Those books are not mine.
Possessives
 It is a function word used to express possession or belonging.

my, your, their, its, ours
Is this your dog?
The books are ours.
My pencil is yellow.
Quantifiers
 They are words that indicate the amount of a noun.
all any both enough every much most some each several
Common Quantifiers
Some, Any
 Some and any are used with both countable and uncountable, to describe an incomplete
quality.
 Some is used in positive statements while any is used in negative statements as well as
questions.
He bought some apples.
Did he have any apples?
Much, Many
 They express a large quantity.

There are many pupils in that class.
 Too much and too many indicate an excess.

There is too much noise in that class.
How Much, How Many
 We use “how many” with plural nouns.
 “How much” is used with uncountable nouns.

How many apples did she buy?
How much flour is left?
A Few, A Little
 A few is used to express a small quantity.
 Few indicates that something is not many.

I have a few friends in my class.
 A little expresses a small quantity.
 Little indicates that something is not much.

We have little milk left.
Task
Research more on determiners and articles.
Sentence-Construction-Exercise 1
Fill in the blank spaces with an appropriate conjunction.
so and because or
1) Would you like rice and beef __________ fish and chips for supper?
2) Would you like coffee __________ hot chocolate for your breakfast
3) It is cold today __________ take your coat.
4) James likes cricket __________ he does not like tennis.
5) I did not buy the dress _________ l did not have enough money
6) Rudo has a brother __________ a sister.
7) He was late __________ his car broke down.
8) The match was cancelled __________ we went to watch a movie instead

Registers
Introduction
 Imagine a situation where you have to give a speech at your
friend’s in front of your peers.
 Would you use the same language and tone if you were asked to
give a speech at school, I front of students, parents, teachers, and
Headmaster?
 This is where the issue of register comes in.
 Register refers to the degree of formality of a language.
 There are certain varieties or styles of speaking and writing.
 Therefore, registers are recognised by their specialised vocabulary

and particular use of grammar.
 They can be either formal or informal.
 Formal register involves polished speech and specific vocabulary

for example, when you are speaking to your teacher.
 Registers can be informal in the case where one is speaking to a

friend or someone he or she knows.
Fig. 4
Picture showing situations that use formal and informal register
Tasks
1. Give situations where you would use:
i. formal language
ii. informal language
2. The following paragraph is an extract of an email that an employee

sent to the Chief Executive Officer of the company she works at.
She is writing to a person of high authority and her language is a
bit informal. Help her out by writing the paragraph in a formal
manner without changing its meaning.
As I stand for the department as a whole, we would like to say we

are sorry that you did not get the paperwork on time. You are right
to say that these issues should be taken seriously. We also need to
tell other stakeholders because we really need their help in this
thing.
Possible Answers
On behalf of the depar tment, we would like to apologise

that that you did not receive the paperwork on time. I
agree with you that these issues should be seriously
considered. We also need to tell other stakeholders
because we surely need their assistance in this issue.
Introductions
 I am sure at some point you have had to introduce people to each
other or that you will have to do so at some point of time.
 Introductions can be either formal or informal depending on the

people you are introducing.
 The use of register can tell you the status of the person you are
meeting and their relationship with the person making the
introductions.
 If you know people who have never met before, you can introduce
them to each other by starting from a formal version to an
informal, for example:
- “I would like you to meet Mr. Jones
- “I would like to introduce Mr. Jay Jones
An example of a formal introduction
a. Dr. Jones, “May I present Professor Smith!”
b. Professor Smith, “It is an honour to meet you.”
 This is a very formal occasion and the language is very polite.
 Dr. Jones’ tone of voice will tell Professor Smith exactly how
honoured Dr. Jones says she feels.
 Informal introductions are normally used when you meet people in

an informal setting.
 Here is an example of an informal introduction.
a. “Jane do you know Bob? He is a friend of mine.”

b. “Hi Bob, How are you?”
Greetings
 Greetings can be formal or informal depending on setting and
relationship.
 Informal greeting is used by friends as well as Children can also

use it when greeting their parents.
 Informal greetings are characterized by the following words hi,

hello, how is it?
 Read the following conversation between Shaun and James.

Shaun:“Hi James, how is it?”
James:“Hello Shaun. I am fit what about you?”
 Formal greeting is used when strangers meet or when pupils greet

their teacher.
 When greeting formally, we use words like Sir, Mr., Mrs., and many
more.
Task
How would you greet:
1. Your teacher
2. A friend you have not seen for the past year
3. An elderly person in front of you at the supermarket
Invitations
 An invitation can be accepted or declined.
 Accepting and declining must be done politely so as not to offend

the person inviting you.
Declining An Invitation
 I’d really like to but I might not be around.
 Well that’s very kind of you, but I am afraid I can’t manage it
 I wish I could, but…
Accepting An Invitation
 Thank you, I will come.
 Of course.
 That sounds great.
Requests
 Requesting is asking someone to do something for you.
 When you are requesting, try as much as possible to be polite.
 Some requests can be commanding.
 Requests usually depend on how close you are to the person to

whom the request is made.
 The closer the person is to you, the less formal the request will be.
 Below is an example of a polite way of requesting

“May I use your ruler please?”
 Requests can also be instructions for example;

“Can I see you in my office, John?”
 “Please” is often used with requests to make them more polite.
Expressions of appreciation and regret

 Appreciation is showing gratitude for a good act done to you.
 Words that can be used to show appreciation;

“Thank you very much"
“I am grateful for your support”
 Regret is the feeling that comes after wronging someone or a

feeling of remorse after failing to do something well.
 Some of the words used to express regret are:

“I am sorry…”
“My sincere apologies
“Excuse me…”
“Pardon me…”
Apologies
 An apology is an expression of regret.
 It is admitting that what you have done is wrong as shown below.
 The first thing you have to do when you are apologising is to

say, ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I apologise’.
 After that, you admit that what you did was wrong.
 Make amends.
 Promise that it will not happen again.
Fig. 5
Diagram showing stages of making an apology

 Read the following letter that Mufaro once wrote to the

Headmaster apologising for fighting at school.
W232 Mzilikazi
P.O Mzilikazi
Bulawayo
22 April 2018
The Headmaster
Mzilikazi High School
P.O Box 619
Bulawayo
Dear Sir
RE: AN APOLOGY FOR FIGHTING AT SCHOOL
I am writing this letter to apologise for breaking the school rules

and getting into a fight with another pupil.
I am sincerely sorry for my actions that have disgraced our school.

I accept that what I did was very wrong. It will not happen again. I
have also apologised to Tshepo and we are now friends again.
I hope that you will accept my apology.
Yours Sincerely
Mufaro Moyo
Task
1. Give situations where an apology is required.
2. Write a letter to your teacher apologising for not doing your

homework.
Compliments
 A compliment is a remark that expresses praise, approval or
admiration.
Fig. 6
Picture showing statements used for compliments
 Compliments are used to boost one’s morale.
 A good compliment can make an individual happy.
 We use compliments when:
a. Showing that you like someone’s appearance for example:

‘You look stunning dear.’
b. Appreciating one’s talents for example:

‘You are very creative, that is a beautiful design.’
c. Approving what someone has done for example:

‘Excellent work, keep it up.’
N.B: The underlined words are the ones that express the
compliments. Below are more words that can be used to
compliment.
Words used to express compliments:
Stunning Polished Amazing
Elegant Unique Brave
Courteous Great presentation Good effort
 However, never make a mistake of giving a compliment in form of

a comparison, for example:
‘Your presentation was very good. It was better than Karen’s.’
How To Accept A Compliment

 There are different ways of accepting compliments.
 The common way of doing so is simply saying ‘Thank you.’
 However, one can also accept compliments using the following

statements:
I appreciate that.
I am grateful.
I needed to hear that.
 Do not be like Xolani who cannot accept a compliment in the

following dialogues:
Vimbiso: Wow, what a lovely jacket you are wearing!
Xolani : This old jacket, I bought it long back.
Vimbiso: Well done, you passed the test.
Xolani : I could have done better than this, it’s only a B+.
 In the case where the compliment was indirect for example: ‘ Your
sister is a good singer’, appropriate responses would include:
I’ll tell her you said that.
She will be happy to hear that.
Phone conversations
 Phone conversations can either be formal or informal and that

determines the language’s degree of formality.
 Below is an informal phone conversation:

Speaker 1: Hello, Tino speaking.
Speaker 2: Hi Tino, it’s Bandile. Is Ishe around?
Speaker 1: No, he went to the shops. Can I take a message?
Speaker 2: Yes. Please tell him to call me back.
Speaker 1: Ok.
Speaker 2: Thanks. Bye.
Speaker 1: Bye.
Task
Now, construct your own informal conversation. Imagine
that you receive a phone call from an old friend you last
saw two years back. Construct a conversation you may
have with your friend.
 Below is a formal conversation:

Speaker 1: Good morning, Mr. Joko speaking.
Speaker 2: Good morning, may I please speak to Mr. Karinga.
Speaker 1: Unfortunately, he is off this week but you can leave a
message.
Speaker 2: Please inform him that Mr. Chikwana called.
Speaker 1: Alright sir.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 1: You are welcome.
Speaker 2: Goodbye.
Task
Construct a conversation a student can have with a
receptionist from a school he or she wishes to apply for a
Form One place. Imagine that the student wants to
inquire about the procedures of applying for a place.
Phone etiquette
 This refers to phone manners.
 It is a polite set of rules that need to be observed when having a

phone conversation.
 Below are rules to follow when you are in a phone conversation:
1. Always identify yourself at the beginning of all calls for

example:
‘Hello, its Tafadzwa speaking.’
2. Take note of the tone of your voice; it must be even and low
especially in public.
3. Do not allow interruptions such as side conversation with

other people around you. If you must interrupt say:
‘Please excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back.’
‘Please hold for a moment.’
4. When you return say:

‘Thank you for holding.’
5. When leaving a message, speak slowly and clearly.
6. Make it a habit to put your phone on silent mode when

entering a meeting, class or church.
7. It’s a bad habit to talk to someone on the phone whilst

chewing, eating or doing something else at the same time.
8. When you cannot clearly hear the person on the other end
use the words:
Sorry
Pardon
Excuse me
Please come again
Task
With a friend, dramatise a phone conversation and try to

apply the phone manners you learnt.
Registers-Test 1
Write the following words in their plural form. (1-10)
1) Country
2) Copy
3) Building
4) Lady
5) Valley
6) Desk
7) Baby
8) Fly
9) City
10) Crumb
11) Choose the correct spelling. (11-20)
abbreviation or abreviation
12) rubbish or rubish

13) Rabit or Rabbit
14) difficult or dificult
15) coffee or cofee
16) innocent or inocent
17) kenel or kennel
18) possible or posible
19) cassette or casette
20) batery or battery
EXTENSIVE READING
1. State what a plot is.
2. Explain the importance of setting in a text.
3. Deduce themes of a text.
Plot
 Which novel are you reading these days? What is the plot of the novel?
 Plot refers to the events that make up a story.
 The events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence.
 It is the foundation of a novel or story on which the characters and settings are built around.
 Characters, setting, and conflict in the story determine how the events will unfold.
Task
1. Research more on plot
2. Write the plot of the novel you are studying.
Setting
 The setting refers to the time and place where the story happens.
 It gives us information about the geographic location.
 It includes details on the historical period, surroundings, and weather.
 The setting of the story can be real or fictional (created by the writer to make the story
interesting).
Importance of setting
 The setting is important as it develops the plot of the story.
 It influences the tone and mood of the story.
 Setting contributes to the way characters behave in the story.
 At times setting may be a form of symbolism, for instance a colorful environment symbolizes
life and joy whilst a dull and dreary one the opposite.
 In terms of time, the setting can show when the story was written or for which era.
 Setting therefore is very critical in the writing of the story.
Task
1. Research more on setting.
2. Identify the setting of the novel you are reading.
3. How does the setting affect the characters and how the events unfold?
Themes
 A theme is a subject of talk in a piece of writing.
 It is the major topic discussed repeatedly in the story giving an opinion on the story for
example, love, feminism and racism.
 There are two types of themes: major themes which are discussed the most and minor
themes which appear briefly.
 Themes usually hold the moral lesson of the story.
Importance of themes
 Themes are the central focus of the story.
 They express the intended lesson, conclusion, message or point of view of the writer.
 Themes connect all the parts of the story together that is, characters, plot and even the
setting.
 They keep the writer in line with the story as every story has a motive behind it.
 Themes help the reader to relate to the characters in the story and the challenges they face.
Task
1. Research more on themes.
2. What are the themes of the novel you are studying?
Extensive-Reading-Exercise 1
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follows.
The hospital visit
John and Simon’s lives have been very different ever since uncle Andrew
came from South Africa to stay with them. Uncle Andrew had never been in
a car nor learnt how to read or write, but he knew thousands of interesting
things like how to make animal traps and caterpillar stew. He told wonderful
stories too.
About six months after uncle Andrew had joined them, the children’s
mother got sick. One afternoon, when she was picking a pumpkin from the
garden, she suddenly clutched her stomach and sat down on the ground.
John and Simon called for help and their neighbour Mr. Sibanda brought
his car and took their mother to the hospital.
Uncle Andrew made John and Simon go to school to take their minds off
their mother's sickness. Uncle Andrew went to see them at lunchtime.
“There’s good news,” he said, seeing their anxious faces. “The doctor
phoned and he said the operation went well. Your mother will be fine.”
“Operation?” asked Simon in a small voice.
“Yes, it was her appendix. It’s a little tube in the digestive system.
Sometimes germs get into it and it swells up. Then the doctor has to
remove it.” Simon wondered how uncle Andrew suddenly knew so much
about medicine.“You know what?” he said. “I’ll take you to see her
tomorrow.”
When they got to the hospital the following day, they saw crowds of people
all around. They pushed their way through and reached the main entrance.
Simon froze in horror. Right in front of them was a sign with bold red letters
written “STRICTLY NO CHILDREN”. John nudged her brother. “Do you
think uncle Andrew knows?” he whispered.
Their uncle was chatting to someone. “He can’t read,” Simon reminded
John. “He would not care anyway. He’s different from other grown ups.”
“Well, we’ve got a choice,” said John. “We can either tell him we are not
allowed to go in, or we can try and get in secretly. What should we do?”
Questions
Match the following words with their meanings in the table below.
1) Who is John to uncle Andrew?
2) Where did uncle Andrew stay before coming to stay with the boys and their
mother?
3) Who helped to take the boys' mother to the hospital?
4) What evidence from the passage shows that uncle Andrew was illiterate?
5) 'Simon wondered how uncle Andrew suddenly knew about medicine.' Why do
you think Simon was surprised by uncle Andrew's knowledge?
6) Give the meaning of the following words.
a. Traps
b. Stew
c. Wonderful
d. Clutched
e. Anxious
f. Germs
g. Operation
h. Crowds
i. Horror
j. Nudged
k. Chatting
7) Write the opposite of the following words taken from the passage above.
a. uncle
b. allowed
c. pushed
d. whispered
8) Complete the following sentences using the best suitable prepositions.
i. ________ six months of uncle Andrew's arrival, the children's mother fell sick.
ii. Mother was picking pumpkins ________ the garden.
iii. Uncle Andrew visited the children ________ lunchtime.
iv. The children pushed their way ________ the crowds of people.
v. She sat ________ the ground.
1. Who is John to uncle Andrew?
Suggested Answer
Nephew
2. Where did uncle Andrew stay before coming to stay with the boys and their
mother?
Suggested Answer
South Africa
3. Who helped to take the boys' mother to the hospital?
Suggested Answer
Mr. Sibanda
4. What evidence from the passage shows that uncle Andrew was illiterate?
Suggested Answer
 It is said that he had never learnt how to read and write.

 He failed to read that children were not allowed in the hospital.
5. 'Simon wondered how uncle Andrew suddenly knew about medicine.' Why do you
think Simon was surprised by uncle Andrew's knowledge?
Suggested Answer
He knew uncle Andrew to be illiterate.
6. Give the meaning of the following words.
a. Traps
b. Stew
c. Wonderful
d. Clutched
e. Anxious
f. Germs
g. Operation
h. Crowds
i. Horror
j. Nudged
k. Chatting
Suggested Answer
a. Traps - are devices used to catch animals

b. Stew - a dish of meat and vegetables that is prepared by simmering it slowly
into a liquid
c. Wonderful - something that is inspiring, delightful, extremely good
d. Clutched - held
e. Anxious - worried
f. Germs - bacteria that causes diseases
g. Operation - surgical procedure performed on a patient
h. Crowds - large numbers of people gathered together in a unorganised way.
i. Horror - shock
j. Nudged - pushed
k. Chatting - talking in an informal way
7. Write the opposite of the following words taken from the passage above.
a. uncle
b. allowed
c. pushed
d. whispered
Suggested Answer
a. aunt
b. restricted
c. pulled
d. shouted
8. Complete the following sentences using the best suitable prepositions.
i. ________ six months of uncle Andrew's arrival, the children's mother fell sick.
ii. Mother was picking pumpkins ________ the garden.
iii. Uncle Andrew visited the children ________ lunchtime.
iv. The children pushed their way ________ the crowds of people.
v. She sat ________ the ground.
Suggested Answer
i. After six months of uncle Andrew's arrival, the children's mother fell sick.
ii. Mother was picking pumpkins from the garden.
iii. Uncle Andrew visited the children at lunchtime.
iv. The children pushed their way through the crowds of people.
v. She sat on the ground.
PLURAL FORMS
1. distinguish between regular and irregular plural forms
2. distinguish between singular and plural forms of nouns
3. form the correct plurals of given nouns
 Remember, nouns are words that name things, places, people or ideas.
 They can be in singular or plural form.
 A singular noun names one object, person, place or idea.
 A plural noun names more than one object, person, place or idea.
Fig 1.4
Example of a noun in singular and plural form
 Plural forms can be either regular or irregular.
Formation of regular plural nouns
 Most common nouns are changed to a plural form by adding –s or –es at the end of the
word.
Example:
SINGULAR PLURAL
Lamp Lamps
Hat Hats
Bottle Bottles
 For nouns ending in –sh,-ch, -s,-x,-z :-we add –es

Examples:
Fig 1.5
Image showing formation of plurals
 For nouns ending in –o we add –s or –es

Examples:
Fig 1.6

 For nouns ending in a vowel and the consonant ywe add –s.s
Examples:
Fig 1.7
 The rule to remember is that regular plurals are those which are formed simply by adding –s
or –es to at the end of the noun.
Task
Give the plural forms of the underlined words.
1. I bought a sack of tomato at the market.
2. How many glass do you have in your cupboard?
3. I enjoy listening to speech from different people.
Formation of irregular plural nouns
 Irregular plurals are formed by changing vowels, changing a word or adding a different
ending to the word.
 For nouns ending in a consonant and a y we change –y to –ies.

City Cities
Lady Ladies
 For nouns ending in –f or –fe we change –f or –fe to –ve then add –s
SINGULAR PLURAL
Half Halves
Calf Calves
Knife Knives
Wife Wives
 However, there are a few exceptions to this rule, for example,

Cliff Cliffs
Roof Roofs
 Some nouns form their plurals by making changes to inside vowels.

Example:
SINGULAR PLURAL
Man Men
Woman Women
Foot Feet
Goose Geese
 Other nouns are pluralised by partially or entirely changing the word.

Example:
SINGULAR PLURAL
Child Children
Mouse Mice
Person People
 Some nouns have the same singular and plural form.

Example:
SINGULAR PLURAL
Sheep Sheep
Fish Fish
 Therefore, it is essential to remember these rules for the formation of plural nouns.
Task
Write the plural forms of the following nouns.
1. summary
2. child
3. woman
4. sheep
Plural-Forms-Exercise 1
State whether the following words are in singular or plural form. For example goats - plural.
1) Teeth Singular
Plural
2) Letter Singular
Plural
3) Sibling Singular
Plural
4) House Singular
Plural
5) Tomato Singular
Plural
6) Oxen Singular
Plural
7) Compositions Singular
Plural
8) Floor Singular
Plural
9) Floors Singular
Plural
10) Countries Singular
Plural
PREPOSITIONS
1. Identify types of prepositions.
2. Use them correctly in sentences.
 Prepositions are words that introduce information to the reader
 These are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns.
 This information can include where something takes place (at home).
Fig 1
Image showing prepositions
Types of prepositions
Preposition of location; At, In, On
 At is used to locate a specific place as shown by examples below;

1. Tafireyi was at the library the whole day.
2. I arrived at midnight.
 In is used to show location within the boundaries or an enclosed area as shown by examples
below;
1. We live in Chinhoyi.
2. We were in the car when the accident occurred.
 On shows that something is located on a surface or not an enclosed place as shown by

examples below;
1. I left my shoes on the shoe rack.
2. Netball players practice on the field.
Preposition of direction; To, Into, Onto
 To is used to show movement towards a specific place , for example;

1. We are moving to Ruwa next month.
2. She walks to school every day.
 Into indicates moving to the inside of an enclosed space as shown below;

1. The boy jumped into the pond.
2. The boy jumped in the pond.
 In and Into can be used interchangeably with some verbs and still keep the meaning of the
sentence the same.
 Example 1 shows action taken by the boy and example 2 shows position.
 Onto used to show movement towards the surface as shown below;

1. Fadzai tossed the papers on the coffee table.
Preposition for agent; By, With
 By is used for a thing which is the cause of another thing in the sentence as shown by
examples below
1. This book was written by Varaidzo Magomo.
2. The house is filled by guests.
Preposition for device, instrument or machine; By, With
1. He comes by bus daily.

2. He opened the locker with a key.
Fig 2
Prepositions that show location, time and movement
 Prepositions do not stand alone, they work in groups of words that we call prepositional
phrases.
 A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun.

For example:
 “Under” the desk.
 “During” the lesson.

 “After” dinner.
 “Behind” the bus.
 Words in quotes are prepositions and the words that follow the preposition make up the
prepositional phrase.
Task
Use the prepositions in Fig. 2 and construct sentences.
Prepositions-Exercise 1
Choose the correct answer from the words provided to complete the sentences.
1) Carol bumped _______ the chair.
--Select Answer--
2) The brush was ________ the table.
--Select Answer--
3) Kuda was hiding ________ the bridge.
--Select Answer--
4) The cat was hiding ________ the sofa.
--Select Answer--
5) We had to hide ________ the tree when it was raining.

--Select Answer--
6) The television was placed _________ the sitting room.
--Select Answer--
7) The teacher was sitting _______ the desk.
--Select Answer--
8) The toilet was built ________ the kitchen.
--Select Answer--
9) Nono was leaning _______ the walls.
Composition
Introduction
 I am sure you have written a composition before.
 Just as a reminder, a composition is a short piece of writing that

focuses on a particular subject.
 It is characterised by well-organised ideas that fit together from

the beginning to the end.
 The language used is usually simple and straightforward.
 In composition writing, we make use of flowery language to make

it interesting.
 A composition starts from a single sentence to paragraphs and

finally, these are organised to make up a composition.
Types of Sentences
 Now, let us look at types of sentences.
 Today we are going to look at a simple sentence and a compound

sentence.
A simple sentence
 Remember, a sentence is a set of words that expresses a complete
thought.
 A simple sentence has a subject (what is being talked about) and

a predicate (verb phrase that consists of more than one word).
 Let us look at the paragraphs below.

People shared their food. Everyone had something to eat. Sam ate
bread and juice. An old woman also gave him a big piece of fish.
He really enjoyed the fish, but he was not happy about spending
the first day of his holidays sitting beside a broken down bus in
the middle of nowhere. Eventually, someone stopped and helped
the driver to get the vehicle back in action
His aunt and cousins collected him at the roadside store that was
near their village. Sam was happy to see them. Sam and his cousin
Sherry chattered nonstop. Sam admitted that Sherry was nearly as
good as a boy although his aunt often scolded her for being such a
tomboy.
 From the passage above, let us identify simple sentences.
1. Sam was happy to see them.
2. People shared their food.
3. Sam ate bread and juice.

4. Sam and his cousin Sherry chattered nonstop.
Task
Now, try to identify the subject and the predicate in the four
sentences.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
Sam was happy to see them.
People share their food
Sam ate bread and juice
Sam and his cousin Sherry chattered nonstop.
 Remember, we said a sentence has a subject and a predicate.
 Note that, the predicate can be a verb phrase that consists of more
than one word for example,
Sam and his cousin Sherry chattered nonstop.
 A predicate can have a verb and an object for example,
SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
People shared their food.
 Thus Predicate = verb + object
A compound sentence
 This is a sentence that has two clauses (complete sentences) joined
by coordinating conjunctions.
 The coordinating conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so
that usually come in the middle of a sentence to join individual
words phrases and independent clauses.
COMPOUND SENTENCES
• Compound sentences are made up of two simple sentences connected by a conjunction li
 Take note how the following clauses from the paragraph we read
are joined together using the conjunction “but” to form a
compound sentence.
Sentence 1: He really enjoyed the fish.
Sentence 2: He was not happy about spending the first day of his
holidays sitting beside a broken down bus in the middle of
nowhere.
Compound sentence: He really enjoyed the fish, but he was not
happy about spending the first day of his holidays sitting beside a
broken down bus in the middle of nowhere.
Task
1. Identify more compound sentences from the paragraphs we read.
2. Complete the following sentences using and, or, yet, for and but.
a. Do you prefer coffee ___ tea?
b. He did not study ___ thus failed the examinations.
c. He is rich ____ he is not happy.
d. She did not buy the groceries ____ she had the money that
her mother gave her.
e. The book cannot be mine ___ it has someone else’s name on

it.
Possible Answers
a. or
b. and
c. but
d. yet
e. for
Paragraphing
o Now, since we have learnt about types of sentences, let us
move on to paragraphing
o A paragraph is a group of related sentences that bring out a

single idea in a piece of writing.
o A paragraph is made up of three components, which include

the topic sentence, supporting details and the closing
sentence.
o Read the following paragraph, as we will constantly refer to

it.
I was taken by surprise the moment I entered the room to see
my present. On top of my bed, there lay a shiny acoustic
guitar. I had been longing for one since I was five and that
day, my dream finally came true. Because I was so happy, I
did not notice the portrait that had been put on the wall at
that time, until my mother pointed at it. It was one of my
favourite guitarists, John Paul. I was so grateful to my
mother. I was not expecting to receive all that.
Topic Sentence
 The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph
that introduces the main idea of a paragraph.
 The topic sentence summarizes the main idea

indicating what the paragraph will contain.
 It is usually found at the beginning of a paragraph.

Example:
I was taken by surprise the moment I entered the room.
 As shown in the example, the topic sentence should

give the general idea of a paragraph.
 In this case, the topic sentence shows that the writer

might probably tell us more about what surprised him
or her or in the room.
 The topic sentence should be brief and captivating too,

in order to make the reader want to read more.
Supporting details
 The supporting details involve the sentences that come
after the topic sentence.
 They make the body of the paragraph.
 They give details to develop and support the main idea

of the paragraph.
Example:
I was taken by surprise the moment I entered the room
to see my present. On top of my bed, there, lay a shiny
acoustic guitar. I had been longing for one since I was
five and that day, my dream finally came true. Due to
happiness, I did not notice the portrait that had been
put on the wall at that time, until my mother pointed at
it. It was one of my favourite guitarists, John Paul.
 The supporting ideas should be arranged into a

sensible plan and should link.
 In the example given, the first sentence tells us that the

writer was surprised by seeing the present, but it is not
mentioned what it the present was.
 Therefore, the second sentence goes on to clarify the

first sentence.
 The third one goes on to show the reason why the

writer was surprised and so on.
 All these sentences support the topic sentence.
 When writing a composition, select good ideas and

drop bad ones.
 Bad ideas in this case would involve talking about a

band of acoustic guitarists in detail yet the topic
sentence implied that the writer would write about what
surprised him or her in the room.

Example:
to see my present. There was an acoustic guitar. There
is a band I admire a lot that plays acoustic guitars. I
once went to one of their shows and that is when I fell
in love with guitars.I also received a portrait of my
favourite guitarist, John Paul.
 Talking about the band is irrelevant in this case.
 The reader is expecting to hear about what is in the

room, the surprise or the present.
 Of course, there is the mention of the present, the

acoustic guitar but there is no need to tell the reader
about the band in that paragraph.
 Therefore, it is important to select information that will

expand the topic sentence.
Closing sentence
 This is the last sentence in a paragraph.
 It restates the main idea of a paragraph.
 Make use of different words to restate the main idea of

the paragraph.
Example:
to see my present. On top of my bed, there lay a shiny
acoustic guitar. I had been longing for one since I was
five and that day, my dream finally came true. Because I
was so happy, I did not notice the portrait that had
been put on the wall at that time, until my mother
pointed at it. It was one of my favourite guitarists, John
Paul. I was so grateful to my mother. I was not

expecting to receive all that.
Linking paragraphs
 It is important to make sure that the paragraphs make
sense and link together in continuous writing.
 In order to achieve this, discourse markers are used.
 These are words or phrases that show how sentences

are logically combined into larger wholes such as
paragraphs and paragraphs into compositions.
 Discourse markers are used to connect and organise

sentences.
 Different discourse markers are used for different

effects in sentences and paragraphs.
 Let us look at different effects of discourse markers.
Balancing or contrasting points

o Discourse markers can be used to shift from one idea to
another from one paragraph to another or from one sentence
to another.
o This involves looking into different views outlining the

contrast.
o Examples of such discourse markers include:

on the other hand; while; whereas, unlike,
alternatively Example:
Senele is a very successful doctor who works at Mpilo
hospital. On the other hand, she is a wife and a mother who
spends quality time with her family.
o The discourse marker has clearly distinguished Senele’s

career life and personal life.
o Therefore, discourse markers help to make points clear.
Emphasis
 This is when one is stressing a point.
 The discourse markers used also include:

above all, in particular, especially Example:
Tafadzwa loves sporting activities like playing tennis, basketball
and hockey, but above all she enjoys playing netball.
Similarity
 In this case, discourse markers are used to indicate the
relationship between two concepts.
 Discourse markers used to show similarity include:

Similarly, in the same way, likewise
Adding
 When using discourse markers for adding, it has to be in a manner
that it continues the flow of the previous point.
 Discourse markers that have such an effect include:

moreover, furthermore, in addition Example:
Rutendo was not fit to become the Senior Prefect because she was
not very active in school activities. Furthermore, she was always
late for her classes.
Giving examples
 When giving examples, the discourse markers used also include:
 for instance, for example, such as, like
 Vegetables and fruits are good for health, for example, beetroot
increases the blood level.
 There are many discourse markers that can be used to link

sentences to convey different meanings. Some of them are listed in
the table below:TimeResultContrast
ADDITION COMPARISON IN SHORT
furthermore similarly on the whole
then likewise clearly
also comparable to be sure
again equally in short
finally in the same way in brief
meanwhile hence however
finally thus nevertheless
at last as a result even so
currently accordingly though
in the past there upon otherwise
 Task
 Construct your own paragraph using some of the
discourse markers listed above.
 Task
1. _____ bad weather, the event was cancelled. (In spite of/ Due
to)
2. I managed to pass the interview _____it was not easy.

(although/ despite)
3. Mandipa decided to sell his car ___ establish a new business.

(so as to/ in order)
4. He pretended to like the food ___ hurt her feelings. (in case/
in order not to)
Possible Answers
5. Due to
6. although
7. so as to
8. in order not to
Points to remember
 A good composition can be easily identified through certain
qualities it may possess.
 These qualities include originality, simplicity, unity and coherence,

just to name a few.
Originality
 When writing a composition, present your ideas or emotions in a
unique manner.
 This means that you have to make use of your own thoughts and
experiences and not try to copy what someone else once wrote or
what you have read at some point.
Simplicity
 It is important to avoid using big words in your compositions.
 Stick to simple, but interesting language.
Unity
 A composition should present a single definite subject.
 Irrelevant information should not be included.
 All sentences and paragraphs must contribute to the development

of one idea or effect and fit into the whole piece of writing.
Coherence
 It is important to maintain an unbroken chain of relationships
among the paragraphs.
 Make use of discourse markers to link your sentence and

paragraphs.
Appropriate Register in Composition Writing

 Register is one of the many styles or varieties of a language
determined by factors such as social occasion, purpose and
audience.
 It is used to indicate the degrees of formality in language use.
 Register can be formal or informal.
INFORMAL FORMAL
He checked up on his accountant He investigated his accountant
They put up with their neighbours They tolerated their neighbours
She caught on very quickly She understood very quickly
She made up for it with an early She compensated for it with an early
night night
He went down with a fever He contracted a fever
The cost of living went up The cost of living increased/rose
 Formal register is used in such writing as reports, business letters,

and speeches.
Task
The following paragraph is an extract of an email that an
employee sent to the Chief Executive Officer of the
company she works at. She is writing to a person of high
authority and her language is a bit informal. Help her out
by writing the paragraph in a formal manner without
changing its meaning.
As I stand for the department as a whole, we would like
to say we are sorry that you did not get the paperwork on
time. You are right to say that these issues should be
taken seriously. We also need to tell other stakeholders
because we really need their help in this thing.
Possible Answer
On behalf of the department, we would like to apologise

that that you did not receive the paperwork on time. I
agree with you that these issues should be seriously
considered. We also need to tell other stakeholders
because we surely need their assistance in this issue.
Composition-Writing-Test 1
Answer the following questions correctly.
1) Identify the correctly spelt word.
enevelope anvelope envelope

desease disease desiese
sinserely sincerely sincerly
excited ecited exsited
mieschevous mischeavous mischievous
separate saparate seperrate
2) Punctuate the following sentences correctly.
a. tafadzwa is my best friend.

b. Can I go now
c. I will be leaving soon, said Leona.
d. If I had money I would have bought the satchel.
e. the capital city of zimbabwe is harare.
f. “Oh my goodness, I left the keys in the bus” she exclaimed.
g. I ate chicken chips and salads.
3) Write the correct tense of the underlined verb.
i. I pass last term.

ii. By tomorrow I finish writing the notes.
iii. Next week, I go for interviews.
iv. I cook whenever I get hungry.
v. The car crash into the wall yesterday.
vi. I bought a car when I finished my degree.
vii. Simba swim in the river yesterday.
1. Identify the correctly spelt word.


Suggested Answer

2. Punctuate the following sentences correctly.
a. tafadzwa is my best friend.

b. Can I go now
c. I will be leaving soon, said Leona.
d. If I had money I would have bought the satchel.
e. the capital city of zimbabwe is harare.
f. “Oh my goodness, I left the keys in the bus” she exclaimed.
g. I ate chicken chips and salads.
Suggested Answer
a. Tafadzwa is my best friend.

b. Can I go now?
c. "I will be leaving soon," said Leona.
d. If I had money, I would have bought the satchel.
e. The capital city of Zimbabwe is Harare.
f. “Oh my goodness, I left the keys in the bus!” she exclaimed.
g. I ate chicken, chips and salads.
3. Write the correct tense of the underlined verb.
i. I pass last term.

ii. By tomorrow I finish writing the notes.

iii. Next week, I go for interviews.
iv. I cook whenever I get hungry.
v. The car crash into the wall yesterday.
vi. I bought a car when I finished my degree.
vii. Simba swim in the river yesterday.
Suggested Answer
i. passed
ii. will have finished
iii. will go
iv. cook
v. crashed
vi. had bought
vii. swam
Reference
Source
 A source is a research tool which assists one in getting information
on an essay or project.
 The source gives information on particular subjects being

researched on.
 They are also known as reference books because they are books
we refer to for information.
Fig. 3
Picture showing different reference sources
Types of reference sources

Dictionaries
 These provide meanings for words or topics related to a particular
subject or certain field of inquiry.
 The words are arranged in alphabetical order.
 There are different types of dictionaries for example, a subject

dictionary focuses mainly on a specific subject, giving the meaning
of words in it.
 There is also a dictionary which attempts to include every word

currently in use.
Fig. 4
Picture showing a dictionary
Task
Read a passage and search the dictionary for the
meanings of words that you do not understand.
Directories
 They contain names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other
information for people, organisations and institutions.
Fig. 5
Picture showing a directory
Task
1. Research more on a directory.
2. Search for your school’s address and phone number.
Maps
 Maps are a diagrammatic representation of an area or land or sea
showing physical features, cities, roads and others.
 They record definite facts of positions, climate, vegetation,

materials and others.
Fig. 6
Picture showing a map
Task
Look for a map and locate Africa and Zimbabwe.
Catalogues
 A catalogue is a list of contents arranged in different ways.
 It can be a book, leaflet, or a file.
 There are different types of catalogues.

Fig. 7
Picture showing a catalogue
Task
1. Research more on types of catalogues.
2. Look for a University catalogue and identify
programmes that you may be interested in doing after
High School.
The internet
 The internet is a system of computer network used to link millions
of computers all over the world.
 It gives access to a lot of information from various places for

example, when you want information you can search it on Google.
Fig. 8
Google search icon
Task
Use the internet to research on water pollution.
Internet ethics
 Internet ethics are also called netiquette.
Fig. 9
Summary of internet ethics
Different sections of a book

1. Contents table
2. Preface
3. Glossary
4. Index
5. Appendices
Fig. 10
Diagram showing sections of a book
The Contents table

 This is a list of what the book contains, arranged in order by
chapters or sections.
 It has the chapter titles and the pages you find the chapters on.
 It comes after the title page in a book.
 It helps the reader to find quickly what they are looking for in a
book.
Fig. 11
An example of a table of contents
Task
Look for a textbook of any subject you are doing and
search for a particular topic of your choice in the table of
contents.
Preface
 This is the introduction to a book and it states the subject and
aims of the book.
 It tells you why an author wrote that particular book.
 We need a preface in order to understand the purpose of a book.
 A preface also covers the story of how the book came into being,
or how the idea for the book was developed.
Fig. 12
An example of a preface from a book
Task
Take the novel you are studying in your class or any
other, find the preface, and read it.
Glossary
 This is an alphabetical list of difficult or unusual words and
expressions used in a book.
 It is found at the end of a book.
 It gives the meanings or definitions of those difficult words and

expressions.
 It is like a mini dictionary that is found at the back of the book.

Fig. 13
An example of a glossary
Task
Look for a book and locate the glossary.
Index
 It is an alphabetical list of key terms and topics found in a book
and the pages on which they are found.
 It is a key used to locate information contained in a book.
 It is also known as back-of-the-book index as it is mostly found at

the end of the book.
 Here is an example of a book index:

Fig. 14
An example of a book index
 The index terms can be names, places, events, or any other terms
related to the book’s content.
 They can be single words like ‘abuse’ in the picture above or

multiple words like ‘adjusting to changes’.
 An index has an advantage of reducing the time you hunt for

information since the information is put in alphabetic order and
gives the page numbers where the information is found.
Appendices
 Appendices is a plural word for appendix.
 This is extra information that the author may have left out, put at
the end of a book.
 It may also be referred to as a section or table of additional matter

at the end of a book or document.
 Here is an example of a page with appendices.
Fig. 15
An example of an appendix page
 All the above mentioned book sections are important and help the
reader find information easily inside the book.
References-Exercise 1
Read the following comprehension and answer the questions that follow.
The fastest athlete in Zimbabwe
Emily Moyo was born a champion. Since 1990, her name has often been in the
newspaper, on radio and television. She was born in Chivhu in 1976 and she grew
up there. She started her career when she was doing form two. She did not realise
her talent early since she went to a primary school, which did not take sports
seriously.
She only started competing internationally in 1989 when they went for High school
International Competitions. She raised the flag of Rukudzo High School when she
came first in the 400m race. She was the champion for that race and was the best
athlete of the year.
Emily represented Zimbabwe in Botswana, Malawi and won gold medals for both
events in 1990. In Malawi, she became the new National Women’s Sprinting
Champion when she set a record of 40 seconds in the 400m sprint. For three
consecutive years, nobody challenged her.
Emily was not only a national champion but she also continued to win victories for
her country. In 1995, she brought back several medals from Lesotho and Zambia.
Later in the year, she took part in the Olympic Games in Japan, but she did not win
any medals there.
Questions
State whether the following statements are true or false.
1) Emily Moyo was born a champion, since 1993 her name has often been in the
newspaper, on radio and television.
--Select Answer--
2) She was born in Chivhu in 1976.
--Select Answer--
3) She grew up in Chivhu and started her career when she was doing form two.
--Select Answer--
4) This was her first time competing on an international stage.
--Select Answer--
5) She raised the flag of Mufakose high school high when she came first in the
400m race
--Select Answer--
6) Emily represented Zimbabwe in Botswana, Malawi and won bronze medals for
both events in 1990.
--Select Answer--
7) In Malawi she became the new National women’s Sprinting Champion when she
set a record of 40 seconds in the 400 meters sprint.
--Select Answer--
8) In 1995 she brought back several medals from Lesotho and Zambia.
--Select Answer--
9) Later in the year she took part in the Olympic Games in Japan and she won
medals.
--Select Answer—
OPPOSITES
1. identify nouns that have opposites.

2. state the opposites of given nouns.
Opposites are words which express meanings that are totally different from each
other.
For example,
Love---Hatred
Not all nouns have opposites.
 The word ‘table’ is a noun but it does not have an opposite.
 Most but not all nouns that have opposites are abstract nouns (they name
things that are intangible).
Fig 1.8
Picture showing abstract and concrete nouns

 In the table below, the abstract nouns are ‘trust’, love and ‘knowledge’
NOUN OPPOSITE
Trust Distrust
Love Hatred
Knowledge Ignorance
 Other examples include:
NOUN OPPOSITE
Male Female
Friend Enemy
Success Failure
 Note that, we cannot use any of our five senses to detect each of these
nouns in the table.
 Some opposites of nouns are formed by using prefixes with the given word.
 A prefix is an element of a word placed at the beginning of a word to change
its meaning.
 For example, agreement – disagreement
disagreement = dis + agreement
 In this case,dis- was added to the word agreement to form its opposite.
 Dis- in this case is a prefix.
 Another example: imperfection = im +perfection
 In this case, im-was added to the word perfection to form its opposite.
Fig 1.9
Picture showing prefixes used to form opposites

Fig 2.0
Examples of opposites formed using prefixes

Task
Form opposites of these words by adding the best suitable prefixes. Use the formed
words in constructing sentences.
1. social
2. decisive
3. dependent
4. resistible
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

1. identify direct and indirect speech

2. punctuate direct speech correctly
3. use correct verb tenses, pronouns and time expressions when
changing direct to indirect speech
 Direct speech is a sentence or several sentences that reports speech or

thought in its original speaker.
 It is usually enclosed in quotation marks.
Example:
Emily said, “I cooked the meal.”
 Indirect speech involves reporting something that was said but not using
exactly the same words.
 This is also known a reported speech.
Example:
Emily said that she had cooked the meal.
 There are changes that take place when changing direct to indirect speech.
 These changes include verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions.
 Let us study the passage below.
Thetube was pumped up. Sipho pushed it down slowly, bit by bit, into a dish
of water. “What’s that for?” asked Tinotenda. “Look for the air bubbles then
you will identify the puncture Sipho.” As he pushed the next section under the
water, a line of bubbles streamed into the water. “They look like tiny jewels,”
said Tinotenda. Sipho gave her the filer immediately saying, “Rub it over that
part of the tyre to roughen it. Then the patch will stick better.” Tinotenda filed
the tube and the patch then Sipho put a thin layer of solution onto them both.
He pressed them together tightly until they were stuck firmly.
Tinotenda blew up the tube again and tested it in the water. This time there
were no bubbles. Sipho smiled happily because his repair job had worked.
Task
Identify direct speech from the passage above and change it to indirect speech.
Descriptive Composition
 Descriptive writing involves describing a subject; it can either be an
object, person, place, experience, emotion or situation.
 This type of composition requires full knowledge of the subject

you are writing about, it allows artistic freedom to paint an image
that is vivid and moving to the reader.
Example:
She has beautiful, flawless hair that is twelve inches long. It is
straight and has no tangled ends. The hair is shiny and smooth. Its
brown colour complements her light complexion. The front hair is
permanently styled in a manner that it has a fringe that flaps just
above the right eye.
 Description should be able to clearly form an impression in the

reader’s mind.
 It should show a pattern of continuity.
 For example, when describing a person, you may start by the head,
neck, and chest and so on.
 Do not start by describing from the head to toes, neck, then back
to the head.
Task
Write a description of your friend.
Guidelines on writing a descriptive composition

Take Time To Brainstorm
 If you are asked to describe, for example, your dog, make sure you
write down some ideas before you begin describing it.
 You might start by writing down a few words like fur, neck, eyes,
and teeth and so on.
Task
Write adjectives that you can use describe the features of
a dog that are mentioned above.
Example: vicious teeth, sharp teeth
Use Clear Precise Language

 Choose language carefully, particularly for their relevance in

relation to what you are intending to describe.
 Also, choose language or words that form a strong vivid image in

the mind of the reader.
Examples of specific words that can substitute a general

word
WALKED LITTLE LIKE SAW
trudged small admire spotted

shuffled minute appreciate noticed
marched petite adore glimpsed
staggered tiny prefer sighted
Task
Write your own vivid descriptions animals, the person you
admire the most or a celebration.
Use Your Senses

 Describing needs to appeal to the senses to the reader.
 Explain how the thing smelt, felt, sounded, tasted or looked.
Be Organised
 Present an organised and logical description.
Model Composition
The day at the fair
The sky was dotted with a few fluffy clouds that looked
like candyfloss and the weather was just suitable for a
day at the fair.
The entrance to the fair could be seen at a distance and

the long queues bordered forward slowly. Customers
were becoming increasingly excited and impatient as they
took a few steps forward every so often. Faint music
could be heard from beyond the tall gates with the

occasional happy scream suddenly piercing the air closer
to the entrance. Massive structures of the rides could be
seen; a roller coaster, a big wheel, a helter -skelter. They
were still giants reaching for the sun.
Task
1. Complete the composition “The day at the fair.”
2. Write a descriptive composition entitled ‘The rainmaking

ceremony’.
Narrative Composition
 This kind of writing gives an account of events or experiences.
 It answers the questions who, what, when and where?
 Who- Requires the characters in the story, people who are

involved.
 What- Asks for the events that took place(the plot).
 When- Asks for the time, the events took place.
 Where- The question demands the location or where the events

took place, that is, the setting.
Features of Narrative Writing

Fig. 4
Features of a narrative composition
 It requires one to tell a story, usually about something that

happened from the viewpoint of one person.
 Unlike other forms of writing, narrative writing permits the use of

first person narration.
 This means writing from the ‘I’ or ‘we’ point of view.

Example:
I walked down the road and met Anesu and asked her to
accompany me to the shops. We played and sang on our way there.
 The character speaks directly about himself or herself.
 Third person narration can also be used.
 This means writing from the ‘she’, ‘he’ and ‘they’ point of view.
 This narrative style does not involve the writer. Example:

He went down the road and met Anesu and asked her to
accompany him to the shops. They played and sang on their way
there.
Points to take note of when writing a narrative essay

 The writer is the narrator of the story.
 First or third person narration can be used.
 Usually the story is told in past tense.
 The introduction should be captivating.
Ways of introducing a story

Fig. 5
Diagram showing ways of writing an introduction
Task
Write an introduction of a narrative composition of the
following topic: ‘My first visit to the doctor’.
 The story has to have proper sequencing, that is, tell the story
stage by stage and do not confuse the reader.
 However, in the case where one decides to be creative, and start

the story in the middle as an introduction, make sure you take the
reader back to where it all started.
 This is called foreshadowing.
 It gives a hint on events to come in the story at the beginning.
 It makes the story more interesting.

Example:
Her heart was beating very fast and she was panting very heavily.
She looked back and did not see the creature chasing her anymore;
she stopped running and sat on the grass. Simbiso had never seen
such a creature in her entire life and she regretted taking the
shortcut that day.
Simbiso knew that, it was her young brother’s birthday, the second
of July. She could not wait to get home and feast on the dinner and
of course, the birthday cake. As she was walking home using her
normal route, she saw a path in the bush and decided to use it
since she had heard it was a shortcut. If only she had known what
awaited her in the thick bush…
After walking halfway through the bush, daydreaming about what

had been prepared at home; she suddenly stood still as a statue.
She had come face to face with a very frightening creature. She
started shivering and sweat oozed out. When she realised it was
not a dream, she ran as fast as she could, but the creature was
right at her heels…
The creature was finally out of sight and she sat down on the
grass. She had never seen or heard of such an ugly and frightening
animal like this one before. When she gained sanity, she realised
she was back at the roadside of her normal route. She quickly
picked up her bag she had thrown away in fear and started running
towardshome…
 When the story is finally on track from where you began in the
introduction, all the other events can then follow each other, step
by step to the end.
 In the end, you can highlight the lesson or moral of the story.
Example:
She lay on her bed, facing the ceiling and recalling what had
happened in the bus.
Still she could not figure out what it was she had encountered. She
made a vow that she would never use a route she was not familiar
with.
Task
Write a narrative composition that ends with the
sentence “I pinched myself twice to see if i was
awake.”
Creative Writing
 This is the ability to use one’s imagination to produce an extra-
ordinary piece of writing.
 This includes short stories and poems.
 It is called creative because it involves thinking outside the box

and using language that attracts the reader.
 Creative writing involves the use of proverbs, idioms and other

figurative expressions.
 One should be creative in writing the types of compositions that

were discussed in earlier topics, that is-descriptive and narrative.
 Look at the pictures below:

Fig. 6
Pictures showing a princess
 The two pictures above are both drawings of a little princess but as
you look at them there is a difference that you notice.
 Which one is more attractive and why?
 I bet you said Picture B is more attractive. This is because Picture B

has more colour than picture A.
 Creative writing may be likened to Picture B. It is the same drawing

as picture A but produced in a way that attracts the one who is
looking at it.
 Creative writing is like decorating a drawing, adding colour to it so

that it captivates the onlooker.
 In writing one has to use various devices and techniques in order

for the piece of work to be interesting to the reader.
 Let us look at a few devices and techniques that can help produce
creative work
Proverbs
These are popular expressions of wisdom that portray
everyday life situations.
Examples:
PROVERB MEANING
It is better to do something late than not to do it at

Better late than never
all.
Birds of a feather flock People of similar personalities associate with each

together other.
1. We have been waiting for you for almost an hour but it is better
late than never.
2. We have been waiting for you for almost an hour but it is better to
arrive late than not to arrive at all.
The first sentence is more creative than the second one;

it is appealing and would be more interesting to the
reader.
Task
Give two examples of idioms and explain why they paint
a vivid picture.
Idioms
These are words or phrases that are used to describe
certain situations which they do not literally refer to.
Examples:
IDIOM MEANING
Best thing since sliced bread Excellent invention, idea or innovation
Costs an arm and a leg It is very expensive
Example:
Suppose you are writing a descriptive story
1. Mrs. Zikhali was a filthy rich lady. You could tell that her attire
must have cost an arm and a leg.
2. Mrs. Zikhali was a rich woman. You could tell that her attire was
very expensive.
o Both sentences describe the same person but sentence 1 is

more artistic because of the use of figurative language in its
description.
o Therefore creativity is all about writing ordinary things in an

extra ordinary way that makes your work captivating and
outstanding.
o You may be given the same composition topic in the

classroom but the way you use language will determine
which composition is most interesting.
Task
1. Give examples of idioms and use them to construct
sentences.
2. Write a poem entitled ‘My beautiful country
Zimbabwe’.
Free-Compositions-Test 1
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Fixing time
The tube was pumped up. Sipho pushed it down slowly, bit by bit, into a dish
of water. “What’s that for?” asked Tinotenda. “Look for the air bubbles then
you will see the puncture Sipho.” As he pushed the next section under the
water, a line of bubbles popped in the water. “They look like tiny jewels,” said
Tinotenda. Sipho gave her the filer immediately saying, “Rub it over that part
of the tyre to roughen it. Then the patch will stick better.” Tinotenda filed the
tube and the patch then Sipho put a thin layer of solution onto them both. He
pressed them together tightly until they were stuck firmly.
Tinotenda pumped air into the tube again and tested it in the water.”
This time there were no bubbles. Sipho smiled happily because his repair job had
worked.
Sipho was very impressed with his success in mending the puncture. Usually when he
visited Tinotenda’s family, he was the ignorant one. Tinotenda had taught him all kinds
of things about the bush. At least this time he had shown that ‘town children’ know how
to do some things too. That afternoon they went out riding again.
“I wish we had two bikes then we could have real races,” Sipho said and Tinotenda’s
mother overheard them. That evening she told Sipho and Tinotenda that one of the
neighbours had another bike they could use.
“Don’t get excited,” she said. “It’s been in the shed for ages so it might not be
functional. Mrs. Msipa’s son bought it for her but she doesn’t think women should ride
bikes.” Tinotenda and Sipho rushed over to Mrs. Msipa’s house early next morning.
They went to the shed. The bike was dirty and dusty, and spiders had spun their
cobwebs all around the spokes.
“There it is,” said Mrs. Msipa. “See what you can do with it.”
They pulled it out and took a close look. Everything seemed to work, but both tyres
were flat. “They might not be punctured,” said Tinotenda “we’ll have to see”. They
pushed the bike home excitedly and set about washing it. Once the cobwebs were gone,
it did not look old at all.
“It’s amazing what a bit of soap and water can do,” exclaimed Tinotenda’s mother.
“Some will do you two good as well.” “Later, auntie, later,” said Sipho. They were too
busy to think about bathing. The front tyre was fine; all it needed was some air.
However, Tinotenda begged to be the one to mend the tyre. “Okay but don’t use too
much solution,” warned Sipho “the thinnest layer is best.”
Tinotenda’s patches stuck like nails on a magnet. Sipho was proud of his student and of
himself. A little oil in the right places, and the bike was as good as new.
Questions
Choose the correct answer from the choices given.
1) Who was pushing the tube into the water?
2) Why did they have to file the tyre first?

3) What was the purpose of pushing the pumped tube into water?
4) Sipho was from ____ area.
5) What was wrong with the bicycle they took from Mrs. Msipa?
6) The statement “Some will do you two good as well” Was a suggestion that
_____.
Listening Comprehension
 Do you ever listen to news and stories on the radio, or any other
telecommunication device? Do you usually recall what you would
have head that you can actually tell someone about it?
 Well, today we want to learn how to listen effectively and

understand what we hear.
 Listening comprehension involves hearing what is said, being able

to understand the words and being able to relate to them.
 A good listener is able to understand what she or he hears,

remember it, discuss it and even retell it in his or her own words.
 The diagram below shows a summary of listening comprehension

concepts.
Fig. 1
A summary of listening comprehension concepts
Listening comprehension skills

For effective listening comprehen sion one must:
1. Be relaxed and confident.
2. Look at the gestures of the reader.
3. Listen to what is being read, ask questions and be able to give

feedback.
4. Think about what is being said.
5. Take note of the pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar and

deduce meaning and intention.
6. Be able to identify important points and retell the story in short.
7. Evaluate the story that is, being able to distinguish between facts
and opinions.
8. Make a comment or respond to what you have heard.

The diagram below shows a summary of the listening

process.
Fig. 2
Summary of the listening process
Note taking
 Note taking refers to the process of writing down key points of
what you have heard in your own words.
 Note taking is necessary when a story is being read aloud as it

reminds you of the details of the story.
 It is also done for purposes of answering questions after the story

has been read.
 When you write down notes, you will be able to correctly answer
given questions.
 However, it involves multi-tasking, that is, listening attentively

while writing down information.
Summarising
 A summary is an overview of the whole story.
 This is where you use your own words to give a shorter version of
the whole story.
Task
1. Listen to a story or news on any telecommunications media and
apply the skills we discussed. After that, answer the following
questions.
o What is the story about?
o What are the key points of the story?
2. Retell the story you were listening to a friend.
Listening-Comprehension-Exercise 1
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Information technology
Media and other forms of communication technology have a massive influence in

helping to shape public attitudes. Newspapers, TVs and radios have been the best
ways of communication in most African countries. They are all important sources of
basic information about other people and other places.
The media raises important issues, for example, issues of corruption that are difficult
to address. The media also exposes problems in the community for example poor
living conditions, lack of access to services or the response of local communities to
their government.
The media can become an instrument for broadcasting false but inspiring messages
and values that do not promote respect and ubuntu/unhu. Negative news can divide
communities and can spread the labels that cultivate violence, for example in
political issues.
On the other hand, these types of communication media help people to receive
important messages like vacancies, funeral notices, educative messages, and public
notices that involve everyone. The media often chooses to focus on conflict, since
conflict and drama sell newspapers by attracting a huge audience. There can be a
tendency by some (though not all) of the media to simplify the complexity of current
problems. They tend to reduce the gravity of news on the supposition that people
want drama and entertainment rather than informed analysis. An emphasis on the
positive role of the media, which we strongly support, has to go with a truthful
acknowledgement of the problems that the media also faces.
Questions
Choose the correct answer from the choices given.
1) Which ways of communication have been the best in most African countries?
2) Which important issues are mostly raised by media?
3) Which important messages are received through media?
4) Why do media prefer to focus on conflict?
5) What makes people read newspapers?
Prefix
 A prefix is a word part that is added at the beginning of a root
word to form a new word with a different meaning, for example:
The teacher asked me to rewrite my Mathematics homework.
Re- + write = Rewrite

(Prefix) + (root word)
 The word ‘write’ is the root word and re- is the prefix.
 To rewrite means to write again because the prefix re- means

‘again’.
 A root word is a word on its own while a prefix is a letter or a

group of letters that cannot stand on their own.
 When a prefix is added to a root word, the meaning is immediately

altered.
 A prefix can create a new word opposite in meaning to the root

word.
 For example:
Eating too much chocolate is an unhealthy habit.
Un + healthy = unhealthy
By placing the prefix un- at the beginning of the word healthy, the meaning
is already changed to mean not healthy.
 A prefix can also be added at the beginning of a word to express

relations of time or place for example:
Mbuya Nehanda played an important role in the pre-
independence period.
Pre + independence = pre-independence

By placing the prefix pre- to the word independence, the meaning is
changed to mean a time before independence.
 There are many prefixes in the English language.
 Every prefix has a meaning.
 In order to understand a word with a prefix, it is important to know

the meaning of the prefix first.
Task
 Which prefixes do you know? List them and find out their
meanings.
 The most common prefixes in English are those which express the
negative or the opposite of a root word.
 Examples: un- unhappy

dis- dislike
im- impossible
 Root words can be verbs, adjectives or nouns.
 Also note that there are quite a number of prefixes which mean the
opposite of or the reverse of a root word. These include un-, in-,
im-, ir, il-, dis-, non-, de-.
Task
Add root words to the prefixes mentioned above to form
words with a different meaning for example:
Dis- disadvantage
 Here are a few rules to help you remember how to use some of
these prefixes.
 Il- is used with words that begin with l, for example legal>illegal,
illogical
 Im- is used with words that begin with m or p, for

example possible>impossible,mature>immature
 Ir- is used with words that begin with r, for example-

relevant>irrelevant,replaceable>irreplaceable.
 When using prefixes, the spelling of the root word does not
change, it remains the same.
 Some prefixes require that we use them with a hyphen.
 Use a hyphen when you add a prefix before a proper noun or a

numeral.
For example, pre-1980, non-Ndebele
 Use a hyphen to separate vowels in order to prevent

mispronunciation and to improve readability.
For example: pre-independence
The hyphen is separating ‘e’ at the end of the prefix and ‘I’ which
starts the root word.
 Sometimes, the hyphen is used to prevent confusion of words for

example:
recover and re-cover
Please recover that book when you re-cover from the flu.
Re-cover= cover again
Recover = return to your normal state of health
 Remember the difference between a root word and a prefix so that

you do not confuse some parts of words for prefixes. For example,
a word like ‘uncle’.
 One may confuse the ‘un’ in uncle for a prefix but it is not because
the letters ‘cle’ in ‘uncle’ cannot stand as a root word, they do not
have a meaning.
 The conclusion therefore is that the word ‘uncle’ does not have a
prefix.
 Other examples of words that may seem to have prefixes are

pretty, reach, interest, real. There are many others.
Task
 Now that we have learnt a lot on prefixes, form opposites of the
following words by adding prefixes dis-, un-, in-, im-, ir-, mis- or
il-.
 Form sentences using the constructed words.
1. Complete
2. Patience
3. Conduct
4. Literate
5. Appear
6. Dependent
7. Relevant
8. Friendly
9. Sanity
10. Advantage
Prefixes-Exercise 1
Using the given list of prefixes, come up with opposites of the following words.
Dis-, Un-, In-, Im-, Ir-, Mis-, Il-
1) Complete
2) Conduct
3) Advantage
4) Appear
5) Dependent
6) Patience
7) Sanity
8) Literate
9) Friendly
10) Relevant

f1 English Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

f1 English Notes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

f1 English Notes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1|Page New Curriculum

English Language Form 1

 It involves learners reading in detail with specific learning aims and

Answering comprehension questions

 Comprehension exercises and tests are meant to test the level of

Points to note when answering comprehension questions

 Read the questions first.

 Never use outside knowledge.

 Deduce contextual meaning of words.

Now, read the following passage. We will be constantly

breakdown because the bus had been belching out great

People shared their food so everyone had something to

His aunt and cousins collected him at the roadside store

That evening Sam washed his hands and face before

Sherry and her young sister were so overwhelmed by

Sam was not completely awake. “What do you mean ? Does

Sherry was about to laugh at him when she saw that he

 A process involving visual searching of the sentences on a page for

 It involves reading quickly to find specific information.

1. What was Sam’s final destination?

2. Why was Sam not surprised by the bus breakdown?

Deduction and inference

 This involves reading between the lines.

 Let us look at the question below.

1. Strange sounds from insects, cattle, and goats

2. They used water from the river mostly at Sherry’s house

 You do realise that there is no mention of ‘rural areas’ in the

Read the statements in the column A and try to picture

Contextual meaning of words

 Therefore, it is important to understand how a word is used in

 Let us look at how the word 'experienced' is used in the following

 In this case the word experienced means encountered.

 You can substitute the word ‘experienced’ with encountered in the

 The word ‘experienced’ is a common word but without

 Note making is very important as it helps you to make sense of

 You write the key points in short.

 Evaluation involves weighing and measuring of the read material,

 When evaluating, you answer

Picture showing ‘Wh’ and ‘H’ questions

 Other evaluation strategies involved in evaluating a story involve

How to write a summary

 Analyse the question and the key demands of the question.

 Write your points in a paragraph using reported speech and count

 Correct the language and write the final draft.

o Sequencing details involves:

i. Identification of the components of a story, the

ii. Retelling the events within a given text in the order in

o Sequencing details is required when narrating a story or

 Now, read the following comprehension ‘A visit to the Park’ and

A Visit To The Park

stood brushing their clothes with their hands to reduce

“I sat next to a woman who was wearing so much perfume

think she is?” said Trust.

“Three or four I am not sure, still, she is too young to be

“Surely one of her relatives is in this park. There are so

2. Why were the taxis full?

3. What was their mission in town?

7. Give the meanings of the words:

8. The woman’s perfume almost made Trust sick. Which of the