isiNdebele First Additional Language - Term 1 - Week 9

Grammar is the set of rules that helps us use a language correctly. Punctuation marks, such as full stops, commas, and question marks, help us understand the meaning of sentences. For example, a full stop indicates the end of a sentence, while a question mark shows that a sentence is asking something. Today, we will learn how to use these punctuation marks correctly in our writing.

Let's look at the following sentence: 'i like to play soccer' - this sentence needs a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop at the end. The corrected sentence is: 'I like to play soccer.' Notice how the capital 'I' and the full stop change the sentence to be grammatically correct.

In groups, you will receive a list of sentences that contain grammatical errors. Your task is to read each sentence aloud and discuss as a group what is wrong with it. Then, rewrite the sentences correctly on a piece of paper. For example, if the sentence is 'she go to school', you should discuss that 'go' should be 'goes' and rewrite it as 'She goes to school.'

Now it's your turn to write! Write five sentences about your favorite activity. Make sure to use correct punctuation at the end of each sentence. After writing, exchange your paper with a partner and check each other's work for any punctuation errors. Discuss any mistakes and correct them together.

• Full stop
• Comma
• Question mark
• Exclamation mark

Answer: Question mark

A question mark is used to indicate that a sentence is asking something.

• with a lowercase letter
• with a capital letter
• with a number
• with a symbol

Answer: with a capital letter

Every sentence should begin with a capital letter to indicate the start of a new thought.

Answer: He plays soccer every day.

The verb 'play' should be 'plays' to agree with the subject 'he'.

• Running fast
• She runs fast.
• Fast running
• Run fast

Answer: She runs fast.

A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb, making 'She runs fast.' a complete thought.

Answer: Exclamation mark

An exclamation mark is used to express strong feelings or excitement.

• To end a sentence
• To separate items in a list
• To ask a question
• To show excitement

Answer: To separate items in a list

Commas are used to separate items in a series or list for clarity.

Answer: I enjoy reading books.

This sentence ends with a full stop, indicating it is a complete thought.

• I like ice cream.
• She go to the store.