English Home Language - Term 1 - Week 9

Grammar is the set of rules that govern how we use language. It includes the structure of sentences, the use of words, and the correct application of punctuation marks. Punctuation helps clarify meaning and indicates pauses in speech. Common punctuation marks include periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation marks. Understanding how to use these correctly is essential for effective communication.

Let's look at the following sentence: 'the dog runned fast.' This sentence contains a grammatical error. The correct form should be 'the dog ran fast.' Notice how 'runned' is incorrect and should be replaced with 'ran.' Now, let's add punctuation: 'The dog ran fast!' This shows excitement and completes the thought.

In groups, students will receive a list of sentences with grammatical errors. They will work together to identify the mistakes and rewrite the sentences correctly. For example, if the sentence is 'She go to the store yesterday,' students should recognize that 'go' should be 'went' and rewrite it as 'She went to the store yesterday.' After correcting, each group will share their sentences with the class.

Students will write five original sentences about their favorite activities. They must use at least three different punctuation marks in their sentences. For example, 'I love to play soccer! It is my favorite sport.' After writing, students will exchange their work with a partner for peer editing, focusing on grammar and punctuation.

• She go to school.
• She goes to school.
• She gone to school.
• She going to school.

Answer: She goes to school.

The correct form is 'goes' because it agrees with the singular subject 'She.'

• Period
• Comma
• Question mark
• Exclamation mark

Answer: Question mark

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

Answer: He doesn't like apples.

The contraction 'doesn't' is the correct form for 'does not.'

• Its a sunny day.
• It's a sunny day.
• Its' a sunny day.
• It is a sunny day.

Answer: It's a sunny day.

The contraction 'It's' stands for 'It is,' which is the correct usage here.

Answer: To indicate a pause or separate items in a list.

Commas help clarify meaning by separating elements within a sentence.

• The cat sat on the mat.
• Because the cat was tired.
• She loves to read books.
• They went to the park.

Answer: Because the cat was tired.

This sentence is a fragment because it does not express a complete thought.

• He likes pizza; he likes pasta.
• He likes pizza he likes pasta.
• He likes pizza, he likes pasta.
• He likes pizza: he likes pasta.

Answer: He likes pizza; he likes pasta.