English First Additional Language - Term 4 - Week 3

Grammar is the set of rules that govern how we use language. It includes the structure of words, phrases, and sentences. Punctuation, on the other hand, helps clarify meaning and indicates pauses in writing. For example, commas are used to separate items in a list, while periods signal the end of a sentence. Understanding these concepts is crucial for effective communication.

Let's look at the following sentence: 'the dog runned fast.' This sentence contains a grammatical error. The correct form is 'the dog ran fast.' Notice how 'runned' is incorrect; the past tense of 'run' is 'ran.' Additionally, we should always start sentences with a capital letter. Therefore, the corrected sentence is: 'The dog ran fast.'

In pairs, students will receive a short paragraph with several grammatical and punctuation errors. They will read the paragraph aloud, discussing the errors they find. For example, if the paragraph states, 'She go to the store yesterday,' students should identify that 'go' should be 'went' to reflect the past tense. After discussing, they will rewrite the paragraph correctly.

Students will write a short paragraph about their favorite hobby. They must include at least five sentences and use correct punctuation throughout. After writing, they will exchange their paragraphs with a partner for peer editing. Each student will check for grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes, providing constructive feedback on how to improve the writing.

• She go to school every day.
• She goes to school every day.
• She gone to school every day.

Answer: She goes to school every day.

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

• Comma
• Question mark
• Period

Answer: Period

A period is used to indicate the end of a declarative sentence.

Answer: He doesn't like apples.

The contraction 'doesn't' is the correct form for the third person singular.

• I bought apples oranges and bananas.
• I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
• I bought, apples oranges, and bananas.

Answer: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.

Commas are used to separate items in a list, and the last comma before 'and' is known as the Oxford comma.

Answer: Swam

The correct past tense of 'swim' is 'swam'.

• Running fast.
• He runs.
• Because he was tired.

Answer: He runs.

A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb, and 'He runs' fulfills this requirement.

Answer: It's should be changed to its.

'It's' is a contraction for 'it is', while 'its' is the possessive form.

• To make writing colorful.
• To clarify meaning and indicate pauses.