Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
••
•
SAMPLE
When you are writing, it is important to ensure that the subjects and verbs in your
sentences agree. In other words, if a sentence has a singular subject (e.g. cat) it must
also contain a singular verb, whereas a sentence with a plural subject (e.g. cats) requires a
plural verb. This matching of subject and verb is called ‘agreement’.
1. The chemical compound (is [C]/are [K]) a mixture of sodium and fluoride.
2. The chemical compounds (is [A]/are [O]) a mixture of sodium and fluoride. 3. Many of the Earth’s resources (is [R]/are [P]) renewable. 4. The eclipse (was [E]/were [I]) a result of the moon, sun and Earth being perfectly aligned.
• The causes of the man’s poor health are poor diet and lack of exercise.
Singular or plural? .
• The theory of physics states that all things are made of energy.
Singular or plural? .
• My friend does not understand how to use proper grammar.
Singular or plural? .
• The science committee members usually meet in the new office building.
Singular or plural? .
• There are five broken chairs in the primary school classroom.
Singular or plural? .
• There is only one way to answer the question.
Singular or plural? .
• The scientists work busily on the new experiment.
Singular or plural? .
• The boy was so tired after his final exams, he slept through his alarm and missed soccer practice.
Singular or plural? .
is
! In each of the sentences below, highlight the subject and underline the main verb. Then,
write beside each whether the subject and verb are in their singular or plural form. Q1
! Complete the sentences below by writing the correct form of the verb from the options
provided in the empty space. The first one has been completed for you as an example. Q2
SAMPLE
5. Throughout history, humans (have [R]/has [P]) been responsible for affecting interactions between plants and animals. 6. Objects are (pull [O]/pulled [N]) towards the centre of the Earth by gravity. 7. Chemical solutions (is [S]/are [I]) made up of a combination of pure substances. 8. Burning (is [C]/are [B]) a change to materials that cannot be reversed. 9. The scientist’s initial predictions (was [L]/were [U]) identical with the end results of the experiment. 10. Important contributions to the advancement of science (have [S]/has [H]) been made by people from a variety of cultures.
You would have noticed that beside each verb in Question Two is a letter in brackets.
Write the letters beside the correct verbs on the lines below – in order – to reveal the
name of an influential scientist! Q3
Secret word:
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
SAMPLE
1. “I think that that’s ____ excellent idea!” exclaimed Steven. 2. “Please, somebody call ____ doctor!” cried the woman. 3. ____ red pair of boxing gloves were found at the scene of the crime. 4. “According to news reports, an elephant and ____ ostrich escaped from the zoo last night,” explained Jessica. 5. More than ____ hour had passed before the ambulance finally turned up to the scene of the accident. 6. Claude Debussy was ____ pianist during the Expressionism Period.
‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles that are written before singular nouns and proper
nouns. We use these articles so regularly in our writing, that we often forget to check if
we are using them correctly! There are rules that dictate when ‘a’ or ‘an’ should be used.
‘An’ is used before words that start with vowels—a, e, i, o and u. ‘An’ is also used before words that sound like they start with a vowel (e.g., an hour). Often, these words will start with ‘h’. ‘A’, in comparison, is used before everything that starts, or sounds like it starts, with a consonant. A example is provided below.
The first step to answering the question is to look at the word immediately following the gap in the sentence. ‘Expensive’ begins with a vowel and also sounds like it begins with a vowel, therefore the answer is ‘an’.
EXAMPLE: Write the answer in the box provided.
He was wearing ____ expensive suit.
an
Read through the information below and answer the following questions. Q1
! Fill in the boxes with the correct indefinite article to complete the sentences. Refer to the
information above if necessary. Q2
SAMPLE
7. “I really, really want ____ lollypop,” the little boy begged his mother. 8. It’s raining today, so don’t forget to take ____ umbrella. 9. Rachel has ____ terrible fever. 10. I had to get ____ x-ray after I fell off my motorbike.
an an
a
a
! Match the image with the correct indefinite article that would be written before it by
drawing a line between them. Then, write a sentence using the indefinite article beside
each image.
Q3
SAMPLE
Lions and tigers are species of the cat, or Felidae family. (New subject: panther) Throughout history, the practice of agriculture has been influenced by scientific developments. (New subject: practices of agriculture and industry) Water and wind have proven to be effective sources of generating electricity. (New subject: steam) The hawk is classified as a bird of prey. (New subject: vultures, eagles, and falcons) The discoveries of Marie Curie were significant in developing the field of chemistry. (New subject: Marie Curie’s work)
The sentences below demonstrate correct subject/verb agreement. Understanding
subject/verb agreement is very important in writing, whether it be a school report,
scientific journal, or even a diary entry! Without it, your sentence does not make sense
and its meaning may not be clear.
! Rewrite each sentence , replacing the subject or subjects with the new one provided,
ensuring that the new sentences make sense! You may need to add or remove words. Q1
Tip
Singular nouns need
singular verbs (e.g. is),
while plural nouns need
plural verbs (e.g. are).
SAMPLE
Use the grammar and adaptation-themed clues below to complete the crossword puzzle. Q2
ACROSS 2. Fish breathe through… 3. Ducks have … feet with thick flaps of skin between their toes to help them move faster in water. 4. Camels store food as fats in … on their backs. 6. Many desert plants have either … or no leaves to reduce water loss through transpiration. 9. If the subject is in its singular form, the verb must also be… 10. Complete the following sentence: I eat … apple every day. 11. An adaptation is a characteristic that an organism is … with.
DOWN 1. The matching between a subject and a verb is called… 5. If the subject is in its plural form, the verb must also be… 7. Complete the following sentence: The woman bought … puppy from the pet shop. 8. Seals have a thick layer of fat called … to keep them warm.
SAMPLE
•
•
•
SAMPLE
Firstly, thank you for your support of Mighty Minds and our resources. We endeavour to create high-
quality resources that are both educational and engaging, and results have shown that this approach
works.
To assist you in using this resource, we have compiled some brief tips and reminders below.
About this resource
This Mighty Minds ‘Fundamentals’ Lesson focusses on one subtopic from the NAPLAN Tests and
presents this skill through a theme from the Australian Curriculum (History, Science or Geography).
This lesson is also targeted at a certain skill level, to ensure that your students are completing work
that is suited to them.
How to use this resource
Our ‘Fundamentals’ Lessons are split into two main sections, each of which contain different types of
resources.
The student workbook contains
• The main title page; and
• The blank student worksheets for students to complete.
The teacher resources section contains
• This set of instructions;
• The Teacher’s Guide, which offers information that may be needed to teach the lesson;
• The Item Description, which gives a brief overview of the lesson and its aims, as well as extension
ideas;
• The student answer sheets, which show model responses on the student worksheets to ensure
that answers to the questions are clear;
• The teacher’s answer sheets, which provide a more detailed explanation of the model responses
or answers; and
• Finally, the ‘end of lesson’ marker.
We suggest that you print the student workbook (the first set of pages) for the students. If students
are completing this lesson for homework, you may also like to provide them with the student answer
pages.
Feedback and contacting us
We love feedback. Our policy is that if you email us with suggested changes to any lesson, we will
complete those changes and send you the revised lesson – free of charge.
Just send your feedback to [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we
can.
SAMPLE
In the English language, grammatical mood refers to the different moods verbs can take: infinitive,
subjunctive, imperative and indicative. In a NAPLAN context, this topic is much broader and
encompasses skills such as tense, person and word types.
Tense
Tense is the time in which a sentence takes place. It is primarily determined by the verbs
(doing words) in the sentence. There are three main types of tense – past, present and future –
and these are further broken down into four types. When explained like this to students it sounds
confusing, but from years of talking and knowing which tense to use where, it will most likely be
second nature to them. As such, if they get confused, encourage them to try reading the sentence
aloud to see if it makes sense.
Subject/Verb Agreement
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is mainly
about. Singular subjects need to be teamed with singular verbs; plural subjects need to be teamed
with plural verbs.
• Singular subject/singular verb
E.g. The lion hunts at dusk.
• Plural subject/plural verb
E.g. The lions hunt at dusk.
Person
Person is the perspective something is written from.
• First: Person style, written by a narrator like a diary entry. Words like ‘I’ and ‘my’ are used.
E.g. I cried myself to sleep.
• Second: Directed at the reader like instructions. Words like ‘you’ and ‘your’ are used.
E.g. You cried yourself to sleep.
• Third: Narrator is distant from the events and reports them without being in the story, like a
newspaper article. Words like ‘he’, ‘they’ and ‘hers’ are used.
E.g. She cried herself to sleep.
Simple Progressive (for
ongoing action)
Perfect (for
completed action)
Perfect Progressive (for
ongoing action that will be
completed one day)
Present gaze am/is/are gazing has gazed has been gazing
Past gazed was/were gazing had gazed had been gazing
Future will gaze will be gazing will have gazed will have been gazing
This teaching guide is continued on the next page...
SAMPLE
Who/Whom
Who/whom are often confused.
• Who is used subjectively, in place of a name, he, or she.
E.g. Kevin Rudd, who was Prime Minister of Australia until 2010, is now the Minister for
Foreign Affairs. (He/Kevin was Prime Minister of Australia).
• Whom is used objectively, in place of her, him.
E.g. Loretta is the girl whom I met in Surfers Paradise. (I met her in Surfers Paradise).
Nouns
Nouns are naming words for people, places, animals and things.
• Common nouns start with a lower-case letter
E.g. goldfish, flower, kettle, building, sky, doctor
• Proper nouns start with a capital letter
E.g. Isabelle, Egypt, Sydney Harbour Bridge
Adjectives
Adjectives are words used to describe nouns.
E.g. brown, feathered, temperamental, gregarious, elderly, kind, chilly
• Comparative adjectives are used to make a comparison between two or more things
E.g. Harry is taller than Hermione, but Ron is the tallest.
Verbs
Verbs are actions and are also known as ‘doing words’. Their form depends on their tense and
whether they are referring to a singular or plural noun.
E.g. trickled, suppose, interjected, climb, hurried, teasing, shine
Adverbs
Adverbs are used to describe verbs, other adverbs and adjectives. They usually end in –ly,
and most tell you how, when or where something was done.
E.g. quickly, delightfully, early, immediately
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that replace nouns, and are used to make sentences less repetitive.
E.g. it, they, his, theirs, ours, your, mine, those
E.g. Julia Gillard is the Prime Minister of Australia. Julia Gillard lives at The Lodge in
Canberra with Julia’s Gillard’s partner becomes Julia Gillard is the Prime Minister of
Australia. She lives at The Lodge in Canberra with her partner.
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that link nouns and noun phrases to other words in a sentence. They
usually show the spatial, temporal or logical relationship between an object and the rest of the
sentence.
E.g. beneath, against, besides, on, at, during, behind, without, along
This teaching guide is continued on the next page...
...This teaching guide is continued from the previous page.
SAMPLE
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are linking words that connect phrases or clauses. There are three types:
coordinating, correlative and subordinating.
• Coordinating Conjunctions join the same sentence elements, such as a subject and a subject, a
verb phrase and a verb phrase or a sentence and a sentence. They can best be remembered with
the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
E.g. I wanted to go to the beach, but it was raining.
• Correlative Conjunctions are used in pairs. They include ‘whether...or’, ‘either...or’, ‘neither...nor’
and ‘both...and’.
E.g. Neither Sophia nor Teresa are coming to the museum.
• Subordinating Conjunctions are adverbs that connected subordinate clauses to a main clause.
They show time (after, while, before), opposition (whereas, although, while), condition (unless, if, in
case) and cause and effect (because, since, as).
E.g. I want to get to the shops before they close.
Nominalisation
Nominalisation is the process of turning a verb/adverb/adjective into a noun. This can be achieved
with or without changing the word.
Some examples include:
think (verb) thought (noun)
careless (adjective) carelessness (noun)
alter (verb) alteration (noun)
...This teaching guide is continued from the previous page.
SAMPLE
Please note: any activity that is not completed during class time may be set for homework or
undertaken at a later date.
‘Scientific Code’, ‘’A’ and ‘An’’ and ‘Swap the Subject’
• Activity Description: • In the first activity, ‘Scientific Code’, students are required to identify subjects and verbs of a
sentence and determine whether they are singular or plural. They are also required to fill in
the blanks of various sentences to ensure correct subject/verb agreement.
• In the second activity, ‘’A’ and ‘An’’, introduces students to the conventions of using
indefinite articles. They are asked to complete a list of sentences by filling in the boxes with
the correct indefinite articles, as well as to match various pictures to either ‘a’ or ‘an’ and
construct a sentence based on this.
• The final activity, ‘Swap the Subject’, requires students to rewrite a list of sentences using
the new subject provided, ensuring that the new sentences still made sense by adding or
removing words where appropriate. They must then use a list of grammar and adaptation-
themed clues to complete a crossword puzzle.
• Purpose of Activity: • To develop and enhance students’ understanding of grammatical mood,
particularly subject/verb agreement and correct use of indefinite articles.
• KLAs: • English, Science
• CCEs: • Recognising letters, words and other symbols (α1)
• Recalling/ remembering (α3)
• Interpreting the meaning of words or other symbols (α4)
• Interpreting the meaning of pictures/ illustrations (α5)
• Searching and locating items/ information (α52)
• Structuring/ organising extended written text (β21)
• Judging/ evaluating (θ45)
• Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar (π9)
• Using vocabulary appropriate to a context (π10)
• Suggested Time Allocation: • This lesson is designed to take approximately one hour to complete – 20 minutes per
activity.
This Item Description is continued on the next page...
Item Description
SAMPLE
…This Item Description is continued from the previous page.
‘Scientific Code’, ‘’A’ and ‘An’’ and ‘Swap the Subject’
• Teaching Notes: • Prior to completing the first activity, ‘Scientific Code’, it would be beneficial to provide
students with a short refresher lesson on plurals and subject/verb agreement. A refresher
on the basic rules and conventions would greatly benefit students that are unfamiliar with or
unsure about this topic.
• In the second activity, ‘’A’ and ‘An’’, make sure to emphasise to students the importance of
checking whether a word not only begins with a vowel or consonant, but also sounds like it
begins with a vowel or consonant. A good way to reinforce this knowledge is to have
students repeat the vowel sounds several times (ah, ee, oo, eh, oh).
• You may also like to play a game with your class where you present students with cards
containing words beginning with vowels and consonants, and have them race to determine
whether ‘a’ or ‘an’ should come before it.
• In the third activity, ‘Swap the Subject’, it is important that students know that not only will
they have to ensure that there is subject/verb agreement in the sentences they write in
Question One, but also that other grammatical changes may need to be made. For
example, an "an” may need to be added to the sentence. They should have a clear
understanding of how to do this correctly from the second activity.
• Once students have finished each activity, go through the answers as a class. Encourage
group discussion and debate.
• If students find these activities too easy, introduce a group activity. Each student could write
an incorrect sentence (either lacking subject/verb agreement or the correct articles) for their
classmates to correct.
• Follow Up/ Class Discussion Questions: • What methods can you use when proofreading to check for subject/verb agreement?
• How can you identify the subject of a sentence? What questions should you ask?
Item Description – continued
SAMPLE
When you are writing, it is important to ensure that the subjects and verbs in your
sentences agree. In other words, if a sentence has a singular subject (e.g. cat) it must
also contain a singular verb, whereas a sentence with a plural subject (e.g. cats) requires a
plural verb. This matching of subject and verb is called ‘agreement’.
! In each of the sentences below, highlight the subject and underline the main verb. Then,
write beside each whether the subject and verb are in their singular or plural form. Q1
! Complete the sentences below by writing the correct form of the verb from the options
provided in the empty space. The first one has been completed for you as an example. Q2
• The causes of the man’s poor health are poor diet and lack of exercise.
Singular or plural? .
• The theory of physics states that all things are made of energy.
Singular or plural? .
• My friend does not understand how to use proper grammar.
Singular or plural? .
• The science committee members usually meet in the new office building.
Singular or plural? .
• There are five broken chairs in the primary school classroom.
Singular or plural? .
• There is only one way to answer the question.
Singular or plural? .
• The scientists work busily on the new experiment.
Singular or plural? .
• The boy was so tired after his final exams, he slept through his alarm and missed soccer practice.
Singular or plural? .
plural
plural
plural
plural
singular
singular
singular
singular
1. The chemical compound (is [C]/are [K]) a mixture of sodium and fluoride.
2. The chemical compounds (is [A]/are [O]) a mixture of sodium and fluoride. 3. Many of the Earth’s resources (is [R]/are [P]) renewable. 4. The eclipse (was [E]/were [I]) a result of the moon, sun and Earth being perfectly aligned.
is
are
are
was
SAMPLE
Secret word: C O P E R N I C U S
5. Throughout history, humans (have [R]/has [P]) been responsible for affecting interactions between plants and animals. 6. Objects are (pull [O]/pulled [N]) towards the centre of the Earth by gravity. 7. Chemical solutions (is [S]/are [I]) made up of a combination of pure substances. 8. Burning (is [C]/are [B]) a change to materials that cannot be reversed. 9. The scientist’s initial predictions (was [L]/were [U]) identical with the end results of the experiment. 10. Important contributions to the advancement of science (have [S]/has [H]) been made by people from a variety of cultures.
You would have noticed that beside each verb in Question Two is a letter in brackets.
Write the letters beside the correct verbs on the lines below – in order – to reveal the
name of an influential scientist! Q3
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
have
pulled
are
is
were
have
SAMPLE
Scientific Code
Question One:
In this question, students were provided with a list of sentences. They were required to highlight the
subject and underline the main verb in each sentence, then write beside each whether the subject
and verb are in their singular or plural form. The correct responses are provided below.
Correct Response:
The causes of the man’s poor health are poor diet and lack of exercise.
Singular or plural? Plural.
The theory of physics states that all things are made of energy.
Singular or plural? Singular.
My friend does not understand how to use proper grammar.
Singular or plural? Singular.
The science committee members usually meet in the new office building.
Singular or plural? Plural.
There are five broken chairs in the primary school classroom.
Singular or plural? Plural.
There is only one way to answer the question.
Singular or plural? Singular.
The scientists work busily on the new experiment.
Singular or plural? Plural.
The boy was so tired after his final exams, he slept through his alarm and missed soccer
practice.
Singular or plural? Singular.
Question Two:
This question required students to complete a list of ten sentences by writing the correct form of the
verb – out of the options provided – in the empty space. The first one had been completed for
students as an example. The correct responses as well as an explanation of the answer, is provided
below. The correct choices have been underlined.
Correct Response:
1. The chemical compound is (C) a mixture of sodium and fluoride.
‘Chemical compound’ is a singular noun; therefore, the verb must be singular (is).
This answer guide is continued on the next page...
SAMPLE
...This teacher’s answer guide is continued from the previous page.
2. The chemical compounds are (O) a mixture of sodium and fluoride.
‘Chemical compounds’ is plural and therefore needs a plural verb (are).
3. Many of the Earth’s resources are (P) renewable.
‘Earth’s resources’ is a plural noun, therefore a verb in the plural form (‘are’) is required for
subject/verb agreement.
4. The eclipse was (E) a result of the moon, sun and Earth being perfectly aligned.
‘Eclipse’ is in the singular form, so subject/verb agreement requires a singular verb (‘was’).
5. Throughout history, humans have (R) been responsible for affecting interactions between
plants and animals.
‘Humans’ is a plural noun, thus ‘have’ is the correct choice as it is in the plural form.
6. Objects are pulled (N) towards the centre of the Earth by gravity.
This sentence includes a plural noun —‘objects’—therefore must also include a plural verb—
‘pulled’—for correct subject/verb agreement.
7. Chemical solutions are (I) made up of a combination of pure substances.
‘Are’ is a verb in the plural form and is therefore the correct choice in this instance as
‘chemical solutions’ is a plural noun.
8. Burning is (C) a change to materials that cannot be reversed.
‘Burning’ is a noun in the singular form, so for subject/verb agreement, ‘is’ must be used in
this sentence as it is also singular.
9. The scientist’s initial predictions were (U) identical with the end results of the experiment.
Although this sentence mentions a single scientist, the subject of this sentence are his/her
predictions (plural form), thus a plural verb—‘were’—is necessary.
10. Important contributions to the advancement of science have (S) been made by people
from a variety of cultures.
‘Important contributions’ is in the plural form, therefore ‘have’ is the correct choice for there to
be subject/verb agreement.
Question Three:
This question informed students that beside each verb in Question Two was a letter in brackets. They
were required to write the letters beside the correct verbs on the lines provided – in order – to reveal
the name of an influential scientist. If students had answered Question Two correctly, the name of the
scientist was:
Correct Response:
Copernicus
SAMPLE
1. “I think that that’s ____ excellent idea!” exclaimed Steven. 2. “Please, somebody call ____ doctor!” cried the woman. 3. ____ red pair of boxing gloves were found at the scene of the crime. 4. “According to news reports, an elephant and ____ ostrich escaped from the zoo last night,” explained Jessica. 5. More than ____ hour had passed before the ambulance finally turned up to the scene of the accident. 6. Claude Debussy was ____ pianist during the Expressionism Period.
‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles that are written before singular nouns and proper
nouns. We use these articles so regularly in our writing, that we often forget to check if
we are using them correctly! There are rules that dictate when ‘a’ or ‘an’ should be used.
‘An’ is used before words that start with vowels—a, e, i, o and u. ‘An’ is also used before words that sound like they start with a vowel (e.g., an hour). Often, these words will start with ‘h’. ‘A’, in comparison, is used before everything that starts, or sounds like it starts, with a consonant. A example is provided below.
The first step to answering the question is to look at the word immediately following the gap in the sentence. ‘Expensive’ begins with a vowel and also sounds like it begins with a vowel, therefore the answer is ‘an’.
EXAMPLE: Write the answer in the box provided.
He was wearing ____ expensive suit.
an
an
an
a
A
a
an
Read through the information below and answer the following questions. Q1
! Fill in the boxes with the correct indefinite article to complete the sentences. Refer to the
information above if necessary. Q2
SAMPLE
7. “I really, really want ____ lollypop,” the little boy begged his mother. 8. It’s raining today, so don’t forget to take ____ umbrella. 9. Rachel has ____ terrible fever. 10. I had to get ____ x-ray after I fell off my motorbike.
an an
a
a A beautiful Siamese cat was on
display at the pet show.
An ant stealthily crawled down
my leg and bit me on the ankle!
A brightly coloured bird flew
past my window. An eye peered out at me from
the bushes.
a
a
an
an
! Match the image with the correct indefinite article that would be written before it by
drawing a line between them. Then, write a sentence using the indefinite article beside
each image.
Q3
SAMPLE
‘A’ and ‘An’
Question One:
In this question, students were required to fill in the boxes with the correct indefinite article to
complete the sentences. They were encouraged to refer to the information provided if necessary, as
this gave a comprehensive explanation of when it was correct to use ‘a’ and when it was correct to
use ‘an’. A Model Response, as well as an explanation of the answer, are provided below.
Model Response:
1. “I think that that’s an excellent idea!” exclaimed Steven.
‘Excellent’ begins with a vowel and also sounds like it begins with a vowel, making ‘an’ the
correct answer.
2. “Please, somebody call a doctor!” cried the woman.
‘Doctor’ begins with a consonant and also sounds like it does, therefore ‘a’ is the correct
answer.
3. A red pair of boxing gloves were found at the scene of the crime.
‘Red’ begins with a consonant and also sounds like it does, therefore ‘a’ is the correct answer.
4. “According to news reports, an elephant and an ostrich escaped from the zoo last night,”
explained Jessica.
‘Ostrich’ begins with a vowel and also sounds like it begins with a vowel, making ‘an’ the
correct answer.
5. More than an hour had passed before the ambulance finally turned up to the scene of the
accident.
Whilst ‘hour’ begins with a consonant, it sounds distinctively like a vowel. An ‘ah’ sound is
clearly present at the very beginning of the word, therefore ‘an’ is the correct answer.
6. Claude Debussy was a pianist during the Expressionism Period.
‘Pianist’ begins with a consonant and also sounds like it does, therefore ‘a’ is the correct
answer.
7. “I really, really want a lollypop,” the little boy begged his mother.
‘Lollypop’ begins with a consonant and also sounds like it does, therefore ‘a’ is the correct
answer.
8. It’s raining today, so don’t forget to take an umbrella.
‘Umbrella’ begins with a vowel and also sounds like it begins with a vowel, making ‘an’ the
correct answer.
9. Rachel has a terrible fever.
‘Terrible’ begins with a consonant and also sounds like it does, therefore ‘a’ is the correct
answer.
This answer guide is continued on the next page...
SAMPLE
10. I had to get an x-ray after I fell off my motorbike.
Whilst ‘x-ray’ begins with a consonant, it sounds like it begins with a vowel. The ‘x’ is
pronounced ‘ecks’ and clearly has the ‘e’ vowel sound at its beginning, therefore ‘an’ is the
correct answer.
Question Two:
This question required students to match the images provided with its correct indefinite article by
drawing a line between them. They were then required to write a sentence using the indefinite article
beside each image. To have completed this activity correctly, students should have made four
connections and written four sentences that used the images as the subject and contained the
appropriate indefinite article. Students’ matches should be the same as the answers below, although
their example sentences will vary.
Model Response:
An eye peered out at me from the bushes.
A brightly coloured bird flew past my window.
A beautiful Siamese cat was on display at the pet show.
An ant stealthily crawled down my leg and bit me on the ankle!
...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.
an
a
a
an
SAMPLE
Throughout history, the practices of agriculture and industry have been
influenced by scientific developments.
Lions and tigers are species of the cat, or Felidae family. (New subject: panther) Throughout history, the practice of agriculture has been influenced by scientific developments. (New subject: practices of agriculture and industry) Water and wind have proven to be effective sources of generating electricity. (New subject: steam) The hawk is classified as a bird of prey. (New subject: vultures, eagles, and falcons) The discoveries of Marie Curie were significant in developing the field of chemistry. (New subject: Marie Curie’s work)
The sentences below demonstrate correct subject/verb agreement. Understanding
subject/verb agreement is very important in writing, whether it be a school report,
scientific journal, or even a diary entry! Without it, your sentence does not make sense
and its meaning may not be clear.
The panther is a species of cat, or Felidae, family.
Steam has proven to be an effective source of generating electricity.
Vultures, eagles, and falcons are classified as birds of prey.
Marie Curie’s work was significant in developing the
field of chemistry.
! Rewrite each sentence , replacing the subject or subjects with the new one provided,
ensuring that the new sentences make sense! You may need to add or remove words. Q1
Tip
Singular nouns need singular
verbs (e.g. is), while plural nouns
need plural verbs (e.g. are).
Tip
Singular nouns need
singular verbs (e.g. is),
while plural nouns need
plural verbs (e.g. are).
SAMPLE
Use the grammar and adaptation-themed clues below to complete the crossword puzzle. Q2
G I L L S
W E B B E D
H U M P S
S O M E
S I N G U L A R
A N
B O R N
B
U
B
B
E
L
U
L
A
R
A
ACROSS 2. Fish breathe through… 3. Ducks have … feet with thick flaps of skin between their toes to help them move faster in water. 4. Camels store food as fats in … on their backs. 6. Many desert plants have either … or no leaves to reduce water loss through transpiration. 9. If the subject is in its singular form, the verb must also be… 10. Complete the following sentence: I eat … apple every day. 11. An adaptation is a characteristic that an organism is … with.
DOWN 1. The matching between a subject and a verb is called… 5. If the subject is in its plural form, the verb must also be… 7. Complete the following sentence: The woman bought … puppy from the pet shop. 8. Seals have a thick layer of fat called … to keep them warm.
E
E
T
SAMPLE
Swap the Subject
Question One:
In this question, students were required to rewrite a list of sentences using a new subject but keeping
the rest of the sentence as similar as possible (although they could add or remove words where
appropriate). This challenged them to use their understanding of subject/verb agreement in addition
to their understanding of grammar conventions and indefinite articles. The correct responses, with an
explanation of the answers, is provided below.
Correct Response:
Original sentence: Lions and tigers are species of the cat, or Felidae family.
The panther is a species of the cat, or Felidae, family.
As the new subject, ‘panther’, is a singular noun (as opposed to the plural subject ‘lion and
tiger’ in the initial sentence), the singular verb ‘is’ must replace ‘are’ in the rewritten sentence.
Original sentence: Throughout history, the practice of agriculture has been influenced by
scientific developments.
Throughout history, the practices of agriculture and industry have been influenced by
scientific developments.
As the new subject is in the plural form (‘agricultural and industry’), the plural verb ‘have’ must
replace the singular verb ‘has’ in the initial sentence.
Original sentence: Water and wind have proven to be effective sources of generating
electricity.
Steam has proven to be an effective source of generating electricity.
As ‘steam’ is a singular noun, a singular verb—‘has’—is required. It is also necessary to
change ‘sources’ to the singular form and add the word ‘an’ into the sentence for grammatical
purposes.
Original sentence: The hawk is classified as a bird of prey.
Vultures, eagles and falcons are classified as birds of prey.
Changing the subject from singular (‘the hawk’) to plural (‘vultures, eagles and falcons’) form
requires that the verb is also rewritten in plural form (‘are’). It is also necessary to change
‘birds’ to singular form and omit the word ‘a’ from the rewritten sentence so that it makes
sense.
Original sentence: The discoveries of Marie Curie were significant in developing the field of
chemistry.
Marie Curie’s work was significant in developing the field of chemistry.
As opposed to the subject of the initial sentence (‘the discoveries of Marie Curie’), the new
sentence utilises a subject in the singular form (‘Marie Curie’s work’); hence, the plural verb
‘were’ must be replaced by the singular verb ‘was’.
This answer guide is continued on the next page...
SAMPLE
...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.
Question Two:
This question required students to use the grammar and adaptation-themed clues below to complete
the crossword puzzle. They should have been able to decipher the clues using their own general
knowledge and the information they have learned throughout this lesson. The correct answers can be
seen next to each clue. The correctly completed crossword can also be seen below.
Model Response:
ACROSS
2. Fish breathe through gills.
3. Ducks have webbed feet with thick flaps of skin between their toes to help them move
faster in water.
4. Camels store food as fats in humps on their backs.
6. Many desert plants have either some or no leaves to reduce water loss through
transpiration.
9. If the subject is in its singular form, the verb must also be singular.
10. Complete the following sentence:
I eat an apple every day.
11. An adaptation is a characteristic
that an organism is born with.
G I L L S
W E B B E D
H U M P S
S O M E
S I N G U L A R
A N
B O R N
B
U
B
B
E
L
U
L
A
R
A
E
E
T
DOWN
1. The matching between a
subject and a verb is called
agreement.
5. If the subject is in its plural
form, the verb must also be
plural.
7. Complete the following
sentence: The woman bought a
puppy from the pet shop.
8. Seals have a thick layer of fat
called blubber to keep them
warm.
SAMPLE
SAMPLE
