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Book 2
ESSENTIAL PRIMARY
Grammar Skills
for the Caribbean
Louis Fidge
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Teacher’s notes
Introduction
Grammar is the study of how sentences are structured and formed. It involves a consideration of how words work
together and the underlying rules of our language. Punctuation is inextricably linked with grammar. Punctuation marks
help the reader make sense of what they are reading. They make writing easier to understand and provide signals to help
structure sentences appropriately. Having an understanding and awareness of the structure of our language enables us to
manipulate and use our language more effectively. The Macmillan Grammar Series seeks to support the teaching of
essential skills by providing a systematic, structured and graded approach to the teaching of grammar and punctuation.
The Grammar Series:
• helps children develop the ability to use language clearly, concisely and effectively
• teaches grammar and punctuation in a developmental way, ensuring the systematic introduction, consolidation and
extension of key skills
• has an easy-to-understand structure which provides pupils with a clear framework for learning
• progresses smoothly from level to level, giving pupils confidence in their growing understanding and competence
• contains clear instructional language and differentiated activities at appropriate levels
• provides children with the vocabulary they need to discuss, reflect on and understand grammar and punctuation.
Features of the book
Focus
• introduces the main focus of the unit
• provides essential vocabulary for discussion
• provides clear, concise definitions and explanations
• provides examples, accompanied by pictorial support.
Unit
number
and title
Unit 1
Consolidation
• provides activities which consolidate the main focus
• provides activities with a higher level of difficulty.
Word order
Focus
Consolidation
The order in which we arrange words in a sentence
can change the meaning of the sentence.
Two nouns in each sentence have been put in the wrong place.
Rearrange the nouns in each sentence to make some sensible sentences.
The first sentence is done for you.
1 A tree was sleeping under a boy.
A boy was sleeping under a tree.
The girl sat
on the chair.
The chair sat
on the girl.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
The ball threw a girl.
The bird chased the cat.
The cake made a lady.
The ladder climbed a builder.
The car drove the man.
The wall hopped along the frog.
The house blew the wind down.
Practice
Rearrange the words below to make sensible sentences.
Write the sentences you make in your book.
The first one is done for you.
1 honey. Bees make
Bees make honey.
Each sentence has got some words missing.
Make up sensible sentences by filling in the words you think are missing.
The first is done for you.
1 pirates
gold
island
The pirates buried some gold on the island.
2 are busy. Ants always
3 grow frogs. Tadpoles into
4 a tail. rat A long has
5 noise. Bees a buzzing make
6 their Spiders catch in webs. insects
7 under ground. live the Worms
Extension
• provides
activities which
extend the main
focus still further
• provides
activities which
are the most
challenging.
Extension
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
dog
cat
gardener
earth
waiter
tray
food
kangaroo
baby
pouch
duck
tree
spade
ducklings
pond
bull
boy
field
girl
combed
hair
8 legs. spider A eight has
Objective: to recognise the importance of word order in sentences.
5
4
Practice
• provides activities which practise and check basic
understanding of key points introduced in the Focus section
• provides simple, straight-forward ‘foundation level’ activities
which are suitable for every child in the class.
Objective
• key pedagogical objective for unit.
Glossary (at the back of the book)
• This explains and gives examples of key language terms and
concepts covered in the activities. The Glossary may be used for
teaching purposes or for reference by pupil.
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Contents
Page
Unit
1
Word order
2
Common and proper nouns
3
Nouns – singular and plural
4
Verbs – present tense
5
Sentences (subject and predicate)
6
Comparing adjectives
7
Verb tenses (past and present of regular verbs)
8
Direct speech
9
Subject and verb agreement
10 Adverbs
11 Contractions (using apostrophes)
12 Comparative and superlative adjectives
13 Sentences and phrases
14 Verb tenses – past tense of irregular verbs
15 Personal pronouns
16 Commas
17 Forming adverbs
18 Commonly-confused words
19 More about direct speech
20 Conjunctions
21 Types of sentence
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
Glossary
46
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Word order
Focus
The order in which we arrange words in a sentence
can change the meaning of the sentence.
The girl sat
on the chair.
The chair sat
on the girl.
Practice
Rearrange the words below to make sensible sentences.
Write the sentences you make in your book.
The first one is done for you.
1 honey. Bees make
Bees make honey.
2 are busy. Ants always
3 grow frogs. Tadpoles into
4 a tail. rat A long has
5 noise. Bees a buzzing make
6 their Spiders catch in webs. insects
7 under ground. live the Worms
8 legs. spider A eight has
4
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Consolidation
Two nouns in each sentence have been put in the wrong place.
Rearrange the nouns in each sentence to make some sensible sentences.
The first sentence is done for you.
1 A tree was sleeping under a boy.
A boy was sleeping under a tree.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
The ball threw a girl.
The bird chased the cat.
The cake made a lady.
The ladder climbed a builder.
The car drove the man.
The wall hopped along the frog.
The house blew the wind down.
Extension
Each sentence has got some words missing.
Make up sensible sentences by filling in the words you think are missing.
The first is done for you.
1 pirates
gold
island
The pirates buried some gold on the island.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
dog
cat
tree
gardener
earth
spade
waiter
tray
food
kangaroo
baby
pouch
duck
ducklings
pond
bull
boy
field
girl
combed
hair
Objective: to recognise the importance of word order in sentences.
5
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Common and proper nouns
Focus
Nouns are naming words. Common nouns are the names of
people, places or things in general. Proper nouns are the
special names of particular people, places or things.
The lady went to the shop.
Common nouns start with small letters.
Mrs Samms went to Ajax Supermarket.
Proper nouns start with capital letters.
Practice
Copy the sentences. Underline all the common nouns.
Say if each noun is the name of a person, place or thing. The first is done for you.
1 A pilot (person) flies an aeroplane (thing).
2 A garage is for cars.
3 A reporter writes for a newspaper.
4 A library is for books.
5 A florist sells flowers.
6 A bank is for money.
7 A tailor makes clothes.
8 A harbour is for ships.
6
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Consolidation
Copy these nouns. After each noun, say if it is a common (C) or proper (P) noun.
1 Blue Mountains (P) 6 August
11 Mr Barton
16 snake
2 bike
7 house
12 television
17 Trinidad
3 Kingston
8 river
13 America
18 Christmas
4 star
9 paper
14 Thursday
19 Asia
5 moon
10 computer
15 Dr Luke
20 newspaper
Extension
Rewrite these sentences. Punctuate the sentences correctly.
Remember to begin each proper noun with a capital letter.
1 london is the capital of england
2 paris is in france and rome is in italy
3 mount everest is the highest mountain in the world
4 have you read the twits by roald dahl
5 my birthday is in september but yours is in august
6 gary sobers was a famous cricketer
7 we are staying in the north star hotel in tobago
8 the donald sangster airport is in montego bay
Objective: to differentiate between common and proper nouns.
7
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Nouns – singular and plural
Focus
A noun may be either singular or plural.
Singular means one thing. Plural means more than one thing.
one dish
lots of dishes
When a noun ends in s, x, ch or sh
we add es to make it plural.
one baby
lots of babies
When a noun ends in a consonant + y,
we change the y to i and add es.
Practice
1 Make these singular nouns plural. Write the plural nouns in your book.
a) brush
d) bench
g) glass
j) box
b) bus
e) fox
h) bush
k) church
c) lunch
f) class
i) six
l) crash
2 Use five of the plural nouns you made above in sentences of your own.
8
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Consolidation
Copy these charts. Fill in the missing words.
singular
plural
singular
plural
one lady
two ladies
one
two factories
one copy
two
one
two cities
one lorry
two
one
two tries
one berry
two
one
two diaries
one story
two
one
two injuries
Extension
Rewrite these sentences. Change the underlined nouns into the plural.
Make other changes that are necessary. The first is done for you.
1 The pony was in the field.
The ponies were in the field.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
The fox was behind the bush.
The lady dropped the glass.
The baby is crying.
There were lots of children on the coach.
The factory makes shoes and boots.
The lorry drove through the city.
The fly landed on the dish.
Objective: to understand the terms ‘singular’ and ‘plural’ and to pluralise some nouns correctly.
9
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Verbs – present tense
Focus
The tense of the verb tells us when the action takes place. Verbs in
the present tense tell us something is happening now (in the
present). Verbs in the present tense may be written in two ways.
Tom rides his bike.
Tom is riding his bike.
This is the simple way.
It has only one verb.
This way has two verbs.
It uses a helper verb (part of the verb to be).
The main verb always ends with ing.
Practice
Copy these sentences. Choose the best verb to complete each sentence.
paints
ring
go
read
give
1 Bells _________ .
2 Sam ________ loudly.
3 I ________ a book.
4 Carol _________ a picture.
5 The bird _________ in the sky.
6 Bees ________ us honey.
7 We ________ to school every day.
8 The beetle ________ under a stone.
10
crawls
shouts
flies