Class-Mate Grade 5 English Term 1 — Detailed V11

01

Language Structures · Punctuation

Punctuation

CLASS-MATE VISUALPunctuation

Punctuation

📚 Complete Guide to Punctuation

Punctuation is the system of marks used in writing to organise sentences and make meaning clear. Punctuation tells a reader where a sentence begins and ends, where to pause, when somebody is asking a question and when words are being quoted directly.

A punctuation mark can change meaning. For example, “Let’s eat, Granny!” means that Granny is being invited to eat. “Let’s eat Granny!” has a completely different meaning because the comma is missing.

Mark	Meaning and correct use	Example
Full stop (.)	A full stop is placed at the end of a complete statement or command. It tells the reader that the sentence has finished.	The learners completed their project.
Question mark (?)	A question mark is placed at the end of a direct question. It shows that the writer is asking for information.	Where did you leave your school bag?
Exclamation mark (!)	An exclamation mark ends a sentence or expression showing strong feeling, surprise, excitement, warning or a forceful command. It should not be overused.	Watch out! / What a fantastic goal!
Comma (,)	A comma creates a short separation inside a sentence. It can separate items in a list, separate introductory words or phrases and help prevent confusion.	We packed bread, fruit, water and juice.
Apostrophe (’)	An apostrophe has two important jobs: it can show possession and it can show that letters have been left out in a contraction.	Lerato’s book / don’t = do not
Quotation marks (“ ”)	Quotation marks show the exact words spoken by a person or quoted from a source. In direct speech, punctuation must work together with the quotation marks.	“Please close the door,” said Mum.
Colon (:)	A colon introduces information that explains or expands what comes before it. At Grade 5 level it is often used before a list after a complete introductory statement.	Bring these items: a pencil, ruler and eraser.
Semicolon (;)	A semicolon can join two closely related complete sentences without using a coordinating conjunction. It creates a stronger break than a comma but a weaker break than a full stop.	The rain stopped; the players returned to the field.
Hyphen (-)	A hyphen joins words or parts of words that work together. It is commonly seen in some compound words and number expressions.	twenty-one / well-known story
Dash (—)	A dash creates a strong break in a sentence and can add extra information, emphasis or an interruption.	I opened the box — and froze.
Parentheses / brackets ( )	Parentheses place extra information inside a sentence. The sentence should still make sense if the information inside the brackets is removed.	Māui (a famous culture hero) appears in many traditions.
Ellipsis (…)	An ellipsis is a set of three dots. It can show that words have been omitted from a quotation or that a thought trails off. In creative writing it can create suspense when used carefully.	I thought I heard something behind me…
Capital letters	Capital letters are not punctuation marks themselves but they work closely with punctuation. They begin sentences and are used for proper nouns such as people, places, days and months.	Naledi visited Durban on Monday.

🔎 Important Punctuation Rules in Detail

Full stops and sentence boundaries: A full stop belongs after a complete thought. Do not place a full stop after a group of words that cannot stand alone. “Because the bell rang.” is incomplete by itself while “We went inside because the bell rang.” is complete.

Commas in lists: Use commas to separate three or more items. In Class-Mate examples we use the style “apples, pears, oranges and bananas”.

Commas with names being addressed: Use commas around a person’s name when speaking directly to that person: “Sipho, please come here.” This can prevent a serious change of meaning.

Apostrophes for contractions: The apostrophe marks missing letters: can’t = cannot, I’m = I am, we’re = we are and didn’t = did not.

Apostrophes for possession: For one owner, add ’s: the girl’s bag. For a regular plural already ending in s, place the apostrophe after the s: the girls’ bags.

Direct speech: Start the spoken words with a capital letter. Put the exact spoken words inside quotation marks. When a reporting clause follows, a comma normally separates the spoken words from the reporting clause: “I am ready,” said Leo.

Question and exclamation marks in direct speech: If the spoken words are a question or exclamation, the ? or ! stays inside the closing quotation mark: “Are you ready?” asked Leo.

Avoid over-punctuation: More punctuation does not make writing stronger. Choose the mark that expresses the grammatical relationship and intended meaning.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Statement	The learners finished their work.
Question	Where did you put the ruler?
List	We packed bread, fruit, water and juice.
Direct speech	“Please sit down,” said Mr Naidoo.
Possession	Amina’s pencil . Contraction: don’t = do not .

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Add the correct end mark: What time does school start__

2. Correct: my friend said i cant come today

3. Add commas: We bought apples pears oranges and bananas.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Edit a six-sentence paragraph containing at least ten punctuation and capital-letter errors. Explain five corrections.

02

Language Structures · Nouns

Common and Proper Nouns

CLASS-MATE VISUALCommon and Proper Nouns

Common and Proper Nouns

A noun names a person, place, animal, thing or idea. A common noun gives a general name. A proper noun gives the official or specific name of a person, place, day, month, organisation or special title.

Proper nouns begin with capital letters because they identify one particular name.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Common	city, teacher, river, country, month.
Proper	Durban, Mrs Dlamini, Gariep River, South Africa, January.
A common noun can appear inside a proper name	Table Mountain , Kruger National Park .

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
city	Johannesburg
river	Vaal River
girl	Naledi
school	Sunrise Primary School

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ I live in durban.	✅ I live in Durban.
❌ We visit the kruger national park.	✅ We visit Kruger National Park.
Common mistake	Do not capitalise ordinary common nouns just because they seem important: My Teacher gave us Homework is incorrect.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Underline common nouns: The girl carried a book to school.

2. Correct capitals: we visited cape town in july.

3. Give a proper noun for 'country'.

NounA word that names a person, place, animal, thing or idea.

Common nounA general name.

Proper nounA specific official name.

CapitalisationUsing uppercase letters where required.

SpecificReferring to one particular person, place or thing.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Make a two-column chart of 12 common nouns and matching proper nouns from South Africa.

03

Vocabulary · Word Formation

Prefixes

CLASS-MATE VISUALPrefixes

Prefixes

A prefix is a meaningful group of letters added to the beginning of a base word. It changes meaning without necessarily changing the main idea of the base word.

Knowing prefixes helps readers decode unfamiliar words. If you know re- means 'again', you can work out that rebuild means build again.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
un- often means not/opposite	unhappy, unfair.
re- often means again/back	reread, return.
dis- can mean not/opposite/apart	disagree, disconnect.
pre- means before	preview, preheat.
mis- means wrongly/badly	misspell, misunderstand.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
happy	unhappy = not happy
write	rewrite = write again
agree	disagree = not agree
view	preview = view before
spell	misspell = spell incorrectly

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Not every word beginning with the same letters contains a prefix. uncle does not mean 'not cle'.
Common mistake	❌ rewent. After re- , use a suitable base word: rewrite , replay , rebuild .

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Break 'unhelpful' into parts.

2. What does 'preview' mean?

3. Create a word meaning 'spell wrongly'.

PrefixLetters added before a base word to change meaning.

Base wordThe main word to which an affix is added.

AffixA word part added to a base or root.

Meaning clueA word part that helps a reader infer meaning.

Word formationThe process of building words from parts.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create a prefix wheel using un-, re-, dis-, pre- and mis-. Build two correct words with each.

04

Vocabulary · Word Formation

Suffixes

CLASS-MATE VISUALSuffixes

Suffixes

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a base word. Suffixes can change the meaning of a word or change its grammatical class.

For example, kind is an adjective. Add -ness and it becomes the noun kindness.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
-ful = full of	helpful, careful.
-less = without	careless, hopeless.
-ness often makes a noun	happy → happiness.
-er can name a person who does an action	teach → teacher.
-ly often forms an adverb	quick → quickly.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	help + ful = helpful
Example	hope + less = hopeless
Example	happy + ness = happiness
Example	teach + er = teacher
Example	careful + ly = carefully

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Spelling may change: happy	happiness; easy → easily.
Common mistake	Not every -ly word is an adverb: friendly is usually an adjective.
Common mistake	A word may have both prefix and suffix: unhelpful .

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Change 'kind' into a noun.

2. Make a word meaning 'without hope'.

3. Change 'quick' into an adverb.

SuffixLetters added after a base word.

Word classA category such as noun, verb, adjective or adverb.

AdjectiveA word that describes a noun or pronoun.

AdverbA word that gives more information about a verb, adjective or adverb.

Noun-forming suffixA suffix such as -ness that can create a noun.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Use five base words to build at least eight new words with -ful, -less, -ness, -er or -ly.

05

Language Structures · Tenses

Simple present tense

CLASS-MATE VISUALSimple present tense

Simple present tense

The simple present tense describes habits, repeated actions, general truths and states. It does not mainly describe an action happening at this exact second.

With I, you, we, they, use the base verb. With he, she, it, the verb usually takes -s or -es.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	I/you/we/they play . He/she/it plays .
Verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x or -o often take -es	watches, fixes, goes.
Consonant + y may change to -ies	study → studies.
Be is irregular	I am, she is, they are.
Rule	Have becomes has with he/she/it.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Routine	I walk to school every day.
Truth	Water freezes at 0°C under standard conditions.
State	She likes mystery stories.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ He walk to school.	✅ He walks to school.
❌ They goes home.	✅ They go home.
Common mistake	Do not use simple past with 'every day' unless describing an old routine.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Choose: She (read/reads) every night.

2. Correct: The dogs barks loudly.

3. Write one general truth in simple present.

TenseA verb form that helps show time.

RoutineAn action done regularly.

Base verbThe basic unchanged verb form.

Third person singularHe, she, it or one singular named subject.

General truthA statement that is usually or always true.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Write six simple-present sentences: three routines, two general truths and one state.

06

Language Structures · Tenses

Simple past tense

CLASS-MATE VISUALSimple past tense

Simple past tense

The simple past describes an action or state that happened before now and is finished.

Regular verbs often form the past with -ed. Irregular verbs have special forms that must be learned.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
play	played; clean → cleaned.
carry	carried; study → studied.
stop	stopped; plan → planned.
go	went; see → saw; eat → ate; write → wrote; take → took.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	We visited the museum yesterday.
Example	She wrote a story last night.
Example	They went home after the match.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ goed	✅ went
❌ eated	✅ ate
❌ writed	✅ wrote
Do not mix time: ❌ Yesterday I walk to school.	✅ Yesterday I walked to school.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Past of 'carry'.

2. Past of 'see'.

3. Correct: Last week we go to Durban.

Past tenseA verb form describing time before now.

Regular verbA verb whose past usually follows a spelling pattern such as -ed.

Irregular verbA verb with a special past form.

Completed actionAn action that has finished.

Time markerA word or phrase such as yesterday or last week.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Write an eight-sentence diary entry about yesterday using four regular and four irregular past verbs.

07

Language Structures · Tenses

Simple future tense

CLASS-MATE VISUALSimple future tense

Simple future tense

The simple future refers to actions or events after the present. A common Grade 5 structure is will + base verb.

We can also use going to for plans and strong expectations.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
will + base verb	will go, will read, will play.
Rule	Do not change the main verb after will.
Future markers	tomorrow, next week, later, soon, in the future.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	I will finish my project tonight.
Example	They will travel next month.
Example	We are going to visit Granny on Saturday.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ will went	✅ will go
❌ will plays	✅ will play
❌ She will to read.	✅ She will read.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Future of 'He walks home'.

2. Correct: We will went tomorrow.

3. Write one future prediction.

Future tenseLanguage referring to time after now.

WillA modal helping verb used for future meaning.

Base formThe unchanged verb form after will.

PredictionA statement about what may happen.

PlanSomething intended for the future.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Make a tense table with five verbs in present, past and future forms.

08

Vocabulary · Meaning

Synonyms

CLASS-MATE VISUALSynonyms

Synonyms

Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings. They are useful for vocabulary growth and for avoiding unnecessary repetition.

However, synonyms are not always identical. Words can differ in strength, formality or feeling.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	happy ↔ joyful; begin ↔ start; silent ↔ quiet.
Rule	big, large, enormous and gigantic are related but not equally strong.
Rule	Context decides which synonym fits.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Weak	The nice dog had a nice owner. Better: The friendly dog had a kind owner.
Example	stroll , walk and march all involve movement but suggest different styles.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not replace a word just because a thesaurus lists it. Reread the whole sentence.
Common mistake	Bright can mean full of light or intelligent. The correct synonym depends on the intended meaning.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Synonym for 'begin'.

2. Choose a stronger synonym for 'big'.

3. Replace repeated 'nice' with a precise word.

SynonymA word with the same or similar meaning.

ContextThe surrounding words and situation.

Shade of meaningA small difference in strength or feeling between related words.

ThesaurusA reference source for related words.

PreciseExact and carefully chosen.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Rewrite a five-sentence paragraph containing the word 'nice' five times using five more precise choices.

09

Reading & Viewing · Narrative Comprehension

Comprehension: The Tree House

CLASS-MATE VISUALComprehension: The Tree House

Comprehension: The Tree House

This is a mystery/fantasy-style narrative. Before answering questions, separate what the writer states from what the writer only suggests.

The writer creates suspense with the quiet night, barking dogs, secret movement, mysterious green light and unanswered question about who is inside the tree house.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Literal question	answer directly from the passage.
Inference	combine a clue with logical reasoning.
Evidence	quote or refer to the detail that supports your idea.
Story element	identify setting, characters, events, climax and theme.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Literal	The tree house was built for the twins’ father when he was a boy.
Inference	The girls have probably visited before because Ashlea knows the back door will be unlocked.
Suspense clue	the brilliant emerald-green light appears and disappears suddenly.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not invent evidence that is not in the passage.
Common mistake	For open-ended questions, creativity is allowed only if the answer remains consistent with the clues.
Common mistake	A theme is a broad idea such as secrecy, belonging or family connection, not simply 'the tree house'.

📖 YOUR SUPPLIED COMPREHENSION — THE TREE HOUSE

1 The silence of the still, cloudless night is interrupted by the

frantic barking of two Maltese terriers. The twins, Ashlea and

Krystal, look up at the window. Smiles appear on their identical

faces. “Time to go!” thinks Ashlea. The girls slide down their beds

and sneak into the dark corridor. Ashlea reaches for Krystal’s

hand and they walk, barefoot, past their parents’ bedroom. The twins overhear a

discussion about the noisy dogs. Their father yells in a loud, stern voice for the dogs to be

quiet. His wife has decided that there must be large rats in the roof, setting the dogs off.

Ashlea opens the back door, knowing it won’t be locked. The girls walk by the dogs that

are still barking and snapping their jaws up towards the star-filled sky. They arrive at the

base of the largest tree in the garden. They look up - their exotic, almond-shaped eyes

twinkle with anticipation.

2 Ashlea reaches for the first wooden rung of the makeshift ladder. Krystal follows her,

climbing up towards their tree house. Ashlea pauses.

“I am being careful!” Krystal whispers with a furrowed brow.

The tree house sits in branches of the oldest tree in the garden. It was built for their father

when he was a little boy, with planks of wood nailed together for walls and a ceiling, and an

old piece of plaster board acting as a miniature door. The girls love their tree house

because it is the perfect size for them, but its low ceiling means that adults only ever climb

up the ladder and peer in – they never enter.

The girls reach the top.

Ashlea calls, “We’re here”.

“Can we come with you?” Krystal asks excitedly. The girls climb inside.

If the girls’ mother had opened the bedroom window at that very moment, and looked at

the tree house, she would have seen shards of brilliant emerald-green light escaping out of

the gaps in the wood and from under the door. As quickly as the green light appears, it is

gone. The tree house becomes a nest of shadows once more. The dogs’ barking stops,

fading into the cloudless, still night, once again.

GM 2018

19

3 The next morning, the girls are pouring cereal into their bowls, discussing whether they

had any homework, when their mother enters the kitchen.

“Goodness! You girls are so quiet! People will think you don’t like each other.” Their mother

takes the phone off charge. “I must call someone about the rats in our roof.”

Krystal, with a mouth full of cereal, thinks, “They won’t find any rats here”.

“I know,” responds Ashlea, giggling.

“What’s so funny?” their mother inquires.

“Nothing Mother,” Ashlea places her bowl in the sink.

“We are going to school now.”

4 The twins collect their backpacks and kiss their

mother goodbye. They begin the short walk through

their garden to the back fence of the school. They look

over at the tree house to see their father standing at its

base, deep in thought. Krystal shudders and begins to worry that he might try to stop them

from visiting the tree house at night. She looks over at her older sister…waiting. Creases

in Ashlea’s forehead appear. She nods and thinks, “Don’t worry, Krystal. He’s just wishing

that he could come to the tree house with us at night too. He misses it”.

Krystal grins and starts happily skipping towards the school gate.

📝 Questions from your supplied source

1. Answer true or false.a) The dogs stop barking after the twins’ father yells at them to be quiet.

b) An adult could easily fit through the door of the tree house.

c) The twins’ mother worries about their constant arguing.

d) The girls are excited about their night-time visits to their tree house.

e) Krystal is older than Ashlea.

2. Do you think the twins’ father knows what happens after the light appears in the tree

house? Why?

3. Why do you think the dogs eventually stop barking?

4. Have the girls visited the tree house at night before? Why do you think so?

5. Who do you think leaves the back door open for the girls at night?

6. What is so special about the twins in the story?

7. The girls asked whoever was in the tree house if they could go with them. Where do

you think they go and with whom?

8. Write the following headings and complete the information according to the story.

Setting -

Characters -

Theme -

Climax -

Events -

Your opinion of the story (like/dislike) -

9. Who do you think the girls were talking to inside the tree house? Be as creative as you

like.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. What is the setting at the start?

2. Give one clue that the visit has happened before.

3. Identify the likely climax.

InferenceA conclusion based on clues and reasoning.

EvidenceA detail used to support an answer.

SuspenseA feeling of uncertainty or tension about what may happen.

SettingThe place and time of a story.

ClimaxThe high point of tension or importance.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Complete the supplied story-element task and then write a 60-word explanation of the mystery using at least three clues.

10

Writing & Presenting · Narrative Writing

Write Your Own Story

CLASS-MATE VISUALWrite Your Own Story

Write Your Own Story

A story is not simply a list of events. A strong narrative gives a character a goal or problem and then develops events that move towards a climax and resolution.

Before writing, decide who the main character is, where the story happens and what changes or goes wrong.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Beginning	introduce character and setting.
Middle	develop the problem through rising action.
Climax	the most important or tense event.
Resolution	show what happens after the climax.
Rule	Keep point of view and tense consistent.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Opening hook	The locked classroom door slowly opened by itself.
Dialogue	“Did you hear that?” whispered Ayanda.
Description	replace 'went quickly' with rushed or sprinted when appropriate.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Avoid a beginning that spends half the story on waking up and eating breakfast unless it matters.
Common mistake	Avoid solving the problem suddenly with no preparation.
Common mistake	Do not change from I to she/he without a reason.
Common mistake	Do not write dialogue without new paragraphs for new speakers.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Create a character with one strength and one weakness.

2. Write the story problem in one sentence.

3. Write one possible climax.

NarrativeA story or account of events.

PlotThe organised sequence of important events.

ConflictThe main problem or struggle.

ClimaxThe high point of action or tension.

ResolutionThe part where the conflict is settled or its outcome is shown.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Plan and write a 250–350 word story titled 'The Door That Should Never Open'.

11

Writing & Presenting · Process

The Writing Process

CLASS-MATE VISUALThe Writing Process

The Writing Process

Good writing is usually made in stages. The first version is not expected to be perfect.

Revision improves the ideas and organisation. Editing improves correctness.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
1. Plan	purpose, audience, ideas and structure.
2. Draft	write the first version.
3. Revise	add, remove, reorder or improve ideas.
4. Edit	check spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentences.
5. Publish/present	prepare the final version.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Revision	change The dog was nice to The nervous puppy slowly trusted the child if the detail matters.
Editing	correct the puppy dont bark to The puppy doesn’t bark.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not spend so long decorating a final copy that you skip revision.
Common mistake	Spell-check does not replace careful editing because correctly spelled homophones can still be wrong.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Which stage comes before drafting?

2. Is changing paragraph order revision or editing?

3. Is correcting a missing apostrophe revision or editing?

PlanOrganise ideas before writing.

DraftA working first version.

ReviseImprove ideas, detail and organisation.

EditCorrect language and mechanical errors.

PublishPrepare and present the final version.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Take one rough paragraph and produce a revised version and then a separately edited final version.

12

Language Structures · Verbs

Verbs

CLASS-MATE VISUALVerbs

Verbs

A verb is the engine of a sentence. It tells what someone or something does or is.

Some verbs show actions. Others show states. Helping verbs combine with main verbs.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Action	run, build, whisper, think.
State/linking	be, seem, know, belong.
Helping + main	is reading, has finished, will leave.
Verbs change with tense	walk, walked, will walk.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	The dog barked. action verb = barked.
Example	The soup smells delicious. linking/state verb = smells.
Example	They are studying. verb phrase = are studying.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not assume every -ing word is the whole verb. In is running , both words form the verb phrase.
Common mistake	A sentence fragment may be missing a finite verb.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Find the verb: The birds sang loudly.

2. Find the verb phrase: She has finished her book.

3. Change 'walk' to simple past.

VerbA word showing action, state or condition.

Main verbThe verb carrying the main meaning.

Helping verbA verb that supports a main verb.

Verb phraseA group containing a main verb and one or more helpers.

Finite verbA verb form connected to tense or agreement.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Find and classify the verbs in 12 sentences as action, state/linking or helping + main.

13

Language Structures · Concord

Subject-verb agreement (Concord)

CLASS-MATE VISUALSubject-verb agreement (Concord)

Subject-verb agreement (Concord)

Concord means grammatical agreement. In Grade 5, the most important pattern is matching the subject and verb.

A singular third-person subject normally takes a present-tense verb with -s/-es. A plural subject normally takes the base form.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	The boy runs . The boys run .
Rule	She has . They have .
Rule	He is . They are .
A subject joined by and is normally plural	Musa and Amina play .
Ignore an intervening phrase	The box of pencils is heavy.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	The group of learners is waiting. Subject = group.
Example	My friends are ready. Subject = friends.
Example	Each learner has a book. Subject = each learner.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ She walk.	✅ She walks.
❌ The dogs barks.	✅ The dogs bark.
❌ The basket of apples are heavy.	✅ The basket of apples is heavy.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Choose: The puppy (sleep/sleeps).

2. Choose: The puppies (sleep/sleeps).

3. Correct: My brother have a bicycle.

ConcordGrammatical agreement between words.

SubjectWho or what the clause is about.

SingularOne person or thing.

PluralMore than one.

AgreementMatching forms correctly.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Correct ten concord errors and underline the subject responsible for each correction.

14

Reading & Viewing · Information Text

Information Text: The Dangers of Plastic Shopping Bags

CLASS-MATE VISUALInformation Text: The Dangers of Plastic Shopping Bags

Information Text: The Dangers of Plastic Shopping Bags

An information text explains a real topic using facts, examples, causes, effects and sometimes suggested responses.

This passage moves from the size of the plastic-bag problem to specific environmental effects and then to actions taken in Ireland and Japan.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Read the title and predict the issue.
Rule	Underline statistics and factual examples.
Trace cause	effect relationships.
Rule	Separate problems from solutions.
Rule	Summarise each paragraph in one sentence.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Cause/effect	discarded bags clog drainage systems → flooding risk increases.
Animal impact	whales and birds may ingest plastic.
Solution	Ireland used a tax; some Japanese stores reward reusable bags.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not copy a whole paragraph as a summary.
Common mistake	A statistic must be quoted accurately: the text says only about 1 to 3 per cent are recycled.
Common mistake	Do not confuse an example from one country with a claim about every country.

📘 YOUR SUPPLIED TEXT — DANGERS OF SHOPPING BAGS

Dangers of Shopping Bags

Shopping bags, although convenient, have created major environmental

issues around the world. Scientists estimate that up to one trillion plastic

shopping bags are used each year around the globe. Hundreds of millions of

these bags end up being thrown away annually. Studies have shown that

only about 1 to 3 per cent of plastic shopping bags are recycled. This has

created a load of plastic bags in landfills, streets, and waters throughout the

world. The environmental consequence of this overload could be

catastrophic.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, plastic bags were responsible for causing floods in most of

Bangladesh. Experts found that many people were throwing out their plastic bags as

litter. The drainage systems throughout the country became clogged with them and this

caused the floods.

Animals have also suffered. In Western Europe, marine biologists have found that many

whales have died from ingesting plastic bags. The whales mistake the bags for prey and

swallow them. This damages their insides and eventually kills them. Flamingos and

pelicans who scavenge along shores have also died after eating a plastic bag.

Last but not least, plastic bags may be altering the ecosystem of the world’s

oceans. Marine biologists have learned that ocean species will often “catch a ride” on

plastic debris in the water. This lets them travel farther and more quickly than they could

under their own power. After arriving at their destination, these traveling species will then

eat the native species. This is a grave threat to marine biodiversity.

To combat these problems, many stores and governments have sought alternatives to

plastic shopping bags. In Ireland, for example, politicians passed a new law that levied a

tax of 15 cents for consumers who use a plastic shopping bag. In places like Japan, some

stores offer a small discount to shoppers who bring their own reusable bag for carrying

home their purchases.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. What percentage does the text say is recycled?

2. How did bags contribute to flooding in Bangladesh?

3. Name two responses to plastic-bag problems.

Information textA text whose main purpose is to explain or inform.

StatisticNumerical information used as evidence.

Cause and effectA relationship where one event contributes to another.

BiodiversityThe variety of living organisms in an environment.

AlternativeA different option or choice.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create a cause-effect-solution chart using at least six facts from the supplied text.

15

Language Structures · Prepositions

Prepositions

CLASS-MATE VISUALPrepositions

Prepositions

A preposition shows a relationship between a noun or pronoun and another part of the sentence.

Prepositions commonly tell where, when or in what direction.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Place	under the table, beside the gate, between the chairs.
Time	at 7:00, on Monday, in June.
Direction	through the tunnel, across the road, towards school.
Rule	A prepositional phrase begins with the preposition and includes its object.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	The cat slept under the chair.
Example	We meet on Tuesday.
Example	She ran across the field.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ in Monday	✅ on Monday
❌ at July	✅ in July
Common mistake	Do not underline only the noun if asked for the phrase: under the old table is the full phrase.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Find the preposition: The ball rolled under the car.

2. Choose: We meet (in/on/at) Friday.

3. Identify the phrase: She walked through the gate.

PrepositionA word showing a relationship such as place, time or direction.

Prepositional phraseA phrase beginning with a preposition.

Object of a prepositionThe noun or pronoun following the preposition.

DirectionThe path along which something moves.

PositionWhere something is located.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Give a partner written directions around a classroom using at least eight different prepositions.

16

Language Structures · Articles

Articles

CLASS-MATE VISUALArticles

Articles

Articles are determiners placed before nouns. English has a, an and the.

A/an introduce one non-specific countable noun. The usually points to a specific or already known noun.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Use a before a consonant sound	a dog, a uniform.
Use an before a vowel sound	an apple, an hour.
Use the for a specific known noun	the book you lent me.
Rule	The a/an choice depends on sound, not just the first letter.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	a university because university begins with a /y/ sound.
Example	an hour because the h is silent.
Example	I saw a dog . Later, the dog followed me home.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ an uniform	✅ a uniform
❌ a hour	✅ an hour
Common mistake	Do not use a/an with an ordinary plural noun: ❌ a books.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Choose: __ orange.

2. Choose: __ useful tool.

3. Explain the difference between 'a book' and 'the book'.

ArticleA determiner placed before a noun.

Indefinite articleA or an.

Definite articleThe.

Vowel soundA speech sound produced without blocking airflow.

Countable nounA noun that can be counted as separate items.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create ten noun phrases using a, an and the. Include an hour, a uniform and a university.

17

Language Structures · Determiners

Determiners

CLASS-MATE VISUALDeterminers

Determiners

A determiner comes before a noun and helps identify, point to, show ownership of or limit that noun.

Articles are determiners but Grade 5 learners also need demonstratives, possessives and quantity words.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Demonstratives	this, that, these, those.
Possessives	my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
Quantity	some, many, few, several, each, every.
Number words can also limit nouns	three books.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	those three red balloons
Example	my new school bag
Example	several difficult questions

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not confuse their before a noun with theirs standing alone.
❌ these three red balloon	✅ these three red balloons.
Common mistake	Determiners usually appear before adjectives: those old books .

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Find the determiner: Those shoes are muddy.

2. Identify type: my pencil.

3. Choose: ___ learners finished. (Many/Much)

DeterminerA word before a noun that identifies or limits it.

DemonstrativeA determiner such as this, that, these or those.

Possessive determinerA word such as my, your or their before a noun.

Quantity determinerA word showing how much or how many.

Noun phraseA group built around a noun.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Expand the noun 'books' in six different ways using articles, demonstratives, possession, quantity and numbers.

18

Vocabulary · Opposites

Antonyms

CLASS-MATE VISUALAntonyms

Antonyms

Antonyms are words with opposite or contrasting meanings.

Some are direct opposites. Others sit at opposite ends of a scale.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	hot ↔ cold; enter ↔ exit; generous ↔ selfish.
Gradable	hot — warm — cool — cold.
Prefixes can form opposites	possible → impossible; honest → dishonest.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
The antonym of light depends on meaning	dark for brightness, heavy for weight.
Example	The antonym of ancient is modern.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not choose an opposite by spelling alone.
Common mistake	Not every word has one perfect antonym. Context decides.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Antonym of 'generous'.

2. Opposite of 'light' in 'a light bag'.

3. Opposite of 'light' in 'a light room'.

AntonymA word with an opposite or contrasting meaning.

ContrastA clear difference.

Gradable antonymOpposites with intermediate points on a scale.

ContextInformation that helps determine meaning.

PrefixLetters added before a base word that can sometimes form an opposite.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create eight antonym pairs including two pairs created with prefixes and two pairs where context matters.

19

Reading & Viewing · Newspaper Article

Comprehension: What Does The Fox Say? — The Picture Book

CLASS-MATE VISUALComprehension: What Does The Fox Say? — The Picture Book

Comprehension: What Does The Fox Say? — The Picture Book

The supplied text is a short newspaper-style article. It has a headline, date, byline and factual body paragraphs.

Because it was written in 2013, treat it as a source from that time rather than as current news.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Headline	article title.
Byline	writer’s name.
Literal retrieval	find the stated fact.
Quote	copy the exact supporting words.
Inference	reason from evidence, such as identifying the likely audience.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Popularity evidence	the article says the video had more than 200 million views.
Context clue	blogs are explained in brackets as online journals.
Audience inference	children/families because it is a children’s picture book.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not answer a 'quote' question in your own words.
Common mistake	Do not use outside knowledge when the question asks about the article.
Common mistake	The word viral here means rapidly popular online, not a medical infection.

📰 YOUR SUPPLIED ARTICLE — WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?

Comprehension: A newspaper article

What Does The Fox Say? — The Picture Book

November 17, 2013

by Joyce Grant

1 The latest viral music video is being

turned into a children’s picture book.

2 “What Does the Fox Say?” is a

catchy music video that’s been seen

by more than 200 million people.

3 It was created by two Norwegian

brothers, Bard and Vegard Ylvisaker,

collectively known as Ylvis.

4 The video was meant to be silly and

almost meaningless. But the tune was

so darned catchy, it caught on, big

time.

5 Now, it will be a picture book called

“What Does The Fox Say?”

6 Publisher Simon & Schuster is

launching the book next month. It was

written by Ylvis and has illustrations

drawn by Svein Nyhus.

7 The brothers had thought of the idea

of creating a picture book from their

song even before they uploaded it to

YouTube.

8 They realized that, as they were

writing the song, they really were

wondering: what does a fox say?

9 “Fox” isn’t the first viral video to

become a picture book. A viral video

about a shell named Marcel was

turned into a picture book last year,

and many blogs (online journals) have

been turned into books and movies.

10 The book is scheduled to be

launched in December.

📝 Questions from your supplied source

1. What is meant by“viral” in line 1?

2. How do you know that “What Does The Fox Say?” is a popular video?

3. Who created the music video?

4. Why did these brothers first create the video?

5. Why did the video ‘catch on’?

6. Who do you think will most likely read the book? Give a reason for your answer.

7. Why has the word “does” been written in italics?

8. Is this the first YouTube video to be made into a book? Quote from the passage

to back up your answer.

9. What is “Marcel”?

10. What are ‘blogs’?

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Identify the byline.

2. What does viral mean here?

3. Quote evidence that it was popular.

HeadlineThe title of a news article.

BylineThe line naming the writer.

ViralSpreading rapidly and becoming widely popular online.

PublisherA company that produces and distributes books.

QuoteExact words copied from a source as evidence.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Annotate the article by labelling headline, date, byline, one fact, one context clue and one inference.

20

Language Structures · Pronouns

Pronouns

CLASS-MATE VISUALPronouns

Pronouns

A pronoun replaces or refers to a noun or noun phrase. It prevents awkward repetition.

The noun a pronoun refers to is called its antecedent.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Subject pronouns	I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
Object pronouns	me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
Possessive pronouns	mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.
Rule	Pronouns must be clear and match number.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	Lerato runs. She is fast.
Example	I saw Lerato. I saw her .
Example	This is my book. The book is mine .

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Unclear: Thabo spoke to Musa because he was worried. Who was worried?
❌ Me went home.	✅ I went home.
❌ The teacher called we.	✅ The teacher called us.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Replace 'Naledi' in subject position.

2. Replace 'the boys' as an object.

3. Rewrite the unclear pronoun sentence with a named noun.

PronounA word that replaces or refers to a noun.

AntecedentThe noun a pronoun refers to.

Subject pronounA pronoun used as the subject.

Object pronounA pronoun used as an object.

Possessive pronounA pronoun that shows ownership and stands alone.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Rewrite a paragraph containing repeated names and two unclear pronouns so that every reference is clear.

21

Language Structures · Adverbs

Adverbs

CLASS-MATE VISUALAdverbs

Adverbs

An adverb gives more information about a verb, adjective or another adverb.

In Grade 5, focus on the questions how? when? where? how often?.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Manner	slowly, carefully.
Time	yesterday, soon.
Place	here, outside.
Frequency	always, often, sometimes, never.
Rule	Many adverbs end in -ly but many do not.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	She spoke softly . How?
Example	We arrived yesterday . When?
Example	Wait outside . Where?
Example	He often reads. How often?

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
❌ a quickly runner	✅ a quick runner (adjective before noun).
Common mistake	✅ The runner moved quickly (adverb describes moved).
Common mistake	Do not assume every -ly word is an adverb: friendly is usually an adjective.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Classify 'tomorrow'.

2. Classify 'carefully'.

3. Correct: She is a beautifully singer.

AdverbA word that gives more information about a verb, adjective or adverb.

MannerHow something happens.

FrequencyHow often something happens.

Time adverbAn adverb telling when.

Place adverbAn adverb telling where.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Take six plain sentences and add adverbs of four different types. Then replace one weak verb + adverb with a stronger verb.

22

Sentence Structure · Subject & Predicate

Subject and Predicate

CLASS-MATE VISUALSubject and Predicate

Subject and Predicate

Most complete statements can be divided into a subject and predicate.

The subject tells who or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells what the subject does, is or experiences.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Find the finite verb first.
Ask who/what performs or experiences that verb	subject.
Rule	The predicate contains the verb and everything that says something about the subject.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	The red car \| stopped suddenly.
Complete subject	The three noisy dogs . Simple subject: dogs .
Predicate	barked at the gate.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	A prepositional phrase at the beginning is not automatically the subject: After lunch, the Grade 5 learners returned. Subject = the Grade 5 learners.
Common mistake	A fragment such as Because the bus was late does not express a complete thought by itself.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Divide: The old tree swayed in the wind.

2. Find simple subject: The three tired players rested.

3. Is 'After the bell rang' a complete sentence?

SubjectThe part telling who or what the clause is about.

PredicateThe part containing the verb and saying something about the subject.

Simple subjectThe main noun or pronoun in the subject.

Complete subjectThe simple subject plus describing words.

FragmentAn incomplete sentence.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Split ten sentences into subject and predicate then expand three simple subjects with descriptive words.

23

Sentence Structure · Objects

Objects

CLASS-MATE VISUALObjects

Objects

A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb.

Not every verb needs or takes a direct object.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Step 1	Find the subject.
Step 2	Find the action verb.
Step 3	Ask verb + what? or verb + whom?
Rule	If there is a sensible answer, it may be the direct object.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	Zola kicked the ball . Kicked what? the ball.
Example	The teacher praised her . Praised whom? her.
The baby slept. Slept what? No answer	no direct object.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not call every noun after a verb an object. In She is a doctor , doctor follows a linking verb and is not a direct object.
Common mistake	Subject and object are different jobs: Sam kicked the ball .

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Object in 'Lebo opened the door'.

2. Does 'The baby slept' have a direct object?

3. Object pronoun in 'She called us'.

ObjectA noun or pronoun affected by a verb's action.

Direct objectThe person or thing directly receiving the action.

Transitive verbA verb that can take a direct object.

Object pronounA pronoun such as me, him, her, us or them.

Action verbA verb expressing an action.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Label S, V and O in eight sentences. Include two sentences that have no direct object.

24

Reading & Viewing · Traditional Narrative

Comprehension: The Creation of New Zealand

CLASS-MATE VISUALComprehension: The Creation of New Zealand

Comprehension: The Creation of New Zealand

No source passage was supplied for this heading, so this lesson uses an original Class-Mate supplemental passage based on Māori traditions about Māui and Te Ika-a-Māui.

Traditional narratives can preserve identity, names, values and relationships with place.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Sequence the events before answering.
Rule	Use text evidence for cause and effect.
Rule	Treat Māori names and traditions respectfully.
Rule	Do not present the traditional narrative as a modern geological explanation.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Māui hides in the waka	joins the fishing trip → casts a special hook → hauls up a great fish.
Example	The North Island is known in the tradition as Te Ika-a-Māui .
Example	In some traditions the South Island is Te Waka-a-Māui .

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not describe a living cultural tradition as 'just a made-up story'.
Common mistake	Do not claim the passage is a scientific account of plate tectonics.
Common mistake	Different traditions may contain different details.

🌊 ORIGINAL CLASS-MATE SUPPLEMENTAL COMPREHENSION

According to a well-known Māori tradition, Māui wanted to prove himself to his older brothers. When they prepared to go fishing, they refused to take him, so Māui hid in their waka, or canoe, and only appeared after they were far from land.

Māui persuaded his brothers to paddle into deep water. He carried a special fishhook which, in many versions of the tradition, was made from the jawbone of his grandmother. He cast the hook into the sea and soon felt a tremendous pull.

With great effort, Māui hauled a gigantic fish from the ocean. In Māori tradition this great fish became the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, known as Te Ika-a-Māui — the Fish of Māui. In some traditions, the South Island is Māui’s canoe, Te Waka-a-Māui.

Māui warned his brothers not to cut the great fish while he was away. They did not obey him. They began cutting the fish and, in the traditional story, the cuts became the mountains, valleys, plains and cliffs of the land.

This is a traditional cultural narrative, not a scientific explanation of how islands formed. Stories such as this carry names, identity, values and connections between people and place across generations.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Why does Māui hide in the canoe?

2. What becomes the North Island in the tradition?

3. What do the brothers' cuts explain in the story?

Traditional narrativeA culturally transmitted story passed across generations.

MāuiA major culture hero in Māori and wider Polynesian traditions.

AotearoaA Māori name widely used for New Zealand.

Te Ika-a-MāuiThe Fish of Māui, a traditional name for the North Island.

Cultural traditionKnowledge, stories or practices passed through a community.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create a six-event sequence strip then explain in 80 words why the story is culturally important even though it is not a geology lesson.

25

Sentence Structure · Simple Sentences

Simple sentences

CLASS-MATE VISUALSimple sentences

Simple sentences

A simple sentence contains one main independent clause and expresses a complete thought.

It can be short or long. Sentence type depends on clause structure, not number of words.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	A complete simple sentence needs a subject and finite verb.
It may have a compound subject	Musa and Sam laughed.
It may have a compound verb	Musa laughed and waved.
Rule	It still has one main clause.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Short	Birds sing.
Longer simple sentence	The small yellow bird sings beautifully in the garden every morning.
Compound subject	Mia and Sam laughed.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Fragment: ❌ Because the rain fell. This leaves the thought unfinished.
Common mistake	Run-on sentences are not made correct by simply adding more words.
Common mistake	Do not decide 'simple' by counting words.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Is 'The old dog slept beside the fire' simple?

2. Is 'Because the bus was late' complete?

3. Write a long simple sentence with one main clause.

Simple sentenceA sentence with one main independent clause.

ClauseA group of words containing a subject and verb.

Independent clauseA clause that can stand alone.

FragmentAn incomplete sentence.

Compound subjectTwo or more subjects sharing a verb.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Sort 12 examples into simple sentences and fragments then repair every fragment.

26

Sentence Structure · Conjunctions

Conjunctions

CLASS-MATE VISUALConjunctions

Conjunctions

A conjunction joins words, phrases or clauses. The conjunction chosen should show the relationship between ideas.

Coordinating conjunctions include and, but, or, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions include because, when, if, although, while.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
and	addition.
but/yet	contrast.
or	choice.
so	result.
because	reason.
although	unexpected contrast.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	It rained, so the match was cancelled.
Example	The match was cancelled because it rained.
Example	I was tired, but I finished the race.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	❌ Because it rained. This may be a fragment if nothing follows.
Common mistake	Do not join ideas with a conjunction that changes the logic.
Common mistake	A comma is often used before a coordinating conjunction joining two complete clauses.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Choose: I stayed home ___ I was sick.

2. Choose: It was late, ___ we continued working.

3. Join: It rained. We stayed inside.

ConjunctionA word that joins words, phrases or clauses.

Coordinating conjunctionA conjunction joining equal grammatical elements.

Subordinating conjunctionA word that introduces a dependent clause.

ContrastA relationship showing difference.

ResultWhat follows because of something else.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Join ten pairs of sentences using five different conjunctions and label the relationship each one shows.

27

Literature · Figurative Language

Figures of speech

CLASS-MATE VISUALFigures of speech

Figures of speech

Figures of speech use language imaginatively to create comparison, sound, emphasis or imagery.

Grade 5 learners should recognise simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole and sound devices such as alliteration and onomatopoeia.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Simile uses like/as.
Rule	Metaphor compares directly.
Rule	Personification gives human qualities to non-human things.
Rule	Hyperbole deliberately exaggerates.
Rule	Sound devices create effects through repeated or imitated sounds.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Simile	The moon shone like a silver coin.
Metaphor	The classroom was a zoo.
Personification	The wind whispered.
Hyperbole	I waited forever.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not interpret figures of speech literally.
Common mistake	Do not name the device only; explain the image or effect.
Common mistake	'I like pizza' is not a simile because no comparison is made.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Identify: The leaves danced.

2. Identify: She is as brave as a lion.

3. Explain: The classroom was a zoo.

Figure of speechA creative language technique used for effect.

LiteralThe ordinary exact meaning.

FigurativeAn imaginative meaning beyond the literal one.

ImageryLanguage that helps a reader imagine an experience.

HyperboleDeliberate exaggeration for effect.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Collect six figures of speech from books, adverts or your own writing and explain the effect of each.

28

Literature · Sound Devices

Alliteration

CLASS-MATE VISUALAlliteration

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same or similar beginning consonant sound in nearby words.

It is about sound, not simply matching first letters.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Repeated initial sound	wild winds whistle .
Rule	Writers use it for rhythm, emphasis, humour and memorability.
Rule	It is common in poetry, slogans, titles and tongue twisters.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	Busy bees buzz beside bluebells. repeats the /b/ sound.
Example	Peter packed purple pencils. repeats /p/.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not confuse alliteration with rhyme. Rhyme usually repeats ending sounds.
Common mistake	Too much alliteration can sound forced.
Common mistake	Words with the same first letter do not always begin with the same sound.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Find repeated sound: wild winds whistle.

2. Is cat/cold alliteration?

3. Write a four-word /s/ alliterative phrase.

AlliterationRepetition of beginning consonant sounds in nearby words.

Consonant soundA speech sound formed with some obstruction of airflow.

Sound deviceA technique that uses sound for effect.

RhythmA pattern of beats or movement in language.

RhymeSimilarity of ending sounds.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create a Class-Mate slogan and a four-line tongue twister using alliteration without making the wording meaningless.

29

Literature · Sound Devices

Onomatopoeia

CLASS-MATE VISUALOnomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates or strongly suggests a sound.

It helps readers hear an action in their imagination.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	buzz, hiss, crash, bang, splash, tick-tock, sizzle.
Rule	Sound words are often used in comics, poems, action scenes and descriptions.
Rule	Different languages may represent the same sound differently.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	Crack! The branch snapped.
Example	Bacon sizzled in the pan.
Example	Rain pitter-pattered on the roof.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Onomatopoeia does not mean every noisy word.
Common mistake	Alliteration repeats starting sounds. Onomatopoeia represents a sound itself.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Sound of a bee.

2. Sound of food frying.

3. Write a sentence using 'crash'.

OnomatopoeiaA word that imitates or suggests a sound.

Sound effectA sound used to create an impression.

ImitateTo copy or represent.

ImageryLanguage that stimulates the imagination.

Sound deviceA technique using sound for effect.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Describe a thunderstorm using at least six different onomatopoeic words.

30

Literature · Figurative Language

Simile

CLASS-MATE VISUALSimile

Simile

A simile compares two different things using like or as.

The purpose is to transfer a useful quality from one thing to another.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Pattern 1	X is like Y.
Pattern 2	X is as adjective as Y.
Rule	A genuine comparison must be present.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
The moon was like a silver coin. shared quality	round/bright.
She ran as fast as lightning. shared quality	speed.
His hands were as cold as ice. shared quality	coldness.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	I like apples. is not a simile because like is a verb meaning enjoy.
Common mistake	Avoid comparisons that do not make sense: ❌ The pencil was as hungry as a chair.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Identify comparison: The clouds were like cotton.

2. What quality is shared?

3. Create a simile for a very noisy place.

SimileA comparison using like or as.

ComparisonShowing a similarity between different things.

Shared qualityThe feature that makes a comparison meaningful.

Figurative languageImaginative language beyond literal meaning.

ImageA mental picture created by language.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Write five original similes and explain the shared quality in each.

31

Literature · Figurative Language

Metaphor

CLASS-MATE VISUALMetaphor

Metaphor

A metaphor compares two unlike things directly without using like or as.

The writer does not mean the comparison literally. The reader transfers qualities from one image to another.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
X is Y	The classroom was a zoo.
Rule	Metaphors can appear in many grammatical forms.
Rule	Explain both the comparison and what it suggests.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	Time is a thief. suggests time takes moments away.
Example	The road was a ribbon. suggests long, narrow or winding shape.
Example	My brother is a night owl. suggests he stays awake late.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not say the classroom literally contains zoo animals.
Common mistake	Do not confuse like -based comparisons with metaphors.
Common mistake	An explanation such as 'it is a metaphor because it is a metaphor' is not enough.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Explain 'The test was a mountain'.

2. Change simile to metaphor: Her eyes were like stars.

3. Identify compared ideas: Time is a thief.

MetaphorA direct imaginative comparison.

Literal meaningThe ordinary exact meaning of words.

Figurative meaningAn imaginative intended meaning.

ComparisonA connection based on shared qualities.

InterpretTo explain meaning using evidence and reasoning.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Create five metaphors and write a literal explanation underneath each one.

32

Literature · Figurative Language

Personification

CLASS-MATE VISUALPersonification

Personification

Personification gives human actions, feelings or qualities to something non-human.

It can make weather, objects or nature seem alive and can create mood.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Look for a non-human subject.
Rule	Check whether the action/feeling is human-like.
Rule	Explain what image or mood the personification creates.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	The wind whispered through the trees.
Example	The sun smiled down on us.
Example	The angry storm attacked the coast.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	A real animal action is not automatically personification: The dog barked is literal.
Common mistake	Do not identify any descriptive verb as personification unless it gives a human-like quality.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Identify what is personified: The moon watched us.

2. Explain 'The leaves danced'.

3. Personify a school bell.

PersonificationGiving human qualities to something non-human.

Human qualityA human-like feeling, thought or action.

MoodThe atmosphere created for the reader.

Non-humanSomething that is not a person.

Figurative languageImaginative language beyond literal meaning.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Write six personification sentences: two about weather, two about objects and two about nature.

33

Poetry · Sound Devices

Rhyme

CLASS-MATE VISUALRhyme

Rhyme

Rhyme occurs when words have the same or similar ending sounds, especially at the ends of poetic lines.

Rhyme is based on sound, not spelling.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	light/night; play/day; blue/you.
Rule	End rhyme appears at line endings.
Rhyme scheme labels patterns using letters	AABB, ABAB and so on.
Rule	Not every poem rhymes.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Line 1	I saw the moon so bright (A)
Line 2	It filled the silent night (A)
Line 3	The wind began to play (B)
Line 4	Before the break of day (B)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Words that look similar may not rhyme.
Common mistake	Do not force awkward word choices just to create rhyme.
Common mistake	Rhyme and rhythm are related but different.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Do light/night rhyme?

2. Label scheme: cat/hat, sun/run.

3. Find a rhyme for 'blue'.

RhymeSimilarity of sounds, especially at word endings.

End rhymeRhyme occurring at the ends of lines.

Rhyme schemeThe pattern of end rhymes.

LineA row of words in a poem.

Sound patternA repeated arrangement of sounds.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Write four lines with an ABAB rhyme scheme and label the scheme.

34

Poetry · Sound Devices

Rhythm

CLASS-MATE VISUALRhythm

Rhythm

Rhythm is the beat and flow of language. It comes from patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, pauses, repetition and line length.

You often notice rhythm more easily when a poem is read aloud.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Syllables create units of sound.
Rule	Stress gives certain syllables or words extra emphasis.
Rule	Punctuation creates pauses.
Rule	Repetition can reinforce beat.
Rule	Rhythm may speed up or slow down a poem.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Clap while saying	PIT-ter PAT-ter RAIN-drops FALL .
Example	Short repeated words can create a quick rhythm.
Example	Longer lines and pauses may create a slower pace.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Rhythm is not the same as rhyme.
Common mistake	Do not read every line at exactly the same speed. Punctuation and meaning affect pace.
Common mistake	Counting syllables alone does not fully explain rhythm.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Clap the syllables in 'pitter-patter'.

2. Where might a comma affect rhythm?

3. Explain difference between rhythm and rhyme.

RhythmThe beat or flow of language.

SyllableA unit or beat of sound in a word.

StressExtra emphasis on a syllable or word.

PauseA brief stop in reading.

PaceThe speed at which a text is read or seems to move.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Choose a four-line poem, mark natural stresses and pauses and perform it twice with different pace. Discuss the effect.

35

Poetry · Reading and Appreciation

Poem

CLASS-MATE VISUALPoem

Poem

A poem uses carefully chosen words, lines, stanzas, images and sounds to express experiences, feelings or ideas.

Read a poem more than once. First understand what is happening. Then analyse how the poet’s language creates the effect.

📘 Rules & How It Works

Rule / Concept	Detailed Explanation
Rule	Identify the speaker, subject and mood.
Rule	Look for line and stanza structure.
Find sound devices	rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia.
Find figurative language	simile, metaphor, personification.
Rule	Explain effect, not just device name.

✏️ Worked Examples

Example	Explanation / Correct Use
Example	In Rain Song , pitter-patter suggests sound through onomatopoeia.
Example	Wind whispers is personification.
Example	Branches bow also gives a human-like action.
Example	play/day and run/sun form rhyming pairs.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Incorrect / Problem	Correct Form / Explanation
Common mistake	Do not assume the speaker is always the poet.
Common mistake	Do not call every repeated sound rhyme.
Common mistake	Do not identify a technique without explaining what it adds.

📝 ORIGINAL CLASS-MATE PRACTICE POEM — RAIN SONG

Rain Song

Pitter-patter, raindrops play,

Drumming softly through the day.

Silver rivers race and run,

Clouds hide away the golden sun.

Wind whispers, “Come and dance with me,”

Branches bow beside the tree.

Then the storm begins to slow,

And puddles catch the rainbow’s glow.

🧩 Guided Practice

1. Find one onomatopoeic phrase.

2. Find one personification.

3. Name one rhyming pair.

PoemA carefully arranged text using expressive language.

StanzaA group of poetic lines.

SpeakerThe voice speaking in a poem.

MoodThe atmosphere created for the reader.

ImageryLanguage that appeals to imagination or senses.

🎯 Independent Challenge

Annotate Rain Song by marking rhyme, rhythm clues, onomatopoeia, personification, mood and one favourite image.

ENGLISHTERM 1

Punctuation

Punctuation

📚 Complete Guide to Punctuation

🔎 Important Punctuation Rules in Detail

✏️ Worked Examples

🧩 Guided Practice

🎯 Independent Challenge

Power Quiz

1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

2. Which sentence uses the apostrophe for possession correctly?

3. Choose the correctly punctuated direct speech.

4. Which sentence uses commas correctly in a list?

5. Why is a question mark needed in 'Are you coming with us__'?

Common and Proper Nouns

Common and Proper Nouns

📘 Rules & How It Works

✏️ Worked Examples

⚠️ Common Mistakes

🧩 Guided Practice

🎯 Independent Challenge

Power Quiz

1. Which is a proper noun?

2. Which is a common noun?

3. Which sentence has correct capitalisation?

4. Why is 'Nelson Mandela' a proper noun?

5. Which pair is common noun → proper noun?

Prefixes

Prefixes

📘 Rules & How It Works

✏️ Worked Examples

⚠️ Common Mistakes

🧩 Guided Practice

🎯 Independent Challenge

Power Quiz

1. What does the prefix re- usually mean in 'rewrite'?

2. Which word means 'not fair'?

3. What is the base word in 'disagree'?

4. Which word means 'look at something before the main event'?

5. Which word uses mis- correctly?

Suffixes

Suffixes

📘 Rules & How It Works

✏️ Worked Examples

⚠️ Common Mistakes

🧩 Guided Practice

🎯 Independent Challenge

Power Quiz

1. Where is a suffix added?

2. What does 'hopeless' mean?

3. Which word is a noun formed with -ness?

4. Which suffix helps form the adverb 'carefully'?

5. Which word contains both a prefix and suffix?

Simple present tense

Simple present tense

📘 Rules & How It Works

✏️ Worked Examples

⚠️ Common Mistakes

🧩 Guided Practice

🎯 Independent Challenge

Power Quiz

1. Which sentence is in the simple present?

2. Choose the correct form: 'He ___ his homework after school.'

3. Which sentence has correct agreement?

4. Which word often signals a routine?

5. Why is 'The Earth moves around the Sun' simple present?

Simple past tense

Simple past tense

📘 Rules & How It Works

✏️ Worked Examples

⚠️ Common Mistakes

🧩 Guided Practice

🎯 Independent Challenge

Power Quiz

1. What is the past tense of 'go'?

2. Which sentence is simple past?

3. Which is a regular past-tense form?

4. What is the correct past form of 'write'?

5. Which time expression most strongly signals the simple past?

Simple future tense

ENGLISH
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