☰ Year plan · English (Connect)

Review 1: Units 1–3

Week 8 · Review 1 (Units 1–3): vocabulary in context, reported speech, modals of deduction, a paraphrase check in English instead of the translation items, a new reading text, questions on blog posts and argumentative and persuasive essays, punctuation, two writing tasks, what the novel questions ask · 3 lessons
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Review 1: writing and the novel questions

English Secondary 3 Term 1, Review 1, Writing and The Novel: pp. 52–54
GoalCheck the features of the text types, punctuate sentences and learn how to answer a novel question with a point, a reason and an example.
New words
punctuation · marks such as commas and apostrophesapostrophe · the mark ’ that shows a missing letter or that something belongs to someonecontraction · a short form such as it’s for it ispoint · the main part of an answerreason · why your point is trueexample · a detail from the text that proves your point
Explanation

Writing items in a review ask about the features of each text type, about punctuation and about a short task. The table shows the features to check. For punctuation remember three rules. An apostrophe shows a missing letter (it’s means it is) or ownership (Nour’s bag). Its without an apostrophe means belonging to it: The dog wagged its tail. Put a comma after However at the start of a sentence: However, we finished early. In a list put commas between the items and use and before the last item: We bought apples, oranges and bananas. For a six-line paragraph, write six full lines with an opening, two or three supporting lines and a closing. The novel questions at the end of the review ask you to answer in your notebook. A good answer has three parts: a point, a reason with because and an example from the story. Your book has the writing items on pages 52 to 54, including the three questions on the reader on page 54.

Text typeA feature to check
Blog postcatchy title, informal tone and a closing question
Argumentative essaya claim, two reasons and the opposing view
Persuasive essayhope or pride, strong language and a call to action
Novel answerpoint, reason and example
Worked examples

Nada had two plans for Saturday. In the morning her science group was meeting to finish a model of a water filter. In the afternoon her friend Dina was having a birthday party. Nada looked at the calendar and sighed. The model was due on Sunday, and her group needed her. She called Dina, explained the problem and promised to bring a gift later in the week. Dina was a little disappointed, but she said, “A group is waiting for you. Come when you can.” Nada smiled with relief. On Saturday evening the model worked, and she ran to Dina’s house with a small cake from the bakery.

Read our own short story. A grown-up can read it aloud first.
A question: What did Nada decide, and was it right? Point: Nada decided to finish the science model first. Reason: because her group needed her and the model was due on Sunday. Example: she called Dina, explained the problem and promised a gift.
Opinion with a reason: I think her choice was right, because she told Dina honestly and she still visited her in the evening with a cake.
Punctuation check: “The model was late. However we finished it.” becomes “The model was late. However, we finished it.” The comma follows However.
Apostrophe check: “The group finished Nadas model” should be “Nada’s model”. The apostrophe shows that the model belongs to Nada.
Class activity

Six lines. Write a paragraph of six lines (about 70 words) that begins an argumentative essay on the question: Should school start later? Include the claim, two reasons and the opposing view. Check your commas and apostrophes with a grown-up.

Practice
1
Choose the correct sentence. (a) The cat licked it’s paws. (b) The cat licked its paws.
2
Punctuate: We packed pens pencils and rulers
3
Punctuate: The match was long. However we enjoyed it
4
Which text type has a call to action at the end?
5
Answer in three parts: Was Nada a good friend? Give a point, a reason and an example.