ACTIVITY 1

TO USE TENSES TO COMMUNICATE ORALLY AND IN WRITING [LO 6.2.1]

TO USE SUBJECT-VERB CONCORD [LO 6.2.2]

SIMPLE TENSES:PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE

The tense of a verb tells us when the action takes place.

There are three main simple tenses:

The present tense:

I eat food. (This action takes place regularly.)

The past tense:

I ate food. (This action has already taken place and is now finished.)

The future tense:

I shall eat food. (This action has not taken place

yet.)

Do not confuse the simple tenses with Continuous Tenses.

I am eating. (Present Continuous tense)

I was eating. (Past Continuous tense)

I shall be eating. (Future Continuous tense)

Crumbs specialises in fantasy confectionary. It is the brainchild of former jewellery designer Greg Robinson and ex-social worker Max Schonfield. It started five years ago and now boasts among its clients Tina Turner and Eartha Kitt. The Queen Mother ordered a birthday cake 2 m high and covered with icing butterflies. It will be valued at over R22 500.

Extract taken and adapted from Incredible Edibles (You, 18 March 1993)

Figure 1

4. Group work: Rewrite these extracts into past tense, onto large sheets of newsprint.

Figure 2

5. Write down the proper form of the verb in these sentences:

Yesterday we (5.1 go) _________ to the Spur for lunch. My baby

brother (5.2 do) __________ not know which knife and fork to use

and I (5.3 is) _________ very embarrassed.

My father just (5.4 laughs) ___________ and this (5.5 make)

________ my mother very angry.

My mother (5.6 teach) __________ my brother his manners at the

dinner table today. He (5.7 practise) __________________ how to

behave at the table. My sister and I (5.8 watch) _________

how he (5.9 unfold) his serviette, cut his food properly and (5.10 say) _______ thank you to my mother for the delicious food.

“SOUND” VERBS: JUST FOR FUN

Match the sounds to the animals that make them. Write in the correct words.

ACTIVITY 2

TO UNDERSTAND, IN A SIMPLE WAY, SOME ELEMENTS OF POETRY: COMPARISONS [LO 3.2.4]

TO WRITE A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF A PERSON [LO 4.1.5]

TO REPEAT A STRUCTURE TO CREATE A POETIC RHYTHM AND PATTERN [LO 4.3.3]

OCTOPOEMS

Try your hand at describing a person or topic through this 8-line formula.

Try these:

A chef, a waiter, a fireman, a cow, a dinosaur, a teacher… or any other topic of your choice.

Remember : follow the formula !

LO 3

READING AND VIEWINGThe learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and to respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.

We know this when the learner:

3.2 understands, in a simple way, some elements of poetry:

3.2.4 comparisons (e.g. ‘he is the summer time’);

3.6 reads for pleasure:

3.6.1 reads fiction and non-fiction at an appropriate reading and language level;

3.6.4 solves word puzzles;

3.7 uses reference books and develops vocabulary:

3.7.1 uses a dictionary;

3.7.2 demonstrates a reading vocabulary of between 2 000 and 3 500 common words.

LO 4

WRITINGThe learner will be able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes.

We know this when the learner:

4.1 writes to communicate information:

4.1.5 writes a short description of a person;

4.3 writes creatively:

4.3.3 uses some techniques for creative writing: repeating the same structure to create a poetic rhythm and pattern.

LO 6

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE AND USEThe learner will know and be able to use the sounds, words and grammar of the language to create and interpret texts.

We know this when the learner:

6.2 uses language forms and structures to communicate orally and in writing:

6.2.1 uses the tenses introduced in previous grades to communicate orally and in writing;

6.2.2 uses subject-verb concord (e.g. I have / she has);

6.4 develops own vocabulary:

6.4.1 analyses word formation.

ACTIVITY 1

Go over present, past and future tense with them.

1. Crumbs specialises in fantasy confectionary. It is the brainchild of former jewellery designer, Greg

Robinson, and ex-social worker, Max Schonfield. It started five years ago and now boasts among its

clients Tina Turner and Eartha Kitt. The Queen Mother ordered a birthday cake 2 m high and they

covered it with icing butterflies. It will be valued at over R22 500.

Extract taken and adapted from Incredible Edibles (You, 18 March 1993)

2. Complete the table below, by filling in the correct tense.

3. Read the extracts and change them into the present tense:

Enguiries pour into the shelter from animal lovers. They send cards with good wishes for Scarlett and her off-spring. Offers of support come from all over the world.

Twins rescue cat from tree

Worms. They live, breed and eat inside you.

4.

5.

6.

This exercise brings to the end the section on verbs. By this time the learners should have a good and sound knowledge of verbs, their function and tenses. They should have built up a solid vocabulary as well. Check and do more examples if necessary or give extra work for practice. An assessment task is built in for the Educator.

ACTIVITY 2

This can be quite fun – choose a celebrity or even someone the children can relate to (such as the Tuckshop Lady or even a secretary – what about the Principal !) and, using the formula, write an octopoem about them. Encourage the learners by offering them a prize in the form of a certificate for Best Octopoet of the Year, or even wearing civvies for the day (with permission – of course !).

Display the poems, read them to the other grades, to the staff, the Principal … send copies to the local village newspaper and have them published. Boast about your octopoems !

Allow the learners to assess their own efforts. Help them to fill their own criterion into the block.