RIC-20239 Primary Grammar and Word Study Year 4 – Understanding and choosing words

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Primary grammar and word study (Book E) 

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Primary grammar and 

word study – Book E 

Foreword 

Primary grammar and word study is a series of seven books designed 

to introduce students to parts of speech, ways to understand and choose 

words, punctuation and figures of speech. 

Titles in this series: 

• Primary grammar and word study Book A (Ages 5– 6) 

• Primary grammar and word study Book B (Ages 6–7) 

• Primary grammar and word study Book C (Ages 7–8) 

• Primary grammar and word study Book D (Ages 8–9) 

• Primary grammar and word study Book E (Ages 9 –10) 

• Primary grammar and word study Book F (Ages 10–11) 

• Primary grammar and word study Book G (Ages 11–12) 

Teachers notes .............................................. iv – v 

Curriculum links ................................................... v 

Literacy character explanation ..................... vi – vii 

Checklists ................................................... viii – xi 

Parts of speech ............................................. 2–33 

Nouns .............................................................. 2–5 

Verbs .............................................................. 6–11 

Adjectives.................................................... 12–17 

Adverbs ........................................................ 18–21 

Pronouns ...................................................... 22–25 

Conjunctions ................................................ 26–27 

Determiners ................................................. 28–31 

Prepositions ................................................ 32–33 

Understanding and choosing words .......... 34–57 

Words that are similar ...............................34–41 

Homographs ......................................... 34–35 

Homophones ........................................ 36–37 

Word groups ......................................... 38–41 

Words that change .....................................42–49 

Plurals .................................................. 46–45 

Prefixes ................................................ 46–47 

Suffixes ................................................ 48–49 

Contents 

Words and their meanings ........................50–53 

Synonyms and antonyms...................... 50–51 

Word origins ......................................... 52–53 

Confused words .........................................54–57 

Punctuation ................................................. 58–71 

Full stops, question marks and 

exclamation marks ....................................... 58–59 

Capital letters ............................................... 60–61 

Commas ....................................................... 62–65 

Apostrophes ................................................. 66–69 

Quotation marks ........................................... 70–71 



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Figures of speech ........................................ 72–83 

Alliteration .................................................... 72–73 

Anagrams and palindromes .......................... 74–75 

Idioms .......................................................... 76–77 

Similes ......................................................... 78–79 

Metaphors .................................................... 80–81 

Personification .............................................. 82–83 

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Primary grammar and word study

Understanding and 

choosing words checklist 

Name of student 

Homographs 

Homophones 

Word 

groups 

Plurals Prefixes Suffixes 

Synonyms/ 

Antonyms 

Word 

origins 

Confused 

words 



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choosing words 

Homographs 

Focus 

Homographs 

Definition 

• Homographs are words that are spelt the same but 

have different meanings. 

Example: 

duck – a waterbird with webbed feet 

duck – a score of zero in cricket 

(Note: There are more than these two meanings.) 

Sometimes homographs are pronounced differently. 

Example: 

lead (rhymes with red) – a heavy metal used to make 

pipes etc. 

lead (rhymes with seed) – to guide to a specific place 

Explanation 

• Recognising and using different homographs develops 

and enriches students’ vocabulary. They learn to 

understand the meaning of words and the way they 

work in print. 

Worksheet information 

• As an introduction, give two quiz questions to the 

students to demonstrate two different meanings for the 

same word. For example; Question 1: What is the name 

for a young goat? Question 2: What is a word that means 

to trick or tease someone in a nice way? Ask them to 

guess the word and discuss the different meanings. 

Students may suggest other meanings for ‘kid’ such as 

a colloquial name for a ‘child’. 

• Complete Question 1 on the worksheet and discuss the 

students’ answers. 

• In Question 2, students are given crossword clues for 

various homographs. They complete the crossword and 

then write each word (in any order) on the lines below. 

Students write another meaning alongside each word 

provided. Dictionaries could be used. Again, discuss 

students’ answers as there are more than two meanings 

for many words. 

• The word ‘wound’ in Question 3 is an example of a 

homograph that has different pronunciations. Discuss 

this with the students before they complete the activity. 

Discuss their answers. 

Ideas for further practice 

• Students compile a class homograph dictionary by 

brainstorming to list a specific number of words and 

arrange them in alphabetical order. A word can be 

written at the top of a page with two or more definitions 

underneath. 

• Students identify homographs that have different 

pronunciations and compile a class reference chart. 

Suggestions include: tear (rhymes with queer)/tear 

(rhymes with bare); wind (rhymes with pinned)/wind 

(rhymes with fined); bow (rhymes with flow)/bow 

(rhymes with cow). 

Answers 

1. (a) Possible answer: A sentence that explains a 

device with prongs. 

(b) Possible answer: A sentence that explains to carry 

or support something. 

2. (a) 

1 

M 

2 

B O L T 

3 

G U 

R S 

4 

B O X E R 

U 

5 

C O R N 

A 

D 

6 

S E A L 

F 

(b) Possible answers for other meanings than the 

homophones in the crossword: 

bolt: to dart off suddenly 

boxer: a breed of dog 

corn: a painful lump that can form on the toes or 

foot 

seal: to close something so it can only be opened 

by breaking the ‘seal’ 



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mouse: a device attached to a computer for 

controlling the curser 

ground: the top layer of the surface of the Earth 

calf: a part of the lower leg 

3. (a) wound (rhymes with tuned): a sore such as a cut 

or burn 

(b) wound (rhymes with found): past tense of the verb 

‘to wind’ 

Primary grammar and word study 34 

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Homographs 

Homographs are words that have more than one meaning. 

1. Each word below has been written in a sentence to show one of its 

meanings. Write the word in another sentence to show a different 

meaning. 

(a) fork: Walk along the path for 50 metres and then take the fork to the left. 

(b) bear: The grizzly bear reared up on its hind legs and roared. 

2. (a) Complete the crossword below. The clues give one meaning for each word. 

Across 

2 A thick metal pin used to hold wood 

or metal together 

4 A person who fights using his fists 

5 A yellow grain crop 

6 A sea mammal 

Down 

1 A small rodent 

3 Past tense of ‘grind’ 

5 A young cow 

(b) Write each word from the crossword on a line below and give a definition for a different 

meaning. 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

: 

3. The word ‘wound’ can be pronounced in two ways. Give a definition for each. 

(a) wound (rhymes with tuned) 

(b) wound (rhymes with found) 

6 

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Primary grammar and word study 

5 

4 



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3 

2 

1



Homophones 

Focus 

Homophones 

Definition 

• Homophones are words that sound the same but 

are spelt differently and have different meanings. 

Example: 

check – to restrain, hold in restraint or control; to 

investigate or verify as to correctness; 

cheque – a written banking order, usually on a 

standard printed form directing a bank to pay a 

specified sum of money 

Explanation 

• The word ‘homophone’ means ‘same sound’. 

Homonyms (‘same name’) include both 

homophones and homographs (‘same writing’). 

• Identifying different homophones and recognising 

how to spell them helps students to communicate 

more clearly in written form. Investigating 

homophones also helps to develop and enrich 

students’ vocabulary. They learn to understand the 

meaning of words and the way they work in print. 

• Correct spelling is essential when using 

homophones. There are no spelling ‘rules’ to help 

students remember the spelling of groups of 

homophones. 


• Ask the students to read the first sentence and the 

definition. Discuss the homophones in Question 

1 and work together to complete the question if 

necessary. 

• Discuss any unfamiliar vocabulary in the text such 

as ‘thyme’ and either read it through with the 

students, or allow them to read it independently. 

Once the text has been read, the students should 

have enough information to select the correct 

homophones. 

• Oral stories may be constructed first with the 

students adding ideas before they complete their 

written story. 


• Rewrite the complete story with the correct 

homophones and then use cartoon-style art to 

illustrate the situation. 

• Read and write jokes which use a ‘play on words’ 

such as homophones or homographs. 

• Hold a competition to see which student can use the 

most homophones in a short text. 

Answers 

1. (a) piece (b) you’re/yaw/yore (c) won (d) steel 

(e) toe (f) bury 

2. The principal was getting very tired of smelling 

the same scent each time he went up the stairs. 

He decided that the person who wore it to school 

each day would have to know how badly it 

affected him and would have to stop wearing 

it. His poor nose was finding it hard to bear. He 

sneezed and blew his nose until it was red every 

time he passed through a cloud of it. 

‘Who’s there?’ he bellowed as a pair of feet 

approached around the corner. ‘Come out whoever 

it is! I won’t bite! 

‘Good morning Principal Parsons!’ said 

Superintendent Rowe. ‘I’ll be finished with my 

inspection today and I can say that I am very 

pleased with the way things are managed here.’ 



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‘Atchoo!’ replied Principal Parsons. 

3. Teacher check 



Homophones 

Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelt differently 

and have different meanings. For example: 

ate/eight heard/herd wood/would plain/plane caught/court 

1. Write a homophone for each word. 

(a) peace (b) your 

(c) one (d) steal 

(e) tow (f) berry 

2. Circle the correct homophones from each group to complete the sentences in the text. 

The (principle/principal) was getting very (tired/tide/tied) of smelling the 

same (sent/scent/cent) each (time/thyme) he went up the (stairs/stares). He decided that the 

person who (war/wore) it (to/too/two) school each day (would/wood) have to (know/no) how 

badly it affected (him/hymn) and (would/wood) have to stop wearing it. His (pour/poor/paw/ 

pore) nose was finding it hard to (bear/bare). He sneezed and (blew/blue) his nose until it was 

(read/red) every time he (passed/past) (threw/through) a cloud of it. 

‘(Whose/Who’s) (their/they’re/there)?’ he bellowed as a (pear/pair) of (feet/feat) approached 

around the corner. ‘Come out whoever it is! I won’t (bight/byte/bite)! 

‘Good morning (Principal/Principle) Parsons!’ said Superintendent 

Rowe. ‘I’ll be finished with my school inspection today and I can say 

that I am very pleased with the way/weigh things are 

managed (here/hear).’ 



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‘Atchoo!’ replied (Principal/Principle) Parsons. 

3. Use the homophones below to write a short, silly story on a separate sheet of paper. Include as 

many of them as you can. Give choices for the homophones in brackets, as above, then ask a 

classmate to choose the correct ones. 

allowed aloud break brake right write bored board 

caught court prey pray there their hole whole 

knew new our hour one won threw through 





Word groups 

Focus 

Alphabetical order 

Definition 

• Alphabetical order is a system used to arrange 

items so they may be easily found. 

Explanation 

• Alphabetical order is used in many areas with 

which students are familiar. 

Example: 

class registers, dictionaries, libraries. 

• Initially, words are ordered by the first letter, then the 

second, third and so on. 


• Prior to completing the sheet, show students 

examples of how alphabetical order is used in daily 

life; e.g. street names in road books, names in 

telephone directories, indexes at the back of books. 

• Give students short lists of related words to place in 

alphabetical order, explaining that if there are two 

or more items beginning with the same letter, the 

ordering is by the second, third and so on, letters. 

• Initially, students group words on the worksheet 

based on their first letter. They then place the words 

in each group in alphabetical order. Finally, they 

place all words in alphabetical order. 


• Make a list of 20 words that are not in the dictionary 

used by the students in class. (They do not need 

to know the meaning of the word.) Provide each 

student with a dictionary and a sheet of paper and, 

for each word, ask them to record the two words 

between which each word would be inserted in their 

dictionary. 

• Students plan a project of their choice, initially on 

an explosion chart and then organised into sections, 

determining the number of pages required for each 

section. Using 20 words from the explosion chart, 

students create an alphabetical index linked to page 

numbers. 

• At random, pick 20 names, addresses and telephone 

numbers from a directory. Give the students the 

list of names and addresses. Challenge the class 

or group to be the first to find all the telephone 

numbers. 

Answers 

1. (a) a – astound, aground 

b – brought, bought, bough 

c – could, caught 

f – found 

o – ought 

p – profound 

s – source, sound, souvenir, should 

t – thought, trough, taught, though, through 

w – would 



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(b) a – aground, astound 

b – bough, bought, brought 

c – caught, could 

s – should, sound, source, souvenir 

t – taught, though, thought, through, trough 

(c) 2. astound 3. bough 

4. bought 5. brought 6. caught 

7. could 8. found 9. ought 

10. profound 11. should 12. sound 

13. source 14. souvenir 15. taught 

16. though 17. thought 18. through 

19. trough 



Alphabetical order 

The alphabet can be used to organise words and make them easier to find. 

To begin with, words are arranged alphabetically by their first letter. 

If more than one word begins with this letter, the second letter is used. 

If this letter is the same, the third letter is used and so on. 

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 

thought ought brought could source sound aground 

astound souvenir trough found would taught bought 

bough profound caught should though through 

1. Arrange the words in the box in alphabetical order. 

(a) Begin by placing them in groups based on their first letter. 

a b c 

f o p 

s t w 

(b) Using the next letter rule, arrange the groups with more than one word in alphabetical order. 

a b c s t 



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(c) Write all the words in alphabetical order. The first and last words have been done for you. 

1. aground 2. 3. 

4. 5. 6. 

7. 8. 9. 

10. 11. 12. 

13. 14. 15. 

16. 17. 18. 

19. 20. would 





Word groups 

Focus 

The names of different countries, nationalities and 

languages 

Explanation 

• Students need to develop their vocabulary to 

make their writing more interesting and precise. 

Learning about the world around them broadens 

their knowledge about themselves and others. 

Knowing the correct words to use in different 

writing situations will give students confidence to 

experiment and be more creative. 

• The words used for nationalities can be used as 

nouns or as adjectives. 

Example: 

The food at the French restaurant where we 

celebrated my birthday was excellent. (adjective) 

The French enjoy food and wine. (noun) 

• Many words for nationalities and languages are the 

same. 

Example: 

French, Spanish, Irish 


• Explain the word ‘nationality’ if the students are 

unsure of it. 

• Students may brainstorm as a class or in pairs for 

lists of different countries for Question 1. Explain 

that the name of the nationality and language are 

often the same. 

• A limerick is a poem with five lines. Lines 1, 2 and 5 

usually have 3 beats and rhyme, with lines 3 and 4 

having two beats and rhyming. Limericks are meant 

to be funny and the last line is usually the punchline. 

• Students may use three different coloured pencils 

to identify the country, nationality and language in 

Question 2. 

Note: For Ireland, the language and the nationality 

are the same word. 

• Students should be able to complete the table in 

Question 3 using their general knowledge. 


• Write more limericks which include countries, 

nationalities and the languages spoken. 

• Make a list of different words relating to nationalities 

such as abbreviations of country names (Czech, 

Thai), those which end in ‘-ian’ (Austrian, Indian), 

those which end in ‘-ish’ (Spanish, Turkish, Scottish), 

those which end in ‘-ese’ (Japanese, Chinese, 

Nepalese) and those which have different endings 

such as ‘-er’, ‘-i’ etc. 

• Learn to say some simple words in a different 

language or listen to another language being 

spoken. 

Answers 


2. Dane – N, Denmark – C, Danish – L, 

Ireland – C, Irish – N, L 

3. Country Nationality Language 

Australia Australian English 

China Chinese Chinese 

Egypt Egyptian Arabic 

Great 

Britain 



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British 

English 

Greece Greek Greek 

Ireland Irish Irish/English 

Mexico Mexican Spanish 

Korea Korean Korean 

Poland Polish Polish 

Russia Russian Russian 



Countries, nationalities and 

languages 

There are many countries in the world, many people who live in them 

and many different languages spoken. 

1. In the box below, list at least ten different countries. 

The name of the country, the name we call a person from that country and the language the person 

speaks may all be different words. For example, a person from Brazil is called a Brazilian and the 

official language is Portuguese. 

2. Read the limericks, then write ‘C’ above the words which tell the country, ‘N’ for the 

nationality and ‘L’ for the language. 

There once was a Dane from Denmark 

Who loved taking walks in the park. 

Although he spoke Danish, 

His accent would vanish 

When he growled like a beast in the dark. 

3. Complete the table. 

Country Nationality Language 

Australia 

China 

Great Britain 

Mexico 

Russia 

Egyptian 

Polish 

There once was an old man from Ireland 

Who loved to relate Irish legends 

His gran had told him. 

And though some were grim, 

His listeners enjoyed being frightened. 



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Arabic 

Greek 

Irish/English 

Spanish 

Korean 





Plurals 

Focus 

Plurals: adding s or es 

Irregular plurals: words ending in es changing to is 

Words always in the plural form. 

Definition 

• Plural is a word used to indicate more than one. 

Example: 

three apples, three brushes 

Explanation 

• ‘Singular’ means one. ‘Plural’ means more than one. 

• There are many ways to form the plural of a word. 

• To form the plural of most nouns, we just add an s. 

• To form the plural of words ending in –sh, –ch, –s 

and –x, we add es. 

• To form the plural of some words, the word ending 

changes. 

Example: 

one crisis—many crises 

• Some words have the same form whether the word 

is singular or plural. 

Example: 

one pair of glasses—many pairs of glasses 

• It is important that students realise that there are 

many exceptions to most spelling rules. They should 

be encouraged to identify exceptions and to share 

them with the class. 


• Students may be unfamiliar with some terms used 

on this worksheet. Ensure a dictionary is available to 

all students. They should be encouraged to use the 

dictionary to further develop these skills. 

• Discuss each rule and share further examples with 

students. Record all shared information. 


• Create a class list of words related to the human 

body or medicine. 

• Have a giant cut-out of a human and ask students to 

use the plural forms of words to label the diagram. 

Answers 

1. 

1. 2. 3. 

R V I R U S 4. E S 

E E I 

Y 

F I 

5. 

B O N E S 

6. 

L U N G S 

L 

E S 

A 

8. 

L 

7. 

X 

L S 

E E C H E S H 

S 

G E 

9. 

T O N S I L S 

2. diagnosis: diagnoses—the process of identifying a 

patient’s illness. 

hypnosis: hypnoses—a mental state of mind in 

which the mind is open to suggestion 

paralysis: paralyses—when all feeling or 

movement is lost in part or all of the body. 



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3. (a) forceps (b) measles 

(c) intestines 



Your body 

Plural is a word used to show more than one. 

Most nouns are made plural by adding s. Nouns ending in ch, sh, s or x 

can be made plural by adding es to make them easier to say. 

1. Use the plural form of the answers to complete the crossword puzzle. 

Down 

1. Responsive actions done without thinking. 

2. They carry blood back to the heart. 

3. The part of the skeleton which protects 

your heart. 

4. Curved hairs growing on the edge of 

the eyelids. 

7. We have two of these for walking, 

jumping, running. 

Across 

8. 

2. The cause of viral diseases. 

5. You have over 200 of these in your body. 

6. These help you to breathe. 

8. Bloodsucking worms once used in medicine. 

9. Two oval-shaped organs at the back of your throat. 

Nouns ending in – is can change to – es when plural. 

2. Use this rule to write the plural words, then write a definition of each word. 

word plural Definition 

diagnosis 

hypnosis 

paralysis 

1. 

6. 

9. 

2. 3. 4. 



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5. 

7. 

Some nouns are always written in the plural form and do not change. 

3. Use these plural words to complete the sentences. 

forceps intestines measles 

(a) The surgeon used 

(b) Most babies are immunised against 

during the operation. 

to prevent illness. 

(c) The 

are part of our digestive system. 





Plurals 

Focus 

Plurals: words ending with y 

words ending with a consonant followed 

by o 

words ending with f and fe 

Definition 

• Plural is a word used to indicate more than one. 

Example: 

three apples, three brushes 

Explanation 

• ‘Singular’ means one. ‘Plural’ means more than one. 

• There are many ways to form the plural of a word. 

• To form the plural of words ending in a vowel and y, 

add s. 

Example: 

monkey—monkeys 

• To form the plural of words ending in a ‘consonant 

and y, change y to i and add es. 

Example: 

fly—flies 

• To form the plural of words ending in a consonant 

and o, add es. 

Example: 

tomato—tomatoes 

• To form the plural of some words ending in f or fe 

change the f or fe to v and add es. 

Example: 

calf, calves 

wife, wives 

• To form the plural of some words ending in f, add s. 

Example: 

chief—chiefs. 

• It is important that students realise that there are 

many exceptions to most spelling rules. They should 

be encouraged to identify exceptions and to share 

them with the class. 


• Discuss each rule and share similar examples with 

students. Record all shared information. 

• Discuss exceptions to the rule. 


• Create a nature mural and use plural terms to label 

the artwork. 

Answers 

1. donkeys, flies, butterflies, stingrays, joeys, 

canaries, dromedaries, birthdays 

Teacher check sentences 

2. (a) mosquitoes (b) volcanoes (c) potatoes 

(d) Mangoes (e) dingoes 

Note: Some dictionaries also accept mosquitos, 

volcanos, mangos and dingos. 

3. (a) knives (b) reefs (c) ourselves 

(d) wives (e) gulfs 



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Plurals 

Plural is a word used to show more than one. 

When a word ends in a vowel followed by y—just add s. 

When a word ends in a consonant followed by y—change y to i and add es. 

1. Write the plural of each word. Choose two to show each rule and write each in a short sentence. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

donkey 

butterfly 

joey 

dromedary 


Primary grammar and word study 

fly 

stingray 

canary 

birthday 

Usually when a word ends in a consonant followed by o—add es. 

2. Use the plural form of these words to complete the sentences. 

mosquito dingo potato volcano mango 

(a) Most people find 

(b) I would love to do a tour of active 

to visit Pompeii. 

(c) Mum needs six large 

(d) 

(e) Did you know that 

are my favourite tropical fruit. 

annoying, especially when they bite. 

around the world and I particularly want 

to make her yummy potato salad. 

don’t actually bark? 

Usually when a word ends in f or fe, change them to v and add es, but some words just add s. 

3. Circle the correct plural in each sentence. 



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(a) Please put the (knives/knifes) and forks on the table. 

(b) The coral (reeves/reefs) attract many divers. 

(c) We would really like to do it (ourselfs/ourselves) 

(d) The men and their (wifes/wives) went on holiday. 

(e) The early explorers mapped many (gulfs/gulves) along the coast.



Prefixes 

Focus 

Prefixes: inter, sub, pre and dis. 

Definition 

• A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to the 

beginning of a word to alter its meaning and form a new 

word. 

Example: 

The Emperor dislikes those who disobey. 

Explanation 

• A prefix is a word part that has a meaning of its own, 

often derived from Greek or Latin. Prefixes usually do 

not occur as independent words. The prefix is added to 

the beginning of a base word to change its meaning, 

without changing the spelling of that word. Sometimes 

a hyphen is placed between the prefix and the base (or 

root) word, such as in the following: 

- when prefixes come before proper nouns 

Example: 

un-Australian, anti-American 

- when prefixes ending in a or i are added to a word 

that begins with the same letter: 

Example: 

ultra-ambitious 

- when the prefix is ex or self, (except for selfish and 

selfless), 

Example: 

ex-husband, self-centred 

• Ensure students learn to be aware of letter clusters that 

look like prefixes, but aren’t, e.g. the letters un in uncle, 

or in in invented. 

Students can practise identifying these ‘trick’ prefixes by 

looking at the base or root word that is left. The prefixes 

that cause the most difficulty are re, in and dis. 

• Learning the meanings of prefixes can help students 

decipher, spell and understand words, especially larger 

words, and increase their vocabulary. Understanding 

that the spelling of neither the prefix nor the base 

word changes can help students to spell commonly 

misspelled words such as unnecessary, misspell and 

disappointment. 

• Trans is a prefix meaning across, over or beyond. 

Example: 

transaction, transmission, transport, transplant 

• Inter means among, between or in the midst of and 

often indicates a connection between things. 

Example: 

interschool, interstate, interactive 

• Sub has a number of meanings; 

Example: 

under, beneath, below (submarine, submerge), 

(subnormal) and nearly (subcentral) 

• Pre can mean earlier than, before (prehistoric) 

or in front of (premolar). 

• Dis has a number of meanings; when attached to 

verbs it usually means to reverse or do the opposite 

(disagree, disbelieve) or to remove (disrobe, disarm); 

when added to nouns it commonly means opposite 

(disrespect, distaste), and when added to adjectives or 

past participles means not (dishonest, disobedient). 


• Discuss the definition of prefixes with the students. 

Describe how each prefix has a meaning of its own, and 

when added to another word changes the meaning of 

that word. Write some examples of words with prefixes, 

and allow the students to draw a line dividing the 

prefixes from the base words. Discuss how sometimes 

a word might look like it has a prefix; e.g. predator. 

Remind students to check if the following letters form a 

base word or not, to determine if it is a prefix. 

• Read the story with the students. Some may not 

understand all the words; what is important is that 

they hear the prefixes in context and understand the 

general story. Students then complete the worksheet as 

directed. 

• It is important that there is a conclusion to this activity. 

Students need to conference in small groups, or discuss 

their findings as a class. Each small group (or the whole 

class) should compile a set of meanings for each prefix 

that the teacher should ensure is correct. 



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• Students could compare the meanings of words with the 

prefix in and the prefix inter. 

• Search for more words with the prefix inter- using 

books, magazines and newspapers. 

Answers 




Prefixes 

Prefixes are groups of letters in front of words that change the meaning of the 

word; for example: unhappy. 

1. (a) Read the story and take note of the prefixes in bold. 

Tariq disliked the feeling he got each time he went down the lift into the secret 

submarine lab. He felt alone and disconnected from the real world down in this 

suboceanic building. Still, they needed someone to preview the data from the specially 

trained spy-dolphins before the international secrets were sent to powerful intercity 

officials. Tariq had wanted to work with dolphins since he was in preschool. He exited 

the lift, punched his code into the alarm, then froze as the door to his lab slid open. The 

lab was in total disarray; papers were on the floor, computers were smashed. Who had 

broken into his lab, and why? What should he do now? 

(b) Choose three of the four different prefixes from the story and 

write them in the table below. 

(c) Write two words from the story with that prefix. 

(d) Write a definition to explain the meaning of each word. 

(e) Work out what each prefix means. 

(b) Prefix (c) Words (d) Definition of words (e) Meaning of prefix 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 



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• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 



Focus 

Suffixes ed, er and ing. 

Definition 



• A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end 

of a base word to change its meaning and form a new 

word. 

Explanation 

• Generally, when a suffix is added to a base word, the 

spelling of both stays the same. There are a number of 

rules, however, when adding a suffix beginning with a 

vowel, such as ing, ed and er. 

• The final consonant must be doubled before adding 

the suffix to words of one syllable with a short vowel 

followed by a consonant. 

Example: 

hop – hopped, run – running 

This rule also applies to words of two or more 

syllables, provided the accent falls on the last 

syllable. 

Example: 

forget – forgotten 

Exceptions are bus, gas and words that end in w. 

• Consonants are not doubled after a long or double 

vowel, 

Example: 

clean – cleaning, sleep – soaking 

• In words ending in a silent e, the e is usually dropped. 

Example: 

hope – hoping, please – pleasing, tune – tuning 

• Words ending in ac or ic, add a k before the suffix, 

Example: 

panic – panicked, mimic – mimicking, 

picnic – picnicker 

• Words that ends in y, change the y to an i before 

adding the suffix (e.g. easy–easiest), unless a vowel 

comes before it (e.g. play–played) or the suffix is ing 

(e.g. carrying, hurrying). 

• There are some exceptions to these rules. 

• Knowing the meanings of common suffixes may assist 

students to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words. A 

sound knowledge of suffixes will also help students spell 

correctly and develop their vocabulary. An understanding 

of suffixes can also help students identify which part of 

speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) the word belongs to. 


• By completing this worksheet, students should discover 

for themselves at least one of the rules regarding adding 

these suffixes to certain base words. 

Suffixes 

• Read the introduction and check for student 

understanding. Allow students to look at the text in their 

own time and underline words which have a base that 

changes spelling when the suffix is added. Provide 

dictionaries for student reference if necessary. Students 

then complete the wordsearch, locating new words 

created from the base words by the addition of suffixes. 

• In Question 3, students write one rule they observed. 

• As a follow-up activity, ask students to share some 

of the rules they have discovered. Write the correct 

rules on a chart to put up in the classroom for student 

reference. 

• Teachers could choose to follow this activity with a more 

in-depth study of the rules pertaining to adding certain 

suffixes to certain words as listed above. 

• It is important that students realise there are exceptions 

to most of these rules. They should be encouraged to 

identify exceptions and to share them with the class. 

Ideas for further practise 

• and are online 

interactive activities where students can practise adding 

these suffixes. 

• Send students on a ‘suffix hunt’ around the classroom 

to try to find words that have changed spelling once a 

suffix has been added. 

• At http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/adventure/ 

grammar4.htm# students can practise adding ed and 

ing to words in the fishing game. 

Answers 

1. winner (double n), announcer (silent e is dropped), 

winner (double n), cried (y changed to i), excited 

(silent e is dropped), confused (silent e is dropped), 

happier (y changed to i), picnicking (k added before 

ing), tail-waggers (double g). 



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2. cry-cried, marry-married, win-winning, 

move-moving, play-played, try-tried, wag-wagging, 

hurry-hurrying, dig-digging 

q e e m o v i n g w 

l p l a y e d i m a 

n p t r i e d n i g 

h u r r y i n g o g 

u t w i n n i n g i 

c r i e d t r e s n 

n a q d i g g i n g 




Suffixes 

Suffixes are letters added to the end of base words. Sometimes suffixes, 

like ed, er and ing change the spelling of the base word they join. 

1. (a) Read the story below and notice the spelling of the words with suffixes. 

Okay, it’s time folks. Time to choose the winner of our concert ticket contest’, the 

radio announcer crooned. ‘Hello caller on line three!’ 

‘ME? Am I the winner? Oh WOW!! I’ve been trying to get through for hours!’ a female 

voice cried. 

‘Well, hang on there caller. Could you start by identifying yourself?’ 

‘Oh, oo, oh, ah, I’m so thrilled!’, squawked the excited voice. 

‘Well, Sothrild, that’s an interesting name’, said the confused announcer. 

‘Oh, no, my name is Emily, and I’ve never been happier!’ she squealed. 

‘Okay, Emily, you are now the lucky owner of two tickets to see The Picnicking Tailwaggers 

live in concert next week.’ 

‘Oh! Yes! Awesome! Thank you! Woohooooo!’ 

(b) Underline the base words that changed when a suffix was added. 

2. Ed, er or ing has been added to the following base words in the wordsearch. Find the new 

words and write them next to the base word. 

Base words 

cry 

marry 

win 

move 

play 

try 

wag 

hurry 

dig 

q e e m o v i n g w 



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l p l a y e d i m a 

n p t r i e d n i g 

h u r r y i n g o g 

u t w i n n i n g i 

c r i e d t r e s n 

n a q d i g g i n g 

3. Write one thing you have noticed about adding some of these suffixes. 





Synonyms and antonyms 

Focus 


Definitions 

• Synonyms are words that have the same or similar 

meaning. 

Example: 

child – infant 

• Antonyms are words that are opposite in meaning. 

Example: 

sweet – sour – unpleasant 

Explanation 

• Identifying synonyms and antonyms develops and 

enriches students’ vocabulary and enhances their 

written and verbal communication. 

• Identifying and using more ‘interesting’ synonyms, 

such as other words for ‘nice’ or ‘said’ can give 

more meaning to a sentence or more interest to a 

description. 

• Antonyms and synonyms are often used as clues for 

crossword puzzles. 

• As words can have many meanings, the context 

in which the word is used must be taken into 

consideration. 


• Identical twins occur when one fertilised egg (ovum) 

splits and forms two babies with exactly the same 

genetic makeup. Fraternal twins occur when two 

separate eggs (ova) are fertilised by two different 

sperm and form two children with different genetic 

information. 

• Differentiate between synonyms and antonyms 

as described on the worksheet and discuss some 

examples. 

• Students should read the text and the clues to 

complete the crossword. Whether the answer is a 

synonym or antonym of the word given is indicated 

in brackets. 


• Complete other crossword puzzles and identify the 

synonyms used in clues. 

• Change the meaning of a sentence by substituting 

antonyms. 

• As a class, list and record synonyms of words 

‘over-used’ in writing such as ‘said’ and ‘nice’. 

Answers 

1. (a) powerful (b) rescue 

(c) durable (d) correct 

2. Answers will vary but may include: 

(a) cheap (b) divide 

(c) friend (d) deep 

3. 

1. 

I 

3. 

4. 

B 

O 

Y 

S 

F 

6. 

T 

F 

E 

R 



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9. 

A 

11. 

C 

7. 

S 

M 

A 

L 

L 

H 

W 

A 

A 

N 

8. 

D 

E 

N 

T 

I 

C 

A 

L 

E 

A 

S 

Y 

G 

T 

N 

10. 

S 

A 

M 

E 

2. 

T 

R 

O 

U 

B 

L 

E 

J 

R 

O 

N 

Y 

5. 

T 

E 

A 

C 

H 

E 

R 

L 

D 




Antonyms are words with the opposite meaning. 

Synonyms are words with the same or similar meaning. 

1. Write synonyms for ... 

(a) strong (b) save 

(c) tough (d) right 

2. Write antonyms for ... 

(a) expensive 

(c) enemy 

(b) multiply 

(d) shallow 

3. Find words in the text to answer the clues in the crossword puzzle. 

Ron and Todd were identical twins but Sarah and Sasha were fraternal twins. They were all in the 

same class. Their teacher, Mr Scott, found it very easy to tell Sarah and Sasha apart but he was 

always confusing Ron and Todd. 

1. 

Of course, the boys really enjoyed 

confusing Mr Scott. They would often 

2. 

change seats, comb their hair differently 

3. 

or give their brother’s name instead of 

their own when the roll was called. 

4. 

The only time Mr Scott had no trouble 

telling Ron and Todd apart was when Ron 

fell from the climbing frame at morning 

5. 

tea. He cut his forehead and had a small 

wound for at least two weeks. 

Across 

4. frequently (synonym) 

6. sororal (sisterly) (antonym) 

8. disliked (antonym) 

9. never (antonym) 

11. switch (synonym) 

6. 



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7. 

8. 

Down 

1. totally different (antonym) 

2. difficulty (synonym) 

3. girls (antonym) 

5. instructor (synonym) 

7. gigantic (antonym) 

8. difficult (antonym) 

10. alike (synonym) 

9. 10. 

11. 





Word origins 

Focus 


Definition 

• Etymology is the name given to the study of 

historical linguistic change, usually when referring to 

individual words; the body of knowledge relating to 

this study; an account of the history of a particular 

word and the derivation of a word. 

Example: 

astrology comes from the Greek word ‘astro-’ 

meaning ‘star’ 

Explanation 

• Finding out about the origin of words gives a history 

of the language and the people who use it. 

• By understanding word origins, students expand 

their vocabulary and ability to determine the 

meaning of unfamiliar words. 

• Included in this section are words using word parts, 

such as alter- and also words derived from other 

countries, such as patio. 

• The word part can be used as: 

– a suffix (phone – telephone) 

– a prefix (geo – geography) 

• In a good dictionary, word origins are usually given 

after the meaning. 


• Read and discuss the introductory paragraph. Give 

and ask for examples. Familiar prefixes or suffixes 

such as bio- (life), graph (writing, printing), fac 

(make), hydro (water), mater (mother), psych (mind), 

spec (look/see), terr (earth) and vac (empty) may be 

used. 

• Students should read the text and complete the table 

in Question 1. 

• All the words in Question 2 have entered English 

from another language. 


• Look at the origins of phrases in well-known nursery 

rhymes such as ‘Ring a ring a rosy ...’. 

• Investigate words such as scuba, radar and laser 

where the initials are used to make words (an 

acronym). 

• Use a dictionary to find the meanings and origins of 

words of interest. 

Answers 

1. (a) report (b) temporary 

(c) scribe (d) alternate 

(e) bibliography (f) zoology 

(g) solar (h) crustaceans 

(i) thermal (j) amphibian 

Teacher check other words from origin. 

2. (a) garage (b) chef 

(c) yacht (d) siesta 

(e) commando (f) brunette 

(g) kindergarten (h) patio 

(i) pizza 



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Many of the words we use come from other languages. 

Knowing where words come from and their meaning can help us to work 

out the meaning of some unknown words. 

1. Read the text below then write words to match each origin. 

The temporary teacher asked me to write a bibliography to accompany my report about amphibians 

for our zoology research. My alternate topic was crustaceans. For my next one I might scribe 

information from a documentary and draw diagrams about solar power or thermal heating. 

Origin Meaning Word from text 

(a) port 

(b) temp 

(c) scrib 

(d) alter 

(e) biblio 

(f) zoo 

(g) sol 

(h) crusta 

(i) therm 

(j) amphi 

carry 

time 

write 

other 

book 

2. Use the clue and the initial letter to write a word derived from the country in brackets. 

(a) a place where automobiles are kept (French) 

(b) a cook (French) 

animal 

sun 

shell 

heat 

both ends or all sides 

(c) a light, fast sailing ship (Dutch) 

(d) a short nap at noon (Spanish) 

(e) a specially trained soldier (Afrikaans) 

(f) a woman with brown or black hair (French) 

(g) a place where young children are educated (German) 

(h) an open courtyard (Spanish) 

(i) a pie made with a yeast base (Italian) p 

Another word based on 

origin 



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g 

c 

y 

s 

c 

b 

k 

p 





Confused words 

Focus 

Related words that look and sound similar 

Explanation 

• The words in each pair are related to each other. 

Confusion occurs because: 

– the words have similar sounds and spellings 

– the difference in meaning and use of each word is 

not recognised. 


• Before presenting the class with the worksheet, 

write the pairs of words on the board and ask the 

students to explain the similarities and differences 

between the words in each pair. Discuss spelling as 

well as meaning. 

• A mnemonic is a verse or something similar which 

aims to assist the memory. 

Example: 

because: big elephants can always understand 

small elephants 

• Discuss ways in which the differences between the 

words might be remembered 

Example: 

Stalactites come down from the ceiling while 

stalagmites rise up from the ground and a CT 

scan may be required if you knock your head on a 

stalactite. 


• Play with the pairs of words; e.g. count the number 

of letters in each, draw their outlines on squared 

paper. How do they differ? Which letters are the 

same/different? 

• Divide the class into five groups and give each one 

a pair of words. The students research each pair 

of words giving real examples—e.g. emigrant 

and immigrant—highlighting on a world map 

the movement of people to and from different 

countries, briefly explaining why. For example: As a 

result of the Irish famine in 1845 many people left 

Ireland for the United States; After WW II, people 

emigrated from many European countries and some 

immigrated to Australia. 

• Write each word on a piece of card. Students place 

the cards face down and take turns to choose a card 

and give a definition of the word. 

Answers 

1. 

7. 

S 

E 

5. 

8. 

E 

W 

2. 

I M P O R T 

M 

M 

I 

G 

R 

A 

N 

I G R A N T 



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G 

E 

6. 

S T A L A C T I T E 

9. 

4. 

S 

A 

E M P L O Y E R 

A 

G 

M 

T 

S E W E 

1. 

E 

M 

P 

L 

O 

E 

E 

3. 

E 

X 

P 

O 

T 

R A G E 





Some related words sound and look similar but they have different meanings. 

1. Answer the clues to complete the puzzle. 

Across 

7. 

2. To bring (goods) in from another country 

5. A person who leaves his or her country 

to live in another 

6. A person who (or company that) provides 

work for others 

7. The waste that is removed through pipes 

8. A mineral deposit that hangs from the 

roof of a limestone cave 

9. The system by which waste is removed 

through pipes 

5. 

8. 

2. 

6. 

9. 



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Down 

4. 

1. A person who works for others. 

2. A person who comes into a new country, 

intending to make it home. 

3. To send (goods) to another country 

4. A mineral deposit that rises from the 

floor of a limestone cave 

1. 

3. 

2. (a) On a separate page, write a mnemonic for one pair of the confused words. 

(b) Share this trick for remembering them with the class. 






Focus 

bad/badly and good/well 

Explanation 

• Bad and badly and good and well are modifiers 

that are often confused. 

– Bad and good are always adjectives and are 

used to describe nouns and pronouns. 

Example: 

a bad child, a good dentist 

He is good but she is bad. 

– Badly and well are adverbs but can be 

adjectives. They can tell how something is 

done (adverbs) or describe a person’s health 

(adjective) 

Example: 

She spoke badly. (adverb) 

He sang well. (adverb) 

I feel well. (adjective describing I) 


• Before presenting the class with the worksheet, 

explain the role of each word as an adjective or an 

adverb using examples: The equipment is good. The 

windows have been cleaned well. The books have 

been treated badly. The state of the carpet is bad. 

• Students complete the cloze activity in Question 1. In 

Question 2, students mark a tick or a cross against 

each sentence and write the correct word at the end. 


• Each student offers a sentence containing one of 

the four words. These are written down and then 

analysed by the whole group/class to determine if 

the correct word has been used. 

• Groups of students work together to write a piece of 

text with some deliberate mistakes in the use of the 

four words. The texts are shuffled and shared among 

the groups who read and correct them, discussing 

the errors. 

• Students write a brief explanation of the use of each 

word in the context of several sentences and use 

them to explain their use to younger students. 

Answers 

1. 1. good 2. well 3. badly 4. well 

5. bad 6. well 7. badly 8. good 

2. (a) (✘) badly (b) (✘) good 

(c) (✔) bad (d) (✔) well 

(e) (✘) well (f) (✘) badly 

(g) (✔) good (h) (✔) well 



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Bad or badly? Good or well? 

Bad and good are always adjectives and describe nouns and pronouns. 

Example: The bad storm was followed by good rain. 

Badly and well can be adverbs or adjectives. They can tell how something is 

done (adverb) or describe a person’s health (adjective). 

Example: Teischa swims well but she runs badly. (adverb) 

I fell well. (adjective) 

1. Read the text and choose the correct word for each gap. 

bad badly good well 

The popular school concert is always very 

The school concert 

1 

. Students who perform 

2 

are chosen to sing, dance and play instruments. I sing very 

3 

so I am never chosen for the choir but I do play the flute quite 

orchestra. My brother’s behaviour at rehearsals is always very 

in the concert even though he plays the guitar extremely 6 

. 

He 

would be really 

7 

wants to be a rock star and I know he 

8 

on stage. 

2. Mark each sentence with a tick ( ) or a cross ( ). 

Write the correct word at the end of the sentence if needed. 

(a) I performed bad in the exam. 

(b) The pie tastes well. 

(c) The goat was bad for eating my socks. 

(d) The dogs gathered the sheep well. 

(e) I slept good last night. 

(f) Sally is coughing very bad today. 

(g) My friend is so good at sport. 

(h) The patient is feeling well. 

4 

and I am in the 

5 

, so he won’t be 



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RIC-20239 Primary Grammar and Word Study Year 4 – Understanding and choosing words

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