RIC-20802_Teaching_Strategies_for_Writing_BkE_word_choices

Your partner in education 

BOOK E 

TEACHING 

STRATEGIES 

FOR WRITING 

Word choices 

Australian Primary Publisher 

of the Year 2015 and 2016

Teaching strategies for writing (Book E) 

Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2018 

Copyright © Diane Henderson and Bruce Tuffin 2018 

RIC–20802 

Titles in this series: 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book A) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book B) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book C) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book D) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book E) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book F) 

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FOREWORD 

Teaching strategies for writing is series of six books using modelling, guided and independent practice to teach 

students strategies they can use to improve the clarity, correctness and richness of their writing. The focus is on 

sentences, their structure, punctuation and word choices and on developing editing and proofreading skills and their 

habitual use. 

Titles in this series: 

• Teaching strategies for writing (Book A) • Teaching strategies for writing (Book D) 

• Teaching strategies for writing (Book B) • Teaching strategies for writing (Book E) 

• Teaching strategies for writing (Book C) • Teaching strategies for writing (Book F) 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Teacher notes ........................................................................................................................ iv–v 

Class recording sheets 

Assessment activities ..................................................................................................... vi–ix 

Assessment writing tasks ................................................................................................ x–xi 

Student writing checklist ........................................................................................................ xii 

Student writing task – self-evaluation .................................................................................. xiii 

WORD CHOICES 

Unit 1 Nouns, noun groups and adjectives ............................................................ 2–7 

Unit 2 Pronouns, confusing pronouns (me/I), which pronoun? ........................... 8–13 

Unit 3 Verbs, descriptive and overused verbs, adverbials ................................. 14–19 

Unit 4 Choosing correct verbs: tense, consistency, 

subject, regular, irregular ......................................................................... 20–25 

Assessment................................................................................................................... 26–29 

SENTENCE STRUCTURE 

Unit 5 Sentences, word order, statements, questions ....................................... 30–35 

Unit 6 Sentence beginnings ............................................................................... 36–41 

Unit 7 Conjunctions ............................................................................................ 42–47 

Unit 8 Paragraphs ............................................................................................... 48–53 

Assessment................................................................................................................... 54–57 

PUNCTUATION 

Unit 9 Using punctuation in sentences .............................................................. 58–63 

Unit 10 Full stops, capital letters, commas, direct speech ................................. 64–69 

Unit 11 Apostrophes in contractions ................................................................... 70–75 

Unit 12 Apostrophes for possession .................................................................... 76–81 

Assessment................................................................................................................... 82–85 

EDITING AND PROOFREADING 

Unit 13 

Unit 14 

Unit 15 

Unit 16 

Spelling (vowel sounds), sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ........................................................ 86–91 

Spelling (more vowel sounds), sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ......................................................... 92–97 

Spelling (suffixes) sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ....................................................... 98–103 

Spelling (homophones), sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ..................................................... 104–109 

Assessment............................................................................................................... 110–113 

TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR WRITING (Book E) 

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iii

TEACHER NOTES 

ABOUT WRITING 

A good writer is not simply one who knows about and can 

use text types. A good writer is one with the capacity to 

produce interesting, informative, grammatically correct 

text, for a specific purpose, that achieves any writer’s 

intent – clear, precise communication. 

TEACHING WRITING 

Students can and should be taught strategies that will 

help them to write better. These include improvements 

in word choices, sentence structure, punctuation and 

editing and proofreading. Writing strategies taught 

should be modelled, discussed and then applied, firstly 

with teacher support and then independently. However, 

the emphasis always should be on the writing process, 

which requires forethought, planning and a rational, 

measured approach in order to produce the desired 

outcome. Editing and proofreading are essential 

components of any writing. It is important that students 

edit and proofread habitually, with a specific purpose, 

and concentrate on the careful consideration of each 

sentence, one at a time. Activities provided in this series 

encourage students to think about appropriate aspects 

of their writing before, during and after the process. 

LESSON PROCEDURE 

Introduction 

Discuss the text title with the students. Ask for their 

interpretations of what the title could mean. 

Discuss the text type. Why does it fit into this category? 

What are the specific features of this type of text? 

Guide the discussion to introduce the teaching points/ 

strategies to be covered during the course of the unit. 

For example, check they understand terms such as noun 

group, adverbial, sentence, paragraph and comma. 

Development 

Read and discuss the text, either in groups or as a 

class. Assist students with any unfamiliar vocabulary or 

expressions. 

Differentiation 

Work through the introductory activities with the class 

as a whole, ensuring students understand what is 

required of them. 

Work with those requiring additional assistance while 

the remainder of the class work independently on the 

activities. 

ASSESSMENT 

An assessment is included for each unit in the book. 

Because of the way it is structured, this assessment 

will allow you to see individual student’s understandings 

as well as any common points of weakness which may 

require further assistance. 

FORMAT 

Teaching strategies for writing is organised into four 

sections: 


Punctuation 

Sentence structure 

Editing and proofreading 

Each section has four units of work and one assessment 

unit. 

Teaching units 

Each six-page unit of work has a specific focus, two 

teacher pages and four activity pages. 

Assessment units 

• Following each section is a four-page unit of 

assessment activities–one page for each unit. 

• Answers are provided in the teachers pages for that 

unit. 

• Teacher record sheets – see pages vi–ix. 

Assessment writing tasks 

• A suggested paragraph writing topic for each unit is 

provided on the teachers pages. 

• Teacher recording sheet – see pages x–xi. 

• Student writing checklist – see page xii. 

• Student self-evaluation – see page xiii. 

Review 

In pairs or small groups, students review their answers, 

giving their reasoning where required and critiquing the 

longer sentence or paragraph responses. 

iv 


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TEACHER NOTES 

Sample open pages 

Teacher page 1 Teacher page 2 

Activity page 1 Activity page 2 

Activity page 3 Activity page 4 



v

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES 

CLASS RECORD 

Date: 

Name Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 

vi 



ASSESSMENT WRITING 

CLASS RECORD 

Unit: Focus: Date: 

Paragraph topic: 

Name 

Comment 

x 



STUDENT WRITING CHECKLIST 

Name: 

Date: 

Assessment writing topic: 

Paragraph 

I have read the paragraph and it makes sense. .......................................................... 

I have read it to check for spelling errors. .................................................................. 

I have made corrections. ............................................................................................ 

Punctuation 

I have checked the sentences one at a time for: 

• capital letters to start sentences and proper nouns. ........................................... 

• full stops, question marks, exclamation marks. ................................................. 

• commas. ................................................................................................................ 

• apostrophes for contractions and ownership. ...................................................... 

• speech marks. ....................................................................................................... 

I have made corrections. ............................................................................................ 

Sentences 

I have checked the sentences one at a time for: 

• sense – Does each sentence make sense by itself? ............................................ 

• length – Are any sentences too long? ................................................................... 

Should they be separated? ..................................................................... 

Should some be joined? .......................................................................... 

• beginnings – Have I used interesting beginnings? ............................................... 


I have made changes. ...................................................................... 

verbs – Are they informative and different? ............................................................... 

Have I used the correct verb tense? ............................................................... 

Are there too many boring verbs? .................................................................. 

adverbials – Do some verbs need adverbials to tell how, 

when or where something happened? ................................................... 

noun groups – Are the noun groups descriptive? ...................................................... 

Can I add some descriptive adjectives to tell 

more about nouns and pronouns? ...................................................... 

pronouns – Have I used the correct pronouns? ......................................................... 

I have made changes and corrections. .................................................... 

xii 



STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION 

Name: Unit: Date: 

I wrote a paragraph about: 

My goal was to focus on: 

How well did I achieve my goal? 

Three things I did well in my writing were: 

• 

• 

• 

Next time I write a paragraph I will try to: 

STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION 

Name: Unit: Date: 

I wrote a paragraph about: 

My goal was to focus on: 

How well did I achieve my goal? 

Three things I did well in my writing were: 

• 

• 

• 

Next time I write a paragraph I will try to: 



xiii

TEACHER INFORMATION 

NOUNS, NOUN GROUPS 

AND ADJECTIVES 

UNIT 1 

Focus 

Word choices – nouns, noun groups and adjectives 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise a noun/noun group/adjective from 

modelled examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose informative nouns/noun groups/adjectives 

from given examples, with teacher support. 

Use 

Students will choose and use appropriate, informative nouns/noun 

groups/adjectives in supplied and self-written sentences. 

Definition of terms 

Nouns are words used to name people, places, things, feelings and 

ideas. 

A noun group is a noun with other words used to name people, 

places, things, feelings and ideas. 

Adjectives are describing words adding to or changing the 

meaning of a noun or pronoun. 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by their choice of words used 

to correctly name people, places, things, feelings and ideas. They 

can choose words to add information to nouns to make a more 

precise noun group. Noun groups have a noun, plus: 

• a determiner, e.g. the fish, many chips 

• a possessive, e.g. the fish’s batter, Dad’s dinner 

• an adjective, e.g. salty chips, crisp batter 

• nouns, e.g. malt vinegar, chilli sauce 

• a number, e.g. four sausages 

LESSON NOTES AND PLANS 

Introduction 

• Discuss the text title with students. 

• Do they think the text will be an imaginative story or will it be giving 

them information? 

• Why do they think this? What are some of the features of informative 

or imaginative texts? 

• Introduce the term ‘noun/noun groups’ and explain that words 

naming different people, places, things, feelings and ideas are 

nouns. Use examples from the classroom: board, desks, students, 

teacher, Michael (any student name), school name. 

• Read the text with or to the class. 

• Identify some of the nouns used in the text to name people, places, 

things, feelings and ideas. 

• Identify nouns with capital letters. What do these nouns name? Why 

do these nouns have capital letters? 

Nouns – Page 5 

• Read and discuss the definition at the top of the page. 

• Discuss why nouns are an important part of every sentence and 

why it is important for writers to think about nouns and to choose 

interesting and informative nouns. 

• Work through the activities with the class as a whole, ensuring they 

understand what is required of them. 

• Work with those requiring additional assistance while the remainder 

of the class work independently on the activities. 

• Encourage students to share and discuss their answers to 

Question 4(b). 

Noun groups – Page 6 


• Explain that instead of using just one word to name something, good 

writers will often add more information by writing a group of words. 

• Work through the examples of noun groups given on this page. 

• Show by example how careful choice of noun groups can lead to a 

clearer understanding by the reader; for example, ‘The fish batter’ vs 

‘The crisp, crunchy, slightly salty fish batter’. 

Adjectives – Page 7 


• Explain that while adjectives can make writing more interesting and 

precise, they can be overdone. 

• Encourage students to discuss their answer to Question 5, and in 

particular why they chose the adjectives they did. 

2 




NOUNS, NOUN GROUPS 

AND ADJECTIVES 

UNIT 1 

ANSWERS 

Nouns – Page 5 

1. (a) chips 

(b) peas 

(c) batter 

(d) dough 

2. (a) butty 

(b) shark 

(c) treat 

(d) mash 

3. Teacher check 

4. (a) Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, England, Chiko 

(b) Teacher check: Perhaps Chiko 

ASSESSMENT ANSWERS 

Assessment activity – Page 26 

1. thick-cut chips with hot curry sauce 

2.–5. Teacher check 

Class record sheet – Page vi 


• Paragraph topic – Best meal ever! 

• Focus: Word choices – nouns, noun groups and adjectives 

Self-evaluation – Page xiii 

Noun groups – Page 6 

1. (a) still-warm, folded paper package 

(b) salty, deep-fried crust 

(c) fiery hot chilli sauce 

(d) carefully stacked layers of chips 

(e) big, beefy crumbed sausages 


Adjectives – Page 7 

1. (a)–(d) Teacher check 

2. (a) average 

(b) thick, chewy 

(c) fresh white 




3

UNIT 1 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 

1. Fish and chips. Fish ... and ... chips! Fish ... and ... chips! 

Even the name is enough to make your mouth water. 

Then you unwrap the still-warm, white folded paper 

package and the steam, filled with the scent of fish and 

batter and vinegar and salt, invades your nostrils. 

2. Time for that first bite. Oh, how good is it? That piece 

of battered fish, crunchy and crisp on the outside, soft 

and white and moist on the inside. A quick chew and it’s 

gone. Time for a chip. Mmmm. Hot and fluffy inside that 

salty, deep-fried crust with just the right amount of malt 

vinegar. 

3. Perhaps you like yours with a squeeze of lemon juice, 

too. Some people like tartare sauce with their fish, 

while others like aioli or mayonnaise with their chips. 

The combinations are almost endless—and just as 

appetising. In some places they love tomato sauce or brown sauce with their chips. Curry sauce is another 

favourite. Even fiery hot chilli sauce is preferred in some countries. 

4. What about the fish? Usually, it’s a white fish with a mild taste. Different countries favour different fish. For 

example, in Australia they use shark (often called ‘flake’), snapper or New Zealand hake. In the United Kingdom, 

cod and haddock are the most favoured. 

5. If you have plenty of hot chips, you may like to make yourself a chip butty. A chip what? A chip butty is a chip 

sandwich. It originated in England, but is also quite common in Australia and New Zealand, though not so much 

in the USA. 

6. To make a really good chip butty, you need fresh white bread, although a soft white bread roll will do. Butter— 

lots of it—the bread and then carefully stack layers of chips, with black pepper and some sauce, if you want 

it. Lid on top, take a bite. The melted butter and sauce should ooze out and run deliciously through your fingers 

and down your arms—and probably drip off your chin and run down your front as well! 

7. What else do people like with their fish and chips? Mushy peas—a sort of lumpy pea mash—are popular in 

the United Kingdom. Many restaurants will serve a small coleslaw side salad with them. Pickled onions are 

often on the menu, as are potato scallops. These are flat rounds of potato, dipped in the batter and deep-fried. 

In Australia, you can generally get a side order of crab sticks (pressed crab meat) in batter, big, beefy crumbed 

sausages or a commercial roll called a Chiko roll. This is thick, chewy dough wrapped around a minced 

mixture of cabbage, mutton, carrot, barley, celery and rice and then deep fried. 

8. You’re probably thinking round about now that a meal of fish and chips seems like a heart attack waiting to 

happen! Well, true, it’s a meal for a treat, not for everyday eating. But in fact, a single serve of fish and thickcut 

chips reportedly has less fat and fewer calories than an average pizza! Just beware though, if you like the 

really skinny fries, they absorb a lot more oil than the thicker chips. 

9. I have to go now. I suddenly feel ravenous ... 

4 



UNIT 1 

NOUNS 

Nouns are naming words for people, places and things. 

For example: fish, Australia, salt. Good writers choose their nouns carefully. 

1. Which noun in Paragraph 7 means: 

(a) deep-fried potato ‘sticks’? 

(b) round, green vegetables? 

(c) a coating for fish? 

(d) a thick pastry-like mixture? 

2. Choose the best noun for each sentence. 

mash treat butty shark 

(a) Hot chips between fresh bread is called a . 

(b) In Australia, 

(c) Fish and chips are more a 

is often sold as ‘flake’. 

than a daily meal. 

(d) Mushy peas are a green pea . 

3. Write an interesting sentence using each noun. 

(a) cod 

(b) sandwich 

(c) curry 

4. Proper nouns name specific places, things or people and always start with a capital. 

(a) Find five proper nouns in the text. 

(b) Write an interesting sentence using the proper noun you think is the most unusual. 



5

UNIT 1 

NOUN GROUPS 

A noun group is a noun with other words which add more information about the noun. 

For example: thick, chewy pastry; fish in a crisp batter; chips with salt and vinegar. 

Good writers use informative noun groups to make their writing more precise. 

1. Write the whole noun group from the text. 

(a) package 

(b) crust 

(c) chilli 

(d) chips 

(e) sausages 

2. Add some words of your own to each noun to make an informative noun group; e.g. a meal 

for the whole family; a sandwich in a plastic bag. 

(a) fish 

(b) meal 

(c) sauce 

(d) sandwich 

(e) potato 

3. Write an interesting sentence using two of the noun groups from Question 2. 

4. Write two noun groups from Paragraph 7. 

(a) 

(b) 

5. (a) Write a noun group using the word ‘cabbage’. 

(b) Use this noun group in an interesting sentence. 

6 



UNIT 1 

ADJECTIVES 

Adjectives are describing words. They can tell more about a noun. 

For example: a fried, crumbed sausage. 

1. Write three interesting adjectives you could use to describe each noun. 

(a) fish 

(b) chips 

(c) bread 

(d) butty 

2. Write the adjective(s) used in the text to describe each noun. 

(a) 

pizza 

(b) 

(c) 

dough 

bread 

3. Use each adjective to describe a noun in an interesting sentence. 

(a) thick-cut 

(b) fiery 

4. Add adjectives to make the sentences more descriptive. 

(a) One piece of fish. 

(b) My meal came in a package. 

(c) A sausage is a meal. 

(d) peas are a mash. 

5. On the back of this page, write a descriptive paragraph about your favourite meal. Before 

you start, think about adjectives you could use to tell how it looks, what it smells like and 

how it tastes. Write some of these adjectives in the box below. 



7


PRONOUNS, CONFUSING PRONOUNS 

(ME/I), WHICH PRONOUN? 

UNIT 2 

Focus 

Word choices – pronouns, confusing pronouns (me/I), which 

pronoun? 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise a pronoun from modelled examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose appropriate pronouns from given examples, 

with teacher support. 

Use 

Students will choose and use correct and appropriate pronouns in 

supplied and self-written sentences. 


Pronouns are words used to replace nouns. 

Personal pronouns are used in place of a person or thing. 

A relative pronoun comes before the clause describing the noun 

or pronoun to which it refers. 

A possessive pronoun replaces a noun identifying ownership by 

the person or thing to which it refers. 

A noun group is a noun with other words used to name people, 

places and things. 

The subject of a verb is the person or thing ‘doing’ the action. 

The object of a verb is the person or thing affected by the action. 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by replacing nouns with 

appropriate and correct pronouns. The use of pronouns prevents 

constant repetition of a noun, making text more manageable and 

fluid. It is important for students to know the correct pronouns to 

use in the context of a sentence. 

Possessive pronouns are used to replace the name of a person or 

thing; e.g. That bag belongs to him (Dad), it is his. 

Note: The words ‘his’ and ‘its’ can be used as a possessive 

determiner as well as a possessive pronoun; e.g. his bag, its tail 

The following table shows subjective, objective and possessive 

personal pronouns. 

Note: Subjective and objective pronouns are required when the 

pronoun refers to the subject or object of the verb; for example, 

I (subject) boarded the ship. The crew welcomed us (object) 

onboard. 


Introduction 

• Discuss the text title with students. Ask them what they think ‘Down 

under’ refers to. Why is Australia called this? 

• Do they think the text will be an imaginative story or will it be giving 

them information? 

• Why do they think this? What are some of the features of informative 

and imaginative text? 

• Introduce the term ‘pronoun’ and explain that words replacing nouns 

are pronouns. Use examples from the classroom; e.g. Mary = she, 

the board = it, the tallest boy in the class = he, the students = they. 

• Read the text with or to the class. 

• Identify some of the pronouns used in the text to replace people, 

places and things. 

• Identify single and plural pronouns from the text. 

Pronouns – Page 11 

Personal pronouns 

Person Subjective Objective Emphatic/ 

reflexive 


• Explain that good writers use pronouns instead of repeating the 

same nouns. 

• Explain why it is important to use the correct pronoun for the noun it 

replaces. 





• Encourage students to share their answers to Question 5. 

Possessive 

First singular I me myself mine 

Second you you yourself yours 

Third (male) he him himself his 

Third (female) she her herself hers 

Third (neuter) it it itself its 

First plural we us ourselves ours 

Second you you yourselves yours 

Third they them themselves theirs 

The relative pronouns ‘who’, ‘which’ and ‘that’ are used to refer to 

nouns and pronouns; e.g., the boy who, he who, the team that, the 

book which. 

The correct use of ‘who’ for people is more critical. Although 

‘which’ and ‘that’ can both be used in many contexts, ‘which’ should 

strictly be used to refer to a particular desk (telling which one); 

e.g. the desk which is by the door. The relative pronoun ‘that’ has 

a broader reference and doesn’t refer to one desk; e.g. the desks 

that are by the door. 

8 




PRONOUNS, CONFUSING PRONOUNS 

(ME/I), WHICH PRONOUN? 

UNIT 2 

Confusing pronouns – Me or I? – Page 12 

• Discuss the examples at the top of the page and the terms ‘subject’ 

and ‘object’. 

• Encourage students to read the sentences aloud to help them to 

choose the correct pronouns. Encourage them to ask the question 

‘Who did it?’; if the answer is ‘I’, then ‘I’ is correct; if not, it should be 

‘me’. 

• Explain that adding another person in front of ‘me’ and ‘I’ makes 

selecting the correct pronoun difficult, even for many adults. Some 

of them always say ‘somebody and I’, which can be incorrect. 

• Read the ‘Hint’ and examples with students and have them practise 

omitting the other person. 

• Provide opportunities for the class to share their answers to 

Question 4 and to discuss how they tackled the task. 

Which pronoun – Who, that or which? – Page 13 

• Questions 1 and 2 focus on the relative pronouns ‘who’, ‘that’ and 

‘which’. 

• Explain that ‘who’ must be used for people. NOTE: ‘That’ and ‘which’ 

refer to things, places and can both be used for groups of people; 

e.g. the team which, a class that, (but ‘the members of the team 

who’). 

• Before completing Question 3, discuss nouns that the pronouns in 

the box could be used to replace. 

ANSWERS 

Pronouns – Page 11 

1. (a) her (b) She (c) We (d) we 

2. (a) it – the flight 

(b) they – Patsy and Regan 

Which pronoun – Who, that or which? – Page 13 

1. (a) that (b) who (c) that 

(d) that (e) who (f) who 

2. (a) who – Teacher check 

(b) which – Teacher check 

(c) that – Teacher check 

3. (a) his (b) yours (c) mine (d) theirs 

(e) his (f) hers (g) mine 



1. (a) us (b) we (c) ours 

2. (a) Mum and Dad said they slept well on the plane. 

(b) My brother said he was tired. 

3. (a) me (b) me (c) I (d) me 

4. (a) that (b) who (c) which 

5. (a) who – Teacher check 

(b) that – Teacher check 

6. (a) hers (b) mine (c) theirs (d) his 



• Paragraph topic – The country I want to visit 

• Focus: Word choices – pronouns 


3. (a) Repeating nouns instead of using pronouns. 

(b) When Patsy asked if they would get on with their cousins 

because they had never met them, Regan said he was sure 

they would like them. 

4. (a) she (b) she (c) they (d) it 


Confusing pronouns – Me or I? – Page 12 

1. (a) I (b) I (c) me (d) me 

2. (a) ✓ (b) ✘ (c) ✓ (d) ✘ 

3. (a) I (b) me (c) me 

(d) me (e) I 




9

UNIT 2 

DOWN UNDER 

1. Patsy and Regan were beside themselves with excitement. This was to be their first time on an aeroplane and 

their first time out of the country. And to top it all off, they were going halfway around the world to see the 

cousins they had never seen before. 

2. ‘Australia!’ said Patsy. Even the name sounded quite strange to her. 

3. ‘Western Australia, to be exact’, said Regan. ‘I wonder what it will be like? Do you think there’ll be kangaroos 

in the streets?’ 

4. ‘Probably. Do you think we’ll get on with our cousins? After all, we’ve never even met them.’ 

5. ‘Dad said he was sure we would have fun with them. Oh, looks like it’s time to board the plane.’ 

6. When the plane thundered down the runway and leapt into the air, Regan was sure he was going to leave 

fingerprints in the armrest. Patsy was busy flicking through the movies on the TV screen. She didn’t seem the 

least bit concerned. 

7. The international flight was l-o-n-g. In fact, it was over 20 hours long with one stop at Abu Dhabi in the United 

Arab Emirates. Patsy and Regan tried to get some sleep on the second half, but they found sleeping very 

difficult. Mum went to sleep with a mask over her eyes. Dad went to sleep with his headphones over his ears. 

8. It was night-time when the smiling hostess announced they were about 

to land in Perth. Through the windows they could see a sea of sparkling, 

twinkling lights like jewels in the darkness. ‘Christmas fairy lights’, Patsy 

whispered to herself. They were surprised to see it was after 8.00 pm 

and the sun’s final orange glow had just faded to fully black. At home, it 

was dark by 5.00 pm. 

9. Uncle Martin and Aunty Jean and their cousins, Rachel and Jake, were 

waiting for them. After much hugging and kissing and happy tears, they collected their luggage and headed 

outside. It was so warm, and the air smelled different. Uncle Martin said it was the eucalypts—gum trees— 

and was the first thing many visitors noticed. 

10. ‘Will we see kangaroos?’ Patsy asked. 

11. ‘Not tonight,’ Rachel laughed. ‘But Dad said we’ll go out tomorrow for a picnic lunch at a nature and wildlife 

park. Plenty of kangaroos there. Do you guys surf?’ 

12. ‘Us?’ said Regan. ‘We hardly swim!’ 

13. ‘Well, you’re in for a treat then. We live just near the ocean and the water’s lovely and warm this time of year. 

Hope you brought your bathers ... um, swimsuits.’ 

14. ‘Swimming? It was raining and cold when we left home. Anyway, I’m so tired,’ Patsy yawned, ‘I just want to sleep 

for a week’. 

15. ‘Sleep?’ Jake laughed. ‘The sun’s up before 6.00 in the morning this time of year. Don’t think there’ll be too 

many sleep-ins from now on!’ 

16. ‘Welcome to Western Australia’, Aunty Jean smiled. 

10 



UNIT 2 

PRONOUNS 

A pronoun is used to replace a noun/noun group. 

For example: ‘a favourite place’ – it; ‘Australian cousins’ – they 

1. Which pronoun is used in each sentence? 

(a) Even the name sounded quite strange to her. 

(b) She didn’t seem the least bit concerned. 

(c) ‘We hardly swim!’ 

(d) The weather was wet and cold when we left home. 

2. Write the two pronouns used in Paragraph 7 and the noun they replace. 

3. (a) What mistake has the writer of this sentence made? 

When Patsy asked if they would get on with their cousins because they had never met 

their cousins, Regan said he was sure they would like their cousins. 

(b) Rewrite the sentence. 

4. Write a pronoun to replace the underlined noun group. 

(a) The smiling hostess announced they were landing. 

(b) Patsy was watching movies on the flight. 

(c) Their cousins, Rachel and Jake, were waiting for them. 

(d) The international flight was over 20 hours long. 

5. Think of a short sentence for each noun group. Write the sentence using at least one 

pronoun. 

(a) happy tears 

(b) a picnic lunch 

(c) a nature and wildlife park 

(d) soft, white beach sand 



11

UNIT 2 

CONFUSING PRONOUNS – ME OR I? 

Good writers choose correct pronouns. 

The pronoun ‘I’ is used as the subject of a verb. 

The pronoun ‘me’ is used as the object of a verb. 

For example: I was eating a sandwich. (who was eating? = subject = I) 

The sandwich was eaten by me. (was eaten by whom? = object = me) 

1. Circle the correct pronouns. The verbs are underlined. 

(a) I’m sure (I, me) would be tired after a 20-hour flight. 

(b) There were five movies on the flight and (I, me) watched four of them. 

(c) They showed (I, me) some kangaroos at the park. 

(d) Jake said there wouldn’t be many sleep-ins for (I, me). 

2. Are the pronouns correct? Put a tick or a cross in the box. 

(a) Will you take me surfing tomorrow? 

(b) The air hostess told I we were landing. 

(c) I think, for me, the eucalypt trees were something special. 

(d) Dad told I about our cousins in Australia. 

When ‘I' and ‘me’ are used with two or more other people, it can be more difficult to choose 

the correct pronoun. 

Hint: Try saying the sentence with only the pronoun. 

Example 1: My brother and (I or me) tried to sleep. 

Try saying the pronouns separately: ‘I’ tried to sleep./‘Me’ tried to sleep. 

Example 2: The flight was too long for my brother and (I, me). 

Try saying: The flight was too long for ‘I’./The flight was too long for ‘me’. 

3. Circle the correct pronoun. 

(a) My cousins and (I or me) will go to see some kangaroos. 

(b) They took Regan and (I or me) to the beach. 

(c) Our cousins went to the park with Regan and (I or me). 

(d) Mum took a photo of Patsy and (I or me) swimming in the surf. 

(e) Regan and (I or me) wanted to see kangaroos. 

4. Write an interesting sentence on the back of this page using: 

(a) My cousins and I ... 

(b) ... Patsy and me 

12 



UNIT 2 

WHICH PRONOUN – WHO, THAT OR WHICH? 

Good writers use the pronoun ‘who’ for people and ‘that’ or ‘which’ for everything except 

people. 

For example: The air hostess who spoke to us ... 

The flight that no-one enjoyed ... 

The plane, which went to Abu Dhabi, ... 

1. Add ‘who’ or ‘that’. 

(a) We went on a flight 

(b) The passengers 

(c) The scent 

(d) The beach 

(e) Our cousins, 

friendly. 

(f) It was the hostess 

(g) 'That car, the white one, is 

took more than hours. 

were on the flight tried to sleep. 

came from the eucalypts was unusual. 

we went to was pure white sand. 

were waiting at the airport, seemed very 

said we were about to land. 

', Uncle Martin said. 

2. Write ‘who’, ‘that’ or ‘which’ on the first line, then complete the sentence. 

(a) The air hostess, , 

(b) The kangaroos, , 

(c) The luggage , 

3. Complete the sentences using pronouns below. You can use the pronouns more than 

once. 

mine yours his hers ours theirs 

(a) Dad made sure the suitcase he took was . 

(b) He said to Patsy, ‘If it’s 

, you can grab it’. 

(c) Mum said to Dad, ‘Please give that bag to me, it’s ’. 

(d) Patsy found her bag quickly, but her parents had to wait for . 

(e) Everyone was pleased when Regan found . 

(f) Dad said he would help, but Patsy said she could wheel . 



13


VERBS, DESCRIPTIVE AND 

OVERUSED VERBS, ADVERBIALS 

UNIT 3 

Focus 

Word choices – verbs, descriptive verbs, overused verbs, 

adverbials 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise a verb/adverbial from modelled examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose the more or most informative verb/adverbial 

from given examples, with teacher support. 

Use 

Students will choose and use appropriate, informative verbs/ 

adverbials in supplied and self-written sentences. 


Verbs or ‘doing’ words show actions or states of being or having. 

A verb group is a verb combined with other, auxiliary, verbs. 

An action verb is one which describes an action or feeling. 

Adverbials are words or groups of words that add information, 

usually to a verb or verb group. They can tell how (manner), when 

(time) or where (place) something happens. Adverbs can modify 

(add information to) any words that are not nouns or pronouns. 

(These are modified by adjectives.) 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by their choice of informative 

and appropriate verbs and adverbials. 


Introduction 

• Discuss the text title with the class. Why would the author say the 

fireworks were ‘dancing’ in the sky? Discuss what else fireworks 

might do in the sky. Elicit answers such as ‘explode’, ‘flash’, ‘burst’. 

Point out that these are verbs or verb groups that show (in this case) 

an action. 

• Read the text with students. Discuss the type of text it is (information 

report). Use questioning to remind students of the features of this 

text type. 

• Show by example how careful choice of action verbs can lead to 

a clearer understanding by the reader. (For example, ‘Gunpowder 

burns quickly’ vs ‘Gunpowder flashes into bright flames’.) 

Descriptive verbs – Page 17 

• Read and discuss the information at the top of the page. 

• Discuss why verbs are an important part of every sentence and why 

it is important for writers to think about verbs and choose good, 

interesting and informative verbs. 





Overused verbs – Page 18 

• Review students’ understanding of the term ‘verb’ and ask them to 

provide examples. 

• Discuss the overuse of (pallid) boring verbs like saw, went and said 

and give alternatives for said, such as yelled, screamed, whispered. 

• Explain that better verbs can give more information about what is 

happening and can change the meaning of a sentence. 

• Brainstorm and list more informative verbs for got. This will assist 

the class to complete the questions on the page. 

• Provide opportunities for the class to share the paragraphs they 

wrote for Question 5. 

Descriptive adverbials – Page 19 

• Read and discuss the definition of adverbials and the examples 

given. 

• Explain that good writers add adverbials to give the reader more 

information about verbs and to make their writing more interesting. 

• Brainstorm and make three lists of adverbials that could tell how, 

when and where an explosion occurred; e.g. how — loudly, with a 

loud bang; when — later that day; where — high in the night sky. 

• Work through the activities with those requiring assistance. Others 

should complete the activities independently. 

14 






UNIT 3 

ANSWERS 

Descriptive verbs – Page 17 

1. (a) thrust – a better descriptor of force 

(b) flared – describes a more vigorous reaction 

2. (a) improved 

(b) crammed 

(c) expanded 


4. (a) arch 

(b) it gives a physical description; it paints a word picture; it can 

also be a noun 

(c) Teacher check 

5. (a) were hurled 

(b) Teacher check 

Overused verbs – Page 18 

1. (a) crammed 

(b)–(d) Teacher check 


Descriptive adverbials – Page 19 

1. (a) tightly 

(b) blindingly 



1. soared 

2. (a) erupted 

(b) roared 


4. (a) ordered 

(b) Teacher check – more authoritative 

(c) Answers will vary. 


6. (a) with a roar like an angry dragon 

(b) with deadly effect 




• Paragraph topic – A lightning display 

• Focus: Word choices – verbs and adverbials 


2. (a) instantly 

(b) cautiously 

(c) in waves 

3. blindingly 


7. Answers will vary. 



15

UNIT 3 

DANCING IN THE SKY 

1. Everybody loves a fireworks display. It’s exciting to watch the rockets arch across the sky and burst into giant 

flowers and showers of light, colour and sound! But how many people know where fireworks come from? 

2. It is generally believed that the ancient Chinese made the first fireworks. When people put hollow bamboo on 

a fire, they noticed that it sometimes ‘went off’ with a loud bang. The fire heated the air inside a section of the 

bamboo. The air expanded and expanded until, suddenly, ‘crack!’, it split the bamboo open. The Chinese people 

liked these loud explosions, because they thought they scared away evil demons. 

3. Later, some clever Chinese people found that if they made a mixture of saltpetre, carbon and sulfur and then 

set it alight, it flared up blindingly with a flash of bright flames and a lot of smoke. They had discovered 

what we now call gunpowder. By adding different chemicals to their gunpowder, they could make it burn with 

different coloured flames. 

4. They kept experimenting. They stuffed gunpowder into a bamboo tube, closed at one end and open at the other. 

When they cautiously ignited the gunpowder at the open end, the flames and hot gases rushing out instantly 

thrust the tube into the air. Gunpowder used like this is called a propellant. Then they added a point to the 

closed end of the bamboo and made a rocket. After arrows were attached to them, these rockets could be fired 

in waves at their enemies. 

5. Others crammed gunpowder into very thick paper tubes and then sealed both ends tightly. This time, when they 

lit the powder through a fuse, the gases had nowhere to escape. In a fraction of a second, they blew the tube 

apart with a loud bang. Gunpowder used like this is called an explosive. 

6. Eventually, gunpowder made its way to Europe, where it was improved and used mainly for war. But the Italians 

used it to create what we now know as fireworks, which were hurled high into the sky to burst into everchanging 

kaleidoscopes of shape and colour. 

7. Fireworks have always been popular. They have been—and still are—used to frighten away evil and misfortune, 

and to welcome joy and prosperity. Fireworks displays can be intended as reminders of military battles, imitating 

the blast and the fire of war. And for other people, they are simply enjoyed as breathtaking pyrotechnics. 

8. Nowadays, a computer is often involved to tie music, fireworks and even lasers together in one seamless, 

spectacular show that dances in the night sky. 

16 



UNIT 3 

DESCRIPTIVE VERBS 

Good writers want their readers to have the clearest understanding of their writing. They 

can do this by choosing their action verbs carefully. 

For example: instead of writing, ‘The fireworks went off in the dark sky’, a good writer 

would try to think of a more descriptive verb or verb group and perhaps write, ‘The 

fireworks exploded across the dark sky’. 

1. Think about each verb and circle the one that is descriptive and gives more information. 

(a) Flames and hot gases sent the rocket into the air. 

Flames and hot gases thrust the rocket into the air. 

(b) The gunpowder flared up when lit. 

The gunpowder burned when lit. 

2. Practise choosing the better verb to complete each sentence. 

crammed grew expanded improved put changed 

(a) For use in war, Europeans 

(b) As an explosive, gunpowder is 

(c) When the hot air 

the Chinese gunpowder. 

into paper tubes. 

, it split the bamboo with a bang. 

3. Write each descriptive verb in an interesting sentence. 

burst fired imitates 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

4. Good writers often find new or different verbs to use. 

(a) Which verb in Paragraph 1 do you think the writer 

used because it was new or unusual? 

(b) Why do you think the writer chose that particular verb? 

(c) Write an interesting sentence using this word as a verb. 

5. (a) Which verb in Paragraph 6 tells how the fireworks 

went into the sky? 

(b) Write a good sentence on another topic using this verb. 



17

UNIT 3 

OVERUSED VERBS 

There are some verbs we use all the time in our writing that are not very informative. 

For example: ‘put’, ‘said’, ‘went’, ‘got’. 

1. (a) Which verb in Paragraph 5 did the writer use instead of the verb ‘put’? 

(b) Use this verb in an interesting sentence. 

(c) Write two other descriptive verbs you could use instead of ‘put’. 

(d) Write a sentence using one of these verbs. 

2. (a) Choose a descriptive verb to complete the sentence. 

The ancient Chinese 

the first fireworks. 

(b) Write an interesting new sentence using the descriptive verb you chose. 

3. (a) Write a sentence using the verb ‘got’. 

(b) Write the sentence again using a better, more descriptive verb. 

4. (a) Write a sentence using the verb ‘said’. 

(b) Write the sentence again using a better, more descriptive verb. 

5. Write a short paragraph about collecting some things to take to a fireworks display. Think 

of some good descriptive verbs to include in your writing. You must not use the verb ‘got’. 

18 



UNIT 3 

DESCRIPTIVE ADVERBIALS 

An adverbial can tell when, how or where the verb happens. Good writers can add 

meaning to verbs by choosing informative adverbials. 

For example: instead of writing, ‘The fireworks exploded’ a better writer would add 

information about how the fireworks exploded and write, ‘The fireworks exploded 

brilliantly’ or tell when by starting, ‘In a split second, the fireworks exploded’. 

1. Circle the adverbial that helps the reader to better understand how something happened. 

The gunpowder tubes were sealed (tightly/loosely). 

The gunpowder flared up (blindingly/nicely). 

2. Which adverbial in Paragraph 4 tells how: 

(a) the gases thrust the rocket into the air? 

(b) the people lit the gunpowder? 

(c) the rockets were fired at their enemies? 

3. Which adverbial in Paragraph 3 tells the way (how) the 

gunpowder burnt? 

4. Think of a descriptive adverbial of time to tell when you think each verb could have 

happened. 

(a) The rockets bloomed. 

(b) Gunpowder changed war. 

5. Write a descriptive adverbial of place to tell where you think each verb could have 

happened. 

(a) Fireworks lit up the night. 

(b) There was a spectacular fireworks show. 

6. Write a good adverbial to tell how, when or where an event could have happened. 

(a) The bamboo exploded. 

(b) Soldiers set light to the gunpowder. 

7. Complete the sentences. Each one starts with an adverbial. Use a good verb to match it. 

Underline the verbs you choose. 

(a) Happily, Chinese people 

(b) Today, fireworks 

(c) Unfortunately, the rockets 



19


CHOOSING CORRECT VERBS: TENSE, 

CONSISTENCY, SUBJECT, REGULAR, IRREGULAR 

UNIT 4 

Focus 

Word choices – choosing correct verbs: tense, consistency, subject–verb 

agreement, regular and irregular verb forms 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise the tense of a verb; subject–verb agreement (asking 

‘who or what is doing the action?’); regular and irregular verbs; and auxiliary 

verbs, from modelled examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose the tense of a verb; subject–verb agreement; regular 

and irregular verbs; and auxiliary verbs, from given examples, with teacher 

support. 

Use 

Students will use the correct tense; subject–verb agreement; regular and 

irregular verbs; and auxiliary verbs in self-written sentences and paragraphs. 


Verb tense – happening now = present tense; already happened = past 

tense; yet to happen = future tense. 

Subject–verb agreement – The form of the verb must match who or what is 

performing the action; e.g. I am reading, They are reading. 

Main verb – the verb describing the action. 

Auxiliary verbs are verbs added to the main verb which can change its 

tense; e.g. He swims, He is swimming. He had been swimming. 

Regular verbs follow a regular pattern when changing from the present to 

the past tense; e.g. shop – shopped, rate – rated 

Irregular verbs are verbs which do not follow a regular patterns when 

changing from the present to the past tense; e.g. buy – bought, swim – swam, 

fly – flew. 

Note: Auxiliary verbs 

The verbs to be and to have are used as auxiliary or ‘helper’ verbs. They have 

many forms which change with subject and the tense. See the chart below. 

Introduction 

The verb ‘to be’ 

The verb ‘to have’ 

Person Pronoun Present Past Present Past 

First I am was have had 

Second you are were have had 

third he/she/it is was has had 

First we are were have had 

Second you are were have had 

Third they are were have had 

Good writers improve their writing by their choice and use of correct verb 

forms for emphasis and to make meaning explicit. 


Introduction 

• Discuss the text title with students. 

• What information does it give concerning what the story 

may be about? 

• What could the ‘true or false’ refer to? 

• Does the title make the reader want to read on to find out 

more? 

• Read and discuss the text, either in groups or as a class. 

Verb tense – Page 23 

• Read and discuss the information at the top of the page. 

• Discuss and elicit from students the tense of the story 

(past tense; it has happened). 

• Could the story be written in another tense? Which one? 

(Present; future would be very difficult!) 

• Work through the activities with the class as a whole, 

ensuring they understand what is required of them. 

• Work with those requiring additional assistance while 

the remainder of the class work independently on the 

activities. 

Regular and irregular verbs – Page 24 

• Review students’ understanding of the term ‘verb’ and ask 

them to provide examples. 

• Explain that regular verbs follow a pattern in the past 

tense, but that there are many English verbs that are 

irregular and don’t do this. They will need to think about 

verbs carefully when they write. 

• Discuss regular and irregular verbs with the class and ask 

them for examples. 

• Introduce the concept of auxiliary verbs as ‘helper’ verbs; 

that is, they help the main verb. For example, ‘I had been 

hoping for a good result in my test’. 

• Identify examples of auxiliary verbs used in the text. 

• List some present and past tense and singular and plural 

forms of the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’. 

Matching verbs – Page 25 

• Discuss with students how verb forms change, depending 

on who or what is doing the action. Use simple examples; I 

am running; we are running. 

• Introduce the concept of the subject; i.e. ask who or what 

is doing the action. For example; ‘The two brave astronauts 

are heading into space’. Ask who or what ‘are heading 

into space?’. ‘The two brave astronauts (the subject) are 

heading into space’. 

• Work through the activities with the class as a whole, 

ensuring they understand what is required of them. 

• Provide opportunities to share and discuss sentences from 

Question 4 with a partner 

20 




CHOOSING CORRECT VERBS: TENSE, 

CONSISTENCY, SUBJECT, REGULAR, IRREGULAR 

UNIT 4 

ANSWERS 

Verb tense – Page 23 

1. (a) past 

(b) present 

(c) future 

2. (a) stepped 

(b) caught 

(c) was 

3. (a) will be examined 

(b) will glide 

(c) will be 

4. (a) say – Teacher check 

(b) said – Teacher check 

(c) will say – Teacher check 

5. win; glide; says 


Regular and irregular verbs – Page 24 


2. (a) became 

(b) paid 

(c) went 

(d) saw 

3. (a) had been involved – past 

(b) have been checked – past 

(c) are going to fade – future 




1. (a) past 

(b) future 

(c) present 

2. watched 

3. landed 

4. (a) buys/buying 

(b) bought 

(c) will buy 

5. (a) had been faked – past 

(b) will be checked – future 

6. (a) won – the USA 

(b) was seen – the broadcast 

7. (a) ✘ 

(b) ✓ 




• Paragraph topic – My hero 

• Focus: Word choices – verb tense, matching verbs 


Matching verbs – Page 25 

1. (a) landed – Armstrong and Aldrin 

(b) claimed – President Kennedy 

(c) employed – the government 

2. (a) ✓ 

(b) ✘ 

(c) ✘ 

(d) ✘ 




21

UNIT 4 

TO THE MOON – TRUE OR FALSE? 

1. On 20 July 1969, two American astronauts, Neil 

Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first 

humans to set foot on the surface of our moon. 

2. The event, broadcast on television around the 

world in ghostly black and white, was seen by 

millions and millions of people. 

Background 

3. After the end of World War II, the USA and the 

Soviet Union were in a ‘race’ to send a man into 

space. Both countries were determined to win. 

4. The Soviet Union surprised—and shocked— 

America when, in April 1961, cosmonaut Yuri 

Gagarin became the first man in space, making a 

complete orbit of the earth. The US President, John 

F Kennedy, countered by making the bold claim that 

Americans would land on the moon before the end 

of the 1960s. Now, America’s honour was at stake! 

5. America poured millions of dollars into the project 

and employed hundreds of thousands of people to 

help. They had to win. 

6. And in July 1969 they won. As astronaut Neil 

Armstrong glided almost weightlessly from the 

spacecraft to the moon’s surface, he said the 

famous words: ‘A small step for man, a giant leap 

for mankind’. 

7. But not everyone believed what they saw. Those who 

disbelieved said it was all a big fake, a hoax—that 

it never really happened. 

8. Basically, they contend that in 1969 it was 

impossible to do. They say the technology— 

rockets, spacecraft, computers—was not 

advanced enough. They like to claim that a small 

laptop today has more computing power than the 

entire Apollo 11 spacecraft! 

9. So what do they believe? The most common 

‘conspiracy theory’ is that the moon landing 

was faked in a gigantic film set. They say the 

US government paid a film director and special 

effects technicians to create a fake moon surface 

and then film it. They claim there are faults that 

can be seen in the ‘supposed’ film footage on the 

moon. 

10. But all these so-called faults have been examined 

and explained as quite natural, time after time. 

There is not one ‘fault’ without a simple, proven 

explanation. Later spacecraft orbiting the moon 

have even sent back photos showing equipment 

still lying on the surface where it was left! And even 

if it was a fake, do they really think that after all 

this time not one of the thousands and thousands 

of people involved would have let it slip? 

11. Apparently they do, because despite all the proof, 

all the explanations, all the myth-busting, even 

today there are still millions who say ‘it didn’t 

happen’! 

22 



UNIT 4 

VERB TENSE 

Verbs can have many different forms and different endings. 

A verb or verb group changes according to its tense. 

• He runs. (present) • He ran/He has run. (past) • He will run. (future) 

If an event is happening, it must be in the present tense; if it has happened, it must be in the 

past tense; if it hasn’t happened yet, it must be in the future tense. 

1. What is the tense of each verb? Write ‘past’, ‘present’ or ‘future’ after each sentence. 

(a) The moon landing was seen by millions. 

(b) A small laptop today has more computing power. 

(c) There will be many who still won’t believe. 

Writers also need to think carefully to avoid mixing up tenses like this: Yesterday, Neil 

Armstrong stood (past) on the moon and says (present) his famous words. 

2. Correct the tense of the verb and write it in the space provided. 

(a) Back in 1969, Armstrong will step on the moon. 

(b) Years ago, the space race catch the public’s attention. 

(c) They claim the moon landing will be faked. 

3. Change the verb group from the present to the future tense. 

(a) All of the faults are being examined. 

(b) Armstrong is gliding almost weightlessly. 

(c) The USA and USSR are in a space race! 

4. Write a short sentence to show how to use each tense of the verb ‘to say’ correctly. 

(a) present tense 

(b) past tense 

(c) future tense 

5. Change the past tense verbs in Paragraph 6 to the present tense and write them below. 

6. (a) Write an interesting sentence telling what astronauts do on the moon. (present tense) 

(b) Change your sentence, telling what they did on the moon. (past tense) 



23

UNIT 4 

REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS 

Regular verbs Changing most verbs to the past tense is easy — we add ‘ed’ or ‘d’ (if the 

word ends with ‘e’). 

For example: jump – jumped, wave – waved. 

1. Write a short, interesting sentence using the past tense of each regular verb. 

(a) believe 

(b) create 

(c) glide 

(d) surprise 

Irregular verbs need to change more. 

For example: run – ran, catch – caught, buy – bought 

2. Write the past tense of the irregular verbs from the story. 

(a) Armstrong becomes the first man on the moon. 

(b) The government pays to have the footage faked. 

(c) Armstrong and Aldrin go into space. 

(d) People see faults in the film. 

Auxiliary verbs 

Different verbs in a verb group helping the main verb are called auxiliary verbs. The verbs ‘to 

have’ and ‘to be’ are the most common auxiliary verbs. They change more than the main verb. 

For example: He is landing. He has been landing. 

3. Circle the verb group (main and auxiliaries) and write the verb tense on the line. 

(a) They had been involved in a space race. 

(b) All the ‘faults’ have been checked. 

(c) Hopefully, the conspiracy theories are going to fade away. 

4. Write a verb group with at least three auxiliary verbs in: 

(a) the future tense 

(b) the past tense 

24 



UNIT 4 

MATCHING VERBS 

Matching verbs 

Verbs can also change to show who or what is doing the action and when it happened. 

For example: I was eating. They were eating. I am eating. She is eating. 

1. Circle the verb then draw a line under who or what is doing the action. 

(a) Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon. 

(b) President Kennedy claimed America would win the space race. 

(c) The government employed hundreds of thousands of people. 

2. Put a tick or a cross after each sentence to show if the verb group is correct/incorrect. 

(a) The United States couldn’t let Russia win. 

(b) The space race were going to be very close. 

(c) The conspiracy theories has been shown to be false. 

(d) Both astronauts was very proud of the landing. 

3. Write a verb or verb group to match who or what is doing the action. 

(a) For years, people 

(b) Americans were pleased that they 

(c) Those pioneer astronauts 

the moon landing was faked. 

my heroes. 

the space race. 

(d) What 

(e) Armstrong 

you think was the most difficult thing the astronauts had to do? 

his famous words as he stepped down. 

4. Choose a suitable subject to match each verb group and use them together in an 

interesting sentence. 

(a) will be hoping 

(b) are being trained 

(c) is going to have to 



25

ASSESSMENT UNIT 1 

NOUNS, NOUN GROUPS, ADJECTIVES 

Name: 

Date: 

1. Write the whole noun group from the text: 

Sean really loved thick-cut chips with hot curry sauce. 

2. Add some words of your own to the noun to make an informative noun group. 

(a) bread 

(b) food 

(c) vinegar 

3. Write an interesting sentence using each noun group from Question 2. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

4. Write three interesting adjectives you could use to describe each noun. 

(a) sausages 

(b) batter 

(c) chilli 

(d) potato 

5. Use the adjective to describe a noun in an interesting sentence. 

(a) salty 

(b) fiery 

(c) thick-cut 

(d) crumbed 

26 




PRONOUNS 

Name: 

Date: 

1. Which pronoun is used in the sentence? 

(a) Jake and Rachel would take us to a wildlife park. 

(b) We are both very tired. 

(c) That luggage over there is ours. 

2. Rewrite the sentence using a pronoun to avoid repetition. 

(a) Mum and Dad said Mum and Dad slept well on the plane. 

(b) My brother said my brother was tired. 

3. Circle the correct pronouns. The verbs are underlined. 

(a) Jake asked (I, me) if we could surf. 

(b) They promised to take Patsy and (I, me) to the beach. 

(c) Both my sister and (I, me) were excited. 

(d) Jake dived in and splashed water all over Mum and (I, me). 

4. Add ‘who’, ‘that’ or 'which'. 

(a) We went on a flight 

(b) It was Regan 

(c) The night air, 

seemed endless. 

was nervous on take-off. 

greeted us outside the terminal, was surprisingly warm. 

5. Write ‘who’, ‘that’ or ‘which’, then complete the sentence. 

(a) Rachel, , 

(b) The beach , 

6. Complete the sentences using pronouns. 

mine his theirs hers 

(a) I wheeled my case, Patsy wheeled . 

(b) ‘I don’t think that’s my suitcase, I think this is .’ 

(c) Our cousins said if we didn’t have bathers, we could borrow some of . 

(d) Dad looked everywhere but couldn't see 

case. 



27




Name: 

Date: 

1. Circle the verb that is more descriptive and gives more information. 

• The rocket went across the sky. 

• The rocket soared across the sky. 

2. Choose the better verb to complete each sentence. Write it on the line. 

(a) The firework flew/erupted into thousands of glittering sparks. 

(b) The cannon fired/roared when the gunpowder was lit. 

3. Write the descriptive verb in an interesting sentence. 

flared 

roared 

4. (a) Which is the better verb? Write it on the line. 

‘Open fire!’ the soldier said/ordered. 

(b) Why did you choose this verb? 

(c) Write two other verbs you could have used. 

5. Rewrite the sentence using a better, more descriptive verb. 

The soldier got some more gunpowder. 

6. Underline the adverbial that helps the reader to better understand how something 

happened. 

(a) The cannon fired with a roar like an angry dragon. 

(b) Rockets were launched with deadly effect at the enemy. 

7. Write a good adverbial to tell how, when or where an event could have happened. 

(a) The gunpowder burnt. 

(b) Fireworks shows light up the night sky. 

8. Complete the sentence, which starts with an adverbial. Use a matching verb and 

underline it. 

On our way home, 

. 

28 




CHOOSING CORRECT VERBS 

Name: 

Date: 

1. What is the tense of each verb? Write ‘past’, ‘present’ or ‘future’ after each sentence. 

(a) The first moon landing was in July 1969. 

(b) A Mars landing will be a major achievement. 

(c) Space travel is a triumph of science and engineering. 

2. Correct the tense of the verb and write it in the space provided. 

Last year, I will watch a video of the moon landing. 

3. Change the verb group from the present to the past tense. 

The spacecraft is landing on the moon’s surface. 

4. Write each tense of the verb ‘to buy’ correctly. 

(a) present tense 

(b) past tense 

(c) future tense 

5. Circle the verb group (main and auxiliaries) and write the verb tense on the line. 

(a) The landing had been faked. 

(b) All the film footage will be checked. 

6. Circle the verb then draw a line under who or what did the action. 

(a) The USA won the race to the moon. 

(b) The broadcast was seen by millions of people. 

7. Put a tick or a cross after each sentence to show if the verb group is correct/incorrect. 

(a) America were shocked when Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth. 

(b) Americans would have been most upset if the Soviet Union had won the moon race. 

8. Write a verb or verb group to match who or what is doing the action. 

(a) Neil Armstrong 

(b) A small laptop today 

lander. 

almost weightlessly down to the surface. 

more computing power than the moon 

9. Choose a subject to match the verb group. Use it and the verb group in an interesting 

sentence. 

have been discovering 



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RIC-20802_Teaching_Strategies_for_Writing_BkE_word_choices

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