Grade Six English

Hello boys and girls of Grade Six! Do you want to become better writers? Then study how to build a paragraph using facts. You will also be guided to identify collective nouns and get practice with your comprehension skills. Read carefully and complete all exercises.

GRAMMAR

WITH MY FRIEND

-Take turns to find a group name to fill each space. a ____________ of sheep a ____________ of bushes Use your reference book to check your answers and find out more about collective nouns.

-Read and discuss the notes.

The Collective Noun

The collective noun names a set or group of people, animal or things.

Subject- Verb Agreement of Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are nearly always treated as singular. They emphasize the group as a unit.

E.g. A batch of bread is in the oven.

Occasionally, when the members of the team or group are regarded as individuals, a collective noun may be treated as plural.

E.g. After each basketball game, the team greet some of their fans in the stadium.

When the subject of a sentence is the title of something like a book, a story, a magazine, a play, a movie or a song, it is regarded as singular (unless if more than one thing is being discussed.)

E.g. Hansel and Gretel is a book I enjoyed reading as a child.

Names of single companies, organizations and countries are also considered singular, even though they sometimes look plural.

E.g. Banks DIH has improved the company over the years.

ON MY OWN Exercise 1

Use a suitable collective noun to complete each sentence correctly.

1. My parents and I gazed at the _______ of birds which flew overhead. 2. We bought our dad a _______ of tools for his birthday.

3. My sister and her friend were racing to climb the _________ of stairs. 4. The ________of soldiers marched smartly to the barracks.

5. The visitor gave the patient a _______ of flowers.

COMPOSITION

WITH MY FRIEND

- Read and discuss the notes.

Using Facts in a Paragraph - Facts provide excellent support for arguments.

- Facts are statements that can be proven by tests or by checking sources.

- Facts are different from opinions, which express an individual’s attitude or belief.

- Facts include names, dates, numbers, statistics and references to actual places and events observed by the writer.

- Facts must be correct. Using information that is wrong will damage your argument.

Here is an example:

Citrus fruits have many uses. Most of them when ripe are good for eating. Oranges particularly are eaten in large quantities and some of them are very sweet. In addition, oranges and grapefruits also make a pleasant drink and are an excellent source of Vitamin C. Also, lime squash is a delightful drink, particularly on a hot day when nothing seems to quench the thirst. On the other hand, lemons are often used as medicine. Preserves, marmalade, confections and to a small extent perfumes, are made from various citrus fruits. Citrus fruits are used in several ways.

(Adapted from Nelson New West Indian Reader, Undine Guiseppi)

ON MY OWN

Exercise

- Read as many paragraphs as you can. Take note of facts that are used.

- Write a paragraph which is made up of facts on “Parrots”

COMPREHENSION

ON MY OWN

- Read the passage carefully then answer the questions which follow.

AMPHIBIANS

Amphibians have two-part lives. They live part of their lives in water and the other part on land. Amphibians are cold blooded animals. This means that their body temperature is the same as the surrounding temperature. Amphibians absorb water into their bodies through their skin so they do not have to drink water to survive. Some examples of amphibians are frogs, newts and salamanders.

The frog is one type of amphibian. It is tailless. It has two bulging eyes, strong, long, webbed feet that are adapted for leaping and swimming. The frog has smooth or slimy skin. This amphibian undergoes metamorphosis during its life. It begins as eggs which hatch and become tadpoles. The tadpoles have gills and live in water just like fish. Later, they grow legs and develop lungs. They are thus able to live on land in the same way as reptiles.

Frogs are important to human beings. They are a source of food in some countries. They eat insects, some of which are serious pests. We use them in medical research to assess for new drugs and students dissect them to learn about body parts. They are also connected to other animals as part of nature.

Questions

Read each question carefully then draw a heavy black line through the letter (A, B, C or D) which is near the answer you choose.

1. All of these are true statements about amphibians except A) they spend part of their lives in water and part on land. B) they absorb water through the skin.

C) amphibians must drink water to survive.

D) they are cold blooded.

2. Why are frogs called amphibians?

A) They have webbed feet.

B) They leap and swim.

C) They have smooth shiny skin.

D) They live part of their lives in water and then on land.

3. According to the passage, the word metamorphosis refers to a A) body change.

B) change in surroundings only. C) change from tadpole to fish. D) change in body temperature only.

4. What does a tadpole have in common with a fish? They have A) gills. B) lungs.

C) webbed feet. D) smooth skin.

5. What is the main idea of the final paragraph? A) We use frogs in medical research.

B) Frogs are important to human beings.

C) They are a source of food in some countries. D) They are connected to other animals

Goodbye boys and girls!