Grade 07: English

In this unit, 'Prose and short stories', you learn to describe how setting and character shape a story. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Prose and short stories' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: describe how setting and character shape a story, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Read an extract. 'The corridor smelled of damp chalk and old shoes. Meera pressed her back to the cold wall, listening to the rain hammer the tin roof, and gripped her certificate so tightly that the corners bent.' Note where she is, the weather, and what she does.
2. Step 2, Describe the setting. Setting is place, time and mood. Place: a school corridor. Weather: heavy rain. Mood: tense and cold. Use words from the text: 'damp', 'cold wall', 'hammer'. A setting description needs a detail and a feeling, not just a location.
3. Step 3, Describe the character through action. Meera presses her back to the wall and grips her certificate so tightly that the corners bend. These actions show nervousness and the importance of the certificate to her. The writer shows feelings without saying 'she was nervous'.
4. Step 4, Show how the setting shapes the character. The cold, noisy corridor adds to her anxiety, because the hammering rain feels like her heartbeat. A storm may also trap her there, so she must wait and face her fear. Setting can create mood and force events.
5. Step 5, Write a paragraph in the pattern Point, Evidence, Explain. 'The setting makes Meera seem anxious. The writer says the rain would "hammer" the roof. This violent word suggests pressure, which matches the way she grips her certificate.' Keep your wording close to the text.
6. Step 6, Your turn: describe how setting and character work together in 'The empty bus stop was dark, and Ali kept checking his watch, tapping his foot.' Model answer: The dark, empty stop makes him feel uneasy, and his watch-checking and tapping show impatience and worry about being alone.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Describe how setting and character shape a story: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Tenses, voice and reported speech', you learn to use continuous tenses, active and passive and reported speech. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Tenses, voice and reported speech' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: use continuous tenses, active and passive and reported speech, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Use continuous tenses. Present: 'I am reading.' Past: 'She was reading when the bell rang.' Future: 'We will be reading at noon.' Add the right form of be plus -ing. The continuous tense shows an action in progress: 'They were singing while I was cooking.'
2. Step 2, Change active to passive for simple tenses. Active: 'The chef cooked the meal.' Passive: 'The meal was cooked by the chef.' The object becomes the subject, add a form of be, and use the past participle. Use passive when the action matters more than the doer: 'The window was broken.'
3. Step 3, Passive in the continuous and perfect. 'The students are painting the wall' becomes 'The wall is being painted by the students.' 'They have repaired the road' becomes 'The road has been repaired.' Keep the same tense: are painting leads to is being painted.
4. Step 4, Report statements. Direct: 'I am tired,' said Ravi. Reported: Ravi said that he was tired. Direct: 'I will call you tomorrow.' Reported: She said that she would call me the next day. The tense moves back, and pronouns and time words change.
5. Step 5, Report questions and commands. 'Where do you live?' becomes 'He asked where I lived.' The question mark and the do disappear. 'Open the door,' she said, becomes 'She told me to open the door.' Check the verb and the pronoun each time.
6. Step 6, Your turn: (a) change to passive: 'The girls are cleaning the hall.' (b) report: Sam said, 'I am playing football.' Answer: (a) The hall is being cleaned by the girls. (b) Sam said that he was playing football.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Use continuous tenses, active and passive and reported speech: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Paragraph and article writing', you learn to write an article with a clear opening and purpose. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Paragraph and article writing' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: write an article with a clear opening and purpose, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Decide the purpose and the audience. Topic: a reading corner in school. Purpose: to persuade the readers, who are students and teachers, that the school needs one. Write the purpose in a sentence before you begin, so every paragraph supports it.
2. Step 2, Write a headline and a clear opening. Headline: 'Why Our School Needs a Reading Corner'. Opening: 'How many books have you read this term? Many of us would read more if we had a quiet place to do it.' A question can hook the reader and state the purpose.
3. Step 3, Write the body in short paragraphs. Paragraph 1: reading helps vocabulary and concentration. Paragraph 2: a quiet corner would help students who find the classroom too noisy. Give one reason per paragraph and use linking words such as firstly, moreover and therefore.
4. Step 4, Add support. 'A small shelf, two beanbags and a rug would be enough.' A specific example makes the idea real. You may add a short quote from a classmate, but invent nothing that you cannot support. Use facts or reasoning to persuade.
5. Step 5, Close with a call to action. 'Let us ask the principal for a reading corner today. A few books and a quiet spot can make a big difference.' Check that the closing matches your opening, then proofread for spelling and punctuation.
6. Step 6, Your turn: write a headline and an opening sentence for an article persuading readers to recycle paper at school. Model answer: Headline: 'Stop Wasting Paper!' Opening: 'Every day our bins fill with paper that could be used again, so why not recycle it?'

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Write an article with a clear opening and purpose: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Poetry', you learn to analyse rhythm, rhyme and imagery in a poem. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Poetry' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: analyse rhythm, rhyme and imagery in a poem, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Read the poem aloud. 'The tide comes in with a rush and a roar, / It scatters the shells on the sandy shore; / The gulls wheel high in the silver light, / And the waves fold white in the fall of night.' Tap the beat on your desk as you read.
2. Step 2, Analyse the rhythm. Rhythm is the pattern of stressed beats. Line 1 stresses TIDE, IN, RUSH, ROAR, which is four beats. Each of the four lines also has four beats. The steady beat feels like waves rolling in and out.
3. Step 3, Analyse the rhyme. Mark the endings: roar and shore are one pair, and light and night are another. The pattern is AABB, a rhyming couplet. The rhyme links lines in pairs and gives the poem a neat, song-like finish.
4. Step 4, Analyse the imagery. Sound images: 'rush' and 'roar'. Sight images: 'silver light' and 'waves fold white'. The poet also uses the s sound in 'scatters the shells on the sandy shore', which is alliteration and copies the hiss of water on sand.
5. Step 5, Write the analysis: quote, technique, effect. 'The words "rush and a roar" use sound imagery. They make the reader hear the sea, which makes the tide feel loud and powerful.' Always say what each feature adds to meaning.
6. Step 6, Your turn: in 'The kettle hums, the steam curls high, / It dances up to meet the sky', name the rhyme pair, one image and one personification. Answer: Rhyme pair: high and sky. Image: 'the steam curls high'. Personification: 'it dances', because steam is given a human action.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Analyse rhythm, rhyme and imagery in a poem: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Letters, emails and notices', you learn to write and format emails and formal letters. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Letters, emails and notices' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: write and format emails and formal letters, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Set out an email. To: the address. Subject: a short, clear line such as 'Request for extra time on my project'. Greeting: 'Dear Mr Khan,'. Body in two or three short paragraphs. Sign-off: 'Yours sincerely,' and your full name. A clear subject helps the reader decide what to do.
2. Step 2, Write the body of the email in a polite tone. 'I am writing to ask whether I may have two extra days to finish my science project. I was ill on Monday and missed the lesson.' State the request first and then the reason. Avoid slang and emoji.
3. Step 3, Set out a formal letter. Top right: your address and the date. Left: the receiver's title and address. 'Dear Sir or Madam,' then a subject line in bold or underlined. Paragraph one: the purpose. Paragraph two: the details. Last: what you want next.
4. Step 4, Match the ending. 'Dear Sir or Madam' is closed by 'Yours faithfully', and 'Dear Ms Rao' by 'Yours sincerely'. Add your full name under the sign-off. Check that the date, address and subject are present, and that no important detail is missing.
5. Step 5, Write a formal request. 'Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to request permission for our science club to use Room 6 on Fridays from 3 pm to 4 pm. We would keep the room tidy. Thank you for considering this request. Yours faithfully, Ayaan Rahman.'
6. Step 6, Your turn: write a subject line and a first sentence for an email to a librarian about a lost book. Model answer: Subject: 'Lost library book'. 'Dear Mrs Singh, I am writing to tell you that I have lost the book I borrowed on 3 May.'

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Write and format emails and formal letters: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Reading unseen passages', you learn to infer, summarise and use evidence. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Reading unseen passages' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: infer, summarise and use evidence, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Read the passage twice. 'By July the village pond had shrunk to a muddy puddle. The children no longer swam there. Farmers walked two kilometres to the river for water, and the old well was checked every morning.' Underline numbers and time words.
2. Step 2, Infer the cause. The passage never says 'drought', but a shrunken pond, farmers walking to the river and a well checked daily suggest a long dry spell. Write: 'There has been little rain, because the pond has shrunk and water is hard to find.' Use clue plus knowledge.
3. Step 3, Support it with evidence. Choose short quotes: 'shrunk to a muddy puddle' and 'walked two kilometres to the river'. Put them in quote marks and explain how each supports your idea. Evidence should answer 'how do you know?', not repeat the whole passage.
4. Step 4, Summarise in about 20 words. 'A dry season has shrunk the village pond, so children cannot swim and farmers must walk far for water.' Keep the main points, drop minor ones such as the well, and use your own words. Count the words: this is 19.
5. Step 5, Check the summary. Does it say what happened, to whom, and why it matters? Does it avoid your opinion? If it is too long, cut an adjective or a phrase. A good summary is short and accurate and can be read without the passage.
6. Step 6, Your turn: 'The shop lights went out one by one. Mr Das locked the door, checked it twice and sighed.' Infer what time it is and give evidence. Answer: It is closing time. Evidence: lights went out, Mr Das locked the door and checked it twice.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Infer, summarise and use evidence: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Speaking and listening', you learn to take part in a discussion and speak without notes for one minute. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Speaking and listening' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: take part in a discussion and speak without notes for one minute, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Prepare for a discussion by listing three points on the topic. Topic: "Should schools ban phones?" Points: distraction, safety, learning tools. Reason: you can join in confidently when you have notes ready.
2. Step 2, Start the discussion. "I'd like to begin by saying that phones are useful in emergencies, but they can also distract students." Reason: a short opening position invites replies.
3. Step 3, Use turn-taking phrases. Agree: "I agree with the previous speaker because..." Disagree: "I see it differently because..." Add: "Building on that, ..." Interrupt politely: "Can I add something here?" Reason: these phrases keep discussion respectful.
4. Step 4, Support a point with evidence. "In my class, students check phones during lessons and miss instructions." Reason: a real example makes a point credible.
5. Step 5, Fix an error. Wrong: "That is wrong." Better: "I'm not sure I agree, because many students use phones for research." Another error: speaking for five minutes. Right: keep each turn to about thirty seconds.
6. Step 6, Prepare one minute without notes. Structure: "Point, reason, example, close." Model: "Phones should be limited. They distract learners. For example, I missed a quiz question yesterday. So a limit helps."
7. Step 7, Your turn. Give a one-minute point on "School uniforms" with point, reason, example and close. Model answer: "Uniforms help students. They reduce pressure about clothes. In my school, nobody compares brands. So uniforms keep it fair."

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Take part in a discussion and speak without notes for one minute: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

On the slide: L1 Basic · Letters, sounds and first reading

Notes: Match letters to sounds and read short words and simple sentences aloud. Notes: use the sounds s, a, t, p, i, n; learners blend them into sat, pin and tap, then read a three-word sentence and clap the syllables.

On the slide: L2 Awareness · Sentences and simple writing

Notes: Write a clear sentence with a capital letter and full stop, and read a short story with understanding. Notes: give a picture prompt; learners say the sentence first, write it, and check capital, spacing and full stop with a partner before reading it aloud.

On the slide: L3 Foundation · Paragraphs, grammar and reading for meaning

Notes: Write a paragraph of five connected sentences and identify nouns, verbs and adjectives in a text. Notes: colour nouns blue and verbs red in a short passage; learners then write about their street, using at least two adjectives and one linking word.

This course: Grade 07 English is at this level. Its units include Prose and short stories; Tenses, voice and reported speech; Paragraph and article writing; Poetry and more.

On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Essays, speaking and responding to texts

Notes: Write a 300-word structured essay and give a short talk, quoting evidence from a text to support a view. Notes: model Point, Evidence, Explain; learners write one paragraph about a character, quote one line, and explain what it shows, then speak it aloud.

On the slide: L5 Specialist · Analysis, argument and style

Notes: Analyse a writer's choices of language and structure and write a sustained argument of 600 words. Notes: take two openings of different short stories; learners compare tone, sentence length and imagery in a table, then argue which opening works better and why.

On the slide: L6 Advanced · Literary and linguistic study

Notes: Evaluate texts through a critical lens, tracing how language changes across time and context in a researched essay. Notes: compare an older and a modern passage; learners list five differences in vocabulary and syntax and argue in 1,500 words what each reveals about its period.

On the slide: L7 Super expert · Research, editing and authorship

Notes: Produce an original piece of research or a polished long-form text, with a literature review and defended method. Notes: pick a narrow question about language in one genre; build a corpus of fifty samples, analyse patterns, write 5,000 words, and revise after external review.