Verbs show when something happens, and they must agree with their subject. Keeping tense and agreement consistent makes writing sound natural.
🕰️ Tenses
The simple tenses are past (walked), present (walk) and future (will walk). The perfect tenses use have/has/had + past participle: has walked (an action connected to now), had walked (before another past action). The progressive forms use be + -ing: is walking.
past: She walked to school.
present perfect: She has walked to school every day this week.
past perfect: She had walked there before the rain started.
future: She will walk tomorrow.
present progressive: She is walking now.
🖼️ See it
Keep to one tense in a passage unless the time really changes, and make the verb agree with its subject: she walks, they walk.
🤝 Subject–verb agreement
A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Ignore words that come between the subject and the verb. Subjects joined by and are plural.
The box of pencils is on the desk. (subject: box)
The students in the class are quiet. (subject: students)
Tom and Maya are friends.
Each of the girls has a book. (each = singular)
Irregular past: go → went → gone; eat → ate → eaten
Find the real subject by removing phrases like “of pencils” or “in the class”.
✏️ Quick check · 1 of 7
Agreement
Which sentence is correct?
Ignore “of pencils”.
✏️ Quick check · 2 of 7
Past perfect
Which sentence uses the past perfect tense?
Look for had + participle.
✏️ Quick check · 3 of 7
Irregular
What is the past participle of “eat”?
Complete: I have ___.
✏️ Quick check · 4 of 7
Consistency
Which sentence keeps a consistent tense?
Keep both in the same tense.
✍️ Type your answer · 5 of 7
In “Tom and Maya are friends,” how many people are the subject?
Give the number.
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count the names.
✍️ Type your answer · 6 of 7
Count the verbs in: “She opened the door, looked around and walked in.”
How many verbs?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count the actions.
✍️ Type your answer · 7 of 7
Count the words in the verb phrase “has been walking”.
How many words?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count them.
📝 Lesson quiz · 5 questions
0 / 5
Re-read the lesson, then give it another go.
Question 1 of 5
Which is the future tense?
Question 2 of 5
“Each of the girls has a book.” The subject is:
Question 3 of 5
Which pair is a correct present tense?
Question 4 of 5
A verb in the present perfect uses:
Question 5 of 5
Which is NOT a verb?
Lesson 2 · Grammar
🧱 Phrases, Clauses & Sentence Types
Sentences are built from clauses. Joining and combining clauses lets you vary your writing and show how ideas relate.
🔗 Clauses
A clause has a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone; a dependent clause cannot because it begins with a word like because, although, when, if. A phrase is a group of words without a subject and verb.
independent: She left early.
dependent: because she was tired
She left early because she was tired. (complex sentence)
phrase: in the morning (no subject + verb)
🖼️ See it
A clause has a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone; a dependent clause cannot.
🏗️ Four sentence types
Simple: one independent clause.
Compound: two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, FANBOYS) and a comma.
Complex: one independent and at least one dependent clause.
Compound-complex: two or more independent and at least one dependent.
simple: The dog barked.
compound: The dog barked, and the cat ran.
complex: When the dog barked, the cat ran.
compound-complex: When the dog barked, the cat ran, and the bird flew away.
A dependent clause at the start of a sentence is followed by a comma.
✏️ Quick check · 1 of 7
Dependent
Which is a dependent clause?
It leaves you waiting for more.
✏️ Quick check · 2 of 7
Compound
Which sentence is compound?
Two complete sentences joined.
✏️ Quick check · 3 of 7
Complex
Which sentence is complex?
One clause depends on the other.
✏️ Quick check · 4 of 7
FANBOYS
Which is a coordinating conjunction?
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
✍️ Type your answer · 5 of 7
How many independent clauses are in: “The dog barked, and the cat ran”?
Give the number.
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Each can stand alone.
✍️ Type your answer · 6 of 7
How many clauses are in: “When the dog barked, the cat ran, and the bird flew away”?
Give the number.
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Find each subject and verb.
✍️ Type your answer · 7 of 7
How many coordinating conjunctions are in the FANBOYS list?
Give the number.
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count the letters of FANBOYS.
📝 Lesson quiz · 5 questions
0 / 5
Re-read the lesson, then give it another go.
Question 1 of 5
A phrase differs from a clause because it:
Question 2 of 5
Which word starts a dependent clause?
Question 3 of 5
A simple sentence has:
Question 4 of 5
Which sentence has a comma used correctly?
Question 5 of 5
A run-on sentence can be fixed by:
Lesson 3 · Reading
📰 Reading Nonfiction
News, articles and speeches try to inform or persuade. Reading critically means noticing structure, purpose and how reliable the information is.
🧭 Structure and purpose
Writers organise information using patterns such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, chronological order and description. Text features (headings, captions, bold words, charts) help you navigate. The author’s purpose is usually to inform, persuade or entertain.
signal words
cause/effect: because, as a result, therefore
compare: similarly, however, unlike
sequence: first, then, finally
“Sales rose because prices fell.” → cause: prices fell; effect: sales rose
🖼️ See it
Nonfiction is organised so you can find ideas fast: headings, topic sentences and bold terms are signposts.
🧐 Evaluating sources
Ask: Who wrote it? Are they an expert? Why was it written? Is the claim supported with evidence? Is there bias, one-sided language or a motive to sell something? A primary source is first-hand (a diary), and a secondary source reports on it (a textbook).
claim: School should start later.
evidence: A study of 500 students found they scored 10% higher.
loaded language: “absurd”, “disaster”, “everyone knows”
500 students, 10% higher: statistic as evidence
Check at least two sources before you trust a surprising claim.
✏️ Quick check · 1 of 6
Cause and effect
“Sales rose because prices fell.” What is the effect?
What happened as a result?
✏️ Quick check · 2 of 6
Primary source
Which is a primary source?
First-hand.
✏️ Quick check · 3 of 6
Bias
Which phrase suggests bias?
Look for emotional words.
✏️ Quick check · 4 of 6
Author’s purpose
An advertisement for trainers mainly aims to:
Selling.
✍️ Type your answer · 5 of 6
“A study of 500 students found they scored 10% higher.”
How many students were in the study?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Find the number.
✍️ Type your answer · 6 of 6
An article has 4 headings, 3 images and a caption under each image.
How many text features (headings, images and captions) are there in total?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count the captions too.
📝 Lesson quiz · 5 questions
0 / 5
Re-read the lesson, then give it another go.
Question 1 of 5
The words “however” and “unlike” usually signal:
Question 2 of 5
A fact:
Question 3 of 5
Which source is likely the most reliable on a medical question?
Question 4 of 5
A caption explains:
Question 5 of 5
Chronological order means:
Lesson 4 · Writing
📣 Persuasive Writing
To persuade, you need a clear claim, convincing reasons and an awareness of your audience. Strong writers also answer the other side.
🧱 Building an argument
A persuasive piece has a claim (your position), reasons, evidence (facts, examples, statistics, expert opinion) and a counterargument that you answer. It ends with a call to action or strong conclusion.
claim: Our school should have a longer lunch break.
reason 1: Students need time to eat and relax.
evidence: A survey of 200 students: 150 said lunch is too short (75%).
counter: Some say it cuts lesson time. Reply: 10 extra minutes improves focus.
🖼️ See it
Strong persuasion is more than opinion: every reason needs evidence, and answering the opposite view makes you more convincing.
🎙️ Appeals and techniques
Writers persuade using logos (logic and evidence), ethos (credibility) and pathos (emotion). Techniques include the rule of three, rhetorical questions, direct address (you) and strong verbs.
logos: “Studies show 75% of students…”
ethos: “As a doctor with 20 years’ experience…”
pathos: “Imagine a child sitting alone, hungry…”
rule of three: “Safe, simple and fun.”
rhetorical question: “Wouldn’t you want the same?”
Use one strong appeal well rather than every technique badly.
✏️ Quick check · 1 of 6
Logos
A writer quotes a statistic from a survey. This is an appeal to:
Logic.
✏️ Quick check · 2 of 6
Pathos
“Imagine a child sitting alone, hungry and cold.” This is mainly an appeal to:
Feelings.
✏️ Quick check · 3 of 6
Counterargument
Why include a counterargument?
Answer the other side.
✏️ Quick check · 4 of 6
Claim
Which is a clear claim?
Can someone disagree?
✍️ Type your answer · 5 of 6
A survey of 200 students found 150 said lunch is too short.
What percentage said so?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
%
Part ÷ whole.
✍️ Type your answer · 6 of 6
A persuasive paragraph gives claim, reason, evidence, counterargument and conclusion.
How many parts is that?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count them.
📝 Lesson quiz · 5 questions
0 / 5
Re-read the lesson, then give it another go.
Question 1 of 5
Ethos is an appeal to:
Question 2 of 5
A rhetorical question:
Question 3 of 5
A call to action tells the reader to:
Question 4 of 5
Which is the strongest evidence?
Question 5 of 5
Persuasive writing should:
Lesson 5 · Literature
🧭 Literary Elements
Stories are built from character, setting, plot, point of view and theme. Understanding how they work together helps you explain what a story means.
👥 Character and conflict
A protagonist is the main character and an antagonist opposes them. Characters can be round (complex, change) or flat (simple). We learn about them through what they say, do and think, and what others say about them (characterisation). Conflict can be internal (within a character) or external (against another person, society or nature).
person vs person a rivalry
person vs nature surviving a storm
person vs society challenging an unfair rule
person vs self deciding to tell the truth
🖼️ See it
Tension builds to the climax, then eases through the falling action to the resolution.
💡 Theme and point of view
The theme is the message about life that a story suggests, such as courage grows through challenge. It is a full statement, not just one word (that would be a topic). Point of view: first person (I), third person limited (one character’s thoughts) or third person omniscient (all characters’ thoughts).
topic: friendship
theme: True friends stand by you when things get difficult.
“I saw the storm coming.” → first person
“She wondered if he knew.” → third person limited
Support a theme with evidence from events and the character’s choices.
✏️ Quick check · 1 of 6
Protagonist
The protagonist is:
The hero.
✏️ Quick check · 2 of 6
Internal conflict
A character struggling to decide whether to tell the truth faces:
Inside.
✏️ Quick check · 3 of 6
Theme vs topic
Which is a theme (rather than a topic)?
Needs a full sentence.
✏️ Quick check · 4 of 6
Point of view
“I saw the storm coming.” The point of view is:
I = first.
✍️ Type your answer · 5 of 6
List the types of conflict: person vs person, vs nature, vs society, vs self.
How many types are there?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Count them.
✍️ Type your answer · 6 of 6
A story has 1 protagonist, 1 antagonist and 3 supporting characters.
How many characters are there in total?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.
Add them.
📝 Lesson quiz · 5 questions
0 / 5
Re-read the lesson, then give it another go.
Question 1 of 5
A round character is:
Question 2 of 5
The setting is:
Question 3 of 5
An antagonist is:
Question 4 of 5
Mood is:
Question 5 of 5
Third person omniscient narration:
Lesson 6 · Literature
🎶 Poetry: Sound & Structure
Poems use sound and shape to carry meaning. Rhythm, rhyme and form change how a poem feels when you read it aloud.
🔊 Sound devices
Alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds, assonance repeats vowel sounds, consonance repeats consonant sounds inside words, and onomatopoeia imitates a sound. Rhyme can be at the end of lines (end rhyme) or inside a line (internal rhyme).
alliteration: silent snow slid softly
assonance: the rain in Spain
onomatopoeia: hiss, thud, clang
end rhyme: light / night
🖼️ See it
Poets use sound to create mood and to make lines memorable. Read poems aloud to hear it.
📐 Form and rhythm
A quatrain is a 4-line stanza and a couplet is 2 rhyming lines. A sonnet has 14 lines. Metre is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. One iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (da-DUM), and iambic pentameter has 5 iambs per line, so 10 syllables.