Chapter Nine: Using Appropriate Grammar and Vocabulary for Oral Communication – English Form One
Introduction
Using appropriate grammar and vocabulary enables one to communicate clearly. In this chapter, you will learn to express daily routines and ongoing activities. You will also learn to express family relationships and occupations.
Thereafter, you will learn to express ownership/possession and give directions. The competencies developed will enable you to become confident in communicating and understanding thoughts and ideas orally and in writing.
Think About
- The difficulties you face in making English sentences.
- The efforts you make to compose correct sentences in English.
Activity 1: Expressing Daily Routines
Doctor Rose’s Routine
“I’m Doctor Rose. I work at Afyanjema Hospital. When I arrive at the hospital in the morning, I sign in the attendance book. I do the morning round in the wards to see the admitted patients (in-patients) and check their progress. Thereafter, I go to the consultation room in the Out-Patients Department (OPD) where I attend patients who have registered for consultation.”
- What does Doctor Rose do when she arrives at the hospital?
- When does she do the ward round?
- What time does she break for tea and lunch?
Create Your Daily Routine
Use the following table to write a paragraph about your daily routine activities:
| Activities | Time |
|---|---|
| Wake up | 6:00 am |
| Brush my teeth and take a bath | 6:10 am |
| Take lunch | 1:00 pm |
| Rest | 2:00 pm |
| Do my homework | 3:00 pm |
| Play volleyball with my friends | 5:00 pm |
Useful Phrases for Routines:
- After that, …
- In the morning/afternoon/evening, …
- At (time), …
- Then, …
- Next, …
- … and then …
- When I …, …
- … from (time) to (time)
Activity 2: Expressing Ongoing Activities
Family Activities Dialogue
Janet, what are you doing now?
I am cleaning the windows.
Good. What is Michael doing?
He is sweeping the floor, mother. Where is Nuru?
She is feeding the chickens.
- Write a sentence explaining what each person is doing: Janet, Michael, Nuru and their mother.
- What are people in different situations doing right now?
Present Continuous Tense:
We use the present continuous tense to talk about actions happening right now or around this very moment. We use a form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are) and add the main verb with an -ing ending.
Examples:
- She is playing with her toys.
- They are watching TV tonight.
- I am studying English now.
Create sentences using this structure:
He is listening to the radio
Mary are reading a newspaper
Practice negative forms:
- Janet is playing netball. → Janet is not playing netball.
- They are fetching water. → They are not fetching water.
Activity 3: Expressing Family Relationships and Occupations
Maganga’s Family Tree
Family Relationships:
- Maganga and Kalunde have two children: Ali and Suzy
- Suzy is married to Peter
- Ali is married to Upendo
- John and Joyce are Suzy and Peter’s children
- Idi and Selina are Ali and Upendo’s children
- Maganga is Kalunde’s ______. (husband)
- Suzy is Maganga’s ______. (daughter)
- Peter is Ali’s ______. (brother-in-law)
- Upendo is Kalunde’s ______. (daughter-in-law)
- Joyce is Ali’s ______. (niece)
Occupations and Workplaces
| Description | Occupation |
|---|---|
| A person who sells fruits | fruit vendor |
| A person who types different documents | typist |
| A person who collects money on a bus | bus conductor |
| A person who cuts people’s hair | barber |
| A person who repairs motor vehicles | mechanic |
Where do they work?
- Teacher → school
- Doctor → hospital
- Accountant → office
- Librarian → library
- Sports referee → stadium
Activity 4: Expressing Ownership/Possession
Possession Practice
Example:
Question: Is this your pencil?
Answer: No, it isn’t mine. It’s yours.
Answer: Yes, it’s mine.
Construct sentences expressing possession:
- It is your pen.
- They are my books.
- It is their house.
- They are our parents.
Family Possessions: List things that members of your family own.
- My father owns a car, a house and a farm.
- My mother ______
- My sister ______
- My brother ______
- My uncle ______
Activity 5: Giving Directions
Directions to Mjimwema Market
“First of all, take the cattle track through the bush until you get to a dirt road on your left. Follow it until you get to where it branches. Take the right branch and walk down into the valley. Cross the river and walk straight up the hill. At the top, you will see a radio tower on your left, near a huge baobab tree. Walk past the radio tower and carry on straight for about 500 metres until you reach the village office on your right.”
- Where did Collins want to go?
- How could he get to the dirt road?
- What should he cross before going up the hill?
- Where is the radio tower?
- How far is the village office from the radio tower?
Direction Vocabulary:
- Go straight
- Turn left/right
- Cross the road
- Walk past
- Continue until
- On your left/right
- Next to
- Between
Practice Activity
Draw a sketch map of your school and explain:
- The direction from your home to school
- How to get to the chemistry laboratory from your classroom
- How to get to the boys’ toilets from the main gate