Basic 3 · English Language

Questions on Stories, Word Families, Lists and Full Stops in Abbreviations

In this topic you will ask and answer questions about stories, decode words using endings, list objects and use full stops in initials and abbreviations.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Ask and answer questions about stories
Decode words using rhyming endings
Make a list of objects in the environment
Use full stops in initials and some abbreviations

What you already know

Rhymes and titles

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Lesson 1

Strand: Oral Language
Sub-strand: Story Telling
Indicator: B3.1.4.1.1 – Respond to and ask questions based on stories heard

Introduction

Good listeners ask questions to understand stories better.

Asking and Answering Questions

Story: "The crow was thirsty. It found a jar with a little water at the bottom. It dropped pebbles into the jar one by one. The water rose, and the crow drank."

Question words

Question word	Question	Answer
Who	Who was thirsty?	the crow
What	What did it drop?	pebbles
Why	Why did the water rise?	the pebbles pushed it up
How	How did the crow drink?	it raised the water with pebbles

A crow dropping pebbles into a jar of water — Figure 1: The clever crow Draw the crow and the jar.Illustration: Sirbus

New words

question word: Who, what, when, where, why or how.
pebble: A small smooth stone.
clever: Quick to think of good ideas.

Summary

Question words help us understand stories.
The crow used pebbles to raise the water.

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. What did the crow drop into the jar?
- A. Pebbles
- B. Leaves
- C. Seeds
- D. Sand
Show answer
Answer: PebblesThe story says pebbles.
2. "Why" asks for a reason.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueWhy asks for reasons.
3. A small smooth stone is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: pebbleThat is a pebble.
4. Ask one "how" question about the story.
Show answer
Answer: E.g. How did the crow get the water?It starts with how.

Lesson 2

Strand: Reading
Sub-strand: Word Families
Indicator: B3.2.3.1.1 – Use common rhyming/endings words for decoding of words

Introduction

Words with the same endings are word families.

Word Families

Word families

-ell	-ock	-ump
bell	clock	jump
shell	sock	bump
well	rock	pump

Three word-family houses for -ell, -ock and -ump with words in the windows — Figure 2: Word family houses Draw a word-family house for -at.Illustration: Sirbus

New words

word family: Words with the same ending.
decode: To read a word by its sounds.
ending: The last part of a word.

Summary

Words in a family share an ending.
Knowing the ending helps us decode new words.

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which word is in the -ock family?
- A. clock
- B. bell
- C. jump
- D. sun
Show answer
Answer: clockcl + ock.
2. "Bump" and "pump" are in the same family.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueBoth end in -ump.
3. sh + ell = ______
Show answer
Answer: shellBlend sh and ell.
4. Write three words in the -ell family.
Show answer
Answer: E.g. bell, well, shell.They end in -ell.

Lesson 3

Strand: Writing
Sub-strand: Labeling Items
Indicator: B3.4.4.1.1 – Make a list of objects found in the environment

Introduction

A list helps us remember many things.

Listing Objects in the Environment

Things in our environment

trees
houses
roads
streams
animals
cars

Tip: Write one item per line and start each with a capital letter if you wish.

New words

list: Items written one under another.
environment: Everything around us.
object: A thing.

Summary

A list has one item per line.
We can list objects in our environment.

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which is an object in the environment?
- A. Tree
- B. Happiness
- C. Monday
- D. Seven
Show answer
Answer: TreeWe can see trees.
2. A list has one item per line.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueThat is a list.
3. Items written one under another make a ______.
Show answer
Answer: listThat is a list.
4. List four objects you see on your way to school.
Show answer
Answer: Answers will differ.Learners list objects.

Lesson 4

Strand: Grammar Usage
Sub-strand: Using Punctuation
Indicator: B3.5.2.1.1 – Use full stops in initials and abbreviations

Introduction

Full stops can show that a word has been shortened.

Full Stops in Initials and Abbreviations

Examples

Full form	Short form
Kwame Nkrumah	K. Nkrumah
Post Office	P.O.
Saint (in place names)	St.
for example	e.g.

Common mistake: In British English, "Mr" and "Dr" usually have no full stop.

New words

full stop: A dot used to end sentences and in some short forms.
initial: The first letter of a name.
short form: A shortened word.

Summary

Use a full stop after an initial.
Some abbreviations use full stops, like P.O. and e.g.

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which is written correctly?
- A. K. Nkrumah
- B. K Nkrumah
- C. k. nkrumah
- D. K, Nkrumah
Show answer
Answer: K. NkrumahInitial with a full stop.
2. "e.g." means "for example".
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt is an abbreviation.
3. Post Office in short form is ______.
Show answer
Answer: P.O.With full stops.
4. Write your father's or mother's name with an initial.
Show answer
Answer: E.g. K. Asante.Initial and full stop.

Lesson 5

Strand: Extensive Reading
Sub-strand: Reading
Indicator: B3.6.1.1.1 – Read a variety of age and level- appropriate books and summarize them

Introduction

Today we read and summarise a story about a storm.

Reading and Summarising

"Dark clouds covered the sky over Ho. The wind blew strongly and the rain poured down. A tree fell across the road, and cars could not pass. The next morning, people from the community came together and cut the tree away. The road was open again."

Summary: A storm knocked a tree onto the road, and the community cleared it.

New words

storm: Strong wind with heavy rain.
community: People who live in the same area.
clear: To remove things blocking the way.

Summary

A storm made a tree fall on the road.
The community worked together to clear it.

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Where did the storm happen?
- A. Ho
- B. Tamale
- C. Kumasi
- D. Wa
Show answer
Answer: HoThe story says Ho.
2. A tree fell across the road.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueThe story says so.
3. Strong wind with heavy rain is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: stormThat is a storm.
4. Write a one-sentence summary.
Show answer
Answer: A storm made a tree fall and the community cleared the road.Main points only.

Homework

Write your name and three abbreviations you know with full stops where needed.