Copyright © 2014 National Adult Literacy Agency
ISBN 978-1-907171-23-9
Published by: National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)
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Sandford Close
Ranelagh
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Tel: (01) 412 7900
Email: [email protected]
NALA Freephone Support Line 1800 20 20 65
Web: www.nala.ie
Learning website: www.writeon.ie
Permission is given to reproduce parts of this publication for educational purposes only. Any other
users must seek NALA’s permission to reproduce material.
We wish to thank the authors Vincent Banville, Joseph O’Connor, Sheila O’Flanagan and Mary
Stanley for allowing us to use extracts from their books. Thanks also to New Island, publishers of the
Open Door series, for allowing us to use images of the book covers.
What is NALA?
The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is an independent membership organisation. We work
to ensure that adults with literacy and numeracy difculties can fully take part in society and have
access to learning opportunities that meet their needs.
1
General
Introduction 3
Vowels and consonants 4
100 most common words 5
Using a dictionary 6
Brushing up on spelling
Spelling Tips 8
Ways to practise spellings 10
Spelling rules
l Prexes 13
l Sufxes 14
•
Root words ending with an “e” 14
•
Root words ending with a “y” 15
•
Root words ending with an “ie” 15
•
Doublingthenalconsonant 16
• Whentousethesufx“able” or “ible” 18
l “ie” or “ei”? 19
l Homonyms 20
l Plurals 21
Exercise: Reading a novel 22
Exercise: Crossword puzzle 23
Your spelling dictionary 24
Contents
2
Brushing up on grammar
Parts of speech 26
l Nouns 28
l Pronouns 29
l Adjectives 30
l Verbs 31
l Adverbs 32
l Conjunctions 33
l Prepositions 34
l Interjections 35
Exercise: Reading a paragraph 36
Exercise: Reading an article 37
Brushing up on punctuation
Sentences 40
Using capital letters 42
When to use punctuation marks 43
l Full stop 43
l Question mark 43
l Exclamationmark 43
l Comma 44
l Inverted commas or quotation marks 44
l Apostrophe 45
l Colon and semi-colon 47
l Other symbols – brackets, dashes and hyphens 48
Exercises on punctuation 49
Exercise: Bringing it all together 50
Answers 51
How to improve your literacy and numeracy 57
Index 58
NALA Membership Form 59
Contents
3
Welcome to ‘Brushing Up’. This learning support workbook covers the basics of spelling,
grammarandpunctuation.Manyofusndthesedifcult.Itisdesignedasastartingpointfor
you to use either on your own or with the support of a tutor.
The workbook will give you information and tips about spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Italsoprovidesyouwithexercisestopractiseovertimesoyoucanimprovetheseskills.
Starting off
Manypeoplestruggledwithlearningspelling,grammarandpunctuation.Oncewenishedin
school, we may not have used these skills as much in everyday life and we may have forgotten
them or be a little “rusty”.
Thisworkbookhastipstohelpyoureadandwritemorecondently.Itdoesnotcovereverypart
of spelling, grammar or punctuation but it is a start. You can contact us if you would like to learn
more.
 Whereyouseethepensymbol,theseareexercisesforyoutodo.
 Theanswerstotheexercisesareattheendofthebook.
 Youwillndsometipswhereyouseethelightbulbsymbol.
Introduction
If you have any questions as you are
using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to
Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
If you call outside of these hours, please leave your name
and number and we will be happy to call you back.
4
In the English language there are 26 letters in the alphabet.
The 26 letters are made up of 5 vowels (in red below) and 21 consonants (in blue).
To remember the 5 vowels – a e i o u - think of a sentence that uses them all.
 Examples:
 l An elephant is often upset.
 lYou brought me to A & E, now IOU.
Fill in the missing vowels in these sentences.
Salt in your diet
M __ n y o f u s a r e g __ t t i n g f __ r m __ r e s __ d i u m
(s __ l t) __ n o u r d i __ t t h a n i s r e c o m m e n d _ d. T h i s
c __ u l d l e a d t o s e r i o __ s h e __ l t h p r __ b l e m s.
Fill in the missing consonants in these sentences.
Salt in your diet
I t i __ r e c o m __ e n __ e d t h a t w e t a __ e 1 5 0 0 mg o __
s o __ i u __ p e r __ a y. T __ i s i s a b o u __
3
/4 of a
t e a __ p o o __ , o r 3 . 7 5 g r a m s, o f s a __ t.
The answers are on page 51.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [CAPITAL letters]
a b c d e f g h i j k l mn o p q r s t u v w x y z [lower case]
Vowels and consonants
5
These 100 words make up, on average, half of all the words we read and write.
Learning these words is a good place to start when working on your spellings.
This list was originally compiled by Edward Dolch, University of Illinois. Edward Fry updated it
more recently. We have listed the words in alphabetical order.
a each it out to
about nd like part two
all rst long people up
an for look said use
and from made see was
are get make she water
as go many sit way
at had may so we
be has more some were
been have my than what
but he no that when
by her not the which
called him now their who
can his number them will
come how of then with
could I oil there words
day if on these would
did in one they write
do into or this you
down is other time your
The next time you nish writing something, check to see which of these words
you have used. Use this list to see if you’ve written them correctly.
Select a newspaper article and nd some of these words.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [CAPITAL letters]
a b c d e f g h i j k l mn o p q r s t u v w x y z [lower case]
100 most common words
6
A dictionary lists words from A to Z and explains what each word means.
In a dictionary the words are arranged in alphabetical order. This means the words are arranged in
thesameorderasthealphabet:wordsbeginningwithAcomerst,wordsbeginningwithBcome
second and so on through the alphabet.
Example: Look at these words arranged in alphabetical order.
Apple, Banana, Kiwi, Orange, Pear, Strawberry
You should nd a range of easy to use dictionaries in your local bookstore, your
library or online.
Put these words in alphabetical order.
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
4. ______________________
5. ______________________
The rst letter of a word is the rst clue. All the words that begin with that letter are
grouped together. The next clue is the second letter, and so on.
Put these words in alphabetical order. Note they begin with the same rst letter so
you need to check the second letter.
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
Using a dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [CAPITAL letters]
a b c d e f g h i j k l mn o p q r s t u v w x y z [lower case]
elephant dingo spider bear cougar
train table teapot
7
Brushing up
on
spelling
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [CAPITAL letters]
a b c d e f g h i j k l mn o p q r s t u v w x y z [lower case]
8
Spelling Tips
There is no one way to learn how to spell. As there are many different approaches you will have
tondwhatworksbestforyou.Thespellingofsomewordsisexactlyastheysound–words
such as “cat”, “ran” or “bus”.
Sometimestherearerulesthatcanbelearnt,forexample“i” before “e”exceptafter“c”.
However other times you just have to learn the word off! Improving your spelling takes time,
practice and patience.
The NALA freephone team is available to assist you. We are happy to hear from you, whether
you need some support or would like to know more about going back to learning.
1. Practise, practise, practise.
Ifyou’renotsurehowtospellaword,ndoutthecorrectspelling,thenwriteitdown
and practise it. Keep a notebook of words you are learning and soon you will have your
own personal dictionary. Then over time, as you practise these words, you will see your
progress.
2. When you are practising spellings, use as many senses as you can.
3. Little and often!
Practise words a few at a time rather than trying to do a large number all at once. Find
out what works best for you – it may be one or two words or as many as three or four.
Lookoutforthosewordsintextaroundyou.Eachtimeyoulearnanotherword,goback
and practise the ones you learned before.
4. Sound out the word.
Words have one or more syllables or parts. A syllable is the number of beats in a word.
Break up the words into syllables or parts.
Examples:
Spellinghastwosyllables:spell-ing
Memoryhasthreesyllables:mem-or-y
+
+
=
Brushing up on spelling
9
5. Review and review some more!
If you already know some of the words on your list, practise them once or twice. You can
do this by spelling them out loud to yourself. You will be surprised how many words you
already know. Reviewing the spellings transfers the knowledge from your short-term
to your long-term memory. We need to get the spellings into our long-term memory to
keep them.
6. Write it down.
Practise spellings by writing them down. By looking at the letters and writing them down,
you will become familiar with them and spot mistakes more easily. You want to train your
hands to write the correct letters in the right order. Try out the ways to practise spellings
onthenextfewpages.
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Now you practise writing out the alphabet.
7. Read a lot.
Readeverythingyouseearoundyou–notjustbooks.Forexample,foodpackets,
newspapers,catalogues,billboards,roadsignsandsoon.Thiswillxthelookofmany
common spelling patterns in your memory and this will help you to spot if one of your
spellings doesn’t “look right”.
8. Use a mobile phone.
If you have a mobile phone use it to help you with your spellings.
 lSave spellings in your notes on your phone and review them if you have a spare
minute.
 lDownload spelling apps and bookmark websites that you use.
 lTake photographs of any words you don’t know.
 lRecord a word if you are not sure how to spell it and come back to it later when you
have time.
Make learning opportunities for yourself – a minute here and there during the
day can help achieve your learning goals.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
10
Look at something you have written. Are there words that you think are not spelt right?
Choose a word you would like to learn to spell.
Whenyouhavechosenthewordyouwanttospell,ndouthowtospellit.
Youcandothisby:
 l looking up a dictionary
 l asking somebody
When you have the correct spelling, how can you learn it?
There are many ways of developing spelling skills.
1. Learn by doing (kinaesthetic approach)
Look, say, trace, cover, write, check
lLook at the word carefully.
lSay the word.
lTraceovereachletterwithangerora
pen or make the shape of the letters in the air.
lCover the word and try to say the letters.
lWrite the word without looking at the trace column where
the word is written. Use joined writing – this can be helpful as
you see the word as one unit rather than a series of small letters.
lCheck if it has been written correctly. If not, repeat from the top.
Practise the same word again after 10 minutes, at the end of the day and the following day until
you are happy that you can spell it. Repetition is key to learning.
Ways to practise spellings
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
11
Trace
Copy
Recall
Trace Copy
Recall
word
Aversionofthismethodis: “Trace, Copy and Recall”
Get a piece of paper and draw three columns. Put a heading in each - as shown here.
Then fold over the “Recall”parttohideit.Nowyouonlyseethersttwocolumns.
Then
l Choose a word you want to learn to spell.
l Traceitintherstcolumn,sayingeachletterasyoutrace.
l Go to the second column and copy the word. Check the word – did you copy it correctly? If
not, copy again, focusing on the part you need to remember.
l Coverthosetwocolumnsbyippingthepaperovertothe“Recall” column and write out
the word from memory.
l Then check the spelling.
 • If you got it right, well done – now write the word in a sentence.
• If you got it wrong, underline which part of the word you need to focus on and try again.
2. Learn by seeing (visual approach)
Look at the word and ask yourself…
l What does the word look like?
- How many tall letters are there and where do they come in the word?
- Is there a shape to the word that will help you to remember it?
l Can I break the word up?
Examples: party breaksupas par/ty
forgetful breaks up as for / get / ful (remember there is only one “l”)
Ways to practise spellings
12
l Within the word, are there smaller words?
Examples: together = to/get/her
shoelace= shoe/lace
l Does the word have a familiar beginning or ending?
Example: unkind = un + kind
helpful = help + ful(rememberthereisonlyone“l”)
singing = sing + ing
3. Learn by hearing, saying and sounding
l Sound out the word.
Example: in–de–pend–ent
l Say the word as it is written.
Examples: k–nee
lam – b
l Look out for words that have sound patterns or rhymes.
Example: hand,sand,land,stand,understanding
4. Memory aids
It’s also helpful to make up funny memory aids.
Examples: Doyouhavetroublerememberingwhichhastwos’s – desert (arid land) or
dessert (a sweet treat)? Remember that with dessert, you’d like
seconds – so the dessert you eat has 2 s’s.
Do you have trouble remembering how to spell separate?
Remember there is “a rat” in the middle of separate.
Do you have trouble remembering to spell teacher?
Remember there is an “ache” in teacher.
Ways to practise spellings
13
A root word is a word that has nothing added at the beginning or the end.
New words can be made from root words by adding beginnings (prexes) and endings
(sufxes).
Prexes
A prex is added to the beginning of a root word to change its meaning or to make a new word.
The most common prexes are “un” and “dis”.Bothoftheseprexesmeannot.
Example: “un” + happy = unhappy
prex rootword newword
Some words can have both “un” or “dis” in front of them.
Examples: able:  disable or unable
satised: dissatisedorunsatised
Write the opposite of these words using the prexes “un” or “dis”.
1. true __________________
2. believable __________________
3. appear __________________
4. certain __________________
5. aware __________________
Other common prexes include: “in”, “under”, “re”, “sub”, “im”, “mis”
Match the prexes on the left to the root words on the right to make new words.
Prex Root word
im estimate
under mature
dis take
mis marine
sub trust
Someoftheseprexescangowithmorethanoneword.
The answers are on page 51.
6. expected __________________
7. healthy __________________
8. honest __________________
9. lucky __________________
10. agree __________________
Spelling rules
14
A sufx is added to the end of a root word to change its meaning or make a new word.
The most common sufxes are
“ed” and “ing”.
In the these sentences the root word is walk. I walk every day.
Wecanaddthesufxes“ed” or “ing” to make new words. I walked yesterday.
I am walking to the shop.
Otherexamplesofcommonsufxesare:
“ary”, “ery”, “ory”, “less” –Thesesufxesusuallymakeadjectives.
“ed”, “ing”, “ise” –Thesesufxesareusedwithverbs.
“er”, “ship”, “ism” –Thesesufxesusuallyformnouns.
Adding a sufx to root words ending with an “e”
1. When a root word ends in “e” and the sufx begins with a consonant, keep the “e” when
adding the sufx.
2. When a root word ends in “e” and the sufx begins with a vowel, drop the “e” when
adding the sufx.
There are some exceptions. This means they don’t follow the above rule.
Examples: argue–argument nine–ninth true–truly
Note:
Thenal“e” is not dropped from words ending in “ee”, “oe” and “ye”.
Examples: agree–agreeing see–seeing canoe–canoeing
hoe – hoeing dye – dyeing eye – eyeing
Root word
+“ful” +“ment” +“less”
care careful careless
excite excitement
use useful
Root word
+“ing” +“ed”
care care+ing=caring care+ed=cared
love love+ing=loving love+ed=loved
use use+ing=using use+ed=used
Sufxes
15
Rule 1: For words ending in “y”, keep the “y” when adding “ing” and “ish”.
Examples: carrying crying
funnyish heavyish
Rule 2: When a vowel comes before the nal “y” in a word, keep the “y” when adding the
sufx.
Examples:
Exceptions day–daily lay–laid 
pay – paid say – said
Rule 3: When a consonant comes before the nal “y” in a word, change the
“y” to an “i” when adding the sufx.
Examples:
Adding a sufx to root words ending with an “ie”
When a root word ends in “ie”, change the “ie” to “y” when adding “ing”.
Examples: lie–lying die – dying tie – tying
Remember the more you read, the more you will become familiar with words.
Then you will know if they don’t
“look right”.
Root word +“ed” +“ing” +“ment”
delay delayed delaying
employ employed employing employment
stay stayed staying
Root word +“er” +“est” +“ed”
funny funnier funniest
carry carrier carried
heavy heavier heaviest
Adding a sufx to root words ending with a “y”
16
Some root words double the last letter before adding a sufx which begins with a vowel –
such as “er”, “ed” or “ing”.
These root words are those that end in a single vowel + a consonant.
Example: Swim: Swimendsinasinglevowel(i)+aconsonant(m)
single vowel consonant
So when adding ‘ing’ you have to double the last letter.
s w i m + “ing” = swimming
Put a next to the words that double the last letter and X against those that don’t.
vowel consonant
run (vc) o shop ( ) o
wash (cc) o clap ( ) o
sun (vc) o want ( ) o
help (cc) o stop ( ) o
Add “er”, “ed” and “ing” to these root words to make new words.
 +“er” + “ed”   + “ing”
Bat ______________ ______________ ______________
Pot ______________ ______________ ______________
Skip ______________ ______________ ______________
Trip ______________ ______________ ______________
Slip ______________ ______________ ______________
Fit ______________ ______________ ______________
Wet ______________ ______________ ______________
The answers are on page 51.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Doubling the nal consonant
17
Watch out for the exceptions (words that don’t follow the above rule).
Exercise
Read this passage.
Going back to learning
Underline the prexes and sufxes.
Read the text again. This time, underline the prexes and sufxes.
Write out the prexes and sufxes here.
The answers are on page 51.
When I look back now I was very scared and unsure of taking
thatrststep.OfcourseitwasthebestthingIeverdid.Ibegan
learning with a one-to-one tutor for two hours a week. Then after
a while I moved into a small group and had more hours. I loved
coming to the centre for my classes and made some great friends.
Over a year I worked on my spelling, reading, writing and maths.
One day the tutor introduced us to computers and we went
on the internet. I was amazed at all the information you could look
up. My kids are unhappy with this as they now can’t get me away
from the laptop at home.
Root word Adding sufx ‘ing’ Adding sufx ‘ed’
saw sawing sawed
box boxing boxed
snow snowing snowed
18
These sufxes usually mean “able to be …”
Examples: available: abletobeusedorobtained
breakable: abletobebroken
audible: abletobeheard
visible: abletobeseen
Words ending in “able”
l When a word ends in “able” the main part of the word is usually a complete word which
makes sense on its own.
Examples: drink + able = drinkable
laugh + able = laughable
l
When a word ends with a “y”, the “y” usually changes to “i” before adding the sufx “able”.
Examples: rely + able = reliable
envy + able = enviable
l
When the word ends with an “e”, you usually drop the “e” before adding the sufx “able”.
Examples: believe + able = believable
value + able = valuable
Words ending in “ible”
l When a word ends in “ible” you usually can’t break them into separate words that make
sense on their own.
Examples: sens + ible = sensible
   horr + ible = horrible
l Most words with “s” or “ss” before the ending take “ible”.
Examples: possible responsible
Put the following words into sentences.
1. believable _________________________________________________________________
2. edible _________________________________________________________________
3. impossible _________________________________________________________________
4. acceptable _________________________________________________________________
5. accessible _________________________________________________________________
When to use the sufx “able” or “ible”
19
Many words that we see have “i” before “e”.
Examples: achieve,believe,die,eld,friend,piece,pier
However there are some rules you need to know:
Rule 1: “i” before “e” except after “c”
This means use “ei” after “c”.
Examples: ceiling,conceit,deceit,perceive,receipt,receive
Rule 2: “ie” after “c” with a ‘shen’ sound
Examples: ancient,efcient,sufcient,conscience
Rule 3: “ei” where “ei” sounds like ‘ay’
Examples: freight,neighbour,reign,rein,weight
Watch out for the exceptions (words that don’t follow the above rules).
either neither height leisure foreign science
Fill in “ie” or “ei” in these words.
1.Ihopetoach_____veagoodresultinmyexam.
2. Mrs. Smith makes a great shepherd’s p _____ .
3. When will I rec _____ ve the deposit back?
4. What a lovely p _____ ce of furniture!
5.Iboughtsomefor_____gnexchangeinthebank.
Put the following words into sentences.
1. weird _________________________________________________________________
2. receipt _________________________________________________________________
3. neighbour _________________________________________________________________
4. weight _________________________________________________________________
5. leisure _________________________________________________________________
The answers are on page 51.
“ie” or “ei”?
20
There are many words in English that sound the same, but have different meanings and are
spelt differently. These words are called homonyms.
Examples: to too two
by buy bye
through threw
aloud allowed
Look at these pairs of homonyms.
Homonym Meaning of the word Homonym Meaning of the word
dear •expensive
•apolitegreetinginaletter
deer a fast-running graceful animal
pain hurt caused by an injury or illness pane a sheet of glass in a window
right •correct
•onortowardstherighthandside
write put letters or words on paper
Use words from the box below to ll in the gaps in these sentences.
1. That is not the ________________ way to do that.
2. Will you ________________ to me soon? I like hearing the news.
3. I can’t __________________ to hear from my friend in Australia.
4. She has lost a lot of _________________ recently.
5. I sent _________________ emails yesterday.
6. I am sorry I have not written _______________ you for so long.
7. A ________________ swan is called a cob.
8. Ihaveno_____________________inmyinbox.
9. I do not like the _________________of that perfume.
10. He _______________ a letter to his son in France.
The answers are on page 52.
Homonyms
right mail sent to wait weight two write scent male
21
Plural means more than one.
To get the plural of most words, you just add “s”.
Examples: onecomputer twocomputers
one dog two dogs
However for words that end in “ch” “z” “sh” “s” “x” or “ss” you make the plural by
adding “es”.
Examples: onekiss twokisses
one lunch two lunches
For words ending in “y”
l If there is a vowel before the “y”, you just add “s”.
Examples: oneboy twoboys
one day two days
l If there is a consonant before the “y”, drop the “y” and add “ies”.
Examples: onedaisy twodaisies
one family two families
Add “s” or “es” to make the words plural.
Note: Remember what happens to some words ending in “y”.
1. monitor ____________________ 5. baby ____________________
2. way ____________________ 6. switch ____________________
3.box ____________________ 7.brush ____________________
4. crash ____________________ 8. party ____________________
The answers are on page 52.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Plurals
22
Read this extract from the book “Bruno, peanut and me” by Mary Stanley.
Read the piece again looking closely at the words. Did you understand them all?
Underline the words you had difculty with. Look those words up in a dictionary and
then try to learn to spell them.
Check your local library or bookshop for this book and more titles from the
Open Door series.
Exercise: Reading a novel
CHAPTER TWO
We lived in a house by the sea.
From the windows in our house we could see the
railway line, a high wall and then the sea. In the summer
we swam and played in the water.
In the winter we watched the sea going in and out,
pulling back across the sand until it almost disappeared,
then slowly washing in again until all the rocks were
under water.
In spring, the tides were so high they splashed over
the wall and on to the railway track.
“Hah,” said Bruno. “I wonder will it keep coming in,
until the tracks are covered and it comes right up to our
house.”
“Oh, no,” said Peanut, with one more thing to worry
about. “What will happen then?”
“We’llbeoodedandwe’ll be washed away,” said
Bruno, happily.
“Oh, no,” repeated Peanut.
“Don’t worry, Peanut,” I said to my little sister. “We’ll
get an ark and sail away, like Noah did.”
23
Fill in this crossword puzzle.
The answers are in the extract from “Bruno, peanut and me” on page 22.
Hint! Watch out for the clue numbers and check if they are across or down.
Across
4. These can be single or double glazed. (7 letter word)
6. They lived in a ________ by the sea. (5 letter word)
8. “Don’t worry, Peanut,” I said to my little ________. (6 letter word)
9. The coldest season. (6 letter word)
Down
1. We will be ------- and washed away. (7 letter word)
2.Theoppositetoappeared.Hint:useaprex(11letterword)
3. He built the ark. (4 letter word)
5. The warmest season. (6 letter word)
7. The season between the answers to 9 across and 5 down. (6 letter word)
Enjoy the crossword. If you get stuck, give yourself a break and then come back
to it. Remember the crossword is fun and looking up the answer is not cheating.
The answers are on page 52.
Exercise: Crossword puzzle
8
6 7
3
9
8
S
4
2
5
1
24
Your spelling dictionary
There are new words that you will come across. It is often useful to write these words down so
you can look them up if you need to.
Youcankeepyourownspellingdictionaryandjotdownnewwordsyound.Thisislaidoutin
alphabetical order.
A a
B b
C c
D d
E e
F f
G g
H h
I i
J j
K k
L l
M m
N n
O o
P p
Q q
R r
S s
T t
U u
V v
W w
X x
Y y
Z z
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
25
Brushing up
on
grammar
26
It is important to understand and use basic grammar rules. In the following pages you will be
able to work on these.
Parts of speech
Every word is part of a word group or parts of speech. There are eight parts of speech.
Nouns are the names of people,
places, things, ideas and feelings.
Somenouns:
People – boy, mother
Place – bank, road, Dublin
Thing – card, pen, shoe
Idea – anger, belief, kindness
Example:
Sean ate his lunch.
More on nouns on page 28.
Verbs are action or doing words.
Someverbs:
dance jump run
drive cook paint
am was will be
Example:
Mary ate her dinner.
More on verbs on page 31.
Adverbs describe or tell us more
about verbs. They may also describe
adjectives.
Someadverbs:
clearly fast always
very slowly loudly
Example:
She ate her dinner quickly.
More on adverbs on page 32.
Brushing up on grammar
Pronouns are small words which
take the place of a noun in a
sentence.
Somepronouns:
I me mine
we us ours
you yours who
he him his it
she her hers
they them theirs
that these this those
Example:He ate his lunch.
More on pronouns on page 29.
27
Adjectives describe or tell us
more about nouns or pronouns.
Someadjectives:
The blue coat.
The happy girl.
He is funny.
Example:
The man and his lively dog
walked through the park.
More on adjectives on page 30.
Conjunctions are words that join
two words or groups of words.
Someconjunctions:
and but or
although so unless
because neither either
Example:
The man and his lively dog walked
through the park.
More on conjunctions on page 33.
Prepositions are words that show
the relationship between a noun
(or pronoun) to another noun (or
pronoun) in the sentence.
Someprepositions:
at in on across
beside under against
Example:
The man and his lively dog walked
through the park.
More on prepositions on page 34.
Interjections are words used to
show strong feeling or emotion.
Someinterjections:
Ouch! Oh! Ow!
Ahem Hurrah! Gosh!
Example:
Ouch! The dog bit me!
More on interjections on page 35.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Parts of speech
28
Nouns are the names of people, places, things, ideas and feelings.
Underline the nouns.
1. My hair grows very fast.
2. He is a carpenter.
3. Please park your car in the garage.
4. I felt delighted when I passed the test.
5. She ate her breakfast quickly.
There are different types of nouns.
Common nouns name people, places or
things.
Commonnouns:
People – girl, father, cousin
Place – hospital, shop, river, street
Thing – card, pen, shoe, umbrella
Common nouns are written in
lower case letters.
Proper nouns name a particular person,
place or thing.
Propernouns:
People – John Doyle, Mr. Owens
Place – Mater Hospital, Arnotts,
River Lee, Henry Street
Thing – Friday, July, Christmas Day
Forpropernouns,therst
letter is a capital letter.
Abstract nouns may be ideas or activities or
feelings.
Abstractnouns:
anger courage laughter calm
height length kindness dark
She is full of kindness.
Kindness is an abstract noun
because you can’t physically
touch, feel, hear, taste, smell or
see it.
Collective nouns describe groups of
people, animals or things.
Collectivenouns:
A group of ships is called a eet.
A group of cows is called a herd.
A group of players is called a team.
A group of ants is called a colony.
Nouns
29
Pronouns are small words which take the place of a noun in a sentence.
Examples:
Underline the pronouns in the following sentences.
1. They go swimming every Saturday.
2. The puppy ate it.
3. The politician annoyed me.
4. Theywereverysatisedwiththemeal.
5. We stayed in it for a week.
A pronoun may be rst, second or third person. It can also be singular and plural.
Someexamplesare:
In each sentence below, ll the gaps with a suitable pronoun.
1. I enjoyed my holiday but __________ sounded better.
2. The girl listens to her mother because she likes ___________ .
3. Is that child ___________ ?
4. Don’t forget to bring ___________ .
5. Vegetables are good for you so you should eat ___________ .
The answers are on page 52.
The man arrived at 10. He arrived at 10.
The girls sang in the musical. They sang in the musical.
The horse ate the hay. The horse ate it.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Pronouns
I me mine
we us ours
you yours who
he him his it
she her hers
they them theirs
that these this those
30
Adjectives describe or tell us more about nouns or pronouns.
Examples:
Underline the adjectives in the following sentences.
1. Severaloldfolkcaughtanawfulu.
2. Thebabysleptsoundlyfortherstnight.
3. You should eat some healthy food each day.
4. Thefastriverowedthroughthegreencountryside.
5. The young girl stayed out late last night.
Use the adjectives in the box to ll in the gaps.
anxiouscarefulfoolishshowerythirsty
1. I am very ____________ with money.
2. Scotland gets very _____________ weather.
3. I drank lots after the marathon as I was very __________.
4. Jack feels __________ when he has to speak in public.
5. Itwouldbe___________todrivethrougharedtrafclight.
Fill the gaps with suitable adjectives.
There are many adjectives you can use here.
1. Some people think that Cork is the __________ city in Ireland.
2. She bought a ___________ present.
3. The ___________ weather spoiled a __________ trip.
4. Mary scored ___________ goals in the ___________ minute.
5. Did that ___________ book win the ___________ award?
The answers are on page 52.
Adjectives
Tom is happy. Happy is an adjective describing the proper noun Tom.
It was bad. Bad is an adjective describing the pronoun it.
The fast athlete. Fast is an adjective telling us more about the noun athlete.
31
Verbs are action or doing words.
Examples: Iwalk to work every day. He jogs once a week.
Peter went to the library. The woman drives to town.
She is angry with Jack. She has a cold.
The time of the action is called the tense.Thethreemaintensesare:
1. Pasttense = theactionhasalreadyhappened.
2. Presenttense = theactionistakingplacenow–inthepresent.
3. Futuretense = theactionwilltakeplaceinthefuture.
Examples:
Underline the verbs in the following sentences.
1. Sean jumped out of the plane.
2. Thetwinswillstartschoolnextyear.
3. She plans a holiday every year.
4. The bank sent a statement last week.
5. I broke my leg on Tuesday.
Fill the gaps with suitable verbs.
There are many verbs you can use here.
1. His nephew ____________ a new car.
2. Theletterwas___________byexpresspost.
3. I ____________ the robin singing this morning.
4. The garda _______________ the area for clues to the crime.
5. _________ the car boot and put the shopping in there.
Past tense Present tense Future tense
I walked I walk I will walk
I jogged I jog I will jog
I went I go I will go
I drove I drive I will drive
I was I am I will be
I had I have I will have
Verbs
32
Adverbs describe or tell us more about verbs. They may also describe
adjectives.
Most adverbs are used with verbs and are formed by adding ‘ly’ to the adjective.
Examples:  clear–clearly brave – bravely slow – slowly
Adverbstellus:
Time We will meet tomorrow.
Place He came here yesterday.
Manner They tiptoed quietly into the house.
Degree I am very weak.
Number (amount) She often goes to the cinema.
Underline the adverbs in the following sentences.
1. She sang sweetly.
2. They seldom meet anymore.
3. The baby slept very badly.
4. Olive was very hungry after her swim.
5. I carefully opened the package.
Fill the gaps with suitable adverbs.
There are many adverbs you can use here.
1. They arrived _________ to the party.
2. He spoke ____________ to the canvasser at the door.
3. They lived _____________ in a big old farmhouse.
4. She danced _______________ with her partner.
5. The passengers waited ___________ in line to get on the train.
The answers are on page 53.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Adverbs
33
Conjunctions are words that join two words or groups of words.
Examples:  Themanand his dog went everywhere together.
It was bulky but light.
She will wait until you arrive.
I will go to the party if you come too.
Write a sentence using the following conjunctions.
1. although _____________________________________________________________________
2. because______________________________________________________________________
3. before _______________________________________________________________________
4. since ________________________________________________________________________
5. unless________________________________________________________________________
Use the conjunctions in the box to ll in the gaps in the sentences below.
1. She didn’t go out _________________ it stopped raining.
2. Close the window _________________ you go out.
3. He hates fruit _________________ he eats plenty of vegetables.
4. You don’t have to queue ________________ you buy your tickets in advance.
5. I need to see your proof of age ______________ I can’t sell alcohol to anyone under 18.
The answers are on page 53.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
as but if until when
Conjunctions
34
Prepositions are words that show the relationship of a noun (or pronoun) to
another noun (or pronoun) in the sentence. It also shows position or location.
Examples:  Thedogranacross the street. We arrived at the wedding.
Patrick lives by the beach. The computer is on the table.
Use the prepositions in the box to ll in the gaps.
1. The woman fell _________ her bike.
2. The boy placed his coat __________ the chair.
3. Kate works ____________ the summer.
4. I went to the cinema ____________ my friends.
5. The boy walked ____________ the woods.
Fill each gap with a suitable preposition.
1. Martina moved the sofa _________ the window.
2. The girl divided the winnings _____________ the family.
3. The bicycle crashed __________ the Luas.
4. I received a letter ___________ my uncle.
5. The people walked ______________ the bridge.
Put the following prepositions into sentences.
1. around ______________________________________________________________________
2. beside ______________________________________________________________________
3. in ______________________________________________________________________
4. near ______________________________________________________________________
5. off ______________________________________________________________________
The answers are on page 53.
across during off through with
Prepositions
35
Interjections are words used to show strong feeling or emotion. It is a big
name for a little word!
InterjectionsareshortexclamationslikeOh! Um! or Ah! We use them quite often, usually more
in speaking than in writing.
Theyareincludedinasentence(usuallyatthestart)toexpressafeelingsuchassurprise,
disgust,joy,excitementorenthusiasm.
Examples: Hey! Stop that cat! Oh, that is shocking.
Dear me! Jeepers, that was close.
Yes and No
Introductoryexpressionssuchasyes, no, indeed,
and well are also classed as interjections.
Examples: Indeed, this happens all the time.
Yes, I will apply for that job.
Some interjections are sounds.
Examples: Phew! I’m never going there again.
Yum! My compliments to the chef.
Use the interjections in the box to ll in the gaps.
1. “ _______ ! This sandwich is lovely,” said Mary.
2. “ ________ ! The bus is about to leave,” he cried.
3. John arrived at his surprise party. “ ________________ !” he said.
4. “ _________! I could have told you that,” Jake replied.
5. “ ________ , I’m not going tomorrow night,” she said.
The answers are on page 54.
I’m sure I don’t know half the
people who come to my house.
Indeed, for all I hear, I shouldn’t
like to.
Oscar Wilde
Humph Hurry No Oh my gosh Yum
Phew
Interjections
36
Read the paragraph below. Decide what part of speech each word is.
Then check your answers in the boxes below.
Nouns
---------------------- Common ---------------------- ------- Proper -------
woman accident passenger O’Connell Street
minibus shock cuts Abbey Street
car corner bruises Mary Jones
city hospital driver Crumlin
centre ambulance
yesterday intensive care
Pronouns
she
Verbs
was
injured
crashed
happened
moved
is
taken
treated
Adjectives
young
nearby
minor
Conjunctions
and
Adverbs
seriously
quickly
also
Prepositions
after
in
on
from
to
by
with
for
Other words
a the of
Exercise: Reading a paragraph
A young woman was seriously injured after a minibus and a car crashed in
the city centre yesterday. The accident happened on the corner of O’Connell
Street and Abbey Street. The woman, Mary Jones from Crumlin, was quickly
moved to a nearby hospital by ambulance and she is in intensive care. A
passenger was also taken to hospital with minor cuts and bruises. The driver
was treated for shock.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
37
Read this article once all the way through.
Then read it again and underline the nouns and write them in the noun box on the
next page.
Do the same for the adjectives, verbs and adverbs.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
UNPLUG AND OPEN
A BOOK … THE JOY
OF SLOW READING
W
hy not try this over the
weekend – switch off
your devices and switch on your
brain. Grab that book, curl up
in a comfy armchair and lose
yourself.
At a time when much of what
we read is on a screen, the idea
ofleangthroughthepagesof
a good book is a dying art form.
Slow reading is the new game in
town,withclaimsthatitbenets
your brain and cuts stress.
Slow reading clubs are popping
up all over, from Notting Hill to
Wellington, New Zealand. They
all follow the same format –
people arrive at a cafe, grab a
drink and shut off their mobile
phones. Then they sink into cozy
chairs and read in silence for an
hour.
The point of the club isn’t to
talk about literature, but to get
away from pinging electronic
devices and read without
interruption.
Slow reading promotes a
return to the focused reading
habits of years gone by, before
smartphones and social media
started eating into our time and
attention spans.
Slowreaderslistmanybenets
from improving their ability to
concentrate, reducing stress
levels and deepening their ability
to think, listen and empathise.
Now, where did I Ieave that
book?
Exercise: Reading an article
38
Nouns
Adjectives Adverbs
Verbs
The answers are on page 54.
Exercise: Reading an article
39
Brushing up
on
punctuation
40
Knowing where and when to use punctuation marks can greatly improve your writing.
Punctuationmeansthecorrectuseofthefollowing:
Sentences
A sentence is always made up of at least one noun (or pronoun) and at least one verb.
A sentence has a complete thought.
Examples: Siobhan sings. John eats.
We arrived. They won!
A sentence can also be a question.
Example:HowmanypictureswillItake?
A sentence normally starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. Sometimes the full
stopisreplacedbyaquestionmark(?)oranexclamationmark(!).
Examples: Mary wore a dress.
She wore a lovely blue dress to the party.
What colour was the dress.
Brushing up on punctuation
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Full stop Colon
Question mark Semi-colon
Exclamationmark Brackets
Comma Dash
Inverted commas or
quotation marks
Hyphen
Apostrophe
.
?
!
:
_
_
41
Put a next to the lines that are sentences and X against those that are not.
1. John sent a picture to his friend.
o
2. I went to the town and I bought
o
3. Mary Jones
o
4. Can I have the camera?
o
5. I saw a picture in the paper. o
6. It’s raining here because o
Complete each sentence by selecting the correct ending.
I went to America on my holidays so I left work early.
I have learned to use a computer so I did not enjoy it.
I had a bad headache I can now book my own tickets.
Iwenttoalmlastnightbut attheendofasentence.
You always put a full stop and I really enjoyed it.
Finish the following sentences.
Remember to put in a full stop or a question mark.
1. My camera is very ____________________________________________________________
2. What time can you ___________________________________________________________
3. Computers are ______________________________________________________________
4. How much is the _____________________________________________________________
5. I need to buy a digital camera because _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The answers are on page 54.
Sentences
42
Capital letters are used on the following occasions:
1. At the beginning of all sentences.
2. For the names of people. Examples: Ann, Derek, Ryan, Murphy.
3. For the names of places. Examples: Dublin, Cork, Paris, Henry Street.
4. For the title of a person. Examples: Mr., Mrs., Dr.
5. For the names of the days of the week and
months oftheyear. Examples: Monday, April.
6. For titlesofbooks,lmsandnewspapers. Examples: Treasure Island, Titanic
7. For abbreviationsorshortenedwords. Examples: Rd., Ave.
8. For the word “I” when it refers to yourself. Example: I will buy the ticket when I get paid.
Remember, “I” is always a capital letter no matter where it comes in a sentence.
Underline the words below that should have a capital letter.
Then re-write the sentences.
gaa senior hurling nal 2014
kilkenny and tipperary played an incredible draw in this year’s all-ireland senior hurling
nalatcrokepark.thescorewaskilkenny3-22totipperary1-28.twoweekslaterkilkenny
beat tipperary by 2-17 to 2-14 in a replay on saturday 27 september at croke park.
cycling capers
i never liked to cycle and kate knew it. she asked me how i was going to get to school
withoutaliftfrommr.turnernextdoor.“if i were you i would get on the bike”, she
sniggered. the last time i had cycled with my best friend tom i had landed at the doorstep
of doctor smith.
The answers are on page 55.
If you have any questions as you are using this book, call the NALA freephone
support line, 1800 20 20 65, Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Using capital letters
43
Full stop
Afullstopisused:
- at the end of a sentence
- to show an abbreviation – Ms. Ave., T.D.
Example:  Ms. Murphy lives on Kildare Ave.
Question mark
The question mark is used at the end of a question.
Examples: Whatisyouraddress?
Where are you going?
Exclamation mark
Anexclamationmarkisusedtoshow strong feelingsuchassurprise,excitement,
anger or joy.
Examples: Ah! She’s so cute.
Read out loud the following paragraph from ‘Maggie’s Story’ by Sheila
O’Flanagan. Mark where you think the full stops, question marks and
exclamation marks should go. Remember to put in the capital letters at the
beginning of each sentence.
the kitchen door opened tom strode into the room he sat down
on the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him
“What’s for tea” he asked
maggie turned to look at her twenty-year-old son he was
glancing through the paper ignoring her she stirred the pot
on the hob
“Curry” she said.
he looked up from the paper “what sort”
“Chicken curry”
“With fruit”
“Yes”
“Good” said Tom in satisfaction “I’m starving”
The answers are on page 55.
When to use punctuation marks
?
!
44
A comma is used:
Usually we don’t use a comma before the word ‘and’.
Example: WesawMaryandPeteratthepark.
Read the following paragraph out loud.
Mark where you think the full stops, commas and capital letters should go.
johnboughtthepaperandreadalltheadsforatsassoonashesawonethatlookednice
hewentthereimmediatelyeventhoughtheadsaidaftersixoclockheknewiftheatwas
agoodonehewouldprobablyndaqueueofpeoplealldownthestreetndingagood
atindublinatagoodpricewaslikendinganeedleinahaystack
Inverted commas or quotation marks
Inverted commas are used to show what someone has said (direct speech).
Example:“Will you meet me later?”
Put the inverted commas into the following sentences.
1. Please open the window, she said. It’s very hot.
2. Jake isn’tavailabletoday,heexplained.Canyoucomebacktomorrow?
3. Yes, said Maud. I am free.
4. Help! she cried. Stop that man!
5. Willwegotothelmat6pm?heasked.
The answers are on page 55.
When listing three or more words I bought coffee, tea, sugar and milk.
To divide up a sentence Her cat,Felix, ran away yesterday
Jane Smyth, the nurse, went home early.
Before direct speech “Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“Thanks, I’ll have tea,” she replied.
Comma
45
The apostrophe can have two meanings:
1.
It is used to show ownership – that something belongs to someone or something.
2. It is used to show that one or more letters have been left out.
1. Showing ownership
For one owner (singular) Insert ’s The girl’s coat is on the stand.
The boy’s shoes are dirty.
Mary’s house is around the corner.
For one owner (singular) and
word ends in “s”
Place only the
apostrophe after the
word or add ’s
James’ school is closed tomorrow.
or
James’s school is closed tomorrow.
For more than one owner
(plural)
Insert ’s The girls’ coats are on the stand.
The boys’ shoes are dirty.
The sisters’ house is close by.
For more than one owner
(plural) and word does not
end in “s”
Add ’s to the plural
word
The children’s school is closed.
The men’s hats were blown off.
Use a coloured pen to mark in the apostrophe in these sentences.
Note: The apostrophe here is showing ownership.
1. Janes hair is very dark.
2. HefoundTomsbookontheoor.
3. The babies clothes were put into the washing machine.
4. I think my friends writing is very neat.
5. ShereadTonysworkyesterdayandsaiditwasexcellent.
6. Mr. Murphys house is larger than Mr. O’Briens.
7. Patrick washed the boys football jerseys yesterday.
8. Hismotherscookingisexcellent.
9. The mans legs were tired after the marathon.
10. The ships hooter sounded.
The answers are on page 55.
Apostrophe
46
Rewrite these sentences using an apostrophe to change the underlined text.
Note: The apostrophe here is showing ownership.
Example: Thebagwaspackedwithclothesforwomen.
The bag was packed with women’s clothes.
1. The husband of Jess died.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. He listened to the singing of the choir.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Tom had work for seven days.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. The hands of the clock moved.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Showing that one or more letters have been left out.
The apostrophe is placed where the missing letter or letters are. This is called a contraction.
Examples: Iam – I’m I would not – I wouldn’t
is not – isn’t you are – you’re
Rewrite these sentences using the apostrophe.
Hint: Use the apostrophe to show where letters are left out.
1. Do not go. ___________________________________________________________________
2. I cannot drive. _______________________________________________________________
3. He did not do it. _____________________________________________________________
4. We have not got a new car. ____________________________________________________
5. They are in bed. ______________________________________________________________
The answers are on page 55.
Apostrophe
47
Colon
Insert the colon in the following sentences.
1. This is what she said “Come on Ireland!”
2. Never forget think before you speak.
3. This house has everything I need two bedrooms, a backyard and a garage.
4. Here are three cities that begin with C Copenhagen, Cairo and Cork.
Semi-colon
A semi-colon is used to separate sentences that have a link to each other.
Example: Hisbicyclewasold; the bell didn’t work.
Some people drive to work; others use public transport.
Mark the semi-colon in the following sentences.
1. She got the train into the city after work the shops were open late.
2. He got a bargain it was in the sale.
3. Her car was old the wipers don’t work.
4. The rain lasted all day the clothes didn’t dry.
5. IhavenishedthemaincoursenowIhavetomakedessert.
6. We made too many mistakes we lost the game.
7. You should stop eating so much food you’ll burst.
8. Mary loves the sofa it’s very comfortable.
The answers are on page 56.
A colon is used: Example
When introducing a statement There are two choices: run away or stay.
When introducing a list The main cities in Ireland are: Dublin, Cork
and Galway.
Before a direct quotation or direct
speech
The postman said: “The parcel won’tt.”
Colon and semi-colon
:
48
Brackets
Brackets are used to give extra information. They must be used in pairs.
Example: Idon’t care if he (John) won the prize, I want some of it.
Thetopteamswere:Mary’s (80 points) and Paul’s (100 points).
Mark the brackets in the following sentences.
1. She got a nice bonus €200.
2. James Ann’s boyfriend bought the tickets.
3. He was an active member of the GAA Gaelic Athletic Association.
Dashes
The dash is used to divide up a sentence.
 Examples: Thingshavechanged– mainly for the better.
This job – it’s not urgent –canbenishedlater.
Here the dash adds in a piece of information that is not essential to the sentence.
Mark the brackets or dashes in the following sentences.
1. She painted the room yellow everyone hates it.
2. He packed his lunch sandwich, apple and drink.
3. The playground was cold and wet it was deserted.
Hyphens
The hyphen is half the size of a dash. It links words together.
Examples: Igotapresentofafour-pound cake.
I am long-sighted.
Rewrite the following sentences with correct punctuation.
Remember to put in the capital letters at the beginning of a sentence.
1. i hope you pass the driving test ________________________________________________
2. are you both going away for your holidays ______________________________________
3. she had one wish to win the lotto ______________________________________________
4. please don’t make a mess said his mother _______________________________________
_
_
Other symbols – brackets, dashes
and hyphens
49
Read this extract from the book “The shorter Irish male” by Joseph O’Connor
Answer these questions.
How do you think this person felt about maths? And why?
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Think of a strong memory from your teenage years. What is it?
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Check your local library or bookshop for this book and more titles from the
Open Door series.
Exercises on punctuation
MyLeavingCerticatemathsexamhashauntedmynights
for the last thirteen years. I was always desperate at maths. I
could never understand it. Teenage life seemed so full of real
problems that inventing ones in order to solve them seemed
absurd. Why was it important to know how quickly a half-full
train doing average speed would get to Limerick Junction via
Portarlington when I could spend my days dreaming up witty
things to murmur during the slow sets at the Prez? (“Listen,
Concepta,canIbuyyouazzyorangeafter‘Freebird’ or would
you rather just have the money?”) Even now, I only remember
one mathematical fact. The Square on the hypotenuse equals
the sum of the squares of the other two sides. The other two
sides of what, I never knew. (Smoked salmon, is it?)
50
Read this extract from the book “An accident waiting to happen” by Vincent
Banville. Take your time reading it and while you are reading it think about the
spellings and the punctuation marks. If you do not understand any words mark
them and look them up in a dictionary. Also think about the words that you
would like to learn to spell.
Fill in the gaps in the following extract from “An accident waiting to happen”
We were in the________________ room,________________the Teletubbies and
________________rice crispies, when my wife Annie came down. She has red hair and a
tempertomatch.Shealsohasdeniteviewsonhow____________shouldbebroughtup.
Now ________________ her head, she said, “What did I tell you? No television, no
comfort food. You’ll have the child ________________. If we don’t train her in before she
comes _______the age of reason” -.
“Train her in?” I cut in. “Why can’t we let her be a free spirit? Do her own thing.”
“At the age of ___________?”
“Well, she can ________________ and ________________. Sing, dance, say her abc’s. I
know she sometimes puts her shoes on the wrong feet, but that can happen to anyone.”
We were in the sitting room, watching the Teletubbies and
eating rice crispies, when my wife Annie came down. She has
redhairandatempertomatch.Shealsohasdeniteviewson
how Emily should be brought up.
Now shaking her head, she said, “What did I tell you? No
television, no comfort food. You’ll have the child spoiled. If we
don’t train her in before she comes to the age of reason” –
“Train her in?” I cut in. “Why can’t we let her be a free spirit?
Do her own thing.”
“At the age of two?”
“Well, she can walk and talk. Sing, dance, say her abc’s. I
know she sometimes puts her shoes on the wrong feet, but that
can happen to anyone.”
Exercise: Bringing it all together
51
Vowels and consonants [page 4]
Many of us are getting far more sodium (salt) in
our diet than is recommended. This could lead
to serious health problems.
It is recommended that we take 1500mg of
sodium per day. This is about
3
/4 of a teaspoon,
or 3.75 grams, of salt.
Using a dictionary [page 6]
1. Bear 2. Cougar 3. Dingo
4. Elephant 5. Spider
1. table 2. teapot 3. train
Prexes [page 13]
Put the prex before the word.
1. untrue 6. unexpected
2. unbelievable 7. unhealthy
3. disappear 8. dishonest
4. uncertain 9. unlucky
5. unaware 10. disagree
Match the prexes.
immature underestimate distrust
mistake submarine
Doubling the nal consonant [page 16]
Put to double the last letter and X if not.
run (vc)
shop (vc)
wash (cc) X clap (vc)
sun (vc) want (cc) X
help (cc) X stop (vc)
Add “er”, “ed” and “ing”.
Bat Batter Batted Batting
Pot Potter Potted Potting
Skip Skipper Skipped Skipping
Trip Tripper Tripped Tripping
Slip Slipper Slipped Slipping
Fit Fitter Fitted Fitting
Wet Wetter Wetted Wetting
Exercise [page 17]
Underline the prexes and sufxes.
When I look back now I was very scared and
unsure of takingthatrststep.Ofcourseitwas
the best thing I ever did. I began learning with
a one-to-one tutor for two hours a week. Then
after a while I moved into a small group and
had more hours. I loved coming to the centre
for my classes and made some great friends.
Over a year I worked on my spelling, reading,
writing and maths.
One day the tutor introduced us to
computers and we went on the internet. I was
amazed at all the information you could look
up. My kids are unhappy with this as they now
can’t get me away from the laptop at home.
“able” and “ible” [page 18]
Put the following words into sentences.
[Pleasenote:Therearemanysentencesyou
could make with the words. These are just
examples.]
1. Her story is very believable.
2. Arethoseowersedible?
3. It is impossible for me to run a marathon!
4. It is acceptable to call in.
5. The restaurant is accessible.
“ie” or “ei” [page 19]
Fill in “ie” or “ei” in these words.
1. I hope to achieveagoodresultinmyexam.
2. Mrs. Smith makes a great shepherd’s pie.
3. When will I receive the deposit back?
4. What a lovely piece of furniture!
5. I bought some foreignexchangeinthebank.
Put the following words into sentences.
[Pleasenote:Therearemanysentencesyou
could make with the words. These are just
examples.]
1. That was a weirdexperience.
2. You get a receipt when you pay.
3. Our neighbour dropped in her keys.
4. I put on some weight over Christmas.
5. We have a new leisure centre in the town.
Answers
52
Homonyms [page 20]
Fill in the gaps in these sentences.
1. right 6. to
2. write 7. male
3. wait 8. mail
4. weight 9. scent
5. two 10. sent
Plurals [page 21]
Add “s” or “es” to make the words plural.
1. monitors 5. babies
2. ways 6. switches
3.boxes 7. brushes
4. crashes 8. parties
Crossword [page 23]
Nouns [page 28]
Underline the nouns.
1. My hair grows very fast.
2. He is a carpenter.
3. Please park your car in the garage.
4. I felt delighted when I passed the test.
5. She ate her breakfast quickly.
Pronouns [page 29]
Underline the pronouns.
1. They go swimming every Saturday.
2. The puppy ate it.
3. The politician annoyed me.
4. Theywereverysatisedwiththemeal.
5. We stayed in it for a week.
Fill the gaps with a suitable pronoun.
[Pleasenote:Thesearejustexamples,other
pronounsmaytin.]
1. I enjoyed my holiday but yours sounded
better.
2. The girl listens to her mother because she
likes her.
3. Is that child yours?
4. Don’t forget to bring them.
5. Vegetables are good for you so you should
eat them.
Adjectives [page 30]
Underline the adjectives.
1. Several old folk caught an awfulu.
2. The baby slept soundly for the rst night.
3. You should eat some healthy food each day.
4. The fastriverowedthroughthegreen
countryside.
5. The young girl stayed out late last night.
Use the words in the box to ll in the gaps.
1. careful 2. showery 3. thirsty
4.anxious 5.foolish
Fill the gaps with suitable adjectives.
[Pleasenote:Thesearejustexamples,other
adjectivesmaytin.]
1. Some people think that Cork is the best city
in Ireland.
2. She bought a beautiful present.
3. The rainy weather spoiled a great trip.
4. Mary scored two goals in the nal minute.
5. Did that awful book win the big award?
Answers
8
S I S T E R
6
H O U
7
S E
P
A
3
N
O
G
I
N
9
W I
T E R
8
S
N
4
W
D W
A
I
S
E
P
P
2
D
M
U
M
E
R
5
S
O
L
O
D
D
E
1
F
E
D
A
53
Verbs [page 31]
Underline the verbs.
1. Sean jumped out of the plane.
2. The twins will startschoolnextyear.
3. She plans a holiday every year.
4. The bank sent a statement last week.
5. I broke my leg on Tuesday.
Fill the gaps with suitable verbs.
[Pleasenote:Thesearejustexamples,other
verbsmaytin.]
1. His nephew bought a new car.
2. The letter was sentbyexpresspost.
3. I heard the robin singing this morning.
4. The garda scanned the area for clues to the
crime.
5. Open the car boot and put the shopping in
there.
Adverbs [page 32]
Underline the adverbs in the following
sentences.
1. She sang sweetly.
2. They seldom meet anymore.
3. The baby slept very badly.
4. Olive was very hungry after her swim.
5. I carefully opened the package.
Fill the gaps with suitable adverbs.
[Pleasenote:Thesearejustexamples,other
adverbsmaytin.]
1. They arrived early to the party.
2. He spoke angrily to the canvasser at the
door.
3. They lived peacefully in a big old farmhouse.
4. She danced happily with her partner.
5. The passengers waited patiently in line to
get on the train.
Conjunctions [page 33]
Write a sentence using the following
conjunctions. [Pleasenote:Therearemany
sentences you could make with the words.
Thesearejustexamples.]
1. I had porridge for breakfast although I
usuallyhavecornakes.
2. She got the bus because her car broke down.
3. Please ring us before you make the booking.
4. It is a long time since I saw him.
5. Peter will get the 5 o’clock train unless he
is delayed.
Use the conjunctions to ll in the gaps.
1. until
2. when
3. but
4. if
5. as
Prepositions [page 34]
Use the prepositions to ll in the gaps.
1. off
2. across
3. during
4. with
5. through
Fill each gap with a suitable preposition.
1. Martina moved the sofa under the window.
2. The girl divided the winnings between the
family.
3. The bicycle crashed into the Luas.
4. I received a letter from my uncle.
5. The people walked over the bridge.
Put the following prepositions into sentences.
[Pleasenote:Therearemanysentencesyou
could make with the words. These are just
examples.]
1. I walked around the park.
2. Mary lives beside the shops.
3. We live in a very old cottage.
4. He works near the train station.
5. Please get off in the city centre.
Answers
54
Answers
Nouns - proper
Notting Hill
Wellington, New Zealand
book
weekend
devices
brain
armchair
time
screen
idea
pages
art form
game
claims
town
stress
clubs
format
people
café
drink
mobile
phones
chairs
silence
hour
point
literature
electronic
devices
interruption
return
habits
years
smart phones
social media
benets
attention
spans
Reading an article [page 37 and 38]
Nouns - common
slow
comfy
good
dying
new
same
cozy
pinging
focused
Adjectives
unplug
open
try
switch off
switch on
grab
curl
lose
read
is
leang
benets
reading
popping
follow
arrive
shut off
sink
isn’t
talk
get away
promotes
started
eating
list
improving
concentrate
reducing
deepening
think
listen
empathise
did
leave
Verbs
Sentences [page 41]
Put a next to the lines that are sentences
and X against those that are not.
1. John sent a picture to his friend.
2. I went to the town and I bought X
3. Mary Jones X
4. Can I have the camera?
5. I saw a picture in the paper.
6. It’s raining here because X
Complete each sentence.
I went to America on my holidays and I really
enjoyed it.
I have learned to use a computer so I can now
book my own tickets.
I had a bad headache so I left work early.
IwenttoalmlastnightbutI did not enjoy it.
You always put a full stop at the end of a
sentence.
Finish the following sentences.
[Pleasenote:Therearemanysentencesyou
could make with the words. These are just
examples.]
1. My camera is very old.
2. What time can you pick me up tomorrow?
3. Computers are great when you know how
to use them!
4. How much is the fare to town?
5. I need to buy a digital camera because I
’m
going on holiday and would love to take
good pictures.
why
all over
not
up
off
without
on
many
Adverbs
Interjections [page 35]
Use the interjections to ll in the gaps.
1. Yum
2. Hurry
3. Oh my gosh
4. Humph
5. No
55
Using capital letters [page 42]
GAA Senior Hurling Final 2014
Kilkenny and Tipperary played an incredible
draw in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final
at Croke Park. The score was Kilkenny 3-22 to
Tipperary 1-28. Two weeks later Kilkenny beat
Tipperary by 2-17 to 2-14 in a replay on Saturday
27 September at Croke Park.
Cycling Capers
I never liked to cycle and Kate knew it. She asked
me how I was going to get to school without a lift
from Mr. Turnernextdoor.“If I were you I would
get on the bike”, she sniggered. The last time I
had cycled with my best friend, Tom, I had landed
at the doorstep of Doctor Smith.
Punctuation marks [page 43]
Mark in the full stops, question marks,
exclamation marks and capital letters.
The kitchen door opened. Tom strode
into the room. He sat down on the chair and
stretched his legs out in front of him.
“What’s for tea?” he asked
Maggie turned to look at her twenty-year
-old son. He was glancing through the paper,
ignoring her. She stirred the pot on the hob.
“Curry,” she said.
He looked up from the paper. “What sort?”
“Chicken curry.”
“With fruit?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” said Tom in satisfaction. “I’m starving.”
Comma [page 44]
Mark the punctuation.
John bought the paper and read all the ads for
ats. As soon as he saw one that looked nice, he
went there immediately, even though the ad said
aftersixoclock. Heknewiftheatwasagood
onehewouldprobablyndaqueueofpeopleall
down the street. FindingagoodatinDublin at a
goodpricewaslikendinganeedleinahaystack.
Inverted commas or quotation
marks [page 44]
Mark the inverted commas in the following
sentences.
1. “Please open the window,” she said. “It’s
very hot.”
2. “Jake isn’t available today,”heexplained.
“Can you come back tomorrow?”
3. “Yes,” said Maud. “I am free.”
4. “Help! ” she cried. “Stop that man!”
5. “Willwegotothelmat6pm?” he asked.
Apostrophe [page 45 and 46]
Mark in the apostrophe.
1. Jane’s hair is very dark.
2. He found Tom’sbookontheoor.
3. The babies’ clothes were ...
4. I think my friend’s writing is very neat.
5. She read Tony’s work ...
6. Mr. Murphy’s house is ...
7. Patrick washed the boys’ football jerseys
yesterday.
8. His mother’scookingisexcellent.
9. The man’s legs were tired after the
marathon.
10. The ship’s hooter sounded.
Rewrite these sentences using an
apostrophe.
1. Jess’s husband died.
2. He listened to the choir’s singing.
3. Tom had seven days’ work.
4. The clock’s hands moved.
Rewrite these sentences using the
apostrophe.
1. Don’t go.
2. I can’t drive.
3. He didn’t do it.
4. We haven’t got a new car.
5. They’re in bed.
Answers
56
Colon [page 47]
Insert the colon.
1. This is what she said: “Come on Ireland!”
2. Never forget: think before you speak.
3. This house has everything I need: two
bedrooms, a backyard and a garage.
4. Here are three cities that begin with C:
Copenhagen, Cairo and Cork.
Semi-colon [page 47]
Mark the semi-colon.
1. She got the train into the city after work;
the shops were open late.
2. He got a bargain; it was in the sale.
3. Her car was old; the wipers don’t work.
4. The rain lasted all day; the clothes didn’t
dry.
5.Ihavenishedthemaincourse; now I have
to make dessert.
6. We made too many mistakes; we lost the
game.
7. You should stop eating so much food; you’ll
burst.
8. Mary loves the sofa; it’s very comfortable.
Other symbols [page 48]
Mark the brackets.
1. She got a nice bonus (€200).
2. James (Ann’s boyfriend) bought the tickets.
3. He was an active member of the GAA
(Gaelic Athletic Association).
Mark the brackets or dashes.
1. She painted the room yellow – everyone
hates it.
2. He packed his lunch – sandwich, apple and
drink.
3. The playground was cold and wet – it was
deserted.
Rewrite the following sentences with correct
punctuation.
1. I hope you pass the driving test.
2. Are you both going away for your holidays?
3. She had one wish: to win the lotto.
4. “Please don’t make a mess,” said his
mother.
Answers
57
If you would like to brush up on your skills in reading, writing, numeracy or everyday
communicationtechnology,youcandothatthrough:
l NALA’s Distance Learning Service, and
l the Adult Literacy Services in your local Education and Training Board.
NALA Distance Learning Service
You can study online by yourself or work with a tutor over the phone. Or you can do a
combination of these to suit your lifestyle. We have designed the service so you can decide
what, where and when you want to learn.
Call our friendly operators on our freephone support line at 1800 20 20 65 for further
information. We are open Monday to Friday, from 9.30 am to 5 pm. We will talk you through all
yourlearningoptionsincompletecondence.Wecanputyouintouchwithoneofourtrained
adult literacy tutors who will work with you over the telephone, through the post or on the
internet. The distance learning service is free. We can also put you in contact with your local
Adult Literacy Service.
Adult Literacy Services
There are over 100 Adult Literacy Services throughout the country delivered through the
Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Adults can attend a local centre to work with trained
tutorsonaonetoonebasisorinsmallgroups.Youcanattendclassesforbetweentwoandsix
hoursperweek.Theserviceisfreeandcondential.ThelocalAdultLiteracyOrganiserwillmeet
youandndasuitabletutorforyou.Therearecurrentlyabout55,000adultslearninginliteracy
centres around the country with 3,700 trained adult literacy tutors.
For information on Adult Literacy Services in or near your area contact the NALA freephone
support line on 1800 20 20 65 or check out the NALA website at www.nala.ie
Awards
If you are learning with the NALA Distance Learning Service and or Adult Literacy Services, you
canchoosetoworktowardsacerticate.QualityandQualicationsIreland(QQI)isthenational
awarding body for further education and training in Ireland. They make awards at different
levels.
How to improve your literacy and numeracy
58
100 most common words 5
Adverbs 32
Adjectives 30
Apostrophe 45
Brackets, dashes and hyphens 48
Colon and semi-colon 47
Comma 44
Conjunctions 33
ExclamationMark 43
Full stop 43
Interjections 35
Inverted commas or quotation marks 44
Nouns 28
Parts of speech 26
Pronouns 29
Prepositions 34
Question Mark 43
Sentences 40
Spelling rules
Doublingthenalconsonant 16
Homonyms 20
“ie” or “ei” 19
Plurals 21
Prexes 13
Sufxes 14
Root words ending with an “e” 14
Root words ending with a “y” 15
Root words ending with an “ie” 15
Whentousethesufx“able” or “ible” 18
Spelling tips 8
Using capital letters 42
Using a dictionary 6
Verbs 31
Vowels and consonants 4
Ways to practise spellings 10
Your spelling dictionary 24
Index
59
Please give your name address and contact details
1. Name
2. Address
3. Telephone number
4. Email address
Tick the box for type of membership
NALA Membership Form
Where did you hear about NALA?
Event o
Media o
Word of mouth o
Print o
Online o
Other o
Individual
membership
€25
• Attendoneofourconferencesfree–worth€30.
• Accessouronlinebookstore.
• Receiveourmonthlye-zine,annualreportand‘Literacy
Matters’ magazine.
• Strengthenourorganisation.
• VoteatourAGM.
o
Free
membership
• Receiveourmonthlye-zinebyemail.
• VoteatourAGM.
o
60
To apply for membership
1. Fill in the form.
2. Ticktheboxfortypeofmembership.
3. If you applying for individual membership, tick how you will pay below.
4. Sendtheformto:
Membership
National Adult Literacy Agency
Sandford Lodge
Sandford Close
Ranelagh
Dublin 6
How to pay as individual member
1. I have included a cheque here with this form, for the amount of €_______ paid to
“NALA Ltd”. o
2. Ihavelledoutthisformandpaidonlineatwww.nala.ieusingacreditcard.
o
3. I want NALA to send me an invoice before I pay. o
Thank you very much for your support.
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)
Sandford Lodge
Sandford Close
Ranelagh
Dublin 6
Tel: (01) 412 7900
Freephone support line: 1800 20 20 65
Email: [email protected]
Websites: www.nala.ie
Literacy learning websites:
www.writeon.ie
www.helpmykidlearn.ie
Plain English website: www.simplyput.ie
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