Series D

Grammar
Teacher Book
Answers for all
Lesson Worksheets
+ Topic Tests
and Answers

www.readingeggspress.com
Reading Eggspress Grammar Series D Teacher Book
ISBN: 978-1-74215-424-4
Copyright © Blake eLearning 2021
Blake Publishing
Locked Bag 2022
Glebe NSW 2037
www.blake.com.au
Publisher: Katy Pike
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Contents
Grammar • Topic 1: Nouns + Pronouns Page
Common and proper nouns .................................................................. 1
Common and proper nouns in context .................................................3
Abstract nouns .......................................................................................5
Abstract nouns in context ......................................................................7
Personal pronouns .................................................................................9
Possessive pronouns ............................................................................ 11
Grammar • Topic 2: Verbs
Doing verbs ........................................................................................... 13
Relating verbs ....................................................................................... 15
Auxiliary (helping) verbs ....................................................................... 17
Saying and sensing verbs .................................................................... 19
Modal verbs .......................................................................................... 21
Grammar • Topic 3: Adjectives + Adverbs
Adjectives ..............................................................................................23
Adjectives that compare ......................................................................25
Adjectives in context .............................................................................27
Adverbs of time ....................................................................................29
Adverbs in context ................................................................................ 31
Grammar • Topic 4: Sentence building
Sentences ............................................................................................ 33
Noun groups .........................................................................................35
Noun groups in context ........................................................................37
Prepositions ..........................................................................................39
Conjunctions ......................................................................................... 41
Conjunctions in context ....................................................................... 43
Clauses .................................................................................................45
Compound sentences ......................................................................... 48
Compound sentences in context ........................................................ 50
Complex sentences ..............................................................................52
Grammar • Topic 5: Tense
Subject–verb agreement ..................................................................... 54
Subject–verb agreement in context ................................................... 54
Verb tenses (simple past and present tense) .....................................58
Past and present tense in context ...................................................... 60
Continuous tense ..................................................................................62
Continuous tense in context ............................................................... 64
Grammar • Topic 6: Punctuation
Capital letters—proper nouns ............................................................ 66
Commas in lists ................................................................................... 68
Apostrophes for ownership .................................................................70
Contractions ..........................................................................................74
Contractions in context .........................................................................76
Ending sentences .................................................................................78
Punctuating sentences ........................................................................ 80
Paragraphs ...........................................................................................82
Grammar • Tests and answers........................................................................ 84

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • 978 1 74215 424 4 iii © Blake eLearning

 In this book
The Reading Eggspress Grammar program provides exercises on parts of
speech, punctuation and sentence construction. It aims to show students how
understanding the ‘language of language’ can help them identify effective
writing and – importantly – improve their own.

Each lesson introduces a topic and includes cloze questions, identification tasks
(multiple choice, linking tasks, true/false, etc.) and short writing exercises. ‘In
Context’ lessons expand on the topic through study of a short real-world text.
Six tests cover the core topics of Noun and Pronouns; Verbs; Adjective and
Adverbs; Punctuation; Tense; and Sentence Building. Answers are included.

Topics in this book align with the following components of the Australian
Curriculum:

Australian Curriculum content codes and descriptions

ACELA1465 – Recognise that capital letters signal proper nouns and commas
are used to separate items in lists
ACELA1468 – Understand that nouns represent people, places, concrete objects
and abstract concepts; that there are three types of nouns: common, proper
and pronouns; and that noun groups/phrases can be expanded using articles
and adjectives
ACELA1479 – Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of
written texts
ACELA1480 – Know that word contractions are a feature of informal language
and that apostrophes of contraction are used to signal missing letters
ACELA1481 – Understand that a clause is a unit of grammar usually containing
a subject and a verb and that these need to be in agreement
ACELA1482 – Understand that verbs represent different processes, for
example doing, thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are
anchored in time through tense
ACELA1484 – Learn extended and technical vocabulary and ways of
expressing opinion including modal verbs and adverbs

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • 978 1 74215 424 4 iv © Blake eLearning

 Name
Common and proper nouns
Common & proper nouns
in context
Abstract nouns

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • 978 1 74215 424 4

Class record sheet

Abstract nouns in context

Topic 1

Personal pronouns

Possessive pronouns

Doing verbs

v
Relating verbs

Auxiliary (helping) verbs

Topic 2

Saying and sensing verbs

Modal verbs

Adjectives

Adjectives that compare

Adjectives in context
Topic 3

Adverbs of time

Adverbs in context

Sentences

Noun groups

Noun groups in context

Prepositions
Topic 4

Conjunctions

Conjunctions in context
Grammar Series D

© Blake eLearning
 Name
Clauses

Compound sentences

Compound sentences in context

Topic 4

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • 978 1 74215 424 4

Complex sentences
Class record sheet

Subject–verb agreement

Subject–verb agreement in context

Verb tenses

Past and present tense in context

Topic 5

vi
Continuous tense

Continuous tense in context

Capital letters—proper nouns

Commas in lists

Apostrophes for ownership

Contractions
Topic6

Contractions in context

Ending sentences

Punctuating sentences

Paragraphs

Nouns and pronouns

Verbs

Adjectives and adverbs

Tests

Sentence building

Tense

Punctuation
Grammar Series D

© Blake eLearning
Common and proper nouns
Common nouns name general people, places and things. For example:
The boy took his dog down to the river.
Proper nouns name specific people, places, things, days and months.
Each word in a proper noun starts with a capital letter. For example:
Australia’s first prime minister was Sir Edmund Barton.
On Tuesday, Australia plays England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1 Sort the words.

beach David Unaipon museum Europe
pilot Cinderella Australia singer
library Mr Chu Mount Lofty explorer

General people Specific people

pilot
______________________________ David Unaipon
______________________________
singer
______________________________ Cinderella
______________________________
explorer
______________________________ Mr Chu
______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________

General places Specific places

beach
______________________________ Europe
______________________________
museum
______________________________ Australia
______________________________
library
______________________________ Mount Lofty
______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________

2 Underline the proper noun that isn’t capitalised. Write the word correctly.
a My uncle has just bought a ford. Ford
______________________
b The planet venus is in the Milky Way. Venus
______________________
c The prince’s mother is queen Elizabeth. Queen
______________________
d John lives in Alice springs. Springs
______________________
e They climbed to the top of Cradle mountain. Mountain
______________________
Sea
f There are many islands in the Mediterranean sea. ______________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 1 © Blake eLearning

 Common and proper nouns
3 Match the common and proper nouns. Write the matching pairs.

Common nouns Proper nouns

city Second Avenue city Melbourne
_______________________________
boy Melbourne boy Jack
_______________________________
explorer Atlantic explorer James Cook
_______________________________
film J.K. Rowling film Despicable Me
_______________________________
river James Cook river Nile
_______________________________
street Jack street Second Avenue
_______________________________
author Anna author J.K. Rowling
_______________________________
country Despicable Me country Mexico
_______________________________
ocean Mexico ocean Atlantic
_______________________________
girl Nile girl Anna
_______________________________

4 Which pair of words correctly completes this sentence?

My father’s brother is my _________ John, and his sister is my _________ Ellie.

a uncle, Aunt
b uncle, aunt
c Uncle, Aunt

5 Why does the word in bold start with a capital letter?

I gave the letter to Doctor Clarke.

a to show that it is the name of a place
b to show that it is someone’s title
c to show that it is someone’s surname

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 2 © Blake eLearning

Common and proper nouns in context
Use your knowledge of nouns to answer the following questions.

Read the passage.

Circle the name

Symbols and Celebrations
of a country. Symbols and celebrations remind us about what
is special about Australia. Labour Day is a public
Put a box
around the
holiday to remember how people improved their
name of a public working conditions.
holiday.
In the early 1800s, Australians worked at least 60
Colour the name hours each week. Stonemasons protested on 21
of a month. April 1856 in Melbourne. They put down their tools
and marched to Parliament House. They carried
Underline the banners that displayed “888” because they wanted
name of a city.
eight hours each day for work, eight hours for family
life, and eight hours for sleep.

Circle the answers to the following questions.

1 In the following sentence, identify the proper noun.
Symbols and celebrations remind us about what is special about Australia.
a Symbols b celebrations c special d Australia

2 Which of the following words from the passage are proper nouns?
a Stonemasons b holiday c April d Melbourne

3 In the following sentence, identify the common noun.

They put down their tools and marched to Parliament House.
a tools b They c Parliament d House

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 3 © Blake eLearning

 Common and proper nouns in context
4 Sort the words. Give the proper nouns capital letters.

halloween holiday april friday month celebration

brisbane elizabeth easter flag anthem statue

common nouns proper nouns

holiday
______________________________ Halloween
______________________________
month
______________________________ April
______________________________
celebration
______________________________ Friday
______________________________
flag
______________________________ Brisbane
______________________________
anthem
______________________________ Elizabeth
______________________________
statue
______________________________ Easter
______________________________

5 In the following sentences, circle the words that need a capital letter.
a
Australians celebrate anzac day on april 25.
b The anzacs fought at gallipoli, which is in turkey.
c Australia’s first prime minister was sir edmund barton.
d The australian flag was first raised in melbourne in 1901.
e the southern cross is a group of stars on the australian flag.
f In january 1788, the first ships from great britain arrived in sydney cove.
g The six australian states are queensland, new south wales, victoria,
tasmania, south australia and western australia.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 4 © Blake eLearning

Abstract nouns
An abstract noun names a thought, quality or feeling.
We cannot see, hear or touch it. For example:
Alexandra had a brilliant idea!
Theo thanked his grandparents for their kindness.

1 Circle the abstract noun in each pair.

weakness legs hope gift love puppy chocolate delight

sadness tears princess beauty length ruler soldier pride

fun movie tooth pain bread hunger happiness child

2 Write the nouns in the correct box.

pleasure enjoyment anger irritation contentment
annoyance displeasure satisfaction fury rage fun joy

J L
pleasure
______________________________ anger
______________________________
enjoyment
______________________________ irritation
______________________________
contentment
______________________________ annoyance
______________________________
satisfaction
______________________________ displeasure
______________________________
fun
______________________________ fury
______________________________
joy
______________________________ rage
______________________________

3 Complete each phrase with an abstract noun from the box.

sweetness softness sourness hardness

softness
a the ____________________ of fur hardness
b the ____________________ of a rock
sweetness of honey d the ____________________
c the ____________________ sourness of a lemon

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 5 © Blake eLearning

 Abstract nouns
4 Find the matching pairs. 5 Join the parts to make abstract nouns.
a idea wickedness a friend dom
b fun anxiety b child ment
c evil knowledge c astonish hood
d worry thought d bore ness
e information enjoyment e sick ship

6 Change the word in bold to a noun.

If someone is:
strength
a strong, they have ___________________________ .
health
b healthy, they have good ___________________________ .
happiness .
c happy, they have ___________________________
curiosity
d curious, they show ___________________________ . bright

courage
e courageous, they have ___________________________ .
brightness
patience
f patient, they have a lot of ___________________________ .
imagination
g imaginative, they have ___________________________ .
misery
h miserable, they experience ___________________________ .
celebration
i celebrating, they are having a ___________________________ .
sympathy
j sympathetic, they feel ___________________________ for others.

7 Circle the word that is wrong. Write it correctly.

a He was rewarded for his loyal to the king. loyalty
___________________________
b She has been a disappoint to her coach. disappointment
___________________________
c I have great admire for carers. admiration
___________________________
d I admire her for her dedicating to her work. dedication
___________________________
cruelty
e The guards treated the prisoners with cruel. ___________________________
fascination
f He has a fascinate for butterflies and moths. ___________________________
g People respect those who tell the true. truth
___________________________
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 6 © Blake eLearning
Abstract nouns in context
Use your knowledge of nouns to answer the following questions.

Read the passage.

Circle two
things that homes
Homes
provide. A home provides shelter and safety. It may
provide comfort in cold weather and hot
Put a box weather. To do this in a natural way, the
around what
home should let in the sun’s heat energy
homes provide in
cold weather. when it is needed, and keep it out when it’s
not needed.
Underline Electricity makes homes more comfortable.
three abstract
nouns in the last
Many homes received electricity in the
paragraph. early 1900s. It increased the sophistication
of homes. The popularity of electric
appliances increased. Electric ovens and
heaters replaced gas and wood-burning
stoves. Electricity also led to the invention
of the telephone.

Answer the following questions.

1 In each pair, circle the abstract noun.
a sun goodness b talent light bulb
c fire trust d armchair comfort
e house safety f patience vacuum cleaner
g invention telephone h oven fact

2 In the following sentence, circle the abstract noun.

The coldness of an unheated home is miserable.
a miserable b unheated c coldness

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 7 © Blake eLearning

 Abstract nouns in context
3 Change the words in brackets to abstract nouns.
amazement
a She gazed in (amaze) _______________________ at the big house.
success
b A big house is not a sign of (succeed) _______________________ .
c My father showed us the house where he spent his (child)
childhood
_______________________ .
entertainment in a home.
d A television provides (entertain) _______________________
connection .
e To use the internet, homes need an internet (connect) ____________________
dangers
f Hidden (dangerous) _____________________ in a home can cause accidents.
difference
g There is a big (different) _______________________ between my room and
my brother’s!

4 Colour the abstract nouns blue and the common nouns red.

happiness curtains security privacy

key oven meal love family

relaxation furniture memories tradition

head beauty garden peace pets

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 8 © Blake eLearning

Personal pronouns
A pronoun stands in place of a noun. It means the noun doesn’t need to be
repeated. Personal pronouns stand in the place of people or things.
For example:
Noah is eating an ice cream. He loves the chunks of chocolate.
Ella builds her science project. She plans what to do.

1 Circle the personal pronoun in each cloud.

Myra she he Ethan children them

it bird players we parents they Max I

Tina me you William us students

2 Replace the underlined words with pronouns.

it
Sarah dropped her pen on the floor. Ruby picked the pen ___________________
it
up and gave the pen ___________________ her
back to Sarah ___________________.
her
Sarah thanked Ruby. Sarah asked Ruby _____________________ if Ruby
she
_____________________ her
would like to sit next to Sarah _____________________ .
they
Now Sarah and Ruby ____________________ are best friends!

3 Circle the word that is wrong. Write it correctly.

a Last week us went to Melbourne. we
_____________________________
b Me put the books back on the shelf. I
_____________________________
She
c Her went running early this morning. _____________________________
d Last night him went to bed early. he
_____________________________
e I gave she some of my lunch. her
_____________________________
f Yesterday them finished their tasks. they
_____________________________
g I told he to do his best. him
_____________________________
h I saw they at the beach. them
_____________________________
I
i Rhys and me are going to the movies. _____________________________
j He helped I cut out the pictures. me
_____________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 9 © Blake eLearning

 Personal pronouns
4 One pronoun has been underlined. What noun does it replace?
mother
a “Will you make a cake?” Megan asked her mother. _______________________
b Dad pointed to the boys and said. “They are making a raft.”
boys
_______________________
Sean
c “Will you give me some help, please?” asked Sean. _______________________
d “Let us build a castle,” Julia said to her friend. Julia and her friend
_______________________
e Peng passed me the book and said, “Please put it where it belongs.”
the book
_______________________
f Sonja and Oliver looked at the huge crowd. “There must be thousands of
them,” Sonja gasped. people (in the crowd)
_______________________

5 Complete each sentence with a pronoun.

I
a Isabel and ______________________ worked on the project together.
him
b When I saw the boy, I gave ______________________ the book.
her
c My little sister wants me to read ______________________ a story.
us
d She promised ______________________ a prize if we won.
them
e They brought their lunches with ______________________ .

6 Choose the pronoun that correctly completes the sentence.

Tom told Sienna not to rush, but ___________ did not listen.
a she
b her
c herself

7 Which pronoun can replace the underlined words?

I told the boys to eat their dinner.
a they
b him
c them

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 10 © Blake eLearning

Possessive pronouns
A possessive pronoun stands in place of a noun.
It shows possession or ownership.
For example:
Ivy built Ivy’s model in a hurry. Ivy built her model in a hurry.
Logan rides Logan’s bike in the driveway. Logan rides his bike in the driveway.

1 Complete each sentence with a pronoun from the box.

mine his
Use each pronoun once.
our yours
her
a Sofia showed us _____________________ new pencils.
her my
his
b Gareth sold _____________________ paintings to a gallery.
their its
mine
c He gave it to me, so now it is _____________________ .
d yours
Is this scarf _____________________ ?
their
e The farmers all have _____________________ own tractors.
Our
f ____________________ its
dog wags ____________________ tail when it sees us.
my
g Why are you sitting in _____________________ room?

2 Complete the sentences.

If something belongs to ...
mine
a me, it is _____________________ . theirs
b them, it is _____________________ .
yours
c you, it is _____________________ . d her, it is hers
_____________________ .
ours
e us, it is _____________________ . his
f him, it is _____________________ .

3 Which word correctly completes the sentence?

its
a Kai gave the dog (it’s, its) ___________________ dinner.
yours
b Ollie says that blue car is (your, yours) ___________________ .
her
c Jodie left (her, hers) ___________________ watch in the bathroom.
ours
d The house with the bright red door is (our, ours) ___________________ .
our
e Zara and I walked to (our, ours) ___________________ classroom.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 11 © Blake eLearning

 Possessive pronouns

4 Replace the nouns in brackets with possessive pronouns.

his
a Hugo let me play with (Hugo’s) ________________ puppy.
their
b The acrobats put (the acrobats’) ________________ trust in the safety net.
its
c Our dog buried (our dog’s) ________________ bone in one of the flower beds.
his
d Aiden blinked when the light shone in (Aiden’s) ________________ eyes.
his
e Dad checked (Dad’s) ________________ watch as he waited for us.
its
f At the zoo, we watched the tiger and (the tiger’s) ________________ cub
play together.

5 What is the purpose of the word in bold?

Sasha’s lunch box was in her bag.
a to show that the lunch box belongs to Sasha
b to show where Sasha’s bag is
c to show that the bag belongs to Sasha

6 Which word shows ownership in this sentence?

We told the Smiths they could park their car in the driveway.
a Smiths
b they
c their

7 Which word stands in place of Mr Bailey in this sentence?

Mr Bailey took his children and their friends to the park.
a children
b his
c their

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 1 • 978 1 74215 424 4 12 © Blake eLearning

Doing verbs
A doing verb shows that an action is happening. For example:
They jump up and down on the trampoline.
Mia dances on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

1 Fill in the verbs.

squawk
a The seagulls _____________________ loudly. escapes
crumples
escapes
b The prisoner _____________________ from jail.
pays
brushes
c Rosie’s mother _____________________ her hair.
wags
puts
d The child _____________________ rubbish in the bin.
brushes
crumples
e The boy _____________________ the paper into a ball.
puts
pays
f The customer ____________________ the shopkeeper. squawk
wags
g My dog _____________________ his tail.

2 In each sentence, circle the word that shows what action is happening.
a Marcus throws the ball. b Gina catches the ball.
c Liam eats his dinner. d Chloe drinks her juice.
e Elana drops the plate. f George collects the pieces.
g The boys swim laps. h The girls climb trees.
i The man drives the car. j The students ride their bikes.

3 Match the verb to the picture. write jog dig

dig
a ___________________ write
b ___________________ jog
c ___________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 13 © Blake eLearning

 Doing verbs
4 Complete the verbs.
a ____
a Myra c ____ l ____ s her mother on her mobile.
l ____
e ____
b A postman d ____ l i ____
v ____
e r ____
s the mail to our house.
a ____
c The clouds g ____ t h ____
e ____
r before a storm.
u ____
d Zac t ____ r ____ s the pages as he reads.
n ____
i ____
e The dogs l ____ k their owners’ hands.
c ____
f l ____
The audience c ____ a ____ s at the end of the show.
p ____
r g ____
g Jake always a ____ u ____
e ____
s with his brother.
h ____
h The light s ____ i ____ s through the window.
n e ____
5 Match the verbs. 6 Circle the verbs that describe
a rains sketch the action.
b walk doze cries
c draw drizzles
d sleep screams dives runs
e shouts stroll
f cry peers sprints swims
g looks protects
h chew clean jogs dashes
i wash munch
j guards weep races

7 Choose the correct verb.

go
a Jack and Jill (go, goes) ____________________ up the hill.
sits
b Humpty Dumpty (sit, sits) ____________________ on the wall.
dances
c Cinderella (dance, dances) ____________________ until midnight.
find
d The three bears (find, finds) ____________________ Goldilocks in their house.
opens
e The door (open, opens) ____________________ when the thieves (say, says)
say
____________________ ‘Open, Sesame’.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 14 © Blake eLearning

Relating verbs
Relating verbs tell us about what things are and what things have. They link bits
of information in a sentence. For example:
They are in the garden. She is friendly. I have a dog.
List of relating verbs:
am is are was were be being been have has had
Note: be, being and been can only be used with another verb.
I have been to China.

1 Circle the verb that correctly completes the sentence.

a I smile when I (is, am) happy.
b The little girl is (be, being) friendly.
c The children (is, are) in the hall.
d My parents (was, were) very proud of me.
e I saw them when I (was, were) at the shop.
f The child (have, has) lots of toys.
g The boys (have, has) matching shoes.
h My friend (have, had) two ice-creams for breakfast!

2 Match the sentence to the picture.

a b c

d I have an itch. e She has a bucket. f He has a bike.

3 Colour the balls with verbs on them.

be bee are is this

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 15 © Blake eLearning

 Relating verbs
4 Complete each sentence with am, is, are, was or were.
is
a This _________________ a kangaroo.
was
b Last week my puppy _________________ sick.
are
c These _________________ elephants.
am (or was) a drummer.
d I _________________
were
e Yesterday the kittens _________________ naughty.

5 Complete the following sentences with have, has or had.

has
a A tree _________________ branches and leaves.
have
b Birds _________________ feathers, beaks and wings.
had
c Yesterday I _________________ pizza for dinner.

6 Highlight the relating verbs hiding in each word.

fish answered share

wash flame robe

shave chase shade

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 16 © Blake eLearning

Auxiliary (helping) verbs
Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs—they help other verbs do their work,
such as saying when something happened. They come before the main verb.
For example: He jumps. He is jumping. He was jumping.

1 Complete each sentence with a helping verb from the box.

have
a I _______________ heard the news.
am is are was
are
b We _______________ going to the party.
has have does
does
c He _______________ not know who I am.
was
d It _______________ raining when we left.
am
e I _______________ doing my homework.
has
f She _______________ finished her breakfast.
is
g He _______________ brushing his teeth.

2 Colour the incorrect word. Write it correctly.

is
a My mother are speaking to my teacher. _________________________
b I has just seen my friend drive past. have
_________________________
c I are drinking a glass of milk. am
_________________________
d Maya do not hear what I said. did
_________________________
e Adam have left his book at home. has
_________________________
f The bees was buzzing about the hive. were
_________________________
do
g The children does not know their work. _________________________

3 Fit the helping verbs below into the spaces.

were did have do was am

d o d i d w e r e
a m w a s h a v e
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 17 © Blake eLearning
 Auxiliary (helping) verbs
4 Choose the right verb.
is
a The bird (is/are) _____________________ singing in the tree.
are
b The horses (is/are) _____________________ grazing.
has
c My friend (has/have) _____________________ gone to the swimming pool.
have
d Our neighbours (has/have) _____________________ planted more trees.
was
e My older brother (was/were) _____________________ playing tennis.
were
f The passengers (was/were) _____________________ taking their seats.

5 Match the beginnings and endings. Circle the helping verb.

a The bees is grunting.
b The pig were quacking.
c The ducks are buzzing.

6 Do, does or did?

does
a She ________________ not have a dog now.
do/did
b I ________________ not like spinach.
did
c I ________________ not see him yesterday.

7 Sort the actions.

were jumping am cooking is eating had bought

are drawing does work do care have made did try

In the present In the past

am cooking
___________________________ was reading
___________________________
is eating
___________________________ were jumping
___________________________
are drawing
___________________________ had bought
___________________________
does work
___________________________ have made
___________________________
do care
___________________________ did try
___________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 18 © Blake eLearning

Saying and sensing verbs
Saying verbs show how we speak and make sounds. For example:
She said. He whispered.
Sensing verbs show what’s happening in our minds. They describe what we
think, feel and sense. For example:
Edie likes softball. Ahmed heard the thunder.

1 Fill in the gaps with a verb from the box.

asked
a “What is that?” ______________________ Jarred. wants
think
knows
b Zoe ______________________ how to spell the words.
knows
wants
c Simon ______________________ a bicycle for his birthday.
answered
yelled
d “Watch out!” ______________________ Mr Rivera. asked
think
e They ______________________ we should leave now. enjoyed
enjoyed
f The children ______________________ seeing the animals. yelled

answered
g He ______________________ all the questions.

2 Sort the words.

thought wished replied guessed heard

announced shouted hated saw

Saying verbs Thinking verbs Feeling verbs

replied
__________________ thought
__________________ heard
__________________
announced
__________________ wished
__________________ hated
__________________
shouted
__________________ guessed
__________________ saw
__________________

3 Circle the saying verbs and underline the thinking verbs.

a He shouted to get attention. b She believes she is right.
c They guessed the score. d We said they could help us.
e I suppose that’s alright. f I wonder whose book this is.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 19 © Blake eLearning

 Saying and sensing verbs
4 Match the words that have similar meanings.
shrieked
a screamed ______________________ hate
murmur
enjoy
b like ______________________
ask
hate
c dislike ______________________
shrieked
hope
d wish ______________________ enjoy
ask
e question ______________________ hope
murmur
f mutter ______________________

5 Circle the correct verb in brackets.

a She (says, say) there’s a monster under her bed.
b “I wish it would stop raining,” (moan, moaned) Marie.
c “What an amazing sunset!” (exclaim, exclaimed) Rupert.
d The principal (announce, announced) the results at assembly.
e The book (describes, describe) how people lived a hundred years ago.

6 Is the underlined word a saying or sensing verb?

sensing
a Levi understands what he has to do. ______________________
saying
b “Come over here!” called Mr Malouf. ______________________
sensing
c I remember putting the keys on the table. ______________________
sensing
d “I adore my grandparents,” said Myra. ______________________
sensing
e Jamie knows the poem by heart. ______________________
sensing
f I wonder where I left my school bag. ______________________
sensing
g She estimated how many there were. ______________________
sensing
h Maddy loves all of her pets. ______________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 20 © Blake eLearning

Modal verbs
Modal verbs are helping verbs that show if something is possible, certain or
necessary. For example:
I might go (It’s possible) I will go (It’s certain) I must go (It’s necessary)

1 Do the underlined verbs show something certain or possible?

a I can ride a bike. certain
______________________
b I will tidy my room. certain
______________________
possible
c I may go to the beach tomorrow. ______________________
d I won’t forget to lock the door. certain
______________________
e I might read my book later. possible
______________________
f This might not be their house. possible
______________________
g My baby sister can’t walk yet. certain
______________________

2 Complete each sentence with a modal verb from the box.

Use each word once.

won’t will must might can’t

might
a I ______________________ enter the competition; I’m not sure.
won’t
b I promise I ______________________ let you down.
will (or must) definitely be home by four o’clock.
c I ______________________
can’t
d Humans ______________________ survive without water.
must (or will) hurry if you want to get there on time.
e You ______________________

3 Circle the correct word in brackets to make the statements true.

a A possible action: He (might, will) be waiting for me.
b A necessary action: She (may, must) catch the bus.
c A certain action: My brother (won’t, may not) help me.
d A possible action: We (will, may) play another game.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 21 © Blake eLearning

 Modal verbs
4 Fit the verbs into the boxes.

can could may might must

shall should will would

m i g h t c a n m a y
m u s t w i l l c o u l d
w o u l d s h o u l d s h a l l
5 Choose the verb that correctly completes each sentence.
might
They ___________________ be coming to the party.
a might b are c was d is
will
He ___________________ be at the game tonight.
a ought b have c will d try
can’t
Sam ___________________ eat anything with nuts in it.
a was b are c do d can’t
ought
He ___________________ to be here by now.
a ought b can c will d won’t
should
They ___________________ be finished soon.
a
should b are c were d has

6 We might have a picnic in the park tomorrow.

Which sentence is closest in meaning to the one above?

a We will definitely have a picnic in the park tomorrow.
b It is possible we will have a picnic in the park tomorrow.
c We are going to have a picnic in the park tomorrow.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 2 • 978 1 74215 424 4 22 © Blake eLearning

Adjectives
Adjectives describe people, places or things. They add details to nouns
and pronouns. For example:
The cute little kitten chased the young boy.
The giant, savage tiger chased the frightened ranger.

1 Circle the adjectives that can describe an elephant.

huge small grey enormous

shiny big wrinkly magnificent

blue heavy large smart

2 Complete each sentence with an adjective from the box.

angry six black hot delicious

hot
a I like to swim on ___________________ days.
black
b My friend has a ___________________ cat.
six
c There are ___________________ eggs in the carton.
delicious
d My dad bakes ___________________ pies.
angry
e I was ___________________ when I saw the result.

3 Write the adjectives under the correct heading.

blue twelve brown bitter sweet

twenty purple seven spicy

How many? What colour? What taste?

twelve
______________________ blue
______________________ bitter
______________________
twenty
______________________ brown
______________________ sweet
______________________
seven
______________________ purple
______________________ spicy
______________________
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 23 © Blake eLearning
 Adjectives
4 Complete the table.
deafening embarrassed round straight
enormous thunderous lonely small
curved large noisy calm
loud tiny confused square
feelings shapes size sound
sad crooked huge quiet
embarrassed round enormous deafening
lonely straight small thunderous
calm curved large noisy
confused square tiny loud
5 An adjective can show who something belongs to.
They come before the noun. Choose a word from
our my her his
the box to show ownership. Remember to use a
capital letter at the start of a sentence.

My
a Red is the colour I like best. ______________ favourite colour is red.
her
b The dog ate the girl’s sandwich. It ate ______________ sandwich.
Our
c We couldn’t go on the excursion. ______________ excursion was cancelled.
His team wants to win the final!
d Ed went to football practice early. _____________

6 Fill in the adjectives.

freezing brown juicy large funny blue bad rich rotten

funny
a The children laughed at the __________________ clown.
rotten
b The __________________ bad
egg has a __________________ smell.
rich
c The __________________ large
man lives in a __________________ house.
freezing weather.
d The water turned to ice in the __________________
brown
e Melissa has __________________ blue
hair and __________________ eyes.
juicy
f We enjoyed eating the __________________ oranges.
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 24 © Blake eLearning
Adjectives that compare
Adjectives can be used to compare two or more nouns.
Add the suffixes er and est to the end of words.
For example:
The antelope is tall. The elephant is taller. The giraffe is tallest.

1 Add the suffixes er and est.

er est er est
small smaller smallest fast faster fastest
loud louder loudest tall taller tallest
high higher highest sweet sweeter sweetest

2 Sort the words.

smaller weakest happier sweetest younger straightest

scariest angriest higher loosest cuddlier louder

Comparative adjectives Superlative adjectives

Comparing two things Comparing more than two
smaller weakest
happier sweetest
younger straightest
higher scariest
cuddlier angriest
louder loosest

3 Find the word that correctly completes the sentence.

luckiest
He is the ___________________ boy I know!

a
luckiest b lucky c luckier d luckily

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 25 © Blake eLearning

 Adjectives that compare
4 Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence.

quicker
In the final, Tess was four seconds ___________________ than Hannah.

a
quickly b quickest c quicker d quick

5 Write the adjective to complete each sentence.

cuter
a This kitten is much ___________________ than that one.
cute

largest
b Blue whales are the ___________________ animals in the world.
large

straightest of the four tracks.

c On our hike, we chose the ___________________
straight

heavier
d A lion is much ___________________ than an ostrich.
heavy

driest
e Antarctica is the ___________________ continent on Earth.
dry

sweeter
f Oranges are ___________________ than lemons.
sweet

angriest giant the boy had ever seen.

g Alfie was the ___________________
angry

6 Which pair of words correctly completes each sentence?

bigger
The ___________________ stronger
of the two puppies is also the ___________________ .

a
bigger, stronger b biggest, stronger

juiciest
The ___________________ sweetest
oranges are also the ___________________ .

a
juiciest, sweeter b juiciest, sweetest

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 26 © Blake eLearning

Adjectives in context
Use your knowledge of adjectives to answer the following questions.

Read the extract.

What kind of People in Spring

time is spring?
Circle the People spend more time outside in spring.
answer. Spring is an exciting time outdoors. There
are many new plants and animals. The air
What are the
smells fresh. The cold winter is over.
days like in
spring? Put a The early sunrise makes waking up easier.
box around The longer days and warm sunshine give
the answer. many people more energy.
What days are
Dandelions make seeds in spring. Children
good for flying like to blow the seeds away.
kites? Highlight Windy days are good for flying kites. Early
the answer.
mornings are good for exercising.
What are People enjoy eating fresh spring fruits
strawberries like and vegetables after the cold winter.
in spring? Colour Strawberries are sweet and juicy in spring.
the answers.

In each sentence, find the adjective.

1 Spring is my favourite season.
a Spring b favourite c my d season

2 There are lots of new plants and animals to see in spring.

a There b lots c new d see

3 Dandelions make fluffy seeds in spring.

a fluffy b Dandelions c spring d seeds

4 On spring mornings, people get up early to exercise.

a spring b mornings c up d exercise

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 27 © Blake eLearning

 Adjectives in context
5 Circle the adjectives that can describe a tree.

big shady
icy small
green leafy
purple tall
deep beautiful

6 Colour the adjective that correctly completes each sentence.

a
There are (two, four) seasons in a year.
b
In spring it gets (warmer, cooler).
c
Summer is the (hottest, coldest) season.
d
In winter the days are (long, short).
e
People carry umbrellas if the weather is (clear, cloudy).

7 Match the adjectives with similar meanings.

colourful freezing hungry delicious
icy tasty bright starving

8 In the sentence, what is the purpose of the word sweet?

In spring, the apples are sweet and juicy.
a
It shows what the apples taste like.
b
It shows what the apples smell like.
c
It shows what the apples look like.

9 In the sentence, what is the purpose of the word wet?

Dad told us not to sit on the wet grass.
a It shows what the grass smells like.
b It shows what the grass looks like.
c It shows what the grass feels like.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 28 © Blake eLearning

Adverbs of time
Adverbs give information about verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
Adverbs of time tell when something happens, how long it lasts or how often
it happens. For example:
I will see him tomorrow. It happened long ago.
I waited all day. We lived in New Zealand for a year.
I sometimes order sushi. We always go to the beach.
Anna usually wins at tennis. I wonder what happened next.

1 Circle the word that tells when something happens.

a I woke up earlier. I always
b They will be here later.
wear a hat.
c We should be home soon.
d I am going to the movies tomorrow.
e I immediately took him to the doctor.
f He sometimes forgets to eat breakfast.

2 Match the words that are opposite in meaning.

earlier always after last often
first later sometimes never before

3 Fill in the adverbs. usually before never tomorrow sometimes always

tomorrow
a I am going to my friend’s house _______________________ .
before
b I have been there many times _______________________ .
always
c It’s the best! We _________________________ have lots of fun.
Usually/sometimes
d _________________________________ we go to the park, but
sometimes/usually
_________________________________ we stay in his backyard.
never
e When we are together, we ________________________ get bored!

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 29 © Blake eLearning

 Adverbs of time
4 Which word completes the sentence correctly?
fortnightly .
Something that happens once every two weeks happens __________________
a fortnightly
b weekly
c annually
d daily

5 Which word does NOT complete the sentence correctly?

ever
We __________________ give food scraps to our dog.
a ever
b never
c always
d usually

6 Fill in the adverbs.

weekly tomorrow never sometimes immediately

a Have you ever been to Disney World?

never
No, I have _______________________ been to Disney World.
b How often does the newsletter come out?
weekly/sometimes .
The newsletter comes out _______________________ 
c When did you phone her parents?
immediately
I phoned her parents _______________________  .
d Do you always catch a bus to school?
sometimes/weekly .
No, I only catch a bus to school _______________________ 
e When are you expecting your cousins to arrive?
tomorrow
We are expecting our cousins to arrive _______________________  .

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 30 © Blake eLearning

Adverbs in context
Use your knowledge of adverbs to answer the following questions.

Read the extract.

Underline the phrase

that tells for how
Boats
long people have People have been making boats for thousands
been making boats. of years.
Long ago, people made simple canoes by carving
Put a box around
out logs. They joined wooden or bamboo poles
when people made together to make rafts. They used paddles to
simple canoes. move these boats.
Later, people built sailboats. Sails catch the wind
Highlight when and push the boat across the water. Sailboats
people built are faster than boats with paddles.
sailboats. Eventually steamboats replaced sailboats. Coal
was burned to heat water. The steam from the
Colour the adverb water powered the boats.
of time in the last
Today ships are powered mainly by diesel or gas.
sentence.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

In the following sentences, which word or phrase can replace the
underlined adverb?
1 People have been making boats for thousands of years.
a for a few years b for a long time c for a short time d for many months
2 Long ago, people made simple canoes by carving out logs.
a In the future b These days c In the past d In a little while
3 Later, people built sailboats.
a Afterwards b Immediately c Always d Nowadays
4 Eventually steamboats replaced sailboats.
a In the past b After a while c In the present d At the moment
5 Today ships are powered mainly by diesel or gas.
a At that time b In future times c In those days d These days

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 31 © Blake eLearning

 Adverbs in context
6 In each sentence, circle the word that tells when something happens.
a
I am going sailing tomorrow.
b I will put away the kayak later.
c We will be boarding the cruise ship soon.
d The ship will reach its destination tonight.
e That is the yacht we sailed earlier.
f We have finally been allowed to go on board.
g They arrived back from their cruise yesterday.

7 Colour the word that correctly completes each sentence.

a ever  been on an oil tanker?
Have you ______________
O soon O before ever O now
sometimes  lets me go sailing with him.
b My brother ______________
O earlier sometimes O later O today
eventually  managed to start the engine on the boat.
c We ______________
eventually O daily O last O ever
soon
d The cruise ship is due to arrive ______________ .
soon O usually O never O earliest
In the future  cruise ships could be even bigger.
e ___________________
O In the past O Long ago In the future O Every day

8 Complete each sentence with an adverb from the box.

always hourly yesterday often recently

hourly/often
a The ferry departs _______________________ .
recently
b I have _______________________ taken up sailing.
often/always
c She has _______________________ watched ships entering the harbour.
Yesterday/often our class visited the Maritime Museum.
d _______________________
always/often
e My father _______________________ wears a life jacket when he goes sailing.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 3 • 978 1 74215 424 4 32 © Blake eLearning

Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense. It has a subject
(who or what the sentence is about) and a verb. For example:
Jenny rides her bike to school.
The boy jumps into the pool.

1 Tick the sentences.

a My sister sings in the choir.
b is baking a cake for my birthday
c left her backpack on the bus
d The player kicked the ball into the goal.
e The brave knight defended the castle.
f are dipping their feet in the water
g The children finished their lunch quickly.

2 Complete each sentence with a subject from the box.

The players Abby The leaves

Our dog Ben The stars The bees

Our dog
a _______________________________ sleeps in a kennel.
Ben
b _______________________________ is eating his lunch.
Abby
c _______________________________ is tidying her room.
d The stars
_______________________________ shine brightly at night.
e The players
_______________________________ are practising for the game.
The bees
f _______________________________ are buzzing about the hive.
The leaves
g _______________________________ are falling from the trees.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 33 © Blake eLearning

 Sentences
3 Complete each sentence with a verb from the box.

eat bit is fixed dropped cheered read

is
a My warm coat _________________________ in the cupboard.
cheered
b The spectators _________________________ for their team.
eat
c I _________________________ breakfast at seven o’clock.
dropped
d Mia _________________________ the eggs on the floor.
bit
e A mosquito _________________________ me on the arm.
read
f The students _________________________ books in the library.
fixed
g The plumber _________________________ the dripping tap.

4 Circle the subjects in these proverbs.

a Practice makes perfect. b The early bird catches the worm.
c Every dog has his day. d Walls have ears.
e Too many cooks spoil the broth. f A cat has nine lives.
g A picture paints a thousand words. h All cats are grey in the dark.

i A new broom sweeps clean. j Pride comes before a fall.

5 Write a sentence about a friend.

Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 34 © Blake eLearning

Noun groups
A noun group (or phrase) is a group of words built around a main noun. It can
include articles (a, an, the), pronouns, adjectives and other nouns. For example:
an enormous giant with a bushy black beard
a box of juicy yellow peaches

1 Complete these noun groups with words from the box.

on and of an several

of
a a herd _______________________ elephants
an
b _______________________ office in the city
on
c the stain _______________________ his shirt
several
d _______________________ little round buttons
and
e a big black _______________________ white dog

2 Circle the main noun around which each noun group is built.
a the excited children b the two old paintings
c the big red balloon d some steaming hot soup
e the delicious dessert f six noisy yellow ducklings
g the biscuits in the jar h the gift from her cousin
i the cupcake with pink icing j the wooden boat on the lake

3 Build noun groups around the following main nouns.

kitten my cute, fluffy kitten
___________________________________________
Teacher check
a tree ___________________________________________
Teacher check
b bicycle ___________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 35 © Blake eLearning

 Noun groups
4 Write sentences with the noun groups in question 3.
I like to play with my cute, fluffy kitten.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5 What part of speech is the underlined word in each noun group?

a a very funny hat
O noun O verb adjective O article
b a delicious chocolate cake
O noun article O adjective O pronoun
c her new party dress
pronoun O verb O article O noun
d a large flock of sheep
O adjective O pronoun O article noun
e a sharp kitchen knife from Japan
proper noun O article O common noun O adjective

6 Underline the longest noun group in each sentence.

a We saw two colourful birds sitting in the tree.
b The children jumped into the cool blue water.
c I lay on the grass and stared up at the enormous white clouds.
d To get to the house, we had to drive down an avenue of trees.
e She is wearing a sun hat with a wide brim.
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 36 © Blake eLearning
Noun groups in context
Use your knowledge of noun groups to answer the following questions.

Read the extract.

Bengal Tigers
In the underlined
Some Bengal tigers live in the mangrove forests of
phrase, circle
the noun. India and Bangladesh.
Tigers hunt mammals such as wild boars. Bengal
In the underlined
phrase, put a
tigers also eat saltwater crabs and fish.
box around the Tigers are quick and powerful hunters. They have
adjectives. soft foot pads that help them quietly stalk their
prey. Their striped coats help them hide in the
In the underlined
forest.
phrase, highlight
the pronoun. Bengal tigers are strong swimmers. They will
attack prey while the animal swims or drinks.
In the underlined Did you know that every tiger has a different
phrase, colour
pattern of stripes?
the article.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

In each sentence, identify the noun group.
1 Tigers are able to quietly stalk their prey.
a quietly stalk b are able c their prey d to quietly
2 Tigers are strong swimmers and will attack animals while they drink or swim.
a will attack b they drink or swim c strong swimmers d attack animals
In each underlined phrase, identify the main noun.
3 A few Bengal tigers live in the mangrove forests of India and Bangladesh.
a Bengal b few c tigers d a
4 They have soft, spongy foot pads that help them quietly stalk their prey.
a foot b pads c soft d spongy
5 Did you know that the stripes on every tiger form a slightly different pattern?
a pattern b a c different d slightly

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 37 © Blake eLearning

 Noun groups in context
6 Complete each noun group with a word from the box.

smell a much of big

a of
a large pride __________________ lions
a
b __________________ tiger in the forest
big
c a member of the __________________ cats fan club
smell
d an excellent sense of __________________
much
e a __________________ smaller cat

7 Underline the main noun of the noun group.

a a different pattern of stripes
b quick and powerful hunters
c the mangrove forests of India and Bangladesh
d the delicate balance of plants and animals in Indian environments

8 Each sentence contains two noun groups. Underline them.

a
We saw a baby cheetah at our local zoo.
b The new movie is about some very funny cats.
c The sleek white cat is sleeping on the old armchair.
d Our next door neighbour found an abandoned kitten.
e
Lions are large, powerfully built cats that live on the African plains.

9 Build a noun group with the following words.

under
cubs the lion cubs sleeping under the tree
___________________________________________________
tree ___________________________________________________
the
sleeping

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 38 © Blake eLearning

Prepositions
Prepositions relate one thing to another. For example: the girl on the bicycle
Prepositions come before nouns and pronouns. They help to show when, where,
how and why. For example:
I will meet you at midday. They travelled by train.
Aileen carried the luggage for them.

1 Does the underlined preposition show when, where, how or why?

a I woke up before sunrise. when
________________
b I have just come from the shops. where
________________
c We should be home by six o’clock. when
________________
d I immediately took him to the doctor. where
________________
how
e She finished the job with cardboard and glue. ________________
f I made the card for her. why
________________

2 Match the prepositions that are 3 Fill in the preposition.

opposite in meaning.
a before above
b for without
c under after
d up to
e with against
f from down on the wire.
The bird is sitting ______

4 Fill in the prepositions.

along up from in by with to

from the harbour ___________

We travelled ___________ to the little village ___________
by
Along the way, we saw green fields dotted ___________
train. ___________ with sheep
up the hill were stone buildings. Some of
and cattle. Further ___________
in ruins.
them lay ___________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 39 © Blake eLearning

 Prepositions
5 Complete the prepositions.
o ___
a The ball is rolling d ___ w ___
n the slope.
r ___
b They showed us a ___ o ___ n ___
u ___ d their home.
g ___
c The soldiers are fighting a ___ a ___ n ___
i ___ s ___
t the enemy.
u ___
d She told us to wait o ___ t ___ i ___
s ___ d ___
e the building.
e ___
e They placed the bench b ___ n ___ a ___
e ___ t ___
h the tree.
u ___
f They told us not to talk d ___ r ___ n ___
i ___ g the show.
e ___
g Angelo is sitting b ___ h ___ n ___
i ___ d Sam and Zoe.
6 Fill in the prepositions.

before
at
after

before 11 o’clock b ________

a ________ after 11 o’clock at 11 o’clock
c ________

7 Complete the crossword puzzle.

Across:
1 Six comes __________ five.
1 2
a f t e r
3 I will meet you ______ the
movies.
h
3
4 5 5 Five comes __________ six.
a t

b e f o r e
6 He walked ______ the road.
h9
t e o
7 The milk is ______ the fridge.
6
a c r o s s u
8 They are sitting ______ an
7
umbrella.
i n i g
8 Down:

u n d e r h
2 I saw him ______ the window.

e
4 Your dog is bigger ______ mine.
5 I sat ______ her on the bus.
9 I am going ______ school.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 40 © Blake eLearning

Conjunctions
Conjunctions join sentences or parts of sentences. For example:
Snakes and lizards are reptiles. I put the bag down because it was heavy.
I saw her when I went to the shops.
Common conjunctions: after although and as because before
but if or so unless until when while

1 Complete each sentence with a conjunction from the list above.

but/although we didn’t win.
a Our team played well, _________________
if/because you’re not careful.
b You will hurt yourself _________________
when
c I found my old toys _________________ I was tidying up.
until
d You will have to wait _________________ your birthday.
and/so/but I chopped the carrots.
e She peeled the potatoes _________________
so
f I will take you to the house _________________ you can see it for yourself.
because it was cold that night.
g I put an extra blanket on the bed _________________

2 Match the clauses.

a I water the plants as my old one was too small.
b We watched the sunset until his bus arrived.
c I bought a new bike when we go to the beach.
d We make sandcastles so they won’t die.
e I waited with him because it was so beautiful.

3 Replace the underlined conjunction with the correct one from the box.

because while so until

a We can’t go outside so it is raining. because/while

_________________
b The package arrived after we were away. while
_________________
c We waited outside because our teacher arrived. until
_________________
so
d We went to the library until we could exchange our books. _________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 41 © Blake eLearning

 Conjunctions
4 In each sentence circle the conjunction.
a You can have cheese or chicken on your sandwich.
b I had toast and Vegemite for breakfast.
c I eat lots of fruit because it is good for me.
d I saw him while I was waiting for the bus.
e Although she likes dogs, she prefers cats.

5 Use the word in brackets to join the sentences.

a Jack felt sick. He was at school. (while)
Jack felt sick while he was at school.
________________________________________________________________________
b I washed the cup. It was dirty. (because)
I washed the cup because it was dirty.
________________________________________________________________________
c I hung up my bag. I got to school. (when)
I hung up my bag when I got to school.
________________________________________________________________________

6 Complete each sentence.

a I brushed my teeth after
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b I won’t go unless
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c I couldn’t finish my homework because
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 42 © Blake eLearning

Conjunctions in context
Use your knowledge of conjunctions to answer the following questions.

Read the extract.

In this sentence,
Box Night News
circle the That night all the neighbours gather in Dave’s
conjunction. grandparents’ backyard to watch television.
Everyone gathers around the small screen when
Put a box around the news comes on. Nana turns the volume
the conjunction in
this line.
right up so we can hear it over the cicadas.
“This afternoon a young girl went missing from
Highlight the Wattle Grove. Police, firemen and neighbours
conjunction in joined in the search, but it was a young lad by the
this line. name of Kevin and his dog Elvis who eventually
found her asleep in a bush cave. The little girl was
In this sentence, safe and well and was reunited with her family.”
underline
the conjunction. “That’s me! That’s me!” cries Julie when her
picture appears.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

Choose the correct conjunction to fill each gap.
1 Everyone gathers around the small screen the news comes on.
a or b when c so d but
2 Everyone can hear Nana turns the volume right up.
a until b because c while d unless
3 Kevin Elvis help the police find the little girl.
a or b so c but d and
4 Police, firemen and neighbours searched they found the little girl.
a while b until c or d although
5 The little girl was sleeping, Kevin and Elvis woke her up.
a or b if c but d because

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 43 © Blake eLearning

 Conjunctions in context
6 Each sentence contains a conjunction. Circle it.
a
I can’t watch television because I haven’t finished my homework.
b She turned up the volume, but I still couldn’t hear.
c The TV was too loud, so I asked him to turn down the volume.
d I ate my sandwiches while I watched the news.
e I like programs about animals and the environment.
f He switched off the television when he went to bed.

7 In the following text, choose the correct word to fill each gap.
Police A firemen looked everywhere for the little girl, B they
couldn’t find her. They thought they would have a better chance C the
search party was bigger, D they asked the neighbours to join them.
A O but and O because O so
B O or O unless O so but
C if O but O although O until
D O but O unless so O or

8 Complete the sentences.

a Teacher check
Our TV is old and heavy, but ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b The neighbours joined in the search for the missing girl because ____________
Teacher check
______________________________________________________________________
c Teacher check
Elvis the dog started barking when ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Teacher check
d Dave’s grandad moved the television outside so __________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Teacher check
e Every Friday night the neighbours get together and ________________________
______________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 44 © Blake eLearning

Clauses
A clause is a group of words with a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and
a verb. A main clause makes sense on its own. A simple sentence has one main
clause. For example:
Lachlan (subject) runs (verb).
A subordinate clause does not make sense on its own. For example:
because his friend (subject) is sleeping (verb)

1 Complete each clause with a subject from the box.

our team Freya Rain

the lioness Mum the sun whales

a Freya
____________________________ is ready for school now.
Mum
b when ____________________________ gets home from work
The lioness
c ____________________________ licked its wounded paw.
d the sun
until ____________________________ rises any moment
Our team
e ____________________________ will reach the finals.
whales
f while ____________________________ swim north for winter
Rain
g ____________________________ fell in soft waves.

2 Complete each clause with a verb from the box.

gathered cooked watched was

roared asked tripped

roared
a The fans _____________________ when the scores were even.
b was
because his ticket _____________________ still on the bus
cooked
c Dad _____________________ an early breakfast for us.
tripped
d when she _____________________ and grazed her knee
gathered
e Rabbits _____________________ in the paddock at dusk.
watched
f while they _____________________ a movie in the back room
asked
g The teacher _____________________ everyone to sit down.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 45 © Blake eLearning

 Clauses
3 Circle the verbs in these clauses.
a My aunt sings in a choir.
b while he bakes a cake for my birthday
c when she left her phone on the bus
d The player kicked the ball into the goal.
e The brave lion defended her cubs.
f before they dip their feet in the water
g The children finished their project on time.

4 Build clauses with the words below.

a when my friend I saw
when I saw my friend
_____________________________________________________________________
b sing The birds the trees. in
The birds sing in the trees.
_____________________________________________________________________

5 Write a simple sentence.

Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6 Circle the subject of each clause. Tick the box if the clause is a main
clause (it makes sense on its own).
a after Toby walked the dog
b I watched my favourite movie three times in a row!
c Jono cried.
d while the sun sets over the mountains
e Salt is added to the bowl last.
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 46 © Blake eLearning
Clauses in context
Use your knowledge of clauses to answer the following questions.

Read the extract.

Sky and Seasons
Colour what Nature changes through the seasons. Some
hibernates during the
colder months. animals hibernate during the colder months.
They save their energy until spring brings
Underline the clause more food.
that starts with until.
Many plants flower in spring. Sheep have their
Put a box around
lambs in late winter or early spring.
what is active in Animals and insects are active in summer.
summer.
Vines and trees produce fruit.
Circle what happens Some trees change colour in autumn. They
to the colour of trees in
autumn.
stop making green pigment in their leaves.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

In each clause, find the subject.
1 Sheep have their lambs in late winter or early spring.
a lambs b sheep c winter d spring
2 Vines and trees produce fruit.
a Vines b and c fruit d Vines and trees

In each clause, find the verb.

3 Animals and insects are active in summer.
a and b are c active d summer
4 Nature changes through the seasons.
a through b changes c the seasons d Nature

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 47 © Blake eLearning

Compound sentences
A compound sentence has two main clauses joined by a conjunction.
For example: Dogs can bark, but they can’t talk.

1 Complete each compound sentence with a conjunction from the list.

so but and or yet

and pilots fly planes.

a Farmers grow crops, ___________
so I can’t go to the show.
b I have lost my ticket, ___________
but/yet the cake was a flop.
c She followed the recipe, ___________
or he can call a mechanic.
d He can fix the car himself, ___________
yet/but I was still cold.
e I put an extra blanket on my bed, ___________

2 Circle the conjunction in each sentence.

a A fish can swim, but it cannot walk.
b The tap was leaking, so we called the plumber.
c She doesn’t like broccoli, yet she ate some anyway.
d You can play tennis, or you can try basketball.
e Ryan is a good actor and his sister is a good dancer.

3 Connect the parts that go together.

a I don’t like spinach, and you can vote for Janine.

b He likes caramel yet I am taking him to the vet.

c You can vote for Liam, so I have to eat it.

d He is very fit, but he couldn’t finish the race.

e My dog is sick, or she likes chocolate.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 48 © Blake eLearning

 Compound sentences
4 Write the two sentences as a compound sentence.
a Sasha is the new school captain. And everyone is pleased.
Sasha is the new school captain, and everyone is pleased.
____________________________________________________________________
b Miranda watches television. But she doesn’t like violent programs.
Miranda watches television, but she doesn’t like violent programs.
____________________________________________________________________
c You can catch the bus later. Or we can walk there now.
You can catch the bus later, or we can walk there now.
____________________________________________________________________
d Tom had never played before. Yet he kicked three goals!
Tom had never played before, yet he kicked three goals!
____________________________________________________________________

5 Is it a simple sentence or a compound sentence?

a Mammoths lived millions of years ago. simple
_______________________
b I made the tea and took it to my dad. simple
_______________________
c The orange is sour, but the grapes are sweet. compound
_______________________
d There were lots of people in the crowd. simple
_______________________
compound
e I can buy him a present, or I can give him money. _______________________

6 True or false?
true
a Compound sentences have more than one clause. ______________________
true
b Two main clauses can be joined with a conjunction. ______________________
c A main clause can stand on its own. true
______________________

7 Underline the two main clauses.

a We can catch the train, or we can get the bus.
b I have already eaten dinner, so I am not hungry.
c Jayden has gone to the skate park, but he should be back soon.
d Grandma is knitting the scarf and Mum is making the skirt.
e They hadn’t been there before, yet they knew their way around.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 49 © Blake eLearning

Compound sentences in context
Use your knowledge of compound sentences to answer the following questions.

Read the extract.

Goat Girl and Garden Boy
In this sentence,
Anula was very busy, but she wrote a letter to her mother every
circle two
conjunctions.
week and gave it to Aunty Padma to post. She included a return
envelope and stamp each time, but so far her mother had not
In this sentence,
written back.
highlight two Aunty Padma gave Anula money for her school lunches and
main clauses. pocket money for the weekend, but Anula didn’t spend the
money. She saved it for her bus fare home.
In the meantime, Anula worked hard at her English, music and
tennis lessons. She barely had time each evening to slip out
In the last sentence, of the house with the computer under her arm to visit her pet
put a box around goat, Beni, and her friend, Jegan.
the conjunction. Beni seemed content to remain in Jegan’s room—
until the day of the Spring Lawn Party. Aunty
In the last sentence, Padma had planned the party for months. She’d
colour the main hired a caterer, and she’d invited all the important
clauses. tea merchants.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

In each sentence, identify the conjunction.
1 Aunty Padma gave Anula money for her school lunches
and pocket money for the weekend.
a for b her c and d the
2 Aunty Padma gave Anula money for her school lunches, but Anula didn’t
spend the money.
a for b but c didn’t d the
3 Anula couldn’t keep Beni in her room, so she asked Jegan to keep him.
a couldn’t b so c she d to
4 Anula could practise her English, or she could play tennis.
a or b she c could d her
5 Aunty Padma had planned the party for months and everyone was looking
forward to it.
a had b the c to d and

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 50 © Blake eLearning

 Compound sentences in context
6 Complete each sentence with a conjunction from the box.

so but and or

a
Anula could stay with Aunty Padma, or she could go home.
b Aunty Padma wanted Anula to stay, but Anula wanted to leave.
c Anula was worried about her goat, so she asked Jegan to help her.
d Jegan kept the goat in his room and fed it vegetables from the
garden.

7 In each sentence, underline the main clauses.

a
Beni had grown bigger, but he still fitted in the case.
b
Anula was feeling lonely, so she wrote to her mother.
c
Aunty Padma saw it all and then she fainted on the lawn.
d
The boy grabbed Beni and Beni bleated to complain.
e
Anula had enough money for two bus tickets, so Jegan could come too.
f Aunty Padma posted Anula’s letters home, but she kept the ones that
came back.

8 In the following text, choose the correct word to fill each gap.
Anula didn’t know if she should leave her little goat, Beni, at home, A
if she should take him with her to Aunty Padma’s. It would be easier to
leave him at home, B she would miss him so much! She decided
to put him in her suitcase C nobody would see him. She poked holes
in the suitcase D put Beni on top of her clothes.

A O but O and  
or O so
B O and O or O so  
but
C   so O but O and O or
D O but  
and O so O or

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 51 © Blake eLearning

Complex sentences
A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb.
A main clause makes sense on its own. For example:
I went to the party.
A subordinate clause does not make sense on its own. For example:
I went to the party because she invited me.
A complex sentence has one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

1 Subordinate clauses often start with a conjunction. Complete each sentence

with a conjunction from the box. Underline the subordinate clause.

unless when if until because before

when
a I saw a lion _______________________ I went to the zoo.
because
b I eat lots of fruit _______________________ it is healthy.
before
c I finished my work _______________________ the bell rang.
until
d They played outside _______________________ it got dark.
if
e They will make the finals _____________________ they keep winning games.
unless
f They won’t let you in _______________________ you have a ticket.

2 Draw lines to match the main and subordinate clauses.

Circle the conjunctions.
Main clause Subordinate clause
a We ordered dessert before I brush my teeth.
b The baby is crying although it was raining.
c I eat my breakfast after we had eaten the main course.
d I walked to school whenever I get hungry.
e I make myself a snack because it is hungry.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 52 © Blake eLearning

 Complex sentences
3 Circle the conjunction that correctly completes each sentence.
a Ella screamed (when, if) Lily surprised her.
b I waited under cover (unless, while) the rain pelted down.
c I watched the plane (after, until) it finally disappeared.
d The boys aren’t twins (although, once) they look the same.
e I dropped the box (before, because) it was heavy.

4 In each sentence, underline the main clause and put a box around the
subordinate clause.
a You can’t come in until we are ready.
b We had to hurry because we were late.
c We played football while Dad cooked dinner.
d I saw a shark when I went to the aquarium.
e They will lose the game if they don’t score soon.
f She won’t make it to the summit unless you help her.

5 Write endings for the following sentences.

a I like this book because
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b I quickly ran away when
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c I will help you if
Teacher check
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 4 • 978 1 74215 424 4 53 © Blake eLearning

Subject–verb agreement
In a sentence, the form of the verb must agree with the number of its subject.
For example: The girl (singular) kicks the ball. The girls (plural) kick the ball.
The baby (singular) is very cute. The babies (plural) are very cute.
The kangaroo (singular) has a long tail. The kangaroos (plural) have long tails.

1 Circle the verb in brackets that correctly completes the sentence.

a The leaf (fall, falls) to the ground.
b The doors (creak, creaks) open.
c The water (splash, splashes) on the floor.
d Our journey (end, ends) at the next town.
e The children (go, goes) to school every day.
f That boy and girl (live, lives) next door.
g The window (rattle, rattles) when the wind blows.
h Thunder (rumble, rumbles) in the distance.

2 Choose a verb from the box to complete each sentence.

catch catches pick picks watch watches ride rides

hang hangs sparkle sparkles work works

picks
a She ______________________________ flowers for her mother.
ride
b They ______________________________ their bicycles to school.
catches
c He ______________________________ the train into the city.
work
d The women ______________________________ together as a team.
sparkles
e The dew ______________________________ in the sunshine.
watch
f We ______________________________ the same programs.
hang
g Not all paintings ______________________________ on the wall.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 54 © Blake eLearning

 Subject–verb agreement
3 Change the verb so that it agrees with its subject.
a The game belong to my brother. belongs
_________________________
b The babies lies quietly in their cots. lie
_________________________
blows
c The wind blow my umbrella inside out. _________________________
d The artist paint beautiful portraits. paints
_________________________
e The farmer keep sheep and goats. keeps
_________________________
f The tourists buys lots of souvenirs. buy
_________________________
g The bubbles sparkles in the sunlight. sparkle
_________________________

4 Choose the correct sentence to write beneath each picture.

The horse neighs. The horses neigh. The duck quacks. The ducks quack.

The seagull squawks. The seagulls squawk. The frog croaks. The frogs croak.

a b c d

The frogs _________________

_________________ The horse _________________
The seagulls _________________
The duck
croak.
_________________ neighs.
_________________ squawk.
_________________ quacks.
_________________

5 Match these sentence beginnings and endings.

a The yacht in the harbour flit from flower to flower.
b The apple from the orchard bobs up and down on the waves.
c The butterfly in the garden is round and red.
d The apples from the orchard bob up and down on the waves.
e The yachts in the harbour flits from flower to flower.
f The butterflies in the garden are round and red.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 55 © Blake eLearning

Subject–verb agreement in context
Use your knowledge of subject-verb agreement to answer the following questions.

Read the passage.

Crabs
In this sentence, circle Most crabs live in the sea. They have a hard, outer shell.
the subject and put a The shell protects their soft body.
box around the verb. Crabs have five pairs of legs. The first two legs are claws.
The claws are very useful. They hold and carry food. They
In this sentence, dig into sand and mud. They crack open shells. They even
highlight the subject scare off enemies.
and colour the verb. Life in the wild is dangerous for crabs. Many animals prey
on them.
In this sentence, Crabs use wonderful tricks to hide themselves. Some hide
underline the subject under rocks and in holes. Others bury themselves in the
and circle the verb. sand, or are the same colour as their surroundings.
Some crabs dress up to hide themselves. The seaweed
In this sentence, put decorator crab covers itself with seaweed. It snips
a box around the off a piece of seaweed with its claws. Then it sticks
subject and highlight the seaweed onto its shell. The crab has special hairs
the verb. on its back. These hairs act like Velcro. They hold the
decorations onto the crab’s back.

In the following sentences, circle the subject.

1 They have a hard, outer shell.
a hard b shell c They d have
2 Many animals prey on them.
a Many b animals c Many animals d prey
3 It snips off a piece of seaweed with its claws.
a piece b seaweed c claws d It

In the following sentences, circle the verb.

4 Then it sticks the seaweed onto its shell.
a it b the c sticks d onto
5 The first two legs are claws.
a are b first c two d legs
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 56 © Blake eLearning
 Subject–verb agreement in context
6 Circle the verb that correctly completes each sentence.
a Some crabs _________ on land. live lives
b A crab _______ a crustacean. is are
c A young crab _________ from an egg. hatch hatches
d The hermit crab _________ no shell of its own. have has
e Most hermit crabs _______ scavengers. is are
f Sharks _________ a sharp sense of smell. have has

7 Choose the correct word or words to fill the gap.

a lay a large number of eggs.
O A female crab   Female crabs
O This female crab O An adult crab
b sheds its skin many times.
O Young crab O The young crabs
 The young crab O Many young crabs
c make their nests on land.
O A green turtle O The green turtle
O This green turtle   Green turtles

8 Each sentence has one word that is incorrect.

Circle it, and write the correction in the space.
a Hermit crabs eats rotting plants or dead animals. eat
b The red hermit crab have hairy red legs. has
c Land crabs is active during the night. are
d A soldier crab walk forwards, not sideways. walks
e Soldier crabs has round, blue bodies. have
f The whale shark are a very big fish. is
g Sharks feeds on seals and smaller fish. feed
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 57 © Blake eLearning
Verb tenses
The tense of a verb tells when an action happens. Present tense verbs show
that the action is happening now. Past tense verbs show that the action has
already happened. For example:
She runs fast. She ran fast.

1 Write the verbs in the past tense.

found
a find __________________________ felt
b feel __________________________
skipped
c skip __________________________ grew
d grow __________________________
thanked
e thank __________________________ spelt
f spell __________________________
pushed
g push __________________________ thought
h think __________________________
blinked
i blink __________________________ glowed
j glow __________________________
swam
k swim __________________________ flapped
l flap __________________________

2 Sort the verbs.

brought speak slipped trotted fries pulled
said dug bleed dances reads stops

Present tense Past tense

speak
_________________ brought
_________________
fries
_________________ slipped
_________________
bleed
_________________ trotted
_________________
dances
_________________ pulled
_________________
reads
_________________ said
_________________
stops
_________________ dug
_________________

3 Is the sentence in the present or past tense?

a The dog chews a bone. present
__________________________
b The man caught the bus to work. past
__________________________
c She found the book on the shelf. past
__________________________
d She draws a picture in her book. present
__________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 58 © Blake eLearning

 Verb tenses
4 Correct the verb that is incorrect.
a I puts the books back on the shelf. put
_____________________
b Yesterday I fall and grazed my knee. fell
_____________________
c I tell her an hour ago to tidy her room. told
_____________________
d Earlier today I write a story for my teacher. wrote
_____________________
e Last year they teach us how to care for pets. taught
_____________________
f Last night she was cold, so she close the window. closed
_____________________

5 Complete the table. 6 Write the verb in the

past tense.
Present tense Past tense
I cry. I cried. talked
a talk_____________________

She climbs. She climbed. drank

b drink____________________

They fight. They fought. floated

c float_____________________

You buy. You bought. flew

d fly_______________________

It neighs. It neighed. taught

e teach____________________

She hides. She hid. sat

f sit_______________________

They yell. They yelled.

They choose. They chose.
They watch. They watched.
It shines. It shone.

7 Circle the verbs. Use red for the present tense and blue for the past tense.
a The artist sells the pictures she paints.
b Our dog wags his tail when he sees us.
c The girl stopped and listened to the music.
d The farmer collects the eggs that the hens lay.
e Lola wrote the story and I drew the pictures.
f I pick the flowers and my mother arranges them.
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 59 © Blake eLearning
Past and present tense in context
Use your knowledge of tense to answer the following questions.

Read the passage.

The Wish Pony
Put a box around Bella turned to Hannah. “Hi, I’m Bella.
the past tense of turn.
Bill told me there was a new rider today.
Hannah, isn’t it?”
Circle two past
tense verbs in this Hannah nodded as she rubbed Reba’s soft
paragraph. nose. “Is Reba your pony as well as Gypsy
Colour the present
Rose?”
tense of belonged “No,” said Bella, “Reba belongs to the
and felt.
stables, but she feels like mine. I’ve been
riding her most Saturdays and during the
Underline the past
tense of get.
week for two years. I got Gypsy Rose just
last week. Do you know what pony you’re
riding?”

1 Write the verbs below under the correct heading.

am told was is nodded rubbed

said belongs feels ride got know

Present tense Past tense

am
_____________________ told
_____________________
is
_____________________ was
_____________________
belongs
_____________________ nodded
_____________________
feels
_____________________ rubbed
_____________________
ride
_____________________ said
_____________________
know
_____________________ got
_____________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 60 © Blake eLearning

 Past and present tense in context
2 Write the underlined verbs in the past tense.
a Hannah’s greatest wish is for a pony. was
______________________
b Her wish pony has a shiny coat and a thick, flowing mane.
had
______________________
c Hannah sometimes visits her Aunt Ruby’s farm to
ride her aunt’s Shetland pony. visited
______________________
handed
d On her birthday, Hannah’s dad hands her a card. ______________________
e Hannah opens the card, expecting to see a photo of her wish pony.
opened
______________________

3 Write the underlined verbs in the present tense.

receives
a Hannah received a gift voucher for riding lessons. ______________________
b Hannah bit her bottom lip to stop from crying. bites
______________________
c Hannah and her mum stood outside. stand
______________________
d They heard someone calling from behind them. hear
______________________
e A man with a mop of grey hair waved to them. waves
______________________

4 Write the following passage in the past tense.

Hannah waves goodbye to her mum and follows Bill. She steps in a puddle,
splashing her riding boots with mud. Hannah smiles. She doesn’t want shiny
boots when she meets the other riders.
Hannah waved goodbye to her mum and followed Bill. She
_______________________________________________________________________
stepped in a puddle, splashing her riding boots with mud.
_______________________________________________________________________
Hannah smiled. She didn’t want shiny boots when she met
_______________________________________________________________________
the other riders.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 61 © Blake eLearning

Continuous tense
The continuous tense shows that an action is, was or will be continuing.
It has a helping verb before the main verb. For example:
I am jumping. She is skipping. They are working. (Present continuous tense)
I was jumping. She was skipping. They were working. (Past continuous tense)

1 Fill in the missing verbs.

is colouring
a She ___________________________________________ in her picture.
was standing
b He ___________________________________________ on one leg.
were sitting
c You ___________________________________________ on my chair.
are planning
d We _______________________________________ a surprise party for his birthday.
__________________________________________
e Everyone is cheering for their favourite team.

were sitting are planning is colouring

is cheering was standing

2 Write these sentences in the past continuous tense.

a I am jumping. I was jumping.
____________________________
She was drawing.
b She is drawing. ____________________________
They were talking.
c They are talking. ____________________________
d We are going. We were going.
____________________________
e You are trying. You were trying.
____________________________
f It is shaking. It was shaking.
____________________________

3 Sort the verbs. is cooking

Present tense Past tense am riding
was barking
is cooking was barking
was hurting
am riding was hurting were playing
are slipping were playing are slipping

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 62 © Blake eLearning

 Continuous tense
4 Correct the verb that is wrong. Don’t forget the helping verb.
a Right now I is reading an interesting book. am reading
_________________________
b I were climbing the tree when I fell. was climbing
_________________________
c She were showing them her new game. was showing
_________________________
is closing
d He is close the window because he is cold. _________________________
were meeting
e They was meeting their friends at the movies. _________________________

5 Complete the table.

Happening now Was happening
I am crying I was crying
She is driving She was driving
They are fighting They were fighting
You are selling You were selling
It is barking It was barking
I am hiding I was hiding
They are shouting They were shouting
He is drawing He was drawing
It is shining It was shining

6 Circle the verbs. Use red for the present tense and blue for the past tense.
a The cyclist is stopping at the traffic lights.
b The farmer was herding his cows.
c The girls are talking to their cousins in Fiji.
d The students were scattering seeds for the birds.

7 Answer the question using the continuous tense.

Are you watching your favourite program?
am watching my favourite program.
Yes, I _________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 63 © Blake eLearning

Continuous tense in context
Use your knowledge of continuous tense to answer the following questions.

Read the passage.

In this sentence, circle the

continuous tense verb that
MONSTER SPRAY
shows what Leo was doing.
Leo was watching his favourite TV program when
his little sister came running into the room.
In this sentence, highlight the “Leo! Leo!” she squealed, “come quickly. There are
continuous tense verb that monsters under my bed!”
shows what Leo is doing. “Go away, Ruby,” said Leo, “can’t you see I
am watching Pirates on the High Seas?”
In this sentence, put a box “But Leo,” whimpered Ruby, “the monsters
around the continuous tense are sitting under my bed and I’m scared.”
verb that shows what the
monsters are doing. Two big tears were running down Ruby’s cheeks.
Leo sighed. “Don’t worry, Ruby,” he said, “I know
In this sentence, colour the how to get rid of monsters. Dad’s got a special
continuous tense verb that spray that blasts them away. He used it on the
shows what the tears were monsters under my bed, and they never came
doing. back. Wait here for me while I go and find it.”

Circle the correct answer for each question.

In the following sentences, which helping verb correctly completes each
sentence?
1 Leo watching his favourite TV program.
a am b are c was d were
2 Leo said, “I watching Pirates on the High Seas.”
a am b is c are d were
3 Ruby said, “The monsters sitting under my bed.”
a am b is c was d are
4 The tears running down Ruby’s cheeks.
a was b are c is d am
5 Leo looking for the special monster spray.
a am b are c is d were

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 64 © Blake eLearning

 Continuous tense in context
6 Each sentence has one word that is incorrect.
Circle it, and write the correction in the space.
a
I are trying to make a monster costume. (present tense) am
b Olivia were reading a book about monsters. (past tense) was
c The girl are drawing a picture of a monster. (present tense) is
d Leo and Ruby is looking for monsters. (present tense) are
e We is planning a monster party for our friend, Leo. (present tense)
are
f The children was pretending to be monsters. (past tense) were

7 Which sentence is correct? Tick .

a The dog are chasing the boy in the monster costume.
b The students was looking for information about monsters.
c I am buying tickets for the new monster movie.
d The teacher were telling the class a story about monsters.

8 Choose the correct word to fill each gap.

The little monster A hiding in the cupboard. The other monsters
B looking for him. The little monster thought, “They C taking
too long to find me. I D getting bored.”

A O were O am  was O are

B   were O am O was O is
C O was O is O am  are
D O is  
am O are O was

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 5 • 978 1 74215 424 4 65 © Blake eLearning

Capital letters—proper nouns
Proper nouns name specific people, places, things, days and months. Each word in
a proper noun (except for prepositions) starts with a capital letter. For example:
Federation Square

1 Circle the proper nouns.

a My dog’s name is Rover.
b The restaurant is in Hunter Street.
c There are many large cities in Asia.
d I bought new pens at Officeworks.
e I watched a play at the State Theatre.
f We always go trick-or-treating at Halloween.

2 Correct the word that has the wrong punctuation.

a My uncle has just bought a toyota. Toyota
_______________________
b Earth is part of the Milky Way galaxy. Galaxy
_______________________
c The prince’s mother is queen Elizabeth. Queen
_______________________
d I am a student at Woodville public School. Public
_______________________
e They climbed to the top of Mount gower. Gower
_______________________
Sea
f There are many islands in the Mediterranean sea. _______________________

3 Write the names correctly.

a eiffel tower b sydney opera house c statue of liberty

Eiffel Tower Sydney Opera House Statue of Liberty

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 66 © Blake eLearning
 Capital letters—proper nouns
4 Write capital letters where they belong.
a My grandfather worked for the Reserve Bank of Australia.
b My father drives a Toyota and my mother drives a Ford.
c The planet Mars has two moons called Deimos and Phobos.
d I have invited Julia, Brad, Kai and Savina to my birthday party.
e There are 30 days in April and June and 31 days in May and July.
f When my mother got married, she changed her surname from Delgado
to Sanchez.

5 Connect the type of proper noun to its example.

a title of position Commonwealth Games
b month United Nations
c event October
d language Queen Elizabeth
e place Emperor
f person Spanish
g name of organisation Lake Frome

6 Rewrite these sentences with the correct punctuation.

a I asked my Coach, mrs vardy, to watch me practise.
I asked my coach, Mrs Vardy, to watch me
________________________________________________________________________
practise.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b My Cousins, chen and lewis, go to shining stars preschool.
My cousins, Chen and Lewis, go to
________________________________________________________________________
Shining Stars Preschool.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 67 © Blake eLearning

Commas in lists
Use commas to separate the items in a list. For example:
A rainbow is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
I had a bowl of cereal, a piece of toast and a glass of juice.
Don’t use a comma between the last two items in the list.

1 Fill in the commas in these lists.

a bread, eggs, milk and cheese b cows, goats, sheep and pigs
c two, four, six or eight d shirts, shorts, hats and shoes
e cars, vans, buses or trains f cups, saucers, plates and bowls

2 Write these items as lists.

a
(in any order)
__________________________________________________________________
toothbrush, toothpaste and
__________________________________________________________________
hairbrush
__________________________________________________________________

b
(in any order)
__________________________________________________________________
apple, grapes and pear
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

(in any order)

__________________________________________________________________
helicopter, car, motorcycle and
__________________________________________________________________
bicycle
__________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 68 © Blake eLearning

 Commas in lists
3 In the following sentences, cross out the commas that are not needed.
a You can read a book, draw a picture, or write a story.
b There is bread, cheese, salad, and fruit on my plate.
c Every morning I, make my bed, feed my fish and take out the rubbish.
d Last year we went to Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria,
and Tasmania.
e There are empty cans, bottles, jars, and cartons in the recycling bin.
f I put my, books, pencils, and lunch box into my bag.
g I have never been to Africa, Asia, or Europe.

4 Fill in the commas in the following sentences.

a My favourite animals are wombats, koalas and chimpanzees.
b I invited Kim, Nathan, Chen and Zac to my party.
c You can travel to the city by bus, car or train.
d I gave my sister a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings for her birthday.
e There are two cars, three bicycles and a scooter in the garage.
f I didn’t know whether to order orange juice, a strawberry milkshake or
a soft drink.
g Miranda put red, yellow, white and orange flowers into the vase.

5 Add commas to this recipe. (Hint: Not all steps have commas.)
1 Collect the ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, eggs and milk.
2 Mix the flour, sugar and melted butter in a bowl.
3 Beat the egg and milk together.
4 Call your friends and family to come and eat cake!

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 69 © Blake eLearning

Apostrophes (’)—showing ownership
One role of apostrophes is to show ownership. To make a singular noun show
ownership, add an apostrophe plus s. For example:
The man’s keys are on the table.

1 Circle the word that shows ownership.

a I am in Coach Olson’s team.
b My father’s favourite tie is grey and blue.
c The spy’s name is James Bond.
d That is Professor Redman’s house.
e These are the captain’s orders!
f The swimmer’s towel is in her locker.
g Everyone admires Aunt Matilda’s necklace.

2 Fill in the missing words.

a chef’s tall hat elephant’s trunk b a ______________

a an ______________ bird’s perch
3 Fill in the missing words.
egg’s
a The yolk that belongs to the egg is the _____________________ yolk.
woman’s
b The scarf that belongs to the woman is the _____________________ scarf.
witch’s
c The spell that belongs to the witch is the _____________________ spell.
shark’s
d The tooth that belongs to the shark is the _____________________ tooth.
coach’s
e The whistle that belongs to the coach is the _____________________ whistle.
f rabbit’s
The warren that belongs to the rabbit is the ____________________ warren
pirate’s
g The treasure that belongs to the pirate is the ____________________ treasure.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 70 © Blake eLearning

 Apostrophes (’)—showing ownership
4 Fill in the apostrophes.
a my uncle’s bike b Henry’s computer
c the story’s beginning d the hat’s brim
e my friend’s mother f the child’s scribbles
g Rachel’s dinner h the sun’s heat
i the boy’s sandwich j the dog’s paw

5 Rewrite each sentence so that the underlined word is possessive.

The dog that belongs to Jack is huge. Jack’s dog is huge.
a For our holiday, we went in the car that belongs to my sister.
For our holiday, we went in my sister’s car.
_____________________________________________________________________
b The players that make up our team are all talented.
Our team’s players are all talented.
_____________________________________________________________________
c The shoes worn by Zali are now dirty.
Zali’s shoes are now dirty.
_____________________________________________________________________
d Mum kept the windows of the car all the way down.
Mum kept the car’s windows all the way down.
_____________________________________________________________________

6 Match the parts.

a the bird’s new classroom
b the fish’s red nose
c the dog’s bright feathers
d the teacher’s fancy collar
e the clown’s glistening scales

7 Fill in the missing words.

square’s four sides
a a ___________________ square circle
circle’s
b a ___________________ round shape
triangle’s three sides
c a ___________________ hexagon
triangle
hexagon’s six sides
d a ___________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 71 © Blake eLearning

 Apostrophes (’)—showing ownership
To make a plural noun show ownership, add an apostrophe plus s.
If the plural noun already ends in s, just add an apostrophe. For example:
the children’s playground; both girls’ dresses.

8 Circle and write the word that shows ownership.

a I found the book in the children’s section. children’s
___________________
b The houses’ roofs were red, black and grey. houses’
___________________
c They loaded the students’ bags onto the bus. students’
___________________
d The acrobats’ costumes sparkled under the lights. acrobats’
___________________
e The monkeys’ long tails help them swing from trees. monkeys’
___________________
mice’s
f The mice’s squeaks were coming from the cupboard. ___________________
boys’
g She found the boys’ posters at the back of the classroom. ___________________

9 Fill in the words.

the echidnas’
spines butterflies’ wings b the _______________
a the _______________ shirts’ collars

10 Fill in the words.

eggs’
a The yolks that belong to the eggs are the ____________________ yolks.
dogs’
b The kennels that belong to the dogs are the ____________________ kennels.
women’s scarves.
c The scarves that belong to the women are the __________________
magicians’ tricks.
d The tricks that belong to the magicians are the ____________________
crocodiles’ teeth.
e The teeth that belong to the crocodiles are the ____________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 72 © Blake eLearning

 Apostrophes (’)—showing ownership
11 Fill in the apostrophes.
a both uncles’ bikes b the stories’ opening paragraphs
c the people’s choice d the children’s mother
e the men’s cars f all four girls’ adventures
g the hats’ brims h many farmers’ sheep
i several trees’ branches j the churches’ bells

12 Which words need an apostrophe?

a many bees b four bicycles
the bees’ hive the bicycles’ saddles

13 Match the parts. 7 Fill in the apostrophe.

a the birds’ different shapes
b the yachts’ funny jokes
c the singers’ sharp beaks
d the clouds’ beautiful voices
e the clowns’ white sails
the dancers’ great moves

14 Correct the word that is wrong in each sentence.

a They parked their cars’ in the driveway. cars
______________________
b Both boy’s cheeks are red from the cold. boys’
______________________
women’s
c The womens’ jackets are hanging in the cupboard. ______________________
people’s
d Many peoples homes were damaged by the fires. ______________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 73 © Blake eLearning

Apostrophes—contractions
Apostrophes can show where letters are missing in a word.
For example: don’t = do not. Words with missing letters are called contractions.

1 Match the words. 2 Write the contraction.

a have not can’t let’s
a let us _______________________
b could have won’t don’t
b do not _______________________
c will not might’ve didn’t
c did not _______________________
d cannot could’ve she’s
d she is _______________________
e might have haven’t we’ll
e we will _______________________

3 Fill in the apostrophes.

a She won’t eat it. b I don’t think so.
c You mustn’t go there! d I think it’s my turn.
e They haven’t arrived yet. f Those aren’t mine.
g He doesn’t know them. h I’ll write them a note
i I’ll see you tomorrow. j You should’ve seen her!

4 Sort the sentences.

Present tense

It isn’t here.
_______________________________________________
It isn’t here.
I can’t do it.
_______________________________________________
We weren’t upset.
I can’t do it.
They aren’t happy.
_______________________________________________

She couldn’t go.

Past tense
They aren’t happy.
He wasn’t there. We weren’t upset.
_______________________________________________
She couldn’t go.
_______________________________________________
He wasn’t there.
_______________________________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 74 © Blake eLearning

 Apostrophes—contractions
5 Answer each question with a contraction.
a Have you seen her yet? haven’t.
No, I _________________
b Will you be seeing her soon? won’t.
No, I _________________
c Do you like spinach and broccoli? don’t.
No, I _________________
d Did she come to soccer training? didn’t.
No, she _______________
e Can you walk on your hands? can’t.
No, I _________________

6 Write the underlined words correctly.

a The children were’nt listening. weren’t
___________________________________
b We have’nt been to the pool. haven’t
___________________________________
couldn’t
c I could’nt find my socks anywhere. ___________________________________
d There are’nt any chocolates left. aren’t
___________________________________

7 Write the words in bold as contractions.

What’s he doing?
a What is _______________________
He’s doing his homework.
b He is _______________________
aren’t they here yet?
c Why are they not _______________________
must’ve
d They must have _______________________ been delayed.

8 The contraction it’s is often confused with its.

it’s = it is OR it has its = something belongs to the pronoun it
Complete the sentences with it’s or its.
It’s raining heavily now.
a ____________
its
b My dog rolled in the mud and made ____________ coat filthy.
Its colours and weather are beautiful.
c Autumn is the best season. ____________
It’s my favourite so far.
d That episode was great! ____________

9 Complete the contractions with letters from the jar.

r l n h w o e s ____’
a d ____ n t h e ____’
b t ____ y re
o d v y e ____
c w ____ r e n ’ ____
t u s t ’ ____
d m ____ ve
e u t
w o u ____
e ____ l ____
d n’t
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 75 © Blake eLearning
Contractions in context
Use your knowledge of apostrophes and contractions to answer
the following questions.

Read the passage.

As I was walking home after school that day, I saw Archie
and Billy blocking the way of my friend, Li Yong.
Circle the
“Everything alright?” I asked. I could see plainly that it
contraction of wasn’t.
do not. “Don’t try to be a hero like your brother,” replied Archie.
“We aren’t bushrangers. We’re just asking your mate here
Put a box a few questions.” He smiled and grabbed a handful of
around the Yong’s shirt.
contraction of
he has. “We think he’s found something and we’d like to see it,”
said Billy. “Archie’s been watching Yong slink off up the
Highlight the creek for weeks now. We think he’s got himself a secret
contraction of spot and it might be flowing with gold. Are we right,
you are. Yong?”
Colour the “You’re right,” said Yong calmly. “I’ve been panning for
contraction of gold. Please—not a word to anyone. Take my pan and
I will. tomorrow I’ll show you where. It’s a very good spot.”

Circle the correct answer for each question.

In the following sentences, identify the contraction of the underlined words.
1 I could see that it was not alright.
a was’nt b wa’snt c wasn’t d wasen’t
2 “We are not bushrangers,” said Archie.
a are’nt b aren’t c arn’t d ar’ent
3 “We are just asking your friend a few questions.”
a We’are b Wer’e c Wea’re d We’re
4 “I have been panning for gold,” said Yong.
a I’ve b Iv’e c I’ave d Ih’ve
5 “It is a very good spot,” said Yong.
a Its b It’s c I’ts d Its’

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 76 © Blake eLearning

 Contractions in context
6 In each sentence, colour the letter or letters that the apostrophe replaces.
a
There aren’t any gold flakes in the pan.
  o O e
O a Oi
b We should’ve found some gold by now.
O o O a   ha O hi
c They are sure they’ll find gold before the day is out.
O we O i
O a  wi

7 In the following text, choose the correct word to fill each gap.

Soon A going to strike it rich. Then B live in a big house with a
roof that C leak and walls that D let in the cold.
A O we’ll  
we’re O we’ve O we’d
B O we’re O we’d O we’ve  
we’ll
C   doesn’t O don’t O didn’t O couldn’t
D O isn’t  
won’t O aren’t O they’ll

8 In each sentence, replace the contraction with a phrase from the box.
it is    they had    he would    brother has
    they would    he had    brother is    it has

he would
a He said he’d show them where to find gold. ___________________________
b They wanted to know where he’d been. he had
___________________________
c It’s been too cold to pan for gold. It has
___________________________
It is
d “It’s a long way to the goldfields,” said Billy. ___________________________
e They said they’d help us find gold. they would
___________________________
f I wondered what they’d said to Yong. they had
___________________________
g My brother’s finally struck gold. brother has
___________________________
h His brother’s a hero! brother is
___________________________

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 77 © Blake eLearning

Ending sentences
Sentences end with a full stop (.), exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?).
For example: The children are playing. What are they doing? How good is that!

1 Fill in the punctuation marks.

a His name is Felix . b I don’t think so.
c Where does he live ? d How weird is that  !
e What an amazing house  ! f Where have they gone ?
g Knock on the door . h I’ll write them a note .
i Is anyone at home? j Put it in the letter box .
2 Match the sentence to the picture.
a b c

Hello, old boy. Did you make this mess? Stay and don’t move!

3 Write the question.

How many fingers do you have?
Q: __________________________________________________________________
A: I have five fingers.
Where is your dad?
a Q: __________________________________________________________________
A: My dad is in the shed.
Who wrote Revolting Rhymes?
b Q: __________________________________________________________________
A: Roald Dahl wrote Revolting Rhymes.
When are we meeting them?
c Q: __________________________________________________________________
A: We are meeting them at three o’clock.
What are you doing?
d Q: __________________________________________________________________
A: I am feeding the cat.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 78 © Blake eLearning

 Ending sentences
4 Find and correct the mistakes.
a What a brilliant show?
What a brilliant show !
________________________________________________________________________
b Why are you dressed so warmly.
Why are you dressed so warmly?
________________________________________________________________________
c Clean up this mess immediately?
Clean up this mess immediately !
________________________________________________________________________
d What is the answer to this question.
What is the answer to this question?
________________________________________________________________________
e Wash your face and brush your teeth?
Wash your face and brush your teeth.
________________________________________________________________________

5 Put the sentences back in order.

a you ? before read this Have book
Have you read this book before?
________________________________________________________________________
b have been . Cairns I many to times
I have been to Cairns many times.
________________________________________________________________________
c are many . whales How there ? I three can see
How many whales are there? I can see three.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6 Fill in the missing words.

Why
a _____________________ are you sitting in my favourite chair?
When
Put
b _____________________ the book back on the shelf.
Where
When
c _____________________ will you do your homework? Put Why
What
d _____________________ an exciting movie! What
Where
e _____________________ are you going on holiday this year?

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 79 © Blake eLearning

Punctuating sentences
Punctuation helps readers understand writing.
• Full stops, question marks and exclamation marks end sentences.
For example: My name is Kim. What is your name? What a great name!
• Commas separate parts of a sentence and items in a list. For example:
Although he’s young, he is very fast.
Today I travelled on a bus, a train and a ferry.
• Apostrophes show ownership and where letters have been left out of words.
For example: That is the boy’s backpack. Both boys’ backpacks are black.
I should’ve known he’d bring his little brother with him.

1 Put a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark at the end of each
sentence.
a When are you going to finish your project ?
b What an adventure that was  !
c The last time I went on a boat, I was seasick .
d When I’m overseas, I’ll email you every day . What is the answer?
e What is the matter with your cat ?
f How amazing was that ride  !
2 Put commas in these sentences.
a I have pens, pencils, highlighters and an eraser in my pencil case.
b Although I like vanilla ice-cream, chocolate ice-cream is my favourite.
c She decorated the room with balloons, streamers and fresh flowers.
d If you’re feeling tired, you should rest for a while.
e I’ve tried calling her, but she doesn’t answer her phone.
f I saw puppies, kittens, fish, mice and rabbits at the pet shop.
g If you must know, I think Charlie, Sarah and Nate should come too.
h By the way, those pens, pencils and rulers belong to me.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 80 © Blake eLearning

 Punctuating sentences
3 Match the words. 4 What’s it short for?
a don’t will not I will/ I shall
a I’ll ________________________
b haven’t could have does not
b doesn’t ________________________
c won’t cannot would have
c would’ve ________________________
d can’t have not I am
d I’m ________________________
e could’ve do not you are
e you’re ________________________

5 Find the word that is wrong and write it with correct punctuation.
a The fairy’s wings are very colourful.
b The ponies’ coats are shiny and sleek.
c The knife’s blade is extremely sharp.
d The city’s streets are long and wide.
e They are still counting the people’s votes.
f The detectives discovered the thieves’ hideout.

6 Find the word that is wrong and write it with correct punctuation.
knives’
a The knive’s handles are solid gold. _____________________
should’ve
b They shoul’dve finished their work by now. _____________________
best.
c I like the red dress with the white spots the best? _____________________
parents’
d The school needs both parents permission. _____________________
school,
e While I was at school. my little brother played with my toys. _________________

7 Write questions for these answers.

Make sure you punctuate them correctly.
Teacher check. E.g. How did you hurt your leg?
a Question: ____________________________________________________________
Answer: I hurt my leg when I was playing netball.
Teacher check. E.g. Where did you find the book?
b Question: ____________________________________________________________
Answer: I found the book on the bottom shelf.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 81 © Blake eLearning

Paragraphs
A paragraph is a group of sentences about a topic. They help to organise your
writing in longer texts. For example:
Yesterday I went with my family to the park. We found a shady spot for a picnic.
We played soccer for a while, and then it was time to eat. I had a chicken sandwich
and a banana. Afterwards we walked home. It was a great day!
A new paragraph starts on a new line. Paragraphs can be any length, but very
long paragraphs can be confusing and very short paragraphs give your writing
a jerky feel.

1 Cross out the sentences that are not about the wombat.

The wombat is a native Australian animal. It is a marsupial. The saltwater

crocodile is a reptile. The wombat’s closest relative is the koala. Saltwater

crocodiles are the largest species of reptile. Wombats have short, muscular

legs and sharp claws. They use their claws to dig burrows in the ground.

2 This text should be broken into two paragraphs. Put a / where the second
paragraph should start.

Kangaroos are built to jump. They have short front legs, but powerful

back legs and huge back feet. They belong to a family of animals called

/
macropods, which means large feet. Wallabies look like kangaroos, but have

smaller back feet. They are also macropods. The smallest wallabies are about

the size of a rabbit.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 82 © Blake eLearning

 Paragraphs
3 In nonfiction writing, a topic sentence summarises what the paragraph is
about. Tick the best topic sentence for a paragraph about kookaburras.
a Kookaburras eat mainly insects, small rodents and small reptiles.
b The kookaburra is the largest member of the kingfisher family of birds.
c Kookaburras sometimes eat fish.

4 Use the following facts to write a nonfiction paragraph about emus.

Emus:
• are native Australian birds
• are the second largest birds in the world, after ostriches
• cannot fly
• have powerful legs
• can run very fast.
_________________________________________________________________________
Teacher check that the paragraph has a
_________________________________________________________________________
suitable topic sentence.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC 6 • 978 1 74215 424 4 83 © Blake eLearning
Test • Nouns and pronouns
Name:
Name Date:

Underline the nouns in the following sentences.

1 We were asked to donate money to the charity.

2 Cairns is close to the Great Barrier Reef.

3 When Tia saw her presents, her happiness was obvious!

4 The cucumber was cut to use in the salad.

5 He owes me money for his new jumper.

6 The birthday cake was bought from Mr Smith’s Bakery.

7 Put your trust in me; I know how to escape danger.

8 Friday is my favourite day of the week.

Choose the correct plural noun. Shade the bubble.

9 We watched the _______________ gallop.

horses’s horses horsies

10 School starts when you hear the _______________ .

bells belles bellies

11 All the _______________ had to do a fire drill.

class classes class’s

12 The food was served into the _______________ .

dishs dishes dishies

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 84 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Nouns and pronouns

Name:
Name Date:

Replace the underlined word with a pronoun from the box. Hint: there
are more words in the box than you need.

it I they her she his he our

13 Esther is in my class at school. ___________ is in my class.

14 The boys went to the theme park. ___________ went to the theme park.

15 Dad bought him a desk. ___________ bought him a desk.

16 A mouse ran across the kitchen floor. ___________ ran across the
kitchen floor.

Cross out the word that does not belong.

17 Is this pen yours our?

18 Jemimah gave the cat it’s its dinner.

19 Toby left his their school bag on the bus.

20 The runners piled up their your jackets at the starting line.

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 85 © Blake eLearning

Test • Nouns and pronouns Answers
Name:
Name Date:

Underline the nouns in the following sentences.

1 We were asked to donate money to the charity.

2 Cairns is close to the Great Barrier Reef.

3 When Tia saw her presents, her happiness was obvious!

4 The cucumber was cut to use in the salad.

5 He owes me money for his new jumper.

6 The birthday cake was bought from Mr Smith’s Bakery.

7 Put your trust in me; I know how to escape danger.

8 Friday is my favourite day of the week.

Choose the correct plural noun. Shade the bubble.

9 We watched the _______________ gallop.

horses’s horses horsies

10 School starts when you hear the _______________ .

bells belles bellies

11 All the _______________ had to do a fire drill.

class classes class’s
12 The food was served into the _______________ .
dishs dishes dishies

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 86 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Nouns and pronouns Answers

Name:
Name Date:

Replace the underlined word with a pronoun from the box. Hint: there
are more words in the box than you need.

it I they her she his he our

She is in my class.
13 Esther is in my class at school. ___________

They went to the theme park.

14 The boys went to the theme park. ___________

He bought him a desk.

15 Dad bought him a desk. ___________

It
16 A mouse ran across the kitchen floor. ___________ ran across the
kitchen floor.

Cross out the word that does not belong.

17 Is this pen yours our?

18 Jemimah gave the cat it’s its dinner.

19 Toby left his their school bag on the bus.

20 The runners piled up their your jackets at the starting line.

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 87 © Blake eLearning

Test • Verbs
Name:
Name Date:

Shade the bubble of the sensing verb.

1 wish water fridge scream

2 coffee cough understand sitting

3 ribbon cupboard know dance

Underline the doing verb in each line.

4 giggle under raced baby

5 skip pencil zoo sheet

6 hut remember ladder climb

Underline the saying verb in each line.

7 tin lizard shout chew

8 phone sink wash whisper

9 mumble sugar think goat

Cross out the word in brackets to make the statements true.

10 A possible action: We (will, may) get there on time.

11 A necessary action: She (may, must) notice the difference.

12 A possible action: He (will, might) be the first to know.

13 A certain action: My sister (won’t, may not) say sorry.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 88 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Verbs

Name:
Name Date:

Shade the bubble of the missing verb.

14 Sitting on the step ___________  my two friends.

were was

15 A glass of water ___________  on the table.

is are

16 There ___________ many people at the show.

is are

Choose a verb from the box to complete the sentence.

is will be will was

17 The weather man said that tomorrow ______________  fine.

18 Yesterday _____________  very cool.

19 Hopefully we _____________  get rain by the end of the week.

20 It ____________  cloudy today.

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 89 © Blake eLearning

Test • Verbs Answers
Name:
Name Date:

Shade the bubble of the sensing verb.

1 wish water fridge scream

2 coffee cough understand sitting

3 ribbon cupboard know dance

Underline the doing verb in each line.

4 giggle under raced baby

5 skip pencil zoo sheet

6 hut remember ladder climb

Underline the saying verb in each line.

7 tin lizard shout chew

8 phone sink wash whisper

9 mumble sugar think goat

Cross out the word in brackets to make the statements true.

10 A possible action: We (will, may) get there on time.

11 A necessary action: She (may, must) notice the difference.

12 A possible action: He (will, might) be the first to know.

13 A certain action: My sister (won’t, may not) say sorry.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 90 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Verbs Answers

Name:
Name Date:

Shade the bubble of the missing verb.

14 Sitting on the step ___________  my two friends.

were was

15 A glass of water ___________  on the table.

is are

16 There ___________ many people at the show.

is are

Choose a verb from the box to complete the sentence.

is will be will was

will be  fine.
17 The weather man said that tomorrow ______________

was
18 Yesterday _____________  very cool.

will
19 Hopefully we _____________  get rain by the end of the week.

is
20 It ____________  cloudy today.

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 91 © Blake eLearning

Test • Adjectives and adverbs
Name:
Name Date:

Underline the adjectives in each sentence.

1 The large dogs growled as we passed the last house in the street.

2 Many talented artists entered the local competition.

3 At the birthday party we had cake, ice-cream and cold drinks.

4 He cleaned the wooden floor with the wet mop.

Choose adjectives from the box to complete the sentences.

hungry sore long delicious peaceful old

5 The _______________ people like to sit in the _______________ park.

6 _______________ animals are waiting to be fed.

7 _______________ smells came from the kitchen.

8 The _______________ walk made my feet _______________.

Choose adjectives from the box to complete the sentences.

smiling proud puzzled disappointed

9 She was happy. She had a ________________ face.

10 He was confused. He had a ________________ face.

11 Her team didn’t make the semi-finals. She has a __________________ face.

12 She won the prize. She has a ________________ face.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 92 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Adjectives and adverbs

Name:
Name Date:

What is the underlined word?

13 You must always fasten your seat belt.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

14 Please line up outside the classroom immediately.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

15 I often jog in the morning.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

16 Our school newspaper comes out monthly.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

Each sentence has an incorrect word. Write it correctly.

17 My dog is the naughtier animal you’ll ever meet. _________________

18 The weather is getting nastiest by the hour. _________________

19 Compared to my brother, I am tallest. _________________

20 Your socks are smelliest than mine! _________________

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 93 © Blake eLearning

Test • Adjectives and adverbs Answers
Name:
Name Date:

Underline the adjectives in each sentence.

1 The large dogs growled as we passed the last house in the street.

2 Many talented artists entered the local competition.

3 At the birthday party we had cake, ice-cream and cold drinks.

4 He cleaned the wooden floor with the wet mop.

Choose adjectives from the box to complete the sentences.

hungry sore long delicious peaceful old

old
5 The _______________ peaceful park.
people like to sit in the _______________

Hungry animals are waiting to be fed.

6 _______________

Delicious smells came from the kitchen.

7 _______________

long
8 The _______________ sore
walk made my feet _______________.

Choose adjectives from the box to complete the sentences.

smiling proud puzzled disappointed

smiling face.
9 She was happy. She had a ________________

puzzled face.
10 He was confused. He had a ________________

disappointed face.
11 Her team didn’t make the semi-finals. She has a __________________

proud
12 She won the prize. She has a ________________ face.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 94 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Adjectives and adverbs Answers

Name:
Name Date:

What is the underlined word?

13 You must always fasten your seat belt.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

14 Please line up outside the classroom immediately.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

15 I often jog in the morning.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

16 Our school newspaper comes out monthly.

adverb of time adjective pronoun verb

Each sentence has an incorrect word. Write it correctly.

naughtiest
17 My dog is the naughtier animal you’ll ever meet. _________________

18 The weather is getting nastiest by the hour. nastier

_________________

19 Compared to my brother, I am tallest. taller

_________________

20 Your socks are smelliest than mine! smellier

_________________

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 95 © Blake eLearning

Test • Sentence building
Name:
Name Date:

Shade the bubble of the correct preposition to complete the sentence.

1 The boy __________ my school was hurt.

at on with

2 The art __________ the gallery is great.

in on with

3 Dad drove _____________ the streets looking for a parking space.

of with around

Underline the longest noun group in each sentence.

4 The African animals at the zoo are always popular.

5 The boys played new board games all day.

6 The new true adventure books are now in the school library.

7 A newborn kitten still needs its mother.

Underline the conjunction in each sentence.

8 I will not go swimming unless the weather gets warmer.

9 Since it has rained, the flowers are all blooming.

10 I have to stay home until Mum finishes work.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 96 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Sentence building

Name:
Name Date:

Join the two sentences with a word from the box.

after and because but

11 I hate beans. I like peas.

I hate beans, ___________________  I like peas.

12 I wash my hands. I have dinner.

I have dinner ___________________  I wash my hands.

13 There is no milk left. I will go to the shops.

___________________  there is no milk left, I will go to the shops.

14 I have sandwiches for lunch. I also have a banana.

I have sandwiches ___________________  a banana for lunch.

15 Shade the bubble of any sentence.

The new carpet is so soft. Chose a green colour.

Big trees with lots of shade. Rain fell.

16 Shade the bubble of any clause.

on his second attempt Tanya walked quickly

Toby ate everything while the seagulls flew overhead

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 97 © Blake eLearning

Test • Sentence building Answers
Name:
Name Date:

Shade the bubble of the correct preposition to complete the sentence.

1 The boy __________ my school was hurt.

at on with

2 The art __________ the gallery is great.

in on with

3 Dad drove _____________ the streets looking for a parking space.

of with around

Underline the longest noun group in each sentence.

4 The African animals at the zoo are always popular.

5 The boys played new board games all day.

6 The new true adventure books are now in the school library.

7 A newborn kitten still needs its mother.

Underline the conjunction in each sentence.

8 I will not go swimming unless the weather gets warmer.

9 Since it has rained, the flowers are all blooming.

10 I have to stay home until Mum finishes work.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 98 © Blake eLearning

 Test • Sentence building Answers

Name:
Name Date:

Join the two sentences with a word from the box.

after and because but

11 I hate beans. I like peas.

but
I hate beans, ___________________  I like peas.

12 I wash my hands. I have dinner.

after
I have dinner ___________________  I wash my hands.

13 There is no milk left. I will go to the shops.

Because
___________________  there is no milk left, I will go to the shops.

14 I have sandwiches for lunch. I also have a banana.

and
I have sandwiches ___________________  a banana for lunch.

15 Shade the bubble of any sentence.

The new carpet is so soft. Chose a green colour.

Big trees with lots of shade. Rain fell.

16 Shade the bubble of any clause.

on his second attempt Tanya walked quickly

Toby ate everything while the seagulls flew overhead

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 99 © Blake eLearning

Test • Tense
Name:
Name Date:

Underline the present tense verb in each line.

1 chatted taught sing simple

2 fold drew skylight romped

3 tea quickly loved skip

4 gum turn tablet swerved

Underline the past tense verb in each line.

5 climbed talk skate spoon

6 spit path fed vine

7 shirt wash vanilla wanted

8 sleeping found sit pillow

Cross out the words so that the sentence is in the past tense.

9 Last night I played playing my drums loudly.

10 She kisses kissed me on the cheek.

11 He is dumping dumped the rubbish.

12 It rains rained.

13 Taylor solved is solving the puzzle.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 100 © Blake eLearning
 Test • Tense

Name:
Name Date:

For each sentence, choose the tense.

14 They surfed from sunrise to sunset.

present past past continuous

15 They are talking.

present continuous past present

16 I was surfing.

present past past continuous

Shade the correct verb to complete each sentence.

17 She __________________  in the puddle this morning.

stamp stamped stamping

18 The mechanic is __________________  to mum about the car.

talk talked talking

19 She __________________  some milk from the fridge.

get getting got

20 The cup of tea __________________  too hot to drink immediately.

were was will

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 101 © Blake eLearning
Test • Tense Answers
Name:
Name Date:

Underline the present tense verb in each line.

1 chatted taught sing simple

2 fold drew skylight romped

3 tea quickly loved skip

4 gum turn tablet swerved

Underline the past tense verb in each line.

5 climbed talk skate spoon

6 spit path fed vine

7 shirt wash vanilla wanted

8 sleeping found sit pillow

Cross out the words so that the sentence is in the past tense.

9 Last night I played playing my drums loudly.

10 She kisses kissed me on the cheek.

11 He is dumping dumped the rubbish.

12 It rains rained.

13 Taylor solved is solving the puzzle.

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 102 © Blake eLearning
 Test • Tense Answers

Name:
Name Date:

For each sentence, choose the tense.

14 They surfed from sunrise to sunset.

present past past continuous

15 They are talking.

present continuous past present

16 I was surfing.

present past past continuous

Shade the correct verb to complete each sentence.

17 She __________________  in the puddle this morning.

stamp stamped stamping

18 The mechanic is __________________  to mum about the car.

talk talked talking

19 She __________________  some milk from the fridge.

get getting got

20 The cup of tea __________________  too hot to drink immediately.

were was will

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 103 © Blake eLearning
Test • Punctuation
Name:
Name Date:

Add apostrophes where necessary.

1 couldnt

2 childrens books

3 John and Ashas friend

4 theyll

Shade the bubble which uses an apostrophe correctly.

5 class’es chairs children’s desks babie’s cot

6 a cars’ seats a cars wheel’s a car’s driver

7 fish’s gills fishes’ tail fishes mouths’

8 a flowers’ petals a flower’s stem a flowers perfumes’

Compete the table of contractions.

9 I + will =
10 She + is =
11 It + is =
12 They + would =

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 104 © Blake eLearning
 Test • Punctuation

Name:
Name Date:

Rewrite each sentence with correct punctuation.

13 Do you know the way to the park
_____________________________________________________________
14 Youll need pencils pens scissors and a ruler
_____________________________________________________________
15 Watch out? The rocks are starting to fall
_____________________________________________________________
16 paris is one of the most popular cities in europe
_____________________________________________________________
17 dont worry about me. Ill be fine
_____________________________________________________________
18 on tuesday naomi woke to the sound of rain
_____________________________________________________________
19 march april and may are my favourite months?
_____________________________________________________________

20 Shade one bubble to show where a new paragraph should begin.

My favourite city is Darwin. It’s in the Northern Territory. I like it because
the people are friendly and the weather is always warm. The flight
to Darwin takes about three hours from my home. My favourite thing
to do is build model planes. My brother and I work on them together. We
save our pocket money every month to buy a new model. He likes
old planes, but I like the modern ones.

Number of correct answers:

20
GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 105 © Blake eLearning
Test • Punctuation Answers
Name:
Name Date:

Add apostrophes where necessary.

1 couldnt’

’ books
2 childrens

’ friend
3 John and Ashas
’
4 theyll

Shade the bubble which uses an apostrophe correctly.

5 class’es chairs children’s desks babie’s cot

6 a cars’ seats a cars wheel’s a car’s driver

7 fish’s gills fishes’ tail fishes mouths’

8 a flowers’ petals a flower’s stem a flowers perfumes’

Compete the table of contractions.

9 I + will = I’ll
10 She + is = She’s
11 It + is = It’s
12 They + would = They’d

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 106 © Blake eLearning
 Test • Punctuation Answers

Name:
Name Date:

Rewrite each sentence with correct punctuation.

13 Do you know the way to the park
Do you know the way to the park?
_____________________________________________________________
14 Youll need pencils pens scissors and a ruler
You’ll need pencils, pens, scissors and a ruler.
_____________________________________________________________
15 Watch out? The rocks are starting to fall
Watch out! The rocks are starting to fall.
_____________________________________________________________
16 paris is one of the most popular cities in europe
Paris is one of the most popular cities in Europe.
_____________________________________________________________
17 dont worry about me. Ill be fine
Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.
_____________________________________________________________
18 on tuesday naomi woke to the sound of rain
On Tuesday Naomi woke to the sound of rain.
_____________________________________________________________
19 march april and may are my favourite months?
March, April and May are my favourite months.
_____________________________________________________________

20 Shade one bubble to show where a new paragraph should begin.

My favourite city is Darwin. It’s in the Northern Territory. I like it because
the people are friendly and the weather is always warm. The flight
to Darwin takes about three hours from my home. My favourite thing
to do is build model planes. My brother and I work on them together. We
save our pocket money every month to buy a new model. He likes
old planes, but I like the modern ones.

Number of correct answers:

20

GRAMMAR • SERIES D • TOPIC TEST • 978 1 74215 423 7 107 © Blake eLearning