Table of Contents
Verb Tenses
Verbs change form to show when an action happens. The three main tenses are past, present, and future.
Past Tense
Already happened (yesterday)
- • I walked to school.
- • She played games.
- • They ate breakfast.
Present Tense
Happening now (today)
- • I walk to school.
- • She plays games.
- • They eat breakfast.
Future Tense
Will happen (tomorrow)
- • I will walk to school.
- • She will play games.
- • They will eat breakfast.
Regular Verb Endings
| Base Verb | Past (-ed) | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| walk | walked | Just add -ed |
| love | loved | Ends in e, add -d |
| cry | cried | Ends in y, change to -ied |
| stop | stopped | Double last letter + -ed |
Irregular Verbs (Don't Follow Rules!)
Sentence Types
There are four types of sentences, each with a different purpose and ending punctuation.
1. Declarative Sentence (Statement)
Tells something. Ends with a period (.)
- • The sun is bright today.
- • I like to read books.
- • My dog is named Brownie.
2. Interrogative Sentence (Question)
Asks something. Ends with a question mark (?)
- • What is your name?
- • Where do you live?
- • Did you eat breakfast?
3. Imperative Sentence (Command)
Gives an order or request. Ends with a period (.) or exclamation point (!)
- • Please close the door.
- • Stop running in the hallway!
- • Clean your room.
4. Exclamatory Sentence (Strong Feeling)
Shows excitement or strong emotion. Ends with an exclamation point (!)
- • What a beautiful sunset!
- • I won the contest!
- • That was amazing!
Compound Words
A compound word is made by joining two smaller words together to make a new word with a new meaning.
sun+flower=sunflower
Common Compound Words
rainbow
butterfly
toothbrush
sunshine
fireman
bedroom
classroom
playground
waterfall
cupcake
football
airplane
Prefixes
A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example | New Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un- | not / opposite | un + happy = unhappy | not happy |
| re- | again | re + write = rewrite | write again |
| pre- | before | pre + heat = preheat | heat before |
| dis- | not / opposite | dis + like = dislike | not like |
| mis- | wrongly | mis + spell = misspell | spell wrongly |
Remember: Prefix + Root Word = New Word
The prefix comes BEFORE the word!
Suffixes
A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
| Suffix | Meaning | Example | New Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ful | full of | help + ful = helpful | full of help |
| -less | without | care + less = careless | without care |
| -er | one who does | teach + er = teacher | one who teaches |
| -est | most | fast + est = fastest | most fast |
| -ly | in a way | slow + ly = slowly | in a slow way |
| -ness | state of being | kind + ness = kindness | state of being kind |
Remember: Root Word + Suffix = New Word
The suffix comes AFTER the word!
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Words that have the SAME or similar meaning.
Antonyms
Words that have OPPOSITE meanings.
Contractions
A contraction is a shortened form of two words. An apostrophe (') shows where letters are missing.
With "not"
- is not → isn't
- are not → aren't
- was not → wasn't
- do not → don't
- does not → doesn't
- did not → didn't
- can not → can't
- will not → won't
With "is/has"
- he is → he's
- she is → she's
- it is → it's
- that is → that's
- what is → what's
- who is → who's
- there is → there's
- here is → here's
With "will/would"
- I will → I'll
- you will → you'll
- we will → we'll
- they will → they'll
- I would → I'd
- you would → you'd
- I have → I've
- we have → we've
Common Mistake: Don't confuse it's (it is) with its (belonging to it).
"It's raining." = It is raining.
"The dog wagged its tail." = The tail belongs to the dog.
Reading Comprehension
Story: The Helpful Ant
One sunny morning, a tiny ant was walking in the forest. She saw a beautiful dove resting by the river. Suddenly, the ant slipped and fell into the water!
"Help! Help!" cried the ant. The kind dove heard her cry. She quickly picked a leaf from a tree and dropped it near the ant. The ant climbed onto the leaf and floated safely to the shore.
A few days later, the ant saw a hunter aiming his bow at the dove. The ant thought quickly. She crawled up the hunter's leg and bit him hard! "Ouch!" shouted the hunter. His arrow missed, and the dove flew away to safety.
From that day on, the ant and the dove became the best of friends. They learned that a kind act is never wasted.
Comprehension Questions
1. Who are the main characters in the story?
Answer: The ant and the dove.
2. What happened to the ant near the river?
Answer: The ant slipped and fell into the water.
3. How did the dove help the ant?
Answer: The dove dropped a leaf for the ant to climb on.
4. How did the ant help the dove later?
Answer: The ant bit the hunter so his arrow would miss the dove.
5. What is the lesson of the story?
Answer: A kind act is never wasted. / Help others and they will help you.
Reading Tips
Before Reading
Look at the title and pictures. Think about what the story might be about.
During Reading
Read slowly. Stop to think about what is happening.
After Reading
Ask yourself: Who? What? Where? When? Why?
Unknown Words
Use context clues - look at nearby words for hints about meaning.