Describing
Use adjectives before the noun. A handy order is opinion, size, colour, material, thing: a nice big red plastic bucket. For school talk keep it short: a small round ball.
To tell where things are use on, in, under, behind, next to: The box is on the table.
Explaining with because and so
Because gives the reason. So gives the result.
- Plants need light because they make food.
- It was raining, so we stayed home.
Reason first or last both work: Because it was raining, we stayed home.
Giving steps and instructions
Use order words: first, then, next, after that, finally. Start each step with a verb: Mix the flour. Add water. Stir.
One step per sentence keeps the listener from getting lost.
Reporting what someone said
When we tell what someone said, the verb usually steps back in time.
- "I am ill." → Meena said that she was ill.
- "I like tea." → He said that he liked tea.
- "I will come." → She said that she would come.
Pronouns change too (I becomes she/he). "That" can be dropped.
Key formulas and definitions
- Describe: a/an + size + colour + noun
- Reason: fact + because + reason
- Result: fact, so + result
- Steps: First, ... Then, ... Finally, ...
- Report: S + said (that) + S + back-stepped verb (am to was, will to would)
Worked examples
1. Describe a ball that is small, round and green.
It is a small round green ball.
2. Join with because: "We carry umbrellas." "It may rain."
We carry umbrellas because it may rain.
3. Give two steps for making tea.
First, boil the water. Then, add tea leaves and milk.
4. Report: Rohan said, "I am busy."
Rohan said that he was busy.
Common mistakes
- Wrong order of adjectives: "a red big box". Say "a big red box".
- Writing "because" alone as a sentence. It needs the result too.
- Forgetting to step the verb back when reporting: "She said that she is ill" (past report needs was).
- Forgetting to change the pronoun: "Meena said that I was ill".