GRADES 8 AND 9 EXAM GUIDE
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
How to answer
an exam paper
Clear steps and completed examples to help you prepare
for your next test or examination.
Summary Advertisement Cartoon Language
Comprehension
writing analysis analysis questions
See what a complete answer looks like and why it works.
Use this guide alongside your class notes.
Mr AG Visagie
NOW WITH THREE 70 MARK PRACTICE EXAMS AND FULL MEMORANDA
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Contents
Find the section you need
Start with the question type you need. Read the method, follow a completed example and
check why the answer works.
01 Comprehension
Instructions and answering methods 3–4
Finding meaning and explaining effects 5–9
Detailed worked comprehension answers 10–13
02 Summary writing
Selecting points and writing a paragraph 14–17
More completed summaries and corrections 18–20
03 Advertisement analysis
Features audience and persuasive methods 21–23
Worked analyses and offer conditions 24–27
04 Cartoon analysis
Visual clues and worked cartoon answers 28–30
Humour techniques with examples 31–33
Detailed answers about evidence and humour 34–36
05 Language questions
Word classes forms and sentences 37–42
Punctuation speech voice and word building 43–48
Detailed transformations and editing 49–50
Practice exams and memoranda
Three practice papers and instructions 51
Full memoranda and source credits 73
Page 2
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Read the instruction before you write the answer
Comprehension means understanding what you read. You may be asked for a fact, a
meaning, a reason or an opinion. A correct fact is useful only when it answers the question
that was asked.
Before you start writing
Check the time, total marks, number of pages and required sections. Make sure the
passages and pictures are present. Plan enough time for every section and a final check. If
one small question holds you up, leave it temporarily and return to it.
Use this method for each question
1. Read the whole passage once to understand its main message.
2. Read the question. Notice the command word, any paragraph reference and the marks.
3. Find the relevant part of the passage. Read nearby sentences as well.
4. Answer every part of the instruction. Add evidence or a reason when it is required.
5. Check that your answer makes sense and that any quotation is exact.
Example text The library stayed open during break so learners could borrow books and
read quietly.
A question can ask for more than one part
Question Explain why the library stayed open during break. Give TWO reasons.
Model answer Learners could borrow books during break, and they had a quiet place to
read.
Why it works In this example, the passage states both purposes. The answer gives two
different reasons. Repeating that the library was open would add no reason.
Use marks as a guide
Marks suggest how much detail may be needed. A two-mark explanation might need a
point and a reason, or two different points. The wording tells you which. There is no single
answer formula for every two-mark question.
Remember Keep the question numbers correct. Give a full explanation when asked to
explain, but do not add a long paragraph to a request for one word.
Before handing in Check numbering, quotation limits, the summary word count and
transformed sentences.
Page 3
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Use command words to decide what to write
A command word is the part of the instruction that tells you what to do. Underline or notice it
before answering.
Instruction What your answer must do
Give the requested fact or term. Name the adjective in “a noisy
Identify or name
class”. Answer, noisy.
Copy the exact requested words and use quotation marks. A word
Quote
from “He trudged home” is “trudged”.
Make the meaning or reason clear. Explain why someone walked
Explain
slowly by connecting the action to the reason.
Show the relevant similarities and differences. Both rooms have
Compare
books, but only Room B has computers.
Show a difference and include both sides. Room A is quiet,
Contrast
whereas Room B is noisy.
Work out something not directly stated from a clue. Helping without
Infer
being asked can suggest responsibility.
Support your answer with evidence. She is responsible because
Substantiate
she helped without being asked.
Make a judgement and give a relevant reason. A clear deadline
Evaluate
makes a notice effective.
Discuss or Explain relevant points or the importance of a feature. Do more
comment on than name it.
Do you think or
State your view and support it with information that fits the text.
give your opinion
Quoting and using your own words are different
Source sentence “The first design exceeded their budget.”
A quotation “exceeded their budget”
In your own words The first design cost more than they could afford.
Why The quotation copies exact words. The own-word answer keeps the meaning but
changes the wording.
Remember If asked to quote ONE word, quote one word. If asked to explain in your own
words, do not simply copy the source sentence.
Page 4
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Find facts main ideas and clues
A literal answer gives information directly stated in the passage. A main idea is the central
message. An inference is an idea you work out from evidence, even though the writer has
not stated it directly.
Read this short extract
The school library opened during lunch. Learners borrowed books, read quietly and
asked the librarian for help. When the bell rang, Lindiwe stayed to put fallen books back
on the shelf. Nobody had asked her to help.
Finding a stated fact
Question When did the library open?
Model answer During lunch.
Why it works The time is stated directly. There is no need to invent an explanation.
Finding the main idea
Question State the main idea of the first two sentences in your own words.
Model answer The lunchtime library gave learners a place to read and get help.
Why it works This brings the activities together into one message. It does not list every
detail.
A clue must support an inference
Question Infer a quality of Lindiwe’s character and support your answer.
Model answer Lindiwe is responsible because she packed away fallen books without
being asked.
Why it works Responsible is the inference. Her voluntary action is the evidence. Saying
only that she is nice would be too vague.
Use context to work out a word meaning
Context means the words and situation around a word. In “The learners began to warm to
the new timetable”, warm to means begin to like or accept. The phrase describes a change
in attitude.
Remember Questions may ask you to find facts, bring facts together, infer, judge or
explain an effect. Follow the instruction rather than memorising a level number.
Page 5
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Follow completed answers about the tuck shop queue
Read the complete passage
On Monday, the tuck shop introduced a reusable-container queue. Learners carrying
their own lunch boxes were served first. The ordinary queue grew longer, and several
learners complained that the system was unfair.
By Wednesday, the number of disposable containers used during break had fallen by
almost half. More learners brought containers from home, and the ordinary queue
became shorter than before the change.
The principal called the experiment a success, but admitted that the school had
explained it badly. “A good rule still fails when people do not understand its purpose,”
she said.
Four instructions need four different kinds of answer
1. Give a fact What advantage did learners with reusable containers receive?
Answer They were served first.
Why This is the stated advantage.
2. Explain in your own words Why did some learners first think the system was unfair?
Answer Learners with containers received quicker service, while others waited in a
longer queue.
Why Both sides of the unequal treatment are explained.
3. Quote no more than FOUR words Show the decrease in waste.
Answer “fallen by almost half”
Why These are four exact words describing the decrease.
4. Infer and support How did the priority queue affect learner behaviour?
Answer It encouraged learners to bring reusable containers because they could be
served sooner.
Why The priority rule and the increase in containers support the likely reason.
Explain a statement rather than repeat it
Question Explain the principal’s statement in context. Answer A useful rule can still meet
resistance if people do not understand why it was introduced. Why This connects the
statement to the learners’ complaints.
Support an opinion with the text
Question Should the school keep the system? Substantiate your view. Answer Yes. It
reduced disposable waste and eventually shortened the ordinary queue. Why The view
has relevant support. A different view can also be valid if its reason fits the passage.
Page 6
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Explain tone attitude purpose and word choice
These terms ask about different things. Decide whether the question concerns a voice, a
view, an aim or the words chosen.
Term Plain meaning Example
How the speaker or writer “I cannot wait to start!” has an excited
Tone
sounds. tone.
A view or feeling about the “Our library deserves better” shows
Attitude
subject. disapproval of its condition.
What the writer wants to “Donate a book on Friday” aims to
Purpose
achieve. persuade readers to donate.
“Trudged” suggests slow, tired movement
Diction The writer’s choice of words.
more strongly than “walked”.
The atmosphere or feeling An empty, dark room may create an
Mood
created for the reader. uneasy mood.
Name the feeling and show what supports it
1. Choose a precise word such as disappointed, hopeful, worried or sarcastic.
2. Find wording or a detail that supports it.
3. Explain how that detail shows the feeling.
Worked example
Question Describe Cebo’s tone in “We hoped for a team, but barely enough people
came to start.” Give evidence.
Model answer His tone is disappointed. “barely enough people” shows that fewer
people came than he hoped.
Why it works The answer names a feeling and connects it to exact wording.
Explain the purpose using what the text does
A writer may inform by giving facts, persuade by encouraging a choice, entertain through
a story, explain by teaching, or criticise by pointing out a problem. A text may have more
than one purpose.
Remember An exclamation mark does not always mean anger. Read the words and
situation. “The diction is good” does not explain why a particular word matters.
Page 7
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Name a figure of speech and explain its meaning
Literal language means what it says directly.
Figurative language uses a comparison, image or exaggeration. In an examination,
naming the technique may be only the first part of the answer.
Technique What it does and an example
Compares unlike things using like or as. “The crowd moved like a river”
Simile
suggests steady movement in one direction.
Describes one thing as another. “The classroom was a furnace” means
Metaphor
it was very hot.
Gives human qualities to something non-human. “The wind whispered”
Personification
makes the wind seem to speak softly.
Exaggerates on purpose. “My schoolbag weighs a ton” emphasises
Hyperbole
how heavy it feels.
An expression with a familiar meaning that is not usually literal. “Keep
Idiom
an eye on the time” means watch the time.
Places apparently opposite words together. “Deafening silence” makes
Oxymoron
the silence seem very noticeable.
Build the explanation in two steps
1. Say what is being compared, described or exaggerated.
2. Explain what this suggests in the sentence you were given.
Worked example
Question Identify and explain “The classroom was a furnace.”
Model answer It is a metaphor. It compares the classroom to a furnace to emphasise
the uncomfortable heat.
Why it works The answer names the technique and explains the shared feature, heat.
It does not claim that the classroom was an actual furnace.
Worked example
Question Explain “The wind whispered through the trees.”
Model answer The wind is personified because whispering is a human action. It
suggests a soft sound and a quiet atmosphere.
Why it works The explanation connects the human action to its effect in this sentence.
Remember “It creates a picture” is too general. Explain which picture or effect. “I like
reading” is not a simile because like is a verb and no comparison is made.
Page 8
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Explain sounds and choose words that fit
Sound technique Meaning and completed example
Nearby words repeat an opening consonant sound. “Busy bees
Alliteration
buzzed” repeats the b sound.
Nearby words repeat a vowel sound. “The rain made grey days”
Assonance
repeats the long a sound.
A word imitates a sound. Bang suggests a loud impact, while hiss
Onomatopoeia
suggests escaping air or a similar noise.
Worked example
Question Identify the sound technique in “Busy bees buzzed” and give evidence.
Model answer It is alliteration because busy, bees and buzzed repeat the opening b
sound.
Why it works The repeated sound is named and the relevant words are given. A
repeated letter alone is not enough to prove a sound pattern.
Read the sentence before choosing a word
Synonym Similar meaning. Calm can mean peaceful. The replacement must fit the
sentence.
Antonym Opposite meaning. The opposite of narrow in “a narrow path” is wide.
Homophones Same sound, different meanings. Their shows possession, there shows
place, and they’re means they are.
Homonyms In the school use here, the same spelling and sound with different meanings.
A river bank differs from a bank that handles money.
Denotation Basic meaning. House means a building where people live.
Connotation A feeling or association. Home often suggests belonging or comfort.
Register Formal or informal wording. Choose clear wording that suits an examination
answer.
A completed word-choice answer
Question Why might a writer choose home rather than house?
Model answer Home suggests comfort and belonging, while house mainly names the
building.
Why it works This explains the association of the words. It does not just give their
dictionary meanings.
Page 9
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Separate a stated fact from the main idea
A fact answers a specific question. A main idea brings the important information together.
The same passage can supply both, but the answers will look different.
Read the extract
The school started a uniform exchange after several families said that buying new
blazers was difficult. Learners donated clean items they had outgrown. At first, only six
blazers arrived. The organisers then asked families to donate shirts and jerseys as well.
By Friday, the hall contained three tables of clothing. Learners could choose suitable
items without paying. Any items left over were stored for families who might need them
later in the year.
A question asking for two facts
Question State TWO ways in which the exchange helped families.
Model answer Families could obtain suitable uniform items without paying, and leftover
clothing was kept for families who needed help later.
Why it works State asks for information given directly in the passage. The answer
supplies two different benefits. It does not replace the second benefit with another way of
saying that the clothing was free.
Check If the instruction asks for two points, make both points easy to identify.
A question asking for the main idea
Question Summarise the main idea of the extract in ONE sentence.
Model answer The uniform exchange helped families obtain needed school clothing
through donations.
Why it works This sentence brings the purpose and activity together. The number of
blazers and tables are supporting details. A main-idea answer does not need to retell
every stage of the event.
Page 10
ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
How to answer
an exam paper
Clear steps and completed examples to help you prepare
for your next test or examination.
Summary Advertisement Cartoon Language
Comprehension
writing analysis analysis questions
See what a complete answer looks like and why it works.
Use this guide alongside your class notes.
Mr AG Visagie
NOW WITH THREE 70 MARK PRACTICE EXAMS AND FULL MEMORANDA
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Contents
Find the section you need
Start with the question type you need. Read the method, follow a completed example and
check why the answer works.
01 Comprehension
Instructions and answering methods 3–4
Finding meaning and explaining effects 5–9
Detailed worked comprehension answers 10–13
02 Summary writing
Selecting points and writing a paragraph 14–17
More completed summaries and corrections 18–20
03 Advertisement analysis
Features audience and persuasive methods 21–23
Worked analyses and offer conditions 24–27
04 Cartoon analysis
Visual clues and worked cartoon answers 28–30
Humour techniques with examples 31–33
Detailed answers about evidence and humour 34–36
05 Language questions
Word classes forms and sentences 37–42
Punctuation speech voice and word building 43–48
Detailed transformations and editing 49–50
Practice exams and memoranda
Three practice papers and instructions 51
Full memoranda and source credits 73
Page 2
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Read the instruction before you write the answer
Comprehension means understanding what you read. You may be asked for a fact, a
meaning, a reason or an opinion. A correct fact is useful only when it answers the question
that was asked.
Before you start writing
Check the time, total marks, number of pages and required sections. Make sure the
passages and pictures are present. Plan enough time for every section and a final check. If
one small question holds you up, leave it temporarily and return to it.
Use this method for each question
1. Read the whole passage once to understand its main message.
2. Read the question. Notice the command word, any paragraph reference and the marks.
3. Find the relevant part of the passage. Read nearby sentences as well.
4. Answer every part of the instruction. Add evidence or a reason when it is required.
5. Check that your answer makes sense and that any quotation is exact.
Example text The library stayed open during break so learners could borrow books and
read quietly.
A question can ask for more than one part
Question Explain why the library stayed open during break. Give TWO reasons.
Model answer Learners could borrow books during break, and they had a quiet place to
read.
Why it works In this example, the passage states both purposes. The answer gives two
different reasons. Repeating that the library was open would add no reason.
Use marks as a guide
Marks suggest how much detail may be needed. A two-mark explanation might need a
point and a reason, or two different points. The wording tells you which. There is no single
answer formula for every two-mark question.
Remember Keep the question numbers correct. Give a full explanation when asked to
explain, but do not add a long paragraph to a request for one word.
Before handing in Check numbering, quotation limits, the summary word count and
transformed sentences.
Page 3
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Use command words to decide what to write
A command word is the part of the instruction that tells you what to do. Underline or notice it
before answering.
Instruction What your answer must do
Give the requested fact or term. Name the adjective in “a noisy
Identify or name
class”. Answer, noisy.
Copy the exact requested words and use quotation marks. A word
Quote
from “He trudged home” is “trudged”.
Make the meaning or reason clear. Explain why someone walked
Explain
slowly by connecting the action to the reason.
Show the relevant similarities and differences. Both rooms have
Compare
books, but only Room B has computers.
Show a difference and include both sides. Room A is quiet,
Contrast
whereas Room B is noisy.
Work out something not directly stated from a clue. Helping without
Infer
being asked can suggest responsibility.
Support your answer with evidence. She is responsible because
Substantiate
she helped without being asked.
Make a judgement and give a relevant reason. A clear deadline
Evaluate
makes a notice effective.
Discuss or Explain relevant points or the importance of a feature. Do more
comment on than name it.
Do you think or
State your view and support it with information that fits the text.
give your opinion
Quoting and using your own words are different
Source sentence “The first design exceeded their budget.”
A quotation “exceeded their budget”
In your own words The first design cost more than they could afford.
Why The quotation copies exact words. The own-word answer keeps the meaning but
changes the wording.
Remember If asked to quote ONE word, quote one word. If asked to explain in your own
words, do not simply copy the source sentence.
Page 4
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Find facts main ideas and clues
A literal answer gives information directly stated in the passage. A main idea is the central
message. An inference is an idea you work out from evidence, even though the writer has
not stated it directly.
Read this short extract
The school library opened during lunch. Learners borrowed books, read quietly and
asked the librarian for help. When the bell rang, Lindiwe stayed to put fallen books back
on the shelf. Nobody had asked her to help.
Finding a stated fact
Question When did the library open?
Model answer During lunch.
Why it works The time is stated directly. There is no need to invent an explanation.
Finding the main idea
Question State the main idea of the first two sentences in your own words.
Model answer The lunchtime library gave learners a place to read and get help.
Why it works This brings the activities together into one message. It does not list every
detail.
A clue must support an inference
Question Infer a quality of Lindiwe’s character and support your answer.
Model answer Lindiwe is responsible because she packed away fallen books without
being asked.
Why it works Responsible is the inference. Her voluntary action is the evidence. Saying
only that she is nice would be too vague.
Use context to work out a word meaning
Context means the words and situation around a word. In “The learners began to warm to
the new timetable”, warm to means begin to like or accept. The phrase describes a change
in attitude.
Remember Questions may ask you to find facts, bring facts together, infer, judge or
explain an effect. Follow the instruction rather than memorising a level number.
Page 5
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Follow completed answers about the tuck shop queue
Read the complete passage
On Monday, the tuck shop introduced a reusable-container queue. Learners carrying
their own lunch boxes were served first. The ordinary queue grew longer, and several
learners complained that the system was unfair.
By Wednesday, the number of disposable containers used during break had fallen by
almost half. More learners brought containers from home, and the ordinary queue
became shorter than before the change.
The principal called the experiment a success, but admitted that the school had
explained it badly. “A good rule still fails when people do not understand its purpose,”
she said.
Four instructions need four different kinds of answer
1. Give a fact What advantage did learners with reusable containers receive?
Answer They were served first.
Why This is the stated advantage.
2. Explain in your own words Why did some learners first think the system was unfair?
Answer Learners with containers received quicker service, while others waited in a
longer queue.
Why Both sides of the unequal treatment are explained.
3. Quote no more than FOUR words Show the decrease in waste.
Answer “fallen by almost half”
Why These are four exact words describing the decrease.
4. Infer and support How did the priority queue affect learner behaviour?
Answer It encouraged learners to bring reusable containers because they could be
served sooner.
Why The priority rule and the increase in containers support the likely reason.
Explain a statement rather than repeat it
Question Explain the principal’s statement in context. Answer A useful rule can still meet
resistance if people do not understand why it was introduced. Why This connects the
statement to the learners’ complaints.
Support an opinion with the text
Question Should the school keep the system? Substantiate your view. Answer Yes. It
reduced disposable waste and eventually shortened the ordinary queue. Why The view
has relevant support. A different view can also be valid if its reason fits the passage.
Page 6
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Explain tone attitude purpose and word choice
These terms ask about different things. Decide whether the question concerns a voice, a
view, an aim or the words chosen.
Term Plain meaning Example
How the speaker or writer “I cannot wait to start!” has an excited
Tone
sounds. tone.
A view or feeling about the “Our library deserves better” shows
Attitude
subject. disapproval of its condition.
What the writer wants to “Donate a book on Friday” aims to
Purpose
achieve. persuade readers to donate.
“Trudged” suggests slow, tired movement
Diction The writer’s choice of words.
more strongly than “walked”.
The atmosphere or feeling An empty, dark room may create an
Mood
created for the reader. uneasy mood.
Name the feeling and show what supports it
1. Choose a precise word such as disappointed, hopeful, worried or sarcastic.
2. Find wording or a detail that supports it.
3. Explain how that detail shows the feeling.
Worked example
Question Describe Cebo’s tone in “We hoped for a team, but barely enough people
came to start.” Give evidence.
Model answer His tone is disappointed. “barely enough people” shows that fewer
people came than he hoped.
Why it works The answer names a feeling and connects it to exact wording.
Explain the purpose using what the text does
A writer may inform by giving facts, persuade by encouraging a choice, entertain through
a story, explain by teaching, or criticise by pointing out a problem. A text may have more
than one purpose.
Remember An exclamation mark does not always mean anger. Read the words and
situation. “The diction is good” does not explain why a particular word matters.
Page 7
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Name a figure of speech and explain its meaning
Literal language means what it says directly.
Figurative language uses a comparison, image or exaggeration. In an examination,
naming the technique may be only the first part of the answer.
Technique What it does and an example
Compares unlike things using like or as. “The crowd moved like a river”
Simile
suggests steady movement in one direction.
Describes one thing as another. “The classroom was a furnace” means
Metaphor
it was very hot.
Gives human qualities to something non-human. “The wind whispered”
Personification
makes the wind seem to speak softly.
Exaggerates on purpose. “My schoolbag weighs a ton” emphasises
Hyperbole
how heavy it feels.
An expression with a familiar meaning that is not usually literal. “Keep
Idiom
an eye on the time” means watch the time.
Places apparently opposite words together. “Deafening silence” makes
Oxymoron
the silence seem very noticeable.
Build the explanation in two steps
1. Say what is being compared, described or exaggerated.
2. Explain what this suggests in the sentence you were given.
Worked example
Question Identify and explain “The classroom was a furnace.”
Model answer It is a metaphor. It compares the classroom to a furnace to emphasise
the uncomfortable heat.
Why it works The answer names the technique and explains the shared feature, heat.
It does not claim that the classroom was an actual furnace.
Worked example
Question Explain “The wind whispered through the trees.”
Model answer The wind is personified because whispering is a human action. It
suggests a soft sound and a quiet atmosphere.
Why it works The explanation connects the human action to its effect in this sentence.
Remember “It creates a picture” is too general. Explain which picture or effect. “I like
reading” is not a simile because like is a verb and no comparison is made.
Page 8
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Explain sounds and choose words that fit
Sound technique Meaning and completed example
Nearby words repeat an opening consonant sound. “Busy bees
Alliteration
buzzed” repeats the b sound.
Nearby words repeat a vowel sound. “The rain made grey days”
Assonance
repeats the long a sound.
A word imitates a sound. Bang suggests a loud impact, while hiss
Onomatopoeia
suggests escaping air or a similar noise.
Worked example
Question Identify the sound technique in “Busy bees buzzed” and give evidence.
Model answer It is alliteration because busy, bees and buzzed repeat the opening b
sound.
Why it works The repeated sound is named and the relevant words are given. A
repeated letter alone is not enough to prove a sound pattern.
Read the sentence before choosing a word
Synonym Similar meaning. Calm can mean peaceful. The replacement must fit the
sentence.
Antonym Opposite meaning. The opposite of narrow in “a narrow path” is wide.
Homophones Same sound, different meanings. Their shows possession, there shows
place, and they’re means they are.
Homonyms In the school use here, the same spelling and sound with different meanings.
A river bank differs from a bank that handles money.
Denotation Basic meaning. House means a building where people live.
Connotation A feeling or association. Home often suggests belonging or comfort.
Register Formal or informal wording. Choose clear wording that suits an examination
answer.
A completed word-choice answer
Question Why might a writer choose home rather than house?
Model answer Home suggests comfort and belonging, while house mainly names the
building.
Why it works This explains the association of the words. It does not just give their
dictionary meanings.
Page 9
,GRADES 8 AND 9 | ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
Comprehension
Separate a stated fact from the main idea
A fact answers a specific question. A main idea brings the important information together.
The same passage can supply both, but the answers will look different.
Read the extract
The school started a uniform exchange after several families said that buying new
blazers was difficult. Learners donated clean items they had outgrown. At first, only six
blazers arrived. The organisers then asked families to donate shirts and jerseys as well.
By Friday, the hall contained three tables of clothing. Learners could choose suitable
items without paying. Any items left over were stored for families who might need them
later in the year.
A question asking for two facts
Question State TWO ways in which the exchange helped families.
Model answer Families could obtain suitable uniform items without paying, and leftover
clothing was kept for families who needed help later.
Why it works State asks for information given directly in the passage. The answer
supplies two different benefits. It does not replace the second benefit with another way of
saying that the clothing was free.
Check If the instruction asks for two points, make both points easy to identify.
A question asking for the main idea
Question Summarise the main idea of the extract in ONE sentence.
Model answer The uniform exchange helped families obtain needed school clothing
through donations.
Why it works This sentence brings the purpose and activity together. The number of
blazers and tables are supporting details. A main-idea answer does not need to retell
every stage of the event.
Page 10
