--- title: English — a course of Mova's primary school, with trees and pragmatics description: Reading and writing English as a primary school teaches it: phonics, blending and segmenting, tricky words, vowel teams, handwriting, plurals, -ed and -ing, suffixes and prefixes, silent letters, homophones and the famous spelling traps. 60 lessons, 1179 sentences with trees and pragmatics. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / English # English Reading and writing English as a primary school teaches it: phonics, blending and segmenting, tricky words, vowel teams, handwriting, plurals, -ed and -ing, suffixes and prefixes, silent letters, homophones and the famous spelling traps. The english course of Mova's primary school: 60 lessons, 1179 sentences, each sentence with its syntax tree and pragmatics. Licence: [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) (Mova corpus 0.4). - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/1-sounds-and-letters-how-phonics-starts/) — Sounds and letters: how phonics starts — 24 sentences · Every letter has a name and a sound. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/2-blending-segmenting-and-the-year-1-check/) — Blending, segmenting and the Year 1 check — 23 sentences · Reading and spelling are the same skill going in two directions. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/3-tricky-words-and-common-exception-words/) — Tricky words and common exception words — 22 sentences · Most English words follow the sound rules, but some very common ones have an odd bit. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/4-vowel-teams-split-digraphs-and-choosing-the-spelling/) — Vowel teams, split digraphs and choosing the spelling — 21 sentences · A silent e at the end of a word reaches back over one consonant and makes the vowel say its name: hop become… - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up/) — Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up — 24 sentences · A pencil held in a fist like a dagger is driven by the big muscles of the arm, so it wobbles and the hand ti… - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/6-spelling-plurals/) — Spelling plurals: -s, -es, -ies, -ves and odd ones — 26 sentences · Most nouns just add -s: cat, cats. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/7-adding-ed-and-ing-doubling-and-dropping-e/) — Adding -ed and -ing: doubling and dropping e — 24 sentences · Josh writes «I was hopping for a sunny day» and means wishing, not jumping on one leg. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/8-endings-that-sound-like-shun/) — Endings that sound like «shun»: -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian — 24 sentences · It sounds right, but in English the /shun/ ending is almost never spelled «shun». - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/9-suffixes-ous-ly-ful-less-ness-ment/) — Suffixes -ous, -ly, -ful, -less, -ness, -ment — 22 sentences · A suffix is a few letters added to the end of a word that change its job or meaning. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/) — i before e, silent letters and other famous traps — 18 sentences · The old rhyme says «i before e except after c». - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/11-homophones-and-near-homophones/) — Homophones and near-homophones — 24 sentences · Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things: see and sea,… - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/12-prefixes-un-dis-mis-re-pre-in-im-il-ir/) — Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, re-, pre-, in-, im-, il-, ir- — 20 sentences · A prefix is a few letters added to the front of a word that change its meaning: happy, unhappy; do, redo; vi… - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/13-words-to-know-years-3-4/) — Words to know, Years 3–4 (the statutory list, by idea) — 20 sentences · In England the National Curriculum gives a list of about 100 words that children in Years 3 and 4 (ages 7 to… - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/14-words-to-know-years-5-6/) — Words to know, Years 5–6 (the statutory list, by idea) — 19 sentences · The Years 5–6 list in England has about 100 harder words: accommodate, ancient, conscience, desperate, embar… - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/15-how-to-learn-spellings-that-stick/) — How to learn spellings that stick — 26 sentences · Freddie's mum says «just write it out ten times», and Freddie writes «becuase» ten times. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/16-reading-for-pleasure-and-the-reading-book-at-home/) — Reading for pleasure and the reading book at home — 22 sentences · Reading for pleasure means reading because you want to, not because somebody told you to. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/17-retrieval-finding-the-answer-in-the-text/) — Retrieval: finding the answer in the text — 22 sentences · A retrieval question asks for something the text says clearly. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/18-inference-reading-between-the-lines/) — Inference: reading between the lines — 20 sentences · Inference means working out what the writer means but does not say. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/19-prediction-what-happens-next/) — Prediction: what happens next — 23 sentences · A prediction is a sensible guess about what will happen next, built from clues in the text and from what you… - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/20-vocabulary-in-context/) — Vocabulary in context — 19 sentences · You do not need to know every word to understand a text. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/21-authors-choices-why-this-word-why-this-way/) — Author's choices: why this word, why this way — 23 sentences · Authors choose every word on purpose. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/22-reading-a-story-characters-plot-and-setting/) — Reading a story: characters, plot and setting — 25 sentences · Every story has characters (who), a setting (where and when) and a plot (what happens). - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/) — Reading non-fiction: recount, instructions, report — 31 sentences · Non-fiction texts are about real things, and each kind has its own shape. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/24-persuasive-letters-newspaper-articles-and-diaries/) — Persuasive letters, newspaper articles and diaries — 26 sentences · A persuasive text tries to change your mind. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/25-reading-poems-meaning-sound-and-pictures/) — Reading poems: meaning, sound and pictures — 25 sentences · A poem packs a lot into a few words, and you read it with your ears and your eyes. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/26-sentences-capital-letters-full-stops-and-the-four-types/) — Sentences: capital letters, full stops and the four types — 29 sentences · A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense on its own. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/27-word-classes-the-jobs-words-do/) — Word classes: the jobs words do — 24 sentences · In «The hungry fox quickly ate the cake under the table», fox and cake and table are nouns (naming words), a… - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/28-clauses-main-subordinate-and-joining-words/) — Clauses: main, subordinate and joining words — 19 sentences · A clause is a group of words with a verb in it. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/29-fronted-adverbials/) — Fronted adverbials — 20 sentences · An adverbial is a word or group of words that tells you more about the verb: when, where, how, or how often… - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/30-relative-clauses/) — Relative clauses — 19 sentences · A relative clause is a clause that tells you more about a noun. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms/) — Tense consistency and verb forms — 19 sentences · Tense is the time a verb points to: "I walked" is past, "I walk" is present, and "I will walk" talks about t… - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/32-active-and-passive-voice-modal-verbs/) — Active and passive voice, modal verbs — 18 sentences · In the active voice the doer comes first: "The cat chased the mouse." In the passive voice the thing the act… - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/33-commas-lists-clauses-and-clarity/) — Commas: lists, clauses and clarity — 18 sentences · A comma is a tiny signpost that tells the reader where one part of a sentence ends and the next begins, so t… - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/34-apostrophes-missing-letters-and-belonging/) — Apostrophes: missing letters and belonging — 17 sentences · An apostrophe is a little raised comma with two jobs: it marks letters that have been squeezed out ("do not"… - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/35-direct-speech-inverted-commas-and-new-speakers/) — Direct speech: inverted commas and new speakers — 16 sentences · Direct speech is the exact words a character says, and inverted commas (also called speech marks) hug those… - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/36-brackets-dashes-colons-semicolons-and-hyphens/) — Brackets, dashes, colons, semicolons and hyphens — 17 sentences · Brackets, dashes and commas can all hold extra information that you could lift out and still leave a full se… - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/37-paragraphs-and-cohesion-holding-a-text-together/) — Paragraphs and cohesion: holding a text together — 17 sentences · A paragraph is a group of sentences about one thing, and starting a new one tells the reader "something has… - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/38-standard-english-and-dialect-we-was-and-we-were/) — Standard English and dialect: "we was" in talk, "we were" in writing — 17 sentences · Standard English is the dialect used for school writing, exams, newspapers and formal letters all over the E… - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/39-planning-before-writing/) — Planning before writing — 16 sentences · A plan is a map you draw before a journey: a few words or pictures that show where your writing starts, wher… - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/40-openings-that-hook-the-reader/) — Openings that hook the reader — 17 sentences · The first line of a piece of writing is a fishing hook: its job is to catch the reader and make them want th… - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words/) — Describing: senses, showing and precise words — 17 sentences · Good description lets the reader stand inside the scene, and the trick is to use more than your eyes: close… - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/42-building-tension-and-suspense/) — Building tension and suspense — 17 sentences · Suspense is the delicious worry of not knowing yet: the reader holds their breath because something might ha… - [43](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/43-editing-and-redrafting/) — Editing and redrafting — 15 sentences · A first draft is like the first go at building a Lego model from your head: it stands up, but some bricks ar… - [44](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/) — Writing to inform, instruct and persuade — 17 sentences · Every piece of writing has a job, and the job decides its shape: instructions tell you how, reports and expl… - [45](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/45-poetry-rhyme-and-rhythm/) — Poetry: rhyme and rhythm — 16 sentences · Rhyme is when words end with the same sound, like wall and fall in the old nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty sat… - [46](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/46-poetry-simile-metaphor-personification-alliteration/) — Poetry: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration — 17 sentences · Poets paint pictures with words, and they have a few favourite tricks: the simile, the metaphor, personifica… - [47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/47-poetry-forms-haiku-limerick-kenning-acrostic-performing/) — Poetry forms: haiku, limerick, kenning, acrostic, performing — 14 sentences · A haiku (from Japan) is, in English schools, three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables catching one small moment;… - [48](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/48-spoken-language-presenting-and-show-and-tell/) — Spoken language: presenting and show-and-tell — 18 sentences · Giving a talk is a skill, like riding a bike: wobbly at first, smoother with every practice. - [49](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/49-debating-and-discussion/) — Debating and discussion — 14 sentences · A debate is an argument with rules: two sides, a topic called the motion ("Homework should be banned"), turn… - [50](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/50-listening-following-talk-asking-good-questions/) — Listening: following talk, asking good questions — 18 sentences · Listening is more than sitting quietly: your brain has to catch the words, hold on to them and work out what… - [51](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/51-sats-the-reading-paper/) — SATs: the reading paper — 15 sentences · SATs are national tests that Year 6 children in England sit in May; the reading paper gives you about three… - [52](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/52-sats-grammar-punctuation-and-spelling-paper/) — SATs: grammar, punctuation and spelling paper — 17 sentences · The GPS paper tests grammar, punctuation and spelling: a 45-minute paper of about 50 short questions, plus a… - [53](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/53-writing-assessment-and-the-year-6-panic/) — Writing assessment and the "Year 6 panic" — 16 sentences · In Year 6 lots of children get the "Year 6 panic": tummy aches, bad sleep and scary thoughts like "I'll fail… - [54](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/54-reading-and-writing-like-a-writer/) — Putting it together: reading and writing like a writer — 17 sentences · Reading like a writer means noticing the tricks an author uses, not just what happens: how the first line ho… - [55](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/55-olympiad-the-spelling-bee/) — Olympiad: the Spelling Bee — 17 sentences · In a spelling bee the pronouncer says a word and you spell it aloud, letter by letter; one wrong letter and… - [56](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/56-olympiad-word-puzzles-anagrams-palindromes-word-ladders/) — Olympiad: word puzzles — anagrams, palindromes, word ladders — 16 sentences · Word puzzles treat letters like pieces in a game: you rearrange them, reverse them or swap them, and every a… - [57](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/57-olympiad-riddles-lipograms-and-hidden-words/) — Olympiad: riddles, lipograms and hidden words — 14 sentences · Riddles play with double meanings: "keys" can open locks, or be the black and white keys of a piano, and the… - [58](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/58-olympiad-breakthrough-puzzles-in-made-up-languages/) — Olympiad: Breakthrough puzzles in made-up languages — 15 sentences · In a UKLO Breakthrough puzzle (UKLO is the UK Linguistics Olympiad, and Breakthrough is its first, easiest l… - [59](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/59-olympiad-real-languages-and-codes/) — Olympiad: real languages and codes — 16 sentences · Swahili changes the start of a word instead of the end: mtoto (child) becomes watoto (children), and mtu (pe… - [60](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/60-olympiad-tricky-comprehension/) — Olympiad: tricky comprehension — 17 sentences · Tricky comprehension questions test whether you read exactly what the text says, not what you expect it to s… - 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