Term pack

Year 4 English

Name: ________________________

Skills in this pack

Alphabetical order
Is doing and was doing
Articles by sound and sense
How it was done
In, on and at for time
Simple past, present and future
Agreement when the subject is more than one
Because and so
Punctuating direct speech
Apostrophes
Reading and putting events in order
A letter to a friend

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Year 4 English · 1 of 12

Alphabetical order

Put words in dictionary order, using the second letter when the first letters are the same.

1.Which of these words would come first in a dictionary?
- a) city
- b) crow
- c) cake
- d) cloud
2.A dictionary page has the guide words "lamp" and "leaf" at the top. Which word is on that page?
- a) lemon
- b) ladder
- c) lead
- d) lion
3.Which comes first in a dictionary, "table" or "tap"? Write that word.
4.Put these words in dictionary order.
- city
- cloud
- crow
- cake
- cent
5.Sort each word by whether it comes before or after "milk" in a dictionary.
Groups: Before milk · After milk
- moon
- map
- mind
- mud
- melon
- match
6.Which letter comes straight after q in the alphabet?
- a) p
- b) s
- c) r
- d) o
7.Put these words in dictionary order. They all begin with the same letter, so the second letter decides.
- bell
- bud
- boat
- bat
- bird
8.Which comes first in a dictionary, "pencil" or "paint"? Write that word.

Alphabetical order · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 2 of 12

Is doing and was doing

Say what is happening now and what was happening earlier using am, is, are, was and were with an -ing verb.

1.Pair each verb with its -ing form.
- run
- swim
- write
- make
- carry
- writing
- swimming
- running
- carrying
- making
2.Sort each verb by what happens to its spelling when you add -ing.
Groups: Double the last letter · Drop the e
- swim
- write
- run
- dance
- bake
- sit
3.Fill the gap with two words, using the verb given: I ____ (read) when the lights went out.
4.Put the cards in order to make a sentence about what was happening.
- painting
- The children
- were
- a poster.
5.She ____ a picture at this moment.
- a) was drawing
- b) draws
- c) is drawing
- d) draw
6.Fill the gap with two words, using the verb given: The cat ____ (sit) on the wall now.
7.Which sentence is written correctly?
- a) We is climbing the hill.
- b) We am climbing the hill.
- c) We be climbing the hill.
- d) We are climbing the hill.
8.In "The girls were singing loudly", which two words make the verb?
- a) The girls
- b) were singing
- c) singing loudly
- d) girls were

Is doing and was doing · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 3 of 12

Articles by sound and sense

Choose between a and an by the sound that follows, and use the when you mean a particular one.

1.I bought a mango. ____ mango was sweeter than any I had eaten.
- a) A
- b) Some
- c) The
- d) An
2.Which one is correct?
- a) an egg
- b) a egg
- c) an eggs
- d) a eggs
3.Write "a" or "an": My grandfather is ____ honest man.
4.Why does "university" take "a" and not "an"?
- a) because it begins with a y sound, not a vowel sound
- b) because it begins with a consonant letter
- c) because it is a long word
- d) because it names a place
5.Pair each sentence beginning with the ending that finishes it sensibly.
- For lunch I ate
- On the way home she bought
- At the gate he waited
- Last winter they visited
- an orange
- a museum
- an hour
- a notebook
6.Write "a" or "an": We waited for ____ hour at the station.
7.Write "a" or "an": She studies at ____ university near her home.
8.Which sentence uses "the" correctly?
- a) She opened a window that I had just described.
- b) A sun is very bright today.
- c) I want the pencil, any pencil will do.
- d) Hand me the pencil you are holding.

Articles by sound and sense · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 4 of 12

How it was done

Find and use adverbs that tell you how an action was done.

1.In "Nita carefully carried the tray", which word is the adverb?
- a) carefully
- b) tray
- c) carried
- d) Nita
2.Which sentence has an adverb telling you how?
- a) She has a loud voice.
- b) The room was loud.
- c) She spoke loudly.
- d) Loud music is playing.
3.Make an adverb from the word given: The old man walked ____ (slow) up the steps.
4.Pair each sentence with the adverb that finishes it sensibly.
- The long queue moved forward
- She solved the puzzle in one minute
- He whispered so nobody would hear
- The choir sang without one mistake
- quickly
- perfectly
- slowly
- softly
5.Make an adverb from the word given: The wheel turned ____ (easy) once it was oiled.
6.Which of these is an adverb?
- a) kinder
- b) kindly
- c) kindness
- d) kind
7.Sort each adjective by what you do to it before adding -ly.
Groups: Nothing changes · Change y to i
- angry
- happy
- soft
- easy
- sudden
- quick
8.How do you usually make an adverb from an adjective?
- a) add -ing
- b) add -ful
- c) add -ly
- d) add -er

How it was done · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 5 of 12

In, on and at for time

Choose in, on or at to say when something happens.

1.Which word goes with a year, such as 1947?
- a) for
- b) on
- c) in
- d) at
2.Which sentence is correct?
- a) The owl hunts of night.
- b) The owl hunts by night time.
- c) The owl hunts on night.
- d) The owl hunts at night.
3.Which phrase is written correctly?
- a) of Friday
- b) at Friday
- c) on Friday
- d) in Friday
4.We have our sports day ____ Wednesday.
- a) at
- b) on
- c) of
- d) in
5.Pair each kind of time with an example of it.
- a month
- a day of the week
- a clock time
- a year
- a part of the day
- in 2019
- on Tuesday
- in April
- at nine o'clock
- in the afternoon
6.Write the missing word: The shop opens ____ Monday morning.
7.Sort each sentence by whether the time word is used correctly.
Groups: Correct · Wrong
- The bus came on Thursday.
- I was born on 2016.
- The bell rings in noon.
- The film starts at four o'clock.
- We swim in the evening.
- School reopens at July.
8.Put these time phrases in order, from the shortest stretch of time to the longest.
- in 2020
- on Sunday
- in the morning
- at eight o'clock
- in September

In, on and at for time · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 6 of 12

Simple past, present and future

Recognise and form the simple present, simple past and simple future of a verb.

1.Sort each sentence by its tense.
Groups: Simple present · Simple past · Simple future
- She walks to school every day.
- She walked to school yesterday.
- She will walk to school tomorrow.
- They will play cricket next Sunday.
- They played cricket last Sunday.
- They play cricket on Sundays.
2.Last night we ____ a film at home.
- a) will watch
- b) watch
- c) watched
- d) watches
3.Every morning Ravi ____ a glass of milk.
- a) drinking
- b) drank
- c) will drink
- d) drinks
4.Complete with the simple past of "go": Yesterday she ____ to the library.
5.Complete with the simple past of "buy": Last month my father ____ a new bicycle.
6.Match each verb to its simple past form.
- teach
- catch
- think
- bring
- speak
- write
- spoke
- taught
- thought
- caught
- wrote
- brought
7.Which sentence is in the simple future?
- a) I will eat rice.
- b) I am eating rice.
- c) I ate rice.
- d) I eat rice.
8.Rani ____ her homework every evening.
- a) do
- b) does
- c) did
- d) will do

Simple past, present and future · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 7 of 12

Agreement when the subject is more than one

Make the verb agree with its subject, including subjects joined by "and", and choose between is/are, has/have, does/do and was/were.

1.Write "is" or "are": The rice ____ still cooking.
2.Write "does" or "do": ____ the twins share a room?
3.Sort each subject by whether it counts as one or as more than one.
Groups: One · More than one
- Meera and Anil
- the boy
- the boys
- that old tree
- the shopkeeper and her daughter
- my sister
4.Write the right form of "have": My grandparents ____ a garden behind the house.
5.Put the words in order to make one correct sentence.
- walk
- to school
- every morning.
- My brother and I
6.Choose the correct verb: The scissors ____ on the top shelf.
- a) is
- b) are
- c) has
- d) was
7.Write "was" or "were": The keys ____ on the table all along.
8.Sort each subject by the verb form it needs.
Groups: Takes "has" · Takes "have"
- That bird
- Meera and Anil
- The farmer and his son
- My cousins
- My youngest sister
- The teacher

Agreement when the subject is more than one · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 8 of 12

Because and so

Join two ideas with because or so, and say which half is the cause.

1.Write "because" or "so": The lift was out of order, ____ we climbed the stairs.
2.Which word tells you the reason something happened?
- a) while
- b) but
- c) so
- d) because
3.Pair each cause with what it led to.
- The bell rang
- The river rose
- The batteries ran out
- The seeds got sunlight
- the bridge was closed
- the shoots grew tall
- the children lined up
- the clock stopped
4.The ice melted ____ we left it in the sun.
- a) so
- b) and
- c) because
- d) then
5.Sort each sentence by the word that belongs in its gap.
Groups: because · so
- It began to rain, ____ we ran inside.
- The road was closed, ____ we took another route.
- The tank was empty, ____ the pump would not start.
- She wore a coat ____ the wind was cold.
- The kite would not fly ____ there was no wind.
- He missed the bus ____ his watch had stopped.
6.We lit a candle ____ the power had gone.
- a) so
- b) but
- c) or
- d) because
7.Write "because" or "so": Anu practised every day, ____ she won the race.
8.Put the cards in order to make one sentence.
- because
- We stayed indoors
- the rain
- was very heavy.

Because and so · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 9 of 12

Punctuating direct speech

Punctuate a sentence that reports somebody's exact words, with the marks in the right places.

1.Which sentence gives the speaker's exact words?
- a) Anna said that she was hungry.
- b) Anna told us she was hungry.
- c) Anna was hungry, she said.
- d) Anna said, "I am hungry."
2.Which mark is missing? "I will help you" said Anna.
- a) a full stop
- b) an exclamation mark
- c) a comma
- d) a question mark
3.Match each mark to the job it does in a sentence of direct speech.
- the speech marks
- the comma
- the capital letter
- the question mark
- the exclamation mark
- starts the spoken words
- ends spoken words that ask something
- separates the spoken words from who said them
- ends spoken words that are shouted
- hold the exact words that were spoken
4.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- a) Ravi said, "I am ready"
- b) Ravi said, "i am ready."
- c) Ravi said, "I am ready."
- d) Ravi said "I am ready."
5.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- a) "Come inside," said Mother.
- b) "Come inside," Said Mother.
- c) "Come inside" said Mother.
- d) Come inside, "said Mother."
6.Put the parts in order to make one correct sentence.
- The teacher
- said,
- "Open your books."
7.Sort each sentence by whether the speech is punctuated correctly.
Groups: Correct · Not correct
- "I am tired" said Ravi.
- Ravi shouted, "Wait for me!"
- "can I come too?" asked the boy.
- "Where are you going?" asked Anna.
- The guard said "Nobody may enter."
- "Sit down," said the teacher.
8.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- a) Are you coming with us? "asked Ravi."
- b) "Are you coming with us?" asked Ravi.
- c) "are you coming with us?" asked Ravi.
- d) "Are you coming with us," asked Ravi.

Punctuating direct speech · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 10 of 12

Apostrophes

Use an apostrophe for a missing letter and for belonging.

1.Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?
- a) The dogs' wagged its tail.
- b) The dog wagged its tail.
- c) The dog's wagged it's tail.
- d) The dog wagged it's tail.
2.Write "cannot" as one shortened word, with an apostrophe.
3.Sort each one by the job the apostrophe is doing.
Groups: Missing letters · Shows belonging
- it's
- don't
- the girl's shoes
- my aunt's house
- we'll
- Ravi's bag
4.The toys belong to the children. Which is correct?
- a) the children's toys
- b) the childrens toys
- c) the childrens' toys
- d) the childrens's toys
5.The names belong to the two girls. Which is correct?
- a) the girls's names
- b) the girls names'
- c) the girl's names
- d) the girls' names
6.Write "is not" as one shortened word, with an apostrophe.
7.Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- a) It is'nt going to rain.
- b) Its' going to rain.
- c) It's going to rain.
- d) Its going to rain.
8.Rewrite with an apostrophe. The tail of the cat → the ____ tail

Apostrophes · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 11 of 12

Reading and putting events in order

Answer questions about a short passage and put what happened back into the order the passage gives.

1.Read this passage. "On Sunday Nila found a kite tangled in the neem tree outside her house. She fetched a long bamboo pole from the shed and lifted the kite free. The paper was torn, so she carried it inside and mended it with glue and a strip of newspaper. By evening the kite was flying again, higher than the rooftops." Put the events in the order they happened.
- Nila found a kite tangled in the neem tree.
- The kite flew higher than the rooftops.
- She fetched a bamboo pole from the shed.
- She mended the torn paper with glue.
2.Read this passage. "A tailorbird builds a nest most people walk straight past. It chooses one large green leaf and pierces small holes along its edges with its beak. Then it draws the edges together, stitching them with plant fibre. Inside the pocket it has made, it lays a soft lining of grass. From the path, the nest looks like nothing but a folded leaf." Why do people walk past the nest without noticing it?
- a) It is only built at night.
- b) It looks like a folded leaf.
- c) It is built very high up.
- d) It is smaller than a coin.
3.Read this passage. "On Sunday Nila found a kite tangled in the neem tree outside her house. She fetched a long bamboo pole from the shed and lifted the kite free. The paper was torn, so she carried it inside and mended it with glue and a strip of newspaper. By evening the kite was flying again, higher than the rooftops." Pair each question with its answer.
- Where was the kite stuck?
- What did Nila use to reach it?
- What was wrong with the kite?
- When was it flying again?
- in the neem tree
- the paper was torn
- by evening
- a long bamboo pole
4.Read this passage. "On Sunday Nila found a kite tangled in the neem tree outside her house. She fetched a long bamboo pole from the shed and lifted the kite free. The paper was torn, so she carried it inside and mended it with glue and a strip of newspaper. By evening the kite was flying again, higher than the rooftops." Sort each statement by whether the passage says it.
Groups: The passage says this · The passage does not say this
- The paper of the kite was torn.
- The kite was flying again by evening.
- The kite was tangled in a neem tree.
- Nila bought a new kite from the market.
- Nila reached the kite with a bamboo pole.
- The kite belonged to Nila's brother.
5.Answer in one word. In the tailorbird passage, what does the bird make the small holes with?
6.Which of these does the tailorbird do last?
- a) stitches the edges together
- b) chooses a leaf
- c) lays a lining of grass
- d) pierces the edges
7.Which sentence best gives the main idea of the kite passage?
- a) Nila lives next to a neem tree.
- b) Nila found a damaged kite and got it flying again.
- c) Kites are made of paper and string.
- d) Bamboo poles are useful in a garden.
8.In the tailorbird passage, what does the bird use as its thread?
- a) its own feathers
- b) thin twigs
- c) dry grass
- d) plant fibre

Reading and putting events in order · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 4 English · 12 of 12

A letter to a friend

Lay out a short friendly letter and choose the greeting, the news and the closing that belong in it.

Before you start

Here is the shape of a friendly letter with nothing written in it yet. Each block is one of the five parts, and finding out which is which is the point.

1. The date
2. The greeting
3. The body, where your news goes
4. The closing
5. Your name

Notice how much of the page the body takes. The other four parts are one line each — the letter is the news, and the rest is just the frame around it.

1.A friendly letter begins "Dear Meera" on its own line. Which punctuation mark goes straight after the name?
2.Put the parts of a friendly letter in the order they appear on the page, from top to bottom.
- The date
- Sameer
- Your news and your questions
- Your friend,
- Dear Anya,
3.Sort each line by where it belongs in a friendly letter.
Groups: The greeting · The closing
- Dear Nani,
- Dear Ravi,
- Yours affectionately,
- Your friend,
- With love,
- Dear Sameer,
4.Where does your own name go in a friendly letter?
- a) under the closing, at the end
- b) at the very top
- c) straight after the greeting
- d) in the middle of the news
5.Which closing would you use in a letter to your cousin?
- a) Yours truly, the undersigned,
- b) Yours faithfully,
- c) With love,
- d) Respectfully submitted,
6.Which sentence belongs in the body of a letter to a friend?
- a) Please find the details listed below.
- b) We went to the river on Sunday and caught two fish.
- c) Kindly acknowledge receipt of this letter.
- d) I enclose the completed application form.
7.Pair each part of a letter with the job it does.
- the date
- the greeting
- the body
- the closing
- signs off just before your name
- carries your news
- says when you wrote it
- names the person you are writing to
8.Sort each line by the kind of letter it belongs in.
Groups: A letter to a friend · A letter to someone you do not know
- Your friend,
- Dear Sir,
- Guess what happened at the ground yesterday!
- I am writing to request a copy of the form.
- Dear Ravi,
- Yours sincerely,

A letter to a friend · Year 4 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Answer keys — Year 4 English

In the same order as the worksheets.