Term pack

Year 8 English

Name: ________________________

Skills in this pack

Active and passive voice
Modals of obligation and probability
Vocabulary in context
Words that are easy to confuse
Direct and indirect speech
Say, tell and other reporting verbs
Phrases and clauses
Agreement with a tricky subject
Defining and non-defining relative clauses
Punctuating complex sentences
Reading: why the writer wrote it

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Year 8 English · 1 of 11

Active and passive voice

Tell active from passive, and change a sentence from one voice to the other.

1.Complete the passive with the two missing words: The house ____ in 1920. (verb: build)
2.Change to the passive: "The teacher praised the students."
- a) The students are praised by the teacher.
- b) The students were praised by the teacher.
- c) The students have praised the teacher.
- d) The students praised the teacher.
3.Sort each sentence by its voice.
Groups: Active · Passive
- Somebody has stolen my bag.
- The results will be announced.
- They will announce the results.
- My bag has been stolen.
4.Sort each sentence by its voice.
Groups: Active · Passive
- Rita wrote the letter.
- The chef cooked the meal.
- The dog chased the cat.
- The cat was chased by the dog.
- The letter was written by Rita.
- The meal was cooked by the chef.
5.Match each active sentence to its passive form.
- Ravi paints the wall.
- Ravi painted the wall.
- Ravi will paint the wall.
- Ravi is painting the wall.
- The wall is being painted by Ravi.
- The wall is painted by Ravi.
- The wall was painted by Ravi.
- The wall will be painted by Ravi.
6.Complete the passive with the two missing words: These shirts ____ in Surat every year. (verb: make)
7.Complete the passive with the two missing words: The window ____ by the ball yesterday. (verb: break)
8.Change to the active: "The parcel was delivered by the courier."
- a) The parcel delivered the courier.
- b) The courier has delivered the parcel.
- c) The courier delivered the parcel.
- d) The courier delivers the parcel.

Active and passive voice · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 2 of 11

Modals of obligation and probability

Say how strong an obligation is with must, have to, should and ought to, and say how sure you are with must, might and cannot.

1.Write the one word that shows the speaker is certain: "Ravi's bag is here but his shoes are gone, so he ____ be outside."
2.Which sentence says the speaker is certain that something is NOT true?
- a) She must be the new librarian.
- b) She cannot be the new librarian.
- c) She might be the new librarian.
- d) She should be the new librarian.
3.Sort each sentence by what its modal verb is doing.
Groups: Says there is no choice · Gives advice
- Every rider must wear a helmet.
- I think you should ask your teacher first.
- You ought to apologise to her.
- Visitors have to sign the register at the gate.
- Passengers must show their tickets to the guard.
- You should get more sleep before the exam.
4.Which sentence gives advice in the mildest way?
- a) You cannot see a doctor.
- b) You have to see a doctor.
- c) You ought to see a doctor.
- d) You must see a doctor.
5.Sort each sentence by whether it forbids something or simply says it is not necessary.
Groups: Forbids it · Says it is not necessary
- Players do not have to bring their own bats.
- You must not open that door.
- You do not have to open that door.
- Players must not argue with the umpire.
6.The classroom lights are off and the door is locked. Where is the class?
- a) They cannot be inside.
- b) They have to be inside.
- c) They must be inside.
- d) They should be inside.
7.Fill the gap so that the sentence means there is no need at all: "There is plenty of time — we ____ leave before six."
8.Sort each sentence by how sure the speaker is.
Groups: Sure it is true · Not sure either way · Sure it is not true
- That cannot be Ravi — he left for Delhi last week.
- She could still be on the earlier bus.
- He might be waiting at the other gate.
- Her bag is here, so she must be inside.
- The lights are on, so somebody must be at home.
- It cannot be six already; the bell has not rung.

Modals of obligation and probability · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 3 of 11

Vocabulary in context

Work out what an unfamiliar word means from the sentence around it.

1."The old man walked slowly, leaning on a stick for support." Which single word in that sentence means "help to stay upright"?
2."The instructions were ambiguous, so half the class did the wrong task." What does "ambiguous" mean?
- a) written down
- b) open to more than one meaning
- c) very clear
- d) spoken loudly
3."The scarcity of water forced the village to dig a new well." What does "scarcity" mean?
- a) plenty
- b) sweetness
- c) quality
- d) shortage
4.Match each term to its meaning.
- a synonym
- an antonym
- context
- a definition
- a word with almost the same meaning
- a word with the opposite meaning
- the words around a word that hint at its meaning
- a statement of exactly what a word means
5."The path was so narrow that we had to walk in single file." What does "narrow" mean here?
- a) wide
- b) muddy
- c) steep
- d) not wide
6."He spoke in a feeble voice that we could barely hear." What does "feeble" mean?
- a) angry
- b) weak
- c) cheerful
- d) loud
7.Match each word to its meaning.
- reluctant
- abundant
- vivid
- fragile
- weary
- cautious
- unwilling to do something
- careful about danger
- easily broken
- very tired
- present in large amounts
- bright and clear
8."The judge was impartial and favoured neither side." Which single word in that sentence means "fair to both sides"?

Vocabulary in context · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 4 of 11

Words that are easy to confuse

Choose correctly between words that sound alike or look alike — accept and except, affect and effect, advice and advise, its and it's, lose and loose.

1.Everyone in the class came ____ Ravi, who was ill at home.
- a) accept
- b) exept
- c) except
- d) expect
2.Match each word to its meaning.
- stationary
- stationery
- principal
- principle
- desert
- dessert
- a dry, sandy land
- paper, pens and envelopes
- the head of a school
- a rule you live by
- standing still
- the sweet course at the end of a meal
3.Which sentence is correct?
- a) Do not loose your ticket.
- b) The screw is lose.
- c) I always loose my pen.
- d) Do not lose your ticket.
4.Sort each sentence by the word that belongs in its gap.
Groups: there · their · they're
- The children left ____ bags on the bus.
- Put the box over ____ by the door.
- Is ____ any milk left?
- ____ going to be late again.
- I cannot find ____ address anywhere.
- ____ waiting outside the gate.
5.Write "its" or "it's": "The dog wagged ____ tail."
6.Which sentence is correct?
- a) She was quiete angry about it.
- b) She was quiet angry about it.
- c) She was quit angry about it.
- d) She was quite angry about it.
7.Sort each sentence by whether it is correct.
Groups: Correct · Not correct
- The rain did not effect the match.
- Her advice was useful.
- Please accept my apology.
- Please except my apology.
- The rain did not affect the match.
- Her advise was useful.
8.Sort each word by whether it names a thing or does an action.
Groups: A noun — a thing · A verb — an action
- advice
- advise
- believe
- effect
- affect
- belief

Words that are easy to confuse · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 5 of 11

Direct and indirect speech

Turn a spoken statement into reported speech, shifting the tense, the pronoun and the time words.

1.Report this: The guide said, "The bus is late."
- a) The guide said that the bus will be late.
- b) The guide said that this bus is late.
- c) The guide said that the bus had been late.
- d) The guide said that the bus was late.
2.In reported speech, "will" usually becomes ____.
3.Report this: She said, "I will call you tomorrow."
- a) She said she would call me the next day.
- b) She said she will call me tomorrow.
- c) She said I would call you tomorrow.
- d) She said she would called me the next day.
4.Report this: Ravi said, "I am tired."
- a) Ravi said he am tired.
- b) Ravi said that he is tired.
- c) Ravi said that I was tired.
- d) Ravi said that he was tired.
5.In reported speech, "am" usually becomes ____.
6.Which word replaces "here" in reported speech?
- a) this
- b) near
- c) where
- d) there
7.Report this: Meera said, "I have finished my homework."
- a) Meera said that I had finished my homework.
- b) Meera said that she had finished her homework.
- c) Meera said that she had finish her homework.
- d) Meera said that she has finished her homework.
8.Report this: "We are leaving now," they said.
- a) They said that they are leaving now.
- b) They said that we were leaving then.
- c) They said that they were leaving now.
- d) They said that they were leaving then.

Direct and indirect speech · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 6 of 11

Say, tell and other reporting verbs

Choose the reporting verb that says what the speaker was really doing, and know which of them must name the listener straight afterwards.

1.Which sentence uses "talk" correctly?
- a) I want to talk to you about the trip.
- b) I want to talk you.
- c) I want to talk three languages.
- d) I want to talk a story.
2.Sort each sentence by whether it is correct.
Groups: Correct · Not correct
- He explained us the rules.
- She said us the news.
- She told us the news.
- He explained the rules to us.
3.Ravi said, "I did not take it." Which single verb reports what Ravi was doing?
- a) suggested
- b) advised
- c) denied
- d) promised
4.Write "say" or "tell": "Please do not ____ anyone about the surprise."
5.Put the steps of choosing a reporting verb in the right order.
- Last, make the pronouns and the tense fit the new sentence.
- Then check whether that verb needs the listener straight after it or needs "to" first.
- Next, choose the reporting verb that names that exactly.
- First, read the spoken words and decide what the speaker was doing — stating, warning, promising or admitting.
6.Which sentence is correct?
- a) She told to me the answer.
- b) She said me the answer.
- c) She told me the answer.
- d) She said me to wait.
7.Sort each verb by whether the listener can be named straight after it, with nothing in between.
Groups: Names the listener straight after · Needs "to" before the listener
- inform
- remind
- reply
- say
- tell
- explain
8.Sort each phrase by the verb it goes with.
Groups: say · tell
- a lie
- hello
- a prayer
- a story
- sorry
- the truth

Say, tell and other reporting verbs · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 7 of 11

Phrases and clauses

Tell a phrase from a clause, and a main clause from a subordinate one.

1.Sort each clause by whether it could stand alone as a sentence.
Groups: Main clause · Subordinate clause
- although the door creaked
- she opened the box
- birds were singing
- the shop was closed
- when we arrived
- because it was locked
2.Which group of words is a phrase?
- a) at the end of the road
- b) although he tried
- c) if you agree
- d) before the sun rose
3.Sort each group of words by whether it contains a verb.
Groups: Contains a verb · Contains no verb
- we waited
- a red umbrella
- under the bench
- he was sleeping
- very carefully
- the birds flew
4.In "We stayed indoors because it was raining", which part is the main clause?
- a) We stayed indoors
- b) because it was raining
- c) it was raining
- d) stayed indoors because
5.Put the parts in order to make one correct sentence. More than one order works here.
- because the road was closed
- the bus took
- to the town
- a longer route
6.Write the one word that begins the subordinate clause in "She smiled because she had won."
7.Match each term to its meaning.
- a phrase
- a main clause
- a subordinate clause
- a subject
- a predicate
- the person or thing the clause is about
- a clause that makes complete sense on its own
- a group of words with no subject and verb of its own
- what the clause says about its subject
- a clause that depends on another clause
8.How many clauses are there in "He ran fast, but he missed the bus"?

Phrases and clauses · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 8 of 11

Agreement with a tricky subject

Make the verb agree with its real subject, even when other words come in between.

1.Match each subject to the verb that agrees with it.
- Each of the boys
- Both of the boys
- The tray of glasses
- The glasses on the tray
- have finished
- is on the shelf
- are on the shelf
- has finished
2.Mathematics ____ my favourite subject.
- a) are
- b) were
- c) have
- d) is
3.Each of the students ____ a copy of the map.
- a) have
- b) were
- c) are
- d) has
4.Sort each subject by the verb form it needs.
Groups: Takes a singular verb · Takes a plural verb
- Every student
- One of my friends
- Many students
- Both of the girls
- Some of my friends
- Each of the girls
5.Neither the brothers nor Ravi ____ coming.
- a) is
- b) have
- c) are
- d) were
6.Write "is" or "are": The bunch of keys ____ missing.
7.Write "has" or "have": Every one of the players ____ arrived.
8.Neither Ravi nor his brothers ____ coming.
- a) are
- b) has
- c) is
- d) was

Agreement with a tricky subject · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 9 of 11

Defining and non-defining relative clauses

Tell a clause that says which one from a clause that only adds extra information, and punctuate each correctly.

1.Put the cards in order to make one correct sentence with a defining relative clause.
- last week
- has run out.
- which
- you lent me
- The pen
2."The runners who trained on the hills finished first." There are no commas. What does the sentence tell you?
- a) Some of the runners trained on the hills, and those are the ones who finished first.
- b) The runners finished first, and it happens that they had all trained on the hills.
- c) Every runner trained on the hills.
- d) None of the runners trained on the hills.
3.One relative pronoun can never introduce a clause sitting between a pair of commas. Write it.
4.The speaker has only one uncle. Which version is punctuated correctly?
- a) My uncle, who lives abroad, is coming on Sunday.
- b) My uncle who lives abroad, is coming on Sunday.
- c) My uncle who lives, abroad, is coming on Sunday.
- d) My uncle, who lives abroad is coming on Sunday.
5.Match each relative pronoun to what it stands in for.
- who
- whom
- whose
- which
- where
- when
- a person, as the subject of the clause
- something belonging to the person or thing
- a place
- a thing or an animal
- a person, as the object of the clause
- a time
6.Match each sentence to what its punctuation tells you.
- The passengers who had tickets were allowed on.
- The passengers, who had tickets, were allowed on.
- My friends who live nearby came early.
- My friends, who live nearby, came early.
- All of the passengers had tickets.
- Only some of my friends live nearby.
- All of my friends live nearby.
- Only some of the passengers had tickets.
7.Compare "My sister who lives in the hills is a doctor" with "My sister, who lives in the hills, is a doctor". What does the first version suggest that the second does not?
- a) The speaker has only one sister.
- b) The sister has left the hills.
- c) The speaker has more than one sister.
- d) The sister is not really a doctor.
8.Which sentence is wrong?
- a) The film that we watched last night was long.
- b) The film, that we watched last night, was long.
- c) The film which we watched last night was long.
- d) The film we watched last night was long.

Defining and non-defining relative clauses · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 10 of 11

Punctuating complex sentences

Place the commas, semicolons and full stops that a sentence of more than one clause needs.

1.Each sentence joins a subordinate clause to a main clause. Sort by whether a comma is needed at the join.
Groups: A comma is needed · No comma is needed
- If you finish early you may go home.
- The children ran out when the bell rang.
- We called a plumber because the tap was leaking.
- When the bell rang the children ran out.
- You may go home if you finish early.
- Because the tap was leaking we called a plumber.
2.Sort each sentence by whether its punctuation is correct.
Groups: Correctly punctuated · Wrongly punctuated
- Because the road was closed, we took the long way round.
- We waited for an hour, the train never came.
- The gate was locked, so we climbed over the wall.
- The gate was locked so, we climbed over the wall.
- Because, the road was closed we took the long way round.
- We waited for an hour; the train never came.
3.Where does the comma belong? "When the results of the district competition were finally announced the whole class cheered."
- a) after "announced"
- b) after "class"
- c) after "When"
- d) after "competition"
4."The lights went out, we finished the game by lamplight." Three of these corrections work. Which one leaves the sentence still wrong?
- a) The lights went out, we finished the game, by lamplight.
- b) The lights went out. We finished the game by lamplight.
- c) The lights went out; we finished the game by lamplight.
- d) The lights went out, so we finished the game by lamplight.
5.Joining two complete sentences with nothing but a comma has a name. Write the two words for it.
6.Which sentence is punctuated wrongly?
- a) The rain stopped; the match began.
- b) The rain stopped, and the match began.
- c) The rain stopped, the match began.
- d) The rain stopped. The match began.
7.Which mark joins these two closely linked sentences without any joining word? "The library was silent. Nobody had come in all afternoon."
- a) a comma
- b) a semicolon
- c) an apostrophe
- d) a hyphen
8.Put the cards in order to make one correct sentence.
- Although
- we found
- on the list.
- the shop was crowded,
- everything

Punctuating complex sentences · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 8 English · 11 of 11

Reading: why the writer wrote it

Work out why a piece was written and who it was written for, and say what a particular sentence in it is doing.

1.Answer in one word. The lake piece says a plastic bag thrown into the lake stays there for a hundred years. Which single word does the piece itself use for that length of time?
2.Match each opening line to the kind of writing it begins.
- Dear Sir, I am writing to complain about the state of the road outside our school.
- Take two cups of rice and wash them well.
- It was the coldest morning of the year, and the gate was frozen shut.
- All students are informed that the library will be closed on Friday.
- Nine out of ten dentists say so. Try it today.
- An advertisement
- A letter of complaint
- A recipe
- A notice
- A story
3.The coriander piece reads: "To grow coriander on a windowsill, fill a shallow tray with loose soil. Scatter the seeds thinly and press them down with your palm. Water the tray until the soil is damp but not wet. Keep the tray where the morning sun reaches it, and cut the leaves when they are the length of your thumb." Which of these does it NOT tell you?
- a) Where to keep the tray.
- b) How deep to plant the seeds.
- c) When to cut the leaves.
- d) How wet the soil should be.
4.Read this. "To grow coriander on a windowsill, fill a shallow tray with loose soil. Scatter the seeds thinly and press them down with your palm. Water the tray until the soil is damp but not wet. Keep the tray where the morning sun reaches it, and cut the leaves when they are the length of your thumb." Why was this written?
- a) To describe a garden the writer once saw.
- b) To warn the reader about damp soil.
- c) To argue that coriander is the best herb to grow.
- d) To tell the reader how to grow coriander.
5.The lake piece ends: "The lake cannot clean itself." What is that last sentence doing?
- a) Naming the people who will be there.
- b) Telling the reader what time to arrive.
- c) Describing the colour of the water.
- d) Reminding the reader why their help is needed.
6.Put the steps of working out why a piece was written in the right order.
- Next, look at what kind of sentences it is made of — statements, instructions or questions.
- First, read the whole piece once through without stopping.
- Then ask what the writer wants you to do or think by the end of it.
- Last, check your answer against the piece itself, line by line.
7.Sort each piece of writing by why it was written.
Groups: To tell you how to do something · To make you agree or act · To explain how something works
- An article on how a monsoon forms
- A page explaining why the sky looks blue
- A recipe for lemon rice
- A leaflet asking you to give blood
- The steps for mending a bicycle chain
- A poster urging people to save water
8.The coriander piece tells you to press the seeds down with your palm. Why is that there?
- a) To persuade the reader that coriander tastes good.
- b) To tell the reader exactly what to do at that step.
- c) To describe the writer's own hands.
- d) To explain why seeds are small.

Reading: why the writer wrote it · Year 8 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Answer keys — Year 8 English

In the same order as the worksheets.