Term pack

Year 9 English

Name: ________________________

Skills in this pack

Reported questions and commands
Choosing the precise word
Formal and informal register
Noun, adjective and adverb clauses
Editing at sentence level
Connectors between sentences
Reading between the lines
Reading across paragraphs
Formal letters: complaint and enquiry
Continuing a story

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Year 9 English · 1 of 10

Reported questions and commands

Report a question, a request and a command, using the right reporting verb and word order.

1.Which sentence reports a request rather than an order?
- a) She told me that she was tired.
- b) She requested me to open the window.
- c) She ordered me to leave.
- d) She asked me where I was going.
2.Match each spoken line to its reported form.
- "Where is the station?" she asked.
- "Close the gate," he said.
- "Please wait here," she said.
- "Can you swim?" he asked.
- He asked whether I could swim.
- He told me to close the gate.
- She requested me to wait there.
- She asked where the station was.
3.Report this: The teacher said, "Open your books."
- a) The teacher asked us open our books.
- b) The teacher told us open your books.
- c) The teacher told us opening our books.
- d) The teacher told us to open our books.
4.Which sentence is correctly reported?
- a) He asked me what my name is?
- b) He asked me what is my name.
- c) He asked me what was my name.
- d) He asked me what my name was.
5.Report this: Mother said, "Please help me."
- a) Mother told me please help her.
- b) Mother requested me to help her.
- c) Mother said me to help her.
- d) Mother asked please to help her.
6.Which word introduces a reported yes-or-no question? Write one word.
7.Sort each set of spoken words by the reporting verb it would need.
Groups: Reported with "asked" · Reported with "told" or "ordered"
- "Where are the keys?"
- "Shut the door."
- "Have you eaten?"
- "What is your name?"
- "Sit down at once."
- "Bring me the file."
8.Put the steps of reporting somebody's words in the right order.
- Next, choose the reporting verb that matches it — said, asked, ordered or requested.
- First, decide what was spoken: a statement, a question, an order or a request.
- Finally, change the pronouns and shift the tense one step into the past.
- Then remove the speech marks, and the question mark if there was one.

Reported questions and commands · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 2 of 10

Choosing the precise word

Replace a vague intensifier and a weak adjective with the single word that says it properly.

1.Sort each phrase by whether a stronger single word could replace it.
Groups: Vague — a stronger single word exists · Already precise
- silent
- very wet
- very quiet
- very big
- drenched
- gigantic
2.Sort each precise word by the ordinary adjective it strengthens.
Groups: Means very happy · Means very sad · Means very surprised
- delighted
- astonished
- heartbroken
- miserable
- astounded
- overjoyed
3.Which sentence uses its precise word correctly?
- a) The hall was enormous, so the five of us filled it easily.
- b) The hall was enormous, and it held two thousand people.
- c) The hall was enormous, because it was so small.
- d) The hall was enormous, so we squeezed in with difficulty.
4.Replace "very afraid" with one precise word beginning with the letter t.
5.Replace the words in capitals with one precise word: "After the climb we were VERY TIRED."
- a) so very tired
- b) quite tired
- c) rather sleepy
- d) exhausted
6.Match each vague sentence to its sharper version.
- The stew was very tasty.
- The joke was very funny.
- The task was very easy.
- The noise was very loud.
- The water was very cold.
- The water was icy.
- The noise was deafening.
- The joke was hilarious.
- The task was effortless.
- The stew was delicious.
7.In which pair has the sentence been made weaker rather than sharper?
- a) She was furious. → She was very angry.
- b) He was very hungry. → He was famished.
- c) It was very cold. → It was freezing.
- d) She was very angry. → She was furious.
8.Put the steps of sharpening a weak adjective in the right order.
- Then ask what that adjective would be if it were pushed to its limit.
- Finally, write the single stronger word in place of both, and delete the intensifier.
- First, find the intensifier — very, really, so, extremely.
- Next, read the adjective it is propping up.

Choosing the precise word · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 3 of 10

Formal and informal register

Choose formal or informal wording to suit who you are writing to.

1.Sort each word by how formal it is.
Groups: More formal · More everyday
- commence
- residence
- purchase
- buy
- start
- home
2.Which feature belongs to informal writing?
- a) formal vocabulary such as commence
- b) full forms such as do not and cannot
- c) contractions such as don't and can't
- d) long noun phrases
3.Match each everyday phrase to its formal equivalent.
- find out
- put off
- ask for
- get better
- look into
- put up with
- investigate
- postpone
- discover
- request
- tolerate
- improve
4.You are writing to a company about a faulty product. Which opening is right?
- a) Hi, your thing broke.
- b) Hey, fix this.
- c) I am writing to report a fault in a product I purchased from you.
- d) Your product is useless.
5.Which greeting suits a letter to a principal you have never met?
- a) Hey Principal
- b) Hello you
- c) Dear Sir or Madam
- d) Hi there
6.Rewrite "kids" with the more formal word.
7.In a formal letter of complaint, which sentence is better?
- a) I would be grateful if you could arrange a refund.
- b) Give me my money back.
- c) I want a refund.
- d) Refund me quickly please.
8.Sort each closing line by where it belongs.
Groups: A note to a friend · An official letter
- Can't wait!
- Thanks a lot!
- Thank you for your assistance.
- I look forward to your reply.
- I await your response.
- See you soon.

Formal and informal register · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 4 of 10

Noun, adjective and adverb clauses

Name a subordinate clause by the job it does in its sentence.

1.In "We waited until the rain stopped", the clause "until the rain stopped" is a ____.
- a) noun clause
- b) adjective clause
- c) adverb clause
- d) main clause
2.Write the subordinate clause in "He stayed at home because he was unwell."
3.In "Although the sum was hard, she solved it", which part is the main clause?
- a) Although the sum was hard
- b) Although
- c) the sum was hard
- d) she solved it
4.Put the steps of naming a subordinate clause in the right order.
- Then ask what job that clause does in the sentence.
- First, find the main clause — the part that could stand alone.
- Next, find the word that begins the other clause, such as who, when or that.
- Finally, name it a noun, adjective or adverb clause from the job it does.
5.In "Nobody knows where he went", the clause "where he went" is a ____.
- a) main clause
- b) noun clause
- c) adverb clause
- d) adjective clause
6.Which sentence contains an adverb clause?
- a) This is the book I wanted.
- b) I know that you tried.
- c) The man who called was polite.
- d) She sings whenever she is happy.
7.Sort each clause by what it tells you.
Groups: Tells you when or why — adverb clause · Tells you which one — adjective clause
- as soon as the gate opened
- although he was tired
- who teaches us science
- whose bag was missing
- that we saw last week
- since it was getting dark
8.Write the one word that begins the adjective clause in "The girl who sang first won the prize."

Noun, adjective and adverb clauses · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 5 of 10

Editing at sentence level

Find the fault in a whole sentence — a missing word, a needless one, or a word standing in the wrong place — and put it right.

1.In careful writing, "only" goes immediately before the words it limits. If the meaning is that she read one page and no more, which version places it correctly? "She read the first page of the letter."
- a) She read the first page of the only letter.
- b) She only read the first page of the letter.
- c) Only she read the first page of the letter.
- d) She read only the first page of the letter.
2.Which sentence accidentally says something its writer did not mean?
- a) The old bridge looked strange as I walked home in the rain.
- b) Walking home in the rain, the old bridge looked strange to me.
- c) Walking home in the rain, I saw the old bridge for the first time.
- d) As I walked home in the rain, the old bridge looked strange.
3.Which sentence is correct as it stands?
- a) He explained to me the whole problem.
- b) He explained me about the whole problem.
- c) He explained me the whole problem.
- d) He explain to me the whole problem.
4.Which word should be taken out? "He returned back from the station an hour ago."
- a) back
- b) ago
- c) from
- d) returned
5.One word is missing. Which is it? "She is fond music and dancing."
- a) with
- b) for
- c) in
- d) of
6.Put the steps of editing a sentence in the right order.
- Finally, read the corrected sentence aloud to be sure nothing new has broken.
- First, read the sentence straight through without stopping.
- Next, find the subject and its verb, and check that they agree.
- Then look for a word that is missing, doubled, or standing in the wrong place.
7.One word is missing from this sentence. Write it. "He has been living here two years."
8.Match each faulty sentence to the name of its fault.
- He arrived to the station at six.
- The letter was write by my sister.
- He explained me the answer.
- We reached at the airport late.
- Seeing the crowd, the plan was changed.
- a wrong verb form
- a missing preposition
- a preposition that is not needed
- a dangling opening phrase
- a wrong preposition

Editing at sentence level · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 6 of 10

Connectors between sentences

Link ideas across sentences with the connector that shows the right relationship.

1.Write one connector that means the same as "as a result".
2.The hall was very small. ____, it was badly lit.
- a) Moreover
- b) For example
- c) However
- d) Therefore
3.Write one connector that opens a sentence and means the same as "but".
4.Many crops need very little water. ____, millet grows well in dry soil.
- a) In contrast
- b) For instance
- c) However
- d) Therefore
5.Sort each word by where it belongs in a sentence.
Groups: Opens a new sentence as a connector · Joins two clauses inside one sentence
- However,
- Therefore,
- Moreover,
- but
- although
- because
6.The road was flooded. ____, the bus could not reach the village.
- a) Consequently
- b) Similarly
- c) For instance
- d) Nevertheless
7.The team practised every day. ____, they lost the final.
- a) Moreover
- b) Nevertheless
- c) Therefore
- d) Consequently
8.Sort each connector by the relationship it signals.
Groups: Adds an idea · Contrasts an idea · Shows a result · Gives an example
- nevertheless
- in addition
- for instance
- consequently
- on the other hand
- furthermore
- as a result
- for example

Connectors between sentences · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 7 of 10

Reading between the lines

Work out what a passage implies but does not state outright.

1.Read: "Arjun read the letter twice, folded it carefully and put it in his pocket without a word. His hands were not quite steady." What can you infer about Arjun?
- a) The letter has affected him deeply.
- b) He cannot read.
- c) The letter is a shopping list.
- d) He is bored by the letter.
2.Read: "The tickets were sold out within an hour of going on sale." What can you infer?
- a) The event was unpopular.
- b) The event was in great demand.
- c) The event was cancelled.
- d) The tickets were expensive.
3.Read: "She wiped her eyes quickly and turned to the window before anyone could see." Write one word for what she was hiding.
4.Read: "The coach did not look at Sameer once during the team announcement." What does this most likely suggest?
- a) The coach cannot see well.
- b) Sameer has not been selected.
- c) Sameer was not present.
- d) Sameer has been made captain.
5.Read: "Every wall of the small room was covered with certificates and medals." What can you infer about the person who lives there?
- a) They dislike sport.
- b) They have won many awards.
- c) They have just moved in.
- d) They collect stamps.
6.Passage: "Rain drummed on the tin roof. Kavi put down his book, fetched a bucket and placed it under the wet patch on the ceiling." Sort each statement.
Groups: Stated in the passage · Inferred from the passage
- There is a wet patch on the ceiling.
- Kavi did not want water on the floor.
- It is raining.
- The roof is leaking.
7.Read: "By the time the bell rang, only three answers were filled in. Ria kept glancing at the clock." What can you infer?
- a) Ria has run out of time.
- b) The clock was broken.
- c) Ria was not in the examination hall.
- d) Ria finished early.
8.Read: "Nobody answered the bell, and three days of newspapers lay on the step." What is the most likely explanation?
- a) Somebody is at home but asleep.
- b) Nobody has been home for days.
- c) The bell is broken.
- d) The newspapers arrived this morning.

Reading between the lines · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 8 of 10

Reading across paragraphs

Answer a question whose evidence is split between two paragraphs, and follow a reference back across the break.

1.Paragraph 1: "Sunita had never once left the district." Paragraph 3: "She stepped off the train and stood quite still, looking up." What does the third paragraph gain from the first?
- a) It tells you that she had bought a ticket.
- b) It tells you that everything she is looking at is new to her.
- c) It tells you how long the journey took.
- d) It tells you what the weather was like.
2.Paragraph 1: "The bus to the hill station leaves at six. Nobody in the hostel owns an alarm clock." Paragraph 2: "Meena was on the bus. She had sat up all night with a book." Why was Meena on the bus?
- a) Somebody in the hostel woke her.
- b) She never went to sleep, so nothing had to wake her.
- c) She owned an alarm clock.
- d) The bus left later than six that day.
3.Paragraph 1: "The committee met the villagers and the engineers on Monday. It had asked the engineers to bring the plans." Paragraph 2: "They had brought drawings of the new bridge." Who does "They" mean?
- a) the committee
- b) the villagers
- c) the drawings
- d) the engineers
4.Read: "Anil arrived at the ground in his school shoes. The other boys were already lacing their boots. He watched from the bench all afternoon." Sort each statement by what the passage does with it.
Groups: Stated in the passage · Not stated — you worked it out
- The other boys were lacing their boots.
- Anil watched from the bench.
- Anil had no boots with him.
- Anil did not play that afternoon.
- Anil would rather have been playing.
- Anil wore school shoes.
5.Which of these questions could only be answered by reading more than one paragraph?
- a) What colour was the door?
- b) What is the name of the town?
- c) How old was the narrator when the story begins?
- d) Why did the narrator refuse the invitation, given what had happened the year before?
6.Read: "The council promised a new library, a bus route and a clinic. The first was opened last year. The second is still being argued over. The last has not been mentioned again." Match each phrase to what it points back to.
- the first
- the second
- the last
- the council
- the body that made the promise
- the clinic
- the bus route
- the library
7.A passage runs in three paragraphs: the first describes the village before the flood, the second the night of the flood, the third the rebuilding. Sort each question by the paragraph that answers it.
Groups: Paragraph 1 · Paragraph 2 · Paragraph 3
- What crops were grown there?
- How long did the repairs take?
- Who paid for the new bridge?
- How many houses stood in the village?
- How did the families get out?
- At what hour did the water reach the road?
8.Read: "The old cinema closed in 1998. For twenty years the building stood empty. In 2018 a bookshop opened in it, and the owner kept the red velvet seats up in the balcony." Match each question to its answer.
- How long did the building stand empty?
- What is in the building now?
- What was kept from the cinema?
- Where in the building were they kept?
- the red velvet seats
- twenty years
- in the balcony
- a bookshop

Reading across paragraphs · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 9 of 10

Formal letters: complaint and enquiry

Lay out a formal letter, and write one that complains or enquires in the right register.

Before you start

Every formal letter has the same eight parts, in the same order down the page. Find out what each one is called — all eight, in any order, with nothing to get right.

1. The sender's address
2. The date
3. The receiver's address
4. The subject line
5. The greeting
6. The body of the letter
7. The closing
8. The signature and name

The greeting, the subject line and the body sit against the left-hand edge in every convention. Where the addresses and the date sit is the part that varies — Indian and British school letters put the sender's address at the top right, while many American letters line everything up on the left.

1.In the letter convention taught in Indian and British schools, put the parts in the order they appear down the page.
- The subject line
- The sender's address
- The receiver's address and designation
- The greeting
- The signature and name
- The body of the letter
- The date
- The closing
2.Which is the best subject line for a letter about a street light that has stopped working?
- a) Regarding an important matter
- b) Street light outside the school gate — not working since 10 May
- c) Complaint
- d) Please read this letter carefully
3.A letter of complaint should say what it is about in its very first sentence. Which opening does that?
- a) There are a great many problems in our locality these days.
- b) I am writing to complain about the condition of the footpath outside the school gate.
- c) I have been meaning to write to you for some time.
- d) I hope this letter finds you in good health.
4.Which of these letters is an enquiry rather than a complaint?
- a) A letter telling a magazine that its article got the facts wrong.
- b) A letter telling a shop that the goods arrived damaged.
- c) A letter asking a college for the dates and fees of its summer course.
- d) A letter telling the council that a street light has been broken for a month.
5.In the letter convention taught in Indian and British schools, a letter that begins "Dear Mr Sharma" ends with which closing?
- a) Yours sincerely
- b) See you soon
- c) Yours faithfully
- d) Lots of love
6.A formal letter names its topic on one short line, placed between the address and the greeting. What is that line called? Write two words.
7.Match each sentence from a letter of complaint to the job it does.
- I am writing to complain about the delay in delivery.
- The order was placed on 3 April and has still not arrived.
- This has caused considerable inconvenience.
- I should be grateful if you would deliver it this week or refund the amount.
- I look forward to your early reply.
- asks for action
- gives the facts
- closes politely
- states the purpose
- explains the effect
8.Sort each sentence by whether its register suits a formal letter.
Groups: Suits a formal letter · Too informal for one
- Write back quick!
- Just wanted to let you know.
- I should be grateful for an early reply.
- Anyway, thanks a lot.
- Kindly look into the matter at your earliest convenience.
- I wish to bring the following to your notice.

Formal letters: complaint and enquiry · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Year 9 English · 10 of 10

Continuing a story

Carry on a story that somebody else began, keeping its narrator, its tense and everything it has already established.

1.The opening says: "The lamp had gone out an hour before, and I had no matches." Which continuation contradicts it?
- a) I lit the lamp again and carried it to the window.
- b) I felt my way along the wall towards the door.
- c) I waited for my eyes to get used to the darkness.
- d) The room was completely dark.
2.Match each opening to the only continuation that keeps everything it set up.
- I was ten years old that summer, and the well was still full.
- She was ten years old that summer, and the well was dry.
- I am ten years old, and the well is full.
- She is ten years old, and the well is dry.
- She lowered the bucket and heard it strike stone.
- I lowered the bucket and heard it strike water.
- She lowers the bucket and hears it strike stone.
- I lower the bucket and hear it strike water.
3.A story begins: "I opened the gate and stepped into the empty garden. The dog was gone." Each card below is meant to be the narrator's very next sentence, and each one breaks exactly one rule. Sort them by which one.
Groups: Changes the narrator · Changes the tense · Contradicts what was already said
- He searched behind the water tank.
- The garden was crowded with people, as it always was.
- I am searching behind the water tank.
- I patted the dog and shut the gate behind me.
- She crossed the garden and called again.
- I cross the garden and call again.
4.A story opening reads: "I had never seen the river so high." Name the person the story is written in. Write one word.
5.A story is being told in the past tense by a narrator who says "I". Sort each sentence by whether it could carry the story on.
Groups: Fits the story · Breaks the story
- I can hear somebody moving inside.
- I climb the last few steps and stop.
- I climbed the last few steps and stopped.
- The door was already open.
- I could hear somebody moving inside.
- The door is already open.
6.A story begins: "I had never seen the river so high. My father would not let me cross." Which continuation keeps both the narrator and the tense?
- a) I am waiting on the bank while he walks down to look.
- b) He walks down to the bank and points.
- c) She waited on the bank while he walked down to look.
- d) I waited on the bank while he walked down to look.
7.A story reads: "I found the envelope under the door mat. My name was on it in handwriting I did not know." Which continuation actually moves the story on?
- a) I stood there for a while, thinking about the envelope.
- b) The envelope was white and rather crumpled at one corner.
- c) I tore it open and read the first line twice.
- d) It had been a very strange week altogether.
8.Put the stages of a story continuation in the order they usually come.
- First, pick up exactly where the opening stopped.
- Finally, close on a line that settles the situation the opening set up.
- Next, let something happen that the opening was leading towards.
- Then show how the character reacts to it.

Continuing a story · Year 9 English · www.arenapublications.com/learn

Answer keys — Year 9 English

In the same order as the worksheets.