Grade 7 English DRUGS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE – READING:ORAL LITERATURE - SONGS Notes
Reading: Oral Literature — Songs
We read oral songs that teach messages about saying no to drugs. Here we focus only on the English grammar used in such songs — how verbs, modals, negatives, pronouns and reported speech appear in short anti-drug lines.
1. Imperatives (commands and strong advice)
Songs often give direct advice using imperatives. Imperatives use the base form of the verb. There is usually no subject (the subject is "you").
- Example song lines: "Say no to drugs!" — "Don't touch glue!" 🚫
- Form: Verb (base) → "Say", Negative: "Don't" + base → "Don't smoke"
Quick activity A — Change to polite advice
- Change "Say no to drugs!" to a polite suggestion using should.
- Change "Don't touch glue!" to a polite suggestion using should not / shouldn't.
2. Modal verbs (advice, obligation, possibility)
Songs use modals to give advice or show strong rules. Common modals: should, shouldn't, must, mustn't, can, can't.
- "You should stay away from bad substances." (advice)
- "You must not try drugs." or "You mustn't try drugs." (strong rule)
- "You can't be healthy if you abuse drugs." (ability / result)
Quick activity B — Choose the right modal
Complete the song line: "_________ (advice) to drugs — it's dangerous."
3. Present simple tense (facts and habits)
Songs give facts in the present simple: use base verb for I/you/we/they and add -s for he/she/it.
- "Drugs ruin lives." — 'drugs' (plural) use base verb 'ruin'.
- "A peer pressures others." → correct form is "A peer pressures others." (peer = he/she → pressures)
- "Kids learn early." (kids = plural → learn)
Quick activity C — Subject-verb agreement
- Change to the correct form: "He (say) no to drugs." → He ______ no to drugs.
- Change to plural: "The child (need) help." → The children ______ help.
4. Negatives (don't / doesn't / shouldn't / mustn't)
Songs use negatives to refuse or warn. For present simple use don't (do not) / doesn't (does not). For modals use shouldn't / mustn't.
- "We don't need drugs." (we → don't)
- "He doesn't agree." (he → doesn't)
- "You shouldn't try smoking." (advice negative)
5. Pronouns and agreement
Pronouns (I, you, he, she, we, they) replace nouns. Check verb forms with pronouns:
- "I sing." / "You sing." / "He sings." / "They sing."
- Song line: "We stand strong." — 'we' needs 'stand' (no -s).
6. Reported speech (telling what a singer said)
When we report song lines, we often change the tense and pronouns. Example:
Reported: He warned them not to take drugs. (imperative → told/warned + not to + verb)
Quick activity D — Change to reported speech
Change this line to reported speech: Singer: "You should tell a teacher."
7. Short grammar checklist for reading songs
- Find the verb: is it imperative, present simple or modal?
- Check negatives: don't / doesn't / shouldn't / mustn't.
- Match subject and verb: he/she/it → verb + s.
- When reporting a line, change structure: commands → told/asked/warned + object + to/not to + verb.
Practice: read and label
Read these short song lines and write the grammar label (Imperative / Modal / Present simple / Negative):
- "Protect your future — say no." → ______
- "They learn that drugs are harmful." → ______
- "You mustn't try cigarettes." → ______
- "I don't want to see my friend suffer." → ______
Final tip
When you read an oral song about drugs, look first for the verb type — this shows if the song is giving advice (imperative), stating facts (present simple), or warning (modals/negatives). Understanding the grammar helps you explain the message clearly and safely.