GRADE 9 English ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION – LISTENING AND SPEAKING:ARGUMENTATIVE TEXT Notes
LISTENING & SPEAKING: ARGUMENTATIVE TEXT — ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Subject: English — Grammar focus for spoken argumentative texts about environmental conservation (age 14, Kenya).
Learning goals
- Use correct grammatical structures when making and responding to arguments about the environment.
- Choose tenses, modals and linkers that make spoken arguments clear and persuasive.
- Practice changing statements into reported speech and using passives for emphasis.
Key grammar points with short explanations and examples
1. Present tenses for facts and ongoing actions
Present simple — facts or general truth:
"Kenya has several national parks."
Present continuous — actions happening now or around now:
"People are planting trees in many towns."
Present perfect — past action with present result:
"Communities have reduced plastic use this year."
2. Modals for advice, obligation and probability
- Advice/obligation: should, ought to, must, have to.
"We should stop illegal logging in the Mau Forest." (advice)
- Possibility/hedging: may, might, could, perhaps.
"Pollution from factories may harm river life."
3. Conditionals (useful for consequences)
- Zero conditional (general truth): If + present simple, present simple.
"If we burn garbage, smoke causes breathing problems."
- First conditional (real future): If + present, will + verb.
"If we plant more trees, we will reduce soil erosion."
- Second conditional (hypothetical): If + past, would + verb.
"If everyone recycled, Kenya would be cleaner."
4. Passive voice (focus on the action and result)
Use when the doer is unknown or unimportant:
"Many trees were cut down last year."
Spoken passive (short): "The river was polluted."
5. Reported speech (telling someone else’s argument)
Change direct speech when reporting: tense usually shifts back.
Direct: "The chief said, 'We must protect the forest.'"
Reported: "The chief said that they had to protect the forest."
6. Linkers and discourse markers (organise arguments)
Use: firstly, secondly, moreover, however, therefore, in addition, on the other hand, finally.
Example: "Firstly, planting trees reduces erosion; secondly, it improves water retention."
7. Hedging and politeness (important in spoken argument)
Use hedges to avoid sounding too strong: perhaps, may, might, could, I think, I believe.
Example: "I believe that we could start cleaner campaigns in our town."
8. Imperatives and calls to action
Use short commands (good for speeches and slogans):
"Plant a tree today!" "Stop dumping waste in rivers!"
Short example: Spoken argumentative paragraph (with grammar notes)
Speech (about 8–10 sentences):
"Firstly, Kenya is losing many trees because people cut them down for fuel. (present simple)
If we do not act now, soil erosion will increase and farmers will lose their crops. (first conditional)
We should encourage tree-planting programmes in schools and communities. (modal: should)
Many trees have already been planted by local groups, and wildlife has started returning. (present perfect + passive idea)
Perhaps the county government could give seedlings to every household. (hedging + modal)
This way, water sources will be protected and future droughts may be reduced. (future result + modal)
Finally, let us all take responsibility — join a planting day this Saturday! (imperative + let's)"
Practice activities (focus on grammar in listening & speaking)
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Convert the sentences into a persuasive spoken form:
- "People cut trees." → add a modal and reason. (Answer: "People must stop cutting trees because it causes erosion.")
- "Pollution harms fish." → make a first conditional. (Answer: "If factories stop dumping waste, fish will recover.")
- Role play (pair): One student states a fact; the other responds using hedging and a suggestion. Use at least one modal and one linker. Example: A: "Plastic bags block drains." B: "Yes, I agree; perhaps we should ban single-use plastic bags locally."
- Listening grammar check: Listen to a short speech (teacher reads). Tick which structures you heard: present perfect, passive, first conditional, modal (should/must), reported speech.
- Reported speech exercise: Change to reported speech: "Teacher: 'We must protect our rivers.'" Answer: The teacher said that they had to protect their rivers.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Wrong: "If we will plant trees, soil will stop washing." — Fix: Use present in the if-clause: "If we plant trees, soil will stop washing away."
- Wrong: "People musts stop cutting." — Fix: Modal forms have no 's': "People must stop cutting."
- Wrong: "They said that 'we should protect'." — Fix: In reported speech remove quotes and shift if needed: "They said that we should protect."
- Wrong: Overuse of very many linkers → use only a few clear ones: firstly, however, therefore.
Grammar checklist for preparing an argumentative speech
- Do I use present simple for facts? (Yes/No)
- Have I included at least one modal for advice or obligation? (should/must/could)
- Do I show consequences with a conditional? (e.g., If we..., we will...)
- Have I used linkers to order points? (firstly, secondly, finally)
- Did I use hedging where appropriate? (may/might/perhaps)
- Is there at least one short imperative as a call to action? (e.g., "Join us!")
Notes: Keep sentences short when speaking. Use the grammar structures above to make your argument clear and convincing — especially modals, conditionals and linkers. Use examples from your local area (e.g., Mau Forest, Nairobi rivers, community tree-planting) to make arguments strong and relevant.
Good luck — prepare, practise and speak clearly!