Grade 7 English LAND TRAVEL – GRAMMAR IN USE:SIMPLE SENTENCES Notes
GRAMMAR IN USE: SIMPLE SENTENCES — LAND TRAVEL
Subject: English (Kenyan context) — Target age: 12. These notes show how to make simple sentences about land travel (matatu, bus, train, boda boda, car) and how to change them into negatives, questions and different tenses.
1. What is a simple sentence?
A simple sentence has one subject and one main verb (one independent clause). It can be short:
- The bus stops. 🚍
- I buy a ticket. 🎫
- The matatu is full. 🚐
- We travel by train. 🚆
2. Common simple sentence patterns
- S + V — Buses stop.
- S + V + O — The driver collects fares.
- S + V + C (complement) — The road is busy.
- S + V + A (adverb/place/time) — The train arrives at 8 am.
3. Subject–verb agreement (easy rules)
Match the verb to the subject:
- Singular subject (he, she, it, the bus, matatu) → verb ends with -s in present simple: The bus stops.
- Plural subject (we, they, buses, matatus) → verb stays base form: The matatus stop.
- For "I" and "you" use base form: I wait / You pay.
4. Simple tenses in short
- Present simple — routine or facts: The bus leaves at 7 am.
- Past simple — action finished: Yesterday the bus left late.
- Future simple — will + base form: Tomorrow the train will arrive early.
5. Making negatives
Use do/does/did + not (short forms don't / doesn't / didn't):
- Present: The bus does not stop here. → The bus doesn't stop here.
- Present (they/we): They do not ride boda bodas.
- Past: He did not buy a ticket. → He didn't buy a ticket.
6. Asking questions
For yes/no questions use do/does/did + subject + verb. For WH-questions add a question word.
- Yes/No: Does the matatu stop here?
- Past yes/no: Did the bus arrive on time?
- WH-question: Where is the bus stage? — When did the train leave?
7. Imperatives (short commands)
Use the base verb to tell someone to do something:
- Take the taxi. 🚕
- Buy a ticket before you board. 🎟️
- Look both ways before you cross the road. 🛣️
8. Capitalisation and punctuation
- Start with a capital letter. - End with a period (.), question mark (?) or exclamation (!). - Proper names (Nairobi) are capitalised.
9. Common mistakes and corrections
- Wrong: The bus stop here. — Correction: The bus stops here.
- Wrong: She don't take the matatu. — Correction: She doesn't take the matatu.
- Wrong: Yesterday the train go late. — Correction: Yesterday the train went late.
10. Practice (try these)
- Fill the gap with the correct verb (present simple): The bus ______ (stop) at the stage. 🚍
- Make negative: They ride boda bodas. → ___________________________ 🏍️
- Change to a question (past simple): He bought a ticket yesterday. → ___________________________ 🎫
- Write a simple future sentence: (train / arrive / 9 am) → ___________________________ 🚆
- Correct the mistake: The matatus stops. → ___________________________ 🚐
- The bus stops at the stage.
- They do not ride boda bodas. (They don't ride boda bodas.)
- Did he buy a ticket yesterday?
- The train will arrive at 9 am.
- Correct: The matatus stop. (or "The matatu stops." depending on meaning)
Tip: Use travel words (bus, matatu, boda boda, train, taxi, ticket, stage) to practise making many simple sentences — change the tense, make negatives and ask questions.