Grade 7 English NATURAL RESOURCES:FORESTS – WRITING:WRITING PROCESS Notes
WRITING: WRITING PROCESS — Grammar Notes
Topic: NATURAL RESOURCES: FORESTS (Kenya) — English (Age 12)
Use these notes while you write about forests (e.g., Mau Forest, Kakamega, Mt. Kenya forests). All tips focus on English grammar you need during the writing process: planning, drafting, revising and editing.
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1. Plan — Choose grammar before you write
- Tense: Decide the main tense for your piece.
- Facts about forests → present simple: "Forests cover large areas of Kenya."
- Past events (e.g., a big tree planting last year) → past simple: "Teachers planted trees last year."
- Processes (what is done) can use passive: "Trees are planted by community groups."
- Point of view and pronouns: Choose I/we/they or general statements. Keep it consistent.
- Level of detail: Pick adjectives and nouns (e.g., "dense forest", "mature trees", "timber") to describe places like Mt. Kenya or Kakamega.
2. Draft — Grammar to use when writing sentences
- Sentence types:
- Simple: one idea — "Forests protect soil."
- Compound: join ideas with and/but/or — "Forests protect soil, and they store water."
- Complex: use because/when/which/that to add extra information — "Because forests hold water, rivers flow steadily."
- Subject–verb agreement: Match verb to subject number.
- Singular: "The forest is large."
- Plural: "The trees are tall."
- Articles (a, an, the):
- Use "the" for a specific forest: "the Mau Forest".
- No article for most proper names: "Kakamega Forest" (not "the Kakamega Forest" unless in local use).
- "a"/"an" for one of many: "a forest", "an acacia tree".
- Adjectives & order: Use short adjectives before nouns — "a large natural forest", "a small green seedling".
- Countable vs uncountable nouns: "trees" (countable), "timber" (uncountable). Use many/few for countable, much/little for uncountable.
- Passive voice for actions done to forests: "Trees are cut down." (Good when the doer is not important.)
3. Connect ideas — Linking words and cohesion
To make your writing clear, use connectives. Here are common ones for paragraphs about forests:
- To add: and, also, moreover, furthermore
- To compare or contrast: but, however, while, although
- To show cause/effect: because, so, therefore, as a result
- To order ideas: first, next, then, finally
4. Paragraphs — Grammar structure
One paragraph = one main idea. Use this structure:
- Topic sentence (present tense for facts): "Forests are important for water supply."
- Support sentences (use details, examples, correct tenses): "For example, rivers that start in the Mau Forest supply water to farms."
- Concluding sentence (link to next paragraph): "Because of this, protecting forests should be a priority."
5. Punctuation — Quick rules
- Full stop (.) ends statements: "Many birds live in the forest."
- Comma (,) separates ideas: "The forest is large, and it has many animals."
- Question mark (?) for questions: "How can we protect forests?"
- Apostrophe (’): possession — "the forest’s edge"; do not use for plurals.
- Quotation marks (" ") for direct speech: "The ranger said, 'Plant more trees.'"
6. Revising and editing — Grammar checklist
When you revise your draft, check these grammar points:
- Is the main tense consistent? (Don’t switch from present to past without reason.)
- Subject–verb agreement for every sentence.
- Correct use of articles (a/an/the) especially with forest names.
- Are pronouns clear? (Who does “they” refer to?)
- Have you used linking words to connect sentences and paragraphs?
- Punctuation: commas, full stops, question marks, and apostrophes.
- Spelling of local names: check "Mau", "Kakamega", "Mt. Kenya".
7. Examples — Short model paragraph (with grammar notes)
Model paragraph (present simple + linking words + passive):
Forests in Kenya, such as the Mau and Kakamega, provide water for homes and farms. They also support many animals and plants. Because trees absorb rainwater, rivers flow more steadily and soil does not wash away. However, trees are sometimes cut down for timber, and this causes problems. To protect water supplies, local communities plant trees and patrol the forest.
Notes: present simple for facts; "because" shows cause; passive "are cut down" focuses on action; linking words guide the reader.
8. Short practice (try these)
- Change the sentence into passive: "People plant trees in the community."
- Fill the blank with the correct article: "_____ Mau Forest is important." (Answer below)
- Combine into one sentence with a conjunction: "Forests store water. They prevent floods."
Answers
1) "Trees are planted in the community."
2) "The Mau Forest is important." (use "the" for this specific forest)
3) "Forests store water and they prevent floods." or "Forests store water, which helps prevent floods."
2) "The Mau Forest is important." (use "the" for this specific forest)
3) "Forests store water and they prevent floods." or "Forests store water, which helps prevent floods."
9. Final tips
- Keep sentences clear and short — your reader is easier to follow.
- Use simple grammar correctly rather than long sentences with mistakes.
- Always re-check tense and subject–verb agreement when you edit.
- Use local examples (Mau, Kakamega, community tree planting) to make writing stronger and real.
Good luck — write clearly and check grammar! 🌱