Grade 7 English PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY – WRITING:LEGIBILITY Notes
English — Personal Responsibility
Subtopic: Writing — Legibility (age 12, Kenya)
Legible writing helps a reader understand your grammar easily. When your sentences are clearly written, correct punctuation and correct word order show your responsibility as a writer. Below are easy grammar points to check so your writing is neat and correct.
Quick grammar checklist for legible writing
- Start sentences with a capital letter and end with a full stop (.), question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!).
- Use a space after a full stop, comma, or question mark.
- Use commas in lists: "I like rice, beans and ugali." (or include a comma before "and".)
- Make subject and verb agree: "The dog runs" (singular), "The dogs run" (plural).
- Keep tense consistent: if you start in the past, stay in the past unless you explain a change.
- Use apostrophes correctly: contractions (don't = do not) and possession (the boy's ball).
- Put each main idea in its own paragraph so the reader can follow your points.
Simple examples — wrong and fixed
Wrong
me and my friend went to market we bought oranges
Fixed
My friend and I went to the market. We bought oranges.
(Capital letters, correct pronoun order, full stops and spacing.)
Wrong
she dont like apples
Fixed
She doesn't like apples.
(Apostrophe and correct auxiliary verb.)
Wrong
The dogs runs very fast
Fixed
The dogs run very fast.
(Subject-verb agreement.)
Spacing and punctuation — small things that matter
- Always leave one space after a period: "This is wrong.This is right." → "This is wrong. This is right."
- Place a space after a comma: "He bought rice,beans,ugali." → "He bought rice, beans, ugali."
- Begin new sentences on a new line or in a new paragraph.
Paragraphing — organise ideas
Each paragraph should have one clear idea. Example:
Bad (one long line)
On Monday I went to school I saw my friend we played football then we went home it was fun.
Good (two short sentences / paragraphs)
On Monday, I went to school. I saw my friend and we played football. Then we went home. It was fun.
Short practice — try these
- Fix capitals and punctuation: "kenya is a beautiful country"
- Correct the verb: "The teacher explain the lesson yesterday."
- Make this clear and add commas: "My bag shoes and pencil are new"
Show answers
1. Kenya is a beautiful country.
2. The teacher explained the lesson yesterday.
3. My bag, shoes, and pencil are new. (or "My bag, shoes and pencil are new.")
Tips to improve grammar legibility — daily habits
- Write slowly to form letters and punctuation clearly so readers notice grammar marks.
- Read your sentence aloud to hear missing words or wrong verb forms.
- Check one grammar point at a time: capitals, then punctuation, then verbs and tenses.
- Ask a friend or teacher to read your work — they will notice grammar that you missed.
Remember: Being responsible in your writing means using correct grammar and clear punctuation. This makes your ideas easy to understand and shows that you care about your work.