GRADE 8 English POLLUTION – READING:INTENSIVE READING Notes

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READING: INTENSIVE READING — POLLUTION (English)

Age: 13 (Kenyan context) — Focus: grammatical study using a short passage about pollution. Read the passage carefully, then do the grammar tasks.

Passage (Read closely)

Many people in the city burn waste in the open. Smoke from this burning pollutes the air and harms people's health. Vehicles on the roads release poisonous gases every day. Rivers are sometimes polluted by factories that dump chemicals into them. Children often cough because the air is dirty. A doctor said, "Air pollution causes many illnesses." Schools and families should teach children ways to protect themselves from pollution.

Grammar focus (what to notice)
  • Present simple for facts and habits (e.g., "pollutes", "release", "often cough").
  • Present passive / passive description (e.g., "Rivers are sometimes polluted").
  • Reporting verbs and backshift (e.g., direct speech → reported speech: "A doctor said, 'Air pollution causes many illnesses.'").
  • Modal verbs for advice/obligation (e.g., "should teach").
  • Relative clauses to join ideas (e.g., "factories that dump chemicals").
  • Subject–verb agreement (singular/plural subjects with correct verb forms).
Exercises — work on grammar (write answers in your book)
  1. Identify tense: For these sentences from the passage, name the tense.
    1. "Smoke from this burning pollutes the air."
    2. "Rivers are sometimes polluted by factories."
    3. "A doctor said, 'Air pollution causes many illnesses.'"
  2. Change to passive: Rewrite these active sentences in the passive voice.
    1. "Many people in the city burn waste in the open."
    2. "Vehicles release poisonous gases every day."
  3. Fill the correct form (present simple or present continuous):
    1. The government (work) ______ to reduce pollution this year.
    2. Right now, cleaners (collect) ______ rubbish from the river bank.
  4. Modal verbs / advice: Rewrite the sentence as passive: "Schools and families should teach children ways to protect themselves from pollution."
  5. Combine with a relative clause: Join the sentences using "which" or "that".
    1. "Vehicles on the roads release poisonous gases. These vehicles cause health problems."
    2. "Factories dump chemicals. These chemicals pollute rivers."
  6. Reported speech: Change the doctor's direct words into reported speech:
    Doctor's words: "Air pollution causes many illnesses."
  7. Subject–verb agreement (choose correct verb):
    • a) The smoke (is / are) harmful.
    • b) Children (cough / coughs) when the air is dirty.
Answers and brief explanations
  1. Identify tense:
    1. "pollutes the air." — Present simple (used for a fact/habit).
    2. "are sometimes polluted" — Present passive (present simple passive form).
    3. "A doctor said, 'Air pollution causes many illnesses.'" — Reporting verb in past (said); inside the quote: present simple. When reported, the tense usually changes (see item 6).
  2. Change to passive:
    1. "Waste is burned in the open by many people in the city." (present simple passive)
    2. "Poisonous gases are released by vehicles every day." (present simple passive)
  3. Fill the correct form:
    1. The government (work) is working to reduce pollution this year. (present continuous for an ongoing action)
    2. Right now, cleaners (collect) are collecting rubbish from the river bank. (present continuous)
  4. Modal verbs / advice (passive):
    "Children should be taught ways to protect themselves from pollution by schools and families." (modal + passive)
  5. Combine with a relative clause:
    1. "Vehicles on the roads that release poisonous gases cause health problems." — or — "Vehicles on the roads, which release poisonous gases, cause health problems." (use which for extra information)
    2. "Factories that dump chemicals pollute rivers." — or — "Factories dump chemicals that pollute rivers."
  6. Reported speech:
    The doctor said that air pollution caused many illnesses.
    (We change the present "causes" to past "caused" because the reporting verb "said" is in the past.)
  7. Subject–verb agreement:
    • a) The smoke is harmful. (smoke = singular noun)
    • b) Children cough when the air is dirty. (children = plural, use cough)

Tips for intensive reading (grammar): While you read, underline verbs and note their tense, mark passive forms, and look for modals and relative clauses. This helps you learn grammar from real texts.

Created for classroom use — simple grammar practice using a pollution passage. Focus is strictly on English grammar.

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Subjects in GRADE 8

AgricultureArabicCRECREATIVE ARTS AND SPORTSEnglishfrenchGermanhindu religious educationindigenous languagesislamic religious educationKiswahiliMandarin ChineseMathematicsPre-technicalScienceSocial Studies

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Competency Based Curriculum Junior Secondary School