Grade 7 English PROFESSIONS – READING:ORAL NARRATIVES Notes
English — READING: ORAL NARRATIVES (Grammar focus)
Topic: PROFESSIONS — Age: 12 (Kenyan context)
Purpose: Show the grammar you use when listening to or telling short oral stories about people's jobs (professions).
Use local examples: teacher, doctor, farmer, police officer, tailor, shopkeeper, boda-boda rider, engineer.
Short oral narrative (listen or read aloud)
👩🏫 Mary is a teacher in Nakuru. Every morning she wakes up early and walks to school. Last year she helped a student who was sick. She took him to the nurse and then taught the class. "I want every child to learn," she said.
Grammar points to notice (only English grammar)
1) Present simple for routine: use it to describe regular jobs and habits.
- Example: Mary is a teacher. She wakes up early. She teaches.
2) Past simple for events in a story: use it to tell what happened once or at a specific time.
- Example: Last year she helped a student.
3) Third person singular: add -s or -es with he/she/it in present simple.
- Example: He works, She teaches, The farmer plants.
4) Sequence words for oral narratives: first, then, next, after that, finally — use them to order events.
- Example: First she saw the boy, then she called the nurse, finally she went back to class.
5) Pronouns and reference: use pronouns (he, she, they, it) to avoid repeating names. Make sure the pronoun clearly refers to one person.
6) Direct speech (quotations): use quotation marks for exact words someone said. Use a comma before the quote when a verb like said, told appears.
- Example: She said, "I want every child to learn."
7) Reported speech (brief): when retelling, change direct speech to reported speech and often change tense back one step (present → past).
- Direct: He says, "I am tired." → Reported: He said that he was tired.
8) Simple connectors and tenses for background: use past continuous for actions in progress in the past (was doing) to set background in a story.
- Example: While she was walking to school, the rain started.
- Example: Mary is a teacher. She wakes up early. She teaches.
2) Past simple for events in a story: use it to tell what happened once or at a specific time.
- Example: Last year she helped a student.
3) Third person singular: add -s or -es with he/she/it in present simple.
- Example: He works, She teaches, The farmer plants.
4) Sequence words for oral narratives: first, then, next, after that, finally — use them to order events.
- Example: First she saw the boy, then she called the nurse, finally she went back to class.
5) Pronouns and reference: use pronouns (he, she, they, it) to avoid repeating names. Make sure the pronoun clearly refers to one person.
6) Direct speech (quotations): use quotation marks for exact words someone said. Use a comma before the quote when a verb like said, told appears.
- Example: She said, "I want every child to learn."
7) Reported speech (brief): when retelling, change direct speech to reported speech and often change tense back one step (present → past).
- Direct: He says, "I am tired." → Reported: He said that he was tired.
8) Simple connectors and tenses for background: use past continuous for actions in progress in the past (was doing) to set background in a story.
- Example: While she was walking to school, the rain started.
Examples with Kenyan professions
- The tailor stitches clothes for his customers. (present simple — routine)
- The boda-boda rider carried a passenger yesterday. (past simple — event)
- While the farmer was planting, it began to rain. (past continuous + event)
- The doctor said, "Take this medicine." → The doctor told the patient to take the medicine. (direct → reported)
- The boda-boda rider carried a passenger yesterday. (past simple — event)
- While the farmer was planting, it began to rain. (past continuous + event)
- The doctor said, "Take this medicine." → The doctor told the patient to take the medicine. (direct → reported)
Mini grammar activities (try these)
1) Change the verb in brackets to the correct present simple form:
- a) The engineer (design) __________ bridges.
- b) A shopkeeper (sell) __________ sugar and maize.
- a) Yesterday the police officer (help) __________ the lost child.
- b) Last week the farmer (harvest) __________ his maize.
- a) He called a mechanic. He stopped the car. The driver fixed the tyre.
- a) The teacher said, "Please open your books."
- b) The nurse said, "You must rest."
The tailor was sewing when the bell rang.
Answers and brief explanations
1) a) designs — third person singular adds -s.
b) sells — sell + -s for he/she/it.
2) a) helped — past simple of help.
b) harvested — past simple of harvest.
3) Correct order: First he stopped the car. Then he called a mechanic. Finally the driver fixed the tyre.
(Use sequence words to show the order of events.)
4) a) The teacher asked them to open their books. (or The teacher told us to open our books.)
b) The nurse said that I/he/she must rest. (If change of pronoun: The nurse told him/her to rest.)
5) Sentence: The tailor was sewing when the bell rang.
- Underlined verbs: was sewing (past continuous) — used for an action in progress; rang (past simple) — a shorter past event that happened while the other action continued.
b) sells — sell + -s for he/she/it.
2) a) helped — past simple of help.
b) harvested — past simple of harvest.
3) Correct order: First he stopped the car. Then he called a mechanic. Finally the driver fixed the tyre.
(Use sequence words to show the order of events.)
4) a) The teacher asked them to open their books. (or The teacher told us to open our books.)
b) The nurse said that I/he/she must rest. (If change of pronoun: The nurse told him/her to rest.)
5) Sentence: The tailor was sewing when the bell rang.
- Underlined verbs: was sewing (past continuous) — used for an action in progress; rang (past simple) — a shorter past event that happened while the other action continued.
Tips for learners (keep grammar clear when telling oral stories)
- Speak in present simple for routines: "I work as a nurse."
- Use past simple for single events: "I helped a patient yesterday."
- Use sequence words to help listeners follow the story.
- Use pronouns correctly so your listener knows who you mean.
- Practice changing direct speech to reported speech when retelling what someone said.
- Use past simple for single events: "I helped a patient yesterday."
- Use sequence words to help listeners follow the story.
- Use pronouns correctly so your listener knows who you mean.
- Practice changing direct speech to reported speech when retelling what someone said.
Good practice: Ask a friend to listen while you tell a short story about a person and their job. Focus on using correct tenses and clear pronouns.