GRADE 8 English REHABILITATION – READING:POEM Notes
English: Reading — Poem (Grammar Focus)
Topic: Rehabilitation — Kenyan context | Age: 13
Poem to read (short):
I sit by the window, watching the sun.
Mum brings tea and fixes my bed.
Yesterday I could not lift my foot.
Therapy comes every morning — step by step.
I learn to stand; I learn to smile.
The nurse says, "Keep going."
Slowly, I walk towards the door — again.
Grammar points from the poem:
- Parts of speech (easy list):
Nouns: window, sun, Mum, tea, bed, foot, therapy, morning, step, nurse, door.
Pronouns: I, my.
Verbs: sit, watching (present participle), brings, fixes, could (modal), lift, comes, learn, says, keep, walk.
Adverbs: slowly, again, yesterday (time adverb).
Prepositions: by, towards.
Conjunctions: and.
Articles: the, a (only 'the' appears here). - Tense and verb forms:
- Present simple: "I sit", "Mum brings", "Therapy comes", "I learn", "The nurse says" — used for habitual actions or facts.
- Past/ability: "Yesterday I could not lift my foot." — modal verb "could" indicates past ability (or lack of it).
- Present participle: "watching" describes what the subject is doing at the same time (a participle phrase: "watching the sun").
- Simple way to change tense: present → past (I sit → I sat); practice below. - Sentence types and structures:
- Simple sentence: "Mum brings tea."
- Compound ideas: "Mum brings tea and fixes my bed." (two verbs joined by 'and').
- Use of punctuation: semicolon in "I learn to stand; I learn to smile." joins two related independent clauses.
- Imperative: "Keep going." — a command (no subject shown; subject is 'you').
- Direct speech: The nurse says, "Keep going." → contains quoted speech with quotation marks. - Active vs passive (quick note):
- The poem uses the active voice: "Mum brings tea." → passive form: "Tea is brought by Mum." (we can form passive to focus on the object).
- Punctuation: small points to notice
- Commas separate short phrases: "I sit by the window, watching the sun."
- Dash (—) for a pause: "step by step." or "— again."
- Quotation marks for speech: "Keep going."
- Capital letters begin sentences and proper nouns (Mum).
Practice exercises (try these):
- List five nouns from the poem and write whether each is common or proper.
- Underline or write all the verbs from the line: "I learn to stand; I learn to smile." Then name their tense.
- Change this present sentence to past simple: "I sit by the window, watching the sun." (write the full changed sentence).
- Turn the active sentence into passive: "Mum brings tea."
- Change the direct speech into reported speech: The nurse says, "Keep going."
- Identify the preposition in: "Slowly, I walk towards the door — again." and use it in a new short sentence about school or home.
- Find the modal verb in the poem. What does it tell you about the action?
Answers (check after you try):
- Five nouns and type:
window (common), sun (common), Mum (proper), tea (common), nurse (common).
- Verbs in "I learn to stand; I learn to smile.": learn, learn; tense = present simple.
- Present → past example:
"I sat by the window, watching the sun."(Or you can change "watching" to "watched" if you want full past: "I sat by the window, watching the sun." is correct because "watching" can remain a participle.)
- Passive: "Tea is brought by Mum." (active object becomes subject; verb becomes 'is brought').
- Reported speech: The nurse tells me to keep going. (or: The nurse said to keep going.)
- Preposition: "towards". Example sentence: "We walked towards the school gate." or "She walked towards the clinic."
- Modal verb: "could" in "Yesterday I could not lift my foot." It shows past ability (here, lack of ability).
Quick tips for learners (Kenyan context):
- When reading a poem, look for verbs and ask: What tense are they in? This shows time (now, before, habit).
- Spot a modal (can, could, will) — it changes meaning (ability, permission, advice).
- Practice changing sentences between active and passive; it helps with writing reports or school assignments.
📘 Keep practising — grammar helps you read and write clearly.