GRADE 9 English SCIENCE:FRICTION – READING:SIMPLE POEMS Notes
English Notes — READING: SIMPLE POEMS (Topic example: FRICTION)
Age: 14 (Kenyan context). Focus: grammar features you can spot and practise when you read short poems about science themes (here: friction).
Rough road slows the tyre.
Hands push; the box resists the floor.
Shoes scrape on dusty ground.
A match strikes; the flame bursts bright.
We slide, we stop — friction keeps us safe.
Can you feel the rub beneath your feet?
1. Parts of speech — quick highlights
Below each colour shows one main part of speech. (Visual help for quick spotting.)
Nouns (things, people, places): road, tyre, hands, box, floor, shoes, ground, match, flame, feet.
Verbs (actions or states): slows, push, resists, scrape, strikes, bursts, slide, stop, keeps, feel.
Adjectives / describing words: rough, dusty, bright.
Prepositions / small words: on, beneath.
2. Subject — verb agreement (simple rule)
Rule: Singular subject → verb adds -s in the present simple; plural subject → base verb (no -s).
- Rough road slows — 'road' is singular, verb is slows (adds -s).
- Hands push — 'hands' is plural, verb is push (no -s).
3. Tense: present simple
The poem uses the present simple (slows, push, scrape). Present simple often shows general truths, habits or facts.
Convert one line to progressive to show difference: "We slide" → "We are sliding" (present continuous = action happening now).
4. Questions and modal verbs
Example: Can you feel the rub beneath your feet?
- 'Can' is a modal verb (ability or polite request). In questions with a modal, the order is: Modal + subject + base verb. - Here: Can + you + feel.
5. Imperatives, pronouns and voice
- Imperative (command): short form with no subject: e.g. "Feel the rub." (subject 'you' is understood).
- Pronouns: 'We' (first person plural), 'you' (second person). Object pronoun example in poem: keeps us safe ('us' is object).
- Active vs Passive: Active is direct — "Hands push the box." Passive would be "The box is pushed by hands." Active is clearer in short poems.
6. Punctuation & sentence connection
- Semicolon (;) links two related independent clauses: "Hands push; the box resists the floor."
- Em dash (—) adds emphasis or a pause: "We slide, we stop — friction keeps us safe."
- Commas separate ideas or list items.
7. Short practice (try these)
- Underline the verbs in the line: "Shoes scrape on dusty ground." (Answer below)
- Change to a question: "We slide." → ? (use 'do' or 'are' correctly)
- Rewrite in passive voice: "Hands push the box."
Answers (click to view)
2) "Do we slide?" (If you mean a question about habit) or "Are we sliding?" (if you mean now).
3) Passive: "The box is pushed by hands."
8. Quick checklist when you read any simple poem
- Spot main verbs and their tense.
- Check subject and whether the verb agrees (singular/plural).
- Look for modal verbs and question word order.
- Note pronouns and whether they are subjects or objects.
- See punctuation: commas, semicolons, dashes — how they join ideas.
Use poems about everyday things (roads, shoes, matches) to practise grammar: the language is simple, and the grammar patterns repeat often — good for tests and writing.
Good luck — try writing one short 4-line poem and mark the verbs and subjects yourself. ✍️📘