GRADE 8 English SPORTS:OLYMPICS – READING:SHORT STORY Notes
READING: SHORT STORY — GRAMMAR NOTES
Topic: SPORTS: OLYMPICS | Subject: English (grammar only) | Age: 13 (Kenya)
1. Past tenses — tell the story
Past Simple — used for completed actions: "The runner won the race." (Used a lot in narratives.)
Past Continuous — used for actions that were happening when something else happened: "Spectators were cheering when the runner fell."
Past Perfect — used to show an action that happened before another past action: "He had trained for years before he won a medal."
- Kenya won a medal in the final. (past simple)
- During the final, the crowd was shouting loudly. (past continuous)
- She had run faster than ever before when she crossed the line. (past perfect)
Practice: Choose the correct tense
- By the time the race finished, he (pass/run) _______ three laps. (past perfect)
- They (cheer) _______ as the athlete crossed the finish line. (past continuous)
2. Direct and reported (indirect) speech
When reading dialogue in a short story about the Olympics, change direct quotes into reported speech to summarise.
Reported: The athlete said that she would try her best.
Common changes when reporting:
- Present → Past: "I am tired" → He said (that) he was tired.
- Will → Would: "I will win" → He promised he would win.
- Can → Could: "I can run fast" → She said she could run fast.
Practice: Change to reported speech
- "We have trained hard," they said. → They said that ______.
- "I am ready for the race," he said. → He said that ______.
3. Passive voice — focus on results
Use the passive to focus on the action or result rather than who did it.
Passive: The medal was awarded to the runner.
Useful in reading: authors often use passive when describing events or results.
4. Adjectives and adverbs — describe athletes and actions
Adjectives describe nouns (fast runner). Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (ran quickly).
- Adjective: a strong athlete, a brave runner
- Adverb: he ran quickly, she finished very fast
5. Comparatives & superlatives — compare performances
Use comparatives to compare two things: taller, faster, more experienced.
Use superlatives to show the best or most: the fastest, the most skilled.
- David was faster than the other runner. (comparative)
- She was the fastest in the final. (superlative)
6. Subject-verb agreement
Make sure the verb matches the subject (singular/plural):
- The team is ready. (team = singular)
- The players are excited. (players = plural)
Watch for tricky subjects: "each, everyone, nobody" take singular verbs: Everyone was cheering.
7. Prepositions of time & place
Common prepositions in sports stories:
- At the Olympics / in the stadium / on the track
- At 3 pm / during the final / before the race / after the medal ceremony
8. Punctuation for dialogue
When a character speaks, use quotation marks and commas or full stops inside them:
"What a race!" the coach shouted.
9. Short worksheet (try these)
- Rewrite in reported speech: "I will train harder," said the athlete.
- Change to passive: The officials announced the winner.
- Underline the adverb: She ran very quickly to the finish line.
- Choose correct tense: While he (run/was running), he (sprain/sprained) his ankle.
- Make a comparative: "Kenya's runner / fast" → __________________________
Answers
2. The winner was announced by the officials.
3. very quickly (adverb: "very" modifies "quickly").
4. While he was running, he sprained his ankle.
5. Kenya's runner is faster / Kenya's runner is faster than the others.
Prepared for Kenyan learners (age 13). Use these grammar points when you answer comprehension or write your own short story about the Olympics.