GRADE 8 English TOURISM:DOMESTIC – WRITING:ASSESSMENT OF WRITING Notes
ENGLISH: WRITING — ASSESSMENT OF WRITING
Topic: TOURISM — DOMESTIC | For learners aged 13 (Kenya)
What this note covers:
- How to check grammar when assessing writing about domestic tourism
- Key grammar points: tenses, articles, agreement, punctuation, linking
- A marking checklist, short rubric, sample paragraph (with errors) and correction
1. Paragraph structure (easy guide)
3–5 sentence paragraph:
- Topic sentence — one sentence that says what the paragraph is about. Example: "Many Kenyans enjoy visiting national parks for domestic tourism."
- Supporting sentences — 1–3 sentences with facts, reasons or examples (use past tense for past trips, present for facts, future for plans).
- Concluding sentence — closes the idea (short). Example: "Domestic tourism helps our economy and brings families together."
2. Important grammar points to check
- Tense consistency: Keep tenses logical. Use past simple for a trip you did, present simple for facts, future for plans. Example: "Last year I visited Diani." (past)
- Subject–verb agreement: Match singular/plural. "The family enjoys" (not "enjoy").
- Articles (a/an/the): Use correctly. "A hotel", "an island", "the Maasai Mara".
- Prepositions of place and movement: at, in, on, to. Example: "I went to Lamu. I stayed at a small hotel."
- Linking words (cohesion): Use because, so, however, also, finally to connect ideas.
- Punctuation and capitalization: Full stops, commas, question marks, proper names (e.g., Nairobi, Mount Kenya).
- Spelling: Common words (visited, travelled/traveled — Kenyan English often uses 'travelled').
3. Tense quick guide with tourism examples
Present Simple
Facts/habits. Example: "Many families visit national parks every year."
Facts/habits. Example: "Many families visit national parks every year."
Past Simple
Completed events. Example: "We visited Amboseli last August."
Completed events. Example: "We visited Amboseli last August."
Future (will/going to)
Plans. Example: "I will travel to the Maasai Mara next school holiday."
Plans. Example: "I will travel to the Maasai Mara next school holiday."
4. Common grammar mistakes and corrections
- Wrong: "I go to the park yesterday." → Correct: "I went to the park yesterday." (Use past tense)
- Wrong: "The people was happy." → Correct: "The people were happy." (Subject–verb agreement)
- Wrong: "I visited a Amboseli." → Correct: "I visited Amboseli." or "I visited an Amboseli reserve." (Articles and proper nouns)
- Wrong: "Nairobi is beautiful it has many hotels." → Correct: "Nairobi is beautiful; it has many hotels." or "Nairobi is beautiful. It has many hotels." (Run-on sentence)
- Wrong: "We are going toed to Diani." → Correct: "We went to Diani." / "We are going to go to Diani." (Verb form)
5. Useful linking words for cohesion
For adding: also, and, furthermore
For cause: because, since, as
For contrast: however, but, although
For sequence: first, then, finally
For example: for example, for instance, such as
For cause: because, since, as
For contrast: however, but, although
For sequence: first, then, finally
For example: for example, for instance, such as
6. Punctuation tips
- Use a capital letter at the start of each sentence and for names (Kenya, Mt. Kenya, Diani).
- Use commas to separate short ideas: "We saw elephants, giraffes, and zebras."
- Use a full stop to finish a sentence. Do not join two full sentences without a link.
- Use apostrophes for ownership: "Kenya's parks" (not "Kenyas parks").
7. Self-assessment checklist (tick each that is correct)
8. Short marking rubric (simple)
Content (0–5)
Clear ideas about domestic tourism, examples (e.g., parks, beaches, family trips).
Clear ideas about domestic tourism, examples (e.g., parks, beaches, family trips).
Grammar & Accuracy (0–5)
Correct tenses, agreement, articles, prepositions, punctuation.
Correct tenses, agreement, articles, prepositions, punctuation.
Organisation & Cohesion (0–5)
Topic sentence, connected sentences, good linking words.
Topic sentence, connected sentences, good linking words.
Total: /15 — Aim for clear meaning first, then correct grammar.
9. Sample writing task (for assessment)
Prompt: "Write a short paragraph (4–6 sentences) about a domestic trip you or your family made in Kenya. Include where you went, what you saw or did, and why the trip was important." (Use past simple for the trip.)
10. Example student paragraph — with errors
"Last holiday we go to Maasai Mara. The park is beautiful and we see many animals like lion and elephant. My mum was happy because we enjoyed. The trip help us to learn about animals and culture"
Corrections and notes:
- "we go" → "we went" (use past simple)
- "we see" → "we saw" (past simple)
- "lion and elephant" → "lions and elephants" (plural)
- "we enjoyed" needs an object or rephrase: "we enjoyed ourselves"
- "The trip help" → "The trip helped" (past tense)
- Add final full stop and capital letter where needed.
Corrected version:
"Last holiday we went to the Maasai Mara. The park was beautiful and we saw many animals like lions and elephants. My mum was happy because we enjoyed ourselves. The trip helped us to learn about animals and culture."
"Last holiday we went to the Maasai Mara. The park was beautiful and we saw many animals like lions and elephants. My mum was happy because we enjoyed ourselves. The trip helped us to learn about animals and culture."
11. Short practice exercise (do this)
Below is a paragraph with 5 mistakes. Find and correct them.
1) "We visited Diani Beach last month." 2) "It was sunny and the water was warm." 3) "My brother and I collected shells and found crabs." 4) "We had a lot of fun and will go again." (past for the trip; keep future for plans)
"We visiting Diani beach last month. It were sunny and the water is warm. Me and my brother collect shells and finding crabs. We have a lot of fun and will go again."
Answers (check after you try):1) "We visited Diani Beach last month." 2) "It was sunny and the water was warm." 3) "My brother and I collected shells and found crabs." 4) "We had a lot of fun and will go again." (past for the trip; keep future for plans)
12. Useful teacher feedback phrases
- "Good topic sentence — your main idea is clear."
- "Remember to keep tenses consistent in your paragraph."
- "Check subject–verb agreement: singular subject → singular verb."
- "Add linking words to show reasons (because, since) or sequence (first, then)."
- "Correct punctuation and full stops improve reading and meaning."
Tip: When assessing, read for meaning first (can you understand the idea?). Then mark grammar errors and show the student how to correct them. Use local examples (Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Diani, Lamu) to make tasks familiar and fun.