Grade 7 English TRAVEL – WRITING:SELF ASSESSMENT IN CREATIVE WRITING Notes
ENGLISH: WRITING — Self‑Assessment (Creative writing about Travel)
For learners in Kenya (age ~12). This page helps you check the GRAMMAR in your travel stories (school trips, matatu rides, safaris, Mombasa beaches, Nairobi trips). Use the examples, short lessons and the self‑check list to mark your own work.
- Tense consistency: Keep the same tense (past or present) in a short story or paragraph.
- Subject‑verb agreement: Singular subjects take singular verbs; plurals take plural verbs.
- Capitalisation: Start sentences, proper nouns (Kenya, Mombasa, Nairobi, Lake Nakuru) and "I" with a capital.
- Punctuation: Full stops, commas, question marks, and speech marks for dialogue.
- Prepositions: Use correct prepositions for movement/place (to, from, in, at, on).
- Adjectives / Adverbs: Use adjectives for nouns (a long road) and adverbs for verbs (drives slowly).
- Linking words: Use and, but, so, because, then to join ideas and make your story flow.
Original (incorrect): "yesterday i go to mombasa on matatu it was fun we see dolphins."
- Corrected: "Yesterday I went to Mombasa by matatu. It was fun; we saw dolphins."
- Why?
- Capitalise "Yesterday", "I", and "Mombasa".
- Use past tense: go → went, see → saw (tense consistency).
- Use a full stop or semicolon to separate complete ideas; add "by" for matatu (by matatu).
1. Tense consistency
If your story begins in past tense, keep past tense: "We travelled to Nairobi National Park. We watched animals all afternoon."
2. Subject‑verb agreement
Correct: "The bus stops at the market." (bus = singular). Wrong: "The buses stops at the market." => should be "stop".
3. Prepositions of place and movement
Use "to" for movement toward: "We travelled to Malindi." Use "in" for being inside a place: "We stayed in Mombasa." Use "at" for specific points: "We met at the bus stage."
4. Punctuation for speech
Correct: She said, "Look at the sunrise." Wrong: She said "look at the sunrise"
5. Adjectives and adverbs
Adjective before noun: "a dusty road." Adverb after verb: "The driver drove carefully."
- i am going to lake nakuru tomorrow, my friends is excited.
Corrected: _______________________
- We was taken a safari and see many elephant.
Corrected: _______________________
- "did you enjoy the trip" asked mama.
Corrected: _______________________
Answers: 1) I am going to Lake Nakuru tomorrow; my friends are excited. 2) We were taken on a safari and saw many elephants. 3) "Did you enjoy the trip?" asked Mama.
Mark each item: 2 = Always, 1 = Sometimes, 0 = Not yet
- 1. Tense is the same throughout the paragraph. ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 2. Subjects and verbs agree (singular/plural). ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 3. Proper nouns and "I" are capitalised. ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 4. Sentences end with the correct punctuation (. ? !). ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 5. Dialogue has quotes and correct punctuation. ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 6. Prepositions are correct (to, in, at, on). ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 7. Adjectives/adverbs are used correctly. ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 8. Linking words help ideas join smoothly. ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 9. No obvious spelling mistakes (names, places). ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
- 10. Paragraphs are clear (one idea per paragraph). ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0
Calculate: Add your scores (max 20). Score guide: 16–20 = Good grammar; 10–15 = Some mistakes to fix; 0–9 = Work more on grammar.
Original:
last school holiday we go to the coast. we stay at my aunty house in mombasa and swim every morning the food was nice. my friends and me makes sand castle.
Edit it for grammar:
Your corrected paragraph: ____________________________________________________
Hints: Capital letters, past tense, subject‑verb agreement, punctuation, "my friends and I" not "me".