It may change meaning, grammar, or both. 'Careful' is an adjective, 'carefully' an adverb, and 'careless' has a different meaning from 'careful'.
Before adding an ending, check whether the spelling changes: 'happy' becomes 'happiness'.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
care → careful → carefully
Moderate / Add a little
happy → happiness
More detail for teachers and confident learners
A suffix is added at the end of a base word. It may change meaning, grammar, or both. 'Careful' is an adjective, 'carefully' an adverb, and 'careless' has a different meaning from 'careful'. Before adding an ending, check whether the spelling changes: 'happy' becomes 'happiness'. A word family helps you choose the correct grammatical form. In 'She spoke carefully', the adverb explains how she spoke; in 'a careful speaker', the adjective describes the person.
Work from meaning to form. Read the first model, identify what the words are doing, and compare it with the second model. Explain the difference aloud before using the pattern in a new sentence. When checking a draft, locate the relevant word or clause and test it in its full sentence; a rule used in isolation may miss the intended meaning.
At Stage 5, apply this skill across fiction, information, and personal writing. Consider how a different audience might need a different explanation or detail. A strong response is independent enough to make sense without the teacher supplying missing context. Use precise examples, then explain how the language helps create the intended meaning.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
In 'The boy who won the race smiled', who won the race identifies the boy.
Who usually refers to people; which usually refers to things; that can occur in many defining clauses.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
The book that I borrowed is useful.
Moderate / Add a little
Nila, who lives next door, is a doctor.
More detail for teachers and confident learners
A relative clause adds information about a noun. In 'The boy who won the race smiled', who won the race identifies the boy. Who usually refers to people; which usually refers to things; that can occur in many defining clauses. A defining clause identifies which person or thing is meant and normally has no enclosing commas. A non-defining clause adds extra information and uses commas: 'Nila, who lives next door, is a doctor.' Do not separate a defining clause with commas if doing so changes the intended reference.
Work from meaning to form. Read the first model, identify what the words are doing, and compare it with the second model. Explain the difference aloud before using the pattern in a new sentence. When checking a draft, locate the relevant word or clause and test it in its full sentence; a rule used in isolation may miss the intended meaning.
At Stage 5, apply this skill across fiction, information, and personal writing. Consider how a different audience might need a different explanation or detail. A strong response is independent enough to make sense without the teacher supplying missing context. Use precise examples, then explain how the language helps create the intended meaning.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
Modal verbs express meanings such as ability, obligation, advice, and possibility.
A modal is followed by the base verb: 'She can swim', not 'can swims'.
Must can express a strong obligation, while should commonly offers advice.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
You must wear a helmet.
Moderate / Add a little
It might rain later.
More detail for teachers and confident learners
Modal verbs express meanings such as ability, obligation, advice, and possibility. A modal is followed by the base verb: 'She can swim', not 'can swims'. Must can express a strong obligation, while should commonly offers advice. May and might often signal possibility rather than certainty. The same modal can carry different meanings in different contexts, so explain the situation. In a safety notice, 'You must wear a helmet' states a requirement; 'You should rest' gives advice.
Work from meaning to form. Read the first model, identify what the words are doing, and compare it with the second model. Explain the difference aloud before using the pattern in a new sentence. When checking a draft, locate the relevant word or clause and test it in its full sentence; a rule used in isolation may miss the intended meaning.
At Stage 5, apply this skill across fiction, information, and personal writing. Consider how a different audience might need a different explanation or detail. A strong response is independent enough to make sense without the teacher supplying missing context. Use precise examples, then explain how the language helps create the intended meaning.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
The paid worksheet brings together all the lessons in this unit. A separate answer or model guide is included. Page count depends on the skills and activities.
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