Worksheet 1: Questions, spelling and writing
Exactly 2 A4 pages. Answers are in a separate free PDF.
Download student worksheet 1 · වැඩපත්රයDownload separate answers 1 · පිළිතුරුLEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE
Step-by-Step Learning Support
සරල පියවරෙන් ඉංග්‍රීසි ඉගෙන ගනිමු.
For learners who need clearer explanations, more practice or extra support. Start with understanding the question. Build a sentence. Then write a clear answer.
ප්‍රශ්නය තේරුම් ගන්න. සරල වාක්‍යයක් ගොඩනගන්න. ඉන්පසු පැහැදිලි පිළිතුරක් ලියන්න.
See an example → practise with help → try independently. You can open one lesson at a time.
First, understand questions and sentences
ප්‍රශ්න වචන, අක්ෂර වින්‍යාසය සහ සරල වාක්‍ය පුහුණු වන්න.
1. Question words
ප්‍රශ්න වචනය හඳුනාගත් විට අවශ්‍ය පිළිතුර සොයාගැනීම පහසු වේ.
Who? කවුද?
Who helped you? My sister helped me.
What? කුමක්ද? / මොකක්ද?
What do you need? I need a pen.
Where? කොහේද?
Where is the book? It is on the desk.
When? කවදාද? / කීයටද?
When does the lesson start? At nine.
Why? ඇයි? / කුමන හේතුවක් නිසාද?
Why are you happy? Because I found my book.
How? කෙසේද? / කොහොමද?
How do you travel to school? By bus.
Which? කුමන එකද?
Which bag is yours? The blue one.
Whose? කාගේද?
Whose pen is this? It is Ravi’s pen.
How many? කීයක්ද?
How many books do you have? Three books.
How much? කොපමණද?
How much water is left? A little water.
Who asks about a person; where asks about a place; when asks about time; why asks for a reason. How many is for countable things; how much can ask about an amount or a price.
2. Understand instructions
ප්‍රශ්නයේ උපදෙස් කියවා කළ යුතු දේ හඳුනාගන්න.
Choose තෝරන්න.
Choose one correct answer.
Complete සම්පූර්ණ කරන්න.
Fill the gap with the missing word.
List / Name ලැයිස්තුගත කරන්න. / නම් කරන්න.
Give the requested items.
Describe විස්තර කරන්න.
Say what something is like. Add useful details.
Explain / Give a reason පැහැදිලි කරන්න. / හේතුවක් දෙන්න.
Say why or how. Do not give only a name.
Compare සසඳන්න.
Show similarities and/or differences as the task asks.
Suggest යෝජනා කරන්න.
Give a suitable idea or action.
Write in your own words ඔබේම වචනවලින් ලියන්න.
Keep the meaning; do not copy the whole sentence.
Check the number: 'Give two reasons' needs two reasons. Check the form: 'Write a notice' needs a notice. Follow the word limit on your own question paper.
3. Do, does and did
වර්තමාන සරල කාලයේ ප්‍රශ්න සඳහා do හෝ does යොදන්න. අතීත සරල කාලයේ ප්‍රශ්න සඳහා did යොදන්න.
Choose the helper
Present: I / you / we / they → do
Present: he / she / it → does
Past: all subjects → did
Questions
Do you read every day? Yes, I do.
Does she read every day? Yes, she does.
Did they read yesterday? Yes, they did.
Use the base verb after do / does / did
She reads. → Does she read?
He went home. → Did he go home?
Not: Did he went? Correct: Did he go?
Not: Does she reads? Correct: Does she read?
Negatives
I do not play today. She does not play today.
They did not play yesterday.
Short forms: don’t / doesn’t / didn’t.
With be, ask directly
Is she ready? Was he late?
Do not write: Does she is ready?
Try: ___ he like stories? / ___ they visit yesterday? Answers: Does / Did. does හෝ did පසු ක්‍රියාපදයේ මුල් ස්වරූපය යොදන්න: go, read, write.
4. Have, has and had
යමක් තිබෙන බව කියන විට I, you, we, they සමඟ have ද he, she, it සමඟ has ද යොදන්න. අතීතයේ had යොදන්න.
Choose the form
I / you / we / they → have
He / she / it → has
Past: all subjects → had
Possession
I have a pen. She has a blue bag.
We have two books. He had a bicycle last year.
Questions about possession
Do you have a pen?
Does she have a blue bag?
Did he have a bicycle last year?
Negatives
I do not have a pen.
She does not have a blue bag.
He did not have a bicycle last year.
A different use: have / has + past participle
I have finished my work. She has finished her work.
Here have / has helps to form the present perfect. Learn this pattern separately from possession.
After does / did, use have: Does she have ...? Did he have ...? Try: She ___ a ruler. They ___ two pens. Answers: has / have.
5. Be and clear sentences
am, is, are, was, were යන පද කර්තෘට සහ කාලයට ගැළපෙන ලෙස යොදන්න.
Now and past
Now: I am | he / she / it is | you / we / they are
Past: I / he / she / it was | you / we / they were
Examples
I am ready. She is kind. They are at school.
He was tired yesterday. We were early.
Questions: move be before the subject
She is ready. → Is she ready?
They were late. → Were they late?
Negatives: add not after be
She is not ready. They were not late.
A clear sentence needs a subject and a verb
Not: My friend very kind.
Correct: My friend is very kind.
Not: She go to school every day.
Correct: She goes to school every day.
Present simple with he / she / it
read → reads | go → goes | study → studies
After does, use the base verb: Does she study?
Try: I ___ a pupil. They ___ at home yesterday. Answers: am / were.
6. Spelling and checking
වචනය බලන්න. කියන්න. වසා මතකයෙන් ලියන්න. පසුව ආදර්ශය සමඟ සසඳන්න.
Look → Say → Cover → Write → Check
Practise five useful words at a time. Write a short sentence with each word. Keep a personal list of words you often misspell.
Common mistakes → correct spelling
becouse → because | freind → friend
recieve → receive | seperate → separate
beautifull → beautiful | begining → beginning
writting → writing | studys → studies
Useful patterns
Consonant + y: study → studies.
Vowel + y: play → plays.
Drop final e before -ing: write → writing.
Some words are irregular: go → went; have → had.
One spelling rule does not fit every word.
Final check
1. Did I answer the question?
2. Did I include every requested detail?
3. Do the subject and verb agree?
4. Is the tense suitable?
5. Are spelling, capitals and punctuation correct?
Practise: because, friend, receive, separate, beautiful. Use each word in your own short sentence.
Then, build a clear written answer
Read → plan → say your idea → write → check. Follow the instructions and word limit on your own paper. These original examples are learning steps, not official past papers or marking schemes.
Essays and paragraphsරචනා සහ ඡේද
Write about one main idea. Plan a beginning, a middle and an ending. Add a reason or an example after each main point.
මුලින් අදහස් තුනක් ලියන්න. ඉන්පසු ආරම්භය, මැද කොටස සහ අවසානය පිළිවෙළට ලියන්න.
A simple plan
- Beginning: What is your topic?
- Middle: Give two or three details. Explain why they matter.
- Ending: Give your final thought.
Try this task
Write a short essay about a place you enjoy visiting. Say where it is, what you do there and why you like it.
Plan: Place: village library | Activities: read and borrow books | Reason: quiet and helpful
Worked example
My favourite place is the small library near my home. I go there on Saturday mornings with my sister. It is quiet and bright.
First, I choose a storybook. Then I sit near a window and read. If I do not understand a word, I write it in my notebook. The librarian helps me find its meaning. I also borrow one book to read at home.
I like the library because I can learn at my own pace. Each visit gives me a new idea. I hope more children will use our library.
Why it works: The answer names the place, describes activities and gives reasons. The ending returns to the main topic.
Check: Stay on the topic. Use paragraphs. Check the tense, capital letters and full stops.
Reading passages and answering questionsපාඨ කියවා ප්‍රශ්නවලට පිළිතුරු ලිවීම
Read the question. Find the matching part of the passage. Use only the information needed. A 'why' question asks for a reason.
ප්‍රශ්නය කියවා පිළිතුර ඇති තැන පාඨයෙන් සොයන්න. හේතුව අසන විට හේතුව ලියන්න.
A simple plan
- Who? Find a person. Where? Find a place.
- When? Find a time. Why? Find a reason.
- How many? Find a number. Check whether a full sentence is requested.
Try this task
Read the passage and answer the three questions.
Plan: Underline people, days and reasons before answering.
Worked example
Class 8B started a small garden behind the science room. On Tuesday, the students planted bean seeds in six pots. Nadee brought the seeds, and Arun made labels for the pots. The class watered the plants every morning. They kept the pots near a window because the plants needed light. After a week, small green shoots appeared.
Questions
1. Where was the garden?
2. How many pots did the students use?
3. Why did they keep the pots near a window?
See worked answers
1. It was behind the science room.
2. They used six pots.
3. They kept them there because the plants needed light.
Why it works: The first answer gives a place. The second gives a number. The third gives the reason stated in the passage.
Check: Do not add facts that are missing from the passage. Read the question again after writing.
Storiesකතා ලිවීම
Give your story a setting, a problem, an action and an ending. Use time words to make the order clear.
කතාව සිදු වූ තැන සහ වේලාව සඳහන් කරන්න. ගැටලුව, කළ දේ සහ අවසානය පිළිවෙළට ලියන්න.
A simple plan
- One day ... / Last Saturday ...
- Suddenly ... / At first ... / Then ...
- Finally ... / In the end ...
Try this task
Write a story about finding a lost animal and helping it.
Plan: Setting: after school | Problem: lost puppy | Action: ask an adult | Ending: owner found
Worked example
One afternoon, I heard a soft cry near our gate. A small puppy was hiding under a bush. It had a collar, but I could not see an address.
I called my mother instead of trying to pick it up. She placed a bowl of water nearby and spoke to our neighbours. Soon, a woman came down the road looking worried. She showed us a photograph of her puppy. It was the same animal.
The puppy ran towards her when she called its name. She thanked us for helping. I felt happy because we had asked for help and brought them together again.
Why it works: The problem is solved through a clear action. The story has a setting and a complete ending.
Check: Keep the main events in the past tense. Give the story an ending that fits the problem.
Dialoguesසංවාද ලිවීම
Think about who is speaking and what each person wants. Write a natural reply to the line before it. Give each speaker a separate line.
කතා කරන අය සහ ඔවුන්ට අවශ්‍ය දේ හඳුනාගන්න. පෙර ප්‍රකාශයට ගැළපෙන පිළිතුරක් ලියන්න.
A simple plan
- Start politely: Hello. / Excuse me.
- Ask or explain: Could you ...? / I need ...
- Reply and finish: Certainly. / Thank you.
Try this task
Write a dialogue in which a pupil asks a teacher to explain a task again.
Plan: Need: understand instruction | Request: repeat first step | Result: pupil knows what to do
Worked example
Pupil: Excuse me, Miss. Could you explain the first step again?
Teacher: Of course. First, read the short passage.
Pupil: Should I answer the questions before reading it?
Teacher: No. Read it first. Then answer the questions below it.
Pupil: May I underline useful words?
Teacher: Yes, you may. That can help you find the answers.
Pupil: Thank you. I understand what to do now.
Teacher: You are welcome. Start with the first paragraph.
Why it works: The pupil explains the difficulty and asks a clear, polite question. Each answer fits the previous line.
Check: Use speaker names consistently. A question must receive a suitable reply.
Formal lettersවිධිමත් ලිපි
Write politely to a person in an official role. State your purpose early. Include the details the reader needs and a clear request.
ලිපිය ලියන හේතුව මුලින් සඳහන් කරන්න. අවශ්‍ය තොරතුරු සහ ඉල්ලීම ආචාරශීලීව ලියන්න.
A simple plan
- Your address → date → receiver's role and address
- Dear Sir or Madam, → subject → purpose → details → request
- Yours faithfully, + name. With a named recipient: Dear Ms Perera / Yours sincerely.
Try this task
As English Club secretary at Lakeview School, ask the principal for permission to use the library for a reading activity on 15 January 2027.
Plan: Purpose: permission | Date and place | Adult supervision | Clear request
Worked example
The English Club
Lakeview School
Malabe
5 January 2027
The Principal
Lakeview School
Malabe
Dear Sir or Madam,
Request to use the library
I am writing to request permission to use the school library for a reading activity on 15 January 2027 from 2.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Twenty club members will take part. Our English teacher will supervise the activity. We will read short stories and discuss new words. We will leave the room clean and return all books to their places.
Please let us know whether we may use the library.
Yours faithfully,
N. Silva
Secretary, English Club
Why it works: The letter gives the event, date, time, number of pupils and supervision. It ends with a specific request.
Check: Use an appropriate greeting and closing. Follow any layout or address supplied in the question.
Informal lettersපෞද්ගලික ලිපි
Write in a friendly way to someone you know. Begin with a greeting, explain your reason for writing and include all the requested details.
හඳුනන කෙනෙකුට මිත්‍රශීලීව ලියන්න. ලිපිය ලියන හේතුව සහ ප්‍රශ්නයේ ඉල්ලා ඇති තොරතුරු ඇතුළත් කරන්න.
A simple plan
- Your address → date → Dear + first name,
- Friendly opening → main message in paragraphs
- Best wishes, / With love, + first name
Try this task
Invite your friend to a small birthday gathering. Give the date, time and place, and ask for a reply.
Plan: Invitation | When and where | Simple activity | Reply
Worked example
12 Garden Road
Malabe
4 January 2027
Dear Amaya,
How are you? I am having a small birthday gathering at my home on 16 January. It will start at 4.00 p.m. and finish at 6.00 p.m. I would love you to come.
We will play a few games and share some snacks. You do not need to bring a present. Please ask your parents to contact my mother about the arrangements.
Please tell me by 10 January whether you can come. I hope to see you soon.
Best wishes,
Nethmi
Why it works: The invitation includes the date, time, place and reply request. The language suits a friend.
Check: Keep the relationship and purpose clear. Include the important details, even when the tone is friendly.
Notes and short messagesකෙටි පණිවිඩ
Keep a note brief. Say who it is for, give the essential message and add your name. Include a time or place when needed.
පණිවිඩය කෙටියෙන් ලියන්න. කාටද, කුමක්ද, කවදාද සහ කොතැනද යන අවශ්‍ය තොරතුරු ඇතුළත් කරන්න.
A simple plan
- Name of reader,
- Reason + key detail + action needed
- Your name
Try this task
Leave a note for your friend. Your study group will meet in the library instead of Room 4 at 2.00 p.m.
Plan: New place | Same time | What to bring
Worked example
Dear Sahan,
Our study group will meet in the library today instead of Room 4. The time is still 2.00 p.m. Please bring your English workbook. I will wait near the library door.
Nimal
Why it works: The note gives the changed place and confirms the time. It clearly tells the friend what to bring.
Check: A short note still needs clear sentences. Make sure the reader knows what to do.
Noticesදැන්වීම්
A notice gives information to a group. Use a clear heading. Include the event, date, time, place and the action readers should take.
දැන්වීමේ මාතෘකාව පැහැදිලිව ලියන්න. අවස්ථාව, දිනය, වේලාව, ස්ථානය සහ කළ යුතු දේ සඳහන් කරන්න.
A simple plan
- NOTICE → clear event heading
- What? Who? When? Where? What should readers do?
- Issuer's name or role + date of notice
Try this task
Prepare a notice inviting Grades 6-8 pupils to a reading club meeting on 20 January 2027 at 2.00 p.m. in the library.
Plan: Audience | Event details | Bring a book | Issuer
Worked example
NOTICE
English Reading Club Meeting
Pupils in Grades 6-8 are invited to our next reading club meeting.
Date: 20 January 2027
Time: 2.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Place: School library
Please bring a short storybook and a notebook. Give your name to your English teacher by 18 January.
Secretary, English Club
12 January 2027
Why it works: The audience and event details are easy to find. The notice gives a registration deadline.
Check: Check that the notice date comes before the event. Do not leave out the place or time.
Formal and informal emailsවිධිමත් සහ පෞද්ගලික ඊමේල්
Use a useful subject line. Choose a greeting that suits the reader. Put your purpose near the beginning and finish with your name.
විෂය පේළියෙන් පණිවිඩයේ අරමුණ දක්වන්න. ලබන්නාට ගැළපෙන ආමන්ත්‍රණයක් සහ අවසානයක් යොදන්න.
A simple plan
- To: → Subject: → greeting
- Purpose → essential details → request or next step
- Suitable closing → your name
Try this task
Email Ms Perera to ask whether the writing task should be an essay or a story. Mention the task and say what you understand so far.
Plan: Formal tone | State uncertainty | Ask one clear question
Worked example
To: teacher@example.com
Subject: Question about the English writing task
Dear Ms Perera,
I am writing about the task called 'An Unforgettable Day'. I understand that we should write about 120 words for this class activity. Could you please tell me whether we should write an essay or a story?
I have made a list of ideas, but I would like to check the task before I begin.
Thank you for your help.
Kind regards,
Nethmi Silva
Grade 9B
Why it works: The email names the task and asks a precise question. The 120 words belong to this fictional class task, not an official exam rule.
Check: Formal emails need a polite tone. A friendly email still needs clear details. Follow the question's instructions.
Try a small activity
Choose an answer or type a spelling. Then select “Check my answers”. You can try again.
පිළිතුරු තෝරා හෝ ලියා පරීක්ෂා කරන්න. නැවත උත්සාහ කළ හැකිය.
Two free worksheets and separate answers
Worksheet 2: Reading, dialogues, stories and notices
Exactly 2 A4 pages. Answers are in a separate free PDF.
Download student worksheet 2 · වැඩපත්රයDownload separate answers 2 · පිළිතුරුAdditional 3 / 6 / 10 / 10+ sets with answers carry charges. Confirm availability, price and delivery before payment.
අමතර වැඩපත්‍ර කට්ටල සඳහා ගාස්තු අය කෙරේ. ගෙවීමට පෙර ලබාගත හැකි බව, මිල සහ ලබාදෙන ආකාරය තහවුරු කරගන්න.
Ask about extra practice on WhatsAppConfidence, social communication and exam habits
Ask for help
“Could you explain the first step, please?”
“Could you give me one example?”
“May I try again?”
නොතේරෙන විට නැවත පැහැදිලි කරන ලෙස හෝ උදාහරණයක් දෙන ලෙස ආචාරශීලීව ඉල්ලන්න.
Learn with others
Take turns. Listen to the other person. Give one kind suggestion. Invite someone who is alone to join a group.
මාරුවෙන් මාරුවට කතා කරන්න. අනෙකාට සවන් දෙන්න. කණ්ඩායමට එක්වීමට අන් අයටත් අවස්ථාව දෙන්න.
Before you submit
Read the task again. Check every requested point. Check verbs, spelling, capitals and punctuation. Leave checking time within your paper’s time limit.
භාරදීමට පෙර ප්‍රශ්නය නැවත කියවන්න. අවශ්‍ය සියලු කරුණු සහ වාක්‍යවල නිවැරදිතාව පරීක්ෂා කරන්න.
For parents and teachers
Show one example. Try one together. Let the learner try. Use short tasks, clear spacing and breaks as helpful. Praise a specific improvement and ask what support helps.
එක් උදාහරණයක් පෙන්වන්න. තවත් එකක් එක්ව කරන්න. ඉන්පසු දරුවාට තනිව උත්සාහ කිරීමට අවස්ථාව දෙන්න.
For a learner with additional educational needs, agree suitable practice with their teacher or support team. Ask the school in advance about examination arrangements.
Teaching approach reference: CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. The lessons and examples on this page are original EWS material.
EWS learning support books
EWS PUBLICATIONS · EWS-SUPPORT-001
Step-by-Step Exam Writing · Book 01
45 pages · 6 foundation lessons · 27 original worked examples across essays, passages, stories, dialogues, letters, notes, notices and emails.
ප්‍රශ්න වචන, අක්ෂර වින්‍යාසය සහ සරල වාක්‍යවලින් ආරම්භ කර විවිධ ලිවීමේ කාර්ය පුහුණු වන්න.
Rs. 1,000 · PDF edition · Indika Mallawarachchi
Order on WhatsApp · ඇණවුම් කිරීමට WhatsApp
Confirm availability and delivery before payment. How to pay · ගෙවීම් කරන ආකාරය
More focused titles can build on these foundations: spelling and sentences; essays and stories; reading and dialogues; letters, notes, notices and emails. Only the completed Book 01 is offered here.