ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDY NOTES FOR JSS 1 (GRADE 7)

TERM: Second Term
SUBJECT: English Language
CLASS: JSS 1 (Grade 7)
SCHEME OF WORK: Nigerian National Curriculum

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TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO CONSONANT SOUNDS

What are Consonant Sounds?

Consonant sounds are speech sounds produced by completely or partially obstructing the flow of air coming from the lungs through the mouth or nose. Unlike vowels (where air flows freely), consonants involve the teeth, tongue, or lips touching.

In English, there are 24 consonant sounds, even though there are only 21 consonant letters in the alphabet.

Classification of Consonants (The Basics)

1. Voiced Consonants: These create a vibration in your throat (vocal cords).
   • Example: /b/ as in Boy, /d/ as in Dog.
2. Voiceless Consonants: These are produced just with air; no vibration in the throat.
   • Example: /p/ as in Pen, /t/ as in Tap.

Examples of Common Consonant Sounds

Illustration: Try placing your hand on your throat while saying "S-S-S" (Voiceless). Now say "Z-Z-Z" (Voiced). You will feel the "Z" buzzing!

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TOPIC 2: GRAMMAR — THE PASSIVE VOICE

Active vs. Passive Voice

• Active Voice: The subject of the sentence does the action.
  • Example: Tolu ate the mango. (Tolu is the doer).
• Passive Voice: The subject of the sentence receives the action.
  • Example: The mango was eaten by Tolu. (The mango is the receiver).

How to Form the Passive Voice

To change a sentence from Active to Passive:

1. Move the Object to the front (it becomes the new subject).
2. Add the verb "to be" (is, am, are, was, were) in the correct tense.
3. Change the main verb to its Past Participle (e.g., eaten, broken, taken).
4. Add "by" before the original doer.

Examples Table

Why use Passive Voice? We use it when the person doing the action is unknown or not important.

• Example: "The bank was robbed." (We don't know who did it).

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TOPIC 3: VOCABULARY — KITCHEN WORDS

The kitchen is a room where food is prepa