PNG Grade 8 English cheat sheet

Listening has three stages: pre-listening (predict from title and context), while-listening (note key words, numbers, names), post-listening (check notes against the task).

Speakers signal importance with stress, repetition, and phrases such as 'the main point is' or 'what matters most'; these mark answers in comprehension tasks.

Distinguish literal meaning from speaker attitude: rising intonation can signal doubt or a question, flat tone can signal boredom or disagreement.

In PNG classrooms, tok pisin and local languages may support discussion, but formal assessment responses are given in standard English.

A good oral presentation structure: greeting and topic statement, two or three main points with examples, then a short conclusion and invitation for questions.

Turn-taking rules: wait for a pause, acknowledge the previous speaker ('I agree with that, and...'), and keep contributions to the point.

Active listening behaviours: eye contact, nodding, paraphrasing back ('So you mean...'), and asking clarifying questions instead of guessing.

When giving instructions orally, use sequence markers (first, next, then, finally) and check understanding by asking a listener to repeat them.

Skimming means reading quickly for the general idea (title, first sentence of paragraphs); scanning means hunting for specific details such as dates or names.

Main idea is what the whole passage is about; a supporting detail proves or explains the main idea and cannot stand alone as the summary.

Context clues for an unknown word: definition clues ('is called', 'means'), example clues ('such as'), contrast clues ('however', 'unlike'), and general sense of the sentence.

Fact is verifiable and can be checked; opinion expresses a belief or judgement and often uses words like 'should', 'best', 'beautiful'.

Inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence in the text plus general knowledge; it is not stated directly but must be supported by the passage.

Sequence and cause-effect questions are answered by tracking signal words: because, therefore, as a result, after, before, since.

Summarising: state the main idea in one sentence, then add only the most important supporting points, using your own words.

Text features help locate information: headings, subheadings, captions, bold print, diagrams, index, and glossary.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence, two to four supporting sentences with detail or example, and a concluding sentence that links to the topic.

The writing process order is planning, drafting, revising, editing (spelling, grammar, punctuation), then publishing or presenting.

Narrative writing uses orientation (who, when, where), complication, and resolution, usually in past tense.

Expository or informative writing states a topic, explains it with facts and examples, and uses present tense and clear connectives.

Persuasive writing gives a clear position, reasons, evidence, and a counter-argument, using connectives like 'firstly', 'moreover', 'however', 'therefore'.

Formal letter layout: sender's address, date, receiver's address, salutation, body paragraphs, closing, and signature; informal letters omit addresses.

Cohesion is built with pronouns (he, it, they) and connectives (however, in addition, as a result) so sentences link rather than repeat.

Editing checklist: subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, capital letters for proper nouns, full stops and commas, and correct spelling of common words.

A sentence needs a subject and a finite verb and expresses a complete thought; a fragment lacks one of these, a run-on joins clauses without punctuation or conjunction.

Eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection; a word's part of speech depends on its job in the sentence.

Simple present for habits and facts ('she walks'), present continuous for actions now ('she is walking'), simple past for finished actions ('she walked').

Subject-verb agreement: singular subject takes singular verb; ignore phrases between them ('The box of books is heavy').

Active voice: subject does the action ('The boy kicked the ball'); passive voice: subject receives it ('The ball was kicked by the boy').

Direct speech uses quotation marks and a comma before the spoken words; reported speech shifts tense back ('I am tired' becomes 'she said she was tired').

Articles: 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds, 'the' for specific or already-mentioned nouns.

Comparatives: short adjectives add -er/-est; longer adjectives use more/most; irregular forms include good-better-best and bad-worse-worst.

Synonyms have similar meanings (big/large); antonyms have opposite meanings (hot/cold); homophones sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning (their/there/they're).

Prefixes change meaning: un-, dis-, mis- (not or wrong), re- (again), pre- (before); suffixes change word class: -ness, -ment, -tion make nouns, -ful, -ous make adjectives.

Spelling rule: drop final silent e before a vowel suffix (make → making); keep it before a consonant suffix (hope → hopeful).

Doubling rule: double the final consonant when a one-syllable word ends in consonant-vowel-consonant before a vowel suffix (run → running, big → bigger).

'i' before 'e' except after 'c' (believe, receive), with exceptions such as 'seize' and 'weird'.

Plural rules: add -s normally, -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; change consonant + y to -ies (baby → babies); some nouns are irregular (child → children).

Use a dictionary entry for spelling, syllable division, pronunciation, part of speech, and example sentence; a thesaurus gives synonyms, not definitions.

Formal vocabulary suits reports and letters; informal or slang words suit dialogue and personal writing, so match word choice to audience.

Plot stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution; the climax is the point of highest tension, not the ending.

Setting is time and place, including social and cultural context; it can shape mood and characters' choices.

Characterisation is direct (the narrator tells us) or indirect (we infer from speech, actions, and others' reactions).

Theme is the underlying message about life or human nature; it is a full statement ('loyalty survives hardship'), not a single word.

Figurative language: simile uses like/as, metaphor states one thing is another, personification gives human qualities to objects, hyperbole exaggerates.

Poetry devices: rhyme, rhythm, alliteration (repeated initial consonants), onomatopoeia (sound words), and stanza as the verse paragraph.

Point of view: first person uses 'I' and is limited; third-person omniscient knows all characters' thoughts; third-person limited follows one character.

Irony is a contrast between expectation and reality; foreshadowing is a hint about later events; both require evidence from the text to explain.