A compound joins two words to make a word with its own meaning.
A 'raincoat' is a coat used for protection from rain.
Some compounds are written as one word, some as two words, and some with a hyphen; check a current dictionary when uncertain.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
rain + coat → raincoat
Moderate / Add a little
sun + flower → sunflower
More detail for teachers and confident learners
A compound joins two words to make a word with its own meaning. A 'raincoat' is a coat used for protection from rain. Some compounds are written as one word, some as two words, and some with a hyphen; check a current dictionary when uncertain. Combining the separate meanings may help, but it does not always predict the full meaning. A 'butterfly' is not a fly made from butter. Read the compound in a sentence and learn its usual written form.
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 3, connect this skill to a short story or a familiar school activity. Move from an oral explanation to a few connected written sentences, keeping events and references clear. A partner should be able to explain the main meaning after hearing or reading the response once. Revisit any wording that causes a different interpretation.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
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 3, connect this skill to a short story or a familiar school activity. Move from an oral explanation to a few connected written sentences, keeping events and references clear. A partner should be able to explain the main meaning after hearing or reading the response once. Revisit any wording that causes a different interpretation.
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 bird sings', the subject tells us who or what the sentence is about, and the verb tells us what happens.
A capital letter begins the written sentence, and a full stop can close a statement. 'The small bird' names something but does not yet tell us what it does.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
The small bird sings.
Moderate / Add a little
My brother likes mangoes.
More detail for teachers and confident learners
A sentence expresses a complete thought. In 'The bird sings', the subject tells us who or what the sentence is about, and the verb tells us what happens. A capital letter begins the written sentence, and a full stop can close a statement. 'The small bird' names something but does not yet tell us what it does. Add a verb and a complete idea: 'The small bird sings.' Say a sentence aloud before writing it, then reread it to check that nothing essential is missing.
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 3, connect this skill to a short story or a familiar school activity. Move from an oral explanation to a few connected written sentences, keeping events and references clear. A partner should be able to explain the main meaning after hearing or reading the response once. Revisit any wording that causes a different interpretation.
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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