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Zephyr Learning - English and General Literacy Shop

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(based on 17 reviews)

I hold an MA in literature and a CELTA in language, and over the last 20 years I've taught language and literature in the UK and USA as well as ESOL in France and Tanzania. In addition to my work as a teacher, I am the Literacy and Grammar Consultant for Zephyr Learning and Professional Development. These resources have been refined in my own classroom and are the same ones I reference in my CPD for teachers. Prices for complete lessons are based on the current cost of an Americano at my local.

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I hold an MA in literature and a CELTA in language, and over the last 20 years I've taught language and literature in the UK and USA as well as ESOL in France and Tanzania. In addition to my work as a teacher, I am the Literacy and Grammar Consultant for Zephyr Learning and Professional Development. These resources have been refined in my own classroom and are the same ones I reference in my CPD for teachers. Prices for complete lessons are based on the current cost of an Americano at my local.
Speech marks / dialogue / direct speech
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Speech marks / dialogue / direct speech

(2)
(Starter or mini-lesson) Provides a quick revision of the guidelines for punctuating direct speech to encourage students to incorporate quotes/ dialogue in a creative writing task (e.g. English Language Paper 1 Section B). It’s in Powerpoint format; simply copy and paste into your own existing Powerpoint for a ready-to-use starter activity. If you find this useful, please leave a review to spread the word!
Prepositions & prepositional phrases
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Prepositions & prepositional phrases

(2)
Fully resourced grammar-for-writing lesson that teaches students about prepositions and prepositional phrases, then uses sentence combining exercises to provide practice in placing prepositional phrases at different points in the sentence. Very useful in helping students to achieve sentence variety on Section B of Paper 1 and Paper 2. The powerpoint includes a starter, an explanation of prepositions and prepositional phrases (with examples), instructions for the worksheet (with an example), a list of possible answers and a plenary. It also provides examples of misplaced phrases/modifiers to help students to recognise when they have not placed prepositional phrases in a sentence correctly.
Unseen Poetry - Response Planning Sheet
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Unseen Poetry - Response Planning Sheet

(2)
Straightforward planning guide for a response to two unseen poems. Students read the poems and answer the questions in the boxes provided. This should give them everything they need for a satisfactory response.
Of Mice and Men - Plot Sorting Task
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Of Mice and Men - Plot Sorting Task

(1)
Students place cards containing key events in the correct order on the A3 placemat or in their exercise books (they can work individually or in groups). This provides a straightforward and fun way to revise key events of the plot, and it helps students to place extracts in context when responding to the extract question and to organise essays chronologically when writing about a character or theme. I have included a Powerpoint slide show that explains the activity and which also provides the correct answers for assessment after students have completed the task. If you find this resource useful, please leave a review to help spread the word!
Adverbs and adverbials
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Adverbs and adverbials

(1)
A fully resourced grammar-for-writing lesson that teaches students what adverbs and adverbials are and then gives them practice with placing adverbials in different places within sentences (i.e. at the front (fronted adverbials), in the middle or at the end). I have found it particularly useful in preparing students for Section B of GCSE English Language Paper 1 and Paper 2. The powerpoint includes a starter, an explanation of adverbs and adverbials (with examples), instructions for the worksheet (with an example), a list of possible answers and a plenary.
Verbs - lesson & worksheet
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Verbs - lesson & worksheet

(1)
Fully resourced lesson. Students learn to identify the main verb in a sentence, no matter whether it is an action verb (a ‘doing word’) or a linking verb (a ‘being word’). The Powerpoint explains action verbs and linking verbs, with examples of each. Afterwards, students practise identifying the verbs in sentences on the exercise sheet (there are 40 sentences in total; you might wish to do only a portion at a time and spread the activity over a few lessons). More able students can be challenged to classify each verb as either an action or linking verb.
Full stops - lesson & worksheets
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Full stops - lesson & worksheets

(1)
Fully resourced lesson with Powerpoint presentation, worksheets and answer keys. Students learn to identify when a sentence has ended and a full stop is needed. For the final task, they must insert missing full stops in an article about RMS Titanic.
Simple and compound sentences bundle
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Simple and compound sentences bundle

4 Resources
Three lessons that teach students how to recognise, punctuate and compose simple and compound sentences. Each lesson includes worksheets with explanations, examples and practice exercises along with Powerpoint presentations that can be used to guide the lesson and display correct answers. Lessons are organised as follows: Lesson 1: how to recognise when a simple sentence is complete and requires a full stop. For the final task students are given an informative article about the Titanic which contains no full stops or sentence-signaling capital letters. They must insert full stops in the correct places. Lesson 2: how coordinating conjunctions can be used to combine simple sentences into compound sentences (and when joining commas should be included). Students are given pairs of simple sentences which they then join with coordinating conjunctions, inserting joining commas as appropriate. Lesson 3: how semi-colons can be used to join simple sentences to form compound sentences. Students practise using semi-colons and linking adverbs to combine simple sentences into compound sentences. I have also added a bonus resource examining simple sentences that do not follow conventional word order (i.e. questions, imperatives and inverted sentences). It includes two pages of explanation and examples followed by an exercise designed to help the teacher assess students’ ability to identify the subject in sentences with unconventional word order.
Compound sentences  / joining commas
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Compound sentences / joining commas

(1)
This fully resourced grammar-for-writing lesson teaches students how to use coordinating conjunctions (and, when applicable, joining commas) to combine simple sentences to form compound sentences. *NOTE: Instead of using the American acronym FANBOYS in this lesson, I have included the more UK-appropriate ANTBOYS (most American dictionaries do not recognise 'then' as a coordinating conjunction, whereas the British council and most UK dictionaries do. Also, although 'for' is recognised as a coordinating conjunction on both sides of the Atlantic, it is almost never used in contemporary writing. As this is a grammar for writing rather than a sentence-parsing lesson, the archaic 'for' has been omitted and the British conjunction 'then' has been included, thus 'ANTBOYS'). With this in mind, teachers in North America or ESOL teachers teaching North American English may wish to hide, delete or replace the slide in the powerpoint in which I have listed the coordinating conjunctions most commonly used in the UK.
Compound sentences / semi-colons
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Compound sentences / semi-colons

(1)
Fully resourced lesson that teaches students how to use semi-colons to combine simple sentences into compound sentences. It also teaches them about conjunctive/linking adverbs (e.g. ‘however,’ ‘besides,’ ‘likewise,’ ‘consequently,’ ‘instead,’ etc.) and how they can be added immediately after semi-colons to clarify meaning. Resources include printable explanations and practice exercises along with a Powerpoint presentation that can be used to guide students through the lesson (the Powerpoint includes the answers for the exercises on the worksheet).
Full stops - lesson & worksheet
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Full stops - lesson & worksheet

(1)
Fully resourced lesson - students use their knowledge of sentence structure to replace the missing full stops in an article taken from the BBC Wales website. Students start by circling the subject of each sentence and underlining the predicate (the verb and all the words that work with the verb to say something about the subject); they then add full stops and capital letters to separate the sentences from one another.
Participles & participle clauses
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Participles & participle clauses

(1)
Fully resourced grammar for writing lesson; teaches students what participles are and how they can be used to enhance description and sentence variety, useful on Section B of both English Language Paper 1 and Paper 2. The worksheet consists of sentence combining exercises designed to give students practice in constructing participles and participle clauses. The powerpoint includes a starter activity, an explanation of participles and participle clauses with examples, instructions on how to complete the worksheet with examples, possible answers and a plenary.
British Literary Periods
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British Literary Periods

(0)
A summary of major periods in British Literature from 1485 to the Twentieth Century in six pages, originally created for use with 11th and 12th grade / Sixth Form students but useful for helping all students of British Literature to place and understand works within a historical context.
Adverbials at the ends of sentences
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Adverbials at the ends of sentences

(0)
This complete lesson: explains what an adverbial is, gives students practice identifying adverbials, challenges students to construct their own adverbial phrases and clauses. The lesson was prepared and delivered during lockdown, so it is very straightforward and tailored for direct delivery. If you find it useful, please spread the word by leaving a positive review!
Grammar knowledge organisers - words, phrases, clauses and sentences
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Grammar knowledge organisers - words, phrases, clauses and sentences

4 Resources
The fundamentals of English Grammar on three colourful A4 handouts, plus a bonus handout explaining the different types of subordinate clauses for more advanced students. Equip your students with meta-language that will enhance their analysis and understanding of English and prepare them for exams.
Word Classes (Lexis) Knowledge Organiser
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Word Classes (Lexis) Knowledge Organiser

(0)
Provides detailed explanations of the 9 word classes along with examples. It’s designed to be printed on the front and back of a single sheet of A4, and both colour and black and white versions are included (to make allowance for photocopying budgets at different schools). A useful resource for the cost of a cup of coffee! If you find this useful, please leave a review.
Appositives (nouns & noun phrases in apposition)
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Appositives (nouns & noun phrases in apposition)

(0)
Worksheet with explanation of the concept and 3 different exercises: Adding punctuation to sentences that contain noun phrases in apposition; Removing unnecessary uses of ‘who’ and ‘which’ to transform relative clauses into noun phrases in apposition; Combining sentences to create new sentences with nouns phrases in apposition. This resource can be used as the basis of an in-class lesson or as revision homework.