Unit notes and practice questions
Everything here is for unit 5 of the Grade 11 English textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.
The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 11 English page. Open one at a time.
When you use it
Use this when a sentence must say why something happens, or when an exercise asks you to find or complete a clause beginning with because, since, as, as long as or now that.
Watch out
A reason clause cannot stand alone. "Because the rain has stopped" is only a clause, so you must add a main clause to finish the sentence.
Drafted from Grade 11 English, pages 116-140, then checked twice before it went up
| Verb pattern | Verbs from the chapter |
|---|---|
| Gerund (-ing) only | admit, anticipate, can't see, complete, deny, encourage, enjoy, imagine |
| Infinitive (to) only | afford, aim, bother, care, fail, learn, hesitate, offer, prepare, volunteer |
| Both gerund and infinitive | quit, regret, remember, try, need, love, propose, neglect, prefer |
When you use it
Use this when you must put a verb into the -ing form or the to form after another verb, for example in a fill-in exercise. Check which of the three groups the first verb belongs to.
Watch out
Verbs in the last group take both forms, but the meaning changes. Do not treat them as interchangeable: I remembered to visit and I remembered visiting, I stopped to call and I stopped calling, I tried to open and I tried opening are different in meaning.
Drafted from Grade 11 English, pages 116-140, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this when you are asked to write an essay that argues for or against a statement. Follow the four stages of process writing and the introduction, body and conclusion structure.
Watch out
Do not introduce new information in the conclusion. Restate the arguments and show why the thesis is sound. Also check that every body paragraph has a topic sentence that links back to the thesis statement.
Drafted from Grade 11 English, pages 116-140, then checked twice before it went up
10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.
Question 1
According to the reading passage, what percent of areas equipped with modern irrigation technologies in Africa use pressurized irrigation equipment?
Answer: C 18 percent
Why
The passage says that on average, 18 percent of areas equipped with modern irrigation technologies in Africa now use pressurized irrigation equipment. The figures 2 percent and 12 percent are for Asia and the rest of the world, not Africa.
Question 2
In Niger, how many farms benefitted directly from water-spreading dams?
Answer: B 4,700 farms
Why
The passage says that over 4,700 farms in Niger benefitted directly from water-spreading dams. The number 2.2 is the new size of arable valley land in hectares, and 85 is the percent increase in millet yields.
Question 3
Which technique does the passage describe as the collecting, storing and using of rainwater?
Answer: D Rainwater harvesting
Why
In paragraph 3, the passage defines rainwater harvesting as a technique used for collecting, storing and using rainwater for landscape irrigation and water-spreading dams. Flood recession and spate irrigation are basic techniques, and sprinklers are a modern pressurized technology.
Question 4
Choose the correct form to complete the sentence.
I promise ______ you tomorrow.
Answer: B to help
Why
The verb promise is followed by the infinitive, which is to plus the verb. So the correct sentence is "I promise to help you tomorrow."
Question 5
Choose the word that correctly completes the adverb clause of reason.
______ we live near the river, we often go for swimming.
Answer: A Since
Why
An adverbial clause of reason explains why the main action happens. Since shows the reason: we go swimming because we live near the river. Although shows contrast, and until shows time.
Question 6
In paragraph 2 of the reading passage, the writer says: "...basic or improvised techniques such as flood recession, spate irrigation, and use of wetlands, all of which are less productive and reliable..." What does all of which refer to?
Answer: C Flood recession, spate irrigation and use of wetlands
Why
The words all of which point back to the list just before them: flood recession, spate irrigation and use of wetlands. These are the basic or improvised techniques that the passage says are less productive and reliable.
Question 7
According to the passage, why does small-scale rainwater harvesting lose less water to evaporation than big dams?
Answer: B The rain is collected and stored locally through runoff from roofs or ground catchment.
Why
The passage says that small-scale rainwater harvesting loses less water to evaporation because the rain is collected and stored locally through runoff from roofs or ground catchment. Big dams collect and store water over large areas, which causes more loss.
Question 8
Look at this sentence: Stunned by the blow, Mike quickly gathered his senses.
What type of participle phrase is Stunned by the blow?
Answer: B Past participle phrase
Why
The verb stunned is in the past participle form, usually ending in -ed or -en. A perfect participle would start with having, and a present participle ends in -ing.
Question 9
Which sentence means that Hanna recalled a visit she had already made to her grandmother?
Answer: B Hanna remembered visiting her grandmother.
Why
When remember is followed by a gerund (visiting), the memory is of something that happened before. When it is followed by an infinitive (to visit), the person is recalling a duty or task that still needs to be done.
Question 10
In an argumentative essay, where is the thesis statement usually placed?
Answer: B As the last sentence of the introduction
Why
The unit says that a thesis statement is often the last sentence in an introduction. It states what the essay will argue. The first sentence of each body paragraph is a topic sentence, not the thesis.
The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.
Unit 5 runs from page 116 to page 140 of the Ministry of Education edition.
Ministry of Education edition, English, 290 pages
Temari turns this chapter into timed practice and marks it as you go, with an AI tutor to explain anything that did not land.
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