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SubjectFree lesson

COMPREHENSION 1C

ClassNotes Team 13 MIN READUPDATED 7 JUL 2026

WEEK FOUR

THEME: READING

COMPREHENSION

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to;

  1. Read a given passage
  2. Answer specific questions

CONTENT

Read the passage below and answer questions.

Passage:

The Kingdom of Spain was created in 1492 with the unification of the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Aragon. For the next three centuries, Spain was the most important colonial power in the world. It was the most powerful state in Europe and the foremost global power during the 16th century and the greater part of the 17th century. Spain established a vast empire in the Americas, stretching from California to Patagonia, and colonies in the western Pacific.

Spain’s European wars, however, led to economic damage, and the latter part of the 17th century saw a gradual decline of power under an increasingly neglectful and inept Habsburg regime. The decline culminated in the War of the Spanish Succession, where Spain’s decline from the position of a leading Western power to that of a secondary one, was confirmed, although it remained the leading colonial power.

The end of the eighteenth and the start of the nineteenth centuries saw turmoil unleashed throughout Europe by the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, which finally led to a French occupation of much of the continent, including Spain. This triggered a successful but devastating war of independence that shattered the country and created an opening for what would ultimately be the successful independence of Spain’s mainland American colonies.

Following a period of growing political instability in the early twentieth century, in 1936 Spain was plunged into a bloody civil war. The war ended in a nationalist dictatorship, led by Francisco Franco which controlled the Spanish government until 1975.

Questions:

  1. What was the result of Napoleonic wars?
    1. A small part of the continent was occupied by French people
    2. Spain was occupied by the French
    3. War of independence was unable to yield any positive result
    4. American colonies were destroyed after the war
  2. What is the meaning of the term ‘culminated’?
    1. Follow a particular path
    2. Guide or transform
    3. Reach the highest point
    4. Introduce on a grand scale

     3. What is the summary of the passage?

    1. The rise and fall of a national empire
    2. The downfall of successive regimes in Spain
    3. The history of Spain
    4. Spain in the eighteenth century

     4. What occurred in the latter part of 17th century?

  1. War of succession confirmed the leading position of Spain
  2. Spain was no longer regarded as the ruling colonial power
  3. A vast empire was established in Europe
  4. Power steadily declined under the Habsburg regime

Answers:

b) Spain was occupied by the French.

b) Guide or transform

c) The history of Spain

d) Power steadily declined under the Habsburg regime

THEME: WRITING

DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to;

  1. Express themselves accurately through descriptive types  of composition
  2. Write punctuated sentences on a given topic.

CONTENT

Compositions nearly always have three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The first paragraph is often an introduction —a paragraph that introduces the topic says something interesting about it, and states the thesis. Following the introduction are several paragraphs called the body. These paragraphs give readers specific information about the topic, supporting and developing the thesis. The conclusion, which is often one paragraph, gives readers a final, interesting point to think about.

Learn to write the essay with this step-by-step guide Includes sample introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.

The main components of an essay include:

  1. Introduction paragraph that engages the reader and establishes the thesis. The thesis may be a question that you will later answer in the essay content, or it can be a statement that you support in the body paragraphs. If you are writing a story, your “thesis” may not be as apparent.

 

  1. 4-6 body paragraphs that provide evidence to back up your thesis. Each paragraph should be a cohesive element with an intro and conclusion. The body paragraphs should flow well from one point to the next.

 

  1. A conclusion paragraph that reminds the reader of the thesis and highlights key points from the body text. The conclusion should answer the question or complete the statement made in the introduction. It should give the reader a sense of closure and resolution.

Why Write an Essay Outline?

An essay outline will help you organize your main ideas and determine the order in which you are going to write about them. Writing an outline is a very effective way to think through how you will organize and present the information in your essay.

A Sample Essay

Competitive Swimming, an Ideal Sport for Kids

Introduction

State your point of view and/or present your persuasive argument.

Thesis: Competitive swimming is a great alternative to other youth sports.

Body Paragraph 1

Introduce your primary persuasive argument and provide supporting details.

Topic Sentence:  Competitive swimming provides the same benefits as other sports.

Detail Sentence 1:  It is good exercise and builds muscular strength.

Detail Sentence 2:  It promotes cooperation among team members, especially in relays.

Body Paragraph 2

Introduce a secondary argument and provide supporting details.

Topic Sentence:  Competitive swimming provides some unique additional benefits.

Detail Sentence 1:  Swimming is an important skill that can be used forever.

Detail Sentence 2:  Swimming poses a reduced risk of injury.

Detail Sentence 3:  Each swimmer can easily chart his or her own progress.

Conclusion

Conclude the essay with a summary of the thesis and persuasive arguments.

Concluding Sentence:  There are many reasons why competitive swimming is a great alternative to other youth sports, including...

Composition on my school library

My school library is one of the best among nearby college library or any public liberty of my town. The library of my school caters the needs of not only school students but it serves the needs of my entire city. Its public section is full of reading people every time. It has a beautiful two-story building with all the basic facilities

The good library is essential for every best school It is an important place where the students can find the books they want to read. it offers the variety of books where the reader can quench their reading thirst. An ideal library is one that is full of good books having an ideal reading environment.

My school library offers books in multiple varieties. It has a wonderful stock of books. It has separate sections for each book subject category. The children book section of the library has a lot of good books. It has novels, literature books, history books, old magazines, research papers, journals etc.

Apart from that, my school library is connected with the world’s biggest libraries online. It has millions of online books. The readers can read or print books online. In addition to that, my school library offers daily based all fresh newspapers, the latest magazines and new books.

My school library is managed by an experienced administrator. We are encouraged to read books on multiple topics. Our school has classes reserved for the library. Students are allowed to read books at the library or borrow books. This helps students in preparing the best way for the main exams.

The library has a useful value in our life. It is meant for storing and transforming knowledge from one generation to another. Keeping the libraries up to date has been our fine tradition. The library is important for students. It helps students with better exam preparation.

Therefore, a library is essential during one’s student life. In fact, the library is equally important for all, young as well old, children as well as adult students. It is the symbol of a great nation that its libraries are full of many people who feed on knowledge.

THEME: SPEECH WORK

DIPHTHONGS 2

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to;

  1. Identify diphthongs in passages
  2. Listen to and produce different speeches with reference to diphthongs

CONTENT

In English language, a diphthong is a one-syllable sound formed of two vowels.  In English pronunciation, there are eight different diphthong sounds.  For example:

The sound /ei/ in play has two vowel sounds, /e/ and /i/.

Types

There are two different types of diphthong, and these can be:

  1. Closing: this type of diphthong is the one in which the last vowel is near-high.  As the two vowels need to be lax, there are only two different possibilities [ɪ] and [ʊ].
  2. Centring: these ones end in a vowel [ə] (schwa).

It is important to mention that diphthongs [aɪ], [eɪ], [ɔɪ], and [aʊ] can be found in British and American English, and [əʊ] only in British.

 

Diphthongs and Gliding Vowels

A single vowel, such as the "O" or "I" in "oil" is called a monophthong (mono for one, di for two). An example of a monophthong is the "O" in "hop." But, when we move from one vowel sound to another, such as the "oi" in "oil," it's called gliding. As such, diphthongs are sometimes referred to as "gliding vowels."

Linguists love studying diphthongs because they vary between dialects, languages, and continents. For example, New Yorkers adopted a diphthong that features an "aw" sound. An example would be the way certain New Yorkers pronounce "dog" in a manner that sounds more like "dawg."

Likewise, folks over in Birmingham, England adopted a diphthong that features an "oi" sound, among others. An example would be how certain folks in Birmingham pronounce "nice" in a manner that sounds more like "noice."

The 8 English Diphthongs

You'll notice that, in some of the examples below, there's only one vowel. How can this be a diphthong, you say? Well, whenever there's movement in your mouth as you pronounce the letter and it makes a long vowel sound, it's mimicking two vowels. That's why the "di" or "two" remains, even though there may be only one vowel written.

Perhaps the easiest way to recognize a diphthong is to listen to the sound created by the vowel or vowels when you say it out loud. If the vowel sound changes, you've got yourself a diphthong. Without getting too detailed (or any more confusing), let's look at eight of the heavy-hitters.

/aɪ/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /i/, /igh/, and /y/ to form sounds similar to "eye." Here are a few more examples:

  • Cry
  • My
  • Like
  • Bright
  • Lime

/eɪ/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /ey/, /ay/, /ai/ and /a/ to form sounds similar to "great." Here are a few more examples:

  • Bake
  • Rain
  • Lay
  • Eight
  • Break

/əʊ/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /ow/, /oa/ and /o/ to form sounds similar to "boat." Here are a few more examples:

  • Go
  • Oh
  • Slow
  • Loan
  • Though

/aʊ/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /ou/ and /ow/ to form sounds similar to "ow!" Here are a few more examples:

  • Bound
  • House
  • Brown
  • How
  • Now

/eə/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /ai/, /a/, and /ea/ to form sounds similar to "air." Here are a few more examples:

  • Pair
  • Lair
  • Stare
  • Care
  • Bear

 

/ɪə/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /ee/, /ie/ and /ea/ to form sounds similar to "ear." Here are a few more examples:

  • Career
  • Here
  • Near
  • Year
  • Pier

/ɔɪ/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /oy/ and /oi/ to form sounds similar to "oil." Here are a few more examples:

  • Boy
  • Coy
  • Toy
  • Foil
  • Coin

/ʊə/

This diphthong uses letters and letter combinations like /oo/, /ou/, /u/, and /ue/ to form sounds similar to "cure." Here are a few more examples:

  • Fur
  • Sure
  • Lure
  • Pure
  • Manure

A passage highlighting diphthongs in bold.

The brown house looked dark in the night. An owl hooted somewhere nearby. John had doubts about anyone living in such an old building. He began to walk past it, when he heard a loud shout.

The boy thought about running, but what if someone was in trouble? That was no shout of joy. The voice sounded scared. Surely help was needed. Should he go get an adult to join him? No. He had to act fast. Listen. Bang! Another noise.

John climbed the stairs to the front door and began to knock. No answer. When he began to knock a second time, there was a cry from an open window above. John stepped back and tried to see who was there. He saw a pair of yellow eyes in the window. They belonged to a big black cat. Did the cat need help? No. Didn’t they say all cats have nine lives? So when John heard a man angrily shout, “Go away!” he did just that. He did not need to find out who lived in that old house.

THEME: GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY

ADVERBIAL

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to;

  1. Identify adverbials in sentences
  2. Make sentences with adverbials

CONTENT

In English grammar, an adverbial is an individual word (that is, an adverb), a phrase (an adverbial phrase), or a clause (an adverbial clause) that can modify a verb, an adjective, or a complete sentence.

Like almost any adverb, an adverbial can appear in many different positions in a sentence.

Examples and Observations

  • My sister usually visits on Sundays.
  • When she isn't working, my sister visits on Sundays.
  • My sister visits on Sundays when she isn't working.

The Difference Between Adverbs and Adverbials

"Adverbs and adverbials are similar but not the same. Though they share the same modifying function, their characters are different. An adverbial is a sentence element or functional category. It is a part of a sentence that performs a certain function. An adverb, on the other hand, is a type of word or part of speech. We can say that an adverb may serve as an adverbial, but an adverbial is not necessarily an adverb."

Placement of Adverbials

"In reality, adverbials are very free in their placement, appearing in different positions in the sentence, not just sentence-final:

  1. sentence-initial—[Yesterday], I ran a marathon.
  2. sentence-final—I ran a marathon [yesterday].
  3. preverbal—I [always] run well in the heat.
  4. postverbal—I handed the baton [quickly] to the next runner.
  5. within the verb group—I have [never] won a race.

What are Fronted Adverbials?

Fronted adverbials are single words that are used at the beginning of sentences to give more information about the action in the main clause. They are "fronted" because they have been moved to the front of the sentence, or in front of the verb. They must be followed by a comma.

 

Examples of Fronted Adverbials:

Fronted adverbials include the following words in bold:

  • Occasionally, she would share her sweets.
  • All of a sudden, he ran away.
  • Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it.