Free short notes and revision cards
Grade 9 English on Temari has 27 revision cards, arranged by the chapters of the Ethiopian national curriculum. Every card says when the rule applies, what each symbol in it stands for, and the mistake students most often make with it. They are free to read and need no account.
The Grade 9 English textbook is on this page as a free PDF, Ministry of Education edition, 235 pages. Go to the download
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When you use it
Use to ask for confirmation or check agreement at the end of a sentence.
Watch out
Positive statements take negative tags, and negative statements take positive tags. The tag for 'I am' is 'aren't I', not 'amn't I'.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 1-31, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use Simple Present for habitual actions and routines. Use Present Continuous for actions happening right now or definite future arrangements.
Watch out
In Simple Present, singular subjects (he, she, it) require adding -s or -es to the verb, while negative forms use does not instead of do not.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 1-31, then checked twice before it went up
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| act out | perform something with actions and gestures |
| act on | take action because of information received |
| act up | behave badly or strangely |
| add on | include |
| add up | make a mathematical total |
| aim at | target |
| allow for | include something in a plan or calculation |
| allow of | make possible, permit |
| back away | retreat or go backwards |
| back down | retract or withdraw a position in an argument |
| back up | make a copy of computer data |
When you use it
Use when combining a verb with a preposition or adverb to express specific contextual actions.
Watch out
Adding a preposition changes the meaning completely from the base verb.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 1-31, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use addition connectors to add related ideas, and sequence connectors to order events or steps logically in a text.
Watch out
Do not use contrast connectors like however or but when adding supporting information to a preceding point.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 32-59, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use frequency adverbs like always, usually, often, sometimes, and never with the simple present to state how regularly an action happens.
Watch out
Place frequency adverbs before the main verb, but position them after auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, and the verb be.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 32-59, then checked twice before it went up
| Collocation Type | Examples | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective + Noun | heavy rain, strong wind, big mistake, rich culture | Natural modifier and noun pairings |
| Verb + Preposition | blow out, break down, break in, break out | Phrasal verbs expressing specific actions |
When you use it
Use fixed pairings of words to write and speak naturally without inventing unnatural word combinations.
Watch out
Do not translate combinations literally from another language, because specific adjectives pair only with particular nouns.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 32-59, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this rule to combine independent and dependent clauses correctly using conjunctions.
Watch out
Do not forget a comma when a subordinate clause appears before the main clause in a complex sentence.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 60-85, then checked twice before it went up
| Modal Verb | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Can | Ability, permission, offers | Almaz can swim. |
| Could | Past ability, requests, possibility | Zeberga could swim when he was four. |
| May / Might | Permission, possibility | May I borrow your dictionary? |
| Must | Obligation, logical deduction | Dogs must be kept on a lead. |
| Mustn't | Prohibition | You mustn't tell Nisredin. |
| Should / Ought to | Advice, logical deduction | You should do your homework every day. |
| Shall / Will | Future, suggestions, offers | Shall we begin the meeting tomorrow? |
When you use it
Use modal verbs before base verbs to express ability, permission, obligation, advice, or possibility.
Watch out
Do not confuse mustn't (prohibition) with don't have to (lack of necessity).
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 60-85, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use this rule to decide whether pitch rises or falls at the end of spoken questions.
Watch out
Wh-questions normally take falling intonation, but take rising intonation when asking for confirmation.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 60-85, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use when writing personal letters to friends, family members, or relatives.
Watch out
Do not skip the sender address and date at the top before writing the salutation.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 86-105, then checked twice before it went up
| Pair | Example | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| both...and | She is both kind and helpful. | Joins two equal parts. When it joins two subjects the verb is always plural. |
| either...or | You can take either the pen or the pencil. | Offers one choice out of two. With two subjects the verb agrees with the nearer one. |
| neither...nor | Neither he nor she came. | Rules out both. With two subjects the verb agrees with the nearer one. |
| not only...but also | He is not only clever but also hardworking. | Adds a second point. The same kind of word follows each half. |
| as...as | He is as tall as his brother. | Compares two things that are equal. |
| so...that | He was so tired that he fell asleep. | So takes an adjective or an adverb, and that introduces the result. |
| such...that | It was such a cold day that we stayed inside. | Such takes a or an plus an adjective plus a noun, and that introduces the result. |
| rather...than | I would rather stay home than go out. | States a preference between two options. |
| whether...or | Tell me whether you will come or not. | Sets out two possibilities. |
| not...but | Not he but his friend did it. | Rules out the first part and states the second. |
When you use it
Use these ten pairs when one sentence joins two equal parts and the link needs both of its halves, as in both Almaz and Kebede, or neither he nor she. Each pair carries its own rule about the verb or about the words that follow, so choose the pair first and build the sentence around it.
Watch out
Students see two subjects, make the verb plural and write "Neither you nor I are wrong" or "Either the teacher or the students is late". With either...or and neither...nor the verb ignores the far subject and agrees with the nearest one: "Neither you nor I am wrong", "Either the teacher or the students are late". Swap the two subjects around and the verb changes with them. Both...and works the opposite way and is always plural, so "Both John and Jim are here" is right for a different reason. The other common slip is breaking the parallel halves. Write "He is not only clever but also hardworking", with an adjective on each side, rather than "He not only is clever but also hardworking".
When you use it
Use when forming questions and negative statements in the simple present tense.
Watch out
Do not keep the s or es ending on the main verb after does or doesn't.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 86-105, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use when showing how often an action happens in a sentence.
Watch out
Place the adverb after the verb be, but place it before ordinary main verbs.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 86-105, then checked twice before it went up
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ante- | before, preceding | ante-room |
| anti- | opposing, against | anti-aircraft, antibiotic |
| en- | put into, on | enlighten, engulf |
| dis- | negation, removal | disagree, disadvantage |
| un- | not | unacceptable, unreal |
When you use it
Consult this list to understand how added word beginnings change word meanings.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 106-122, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use the first conditional to talk about a possible future action and its likely result.
Watch out
Do not put will in the if clause. The if clause takes simple present, while the main clause takes will plus the base verb.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 106-122, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use the zero conditional to describe scientific facts, general truths, and situations where one action always causes another.
Watch out
Both clauses must take simple present verbs. Put a comma after the if clause only when it begins the sentence.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 106-122, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use to describe hypothetical, unreal, or unlikely situations in the present or future.
Watch out
Do not put would in the if clause. Use the simple past in the if clause and would, could, or might with the base verb in the main clause.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 123-140, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use to talk about past events that did not happen and their impossible results.
Watch out
Do not forget have after the modal verb in the main clause. The structure requires had with a past participle in the if clause, and would have with a past participle in the main clause.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 123-140, then checked twice before it went up
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come across | find by chance |
| come about | happen or occur |
| come apart | separate into pieces |
| close off | block access |
| drop off | fall asleep |
| drop out | stop attending or quit |
| drop in | visit casually |
When you use it
Use these multi word verbs in reading comprehension, vocabulary matching, and sentence completion exercises.
Watch out
The meaning of a phrasal verb is often completely different from the base verb alone.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 141-159, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use these modal verbs to express rules, personal duties, prohibitions, or lack of necessity.
Watch out
Must not means you are forbidden to do something. Do not have to and need not mean it is optional or unnecessary.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 141-159, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use when joining two sentences or adding descriptive clauses using relative pronouns like who, which, that, or whose.
Watch out
Do not use commas in defining relative clauses because the information is essential. Non-defining clauses require commas and cannot use the pronoun that.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 160-179, then checked twice before it went up
| Function | For People | For Things |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | who, that | which, that |
| Object | whom, who, that | which, that |
| Possessive | whose | whose, of which |
When you use it
Use this table to choose the correct relative pronoun based on whether the antecedent is a person or thing, and its grammatical role.
Watch out
Whom is used for people as an object, especially after prepositions. Whose shows possession for both people and things.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 160-179, then checked twice before it went up
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| drop in | stop and visit |
| drop out | leave school or activity |
| dry out | dry something fully |
| come down with | catch an illness |
| come across | find by chance |
| come up with | produce or suggest an idea |
When you use it
Use when interpreting or completing context-based sentences involving multi-word verbs from the unit.
Watch out
Do not confuse come across, which means finding by chance, with come up with, which means creating an idea.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 160-179, then checked twice before it went up
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| count on | depend on or rely |
| count up | add or calculate total |
| crack down on | use more authority or enforce rules strictly |
| cross off | delete or remove from a list |
| cut back | reduce production or supply |
| cut down | consume less or reduce amount |
When you use it
Use these multi-word verb combinations to express specific actions accurately in reading and vocabulary exercises.
Watch out
Do not confuse cut back (reducing production or spending) with cut down (reducing one's consumption).
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 180-203, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use simple past for actions completed at a definite time in the past. Use present perfect (have or has with past participle) when the exact time is unstated or when an action continues to the present.
Watch out
Do not use the present perfect when a specific past time expression such as two hours ago or yesterday is present in the clause.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, pages 180-203, then checked twice before it went up
| Expressing Opinion | Asking for Opinion | Agreement | Disagreement |
|---|---|---|---|
| I think... | What do you think of...? | I agree. | I disagree! |
| I believe... | What are your thoughts on...? | Definitely. | I don't agree. |
| In my opinion... | How do you feel about...? | I couldn't agree more. | I'm afraid I disagree. |
When you use it
Reach for these phrases during spoken discussions, debates, and opinion paragraphs to ask for views, share perspectives, and state polite agreement or disagreement.
Watch out
Express disagreement politely in discussions by using softer phrases such as I am afraid I disagree instead of sounding confrontational.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, page 204 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
| Tense | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Past | I played basketball yesterday. | I didn't play basketball yesterday. | Did I play basketball yesterday? |
| Past Progressive | I was playing basketball the whole evening. | I was not playing basketball the whole evening. | Was I playing basketball the whole evening? |
| Present Perfect | I have played basketball. | I haven't played basketball. | Have I played basketball? |
| Present Perfect Continuous | I have been playing basketball for three hours. | I haven't been playing basketball for three hours. | Have I been playing basketball for three hours? |
When you use it
Use this table to review and construct positive, negative, and question forms across simple past, past continuous, present perfect, and present perfect continuous tenses.
Watch out
In simple past negative and question sentences, use the base infinitive verb with did or didn't, not the past form.
Drafted from Grade 9 English, page 204 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
The student textbook for the new curriculum, free as a PDF. The cards on this page follow its chapters.
Ministry of Education edition, English
235 pages
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