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Comprehensive Grade 10 English Notes (Unit 1 Social Etiquette) – Grammar, Pronunciation, and Writing Skills

 

GRADE 10 ENGLISH

UNIT 1 – LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE

A Comprehensive Learning Resource

1. SOCIAL ETIQUETTE

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:

  • Define social etiquette
  • Identify polite and impolite behaviour
  • Demonstrate proper etiquette in different environments
  • Use polite expressions in communication

Definition of Social Etiquette

Social etiquette refers to the accepted rules of polite behaviour that guide how people interact with others in society.

These rules help maintain respect, order, and harmony in social environments such as schools, homes, workplaces, and public places.

Good etiquette shows:

  • respect for others
  • discipline
  • responsibility
  • awareness of social expectations

Polite Expressions

Polite expressions help make communication respectful and pleasant.

Examples:

please
thank you
excuse me
sorry
may I
kindly

Example sentences:

Please help me carry this book.
Thank you for assisting me.
Excuse me, may I enter the room?


Importance of Social Etiquette

1. Promotes Respect

Good etiquette shows appreciation and respect for others.

Example:

Students should greet their teachers politely.

2. Builds Good Relationships

Polite individuals are easier to work and live with.

Example:

A polite student easily makes friends.

3. Prevents Conflict

Polite communication reduces misunderstandings.

Example:

Instead of saying “Move!”, say “Excuse me.”

4. Encourages Discipline

Etiquette teaches people how to behave responsibly.

Example:

Students should wait for their turn before speaking.

  


Etiquette in Different Settings

School Etiquette

Students should:

  • greet teachers politely
  • raise hands before speaking
  • respect school property
  • listen attentively

Example:

Students remained quiet while the teacher explained the lesson.

 

Home Etiquette

Children should:

  • obey parents
  • help with household tasks
  • speak respectfully
  • apologise when wrong

Example:

James apologised to his mother for breaking the cup.

 

Public Etiquette

People should:

  • queue properly
  • avoid littering
  • respect others’ space
  • assist elderly people

Example:

She offered her seat to an elderly man.

 

Common Mistakes

Students sometimes:

  • interrupt others while speaking
  • use rude language
  • ignore greetings
  • speak loudly in public

Good etiquette requires self-control and respect.

 

Practice Exercise

  1. Define social etiquette.
  2. Mention three examples of polite expressions.
  3. State two ways students can show etiquette in school.

 

Quick Summary

Social etiquette refers to rules that guide polite behaviour in society. Practicing good manners helps maintain respect, harmony, and discipline.


1. NOUNS

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns refer to specific names of people, places, institutions, or events. They always begin with capital letters.

Examples of proper nouns:

People
John
Mary
Nelson Mandela
Albert Einstein

Places
Kenya
Uganda
Nairobi
Lake Victoria

Institutions
United Nations
Moi High School
Nairobi University

Events
Christmas
Easter
Independence Day

Example sentences:

John travelled to Nairobi last week.
Mary studies at Moi High School.
Kenya celebrates Independence Day every year.
Nelson Mandela fought for freedom in South Africa.
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa.

Common Nouns

Common nouns refer to general names of people, places, animals, or things.

Examples:

person → teacher, student, doctor, farmer
place → city, school, market, village
thing → pen, book, chair, bag
animal → dog, cow, goat, bird

Example sentences:

The teacher entered the classroom.
The student carried a bag to school.
The farmer works in the field.
The dog barked loudly.
The children played in the village.

Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns refer to things that can be seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted.

Examples:

Things you can see
car
tree
house
mountain

Things you can hear
music
bell
drum

Things you can smell
perfume
flower

Things you can taste
sugar
coffee

Example sentences:

The bell rang loudly.
She smelled the perfume.
The children climbed the tree.
The car stopped suddenly.
The coffee tasted bitter.

 

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns refer to ideas, emotions, qualities, or concepts that cannot be touched or seen.

Examples:

qualities
honesty
kindness
bravery
wisdom

emotions
love
anger
fear
happiness

concepts
freedom
peace
justice

Example sentences:

Honesty is the best policy.
Love brings people together.
The soldiers showed great bravery.
Peace is important for development.
Happiness filled the room after the victory.

 

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to groups of people, animals, or things treated as one unit.

Examples:

Group of people
team
committee
class
audience

Group of animals
herd of cattle
flock of birds
pack of wolves

Group of things
bunch of bananas
bundle of sticks
pile of books

Example sentences:

- The team won the football match.
- The class listened carefully to the teacher.
- A flock of birds flew across the sky.
- The audience applauded the performance.
- A bunch of bananas was placed on the table.


2. PRONOUNS

Personal Pronouns

These pronouns replace nouns referring to people or things.

Subject pronouns

I
you
he
she
it
we
they

Example sentences:

I am going to school.
She is reading a book.
He plays football every weekend.
They arrived early for the meeting.
We completed the assignment.

Object pronouns

me
you
him
her
it
us
them

Example sentences:

The teacher called me.
She gave him a book.
The manager praised them.
They invited us to the meeting.

 

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns show that the subject performs the action on itself.

Examples:

myself
yourself
himself
herself
itself
ourselves
themselves

Example sentences:

She blamed herself for the mistake.
The boy hurt himself while playing football.
I prepared the meal myself.
They organised the event themselves.
The dog scratched itself.

 

Emphatic Pronouns

Emphatic pronouns emphasize the subject of the sentence.

Example sentences:

The principal himself addressed the students.
The president himself attended the ceremony.
I myself solved the problem.
The teacher herself checked the exam papers.
We ourselves cleaned the classroom.


3. QUANTIFIERS

Quantifiers describe the amount or number of something.

Quantifiers with Countable Nouns

Examples:

many
few
a few
several

Example sentences:

Many students attended the assembly.
Several teachers were present at the meeting.
A few learners asked questions.
Few students understood the difficult topic.

Quantifiers with Uncountable Nouns

Examples:

much
little
a little

Example sentences:

Much information was given during the lecture.
There is little water in the bottle.
We still have a little time before the exam begins.
She showed little interest in the discussion.

Quantifiers Used with Both

Examples:

some
any
a lot of
plenty of
enough

Example sentences:

Some students arrived late.
Some water remained in the container.
A lot of people attended the concert.
There is plenty of food for everyone.
We have enough chairs for the visitors.


4. COLLOCATIONS

Collocations are natural combinations of words frequently used together in English.

Examples:

make a decision
pay attention
take responsibility
show respect
keep quiet
break the rules
give advice

Example sentences:

Students should pay attention during lessons.
The manager made a difficult decision.
Parents give advice to their children.
The learners kept quiet during the examination.
The driver broke the traffic rules.
Teachers expect students to show respect.


5. BINOMIAL EXPRESSIONS

Binomials are pairs of words connected by “and” or “or” and usually appear in a fixed order.

Examples:

safe and sound
law and order
peace and harmony
give and take
sooner or later
bread and butter
black and white

Example sentences:

The lost child returned home safe and sound.
Every country needs law and order.
Communities should live in peace and harmony.
Friendship requires give and take.
Sooner or later the truth will be known.


6. SIGNAL WORDS

Signal words help organise ideas in writing.

 

Addition

also
furthermore
moreover
in addition

Example sentences:

Good manners show respect. Furthermore, they promote cooperation.
The student worked hard. Moreover, she helped others.

Contrast

however
although
but
on the other hand

Example sentences:

He studied hard; however, he failed the exam.
Although the task was difficult, she completed it.
The weather was cold, but the children continued playing.

Cause and Effect

because
therefore
as a result
so

Example sentences:

She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam.
He was sick; as a result, he missed school.

Sequence

first
next
then
finally

Example sentences:

First wash your hands.
Next open the book.
Then read the passage carefully.
Finally answer the questions.

 

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Comprehensive Grade 10 English Notes (Unit 1 Social Etiquette) – Grammar, Pronunciation, and Writing Skills

  GRADE 10 ENGLISH UNIT 1 – LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE A Comprehensive Learning Resource 1. SOCIAL ETIQUETTE Learn...