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.

 

Relative Adverbs in English: Meaning, Rules, Examples and Common Errors

 

Relative Adverbs: A Detailed Study

In English grammar, relative adverbs are words used to introduce relative clauses while giving additional information about place, time, reason, or manner. Unlike relative pronouns, relative adverbs do not replace nouns. Instead, they modify verbs or whole clauses.

They link a main clause to a subordinate clause and refer back to an idea already mentioned.

The Main Relative Adverbs

• Where – refers to place
• When – refers to time
• Why – refers to reason
• How – refers to manner

Explanation and Examples

1. WHERE – Relative Adverb of Place

Where is used to refer to a place mentioned earlier in the sentence.

• This is the school where I studied.
• The house where he was born still stands.
• That is the village where my grandparents live.

Where can often be replaced with in which.

Example:
This is the school where I studied.
→ This is the school in which I studied.

---

2. WHEN – Relative Adverb of Time

When refers to time or period.

• I remember the day when we first met.
• There was a time when people valued honesty.
• That was the moment when everything changed.

Example:
I remember the day when we met.
→ I remember the day on which we met.

---

3. WHY – Relative Adverb of Reason

Why explains the reason for something and usually follows the noun reason.

• That is the reason why he resigned.
• I don’t understand the reason why she cried.

Often, why may be omitted:

That is the reason (why) he left.

Example:
That is the reason why he left.
→ That is the reason for which he left.

---

4. HOW – Relative Adverb of Manner

How refers to the way or manner something is done. It normally follows the noun way.

• Show me the way how you solved the problem.
• I like the way how she speaks.

In formal grammar, how is often replaced by that or omitted:

• Show me the way you solved the problem.

---

Relative Adverbs vs Relative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns replace nouns:

• who
• whom
• whose
• which
• that

Example:
The boy who won the race is my friend.

Relative Adverbs do NOT replace nouns:

• where – place
• when – time
• why – reason
• how – manner

Example:
This is the town where I grew up.

---

Replacement with Preposition + Which

Relative adverbs can often be replaced using which with a preposition:

• This is the school where I studied.
  → This is the school in which I studied.
• I remember the day when we met.
  → I remember the day on which we met.
• That is the reason why he left.
  → That is the reason for which he left.

---

Common Learner Errors

Error 1: Calling relative adverbs relative pronouns.

Correction: They are relative adverbs.

Error 2:

The reason why he left is because he was tired.

Correct:

• The reason why he left is that he was tired.
• He left because he was tired.

---

Summary

• Where – place
• When – time
• Why – reason
• How – manner

Relative adverbs introduce relative clauses, refer back to earlier ideas, modify verbs or clauses, and do not replace nouns.

KCSE Exam Tip

If the word refers to place, time, reason, or manner, it is a relative adverb. If it replaces a noun, it is a relative pronoun.

Indirect Questions and Relative Pronouns (KCSE Grammar Notes, Exercises and Answers)

 

Indirect Questions and Relative Pronouns (KCSE Grammar Notes, Exercises and Answers)

---

PART A: Indirect (Embedded / Reported) Questions

Indirect questions report what someone asked. Unlike direct questions, they do not end with a question mark and they follow statement word order.

Key Rules

1. Remove quotation marks and question marks

Direct: Mother asked, “What happened?”
Indirect: Mother asked what had happened.

2. Change the tense (backshift)

Present → Past
Past → Past perfect

Example:
What did he say?
→ what he had said

3. Do NOT invert subject and verb

Direct: Where did she go?
Indirect: where she went

4. Yes/No questions use if or whether

Direct: Did you take the laptop?
Indirect: if I had taken the laptop

---

Exercise 1

Rewrite the following sentences as indirect questions.

1. Mother asked me, “What happened to Nyige?”
2. Mitego wanted to know, “How did you invite the trouble-maker to the party?”
3. He has asked me, “What did he say at the airport?”
4. The principal asked the teacher, “Which class did the new student join?”
5. The band leader wanted to know, “What do you think of the performance?”
6. We do not know, “Which uniform did Lagadoni wear for the parade?”
7. I was frightened. “Which mother will be paid in the afternoon?”
8. He knows, “What was hidden in the store.”
9. Mother asked me, “Did you take the laptop with you?”
10. She wanted to know, “Which of the bags was sold?”

---

PART B: Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns join two sentences and give more information about a noun.

Pronoun	Use
who	people (subject)
whom	people (object – formal)
whose	possession
which	things or animals
that	people or things (informal)
to whom	formal object form

Examples:

• The girl who called you is here.
• The sailors whose ship sank survived.
• I know to whom this book belongs.

Remember:

• Use who when the noun performs the action.
• Use whom / to whom when it receives the action.
• Use whose to show ownership.
• Use which/that for things.

---

Exercise 2

1. He has gone to Kisii, ______ is his county.
2. I do not know the man ______ answered the question.
3. I know the girl ______ left a message for you.
4. Is this the road ______ leads to Kamukunji?
5. Truth provokes those ______ it does not convert.

Exercise 3

6. Bring the letters ______ the postman delivered.
7. He met the sailors ______ ship was wrecked.
8. He is replaying the game ______ he likes best.
9. Only she ______ bears the burden knows its weight.
10. I know ______ this boy belongs.

---

Answers

Exercise 1

1. Mother asked me what had happened to Nyige.
2. Mitego wanted to know how I had invited the trouble-maker to the party.
3. He has asked me what he said at the airport.
4. The principal asked the teacher which class the new student had joined.
5. The band leader wanted to know what I thought of the performance.
6. We do not know which uniform Lagadoni had worn for the parade.
7. I was frightened and wanted to know which mother would be paid in the afternoon.
8. He knows what was hidden in the store.
9. Mother asked me if I had taken the laptop with me.
10. She wanted to know which of the bags had been sold.

Exercise 2

1. which
2. who
3. who
4. which / that
5. whom

Exercise 3

6. which / that
7. whose
8. which / that
9. who
10. to whom