Making Future Plans
Primary 6 · English
Making Future Plans
Lesson 4 of 4
35 min
Some English letters are like guests who come to a party but never say a word. You must write them, but you do not say them: the k in knife, the b in climb, the w in write.
Today's story is full of these silent guests. Read it first for the story. Then go back and hunt for them.
This story by Abubakar Katun Ahmad comes from the African Storybook. Musa, the boy telling the story, visits his grandmother's village for the first time.
“Zo, Musa!” Mama called. “It's time to go to the village!” I jumped up, my heart racing. Today I would visit Grandmother's village for the first time!
We packed biscuits and nice clothes as gifts. The bus rumbled down a dusty road, passing by trees.
When we arrived, Auntie Asabe ran to hug us. “Nna kwana!” she cheered. The village buzzed with laughter. Children chased chickens, and smoke curled from clay huts. Grandmother greeted me with a bony hug. “You've grown tall, little lion!”
The next morning, my cousin Laraba handed me a bucket. “Come! We fetch water from the river.” We walked past cassava farms. The river sparkled like diamonds. Laraba taught me to scoop water without spilling it.
At the market, Auntie sold mangoes and colourful cloth. I nibbled danwake (spicy boiled balls of grain) and tapped a talking drum. A man sold wooden carvings, and Grandmother bought me a tiny turtle carving. “For courage,” she said with a wink.
That night, the villagers gathered around a crackling fire. Grandmother told stories of Gizo the spider. “Gizogizo tricked the snake into becoming a rope!” she laughed. The stars twinkled above, and I imagined Gizo weaving his webs in the sky.
On the last day of our visit, drums boomed! The village celebrated the Harvest Festival. Dancers in bright Atanfa cloth spun like whirlwinds. Grandmother tied a sash around my waist, and I danced until my feet ached. “You're a true villager now!” Laraba laughed.
Time to leave. Grandmother pressed a woven bracelet into my palm. “Remember your roots, Musa,” she whispered. I hugged her, smelling the smoky scent of her dress. As the bus pulled away, I waved until the village became a tiny speck.
Back home, I drew pictures of the village: the river, the drums, Grandmother's smile. Mama framed my drawing. “The village is always with you,” she said. I fell asleep dreaming of frogs, firelight and Gizogizo's tricks.
Answer each question in your head or in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
What gifts did Musa's family pack for the village?
Biscuits and nice clothes.
Why did Grandmother give Musa a turtle carving?
“For courage”: to help him be brave.
What does “the village became a tiny speck” tell you?
The bus had gone so far that the village looked like a very small dot.
Mama says, “The village is always with you.” What do you think she means?
Musa will always remember the village and his family there; it is part of who he is, even in town.
Words in bold are from the story.
| Silent letter | Where you find it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| k | before n at the start of a word | know, knee, knife, knock, knot, kneel |
| b | after m at the end of a word, and before t | climb, thumb, comb, lamb, doubt, debt |
| w | before r, and in a few other words | write, wrong, wrap, wrist, answer, two |
| l | in some words with -alk, -alm, -ould and -alf | walked, talking, palm, would, could, should, calm, half |
| gh | in -ight, -ought and -aught | night, bright, firelight, bought, taught, daughter |
| h | at the start of some words, and after w | hour, honest; whispered, whirlwinds, what, when |
| g | before n | sign, design, gnaw, foreign |
| c | after s, in some words | scent, science, scissors, muscle |
| t | in -stle and -sten | whistle, listen, castle, fasten |
Careful: gh is not always silent. In laughter and laugh, enough and cough, it says /f/.
Hundreds of years ago, people really did say the k in knife and the gh in night. Over time the sounds disappeared, but the spellings stayed. That is why you cannot hear silent letters; you have to see them.
Tip
Say it the spelling way in your head. Think “k-nife”, “clim-b”, “w-rite” while you write the word, so you don't forget the silent letter. Then say it the normal way out loud.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Add the missing silent letter: _nee, clim_, _rite
Answer: knee, climb, write
Which letter is silent in palm?
Answer: l
Find two words with a silent gh in the story.
Answer: Any two of: night, bright, firelight, taught, bought
Which spelling is correct: nock or knock?
Answer: knock
Which letter is silent in scent?
Answer: c (scent sounds exactly like sent)
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each word to its silent letter.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
