Maintaining Harmony in the Family
Primary 6 · English
Maintaining Harmony in the Family
Lesson 3 of 4
18 min
Let's begin
In Gatete's house, the television causes a quarrel almost every evening. One Sunday, his mother switches it off and calls a family meeting.
By the end of the meeting, there is a chart on the wall with the family's rules, and everyone has signed it. Today you will read how they made it, and learn the two small words that turn a rule into a promise: will and won't.
Every evening at seven o'clock, the same quarrel started in Gatete's house. Gatete wanted to watch football. His sister Umutoni wanted the music programme. Their little brother Byiringiro just wanted the noise to stop.
One Sunday, Mama switched off the television. "Family meeting," she said. "Everyone, sit down." Papa brought a big sheet of paper and a marker.
"A family is like a team," said Papa. "A team needs rules that everybody agrees to. Who has an idea?"
Umutoni spoke first. "We will take turns with the television. Football on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and music on the other days." Gatete thought about it, then nodded. "That's fair."
"We won't shout at each other," said Byiringiro in a small voice. Everyone laughed, but Papa wrote it down in big letters.
Mama added, "Homework will come before television. And nobody will stay outside after dark without telling us."
Gatete suggested a timetable for the chores, so that the same person would not always wash the dishes. Then Papa made a promise of his own. "I won't look at my phone during supper." The children cheered.
When the chart was finished, everybody signed it, and Mama stuck it on the wall next to the door.
The next evening at seven o'clock, the house was quiet. Gatete was watching the match, and Umutoni was reading a storybook beside him. At the top of the chart, in Papa's biggest letters, the first rule said: WE WILL LISTEN TO EACH OTHER.
The family wrote their rules with will and won't. That makes each rule sound like a promise that everybody has agreed to keep.
Compare this with must and mustn't from the Environment unit. You mustn't shout sounds like an order from someone else. We won't shout sounds like a promise we make together.
Careful! After will and won't the verb stays plain: We will take, never will takes or will to take.
Words you will meet when families talk about rules: a curfew (the time by which you must be home), a routine (things you do at the same time every day), chores (household jobs), respect and obedience (doing what a parent or leader asks).
In a short form (a contraction), an apostrophe shows where letters are missing: we will → we'll, I will → I'll, do not → don't, cannot → can't, is not → isn't. The odd one is will not → won't, which changes its vowel too.
Tip
Won't is will not, in a hurry
When you hear won't, open it up in your head: will not. Then check the next word is a plain verb: won't shout, won't forget, won't be late. If the rule sounds like a promise that everyone can keep, it is a good rule.
Answer each one, then check.
Complete with will or won't: We ___ tidy our room every Saturday.
Answer: will. It is something the family promises to do.
Complete with will or won't: I ___ come home after dark, Mama. I promise.
Answer: won't. The child promises NOT to do it.
Correct the sentence: We will to wash the dishes after supper.
Answer: We will wash the dishes after supper. No to after will.
Write the short form of they will.
Answer: they'll. The apostrophe takes the place of wi.
Why was Papa's promise about his phone important?
Answer: because it made the rules fair: the adults kept rules too, so the children could see that the rules were for everyone.
What you learned today
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