My Secondary School
Senior 1 · English
My Secondary School
Lesson 1 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
Keza Uwase has just started Senior One at a boarding school in Muhanga District. Almost four weeks after she arrived, she writes to her cousin Ishimwe, who is in P6 in Rubavu. Her letter describes a normal week: what happens every day, which subjects she enjoys, and who her new friends are.
Before you read: Are you a boarder or a day student? What surprised you most in your first week of secondary school? Tell the person next to you in two or three sentences.
Umucyo Secondary School
P.O. Box 12, Muhanga
Sunday, 4 October 2026Dear Ishimwe,
How are you and everyone at home in Rubavu? I am writing this letter in the dormitory after our Sunday cleaning, so please forgive my untidy handwriting.
I am now almost four weeks into Senior One, and boarding life is very different from home. A bell wakes us at half past five every morning. We make our beds, wash, and go to morning prep, a quiet hour of study before breakfast. Breakfast in the refectory is usually porridge and a piece of bread. Lessons start at a quarter to eight and finish at five in the afternoon.
There are fourteen subjects on our timetable. My favourite is Biology. Our teacher, Mrs Mukamana, takes us to the laboratory every Thursday, and last week we looked at onion cells under a microscope. Physics is hard for me, but I like it because the teacher explains everything with experiments.
My best friend is Mutesi. She comes from Nyagatare and she sleeps in the bed next to mine. She speaks very good French, so she helps me with my French homework. In return, I help her with Mathematics.
Our dormitory has forty beds, and the matron checks it every evening. The dormitory prefect, an S3 student called Gaju, blows a whistle at nine o'clock and we switch off the lights. At first I missed home a lot, especially Mama's isombe (pounded cassava leaves), but now I have many friends and I feel at home here.
On Saturdays we wash our uniforms and play football or netball. On the last Saturday of the month we join Umuganda and clean the school compound with our teachers. On Sundays some of us go to church and others go to the mosque in town.
Visiting day is on 18 October. Please ask Mama to bring some sugar and a new pair of socks!
Write back soon and tell me about P6. Do you still study at night with a torch?
Your loving cousin,
Keza
| Word | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| boarder | a student who lives and sleeps at the school during the term | Keza is a boarder, but her friend Mugisha goes home every evening. |
| day student | a student who comes to school each morning and goes home each evening | Day students leave at five o'clock. |
| dormitory | a large room or building where many students sleep | Our dormitory has forty beds. |
| refectory | the dining hall of a school | We eat breakfast in the refectory. |
| prep | study time outside lessons, often in the morning or evening | Morning prep starts at a quarter to six. |
| timetable | a table that shows which lesson happens at what time | Biology is on the timetable every Thursday. |
| laboratory | a room with special equipment for science experiments | We looked at cells in the laboratory. |
| matron | a woman who looks after boarders' health and welfare | The matron checks the dormitory every evening. |
| prefect | an older student chosen to help keep order | The dormitory prefect blows a whistle at nine. |
| compound | the land inside the school's fence or wall | We clean the school compound during Umuganda. |
Definition
Simple present tense: the verb form we use for habits and routines, for facts that are generally true, and for timetables.
Form: the base verb (I study, they study), but add -s or -es when the subject is he, she or it (she studies). Negatives and questions use the helping verb do or does.
Example: The bell rings at half past five every morning.
| I, you, we, they | he, she, it (one person or thing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | We study Biology. | She studies Biology. |
| Negative | We do not (don't) study Latin. | He does not (doesn't) study Latin. |
| Question | Do you study at night? | Does Mutesi study at night? |
| Short answers | Yes, I do. No, I don't. | Yes, she does. No, she doesn't. |
| Rule | Base verb | he, she, it |
|---|---|---|
| Most verbs: add -s | wake, speak, help | wakes, speaks, helps |
| Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x or -o: add -es | miss, wash, watch, fix, go, do | misses, washes, watches, fixes, goes, does |
| Consonant + y: change y to i, add -es | study, carry | studies, carries |
| Vowel + y: just add -s | play, say | plays, says |
| Irregular | have | has |
| Use | Example from Keza's letter | Common time words |
|---|---|---|
| Routines and habits | A bell wakes us at half past five every morning. | every day, every morning, on Saturdays |
| Facts | Our dormitory has forty beds. | (none needed) |
| Timetables | Lessons start at a quarter to eight. | at eight o'clock, on Thursdays |
| How often | Breakfast is usually porridge. | always, usually, often, sometimes, never |
Worked example
Analyse the sentence: Mutesi helps me with my French homework.
Warning
Only one -s. After does or doesn't, the main verb has no -s.
Tip
Say the -s ending three ways
Put your hand on your throat: for /z/ you feel a buzz, for /s/ you do not.
Present simple tense, from British Council LearnEnglish Teens (3 minutes). Listen for the -s ending with he, she and it, and for do and does in questions.
Keza's letter is an informal letter: a letter to a friend or relative. It follows a fixed layout.
| Part | Where it goes | In Keza's letter |
|---|---|---|
| Sender's address | Top right | Umucyo Secondary School, P.O. Box 12, Muhanga |
| Date | Under the address | Sunday, 4 October 2026 |
| Greeting (salutation) | Left margin, followed by a comma | Dear Ishimwe, |
| Opening paragraph | First paragraph | Asks about the family; says where she is writing |
| Body | Middle paragraphs, one topic each | Routine; subjects; best friend; dormitory; weekends |
| Closing paragraph | Last paragraph | Visiting day; asks Ishimwe to write back |
| Closing phrase | Under the last paragraph, followed by a comma | Your loving cousin, |
| Name | Under the closing phrase | Keza (first name only) |
Important
In an informal letter you may use first names, contractions (I'm, don't) and a friendly tone. Each body paragraph deals with one topic. A formal letter (to a head teacher or an office) has a different layout, with the receiver's address as well.
Tell a partner about your school day in six sentences. Use the simple present and at least three time words (every morning, usually, on Saturdays…). Your partner listens and asks one question with Do or Does.
I wake up at five o'clock every morning. I usually walk to school with my brother. Our first lesson starts at twenty past seven. I have lunch at school, and I often eat beans and rice. After lessons I sometimes play volleyball. On Saturdays I help my mother at the market.
You are Ishimwe. Write a reply to Keza (120–150 words). Use the informal letter layout. Describe your routine in P6 and answer her question about studying at night.
Gisenyi
Rubavu District
Saturday, 10 October 2026
Dear Keza,
Thank you for your long letter. Everyone at home is well, and Mama says she misses your jokes.
P6 is busy because the national exam is near. I get up at six, and I walk to school with our neighbour Byiringiro. After school I fetch water, and then I help Mama in the garden until supper. Our teacher gives us a test every Friday, so I revise on Thursday evenings.
No, I don't study with a torch any more! We have electricity now, so I read at the table after supper. My favourite subject is Social and Religious Studies, but I find Mathematics hard.
Mama will bring the sugar and the socks on visiting day. I am coming too!
Your cousin,
Ishimwe
Practice
Write the correct simple present form, then do the transformations.
Sources and credits
