Intermediate Phase · Grade 6

English First Additional Language

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Grade 6 CAPS Aligned Free Papers + Memos
Overview
What to expect in Grade 6

Grade 6 English First Additional Language is the final year of the Intermediate Phase and consolidates functional English literacy. The CAPS curriculum extends reading to more complex texts, introduces transactional writing, and develops a broader range of grammatical structures. Learners write multi-sentence paragraphs, handle wider vocabulary, and demonstrate understanding of different text types. This prepares them for Senior Phase English FAL.

Weekly FAL time
4–5 hours per week
Assessment weighting
Formal tasks: 75% · Informal: 25%
Main text types
Narrative, descriptive, transactional, simple persuasive
Key progression
Multi-sentence paragraphs · transactional writing · wider vocabulary
CAPS curriculum
Term-by-term breakdown
Term 1
Narrative texts & complex sentences
  • Read longer narrative texts and answer literal and inferential questions
  • Relative pronouns: who, which, that in sentences
  • Compound sentences using: and, but, or, because
  • Revision and extension of present and past tense
  • Write a short narrative paragraph with a clear beginning, middle and end
  • Oral: short prepared talk on a familiar topic
Term 2
Descriptive and transactional texts
  • Read formal and informal texts — short letters, notices, advertisements
  • Modal verbs: can, may, must, will, would — in context
  • Apostrophe for possession and contraction
  • Prefixes and suffixes — word formation
  • Write a short informal letter or notice
  • Oral: describe a process or give instructions
Term 3
Informational texts & direct/indirect speech
  • Read informational texts — articles, advertisements
  • Direct speech and indirect speech — introduction and simple conversion
  • Simple passive voice — recognition in texts
  • Synonyms and antonyms — extended vocabulary work
  • Write a short informational paragraph or advertisement
  • Oral: summarise a short text in own words
Term 4
Revision & poetry
  • Poetry — identify stanzas, rhyme scheme, mood
  • Figurative language: simile, alliteration
  • Revision of all grammar: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, tenses
  • Revision of direct and indirect speech
  • Write a short persuasive paragraph or simple poem
  • Oral: recite a memorised poem or dialogue
Assessment
How marks are split
Reading & comprehension
40%
Language structures
25%
Writing
25%
Oral work
10%
Key skills
What a strong Grade 6 student can do
Read longer texts with understanding Use relative pronouns in sentences Write compound sentences Use modal verbs in context Write a short informal letter Convert between direct and indirect speech Identify figurative language Write a structured multi-sentence paragraph Use prefixes and suffixes to build vocabulary
Practice materials
Grade 6 papers & memos
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Study smarter
Tips for Grade 6
📖

Build vocabulary every day. Learn 5 new English words every day. Write them with their meaning and use each in a sentence.

✏️

Read the question before the passage. In comprehension tests, knowing what you are looking for makes it much easier to find the evidence.

📝

For comprehension — find the answer in the text. Most literal answers are directly in the given text. Scan for keywords from the question.

🔤

Practise English out loud. The best way to improve is to speak English, even if it is not perfect. Read sentences aloud to improve fluency and pronunciation.

🌱

Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Every mistake is a learning opportunity. English grammar follows clear patterns — once you understand the rules, they apply consistently.