Top 6 Best "Sentence Compression" Lessons for 7th Grade

1. What is sentence compression?

a) Compare and analyze the structural features of the following two sentences:

(1) Học ăn, học nói, học gói, học mở.

(Proverb)

(2) We learn to eat, speak, wrap, and open.

Tip: Let's compare:

(1): Learn to eat, speak, wrap, and open.

Verb phrases - Predicate

(2):

We /
learn to eat, speak, wrap, and open.
C
V1 V2 V3 V4

b) Why is the subject omitted in sentence (1)?

Tip: What words can be added as the subject of sentence (1)? You can add words such as we, people, Vietnamese, etc., as the subject of sentence (1). Thus, depending on the context, it is possible to understand who the subject is. This is why the subject is omitted, so the verb phrase "learn to eat, speak, wrap, and open" becomes a general experience and advice applicable to everyone.

c) In the following sentences, which one has been compressed? Which parts of the sentence have been omitted?

(1) Two or three people chased after it. Then three or four people, six or seven people.

(Nguyễn Công Hoan)

(2) - When are you going to Hanoi?

- Tomorrow.

Tip: Analyze the structure of each sentence to determine which one is compressed.

+ The sentence "Then three or four people, six or seven people." has a compressed predicate; we can infer from the previous sentence that the predicate is: chasing after it.

+ The sentence "Tomorrow." has both the subject and predicate omitted; we can infer from the previous sentence that the full meaning is: I will go to Hanoi tomorrow. or Tomorrow, I will go to Hanoi.

2. How to use compressed sentences

a) Which of the following sentences lacks a component? Should it be compressed like this? Why or why not?

On Sunday morning, our school organized a camping trip. The schoolyard was very lively. Running around. Jumping rope. Playing tug-of-war.

Tip:

+ The sentences "Running around. Jumping rope. Playing tug-of-war." lack the subject;

+ Compressing sentences like this is not always appropriate. Removing components from sentences like the ones above makes the text choppy and hard to understand.

b) In the following sentences, which one has been compressed? Is the compression appropriate? Why?

+ Mom, I got a 10 today.

+ You're so good, mom! Which test did you get a 10 on?

+ The math test.

Tip:

+ Find the subject of the sentence "Mom, I got a 10 today.";

+ Is it okay to say "The math test." like that?

+ The sentence "Mom, I got a 10 today." lacks a subject. Saying it like this makes it unclear (we don't know who got a 10); furthermore, it is inappropriate to speak curtly to an elder. The sentence "The math test." may be acceptable if polite expressions are added, such as: The math test, please! or The math test, mom!

c) So, what should we keep in mind when compressing sentences?

+ Avoid making it hard for the listener (reader) to understand or causing confusion;

+ Avoid rudeness or disrespect by using abrupt or incomplete sentences.

3. Practice

Question 1. In the following proverbs, which sentence is compressed? Which components have been omitted? What is the purpose of the compression?

(1) People are the flowers of the earth.

(2) When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.

(3) Raise pigs while lying down, raise silkworms while standing up.

(4) Every inch of land is worth an inch of gold.

Tip: Sentences (2) and (3) are compressed. The omitted part is the subject. One sentence states a principle of behavior, and the other gives common knowledge on production, so the subject is omitted to make the sentence more concise.

Question 2. Find the compressed sentences in the following examples.

a)

Step to Deo Ngang, the sun sets,

The grass and trees blend with the stones, leaves mix with flowers.

Crouching under the mountain, a few woodcutters,

Scattered along the river, a few houses.

Miss the homeland with a heavy heart, the national bird sings,

Missing home, mouths weary, the family calls.

Stop and gaze, sky, mountains, water,

A piece of private love, just me and me.

(Bà Huyện Thanh Quan)

b)

It is said that the general is famous,

Riding a horse alone, not needing anyone to hold on to.

The award is given: "This is talent",

He is given a robe and two coins.

Fighting the enemy, he runs first,

Charging into battle, stripping the enemy's pants (!)

The enemy is scared, runs back home,

Then calls his mother to slaughter a chicken for the soldiers!

(Folk story)

Tip: The compressed sentences are as follows.

a) Compressing the subject

Step to Deo Ngang, the sun sets, Stop and gaze, sky, mountains, water,

b) Compressing the subject

+ It is said that the general is famous,

+ Riding a horse alone, not needing anyone to hold on to.

+ The award is given: "This is talent",

+ He is given a robe and two coins.

+ Fighting the enemy, he runs first, Charging into battle, stripping the enemy's pants (!)

+ Then calls his mother to slaughter a chicken for the soldiers!

Question 3. Read the following passage and answer the questions:

LOST

A person had to go on a trip and told his child:

- If anyone asks, tell them that my father is away!

Worried that his child might forget, he wrote down a few lines on paper and handed it to the child, saying:

- If anyone asks, give them this paper.

The child took the paper and put it in his jacket pocket. The whole day passed without anyone asking. In the evening, the child lit the lamp, took out the paper to read, and accidentally let it burn.

The next day, a guest came and asked:

- Is your father home?

The child was confused for a long time, remembered, felt in his pocket, but couldn't find the paper, so he said:

- It's gone.

The guest was surprised:

- When did it disappear?

- Last night.

- How did it disappear so fast?

- It burned.

(Vietnamese Folktale)

a) Why did the child and the guest misunderstand each other in this story?

Tip: How did the child answer the guest? How did the guest misunderstand?

+ The child used incomplete sentences to answer the guest: "It's gone.", "Last night.", "It burned."

+ From misunderstanding the subject in the child's statements, the guest also asked with incomplete sentences: "When did it disappear?", "How did it disappear so fast?", causing the misunderstanding to continue.

b) To avoid misunderstandings like the one above, what should we pay attention to when speaking?

Tip: Avoid using compressed sentences when the context's meaning is unclear, as it can cause misunderstandings for the listener.

Question 4. Which detail contributes to humor and criticism in the following story:

GREEDY EATER

There was a glutton who, whenever he sat down at the table, only grabbed food and didn't look at anyone, nor did he want to chat. One time, at a banquet, a guest saw how rude he was eating and tried to start a conversation. The guest asked:

- Where are you from?

The glutton answered:

- Here.

Then he continued eating.

- How many children do you have?

- One.

He answered and kept grabbing food.

The guest asked again:

- Are your parents still alive?

The glutton still didn't look up, saying:

- Gone!

(Vietnamese Folktale)

Tip: How has this story used compressed sentences? What role do the compressed sentences play in portraying the character's rude and gluttonous personality?

I - ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE TO MASTER

1. Sentence Shortening

Sentence shortening refers to the process of omitting certain elements of a sentence while speaking or writing.

This process is not arbitrary. Whether a sentence can be shortened depends on the specific context of the conversation or writing. In some cases, the subject can be omitted, while in other cases, only the predicate may be shortened. Such omissions must be carefully considered and decided upon for each specific situation.

2. Benefits of Sentence Shortening

- Makes sentences more concise.

- The key information becomes more prominent, allowing the listener or reader to quickly grasp the main point.

- Prevents redundancy and unnecessary words, avoiding irrelevant content in communication.

3. How to Shorten a Sentence

To shorten a sentence, certain principles must be followed:

- It should not distort the meaning or cause misunderstanding.

- The sentence should not become abrupt or impolite.

- Any element of the sentence can be omitted, but the listener or reader should still be able to easily reconstruct the omitted part accurately and fully. Hence, shortened sentences might lack a subject, a predicate, or both, but this does not make them grammatically incorrect; rather, they are simply shortened sentences.

II - EXERCISES AND PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Exercise 1. This exercise asks students to clarify three points:

- Identify which sentences are shortened in the given exercise.

- Point out which elements have been omitted in each sentence.

- Explain the effects of the shortened sentences.

Here are the steps for this exercise:

a) To find the shortened sentences, consider these points:

- All four sentences in this exercise are proverbs. Proverbs tend to omit the subject due to their nature of summarizing collective experience. Therefore, identify sentences that lack a subject as shortened sentences.

Some examples of shortened sentences are:

- Eat the fruit and remember the tree planter.

- Raise pigs lying down, raise silkworms standing up.

b) These two sentences are examples of shortened subjects.

As explained earlier, proverbs often omit the subject as they summarize collective experiences, meaning the omitted subject could be: we, people, someone, etc.

Reconstructing these sentences will look like this:

- The person who eats the fruit remembers the one who planted the tree.

- The person who raises pigs lying down raises silkworms standing up.

c) The purpose of sentence shortening is to:

- Emphasize the main message.

- Make proverbs more concise and impactful.

Exercise 2. This exercise also has three requirements like the previous one:

- Identify the shortened sentences in Bà Huyện Thanh Quan's poem (a piece that expresses the author's emotions) and the folk song.

- Restore the omitted elements in each sentence.

- Explain why poetry and folk songs often contain many shortened sentences.

Follow these steps:

a) Identify the lines from the poem by Bà Huyện Thanh Quan and the folk song that use shortened sentences:

- From Bà Huyện Thanh Quan's poem:

+ Stepping to Đèo Ngang, the late afternoon shadow.

+ Stop and stand, the sky, mountains, water.

- From the folk song:

+ It is said the officer has a reputation.

+ The general runs first in battle,

Charging into the battlefield to strip the enemy's armor.

b) Restoring the omitted elements gives us these complete sentences:

- I (Bà Huyện Thanh Quan) step to Đèo Ngang, the late afternoon shadow.

- I stop and stand, the sky, mountains, water.

- It is said that the officer has a reputation.

- The officer runs first in battle,

The officer charges into the battlefield to strip the enemy's armor.

c) Shortened sentences in poetry and folk songs are common because:

- Poetry follows a strict meter (seven words per line in classical Chinese poetry, six and eight words alternating in folk songs), which restricts word count.

- The language in poetry must be compact, rich in meaning, and flexible in structure.

A. CORE KNOWLEDGE

When speaking or writing, it is possible to omit certain components of a sentence, resulting in a shortened form. The purpose of omitting certain parts of a sentence often includes the following:
To make the sentence more concise, delivering the information quickly while avoiding repetition of words already present in the preceding sentence.
To imply that the action or characteristics mentioned in the sentence are general for everyone (omitting the subject).
When shortening a sentence, remember:
Do not cause confusion or leave out crucial details, leading the listener or reader to misunderstand the sentence.
Do not make the sentence sound abrupt or impolite.

B. EXERCISES AND SOLUTIONS

Exercise 1: Page 16, Literature 7th Grade, Volume 2

Which of the following proverbs is a shortened sentence? Which parts of the sentence have been omitted? What is the purpose of the shortening?

a. People are the flowers of the earth.

b. Eat fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.

c. Raise pigs lying down, raise silkworms standing up.

d. Every inch of land is worth an inch of gold.

Solution:

Sentences b and c are shortened by omitting the subject. These sentences lack a specific subject and can refer to anyone in general. One sentence expresses a general principle of human conduct, and the other shares a common farming experience, making it appropriate to omit the subject to make the sentence more concise.
This is a common expression in Vietnamese proverbs.

Exercise 2: Page 16, Literature 7th Grade, Volume 2

Find the shortened sentences in the following examples. Restore the omitted parts. Explain why there are often many shortened sentences in poetry and folk songs.

a. Stepping up to Deo Ngang, the sun is setting,

The grass and trees are crowding the rocks, the leaves are crowding the flowers.

Bent over under the mountain, a few woodcutters,

Scattered by the river, only a few houses.

Longing for the homeland, my heart aches,

Missing the home, my mouth is dry.

Stopping to rest, the sky, mountains, and water,

A piece of private love, just me and myself.

(By Ba Huyen Thanh Quan)

b) They say the general has fame,

Riding a horse alone without needing anyone to hold him.

He was praised: "That's truly a talent",

And was given a coat and two coins.

When fighting the enemy, he runs first,

Rushing into battle, he undoes the enemy's pants!

The enemy is scared, they run home,

Returning to ask his mother to slaughter a chicken to treat the soldiers! (Folk Song)

Solution:

a. The sentences that omit the subject are:
Stepping up to Deo Ngang, the sun is setting,
Stopping to rest, the sky, mountains, and water.
Restoring the subject, we can have:
(I) stepped up to Deo Ngang, the sun is setting,
(I) stopped to rest, the sky, mountains, and water.

b. The sentences omitting the subject are:
They say the general has fame,
Riding a horse alone without needing anyone to hold him.
He was praised: "That's truly a talent",
And was given a coat and two coins.
When fighting the enemy, he runs first,
Rushing into battle, he undoes the enemy's pants.
Returning to ask his mother to slaughter a chicken to treat the soldiers!
The subject can be restored as follows:
They/People say the general has fame,
He/General rides a horse without needing anyone to hold him.
The king praised him: "That's truly a talent",
And gave him a coat and two coins.
He/General runs first when fighting the enemy,
He/General rushes into battle, undoing the enemy's pants.
He/General returns and asks his mother to slaughter a chicken for the soldiers.

In poetry and folk songs, many sentences are shortened because:
Poetry often follows meter, the required number of syllables in each verse, and rhyme. Therefore, shortening helps make the sentence more concise.
In particular, in ancient poetry, authors often humbly hide their personal ego.

Exercise 3: Page 17, Literature 7th Grade, Volume 2

Why did the boy and the guest in the story misunderstand each other? What lesson about communication can you learn from this story?
LOST
A person went on a trip and told his son:

- If anyone asks, tell them your father is away!

Fearing that his son might forget, he wrote a few lines on a piece of paper and gave it to him, saying:

- If anyone asks, give them this paper.

The boy put the paper in his pocket. All day, no one asked. In the evening, he lit the lamp, took the paper out to read, but accidentally burned it.

The next day, a guest came and asked:

- Is your father home?

The boy stood there, confused for a while, then remembered and touched his pocket, finding no paper, and said:

- It's lost.

The guest was startled:

- When did it get lost?

- Last night.

- How did it get lost so quickly?

- It burned.

(Vietnamese Folk Tale)

Solution:
The boy and the guest misunderstood because the boy answered using three shortened sentences, leading the guest to misinterpret the meaning:
"It's lost": The boy meant the paper was lost, but the guest thought the father was lost (dead).
"Last night": The boy meant the paper was lost last night, but the guest thought the father died last night.
"It burned": The boy meant the paper was burned, but the guest thought the father died from the fire.
==> All three sentences omitted the subject "the paper", causing the guest to misunderstand that the father was lost. This humorous story carries a lesson advising caution when using shortened sentences to avoid misunderstandings.

Exercise 4: Page 18, Literature 7th Grade, Volume 2

Read the following humorous story and identify which details cause laughter and criticism.

GREEDY EATER
There was a gluttonous man who, when sitting at the table, would just grab food without looking up, nor did he want to talk to anyone. One time, he was at a feast at someone's house, and a guest saw how rudely he was eating, so he decided to start a conversation. The guest asked:

- By the way, where are you from?

The man replied:

- Here.

And continued eating.

- How many children do you have?

- One.

Then, he grabbed more food.

- Are your parents still alive?

The man still did not look up and said:

- Gone!

(Vietnamese Folk Tale)

Solution:
In this story, the details that cause laughter are the man’s terse replies. Because he was so focused on eating, he responded briefly with "Here", "One", and "Gone!". These shortened sentences became unclear and rude.

Reference
Exercise: Find 5 proverbs with shortened sentence forms
Solution:
Five proverbs with shortened sentences are:
Look at the pot, sit at the direction
=> This advises on proper conduct. When eating, observe how much food is left in the pot and adjust your behavior accordingly. If there's very little food left and someone hasn’t had a chance to eat, you should refrain from eating and save some for them. Similarly, when sitting, observe the direction: don’t sit in front of someone, block the light, or obstruct the wind; sit in a place where people can easily pass by.
Learn to eat, speak, wrap, and open
=> This proverb is a lesson about basic life skills—proper eating manners, speaking wisely, and handling tasks with care.
Good leaves shelter the torn leaves
=> This proverb advises us to help others in need, just like good leaves protecting the torn leaves.
Ask the elderly, then ask the young
=> This proverb conveys that when you need advice, ask older, more experienced people, and for past events, ask children who always tell the truth.
Don’t be intimidated by big waves
=> This proverb advises us to stay calm in the face of difficulties in life.

I. What is Sentence Simplification?

Example 1:

(a) No subject, verb phrases act as predicates.

(b) Subject is we, verb phrases are learn to eat, learn to speak, learn to wrap, learn to open.

Example 2: You can add 'we', 'Vietnamese people', 'us', 'you all', etc., as subjects in (a)

Example 3: The subject in (a) is omitted, making the verb phrase 'learn to eat, learn to speak, learn to wrap, learn to open.' a general experience, advice applicable to everyone.

Example 4:

- The sentence "Then three or four people, six or seven people." is a simplified predicate; people can base on the sentence before to determine the predicate of this sentence: 'chasing after it.'

- The sentence "Tomorrow." is a simplified subject and predicate; people can base on the sentence before it to understand: 'Tomorrow I go to Hanoi.' or 'I go to Hanoi tomorrow.'

II. How to use simplified sentences

Example 1:

- Sentences "Running around. Jumping rope. Playing tug-of-war." lack a subject.

- Not every sentence simplification is suitable. Arbitrarily omitting sentence components, like in the examples above, makes the writing abrupt and difficult to understand.

Example 2:

The sentence "Mom, today I got a 10." lacks a subject. This makes the sentence difficult to understand (we don't know who got the 10); also, speaking to someone of higher rank shouldn't be curt like this. The sentence "The math test." although lacking a predicate can be acceptable if polite phrases are added, e.g., "The math test, Mom!" or "The math test, mother!"

Example 3: Therefore, when simplifying sentences, we need to pay attention to

- Avoid making the listener (reader) difficult to understand or misunderstand the content;

- Avoid rudeness or impoliteness when using abrupt sentences.

III. Practice

Example 1:

- Sentences (2), (3) are simplified sentences.

- The component omitted is the subject component.

- These two sentences, one states a principle of behavior, one states a common experience of production for everyone, so the subject can be simplified, making the sentence more concise.

Example 2: Simplified sentences.

a. Simplified subject

+ Step to Deo Ngang, the sunset is approaching,

+ Stop and stand still, sky, mountains, water,

- Restored:

People step to and stand still at Deo Ngang are Mrs. Huyen Thanh Quan, the author of the poem, and based on the final sentence of self-address "we with us", so the subject of the two simplified sentences is we:

+ We step to Deo Ngang, the sunset is approaching,

+ We stop and stand still, sky, mountains, water,

b. Simplified subject

+ They say the famous general,

+ Riding a horse alone, doesn't need anyone to support.

+ The king praises: "That's talent,"

+ And gives a coat and two coins.

+ The general, when fighting, runs first,

+ When entering the battlefield, takes off the enemy's loincloth (!)

+ The general returns and tells his mother to slaughter a chicken to celebrate the soldiers!

- Restored:

People say the famous general,

He rides a horse alone, doesn't need anyone to support.

The king praises: "That's talent,"

And gives a coat and two coins.

The general, when fighting, runs first,

When entering the battlefield, takes off the enemy's loincloth (!)

The general returns and tells his mother to slaughter a chicken to celebrate the soldiers!

Example 3:

- The cause of misunderstanding: the guest and the boy do not share the same subject, the guest asks about the father while the boy replies about the paper his father left.

+ The boy uses sentences without a subject to answer the guest: "It's gone.", "Sir... last night.", "It burned."

+ From misunderstanding the subject in the boy's sentences is the boy's father, the guest also uses sentences without a subject to ask: "Gone when?", "How did it disappear so fast?", causing the misunderstanding to continue.

- To avoid misunderstanding like in the above case, when speaking, we should avoid using simplified sentences in situations where the meaning of the context is unclear, causing confusion for the listener.

Example 4:

The details that are humorous and critical are the answers of the gluttonous and impolite young man.

- Here -> should be: I am from here.

- Only -> should be: My house only has one.

- Completely -> should be: My parents have all passed away.

He simplifies excessively in order to answer quickly, without wasting his eating time.

Meaning: Criticizes the excessive gluttony that loses dignity, rudeness to others, and disrespect to parents.

Part I: WHAT IS SENTENCE SIMPLIFICATION?

Answer to Question 1 (page 14, Literature 7 Workbook):

What is the difference between the following two sentences?

a) Learn to eat, speak, pack, and open.

b) We learn to eat, speak, pack, and open.

Answer:

The proverbs below have been simplified:

Sentence a. The subject has been omitted;

Sentence b. The subject “We” appears

Answer to Question 2 (page 15, Literature 7 Workbook):

Find words that can serve as the subject in sentence (a).

Answer:

Many subjects can be used for sentence (a).

For example:

We: Everyone; Children...

Answer to Question 3 (page 15, Literature 7 Workbook):

Why is the subject in sentence (a) omitted, according to you?

Answer:

Because it can accommodate many possible subjects, sentence (a) omits the subject to become a truth for everyone.

Answer to Question 4 (page 15, Literature 7 Workbook):

In the underlined sentences below, which part of the sentence is omitted? Why?

a) Two or three people chased after it. Then three or four, six or seven people.

(Nguyen Cong Hoan)

b) - When will you go to Hanoi?

- Tomorrow.

Answer:

a) The predicate part has been omitted. That is “chased after it.” If added, it would be repetitive; without it, the reader still understands that people are chasing after it. The first sentence gives us this implication.

b) Should be: “I will go to Hanoi tomorrow.” Both the subject and the predicate are omitted. Because the question implies this part.

Part II: HOW TO USE SIMPLIFIED SENTENCES

Answer to Question 1 (page 15, Literature 7 Workbook):

What parts are missing in the underlined sentences below? Is it advisable to simplify the sentence in this way? Why?

On Sunday morning, our school organized a camping trip. The schoolyard was so lively. Running around. Jumping rope. Playing tug-of-war.

Answer:

- The sentences “Running around. Jumping rope. Playing tug-of-war.” lack the subject.

- It is not advisable to simplify it like that; the subject should be added: “We.” Because the subject “Our school” cannot be implied at the subject position.

Answer to Question 2 (page 15, Literature 7 Workbook):

What words should be added to the simplified sentences (in bold) below to show politeness?

- Mom, today I got a score of 10.

- You are so good! Which test got a score of 10?

- The math test.

Answer:

Mother, the math test.

Answer to Question 3 (page 16, Literature 7 Workbook):

From these two exercises, what should you pay attention to when simplifying sentences?

Answer:

So, when simplifying sentences, we should pay attention to:

- Avoid making it difficult for the listener (reader) to understand or misinterpret the intended message;

- Avoid impoliteness or lack of courtesy when using curt sentences.

Part III: PRACTICE

Answer to Question 1 (page 16, Literature 7 Workbook):

Among the following proverbs, which is a simplified sentence? What parts of the sentence are omitted? Why simplify the sentence like that?

a) People are the flowers of the earth.

b) Eat fruits, remember the one who planted the tree.

c) Raise pigs to eat rice, raise silkworms to eat rice.

d) A square inch of land is as valuable as gold.

Answer:

- Proverb (b), (c) are simplified sentences.

- The omitted part is the subject.

- These two sentences, one states a principle of behavior, and the other states common production experience for everyone, so the subject can be omitted to make the sentence more concise.

Answer to Question 2 (page 16, Literature 7 Workbook):

Find the simplified sentence in the examples below. Restore the omitted parts of the sentence. Why simplify the sentence like that?

a)

Approaching Deo Ngang, the sun sets,

The grass mingles with rocks, the leaves mingle with flowers.

Hunched under the mountain, a few farmers,

Scattered by the river, a few houses.

Remembering the homeland pains the heart, the red-billed triller sings,

Longing for home, the cicada calls persistently.

Stopping to rest, heaven, earth, water,

A piece of love, just me and myself.

(Ba Huyen Thanh Quan)

b)

People say the general has fame,

Riding a horse alone, no need to rely on anyone.

The king praises: “That’s talent!”,

The king gives a robe and two coins.

In battles, he runs first,

Charging into the enemy’s line, strips off the enemy’s pants (!)

The enemy is afraid and flees home,

Returning, he calls his mother to slaughter a chicken to treat the army!

(Folklore)

Answer:

a. Subject omitted

+ Approaching Deo Ngang, the sun sets,

+ Stopping to rest, heaven, earth, water,

- Restore:

+ I approach Deo Ngang, the sun sets,

+ I stop to rest, heaven, earth, water,

b. Subject omitted

+ People say the general has fame,

+ Riding a horse alone, no need to rely on anyone.

+ The king praises: “That’s talent!”,

+ The king gives a robe and two coins.

+ In battles, he runs first,

+ Charging into the enemy’s line, strips off the enemy’s pants (!)

+ Upon returning, he calls his mother to slaughter a chicken to treat the army!

=> In poetry (poems, folklore), simplified sentences are often encountered because poetry prefers concise expression, and the number of words in a line is very limited.

Answer to Question 3 (page 17, Literature 7 Workbook):

Why do the boy and the guest in the story misunderstand each other? From the story (page 17, Literature 7 Workbook), what lesson can you draw about how to speak?

Answer:

The boy and the guest misunderstand each other because the boy, in replying to the guest, uses three simplified sentences, causing the guest to misinterpret.

+ “Lost” (meaning the paper is lost; the guest understands: “The boy’s father is lost”).

+ “Evening yesterday” (meaning the paper was lost yesterday evening; the guest understands: “The boy’s father passed away last night”).

+ “Burnt” (meaning the paper was lost because of burning; the guest understands: “The boy’s father passed away due to burning”).

- From this story, a lesson can be drawn: be careful when using simplified sentences because incorrect use can cause misunderstanding.

Answer to Question 4 (page 17, Literature 7 Workbook):

Read the joke (page 18, Literature 7 Workbook). Which detail in the story serves to amuse and criticize?

Answer:

In the story, the use of simplified sentences by the gluttonous young man serves to amuse and criticize. It is so simplified that it becomes very impolite.

CRUCIAL KNOWLEDGE TO GRASP

- Sentence simplification involves the ability to omit certain parts of a sentence when speaking or writing, resulting in a simplified sentence.

- Sentence simplification helps to make sentences shorter, conveying information quickly while avoiding repetition of words from the previous sentence.

- Implications of actions or characteristics mentioned in the sentence are shared among everyone.

- When simplifying sentences, pay attention:

+ Do not confuse or make it difficult for the listener or reader to understand.

+ Avoid turning sentences into abrupt or impolite phrases.