📚 Study Notes: English as a Second Language - High Frequency Items (Days) 📚
Welcome to the Chapter on "Days"!
Hello! This short but extremely important chapter focuses on the seven Days of the Week. Mastering these words and knowing how to use them correctly is essential for the Edexcel International GCSE because they are used in almost every real-life conversation—from planning a trip to setting a meeting time. They are truly High Frequency Items!
Don't worry if this seems simple; we will cover the tricky grammar rules (especially capitalization and prepositions) that examiners look for! Let's get started!
1. Knowing the Seven Days
There are seven days in every week. It is crucial that you can spell them correctly and understand their order.
The Days in Order:
1. Monday (Often considered the first day of the working week)
2. Tuesday
3. Wednesday (Often the hardest day to spell! See trick below)
4. Thursday
5. Friday (The end of the traditional working week)
6. Saturday
7. Sunday
✨ Memory Aid for Wednesday ✨
Many students forget the 'd' in Wednesday. Remember it like this:
“Wed-nes-day”.
Think of “The Wedding is on the nest day!” (a nonsensical phrase, but it helps you remember W-E-D-N-E-S-D-A-Y).
Weekdays vs. Weekends
It is important to know the difference between these two groups of days:
• Weekdays: These are the working or school days.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
• The Weekend: These are the days for rest and fun.
Saturday and Sunday.
2. The Golden Rule: Capitalization
This is one of the most common errors ESL students make in written exams.
Rule: Always Capitalize the Days
In English, the names of the days of the week are considered Proper Nouns. This means they must always begin with a capital letter, no matter where they appear in the sentence.
Incorrect Example (Common Mistake): I will travel on tuesday.
Correct Example: I will travel on Tuesday.
Correct Example: My favorite day is Saturday.
💡 Why? An Analogy
Think of the days like names of people. You wouldn't write john or susan, you write John or Susan. Similarly, you must write Monday, not monday.
3. Using Prepositions with Days
When talking about a specific day, we need a preposition to connect it to an activity or event. This is where the preposition ON becomes crucial.
The Rule of 'ON'
When referring to something happening during a specific day (or morning/afternoon of a specific day), we use the preposition ON.
Examples:
• I play football on Friday.
• The meeting starts on Monday morning.
• We went swimming on Saturday.
What about 'Every day' and 'This/Next/Last'?
When we use words like every, this, next, or last before the day, we usually do not use a preposition.
Example 1: I go to the gym every Monday. (NOT: on every Monday)
Example 2: We saw that film last Sunday. (NOT: on last Sunday)
Example 3: I will see you next Tuesday. (NOT: on next Tuesday)
4. Navigating Time Around "Today"
To make your conversations about scheduling flow easily, you need to master the high-frequency words that relate the days to each other.
Relating Days to the Present
Imagine you are standing on a timeline. Your position is always Today.
• Today: The day we are in right now.
• Yesterday: The day before today.
• Tomorrow: The day after today.
Vocabulary for Further Away Time:
To show time that is a bit further away, use these phrases:
• The day before yesterday: (Two days ago in the past)
If today is Thursday, the day before yesterday was Tuesday.
• The day after tomorrow: (Two days away in the future)
If today is Monday, the day after tomorrow is Wednesday.
Phrases for Routine and Frequency:
• Daily / Every day: Happening each day.
I check my email every day.
• Mondays / Fridays (Plural): Used to talk about a routine that happens on that specific day weekly.
We always have fish on Fridays.
Many of the English day names come from Anglo-Saxon gods or planets. For example, Thursday means "Thor’s Day" (Thor was the Norse God of Thunder), and Friday comes from the Norse goddess Frigg. This is why they are Proper Nouns and must be capitalized!
✔ Quick Review Checklist for "Days"
Before your exam, check that you understand these four key points:
1. Spelling: Can you spell all seven days correctly (especially Wednesday)?
2. Capitalization: Are the days ALWAYS capitalized? (e.g., Sunday, NOT sunday)
3. Prepositions: Do you use ON for a specific day? (e.g., on Tuesday)
4. Time Words: Do you know the difference between yesterday, today, and tomorrow?
Keep practicing these High Frequency Items, and you will quickly see improvement in your speaking and writing skills! Good luck!