English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 30 minutes
Irregular past tense: caught, brought, thought and more
Grammar
CCSS L.3.1.DEngland: Y3 GPS (past tense)England: Y4 GPS (Standard English verb forms)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Irregular past tense: caught, brought, thought and more.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Past tense (regular and irregular verbs)
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Past tense (regular and irregular verbs)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Write the past tense of "bite". (Today I bite. Yesterday I ___.) → bitPrompt: This is an irregular verb: it does not add -ed.
- Choose the past tense verb. This morning the boys ___ (stop) before school. (stoped / stops / stopped / stoping) → stoppedPrompt: The sentence is about the past. Which word shows that?
- Write the past tense of "grow". (Today I grow. Yesterday I ___.) → grewPrompt: This is an irregular verb: it does not add -ed.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Irregular past tense: caught, brought, thought and more. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Type the past tense of "hold". (Yesterday I ___.)
- Step 1: "hold" is an irregular verb.
- Step 2: So the answer is: held
- Answer: held
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Type the past tense of "hang". (Yesterday I ___.) → hungPrompt: Say 'Yesterday I…' and finish it with the verb.
- Choose the correct past tense. Our seeds ___ into tall plants. (grown / grew / growed / grewed) → grewPrompt: These verbs are irregular: they do not just add -ed.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Which sentence uses the past tense correctly? (The kite flied above the trees. / The kite flew above the trees. / The kite flown above the trees. / The kite flewed above the trees.) → The kite flew above the trees.Prompt: Find the verb in each sentence.
- Type the past tense of "leave". (Yesterday I ___.) → leftPrompt: Say 'Yesterday I…' and finish it with the verb.
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Past tense (regular and irregular verbs).
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder