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English lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 30 minutes

Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses

Punctuation

CCSS L.9-10.2CCSS L.6.2.AEngland: SAT Standard English Conventions (Boundaries)England: ACT EnglishEngland: GCSE English Language (AO6)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses.

  • 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: Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Combining sentences with appositives and participle phrases

Leads to: Spotting unnecessary commas; Matching pairs: comma–comma, dash–dash, bracket–bracket (SAT); Commas with titles and descriptions before names (SAT)

Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Combining sentences with appositives and participle phrases). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • The book that I lent you is overdue. • The book, that I lent you, is overdue. (The book that I lent you is overdue. / The book, that I lent you, is overdue.) → The book that I lent you is overdue.Prompt: Is the clause essential to identify the noun, or just extra information?
  2. The fox crept towards the henhouse. It was sniffing the air. Which choice combines the sentences most effectively using a participle phrase? (The fox crept towards the henhouse, it was sniffing the air. / The fox sniffing crept the air towards the henhouse. / Sniffing the air, the fox crept towards the henhouse. / Sniffing the air, the henhouse was approached by the fox.) → Sniffing the air, the fox crept towards the henhouse.Prompt: Turn one sentence into a phrase that describes a noun in the other.
  3. What has the writer used to combine ideas in this sentence? Glowing in the dark, the jellyfish drifted past the boat. (an appositive / a participle phrase) → a participle phrasePrompt: Does the added phrase start with a noun group (a…, the…) or with a verb form (-ing, -ed, -en)?

Hook · 3 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses. 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: Which option completes the sentence correctly? The novelist ___ won the Nobel Prize in 1993.
  • Step 1: Non-essential (extra) information is set off with commas; essential (identifying) information is not.
  • Step 2: Many novelists exist; the name identifies which one: no commas.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: Toni Morrison
  • Answer: Toni Morrison
  • 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.
  1. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Paris, which is the capital of France, attracts millions of visitors. (correct / incorrect) → correctPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?
  2. Which option completes the sentence correctly? Our head teacher ___ retires in July. (Mrs Okafor / , Mrs Okafor,) → , Mrs Okafor,Prompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?

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.
  1. Which option completes the sentence correctly? Toni Morrison ___ won the Nobel Prize in 1993. (, an American novelist, / an American novelist) → , an American novelist,Prompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?
  2. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Students who feel unwell must see the nurse. (correct / incorrect) → correctPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives.
  • Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Spotting unnecessary commas; Matching pairs: comma–comma, dash–dash, bracket–bracket (SAT); Commas with titles and descriptions before names (SAT).
  • 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-9.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, is on the border of Nepal and China.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

  2. Question 2

    Which option completes the sentence correctly? (I have two brothers.) My brother ___ is a chef.

    • A. , Sam,
    • B. Sam

  3. Question 3

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Students, who feel unwell, must see the nurse.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

  4. Question 4

    Which option completes the sentence correctly? Mount Everest ___ is on the border of Nepal and China.

    • A. the highest mountain on Earth
    • B. , the highest mountain on Earth,

  5. Question 5

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Toni Morrison, an American novelist, won the Nobel Prize in 1993.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

  6. Question 6

    Which option completes the sentence correctly? The film ___ was filmed in Iceland.

    • A. , that we saw last night,
    • B. that we saw last night

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Answer key: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses

  1. 1. A. correct

  2. 2. B. Sam

  3. 3. B. incorrect

  4. 4. B. , the highest mountain on Earth,

  5. 5. A. correct

  6. 6. B. that we saw last night