• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (What makes a sentence?; Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which one is a complete sentence? • The cat a mouse. • The cat chased a mouse. • the cat chased • chased a mouse (The cat a mouse. / The cat chased a mouse. / the cat chased / chased a mouse) → The cat chased a mouse.Prompt: A sentence needs someone or something AND what they do.
2. Which part is the SUBJECT (who or what the sentence is about)? Three red balloons floated into the sky. (balloons floated / Three red / into the sky / Three red balloons) → Three red balloonsPrompt: Ask: who or what did something?
3. Which part is the PREDICATE (what the subject does)? The bees buzzed around the flowers. (The bees / buzzed around the flowers. / bees buzzed / around the) → buzzed around the flowers.Prompt: Find the subject first: who or what?

• Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
• Share the objective: Complete sentence or fragment?. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? After lunch on Friday.
• Step 1: A complete sentence has a subject and a verb and makes sense on its own. A fragment is missing something.
• Step 2: So the answer is: fragment
• Answer: fragment
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• 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 a complete sentence or a fragment? When the bell rang. (complete sentence / fragment) → fragmentPrompt: Does it say WHO or WHAT, and what they DO or ARE?
2. Which is the best way to fix this fragment? Under the bed. (Under the big bed. / Under the bed, quickly. / The slippers are under the bed. / Under, the bed.) → The slippers are under the bed.Prompt: Adding more describing words does not fix a fragment.

• 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.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? Jumping over all the puddles. (complete sentence / fragment) → fragmentPrompt: Does it say WHO or WHAT, and what they DO or ARE?
2. Which one is a fragment? (Monkeys swing from branch to branch. / Swinging from branch to branch. / The monkey swung from branch to branch. / Swinging is fun.) → Swinging from branch to branch.Prompt: Read each one aloud. Which leaves you waiting for more?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.