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English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's

Grammar

CCSS L.6.1CCSS L.4.1.GEngland: KS3 English (spelling and Standard English)England: GCSE English Language (AO6 SPaG)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's.

  • 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: Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…)

Leads to: Confusing pairs: then/than, lose/loose, accept/except, quiet/quite

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 (Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the correct word. The ___ of the school gave a speech. (principal / principle) → principalPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?
  2. Choose the correct word. The car stayed ___ at the red light. (stationery / stationary) → stationaryPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?
  3. Choose the correct word. We ___ the old mill on our walk. (past / passed) → passedPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's. 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: Choose the correct word or words for the gap. ___ sure that ___ dog is over ___.
  • Step 1: The apostrophe forms (they're, it's, you're, who's) are contractions; the possessive forms (their, its, your, whose) never take an apostrophe.
  • Step 2: 'they're' = they are.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "They're sure that their dog is over there."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: They're, their, there
  • Answer: They're, their, there
  • 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. Choose the correct word or words for the gap. When ___ finished, put ___ books away. (your, you're / you're, your / your, your / you're, you're) → you're, yourPrompt: Try expanding the contraction: does 'they are', 'it is', 'you are' or 'who is' make sense?
  2. Which sentence is correct? • Its clear that the team has lost it's confidence. • Its clear that the team has lost its confidence. • It's clear that the team has lost it's confidence. • It's clear that the team has lost its confidence. (Its clear that the team has lost it's confidence. / Its clear that the team has lost its confidence. / It's clear that the team has lost it's confidence. / It's clear that the team has lost its confidence.) → It's clear that the team has lost its confidence.Prompt: Check each tricky word one at a time.

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. Choose the correct word or words for the gap. Let me know when ___ ready. (your / you're) → you'rePrompt: Try expanding the contraction: does 'they are', 'it is', 'you are' or 'who is' make sense?
  2. Which sentence is correct? • The cat hurt it's paw, but its fine now. • The cat hurt its paw, but its fine now. • The cat hurt it's paw, but it's fine now. • The cat hurt its paw, but it's fine now. (The cat hurt it's paw, but its fine now. / The cat hurt its paw, but its fine now. / The cat hurt it's paw, but it's fine now. / The cat hurt its paw, but it's fine now.) → The cat hurt its paw, but it's fine now.Prompt: Check each tricky word one at a time.

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: Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…).
  • 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

  • Move on to: Confusing pairs: then/than, lose/loose, accept/except, quiet/quite.
  • 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-6.

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

eurekami

their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. I like this phone, but ___ battery is weak.

    • A. it's
    • B. its

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is correct? • They're bringing their dog over there. • There bringing their dog over their. • Their bringing they're dog over there. • They're bringing there dog over their.

    • A. They're bringing their dog over there.
    • B. There bringing their dog over their.
    • C. Their bringing they're dog over there.
    • D. They're bringing there dog over their.

  3. Question 3

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. The children left ___ coats in the hall.

    • A. their
    • B. they're
    • C. there

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence is correct? • Whose the author whose book won the prize? • Who's the author who's book won the prize? • Who's the author whose book won the prize? • Whose the author who's book won the prize?

    • A. Whose the author whose book won the prize?
    • B. Who's the author who's book won the prize?
    • C. Who's the author whose book won the prize?
    • D. Whose the author who's book won the prize?

  5. Question 5

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. ___ been a long day.

    • A. It's
    • B. Its

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is correct? • The cat hurt its paw, but its fine now. • The cat hurt it's paw, but its fine now. • The cat hurt its paw, but it's fine now. • The cat hurt it's paw, but it's fine now.

    • A. The cat hurt its paw, but its fine now.
    • B. The cat hurt it's paw, but its fine now.
    • C. The cat hurt its paw, but it's fine now.
    • D. The cat hurt it's paw, but it's fine now.

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Answer key: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's

  1. 1. B. its

  2. 2. A. They're bringing their dog over there.

  3. 3. A. their

  4. 4. C. Who's the author whose book won the prize?

  5. 5. A. It's

  6. 6. C. The cat hurt its paw, but it's fine now.