English lesson plan · 11th grade (Year 12 in England) · 30 minutes
SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed)
Grammar
CCSS L.11-12.1CCSS L.11-12.2England: SAT Standard English ConventionsEngland: ACT English
Objective and success criteria
Students will: SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed).
- 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: Agreement with tricky subjects (SAT/ACT); Pronoun–antecedent agreement; Verb tense and form in context
Leads to: Finite and non-finite verbs (SAT Form, Structure, and Sense)
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 (Agreement with tricky subjects (SAT/ACT); Pronoun–antecedent agreement; Verb tense and form in context). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. A number of applicants ___ withdrawn. (has / have) → havePrompt: Find the head noun of the subject. Cross out prepositional phrases (of…, from…, in…).
- Choose the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (formal written English). The students handed in ___ essays. (its / there / his / their) → theirPrompt: Find the noun the pronoun refers back to.
- Choose the verb form that fits the context. Every year, the river ___ its banks in spring. (flooded / has flooded / floods / had flooded) → floodsPrompt: Look for time clues (in 1969, since, by the time, next month).
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed). 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 choice conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The novel's themes of memory and loss ___ readers long after the final page.
- Step 1: SAT/ACT convention questions test agreement, verb form, pronouns and sentence structure.
- Step 2: The subject is 'themes' (plural), so the verb is 'stay with'.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The novel's themes of memory and loss stay with readers long after the final page."
- Step 4: So the answer is: stay with
- Answer: stay with
- 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.
- Which choice conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The festival attracts musicians from over forty countries, ___ perform for free. (many of them / they / many of whom / which) → many of whomPrompt: Identify the subject and the verb, or what the pronoun refers to.
- Which choice conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Each of the city's bridges ___ its own distinctive design. (are having / having / has / have) → hasPrompt: Identify the subject and the verb, or what the pronoun refers to.
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 choice conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The architect designed the library so that ___ reading rooms would fill with natural light. (there / it's / their / its) → itsPrompt: Identify the subject and the verb, or what the pronoun refers to.
- Which choice conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Each of the city's bridges ___ its own distinctive design. (has / are having / having / have) → hasPrompt: Identify the subject and the verb, or what the pronoun refers to.
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: Agreement with tricky subjects (SAT/ACT).
- 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: Finite and non-finite verbs (SAT Form, Structure, and Sense).
- 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-11.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder