• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Misplaced and dangling modifiers). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Covered in chocolate, the cake looked delicious. • Covered in chocolate, the children loved the cake. • Covered in chocolate, I thought the cake looked delicious. • Covered in chocolate, we ate the cake. (Covered in chocolate, the cake looked delicious. / Covered in chocolate, the children loved the cake. / Covered in chocolate, I thought the cake looked delicious. / Covered in chocolate, we ate the cake.) → Covered in chocolate, the cake looked delicious.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
2. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Nadia ate one only biscuit. • Nadia ate only one biscuit. • Nadia only ate one biscuit only. • Only Nadia ate one biscuit and nothing else. (Nadia ate one only biscuit. / Nadia ate only one biscuit. / Nadia only ate one biscuit only. / Only Nadia ate one biscuit and nothing else.) → Nadia ate only one biscuit.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
3. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk. • We saw a deer on our walk with huge antlers. • On our walk with huge antlers, we saw a deer. • With huge antlers, we saw a deer on our walk. (We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk. / We saw a deer on our walk with huge antlers. / On our walk with huge antlers, we saw a deer. / With huge antlers, we saw a deer on our walk.) → We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: Placing only, just, almost and nearly. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you came close to eating but did NOT eat any? • You ate the almost cake. • You almost ate the cake. • Almost the cake you ate. • You ate almost the cake.
• Step 1: Place limiting words directly before the word they limit: 'only Maya' (no one else), 'almost all' (not quite all).
• Step 2: So the answer is: You almost ate the cake.
• Answer: You almost ate the cake.
• 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. Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that Maya passed the test but did nothing else? • Maya only passed the test. • The only test Maya passed. • Maya passed the only test. • Only Maya passed the test. (Maya only passed the test. / The only test Maya passed. / Maya passed the only test. / Only Maya passed the test.) → Maya only passed the test.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.
2. Read the question and choose. "I failed almost every test." What does this mean? (I passed every test. / I failed only one test. / I came close to failing but passed. / I failed most of the tests.) → I failed most of the tests.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?

• 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. Read the question and choose. "Just Sam knew the answer." What does this mean? (Sam knew part of the answer. / Sam fairly knew it. / Sam was the only one who knew. / Sam knew it a moment ago.) → Sam was the only one who knew.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?
2. Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you ate MOST of the cake but not quite all? • You almost ate all of the cake. • You ate almost all of the cake. • You ate all of the almost cake. • Almost you ate all of the cake. (You almost ate all of the cake. / You ate almost all of the cake. / You ate all of the almost cake. / Almost you ate all of the cake.) → You ate almost all of the cake.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-7.