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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes

Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant

Grammar

CCSS L.4.3.ACCSS L.6.1.DEngland: Y4 GPS (choosing nouns or pronouns for clarity and cohesion)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant.

  • 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: Who or what does the pronoun point back to?

Leads to: I or me? Sam and I, Sam and me

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 (Who or what does the pronoun point back to?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. When Grandpa and Leo finished the jigsaw, they cheered. Who does "they" refer to? (the jigsaw / only Grandpa / only Leo / Grandpa and Leo) → Grandpa and LeoPrompt: Find the pronoun, then look back earlier in the sentence.
  2. Choose the pronoun that matches the noun it refers to. The trees lost ___ leaves in the autumn. (its / it's / their / there) → theirPrompt: Who or what owns the thing? Is it one or more than one?
  3. Dad found the map and folded it carefully. What does "it" refer to? (the table / the map / Dad / the car) → the mapPrompt: Find the pronoun, then look back earlier in the sentence.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant. 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: Grandpa and Dad fixed the shed, and then he made tea. Why is this sentence unclear?
  • Step 1: A pronoun is unclear when it could refer to more than one noun. Use the noun instead.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: We can't tell who made the tea.
  • Answer: We can't tell who made the tea.
  • 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. Mia gave Ella her book back. Why is this sentence unclear? (It is too short. / 'gave' is the wrong verb. / It has no subject. / We can't tell whose book it is.) → We can't tell whose book it is.Prompt: Find each pronoun (he, she, it, her, they).
  2. Which version is clearest and reads best? (Mia found a shell. Mia washed the shell and Mia put the shell on Mia's shelf. / She found it. She washed it and put it on her shelf. / Mia found a shell. She washed it and put it on her shelf. / Mia found a shell. It washed her and put her on its shelf.) → Mia found a shell. She washed it and put it on her shelf.Prompt: Repeating the same noun again and again sounds clumsy.

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 version is clearest and reads best? (Gran baked a pie. Gran cut the pie into eight slices for us. / Gran baked a pie. She cut it into eight slices for us. / She baked it. She cut it into eight slices for us. / Gran baked a pie. It cut her into eight slices for us.) → Gran baked a pie. She cut it into eight slices for us.Prompt: Repeating the same noun again and again sounds clumsy.
  2. Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Priya showed Zara a photo of her cat. (The cat is Priya's.) (Priya showed Zara a photo of Priya's cat. / She showed her a photo of her cat. / Priya showed Zara a photo of her cat. / Priya showed Zara a photo of Zara's cat.) → Priya showed Zara a photo of Priya's cat.Prompt: Read the meaning in brackets carefully.

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: Who or what does the pronoun point back to?.
  • 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: I or me? Sam and I, Sam and me.
  • 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-4.

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

eurekami

Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Mia gave Ella her book back. (The book is Ella's.)

    • A. Mia gave Ella's book back to her.
    • B. Mia gave Mia's book back to Ella.
    • C. She gave her her book back.
    • D. Mia gave Ella her book back.

  2. Question 2

    Which version is clearest and reads best?

    • A. Gran baked a pie. She cut it into eight slices for us.
    • B. Gran baked a pie. It cut her into eight slices for us.
    • C. Gran baked a pie. Gran cut the pie into eight slices for us.
    • D. She baked it. She cut it into eight slices for us.

  3. Question 3

    Mia gave Ella her book back. Why is this sentence unclear?

    • A. It is too short.
    • B. We can't tell whose book it is.
    • C. It has no subject.
    • D. 'gave' is the wrong verb.

  4. Question 4

    Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Priya showed Zara a photo of her cat. (The cat is Priya's.)

    • A. Priya showed Zara a photo of Priya's cat.
    • B. She showed her a photo of her cat.
    • C. Priya showed Zara a photo of her cat.
    • D. Priya showed Zara a photo of Zara's cat.

  5. Question 5

    Sam told Leo that he had won the prize. Why is this sentence unclear?

    • A. It has no verb.
    • B. It uses too many nouns.
    • C. We can't tell whether 'he' means Sam or Leo.
    • D. It should be a question.

  6. Question 6

    Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Sam told Leo that he had won the prize. (Leo won.)

    • A. Sam told Leo that he had won the prize.
    • B. Sam told Leo that Leo had won the prize.
    • C. Sam told Leo that Sam had won the prize.
    • D. He told him that he had won the prize.

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Answer key: Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant

  1. 1. A. Mia gave Ella's book back to her.

  2. 2. A. Gran baked a pie. She cut it into eight slices for us.

  3. 3. B. We can't tell whose book it is.

  4. 4. A. Priya showed Zara a photo of Priya's cat.

  5. 5. C. We can't tell whether 'he' means Sam or Leo.

  6. 6. B. Sam told Leo that Leo had won the prize.