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English lesson plan · 12th grade (Year 13 in England) · 30 minutes

Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she…

Grammar

CCSS L.11-12.3.ACCSS L.11-12.1.AEngland: A-level English LanguageEngland: AP LanguageEngland: Cambridge-style advanced grammar

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she….

  • 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: Advanced subjunctive: were it not for, lest, that she not be; Simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences

Leads to: Cleft sentences for focus: It was… who…, What… is…

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 (Advanced subjunctive: were it not for, lest, that she not be; Simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the form that is correct in formal written English. ___ the rain stop, the match will continue. (Will / Should / Would / Shall) → ShouldPrompt: Is this a demand or recommendation (that + base form), an unreal condition (were/had/should), or a fixed expression?
  2. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Should the rain stop, the match will continue. (correct / incorrect) → correctPrompt: Is this a demand or recommendation (that + base form), an unreal condition (were/had/should), or a fixed expression?
  3. What type of sentence is this? When the fox crept closer, the hens woke up, and the farmer grabbed his torch. (simple / compound / complex / compound-complex) → compound-complexPrompt: Count the independent clauses, then count the dependent clauses.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she…. 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 form to complete the emphatic sentence. Rarely ___ snow in this part of Spain.
  • Step 1: When a negative or restrictive expression begins a sentence for emphasis, the auxiliary comes before the subject (Never have I…).
  • Step 2: 'Rarely' at the start: does + subject + base verb.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "Rarely does it snow in this part of Spain."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: does it
  • Answer: does it
  • 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 form to complete the emphatic sentence. Never ___ such a beautiful sunset. (I saw / have I seen / I have seen / seen I have) → have I seenPrompt: Does the sentence start with a negative or limiting word (never, rarely, not only, only then, little, hardly)?
  2. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Never seen I have such a beautiful sunset. (correct / incorrect) → incorrectPrompt: Does the sentence start with a negative or limiting word (never, rarely, not only, only then, little, hardly)?

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. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Hardly got I home when the phone rang. (correct / incorrect) → incorrectPrompt: Does the sentence start with a negative or limiting word (never, rarely, not only, only then, little, hardly)?
  2. Choose the correct form to complete the emphatic sentence. Under no circumstances ___ the door be opened. (should / it should / it / should it be) → shouldPrompt: Does the sentence start with a negative or limiting word (never, rarely, not only, only then, little, hardly)?

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: Advanced subjunctive: were it not for, lest, that she not be.
  • 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: Cleft sentences for focus: It was… who…, What… is….
  • 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-12.

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

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Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she…

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Choose the correct form to complete the emphatic sentence. So tired ___ that she fell asleep at her desk.

    • A. she is
    • B. was she
    • C. was her
    • D. she was
  2. Question 2

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? So tired was she that she fell asleep at her desk.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect
  3. Question 3

    Choose the correct form to complete the emphatic sentence. No sooner ___ the stage than the lights went out.

    • A. had she stepped onto
    • B. she had stepped onto
    • C. she stepped onto
    • D. stepped she onto
  4. Question 4

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Only then we realised how serious the problem was.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect
  5. Question 5

    Choose the correct form to complete the emphatic sentence. Only then ___ how serious the problem was.

    • A. we did realise
    • B. we realised
    • C. did we realise
    • D. realised we
  6. Question 6

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Little they knew that the house was haunted.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

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Answer key: Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she…

  1. 1. B. was she

  2. 2. A. correct

  3. 3. A. had she stepped onto

  4. 4. B. incorrect

  5. 5. C. did we realise

  6. 6. B. incorrect