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English lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 30 minutes

Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses

Punctuation

CCSS L.9-10.2CCSS L.6.2.AEngland: SAT Standard English Conventions (Boundaries)England: ACT EnglishEngland: GCSE English Language (AO6)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses.

  • 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: Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Combining sentences with appositives and participle phrases

Leads to: Spotting unnecessary commas; Matching pairs: comma–comma, dash–dash, bracket–bracket (SAT); Commas with titles and descriptions before names (SAT)

Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Combining sentences with appositives and participle phrases). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • Ms Obi our coach, gave a speech. • Ms Obi, our coach, gave a speech. (Ms Obi our coach, gave a speech. / Ms Obi, our coach, gave a speech.) → Ms Obi, our coach, gave a speech.Prompt: Is the clause essential to identify the noun, or just extra information?
  2. Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes. She was a physicist and chemist. Which choice combines the sentences most effectively using an appositive? (Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist and she won and won two Nobel Prizes. / A physicist and chemist won two Nobel Prizes, Marie Curie. / Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes, she was a physicist and chemist. / Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist, won two Nobel Prizes.) → Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist, won two Nobel Prizes.Prompt: Turn one sentence into a phrase that describes a noun in the other.
  3. What has the writer used to combine ideas in this sentence? The robot, a prototype built by students, won first prize. (an appositive / a participle phrase) → an appositivePrompt: Does the added phrase start with a noun group (a…, the…) or with a verb form (-ing, -ed, -en)?

Hook · 3 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses. 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 option completes the sentence correctly? The novelist ___ won the Nobel Prize in 1993.
  • Step 1: Non-essential (extra) information is set off with commas; essential (identifying) information is not.
  • Step 2: Many novelists exist; the name identifies which one: no commas.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: Toni Morrison
  • Answer: Toni Morrison
  • 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. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Students who feel unwell must see the nurse. (correct / incorrect) → correctPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?
  2. Which option completes the sentence correctly? (I have only one brother.) My brother ___ is a chef. (, Sam, / Sam) → , Sam,Prompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?

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? (I have two brothers.) My brother Sam is a chef. (correct / incorrect) → correctPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?
  2. Which option completes the sentence correctly? (I have two brothers.) My brother ___ is a chef. (Sam / , Sam,) → SamPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives.
  • Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
  • 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: Spotting unnecessary commas; Matching pairs: comma–comma, dash–dash, bracket–bracket (SAT); Commas with titles and descriptions before names (SAT).
  • 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-9.

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

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Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Toni Morrison an American novelist won the Nobel Prize in 1993.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

  2. Question 2

    Which option completes the sentence correctly? The song ___ became a hit.

    • A. "Blue Lights"
    • B. , "Blue Lights,"

  3. Question 3

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? (I have two brothers.) My brother Sam is a chef.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

  4. Question 4

    Which option completes the sentence correctly? Paris ___ attracts millions of visitors.

    • A. , which is the capital of France,
    • B. which is the capital of France

  5. Question 5

    Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Mount Everest the highest mountain on Earth is on the border of Nepal and China.

    • A. correct
    • B. incorrect

  6. Question 6

    Which option completes the sentence correctly? Students ___ must see the nurse.

    • A. , who feel unwell,
    • B. who feel unwell

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Answer key: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses

  1. 1. B. incorrect

  2. 2. A. "Blue Lights"

  3. 3. A. correct

  4. 4. A. , which is the capital of France,

  5. 5. B. incorrect

  6. 6. B. who feel unwell