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

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

Grammar

CCSS L.11-12.3.AEngland: A-level English LanguageEngland: AP LanguageEngland: GCSE English Language (AO5 crafting)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Cleft sentences for focus: It was… who…, What… is….

  • 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: Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she…; Syntax for effect (GCSE/AP)

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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 (Inversion for emphasis: Never have I…, Not only did she…; Syntax for effect (GCSE/AP)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the correct form to complete the emphatic sentence. Seldom ___ a team come back from four goals down. (is / has it / do / does) → doesPrompt: 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? Only then realised we how serious the problem was. (correct / incorrect) → incorrectPrompt: Does the sentence start with a negative or limiting word (never, rarely, not only, only then, little, hardly)?
  3. Never had the village seen such a storm. What effect does inverting the normal word order create? (It makes the sentence informal and chatty. / It emphasises how unusual the storm was by placing 'Never' first. / It makes the sentence a question. / It shows the event will happen in the future.) → It emphasises how unusual the storm was by placing 'Never' first.Prompt: Think about how the sentence makes you read: faster, slower, with more emphasis?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Cleft sentences for focus: It was… who…, What… is…. 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 part of this sentence is being emphasised by its structure? It was not the price but the quality that worried us.
  • Step 1: Cleft sentences split a simple sentence into two parts to spotlight one element: It was Maya who… / What we need is…
  • Step 2: The cleft contrasts and focuses on 'the quality'.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: the quality
  • Answer: the quality
  • 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. Which part of this sentence is being emphasised by its structure? It was because of the storm that the ferry was cancelled. (because of the storm / was cancelled / it / the ferry) → because of the stormPrompt: In 'It was X who/that…', X is the focus.
  2. Read the question and choose. Emphasise WHAT you need: "I need a long holiday." • I am needing a long holiday. • A long holiday, I need it. • It is I who need a long holiday. • What I need is a long holiday. (I am needing a long holiday. / A long holiday, I need it. / It is I who need a long holiday. / What I need is a long holiday.) → What I need is a long holiday.Prompt: Put the element you want to emphasise straight after 'It is/was…', or at the end after 'What… is/was'.

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. Read the question and choose. Emphasise WHY the match was cancelled: "The match was cancelled because of the snow." • It was the match that was cancelled because of snow. • The snow, it cancelled the match. • What was cancelled was the match. • It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled. (It was the match that was cancelled because of snow. / The snow, it cancelled the match. / What was cancelled was the match. / It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.) → It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.Prompt: Put the element you want to emphasise straight after 'It is/was…', or at the end after 'What… is/was'.
  2. Which part of this sentence is being emphasised by its structure? It was because of the storm that the ferry was cancelled. (was cancelled / it / the ferry / because of the storm) → because of the stormPrompt: In 'It was X who/that…', X is the focus.

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

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

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which part of this sentence is being emphasised by its structure? It was in 1969 that people first walked on the Moon.

    • A. in 1969
    • B. people
    • C. the Moon
    • D. walked

  2. Question 2

    Read the question and choose. Emphasise WHAT annoys you: "His constant lateness annoys me." • His constant lateness, it annoys me. • Me, his lateness annoys. • It is me whom his lateness annoys. • What annoys me is his constant lateness.

    • A. His constant lateness, it annoys me.
    • B. Me, his lateness annoys.
    • C. It is me whom his lateness annoys.
    • D. What annoys me is his constant lateness.

  3. Question 3

    Which part of this sentence is being emphasised by its structure? What surprised me was how calm she stayed.

    • A. what
    • B. me
    • C. surprised
    • D. how calm she stayed

  4. Question 4

    Read the question and choose. Emphasise WHY the match was cancelled: "The match was cancelled because of the snow." • It was the match that was cancelled because of snow. • The snow, it cancelled the match. • What was cancelled was the match. • It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.

    • A. It was the match that was cancelled because of snow.
    • B. The snow, it cancelled the match.
    • C. What was cancelled was the match.
    • D. It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.

  5. Question 5

    Which part of this sentence is being emphasised by its structure? All I wanted was a quiet weekend.

    • A. a quiet weekend
    • B. I
    • C. all
    • D. wanted

  6. Question 6

    Read the question and choose. Emphasise WHY the match was cancelled: "The match was cancelled because of the snow." • It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled. • What was cancelled was the match. • The snow, it cancelled the match. • It was the match that was cancelled because of snow.

    • A. It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.
    • B. What was cancelled was the match.
    • C. The snow, it cancelled the match.
    • D. It was the match that was cancelled because of snow.

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Answer key: Cleft sentences for focus: It was… who…, What… is…

  1. 1. A. in 1969

  2. 2. D. What annoys me is his constant lateness.

  3. 3. D. how calm she stayed

  4. 4. D. It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.

  5. 5. A. a quiet weekend

  6. 6. A. It was because of the snow that the match was cancelled.