English lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 30 minutes
Pronoun–antecedent agreement
Grammar
CCSS L.9-10.1CCSS L.6.1.CEngland: GCSE English Language (SPaG)England: SAT Standard English Conventions
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Pronoun–antecedent agreement.
- 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: Clear pronoun reference; Subject–verb agreement
Leads to: SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed); its or their? Pronouns for organisations and groups (SAT/ACT)
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 (Clear pronoun reference; Subject–verb agreement). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. My friends ___ coming to tea. (are / is) → arePrompt: Who or what is doing the action? That is the subject.
- In the article, it says that bees are in danger. Which is the clearest, most formal version? (In the article it says bees, they are in danger. / In the article, they say that bees are in danger. / The article says that bees are in danger. / It says in it that bees are in danger.) → The article says that bees are in danger.Prompt: Find each pronoun (he, she, it, they, this).
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. There ___ two apples in the bowl. (are / is) → arePrompt: Find the main subject. Ignore words like 'of the…' or 'with the…' that come after it.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Pronoun–antecedent agreement. 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 pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (formal written English). The team celebrated ___ victory.
- Step 1: A pronoun must agree in number with the noun it replaces.
- Step 2: The antecedent is a single group acting as one unit, so formal writing (and the SAT) uses 'its'. (UK English sometimes treats such groups as plural.)
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The team celebrated its victory."
- Step 4: So the answer is: its
- Answer: its
- 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.
- Choose the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (formal written English). The birds flew back to ___ nests. (their / its / there / they're) → theirPrompt: Find the noun the pronoun refers back to.
- Choose the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (formal written English). The band released ___ first album in 2020. (they're / its / it's / there) → itsPrompt: Find the noun the pronoun refers back to.
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.
- Choose the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (formal written English). Each of the girls brought ___ own lunch. (hers / her / its / their) → herPrompt: Find the noun the pronoun refers back to.
- Choose the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (formal written English). Neither of the boys remembered ___ coat. (them / his / its / their) → hisPrompt: Find the noun the pronoun refers back to.
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: Clear pronoun reference.
- 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: SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed); its or their? Pronouns for organisations and groups (SAT/ACT).
- 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