English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes
Keeping tense consistent
Grammar
CCSS L.5.1.DEngland: Y5/6 GPS (consistent tense)England: KS2 SATs GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Keeping tense consistent.
- 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: Perfect tenses (past, present, future)
Leads to: Verb tense and form in context
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 (Perfect tenses (past, present, future)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the correct perfect tense. By tonight, I ___ (read) the whole book. (am reading / had read / will have read / have read) → will have readPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
- Choose the correct perfect tense. By the time we arrived, the film ___ (start). (had started / has started / will have started / starts) → had startedPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
- Choose the correct perfect tense. When I got to the station, the train ___ (leave). (leaves / will have left / has left / had left) → had leftPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Keeping tense consistent. 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 verb that keeps the tense consistent. Lena opens the box and ___ a tiny kitten inside.
- Step 1: Verbs that describe actions in the same time frame should be in the same tense.
- Step 2: Read it through: "Lena opens the box and finds a tiny kitten inside."
- Step 3: So the answer is: finds
- Answer: finds
- 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 verb that keeps the tense consistent. When the bell rang, the children jumped up and ___ outside. (runs / run / ran / running) → ranPrompt: Find the other verb(s) in the sentence. What tense are they in?
- Choose the verb that keeps the tense consistent. The knight drew his sword and ___ towards the dragon. (will charge / charged / charges / charging) → chargedPrompt: Find the other verb(s) in the sentence. What tense are they in?
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 verb that keeps the tense consistent. Every morning I wake up, brush my teeth and ___ breakfast. (eat / eaten / ate / had eaten) → eatPrompt: Find the other verb(s) in the sentence. What tense are they in?
- Choose the verb that keeps the tense consistent. Next summer we will fly to Canada and ___ my cousins. (visited / visits / visit / had visited) → visitPrompt: Find the other verb(s) in the sentence. What tense are they in?
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: Perfect tenses (past, present, future).
- 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: Verb tense and form in context.
- 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-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder