English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes
Standard English verb forms
Grammar
CCSS L.4.1CCSS L.3.1.DEngland: Y4 GPS (Standard English)England: KS2 SATs GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Standard English verb forms.
- 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: Subject–verb agreement; Past tense (regular and irregular verbs)
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 (Subject–verb agreement; Past tense (regular and irregular verbs)). 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 cat ___ on the windowsill. (sleep / sleeps) → sleepsPrompt: Who or what is doing the action? That is the subject.
- Write the past tense of "send". (Today I send. Yesterday I ___.) → sentPrompt: This is an irregular verb: it does not add -ed.
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. The teacher with the students ___ on the bus. (are / is) → isPrompt: 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: Standard English verb forms. 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 Standard English form. They ___ to the cinema last night.
- Step 1: In Standard English the verb agrees with its subject and uses the correct past form.
- Step 2: This verb is irregular; the simple past is a special form.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "They went to the cinema last night."
- Step 4: So the answer is: went
- Answer: went
- 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 Standard English form. We ___ at the park all morning. (were / was / been / is) → werePrompt: Standard English is the form used in formal writing.
- Choose the Standard English form. She ___ the answer yesterday. (known / knowed / knew / knowing) → knewPrompt: Standard English is the form used in formal writing.
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 Standard English form. I ___ seen that film. (have / of / has / had of) → havePrompt: Standard English is the form used in formal writing.
- Choose the Standard English form. You ___ late again! (been / is / were / was) → werePrompt: Standard English is the form used in formal writing.
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: Subject–verb agreement.
- 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-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder