• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Hyphens to avoid ambiguity). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. What does the hyphen tell us this sentence means? She is a little-used book collector. (she collects books that are not used much / she is a small person who collects used books) → she collects books that are not used muchPrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.
2. What does the hyphen tell us this sentence means? There were twenty-odd people at the party. (about twenty people / twenty strange people) → about twenty peoplePrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.
3. What does the hyphen tell us this sentence means? We saw a man-eating shark. (a shark that eats people / a man who is eating shark meat) → a shark that eats peoplePrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.

• Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
• Share the objective: Hyphens in compound modifiers (a well-known author). Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Choose the correctly punctuated form. My brother is ___.
• Step 1: Hyphenate words that work together as one adjective before a noun (a well-known author), but not after the noun (the author is well known) or after -ly adverbs.
• Step 2: After the verb, no hyphens.
• Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "My brother is ten years old."
• Step 4: So the answer is: ten years old
• Answer: ten years old
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Choose the correctly punctuated form. The flat is on the ___. (third floor / third-floor) → third floorPrompt: Does the compound come BEFORE the noun it describes?
2. Which sentence uses hyphens correctly? • We booked a two-week-holiday in a five-star-hotel. • We booked a two-week holiday in a five star-hotel. • We booked a two-week holiday in a five-star hotel. • We booked a two week holiday in a five star hotel. (We booked a two-week-holiday in a five-star-hotel. / We booked a two-week holiday in a five star-hotel. / We booked a two-week holiday in a five-star hotel. / We booked a two week holiday in a five star hotel.) → We booked a two-week holiday in a five-star hotel.Prompt: Find each group of words before a noun that works as one describing word.

• 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.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Which sentence uses hyphens correctly? • The highly-trained team used up to date equipment. • The highly trained team used up to-date equipment. • The highly trained team used up-to-date equipment. • The highly-trained team used up-to-date-equipment. (The highly-trained team used up to date equipment. / The highly trained team used up to-date equipment. / The highly trained team used up-to-date equipment. / The highly-trained team used up-to-date-equipment.) → The highly trained team used up-to-date equipment.Prompt: Find each group of words before a noun that works as one describing word.
2. Choose the correctly punctuated form. My brother is ___. (ten-year-old / ten-years-old / ten years old) → ten years oldPrompt: Does the compound come BEFORE the noun it describes?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-8.