• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Choose the correct word. I ___ a strange noise outside. (heard / herd) → heardPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?
2. Choose the correct word. Yesterday the guide ___ us up the hill. (led / lead) → ledPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?
3. Choose the correct word. The cold weather did not ___ our plans. (affect / effect) → affectPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's. 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 correct word or words for the gap. ___ sure that ___ dog is over ___.
• Step 1: The apostrophe forms (they're, it's, you're, who's) are contractions; the possessive forms (their, its, your, whose) never take an apostrophe.
• Step 2: 'they're' = they are.
• Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "They're sure that their dog is over there."
• Step 4: So the answer is: They're, their, there
• Answer: They're, their, there
• 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 correct word or words for the gap. I like this phone, but ___ battery is weak. (it's / its) → itsPrompt: Try expanding the contraction: does 'they are', 'it is', 'you are' or 'who is' make sense?
2. Which sentence is correct? • Whose the author who's book won the prize? • Who's the author whose book won the prize? • Who's the author who's book won the prize? • Whose the author whose book won the prize? (Whose the author who's book won the prize? / Who's the author whose book won the prize? / Who's the author who's book won the prize? / Whose the author whose book won the prize?) → Who's the author whose book won the prize?Prompt: Check each tricky word one at a time.

• 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 is correct? • Its clear that the team has lost it's confidence. • It's clear that the team has lost it's confidence. • It's clear that the team has lost its confidence. • Its clear that the team has lost its confidence. (Its clear that the team has lost it's confidence. / It's clear that the team has lost it's confidence. / It's clear that the team has lost its confidence. / Its clear that the team has lost its confidence.) → It's clear that the team has lost its confidence.Prompt: Check each tricky word one at a time.
2. Choose the correct word or words for the gap. ___ sure that ___ dog is over ___. (They're, their, there / There, they're, their / They're, there, their / Their, there, they're) → They're, their, therePrompt: Try expanding the contraction: does 'they are', 'it is', 'you are' or 'who is' make sense?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-6.