English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes
Commas after fronted adverbials and subordinate clauses
Punctuation
CCSS L.4.2.CCCSS L.5.2.BEngland: Y4 GPS (commas after fronted adverbials)England: KS2 SATs GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Commas after fronted adverbials and subordinate clauses.
- 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: Commas in lists
Leads to: Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis; Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Commas after openers, yes and no, tag questions and names
Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas in lists). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which sentence uses commas correctly? • I packed a hat, a towel and some sun cream. • I packed a hat a towel and some sun cream. • I packed a hat, a towel, and, some sun cream. • I packed, a hat, a towel and some sun cream. (I packed a hat, a towel and some sun cream. / I packed a hat a towel and some sun cream. / I packed a hat, a towel, and, some sun cream. / I packed, a hat, a towel and some sun cream.) → I packed a hat, a towel and some sun cream.Prompt: Commas separate the items in a list.
- How many commas are needed in this list (UK style, no comma before "and")? We need red orange yellow and green. (0 / 1 / 2 / 4) → 2Prompt: Count the items in the list.
- Which sentence uses commas correctly? • We saw lions tigers and bears. • We saw, lions, tigers and bears. • We saw lions, tigers, and, bears. • We saw lions, tigers and bears. (We saw lions tigers and bears. / We saw, lions, tigers and bears. / We saw lions, tigers, and, bears. / We saw lions, tigers and bears.) → We saw lions, tigers and bears.Prompt: Commas separate the items in a list.
Hook · 5 min
- Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
- Share the objective: Commas after fronted adverbials and subordinate clauses. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which sentence has the comma in the right place? • Yes I would, love to come. • Yes I, would love to come. • Yes, I would love to come. • Yes I would love, to come.
- Step 1: Put a comma after a fronted adverbial or an opening subordinate clause, after yes/no, and after the name of someone you are addressing.
- Step 2: So the answer is: Yes, I would love to come.
- Answer: Yes, I would love to come.
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which sentence has the comma in the right place? • After the storm the garden was, a mess. • After the storm, the garden was a mess. • After, the storm the garden was a mess. • After the storm the garden, was a mess. (After the storm the garden was, a mess. / After the storm, the garden was a mess. / After, the storm the garden was a mess. / After the storm the garden, was a mess.) → After the storm, the garden was a mess.Prompt: Find where the opening phrase or clause ends and the main clause begins.
- A: Ravi, the goalkeeper is injured. B: Ravi, the goalkeeper, is injured. In which sentence is Ravi the person who is injured? (A / B) → BPrompt: Read both sentences aloud, pausing at each comma.
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A: While the children were cooking, the pan caught fire. B: While the children were cooking the pan caught fire. Which sentence is clearer? (A / B) → APrompt: Read both sentences aloud, pausing at each comma.
- Which sentence has the comma in the right place? • Slowly and silently the cat, crept forward. • Slowly and silently the cat crept, forward. • Slowly, and silently the cat crept forward. • Slowly and silently, the cat crept forward. (Slowly and silently the cat, crept forward. / Slowly and silently the cat crept, forward. / Slowly, and silently the cat crept forward. / Slowly and silently, the cat crept forward.) → Slowly and silently, the cat crept forward.Prompt: Find where the opening phrase or clause ends and the main clause begins.
Watch out for
- Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
- Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Commas in lists.
- Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
- 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: Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis; Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Commas after openers, yes and no, tag questions and names.
- 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