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English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 45 minutes

Possessive apostrophes: singular, plural and irregular plurals

Punctuation

CCSS L.6.2CCSS L.2.2.CEngland: KS3 English (punctuation)England: GCSE English Language (AO6 SPaG)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Possessive apostrophes: singular, plural and irregular plurals.

  • 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: Apostrophes for possession

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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 (Apostrophes for possession). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which shows possession correctly? the nests of the birds (the birds's nests / the birds' nests / the birds nests / the bird's nests) → the birds' nestsPrompt: Who is the owner? One owner or more than one?
  2. Choose the correct word. Read the clue in brackets. My ___ car is blue. (one uncle) (uncle's / uncles' / uncles) → uncle'sPrompt: Does the word show ownership, a contraction, or just a plural?
  3. Which shows possession correctly? the hats of the men (the mens hats / the man's hats' / the men's hats / the mens' hats) → the men's hatsPrompt: Who is the owner? One owner or more than one?

Hook · 5 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Possessive apostrophes: singular, plural and irregular plurals. 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: Choose the correct form. The brackets tell you how many owners there are. The ___ coats were hanging by the door. (more than one girl)
  • Step 1: Singular owner → 's (dog's). Plural ending in s → s' (dogs'). Plural not ending in s → 's (children's).
  • Step 2: Plural ending in s: add just an apostrophe.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The girls' coats were hanging by the door."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: girls'
  • Answer: girls'
  • 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.
  1. Choose the correct form. The brackets tell you how many owners there are. The ___ wool is thick in winter. (more than one sheep) (sheeps / sheep's / sheep / sheeps') → sheep'sPrompt: First write the owner word correctly: one dog / two dogs / children.
  2. Read the question and choose. "My friends' dog" – who owns the dog? (one friend / nobody / the dog owns the friends / more than one friend) → more than one friendPrompt: Look at where the apostrophe is: before or after the s?

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.
  1. Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly? • I bought three apple's at Toms stall. • I bought three apples at Tom's stall. • I bought three apples' at Toms' stall. • I bought three apple's at Tom's stall. (I bought three apple's at Toms stall. / I bought three apples at Tom's stall. / I bought three apples' at Toms' stall. / I bought three apple's at Tom's stall.) → I bought three apples at Tom's stall.Prompt: Find the word that owns something, then check every other word ending in s.
  2. Read the question and choose. "The cat's bowls were empty." How many cats are there? (one / more than one / we can't tell / none) → onePrompt: Look at where the apostrophe is: before or after the s?

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Apostrophes for possession.
  • 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

  • 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-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Possessive apostrophes: singular, plural and irregular plurals

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Choose the correct form. The brackets tell you how many owners there are. The ___ costumes were amazing. (more than one actor)

    • A. actors
    • B. actor's
    • C. actors'
    • D. actors's

  2. Question 2

    Read the question and choose. "The cat's bowls were empty." How many cats are there?

    • A. none
    • B. more than one
    • C. one
    • D. we can't tell

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly? • The buses engine needs repairing. • The bus's engine needs repairing. • The bus engine's needs repairing. • The busses' engine needs repairing.

    • A. The buses engine needs repairing.
    • B. The bus's engine needs repairing.
    • C. The bus engine's needs repairing.
    • D. The busses' engine needs repairing.

  4. Question 4

    Choose the correct form. The brackets tell you how many owners there are. The ___ nests were high in the tree. (more than one bird)

    • A. birds's
    • B. bird's
    • C. birds'
    • D. birds

  5. Question 5

    Read the question and choose. "The cats' bowls were empty." How many cats are there?

    • A. more than one
    • B. we can't tell
    • C. none
    • D. one

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly? • I bought three apples' at Toms' stall. • I bought three apples at Tom's stall. • I bought three apple's at Tom's stall. • I bought three apple's at Toms stall.

    • A. I bought three apples' at Toms' stall.
    • B. I bought three apples at Tom's stall.
    • C. I bought three apple's at Tom's stall.
    • D. I bought three apple's at Toms stall.

  7. Question 7

    Choose the correct form. The brackets tell you how many owners there are. The ___ bark kept us awake. (one puppy)

    • A. puppies'
    • B. puppy's
    • C. puppys'
    • D. puppies

  8. Question 8

    Read the question and choose. "My friend's dogs" – who owns the dogs?

    • A. nobody
    • B. we can't tell
    • C. one friend
    • D. more than one friend

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Answer key: Possessive apostrophes: singular, plural and irregular plurals

  1. 1. C. actors'

  2. 2. C. one

  3. 3. B. The bus's engine needs repairing.

  4. 4. C. birds'

  5. 5. A. more than one

  6. 6. B. I bought three apples at Tom's stall.

  7. 7. B. puppy's

  8. 8. C. one friend