Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

English lesson plan · 11th grade (Year 12 in England) · 45 minutes

Possessives, plurals and non-essential elements (SAT)

Punctuation

CCSS L.11-12.2CCSS L.9-10.2England: SAT Standard English ConventionsEngland: ACT English

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Possessives, plurals and non-essential elements (SAT).

  • 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: Punctuation between clauses (SAT/ACT); 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 (Punctuation between clauses (SAT/ACT); 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 classroom of the teacher (the teacher classroom's / the teacher's classroom / the teachers classroom / the teachers' classroom) → the teacher's classroomPrompt: Who is the owner? One owner or more than one?
  2. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The town's oldest building — a stone ___ dates from the 1300s. (chapel / chapel, / chapel; / chapel —) → chapel —Prompt: Are the parts on each side complete main clauses?
  3. Choose the correct word. Read the clue in brackets. We have three ___ in our garden. (more than one tree, no owner) (trees' / tree's / trees) → treesPrompt: Does the word show ownership, a contraction, or just a plural?

Hook · 5 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Possessives, plurals and non-essential elements (SAT). 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 choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ decision to lower ticket prices doubled attendance.
  • Step 1: Use 's for singular possessives, s' for plural possessives ending in s, and no apostrophe for plain plurals. Essential (restrictive) names take no commas.
  • Step 2: One owner possesses the noun that follows: 's.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The museum's decision to lower ticket prices doubled attendance."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: museum's
  • Answer: museum's
  • 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. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ annual migration covers more than 3,000 kilometres. (herds' / herds / herd's / herd) → herd'sPrompt: Does the word show possession, or is it simply plural?
  2. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Each of the ___ wings is covered in tiny scales that reflect light. (butterflies's / butterfly's / butterflies / butterflys') → butterfly'sPrompt: Does the word show possession, or is it simply plural?

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 choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ annual migration covers more than 3,000 kilometres. (herds / herd's / herds' / herd) → herd'sPrompt: Does the word show possession, or is it simply plural?
  2. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Marine biologist ___ has spent two decades studying coral reefs. (, Ana Ruiz / , Ana Ruiz, / Ana Ruiz / Ana Ruiz,) → Ana RuizPrompt: Does the word show possession, or is it simply plural?

Watch out for

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

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Punctuation between clauses (SAT/ACT).
  • 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-11.

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

eurekami

Possessives, plurals and non-essential elements (SAT)

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The architect's most famous ___ glass-walled library, opened in 2004.

    • A. building, a
    • B. building a
    • C. building: a
    • D. building; a

  2. Question 2

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The novel follows three ___ as they cross the desert in search of water.

    • A. travellers's
    • B. travellers
    • C. travellers'
    • D. traveller's

  3. Question 3

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ largest moon, Ganymede, is bigger than the planet Mercury.

    • A. solar system's
    • B. solar-systems
    • C. solar systems
    • D. solar systems'

  4. Question 4

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The two ___ reports reached opposite conclusions.

    • A. agencies'
    • B. agencies
    • C. agency's
    • D. agencys'

  5. Question 5

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ annual migration covers more than 3,000 kilometres.

    • A. herd
    • B. herd's
    • C. herds'
    • D. herds

  6. Question 6

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ findings were published in a leading journal last spring.

    • A. researchers
    • B. researcher's
    • C. researchers's
    • D. researchers'

  7. Question 7

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ___ decision to lower ticket prices doubled attendance.

    • A. museums
    • B. museum's
    • C. museums'
    • D. museum

  8. Question 8

    Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Each of the ___ wings is covered in tiny scales that reflect light.

    • A. butterflys'
    • B. butterfly's
    • C. butterflies's
    • D. butterflies

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Possessives, plurals and non-essential elements (SAT)

  1. 1. A. building, a

  2. 2. B. travellers

  3. 3. A. solar system's

  4. 4. A. agencies'

  5. 5. B. herd's

  6. 6. D. researchers'

  7. 7. B. museum's

  8. 8. B. butterfly's