• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Combining sentences with appositives and participle phrases). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • My brother, who lives in Canada, is a chef. (I have only one brother.) • My brother who lives in Canada is a chef. (I have only one brother.) (My brother, who lives in Canada, is a chef. (I have only one brother.) / My brother who lives in Canada is a chef. (I have only one brother.)) → My brother, who lives in Canada, is a chef. (I have only one brother.)Prompt: Is the clause essential to identify the noun, or just extra information?
2. The volunteers cleared the beach. They worked through the afternoon. Which choice combines the sentences most effectively using a participle phrase? (Working through the afternoon, the volunteers cleared the beach. / The volunteers working cleared through the afternoon the beach. / The volunteers cleared the beach, they worked through the afternoon. / Working through the afternoon, the beach was cleared.) → Working through the afternoon, the volunteers cleared the beach.Prompt: Turn one sentence into a phrase that describes a noun in the other.
3. What has the writer used to combine ideas in this sentence? Glowing in the dark, the jellyfish drifted past the boat. (an appositive / a participle phrase) → a participle phrasePrompt: Does the added phrase start with a noun group (a…, the…) or with a verb form (-ing, -ed, -en)?

• Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
• Share the objective: Essential or non-essential? Commas with appositives and clauses. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which option completes the sentence correctly? The novelist ___ won the Nobel Prize in 1993.
• Step 1: Non-essential (extra) information is set off with commas; essential (identifying) information is not.
• Step 2: Many novelists exist; the name identifies which one: no commas.
• Step 3: So the answer is: Toni Morrison
• Answer: Toni Morrison
• 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. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? The film, that we saw last night, was filmed in Iceland. (correct / incorrect) → incorrectPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?
2. Which option completes the sentence correctly? The film ___ was filmed in Iceland. (, that we saw last night, / that we saw last night) → that we saw last nightPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?

• 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.

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

1. Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Paris, which is the capital of France, attracts millions of visitors. (correct / incorrect) → correctPrompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?
2. Which option completes the sentence correctly? Our head teacher ___ retires in July. (Mrs Okafor / , Mrs Okafor,) → , Mrs Okafor,Prompt: Remove the words. Do we still know exactly who or what is meant?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-9.