English lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 45 minutes
Verb moods and shifts in voice or mood
Grammar
CCSS L.8.1.CCCSS L.8.1.DEngland: KS3 Grammar
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Verb moods and shifts in voice or mood.
- 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: Active and passive voice; The subjunctive mood
Leads to: Conditionals (zero, first, second, third); The subjunctive: if I were, I wish it were, I suggest she be
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Active and passive voice; The subjunctive mood). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The council will build a new library. • A new library is built by the council. • A new library will be built by the council. • The council will be built by a new library. • A new library will build the council. (A new library is built by the council. / A new library will be built by the council. / The council will be built by a new library. / A new library will build the council.) → A new library will be built by the council.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.
- Choose the subjunctive form. If I ___ you, I would take an umbrella. (am / was / be / were) → werePrompt: Is the sentence about something imagined (if…, I wish…) or a demand (insist that…, it is vital that…)?
- Is this sentence active or passive? The mayor opened the new bridge. (active / passive) → activePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?
Hook · 5 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Verb moods and shifts in voice or mood. 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: What is the mood of the verb in this sentence? The committee demands that he resign.
- Step 1: Indicative = facts and statements; imperative = commands; interrogative = questions; conditional = what would happen; subjunctive = wishes, demands, hypotheticals.
- Step 2: So the answer is: subjunctive
- Answer: subjunctive
- 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.
- What is the mood of the verb in this sentence? Close the door quietly. (interrogative / conditional / indicative / imperative) → imperativePrompt: Is it a statement, a command, a question, a hypothetical, or a wish/demand?
- The team trained hard all winter, and the trophy was won in May. Which revision avoids the shift in voice? (Training was done hard all winter, and the team won the trophy in May. / The team trained hard all winter and won the trophy in May. / The team trained hard all winter, and the trophy had been won in May. / The team trained hard all winter, and in May the trophy is won.) → The team trained hard all winter and won the trophy in May.Prompt: Look at the first verb. Is it active or passive? A command or a statement?
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.
- What is the mood of the verb in this sentence? Did anyone feed the cat? (indicative / imperative / interrogative / conditional) → interrogativePrompt: Is it a statement, a command, a question, a hypothetical, or a wish/demand?
- First, preheat the oven. Then the flour should be sifted. Which revision avoids the needless shift? (First, preheat the oven. Then you should be sifting the flour. / First, preheat the oven. Then the flour is sifted by you. / First, preheat the oven. Then sift the flour. / First, the oven is preheated. Then sift the flour.) → First, preheat the oven. Then sift the flour.Prompt: Look at the first verb. Is it active or passive? A command or a statement?
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Active and passive voice.
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- 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: Conditionals (zero, first, second, third); The subjunctive: if I were, I wish it were, I suggest she be.
- 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-8.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder