English lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 45 minutes
Agreement with amounts, titles, 'the number of' and -s nouns
Grammar
CCSS L.8.1CCSS L.9-10.1England: KS3 English (Standard English)England: SAT Standard English Conventions (agreement)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Agreement with amounts, titles, 'the number of' and -s nouns.
- 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: Agreement with everyone, each, both, some, none…
Leads to: Agreement when the verb comes first (There are…, Here comes…)
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 (Agreement with everyone, each, both, some, none…). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. Either of the routes ___ fine. (is / are) → isPrompt: Is the pronoun always singular (everyone, each, nobody, either, neither), always plural (both, few, many, several), or does it depend (some, all, most, none, any)?
- Type the verb (from the brackets) that agrees with the subject. Everybody ___ (want/wants) a turn on the new swing. → wantsPrompt: Which indefinite pronoun is the subject?
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. Everything in these boxes ___ to be sorted. (need / needs) → needsPrompt: Is the pronoun always singular (everyone, each, nobody, either, neither), always plural (both, few, many, several), or does it depend (some, all, most, none, any)?
Hook · 5 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Agreement with amounts, titles, 'the number of' and -s nouns. 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 verb that agrees with the subject. Five kilometres ___ a long way to walk.
- Step 1: Agreement follows meaning: amounts, titles and -s subjects like physics are singular; 'a number of', police and paired items are plural.
- Step 2: A distance treated as one amount is singular.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "Five kilometres is a long way to walk."
- Step 4: So the answer is: is
- Answer: is
- 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.
- Is this sentence correct in formal written English? The police is investigating the break-in. (correct / incorrect) → incorrectPrompt: Is the subject really ONE thing (an amount, a title, a subject of study) or many?
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. Physics ___ the study of matter and energy. (are / is) → isPrompt: Is the subject really ONE thing (an amount, a title, a subject of study) or many?
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.
- Choose the verb that agrees with the subject. A number of students ___ waiting outside. (are / is) → arePrompt: Is the subject really ONE thing (an amount, a title, a subject of study) or many?
- Is this sentence correct in formal written English? Three hours are a long time to wait. (correct / incorrect) → incorrectPrompt: Is the subject really ONE thing (an amount, a title, a subject of study) or many?
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: Agreement with everyone, each, both, some, none….
- 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: Agreement when the verb comes first (There are…, Here comes…).
- 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