English lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 45 minutes
Independent clause, dependent clause or phrase?
Grammar
CCSS L.7.1.ACCSS L.7.1.BEngland: KS3 English (grammar: clauses)England: GCSE English Language (AO6 sentence structures)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Independent clause, dependent clause or phrase?.
- 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: Relative clauses
Leads to: What job does the clause do? Adjective, adverb or noun clauses; Simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences; -ing words: gerund, participle or main verb?
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 (Relative clauses). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The teacher whose class won the prize was delighted. (The teacher / was delighted / whose class won the prize / won the prize was) → whose class won the prizePrompt: Look for who, which, that, where, when or whose.
- Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? Ms Chen gave us a test. Her lessons are fun. (Ms Chen whose, lessons are fun gave us a test. / Ms Chen, which lessons are fun, gave us a test. / Ms Chen, who lessons are fun, gave us a test. / Ms Chen, whose lessons are fun, gave us a test.) → Ms Chen, whose lessons are fun, gave us a test.Prompt: Which relative pronoun matches the noun (person, thing, place, belonging)?
- Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The cake which Leila baked won first prize. (The cake / Leila baked won / won first prize / which Leila baked) → which Leila bakedPrompt: Look for who, which, that, where, when or whose.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Independent clause, dependent clause or phrase?. 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: Is the group of words in brackets an independent clause, a dependent clause, or a phrase? [until the rain stops]
- Step 1: A clause has a subject and a verb. An independent clause makes sense alone; a dependent clause needs a main clause. A phrase has no subject–verb pair.
- Step 2: 'Until' introduces a dependent clause.
- Step 3: So the answer is: dependent clause
- Answer: dependent clause
- 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 the group of words in brackets an independent clause, a dependent clause, or a phrase? [my cousin plays the drums] (independent clause / dependent clause / phrase (not a clause)) → independent clausePrompt: Does it have a subject AND a verb? If not, it's a phrase.
- Read the question and choose. Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause? "We stayed indoors because it was pouring." (stayed / indoors / because it was pouring / We stayed indoors) → because it was pouringPrompt: Look for a subordinating word (when, because, although, if, until, who).
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.
- Read the question and choose. Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause? "When the bell rang, the students packed up quickly." (quickly / packed up / When the bell rang / the students packed up quickly) → When the bell rangPrompt: Look for a subordinating word (when, because, although, if, until, who).
- Is the group of words in brackets an independent clause, a dependent clause, or a phrase? [when the sun sets] (independent clause / dependent clause / phrase (not a clause)) → dependent clausePrompt: Does it have a subject AND a verb? If not, it's a phrase.
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: Relative clauses.
- 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: What job does the clause do? Adjective, adverb or noun clauses; Simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences; -ing words: gerund, participle or main verb?.
- 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-7.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder