Placing only, just, almost and nearly

Grammar

CCSS L.7.1.CEngland: KS3 English (grammar: clarity)England: SAT Standard English Conventions

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Placing only, just, almost and nearly.

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: Misplaced and dangling modifiers

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Misplaced and dangling modifiers). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Having lost the map, the directions were asked for. • Having lost the map, a farmer gave the hikers directions. • Having lost the map, directions were needed. • Having lost the map, the hikers asked for directions. (Having lost the map, the directions were asked for. / Having lost the map, a farmer gave the hikers directions. / Having lost the map, directions were needed. / Having lost the map, the hikers asked for directions.) → Having lost the map, the hikers asked for directions.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Covered in chocolate, the cake looked delicious. • Covered in chocolate, the children loved the cake. • Covered in chocolate, I thought the cake looked delicious. • Covered in chocolate, we ate the cake. (Covered in chocolate, the cake looked delicious. / Covered in chocolate, the children loved the cake. / Covered in chocolate, I thought the cake looked delicious. / Covered in chocolate, we ate the cake.) → Covered in chocolate, the cake looked delicious.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Nadia only ate one biscuit only. • Nadia ate one only biscuit. • Only Nadia ate one biscuit and nothing else. • Nadia ate only one biscuit. (Nadia only ate one biscuit only. / Nadia ate one only biscuit. / Only Nadia ate one biscuit and nothing else. / Nadia ate only one biscuit.) → Nadia ate only one biscuit.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?

Hook · 6 min

Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
Share the objective: Placing only, just, almost and nearly. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
Example: Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you came close to eating but did NOT eat any? • You ate the almost cake. • You almost ate the cake. • Almost the cake you ate. • You ate almost the cake.
Step 1: Place limiting words directly before the word they limit: 'only Maya' (no one else), 'almost all' (not quite all).
Step 2: So the answer is: You almost ate the cake.
Answer: You almost ate the cake.
Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

Read the question and choose. Which sentence says the class has exactly one rule? • Our class just has one rule only. • Our class has just one rule. • Just our class has one rule. • Our just class has one rule. (Our class just has one rule only. / Our class has just one rule. / Just our class has one rule. / Our just class has one rule.) → Our class has just one rule.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.
Read the question and choose. "I failed almost every test." What does this mean? (I came close to failing but passed. / I failed only one test. / I failed most of the tests. / I passed every test.) → I failed most of the tests.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?

You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min

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

Read the question and choose. "We only have ten minutes." What does this mean? (We have no more than ten minutes. / We have ten minutes and nothing else to do. / We have exactly ten clocks. / Only we have ten minutes; others don't.) → We have no more than ten minutes.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?
Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that NO ONE ELSE passed the test? • Only Maya passed the test. • Maya passed only the test. • Maya passed the only test. • Maya only passed the test. (Only Maya passed the test. / Maya passed only the test. / Maya passed the only test. / Maya only passed the test.) → Only Maya passed the test.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.

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: Misplaced and dangling modifiers.
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

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

eurekami

Placing only, just, almost and nearly

Name

Date

Score/ 8

1
Question 1
Read the question and choose. "I almost failed every test." What does this mean?
- A. I didn't take the tests.
- B. I came close to failing, but I passed every test.
- C. I failed all of the tests.
- D. I failed most of the tests.
2
Question 2
Read the question and choose. Which sentence says the shop sells shoes and nothing else? • The shop sells only shoes. • The only shop sells shoes. • Only the shop sells shoes. • The shop only sells shoes to only people.
- A. The shop sells only shoes.
- B. The only shop sells shoes.
- C. Only the shop sells shoes.
- D. The shop only sells shoes to only people.
3
Question 3
Read the question and choose. Which sentence says the shop sells shoes and nothing else? • Only the shop sells shoes. • The shop sells only shoes. • The shop only sells shoes to only people. • The only shop sells shoes.
- A. Only the shop sells shoes.
- B. The shop sells only shoes.
- C. The shop only sells shoes to only people.
- D. The only shop sells shoes.
4
Question 4
Read the question and choose. "We only have ten minutes." What does this mean?
- A. We have exactly ten clocks.
- B. Only we have ten minutes; others don't.
- C. We have ten minutes and nothing else to do.
- D. We have no more than ten minutes.
5
Question 5
Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that Maya passed the test but did nothing else? • Maya passed the only test. • The only test Maya passed. • Maya only passed the test. • Only Maya passed the test.
- A. Maya passed the only test.
- B. The only test Maya passed.
- C. Maya only passed the test.
- D. Only Maya passed the test.
6
Question 6
Read the question and choose. "I failed almost every test." What does this mean?
- A. I failed only one test.
- B. I passed every test.
- C. I failed most of the tests.
- D. I came close to failing but passed.
7
Question 7
Read the question and choose. Which sentence says that the runner came close to every record but broke none? • The runner nearly broke every record. • The runner broke nearly every record. • The runner broke every nearly record. • Nearly the runner broke every record.
- A. The runner nearly broke every record.
- B. The runner broke nearly every record.
- C. The runner broke every nearly record.
- D. Nearly the runner broke every record.
8
Question 8
Read the question and choose. Which sentence says that the runner came close to every record but broke none? • Nearly the runner broke every record. • The runner nearly broke every record. • The runner broke every nearly record. • The runner broke nearly every record.
- A. Nearly the runner broke every record.
- B. The runner nearly broke every record.
- C. The runner broke every nearly record.
- D. The runner broke nearly every record.

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Answer key: Placing only, just, almost and nearly

1. B. I came close to failing, but I passed every test.
2. A. The shop sells only shoes.
3. B. The shop sells only shoes.
4. D. We have no more than ten minutes.
5. C. Maya only passed the test.
6. C. I failed most of the tests.
7. A. The runner nearly broke every record.
8. B. The runner nearly broke every record.