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English lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 60 minutes

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.
  1. 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?
  2. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Nadia ate one only biscuit. • Nadia ate only one biscuit. • Nadia only ate one biscuit only. • Only Nadia ate one biscuit and nothing else. (Nadia ate one only biscuit. / Nadia ate only one biscuit. / Nadia only ate one biscuit only. / Only Nadia ate one biscuit and nothing else.) → Nadia ate only one biscuit.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
  3. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk. • We saw a deer on our walk with huge antlers. • On our walk with huge antlers, we saw a deer. • With huge antlers, we saw a deer on our walk. (We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk. / We saw a deer on our walk with huge antlers. / On our walk with huge antlers, we saw a deer. / With huge antlers, we saw a deer on our walk.) → We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk.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.
  1. Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that Maya passed the test but did nothing else? • Maya only passed the test. • The only test Maya passed. • Maya passed the only test. • Only Maya passed the test. (Maya only passed the test. / The only test Maya passed. / Maya passed the only test. / Only Maya passed the test.) → Maya only passed the test.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.
  2. Read the question and choose. "I failed almost every test." What does this mean? (I passed every test. / I failed only one test. / I came close to failing but passed. / I failed most of the tests.) → 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.
  1. Read the question and choose. "Just Sam knew the answer." What does this mean? (Sam knew part of the answer. / Sam fairly knew it. / Sam was the only one who knew. / Sam knew it a moment ago.) → Sam was the only one who knew.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?
  2. Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you ate MOST of the cake but not quite all? • You almost ate all of the cake. • You ate almost all of the cake. • You ate all of the almost cake. • Almost you ate all of the cake. (You almost ate all of the cake. / You ate almost all of the cake. / You ate all of the almost cake. / Almost you ate all of the cake.) → You ate almost all of the cake.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

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Placing only, just, almost and nearly

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that NO ONE ELSE passed the test? • Only Maya passed the test. • Maya only passed the test. • Maya passed the only test. • Maya passed only the test.

    • A. Only Maya passed the test.
    • B. Maya only passed the test.
    • C. Maya passed the only test.
    • D. Maya passed only the test.

  2. Question 2

    Read the question and choose. "She just told me." What does 'just' mean here?

    • A. fairly
    • B. exactly
    • C. very recently
    • D. only

  3. Question 3

    Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that NO ONE ELSE passed the test? • Maya only passed the test. • Only Maya passed the test. • Maya passed the only test. • Maya passed only the test.

    • A. Maya only passed the test.
    • B. Only Maya passed the test.
    • C. Maya passed the only test.
    • D. Maya passed only the test.

  4. Question 4

    Read the question and choose. "I almost failed every test." What does this mean?

    • A. I failed all of the tests.
    • B. I failed most of the tests.
    • C. I didn't take the tests.
    • D. I came close to failing, but I passed every test.

  5. Question 5

    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 only shop sells shoes. • The shop only sells shoes to only people.

    • A. Only the shop sells shoes.
    • B. The shop sells only shoes.
    • C. The only shop sells shoes.
    • D. The shop only sells shoes to only people.

  6. Question 6

    Read the question and choose. "We only have ten minutes." What does this mean?

    • A. Only we have ten minutes; others don't.
    • B. We have ten minutes and nothing else to do.
    • C. We have no more than ten minutes.
    • D. We have exactly ten clocks.

  7. Question 7

    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.

  8. Question 8

    Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you ate MOST of the cake but not quite all? • You ate all of the almost cake. • You almost ate all of the cake. • You ate almost all of the cake. • Almost you ate all of the cake.

    • A. You ate all of the almost cake.
    • B. You almost ate all of the cake.
    • C. You ate almost all of the cake.
    • D. Almost you ate all of the cake.

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Answer key: Placing only, just, almost and nearly

  1. 1. A. Only Maya passed the test.

  2. 2. C. very recently

  3. 3. B. Only Maya passed the test.

  4. 4. D. I came close to failing, but I passed every test.

  5. 5. B. The shop sells only shoes.

  6. 6. C. We have no more than ten minutes.

  7. 7. B. The shop sells only shoes.

  8. 8. C. You ate almost all of the cake.