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English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 60 minutes

their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's

Grammar

CCSS L.6.1CCSS L.4.1.GEngland: KS3 English (spelling and Standard English)England: GCSE English Language (AO6 SPaG)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's.

  • 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: Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…)

Leads to: Confusing pairs: then/than, lose/loose, accept/except, quiet/quite

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 (Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the correct word. I ___ a strange noise outside. (heard / herd) → heardPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?
  2. Choose the correct word. For ___, we had chocolate pudding. (desert / dessert) → dessertPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?
  3. Choose the correct word. The medicine had a good ___ on her cough. (effect / affect) → effectPrompt: Is the gap a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's. 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: Choose the correct word or words for the gap. ___ sure that ___ dog is over ___.
  • Step 1: The apostrophe forms (they're, it's, you're, who's) are contractions; the possessive forms (their, its, your, whose) never take an apostrophe.
  • Step 2: 'they're' = they are.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "They're sure that their dog is over there."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: They're, their, there
  • Answer: They're, their, there
  • 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. Choose the correct word or words for the gap. ___ are three eggs left in the fridge. (Their / There / They're) → TherePrompt: Try expanding the contraction: does 'they are', 'it is', 'you are' or 'who is' make sense?
  2. Which sentence is correct? • You're welcome to borrow your sister's tent. • Your welcome to borrow your sister's tent. • Your welcome to borrow you're sister's tent. • You're welcome to borrow you're sister's tent. (You're welcome to borrow your sister's tent. / Your welcome to borrow your sister's tent. / Your welcome to borrow you're sister's tent. / You're welcome to borrow you're sister's tent.) → You're welcome to borrow your sister's tent.Prompt: Check each tricky word one at a time.

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. Choose the correct word or words for the gap. ___ turn is it to wash up? (Who's / Whose) → WhosePrompt: Try expanding the contraction: does 'they are', 'it is', 'you are' or 'who is' make sense?
  2. Which sentence is correct? • There are two reasons they're upset with their coach. • They're are two reasons they're upset with there coach. • Their are two reasons there upset with they're coach. • There are two reasons their upset with their coach. (There are two reasons they're upset with their coach. / They're are two reasons they're upset with there coach. / Their are two reasons there upset with they're coach. / There are two reasons their upset with their coach.) → There are two reasons they're upset with their coach.Prompt: Check each tricky word one at a time.

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: Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…).
  • 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: Confusing pairs: then/than, lose/loose, accept/except, quiet/quite.
  • 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-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. The company changed ___ logo.

    • A. its
    • B. it's
  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is correct? • Whose the author whose book won the prize? • Whose the author who's book won the prize? • Who's the author whose book won the prize? • Who's the author who's book won the prize?

    • A. Whose the author whose book won the prize?
    • B. Whose the author who's book won the prize?
    • C. Who's the author whose book won the prize?
    • D. Who's the author who's book won the prize?
  3. Question 3

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. When ___ finished, put ___ books away.

    • A. you're, you're
    • B. you're, your
    • C. your, you're
    • D. your, your
  4. Question 4

    Which sentence is correct? • You're welcome to borrow you're sister's tent. • Your welcome to borrow you're sister's tent. • You're welcome to borrow your sister's tent. • Your welcome to borrow your sister's tent.

    • A. You're welcome to borrow you're sister's tent.
    • B. Your welcome to borrow you're sister's tent.
    • C. You're welcome to borrow your sister's tent.
    • D. Your welcome to borrow your sister's tent.
  5. Question 5

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. The neighbours painted ___ fence green.

    • A. they're
    • B. their
    • C. there
  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is correct? • They're bringing their dog over there. • There bringing their dog over their. • They're bringing there dog over their. • Their bringing they're dog over there.

    • A. They're bringing their dog over there.
    • B. There bringing their dog over their.
    • C. They're bringing there dog over their.
    • D. Their bringing they're dog over there.
  7. Question 7

    Choose the correct word or words for the gap. Do you know ___ taken my charger?

    • A. who's
    • B. whose
  8. Question 8

    Which sentence is correct? • Who's the author whose book won the prize? • Whose the author whose book won the prize? • Whose the author who's book won the prize? • Who's the author who's book won the prize?

    • A. Who's the author whose book won the prize?
    • B. Whose the author whose book won the prize?
    • C. Whose the author who's book won the prize?
    • D. Who's the author who's book won the prize?

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Answer key: their/there/they're, its/it's, your/you're, whose/who's

  1. 1. A. its

  2. 2. C. Who's the author whose book won the prize?

  3. 3. B. you're, your

  4. 4. C. You're welcome to borrow your sister's tent.

  5. 5. B. their

  6. 6. A. They're bringing their dog over there.

  7. 7. A. who's

  8. 8. A. Who's the author whose book won the prize?