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English lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 60 minutes

Verb tense and form in context

Grammar

CCSS L.9-10.1England: SAT Standard English ConventionsEngland: ACT English

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Verb tense and form in context.

  • 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: Perfect tenses (past, present, future); Keeping tense consistent

Leads to: SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed); Past perfect for the earlier of two past events; Choosing verb tense from context clues (SAT)

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 (Perfect tenses (past, present, future); Keeping tense consistent). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the correct perfect tense. By next June, she ___ (finish) school. (finishes / had finished / has finished / will have finished) → will have finishedPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?
  2. Choose the verb that keeps the tense consistent. Yesterday Rosa walked to the shop and ___ some bread. (will buy / buys / bought / buy) → boughtPrompt: Find the other verb(s) in the sentence. What tense are they in?
  3. Choose the correct perfect tense. Mia was tired because she ___ (run) all the way. (will have run / runs / had run / has run) → had runPrompt: Is the action finished before a past time, before now, or before a future time?

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Verb tense and form in context. 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 verb form that fits the context. The novelist, who ___ in a small village, wrote about city life.
  • Step 1: The tense must fit the time clues and the other verbs in the sentence.
  • Step 2: A finished event at a stated past time takes the simple past.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The novelist, who grew up in a small village, wrote about city life."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: grew up
  • Answer: grew up
  • 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 verb form that fits the context. Since 2015, the town ___ three new parks. (opened / had opened / has opened / opens) → has openedPrompt: Look for time clues (in 1969, since, by the time, next month).
  2. Choose the verb form that fits the context. Next month, the museum ___ a new exhibition on ancient Egypt. (has opened / will open / had opened / opened) → will openPrompt: Look for time clues (in 1969, since, by the time, next month).

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 verb form that fits the context. Lena was relieved because she ___ the exam. (has passed / passes / had passed / will pass) → had passedPrompt: Look for time clues (in 1969, since, by the time, next month).
  2. Choose the verb form that fits the context. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire ___ out. (had burned / burns / has burned / will burn) → had burnedPrompt: Look for time clues (in 1969, since, by the time, next month).

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: Perfect tenses (past, present, future).
  • 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: SAT/ACT Standard English Conventions (mixed); Past perfect for the earlier of two past events; Choosing verb tense from context clues (SAT).
  • 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-9.

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

eurekami

Verb tense and form in context

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. Next month, the museum ___ a new exhibition on ancient Egypt.

    • A. has opened
    • B. will open
    • C. opened
    • D. had opened

  2. Question 2

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. Lena was relieved because she ___ the exam.

    • A. has passed
    • B. had passed
    • C. passes
    • D. will pass

  3. Question 3

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. Researchers ___ the samples before they published the results.

    • A. will test
    • B. have tested
    • C. had tested
    • D. test

  4. Question 4

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. The novelist, who ___ in a small village, wrote about city life.

    • A. will grow up
    • B. grew up
    • C. has grown up
    • D. grows up

  5. Question 5

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. The bridge ___ since last Tuesday for repairs.

    • A. was closed
    • B. will be closed
    • C. is closed
    • D. has been closed

  6. Question 6

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. Since 2015, the town ___ three new parks.

    • A. opens
    • B. had opened
    • C. opened
    • D. has opened

  7. Question 7

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. Every year, the river ___ its banks in spring.

    • A. floods
    • B. flooded
    • C. had flooded
    • D. has flooded

  8. Question 8

    Choose the verb form that fits the context. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire ___ out.

    • A. has burned
    • B. burns
    • C. had burned
    • D. will burn

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Answer key: Verb tense and form in context

  1. 1. B. will open

  2. 2. B. had passed

  3. 3. C. had tested

  4. 4. B. grew up

  5. 5. D. has been closed

  6. 6. D. has opened

  7. 7. A. floods

  8. 8. C. had burned