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

Prepositional phrases: adjective or adverb?

Grammar

CCSS L.7.1.AEngland: KS3 English (grammar: phrases)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Prepositional phrases: adjective or adverb?.

  • 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: Prepositions of time, place and cause

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 (Prepositions of time, place and cause). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the preposition that fits. The shop is ___ the bank and the café. (on / among / at / between) → betweenPrompt: Does the gap tell us when, where or how long?
  2. Which word is the preposition? We walked through the dark tunnel. (tunnel / through / dark / walked) → throughPrompt: A preposition comes before a noun or noun phrase.
  3. Choose the preposition that fits. The children ran ___ the playground. (across / at / during / since) → acrossPrompt: Does the gap tell us when, where or how long?

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Prepositional phrases: adjective or adverb?. 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: How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? The team trained [in the rain].
  • Step 1: A prepositional phrase (preposition + noun group) works as an adjective when it describes a noun and as an adverb when it modifies a verb.
  • Step 2: It tells us WHERE/IN WHAT CONDITIONS they trained.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)
  • Answer: like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)
  • 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. How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? The bus left [at noon]. (like an adjective (describes a noun) / like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)) → like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)Prompt: Find the word the phrase is attached to. Is it a noun or a verb?
  2. Which group of words is a prepositional phrase? The children played in the garden. (children played / The children / in the garden / played) → in the gardenPrompt: A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition: in, on, under, across, after, from, during, above, through…

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. Which group of words is a prepositional phrase? After the concert, we walked home. (walked home / the concert, we / After the concert / we walked) → After the concertPrompt: A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition: in, on, under, across, after, from, during, above, through…
  2. How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? The key [to the shed] is missing. (like an adjective (describes a noun) / like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)) → like an adjective (describes a noun)Prompt: Find the word the phrase is attached to. Is it a noun or a verb?

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: Prepositions of time, place and cause.
  • 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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Prepositional phrases: adjective or adverb?

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which group of words is a prepositional phrase? She hid the present under her bed.

    • A. under her bed
    • B. hid the present
    • C. She hid
    • D. the present

  2. Question 2

    How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? We waited [for an hour].

    • A. like an adjective (describes a noun)
    • B. like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)

  3. Question 3

    Which group of words is a prepositional phrase? The letter from my pen pal arrived today.

    • A. arrived today
    • B. The letter
    • C. my pen
    • D. from my pen pal

  4. Question 4

    How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? The film [about whales] was fascinating.

    • A. like an adjective (describes a noun)
    • B. like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)

  5. Question 5

    How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? The boy [in the front row] answered first.

    • A. like an adjective (describes a noun)
    • B. like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)

  6. Question 6

    Which group of words is a prepositional phrase? During the storm, the lights flickered.

    • A. the lights flickered
    • B. flickered
    • C. During the storm
    • D. the lights

  7. Question 7

    How is the prepositional phrase in brackets used? The cat jumped [onto the table].

    • A. like an adjective (describes a noun)
    • B. like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)

  8. Question 8

    Which group of words is a prepositional phrase? The dog ran across the busy road.

    • A. the busy
    • B. The dog
    • C. ran across
    • D. across the busy road

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Answer key: Prepositional phrases: adjective or adverb?

  1. 1. A. under her bed

  2. 2. B. like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)

  3. 3. D. from my pen pal

  4. 4. A. like an adjective (describes a noun)

  5. 5. A. like an adjective (describes a noun)

  6. 6. C. During the storm

  7. 7. B. like an adverb (tells where, when or how about a verb)

  8. 8. D. across the busy road