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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 minutes

Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant

Grammar

CCSS L.4.3.ACCSS L.6.1.DEngland: Y4 GPS (choosing nouns or pronouns for clarity and cohesion)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant.

  • 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: Who or what does the pronoun point back to?

Leads to: I or me? Sam and I, Sam and me

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 (Who or what does the pronoun point back to?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Ms Lane thanked Omar because he had tidied the shelves. Who does "he" refer to? (the shelves / Omar's dad / Omar / Ms Lane) → OmarPrompt: Find the pronoun, then look back earlier in the sentence.
  2. Choose the pronoun that matches the noun it refers to. The river burst ___ banks after the storm. (there / their / it's / its) → itsPrompt: Who or what owns the thing? Is it one or more than one?
  3. Max asked his sisters if they wanted to play tag. Who does "they" refer to? (his sisters / the other team / Max / Max and his parents) → his sistersPrompt: Find the pronoun, then look back earlier in the sentence.

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant. 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: Grandpa and Dad fixed the shed, and then he made tea. Why is this sentence unclear?
  • Step 1: A pronoun is unclear when it could refer to more than one noun. Use the noun instead.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: We can't tell who made the tea.
  • Answer: We can't tell who made the tea.
  • 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. Mia gave Ella her book back. Why is this sentence unclear? (We can't tell whose book it is. / It has no subject. / 'gave' is the wrong verb. / It is too short.) → We can't tell whose book it is.Prompt: Find each pronoun (he, she, it, her, they).
  2. Which version is clearest and reads best? (It rolled into it. It switched on its lights and beeped. / The robot rolled into the room. It switched on its lights and beeped. / The robot rolled into the room. The robot switched on the robot's lights and the robot beeped. / The robot rolled into the room. They switched on their lights and beeped.) → The robot rolled into the room. It switched on its lights and beeped.Prompt: Repeating the same noun again and again sounds clumsy.

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. Mia gave Ella her book back. Why is this sentence unclear? ('gave' is the wrong verb. / We can't tell whose book it is. / It has no subject. / It is too short.) → We can't tell whose book it is.Prompt: Find each pronoun (he, she, it, her, they).
  2. Which version is clearest and reads best? (They built it. They tested it on it, and it floated! / Leo and Omar built a raft. They tested it on the pond, and it floated! / Leo and Omar built a raft. Leo and Omar tested the raft on the pond, and the raft floated! / Leo and Omar built a raft. He tested them on the pond, and they floated!) → Leo and Omar built a raft. They tested it on the pond, and it floated!Prompt: Repeating the same noun again and again sounds clumsy.

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: Who or what does the pronoun point back to?.
  • 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: I or me? Sam and I, Sam and me.
  • 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-4.

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

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Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which version is clearest and reads best?

    • A. Mia found a shell. Mia washed the shell and Mia put the shell on Mia's shelf.
    • B. Mia found a shell. She washed it and put it on her shelf.
    • C. Mia found a shell. It washed her and put her on its shelf.
    • D. She found it. She washed it and put it on her shelf.

  2. Question 2

    Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Mia gave Ella her book back. (The book is Ella's.)

    • A. She gave her her book back.
    • B. Mia gave Ella's book back to her.
    • C. Mia gave Ella her book back.
    • D. Mia gave Mia's book back to Ella.

  3. Question 3

    Grandpa and Dad fixed the shed, and then he made tea. Why is this sentence unclear?

    • A. It needs more adjectives.
    • B. We can't tell who made the tea.
    • C. It has two verbs.
    • D. It should say 'shed's'.

  4. Question 4

    Mia gave Ella her book back. Why is this sentence unclear?

    • A. It is too short.
    • B. We can't tell whose book it is.
    • C. 'gave' is the wrong verb.
    • D. It has no subject.

  5. Question 5

    Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Priya showed Zara a photo of her cat. (The cat is Priya's.)

    • A. Priya showed Zara a photo of her cat.
    • B. Priya showed Zara a photo of Priya's cat.
    • C. She showed her a photo of her cat.
    • D. Priya showed Zara a photo of Zara's cat.

  6. Question 6

    When the dog chased the cat, it ran up a tree. Why is this sentence unclear?

    • A. Dogs cannot chase cats.
    • B. It is in the wrong tense.
    • C. 'It' could be the dog or the cat.
    • D. It needs a full stop in the middle.

  7. Question 7

    Rewrite the sentence so it matches the meaning in brackets. Which is best? Sam told Leo that he had won the prize. (Leo won.)

    • A. Sam told Leo that Leo had won the prize.
    • B. He told him that he had won the prize.
    • C. Sam told Leo that he had won the prize.
    • D. Sam told Leo that Sam had won the prize.

  8. Question 8

    Sam told Leo that he had won the prize. Why is this sentence unclear?

    • A. We can't tell whether 'he' means Sam or Leo.
    • B. It has no verb.
    • C. It uses too many nouns.
    • D. It should be a question.

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Answer key: Pronoun or noun? Make it clear who is meant

  1. 1. B. Mia found a shell. She washed it and put it on her shelf.

  2. 2. B. Mia gave Ella's book back to her.

  3. 3. B. We can't tell who made the tea.

  4. 4. B. We can't tell whose book it is.

  5. 5. B. Priya showed Zara a photo of Priya's cat.

  6. 6. C. 'It' could be the dog or the cat.

  7. 7. A. Sam told Leo that Leo had won the prize.

  8. 8. A. We can't tell whether 'he' means Sam or Leo.