Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 60 minutes

Complete sentence or fragment?

Writing & Editing

CCSS L.3.1.ICCSS L.4.1.FEngland: Y3 GPS (sentences)England: Y3/4 Writing (proofreading)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Complete sentence or fragment?.

  • 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: What makes a sentence?; Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate)

Leads to: Spot and fix run-on sentences and comma splices

Materials: A model text, Planning frame, Checklists for editing, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (What makes a sentence?; Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which one is a complete sentence? • Grandad tomatoes. • grandad grows • grows tomatoes • Grandad grows tomatoes. (Grandad tomatoes. / grandad grows / grows tomatoes / Grandad grows tomatoes.) → Grandad grows tomatoes.Prompt: A sentence needs someone or something AND what they do.
  2. Which part is the SUBJECT (who or what the sentence is about)? A huge wave crashed onto the rocks. (A huge wave / A huge / the rocks / crashed onto) → A huge wavePrompt: Ask: who or what did something?
  3. Which part is the PREDICATE (what the subject does)? The robot in the corner flashed its lights. (The robot / The robot in / in the corner / flashed its lights.) → flashed its lights.Prompt: Find the subject first: who or what?

Hook · 6 min

  • Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
  • Share the objective: Complete sentence or fragment?. 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: Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? After lunch on Friday.
  • Step 1: A complete sentence has a subject and a verb and makes sense on its own. A fragment is missing something.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: fragment
  • Answer: fragment
  • 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. Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? Ran all the way to school. (complete sentence / fragment) → fragmentPrompt: Does it say WHO or WHAT, and what they DO or ARE?
  2. Which is the best way to fix this fragment? Under the bed. (Under the bed, quickly. / Under, the bed. / Under the big bed. / The slippers are under the bed.) → The slippers are under the bed.Prompt: Adding more describing words does not fix a fragment.

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 is the best way to fix this fragment? Because it was raining. (Raining because it was. / We stayed in because it was raining. / Because, it was raining. / Because it was raining a lot.) → We stayed in because it was raining.Prompt: Adding more describing words does not fix a fragment.
  2. Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? Ran all the way to school. (complete sentence / fragment) → fragmentPrompt: Does it say WHO or WHAT, and what they DO or ARE?

Watch out for

  • Writing everything at once without planning.
  • Editing only spelling and not whether the writing makes sense.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: What makes a sentence?.
  • Use concrete materials: a model text.
  • 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: Spot and fix run-on sentences and comma splices.
  • 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-3.

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

eurekami

Complete sentence or fragment?

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which one is a fragment?

    • A. Eat something if you are hungry.
    • B. Because I was hungry.
    • C. I was hungry.
    • D. I ate because I was hungry.

  2. Question 2

    Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? The owls hooted.

    • A. complete sentence
    • B. fragment

  3. Question 3

    Which is the best way to fix this fragment? Splashed in the puddles.

    • A. The twins splashed in the puddles.
    • B. In the puddles splashed.
    • C. Splashed in the big puddles.
    • D. Splashed, in the puddles.

  4. Question 4

    Which is the best way to fix this fragment? When the lights went out.

    • A. When the lights went out suddenly.
    • B. When, the lights went out.
    • C. When the lights went out, we lit a candle.
    • D. The lights when went out.

  5. Question 5

    Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? After lunch on Friday.

    • A. complete sentence
    • B. fragment

  6. Question 6

    Which is the best way to fix this fragment? After the football match.

    • A. After the match of football.
    • B. After the long football match.
    • C. We had ice cream after the football match.
    • D. After, the football match.

  7. Question 7

    Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? My friend from swimming club.

    • A. complete sentence
    • B. fragment

  8. Question 8

    Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? The big brown dog in the garden.

    • A. complete sentence
    • B. fragment

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Complete sentence or fragment?

  1. 1. B. Because I was hungry.

  2. 2. A. complete sentence

  3. 3. A. The twins splashed in the puddles.

  4. 4. C. When the lights went out, we lit a candle.

  5. 5. B. fragment

  6. 6. C. We had ice cream after the football match.

  7. 7. B. fragment

  8. 8. B. fragment