• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Misplaced and dangling modifiers). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • With huge antlers, we saw a deer on our walk. • We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk. • We saw a deer on our walk with huge antlers. • On our walk with huge antlers, we saw a deer. (With huge antlers, we saw a deer on our walk. / We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk. / We saw a deer on our walk with huge antlers. / On our walk with huge antlers, we saw a deer.) → We saw a deer with huge antlers on our walk.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
2. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • Running for the bus, Tom dropped his keys. • Tom's keys, running for the bus, dropped. • Running for the bus, the keys fell out of Tom's pocket. • Running for the bus, Tom's keys were dropped. (Running for the bus, Tom dropped his keys. / Tom's keys, running for the bus, dropped. / Running for the bus, the keys fell out of Tom's pocket. / Running for the bus, Tom's keys were dropped.) → Running for the bus, Tom dropped his keys.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?
3. Which sentence is written correctly, with the describing words next to what they describe? • While I was walking home, a dog followed me. • A dog followed me walking home, while. • Walking home, a dog followed me. • While walking home, a dog followed me. (While I was walking home, a dog followed me. / A dog followed me walking home, while. / Walking home, a dog followed me. / While walking home, a dog followed me.) → While I was walking home, a dog followed me.Prompt: Look at the opening phrase. Who or what is doing that action?

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: Placing only, just, almost and nearly. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you came close to eating but did NOT eat any? • You ate the almost cake. • You almost ate the cake. • Almost the cake you ate. • You ate almost the cake.
• Step 1: Place limiting words directly before the word they limit: 'only Maya' (no one else), 'almost all' (not quite all).
• Step 2: So the answer is: You almost ate the cake.
• Answer: You almost ate the cake.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Read the question and choose. Which sentence means that you ate MOST of the cake but not quite all? • You ate all of the almost cake. • Almost you ate all of the cake. • You ate almost all of the cake. • You almost ate all of the cake. (You ate all of the almost cake. / Almost you ate all of the cake. / You ate almost all of the cake. / You almost ate all of the cake.) → You ate almost all of the cake.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.
2. Read the question and choose. "We only have ten minutes." What does this mean? (We have no more than ten minutes. / Only we have ten minutes; others don't. / We have ten minutes and nothing else to do. / We have exactly ten clocks.) → We have no more than ten minutes.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?

• 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.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Read the question and choose. "We only have ten minutes." What does this mean? (We have ten minutes and nothing else to do. / Only we have ten minutes; others don't. / We have exactly ten clocks. / We have no more than ten minutes.) → We have no more than ten minutes.Prompt: Which word comes straight after the limiting word?
2. Read the question and choose. Which sentence says that the runner broke most of the records? • Nearly the runner broke every record. • The runner broke nearly every record. • The runner broke every nearly record. • The runner nearly broke every record. (Nearly the runner broke every record. / The runner broke nearly every record. / The runner broke every nearly record. / The runner nearly broke every record.) → The runner broke nearly every record.Prompt: Only, just, almost and nearly limit the word that comes right after them.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-7.