This Contractions Lesson Plan focuses on the contracted forms in English grammar. For more grammar lessons check our free grammar lessons and resources.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Understanding the differences between contractions, plurals, and possessives is a crucial aspect of mastering English grammar. Students often find it challenging to distinguish between these forms, leading to common writing mistakes.
This lesson plan focuses on helping students identify and correctly use contractions, plural names, and possessives through guided practice and collaborative activities.
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, students will review the distinctions between contractions, plural names, and possessives. They will then apply their knowledge by editing sentences containing errors related to these forms.
The activity will culminate in a group exercise where students categorize corrected sentences according to their usage.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Recognize and correctly form contractions, plural names, and possessives.
- Identify common mistakes involving these forms in sentences.
- Collaboratively correct and categorize sentences based on their grammatical structure.
Materials Needed:
- Whiteboard and markers
- Printed worksheets with sentences containing errors in contractions, plurals, and possessives
- Example sentences for review
Contractions Lesson Plan: The Activity
Let’s start our contractions lesson plan with a review:
1. Review (10 minutes):
Begin by reviewing the differences between contractions, plural names, and possessives.
Write the following examples on the board and explain each one:
- Contraction: He is = He’s
- Plural name: The Johnsons
- Possessive: Nancy’s book
Discuss how contractions combine words, plural names refer to families or groups, and possessives show ownership.
2. Individual Exercise (15 minutes):
- Distribute the worksheet containing sentences with errors.
- Ask students to correct each sentence individually.
Example sentences:
- Hes from Morocco. → He’s from Morocco.
- What is Leilas phone number?
- Wheres John?
- The Tanaka’s are here.
- Shes really awesome.
- I like your sisters dress.
- They’re at their uncles house.
- The Lynchs are from Australia.
- Its a nice song.
- I know Lisas friend.
- We live next to the Browns.
3. Group Correction and Categorization (20 minutes):
- Once the students have completed the exercise, review the answers as a class.
- After the group correction, divide the students into small groups.
- Ask each group to categorize the corrected sentences into three groups: those using contractions, those with plural names, and those with possessives.
- Encourage discussion within the groups to reinforce understanding of the differences between these forms.
| Contractions | Plural Names | Possessives |
|---|---|---|
Instructions:
- Step 1: Distribute the corrected sentences to the students.
- Step 2: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and decide which category each sentence belongs to.
- Step 3: Students should fill in the table by writing each sentence under the appropriate heading.
- Step 4: After completing the table, review the answers as a class to ensure understanding.
Completed Example:
After students have attempted the activity, you can provide them with the completed table for reference.
| Contractions | Plural Names | Possessives |
|---|---|---|
| 1. He’s from Morocco. | 4. The Tanakas are here. | 2. What is Leila’s phone number? |
| 3. Where’s John? | 8. The Lynches are from Australia. | 6. I like your sister’s dress. |
| 5. She’s really awesome. | 11. We live next to the Browns. | 7. They’re at their uncle’s house. |
| 7. They’re at their uncle’s house. | 10. I know Lisa’s friend. | |
| 9. It’s a nice song. |
Notes:
- Sentence 7 contains both a contraction (They’re) and a possessive (uncle’s). You can discuss with students how some sentences may fit into multiple categories, but for this activity, you can choose to categorize it based on the primary focus or include it in both relevant categories.
- Once the students have completed the exercise, review the answers as a class.
- After the group correction, divide the students into small groups.
- Ask each group to categorize the corrected sentences into three groups: those using contractions, those with plural names, and those with possessives.
- Encourage discussion within the groups to reinforce understanding of the differences between these forms.
Conclusion
Wrap up the lesson by highlighting the importance of correctly using contractions, plural names, and possessives in writing.
Reinforce the distinctions between these forms and remind students that mastering these elements will enhance their overall grammatical accuracy. Consider assigning additional practice as homework to solidify their understanding.
