Nouns and Verbs

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 2 of 20) students build foundational understanding of word classes by identifying and categorising nouns and verbs in short text excerpts. Students use this knowledge to strengthen sentence construction and observe how language choices influence tone and meaning.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify nouns and verbs in sentences
• categorise words by meaning (things/people/places vs actions/states)
• explain how word choice affects clarity in sentence meaning
• revise a short sentence by replacing or rearranging nouns and verbs

Success criteria

Students can:

• underline nouns in one colour and verbs in another
• sort given word cards into “noun” and “verb” correctly
• rewrite a sentence so it has a clear subject (noun) and action (verb)
• justify their choices using simple language (for example: “This is a noun because it names …”)

Curriculum links

• English — Literature: analyse how language features such as sentence patterns create tone, and imagery create meaning and effect - English — Literacy: use comprehension strategies to interpret and evaluate ideas in texts - English — Literacy: plan, create, edit and publish texts by selecting language features and devices for purpose and audience - English — Language: understand the effect of nominalisation in texts ## Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook: word spy Teacher writes two sentences on the board and reads them aloud with expression, then asks students what “doing words” and “naming words” they notice. Students quickly respond (or point on the screen/worksheet if using a device) with one doing word and one naming word.

2. 3–10 min · Mini-teach: nouns vs verbs Teacher models using sentence strips: highlights a noun (person/place/thing) and a verb (action/state), then shows how changing a verb changes meaning and tone. Students practise on a single teacher-guided sentence: they call out the noun and verb while the teacher records the labels.

3. 10–16 min · Guided practice: highlight in context Teacher distributes a short excerpt (3–4 sentences) and a colour-coding key (nouns = blue, verbs = green), then circulates to check accuracy. Students highlight nouns and verbs in the excerpt and complete a small table: “Word — noun/verb — why” for two chosen examples.

4. 16–22 min · Sort and explain Teacher provides word cards (mixed nouns/verbs, including a few “tricky” words that can act differently in context, such as “run” and “light”), then sets a criterion: “Use the sentence to decide.” Students sort cards into two columns and match each card to the correct sentence context using a brief justification sentence starter.

5. 22–27 min · Sentence upgrade (editing) Teacher shows a weak sentence on the board (for example: “It was. The thing moved.”) and demonstrates editing by replacing nouns and verbs to make meaning clearer and more precise. Students rewrite their own sentence using one noun and one verb from their earlier excerpt, aiming for clarity (who/what + what happens/what state).

6. 27–30 min · Exit check Teacher collects a quick exit ticket: one original sentence for marking and one reflection question. Students answer: “Name one noun and one verb from your sentence, and explain how you know.”

Resources

• Short text excerpt (teacher-prepared printout or digital slide) with 3–4 sentences
• Sentence strips for modelling (paper or digital)
• Coloured pencils/highlighters or digital annotation tools (blue for nouns, green for verbs)
• Word card set: mixed nouns and verbs (plus 2 context-tricky words)
• Noun/verb sorting worksheet with a two-column table
• Sentence upgrade worksheet (one weak sentence + writing space)
• Exit ticket slip or digital form

Assessment

• Formative during highlighting: teacher checks correct noun/verb identification in the excerpt
• Formative during sorting: teacher listens for justifications tied to sentence context
• Exit ticket: accuracy of one noun and one verb plus a brief explanation

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters (“A noun is a word that names…”, “This is a verb because it shows…”), and include a word bank for the sentence upgrade.
• Support for EAL: allow oral justification or first-language support to identify meaning before writing; use an example anchored to the excerpt.
• Extension: include one additional sentence requiring students to identify a verb that shows state (for example: “is/was/seems”) and explain the difference between action vs state.
• SEN/learning support: reduce the excerpt length (2–3 sentences) and provide extra colour-coded examples on the page.

Notes for the teacher (quick alignment to the unit)

This lesson’s focus on word classes supports later work in the unit by improving sentence construction and making students more aware of how specific language choices shape meaning and effect in texts.