Who Does What?

Overview

Students learn that a simple sentence tells who is doing something and what they do. Through speaking, sorting, building, and writing, they practise sentence structure, subject–verb agreement, capital letters, spaces, and full stops.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to identify the WHO and DO in a sentence.
• We are learning to orally combine words to make a simple sentence.
• We are learning to write a clear sentence with correct punctuation.
• We are learning to reread our writing and check that it makes sense.

Success criteria

• I can find the WHO and the DO in a sentence.
• I can build and say a sentence that makes sense.
• I can use a capital letter, spaces, and a full stop.
• I can choose a verb that matches the WHO, such as “The dog runs” or “The dogs run”.

Curriculum links

• English Reading — Comprehension: breaking complex sentences into parts and paraphrasing meaning.
• English Reading — Comprehension: following the subject across sentences when a pronoun, synonym, or noun phrase is used.
• English Writing — Composition: orally combining simple sentences and forming simple written sentences.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols, and texts; managing self; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up and hook. Open the hook and picture prompt and show a surprising action picture, such as a cat wearing gumboots and jumping in a puddle. Ask, “Who is doing something? What are they doing?” Students turn and talk, then share orally. Explain that today we will make sentences that tell us who and do.

2. 5–12 min · Explicit teaching and modelling. Display a picture of a child running and think aloud: “I see a child. The child is the WHO. Running is the DO.” Say, “The child runs.” Circle The child and underline runs. Model checking: “Does it make sense? Does ‘child’ match ‘runs’?” Repeat with “The dogs run” and briefly compare “dog runs” / “dogs run”. Model writing the sentence, saying aloud each word, leaving spaces, using a capital letter at the beginning, and placing a full stop at the end. Use the modelling slides for the examples and punctuation reminders.

3. 12–20 min · Guided oral and card practice. Give groups of four mixed WHO and DO cards from the Sentence Builders Sentence Strip Cards. Read the cards together and explain that students are using the word and picture cards to help build sentences. Groups find a WHO card and a DO card, say the sentence, and decide whether it makes sense. Invite groups to share one sentence. Correct gently by recasting: “The bird fly” becomes “The bird flies.” Ask, “What changed so the sentence sounded right?”

4. 20–27 min · Whole-class sentence building. Show three picture prompts in the whole-class sentence-building slides. Build one sentence together, first orally and then with word cards on the board: “The rabbit hops.” Ask students to identify the WHO and DO, count the words, and check the capital letter and full stop. Repeat with a plural subject, such as “The rabbits hop.” Students rehearse each sentence with a partner before selected children help construct it on the board.

5. 27–33 min · Paired sentence building. Pairs use the picture prompts and cards to create three different who-and-do sentences. Partner A chooses the WHO and Partner B chooses the DO; both say the sentence, check subject–verb agreement, then swap roles. Pairs may record one sentence orally for the teacher or write it on a whiteboard. Circulate and ask, “Who is doing the action? What is the action? Does your sentence make sense?”

6. 33–40 min · Independent writing and illustrating. Distribute the Who and Do writing sheet. Students write and illustrate three sentences; confident writers write four or five. Each sentence should match a picture or idea and include a clear WHO and DO. Students use the checklist: capital letter, spaces, full stop, sensible WHO and DO, and matching verb. Confer briefly with learners who need support, asking them to say each sentence before writing it.

7. 40–45 min · Sharing, reflection, and next step. Invite three students to read a sentence and have the class identify the WHO and DO. Students quietly complete the reflection box on the Who and Do writing sheet by finishing, “I can…” or telling a partner one thing they checked. Set the home connection: students tell someone at home one who-and-do sentence about an action they see, such as “The baby laughs.” Explain that next time we will join ideas to make longer sentences.

Resources

• the Who and Do teaching deck
• the Who and Do writing sheet
• the Sentence Builders Sentence Strip Cards
• Picture prompts showing people, animals, and familiar actions
• Magnetic letters or word cards for board modelling
• Mini whiteboards and whiteboard pens
• Pencils, colouring pencils, and classroom display space

Assessment

• During modelling and oral rehearsal, check whether students can identify the WHO and DO and explain the sentence meaning.
• During card sorting and paired work, observe sentence order, oral participation, subject–verb agreement, and ability to self-correct.
• Collect the worksheet and check three features: a clear WHO and DO, correct basic punctuation, and a verb that matches the subject. Record students needing further practice with oral sentence construction or writing conventions.

Differentiation

• Support learners with picture choices, colour-coded WHO and DO cards, a sentence frame such as “The ___ ___.”, oral rehearsal before writing, and an adult or peer scribe where appropriate.
• For learners developing English, use gestures, repeated sentence models, clear action vocabulary, partner talk, and allow drawing before writing. Accept oral responses as evidence of understanding.
• Support learners with fine-motor or working-memory needs through larger cards, fewer choices, a word bank, and one sentence at a time.
• Extend advanced writers by adding an adjective or place phrase after the basic sentence, such as “The small bird sings in the tree,” while keeping the WHO and DO clear. They can also write a sentence with a plural WHO and explain the verb choice.