Common Grammar Mistakes

Overview

This 30-minute lesson is Lesson 7 of 8 in the year 7 unit "Mastering SPAG Techniques." It focuses on helping students identify and correct common grammar errors, specifically subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. The activities are designed to engage an 11-12-year-old group of 8 students with opportunities for peer interaction and independent application.

National Curriculum Links

English programmes of study: Year 7 - Writing
- Pupils should be taught to:
  - Use a range of sentence structures, including accurate subject-verb agreement
  - Use correct and consistent tense throughout a piece of writing
  - Recognise and correct errors in grammar and punctuation
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)
- Consolidate knowledge of grammatical terminology, including terms such as tense and subject
- Use knowledge of grammar to enhance the clarity and effectiveness of writing

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, all students will be able to:

Identify common subject-verb agreement errors in sentences.
Detect inconsistencies in verb tense within short paragraphs.
Correct these errors independently or collaboratively with peers.
Explain why corrections improve grammatical accuracy.

Resources Needed

Printed worksheets with grammar error excerpts
Mini whiteboards and pens for quick writing tasks
Colour-coded cards:
- Red = subject-verb agreement error
- Blue = tense inconsistency
Timer or stopwatch
"Grammar Detective" badges or stickers (motivational rewards)

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes)

Activity: Quick Detectives

Write 3 short sentences on the board, each containing either a subject-verb agreement or a tense consistency error (e.g., "They goes to school every day.", "She was walking to the park and eats an ice cream.").
Students work individually for 2 minutes to underline the error and write the correction on mini whiteboards.
Discuss answers aloud, reinforcing the grammatical rule behind the correction.

Rationale: Engages students' prior knowledge and sharpens attention to detail.

2. Main Activity (20 minutes)

Part 1: Error Identification Game (10 minutes)

Divide the class into pairs. Each pair receives a set of 12 sentence cards: 6 with subject-verb agreement errors and 6 with tense inconsistency errors.
Pairs sort sentences into two piles: "Subject-Verb Agreement" and "Tense Consistency" using the colour-coded cards.
After sorting, pairs jointly correct the sentences and write the corrected version on their mini whiteboards.
Teacher circulates to provide targeted questioning, e.g., "Why is this verb incorrect here?" or "How does tense affect meaning in this sentence?"

Differentiation: For lower ability pairs, provide sentence starters such as “The subject is... so the verb should…”

Part 2: Spot the Mistakes Paragraph (10 minutes)

Provide students with a short paragraph containing at least four errors (mixing subject-verb agreement and tense consistency mistakes).
Individually, students annotate the paragraph to identify and correct errors.
Students then form one group to discuss their corrections and reasoning, filling any gaps collaboratively.

Extension: Challenge students to rewrite the paragraph with varied sentence structures, applying correct grammar.

3. Plenary (5 minutes)

Activity: Explain & Earn

Each student explains one correction they made and why the original was incorrect.
Use "Grammar Detective" badges or stickers to reward clear, accurate explanations and improvement in spotting errors.
Recap key learning points: "Always match your subject and verb," and "Keep your tenses consistent so the writing flows."

Assessment & Feedback

Formative assessment through mini whiteboard responses and paired discussions.
Teacher observes explanations during plenary for understanding of grammatical principles.
Provide written feedback on worksheet annotations and corrections.
Use errors commonly missed as starting points in the final lesson of the unit.

Teacher Tips & Extension Ideas

Introduce a quick interactive quiz app on tablets for students to test subject-verb and tense errors in a gamified format, if tech is available.
Encourage use of peer-teaching by having stronger students explain grammar rules to classmates.
For homework or next lesson preparation, ask students to write a short paragraph with intentional grammar errors for their partner to correct.

This lesson balances immediate practice, peer collaboration, and individual reflection tailored specifically to the Year 7 curriculum requirements on grammar precision. It aims to transform abstract grammatical rules into clear, enjoyable tasks that build confidence and accuracy in writing.

Teaching Instructions