Singular and Plurals

Overview

Duration: 180 minutes
Class size: 25 students
Level: Adult ESOL Entry 1
Focus: Singular and plural nouns; use of have and has
Alignment: National Curriculum for England – Adult ESOL Entry 1

• Reading: Understand simple familiar vocabulary and phrases
• Speaking: Communicate simple information and ideas
• Writing: Write simple sentences using familiar structures
• Grammar: Understand and use singular/plural nouns and have/has appropriately
• Vocabulary: Everyday nouns related to familiar topics (family, objects, food)

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Learning Objectives

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

• Identify and understand singular and plural nouns in simple contexts.
• Use "have" with plural subjects and "has" with singular subjects correctly in spoken and written English.
• Write simple sentences using singular/plural nouns and "have/has".
• Speak accurately about possessions or characteristics using "have" and "has".

References to National Curriculum:

• ESOL Entry 1 Speaking and Listening: "Make simple requests and statements about personal information"
• ESOL Entry 1 Reading: "Recognise frequently used words in simple texts"
• ESOL Entry 1 Writing: "Write simple sentences and short texts using basic vocabulary and structures"
• Grammar: "Use basic grammar structures including subject-verb agreement (for example, ‘she has’ and ‘they have’)"

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Resources

• Printed worksheets (included below)
• Flashcards with singular/plural nouns and images
• Whiteboard and markers
• Word cards for sentence building
• A short simple text (reading) with highlighted singular and plural nouns and have/has usage
• Audio recording of a conversation about possessions (optional)

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Lesson Breakdown

Starter (30 minutes)

Activity: Introduction to Singular and Plural Nouns + Have/Has

• Greet students, briefly introduce the topic.
• Use flashcards: Show several singular nouns (e.g., cat, apple, book) and their plural forms (cats, apples, books). Model pronunciation and spelling.
• Explain rules simply: “Singular is one, plural is more than one (add ‘-s’ usually).”
• Introduce “have” and “has”: "I have," "she has," "we have," "they have."
• Write examples on the board:
  • The cat has a ball.
  • The cats have balls.
• Students repeat chorally to practise pronunciation.

Pair work:

• Students practice with flashcards and say sentences with “have” or “has.”
• Support weaker learners by providing sentence prompts on cards.

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Main Activity (90 minutes)

1. Reading and Speaking (45 minutes)

Text: Short reading passage (approx. 60 words) about a family and their possessions. For example:
"This is Anna. She has a dog. Her brother, Tom, has two cats. They have toys and books. Anna has a ball. Tom has a bike."

• Students read the text aloud in small groups (4-5 students) to develop fluency and confidence (speaking and reading combined).
• Highlight and underline singular and plural nouns and "have/has" in the text.
• Teacher questions: “Who has a dog?”, “How many cats does Tom have?” “Do they have toys?” Encourage answers in full sentences using “have” or “has”.
• Pair activity: Students ask and answer similar questions using their own ideas or pictures.

2. Writing (45 minutes)

Worksheet: Sentence construction. Students fill in blanks using have/has and singular/plural nouns.

Example worksheet tasks:

• Complete the sentence: "I ___ (have/has) a pen."
• Write sentences about given pictures (one picture per student): “He __ a book” or “They __ balls.”
• Match nouns with the correct form of “have” or “has” in a multiple-choice format.
• Challenge: Write 3 simple sentences about a family member or friend using singular and plural nouns and “have” or “has”.

Independent work:

• Students write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) answering the prompt: "What do you have at home?" Use simple vocabulary.

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Extension Task (30 minutes)

Group work: Have a “Possession Bingo” game.

• Create bingo cards with pictures and words of common objects/nouns (singular/plural forms).
• Teacher calls out sentences: “She has a bike.” or “They have cats.”
• Students mark the matching pictures on their bingo cards.
• Encourage students to repeat the sentences after the teacher before marking as speaking practice.
• Discuss why “has” or “have” is used in each sentence.

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Plenary (30 minutes)

• Recap all learning points visually on the board with colour-coding nouns and verbs.
• Quick round robin: Each student says one sentence about what someone has or have, and whether it is singular or plural (e.g., “The cats have balls.” “She has a pen.”).
• Teacher provides feedback and addresses common errors.
• Hand out a simple reflective worksheet to tick which activities they enjoyed and which grammar point they found easiest/hardest.
• Encourage students to use "have" and "has" in their daily conversations at home.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Monitor pair and group work for correct use of “have” and “has.”
• Review completed worksheets for accurate grammar and sentence formation.
• Oral plenary participation used to check understanding and pronunciation.
• Provide individual support after class if necessary, especially for weaker students.

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Sample Worksheets (Summarised)

Worksheet 1: Fill in the Blanks

Sentence	Options	Correct answer
I ___ (have/has) a book.	have, has	have
She ___ (have/has) two cats.	have, has	has
They ___ (have/has) a bike.	have, has	have
The dog ___ (have/has) a ball.	have, has	has

Worksheet 2: Write Sentences

Look at the picture and write a sentence using "have" or "has".

• Picture: One girl with one doll — "She has a doll."
• Picture: Two boys with footballs — "They have footballs."

Worksheet 3: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct word:

1. Tom ___ a dog. (have / has)
2. We ___ toys. (have / has)
3. The cat ___ a ball. (have / has)
4. I ___ a book. (have / has)

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Final Notes

• Use plenty of visual support and realia (real objects if possible).
• Encourage peer support and group collaboration for confidence building.
• Praise effort and participation at every stage.
• Adjust pace if necessary to match student understanding.

This lesson plan is tailored carefully to Entry 1 ESOL adults, fully aligned with the National Curriculum goals for language acquisition at this level, with integrated skills (speaking, reading, writing) and interactive, scaffolded activities that foster practical learning.