Topic: Y4

Relevant for Year 4 teachers and students.

Word frequency in speech and writing: Activity

Spoken English

the

you

and

’s*

that

Written English

the

Word frequency: Activity

The 10 most common English words are:

the

and

is/was

for

Can you answer the following questions without using these 10 words?

Adverb identification

Applying the semantic and structural criteria for adverbs

In this activity, students work through the criteria for identifying adverbs.

Adverb identification: Activity 2

The feeling of hopelessness she'd experienced earlier that afternoon swept over her again.

Is earlier an adverb?

Adverb identification: Activity 1

Which words do you think are adverbs? Remember the following clues:

Adjective identification: Activity 2

Somehow, it didn't seem wise.

Is wise an adjective?

Adjective identification: Activity 1

Which words do you think are adjectives?

Adjective identification

In this activity, students work through the criteria for identifying adjectives.

Verb identification

In this activity, students work through the criteria for identifying verbs.

Goals

Practise identifying verbs.
Recognise linguistic criteria for identifying verbs.
Remember the list of verb criteria for use and application later on.

Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students move beyond what is called the notional or semantic way of identifying verbs as 'doing words' to explore grammatical ways of identifying verbs. (You can listen to Bas Aarts discuss this.)

Verb identification: Activity 2

He played cricket with Charlie.

Is played a verb?

Is it a doing word?
Can it show tense? Can you say Yesterday, I ____ed, for example?
Does it add -s to agree with a Subject like he or she, as in He ___s.
Can it take an -ing ending?

He played cricket with Charlie.

Is cricket a verb?

Englicious (C) Survey of English Usage, UCL, 2012-21 | Supported by the AHRC and EPSRC. | Privacy | Cookies