Overview

Lesson Procedure

50-65 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes
2. Direct Instruction15-20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice10-15 minutes
5. Closure5 minutes

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "All three sentences use the word cheering. In which sentence does it tell what someone is doing right now, in which does it name an activity, and in which does it describe a noun? (1) The fans are cheering for the home team. (2) Cheering for the home team makes my voice hoarse. (3) The cheering fans stood up in the bleachers."

   Take a few answers. In sentence 1, are cheering is the main verb: the helping verb are tells you so. In sentence 2, cheering names an activity and is the subject, a noun job. In sentence 3, cheering describes fans, an adjective job. Tell students that the second and third uses are called verbals, and that today they will also learn how the form of a verb shows who does an action (voice) and whether a sentence states, commands, asks, imagines or wishes (mood).

2. Direct Instruction15-20 minutes

   Part 1: Verbals (standard a). Use Diagram 1. A verbal is a word formed from a verb that is not the main verb of its clause. It keeps some of its verb power, so it can have an object and modifiers, and together they form a verbal phrase. In general, verbals let a writer fit an action into a noun, adjective or adverb slot, which often turns two short sentences into one.

   • A gerund is a verb + -ing that works as a noun: a subject, an object, the object of a preposition, or a word that renames the subject. Juggling takes patience.
   • A participle works as an adjective. A present participle ends in -ing (the barking dog); a past participle usually ends in -ed or -en or has an irregular form (the frozen pond, a torn page). A participial phrase often opens a sentence and describes the subject: Tired after the hike, we sat down.
   • An infinitive is to + the base form of a verb, and it can do any of the three jobs: noun (To win is not everything), adjective (a book to read) or adverb (We left early to beat the traffic).

   Two tests keep students from over-labeling. An -ing word with a helping verb (is, was, are, were) is part of the main verb, not a verbal. And to followed by a noun (to the store) is a prepositional phrase, not an infinitive.

   • Three verbals in one sentence

     Juggling takes patience, so the smiling instructor gave each beginner three scarves to practice with.

     Result: Juggling is a gerund, the subject of takes (noun job). Smiling is a present participle that tells which instructor (adjective job). To practice with is an infinitive phrase that tells which scarves, or what the scarves are for (adjective job). The main verbs are takes and gave.

   • Verbal or not?

     The band is practicing in the gym. The band loves practicing in the gym. Practicing in the gym, the band woke up the custodian. The band went to the gym to practice.

     Result: Sentence 1: is practicing is the main verb (helping verb is), not a verbal. Sentence 2: practicing is a gerund, the object of loves. Sentence 3: Practicing in the gym is a participial phrase describing the band. Sentence 4: to the gym is a prepositional phrase, and to practice is an infinitive with an adverb job (why they went).

   Part 2: Active and passive voice (standard b). Use Diagram 2. In the active voice, the subject does the action: The drama club built the stage set. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. To form it, use a form of be in the tense you want plus the past participle of the verb, and move the doer into a by phrase or drop it. Only verbs that take an object can be made passive. Active is usually clearer and shorter, so it is the default. The passive is the better choice when the doer is unknown or unimportant, or when the writer wants to keep the focus on the receiver of the action.

   • Forming the passive in three tenses

     The eighth graders painted the mural. The city will plant forty trees. The custodians are waxing the floors.

     Result: Past: The mural was painted by the eighth graders. Future: Forty trees will be planted by the city. Present progressive: The floors are being waxed by the custodians. In each, the tense lives in the form of be (was, will be, are being), and the main verb becomes a past participle.

   Part 3: Five moods (standard c). A verb's mood shows what the speaker is doing with an idea: stating it, commanding it, asking about it, imagining its result, or wishing for it. The table sums up how each mood is formed.

   The five verb moods in L.8.1

   Mood	What it does	How it is formed	Example
   Indicative	States a fact or an opinion	Ordinary verb forms in any tense	The library closes at six.
   Imperative	Gives a command or makes a request	Base form of the verb; the subject you is understood	Return your books by Friday.
   Interrogative	Asks a question	A helping verb comes before the subject; ends with a question mark	Does the library close at six?
   Conditional	Tells what would happen under a condition	would, could or might + base verb	I might read more with a later closing time.
   Subjunctive	Expresses a wish, an imagined situation, or a demand or suggestion	were for every subject; the base form after that with verbs such as ask, insist, suggest	I wish the library were open on Sundays. The librarian asks that everyone speak softly.

   • One idea, five moods

     Idea: the class trip leaves at nine.

     Result: Indicative: The bus leaves for the science museum at nine. Imperative: Be at the bus by nine. Interrogative: Does the bus leave at nine? Conditional: We could see the planetarium show with an earlier bus. Subjunctive: Mr. Ruiz requires that every student be on time. The conditional and subjunctive often work together: If the bus were earlier, we could see the show. (were is subjunctive; could see is conditional)

   Part 4: Shifts in voice and mood (standard d). A shift is a change from one voice or mood to another. It is inappropriate when nothing in the meaning calls for it, for example when the same doer suddenly disappears into a passive verb, or when a list of commands turns into a statement halfway through. To fix a voice shift, put both verbs in the same voice, usually active. To fix a mood shift, put parallel verbs in the same mood. A change of mood between sentences is fine when the purpose really changes, as when a question is followed by a command.

   • Fixing a voice shift and a mood shift

     Ana measured the water temperature, and the results were recorded by her. Fill the beaker with 200 milliliters of water, and then the thermometer is placed in it.

     Result: Voice shift (active, then passive, with the same doer): Ana measured the water temperature and recorded the results. Mood shift (imperative, then an indicative passive statement): Fill the beaker with 200 milliliters of water, and then place the thermometer in it. Both revisions keep one voice and one mood for steps that belong together.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Before reading. Kipling published "If" in 1910 as advice from a father to his son. The whole poem is one sentence: a long list of if-clauses that name conditions, and a result at the very end. Words to know: make allowance for (make room for, forgive), deal in (trade in, use), impostors (fakes, people pretending to be someone else), knaves (dishonest people), pitch-and-toss (a game of chance played by throwing coins), sinew (the tough cords that connect muscle to bone), virtue (goodness), the common touch (the ability to get along with ordinary people).

   During reading. Read the poem aloud. Pairs then work on stanza 1 (a stanza is a group of lines in a poem, like a paragraph; stanza 1 is lines 1-8) with the organizer: for each word in the second column, they decide whether it is a verbal or part of a main verb, name the type, and name its job. Model the first row together. Save stanzas 2-4 for the quiz.

   1If you can keep your head when all about you
   Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
   If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
   But make allowance for their doubting too;
   5If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
   Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
   Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
   And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

   If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
   10If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
   If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
   And treat those two impostors just the same;
   If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
   Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
   15Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
   And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;

   If you can make one heap of all your winnings
   And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
   And lose, and start again at your beginnings
   20And never breathe a word about your loss;
   If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
   To serve your turn long after they are gone,
   And so hold on when there is nothing in you
   Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

   25If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
   Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
   If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
   If all men count with you, but none too much;
   If you can fill the unforgiving minute
   30With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
   Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
   And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

   Stanza 1 organizer (teacher key in the last column)

   Line	Word or phrase	Verbal? Type and job (teacher key)
   2	losing, blaming (Are losing theirs and blaming it on you)	Not verbals. Both are part of the main verb are losing and [are] blaming, whose subject is all in line 1. The helping verb are is the clue.
   4	doubting (make allowance for their doubting too)	Gerund. It is the object of the preposition for, a noun job; their tells whose doubting.
   5	waiting (not be tired by waiting)	Gerund. It is the object of the preposition by, a noun job.
   6	being lied about	Participial phrase. It describes the understood you (an adjective job). It is passive in form: being + the past participle lied, so you receive the lying.
   7	being hated; hating	Being hated is a passive participial phrase describing you, like line 6. Hating is a gerund, the object of the preposition to.
   6-8	don’t deal, don’t give way, don’t look	Not verbals. They are main verbs. Many readers hear them as commands (imperative, with you understood); they can also be read as more conditions, with if you understood (if you ... don’t deal in lies). Either way, none of them is a verbal.

   Discuss: the if-clauses are conditions, but lines 6-8 say don’t deal in lies, don’t give way and don’t look. Do these sound like commands (imperative) or like more conditions, with if you understood? Either reading can be defended from the grammar. If students hear commands, is that an inappropriate shift in mood? (In a poem it is a deliberate choice: the advice suddenly sounds like direct orders, which makes it urgent. In an essay or a set of directions, a mix of conditions and commands would be a shift to fix.)

4. Independent Practice10-15 minutes

   Students revise the invented rain garden draft below. For each numbered sentence, they underline every main verb, label its voice (active or passive) and its mood, and decide whether the sentence shifts voice or mood for no reason. They rewrite each sentence that does and name the shift. Warn them that some sentences are already correct, including one that uses the subjunctive.

   (1) Last spring, our class built a rain garden behind the gym. (2) We dug a shallow basin near the downspout, and then the soil was mixed with compost by us. (3) Priya chose six native plants, and they were planted by Marcus along the edge. (4) We watered the seedlings every morning, and the weeds were pulled by us every Friday. (5) If the garden were bigger, it would catch even more rain, and the parking lot will stay dry. (6) Our principal has asked that each class visit the garden this fall.

   (7) To build your own rain garden, pick a low spot at least ten feet from a building. (8) Dig the basin about six inches deep, and then you loosen the soil at the bottom. (9) Mix in compost, and native plants are chosen for sun or shade. (10) Water the plants every morning for the first two weeks. (11) Would you like to see ours? Come by the gym any afternoon.

   Teacher key. Six sentences shift. (2) Voice: We dug a shallow basin near the downspout and then mixed the soil with compost. (3) Voice: Priya chose six native plants, and Marcus planted them along the edge. (4) Voice: We watered the seedlings every morning and pulled the weeds every Friday. (5) Mood, conditional to indicative: If the garden were bigger, it would catch even more rain, and the parking lot would stay dry. (8) Mood, imperative to indicative: Dig the basin about six inches deep, and then loosen the soil at the bottom. (9) Mood and voice, imperative to an indicative passive: Mix in compost, and choose native plants for sun or shade. Correct as written: (1) active indicative; (6) the subjunctive visit after has asked that; (7) imperative, with the infinitive phrase To build your own rain garden doing an adverb job; (10) imperative; (11) a question followed by a command, a change of mood with a reason. The move from the report in paragraph 1 to the instructions in paragraph 2 is not an inappropriate shift either: the new paragraph has a new purpose.

5. Closure5 minutes

   Exit ticket: (1) Underline the verbal and name its type and job: The kids laughed at the dancing robot. (Answer: dancing, a present participle; adjective job, tells which robot.) (2) Rewrite in the active voice: The winning poster was chosen by the judges. (Answer: The judges chose the winning poster.)

   Teacher note on the text: Kipling published "If" in 1910, and its advice is addressed to a boy, ending with you’ll be a Man, my son; students may point out that the qualities it praises belong to anyone. The poem uses informal forms of its time, such as ‘em (them). Kipling is also known for writing that supported the British Empire. The poem itself does not mention the Empire, but in his autobiography, Something of Myself (1937), Kipling said he drew it from the character of Leander Starr Jameson, who led a failed British raid into the Transvaal, a Boer republic in southern Africa, in 1895-96. Classes may discuss that link in a history unit. The poem is quoted exactly.

   For homework: students revise the invented bike repair draft below, which Problem 5 uses.

   (1) Our community center held a free bike repair workshop on Saturday. (2) Volunteers checked every tire, and the brakes were adjusted by them too. (3) My neighbor, Mrs. Tran, taught us how to fix a flat. (4) First, take the wheel off the frame, and then the tube is pulled out of the tire. (5) Pump a little air into the tube and listen for the hiss. (6) Next, you patch the hole with the kit, and then put the tube back. (7) If I were a mechanic, I would open a bike shop, and I will fix bikes for free on weekends. (8) The workshop was paid for with a grant from the city. (9) Mrs. Tran suggested that every rider check the tires once a week. (10) Will you join us next time? Bring your bike and a friend.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In the sentence Swimming laps every morning keeps my grandmother strong, what is Swimming laps every morning?

   AA participial phrase that describes the word grandmother BA gerund phrase that works as the subject of the sentence CAn infinitive phrase that tells why grandmother stays strong DThe main verb phrase of the sentence, in the present tense

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   What job does the infinitive phrase do in this sentence? Marcus stayed after school to finish his model rocket.

   AIt works as a noun, the object of the verb stayed BIt works as an adjective that describes the word school CIt works as an adjective that describes the word Marcus DIt works as an adverb that tells why Marcus stayed

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In which sentence is painting not a verbal?

   AJada is painting the fence behind the garage. BPainting the fence took Jada all afternoon. CJada really enjoys painting old fences. DPainting the fence, Jada hummed a song.

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which sentence is in the passive voice?

   AThe storm damaged the roof of the barn. BThe farmer repaired the roof of the barn. CThe roof of the barn was damaged by the storm. DThe roof of the barn leaked during the storm.

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which is the correct passive version of The committee will announce the winners on Friday?

   AThe winners will be announced by the committee on Friday. BThe winners were announced by the committee on Friday. CThe winners will announce the committee on Friday. DThe winners will be announcing by the committee on Friday.

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which sentence uses the passive voice for a good reason?

   AThe last slice of cake was eaten by my little brother. BThe museum's oldest painting was stolen last night. CThe ball was kicked into the net by me. DA great speech was given by our class president.

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   What mood is the verb bring in? Ms. Park insists that every student bring a pencil.

   AIndicative BImperative CSubjunctive DInterrogative

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?

   AIf I was taller, I would play center on the team. BI wish it was summer vacation already. CThe doctor recommended that he rests for a week. DIf I were you, I would practice the song again.

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which sentence is in the conditional mood?

   AWe would visit the aquarium if we had a free day. BVisit the aquarium on your next free Saturday. CDid you visit the new aquarium downtown last Saturday? DWe visited the aquarium with my cousins last Saturday.

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which sentence has an inappropriate shift in voice?

    ALeo washed the dishes, and Mia dried them. BThe dishes were washed and dried by the twins before dinner. CLeo washed the dishes, and then they were dried by him. DLeo washed the dishes and then dried them.

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Choose the best revision of this sentence, which shifts mood: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then you grease the pan.

    APreheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then the pan is greased. BPreheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then grease the pan. CYou preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then grease the pan. DPreheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then you would grease the pan.

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In line 13 of "If", what job does to hear do? If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    AIt is an infinitive working as an adverb that tells why you bear BIt is an infinitive working as an adjective that describes the truth CIt is an infinitive working as a noun, the thing you can bear DIt is not a verbal; it is a prepositional phrase that starts with to

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In line 14, how does the phrase Twisted by knaves work?

    AIt is a past participial phrase that describes the truth BIt is a gerund phrase that works as the subject of the whole sentence CIt is an infinitive phrase that tells why the speaker bears the truth DIt is the main verb of the sentence, in the active voice

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In line 30, With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, what is the word run?

    AA main verb in the present tense BA gerund that names an activity CAn infinitive that is missing the word to DA past participle describing distance

15. Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In line 24, the Will says ‘Hold on!’ In what mood is Hold on?

    AIndicative BImperative CInterrogative DSubjunctive

16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    In two or three sentences, explain what a verbal is and why writers use verbals. Then write one sentence with a gerund, one with a participle and one with an infinitive, and label the job each verbal does.

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17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    Rewrite this sentence in the passive voice, keeping the tense: Firefighters rescued a kitten from the storm drain. Then explain which version would be better as the first sentence of a news story about the firefighters' training, and why.

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18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    Write five sentences about a rainy school day, one in each mood: indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional and subjunctive. Label each and underline its verb.

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19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    "If" is one long sentence. The if-clauses in lines 1-30 name conditions, and lines 31-32 state the result with you’ll (you will). Rewrite line 32 in the conditional mood, starting with And, and explain in one or two sentences how the change affects the meaning.

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20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    Revise this paragraph so it has no inappropriate shifts in voice or mood. Then name each shift you fixed. Our club held a car wash on Saturday. We sprayed each car with soap, and then the cars were rinsed by us. Dry every window with a clean towel, and then you collect the money. If we had more volunteers, we would wash twice as many cars, and we will raise even more money.

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These standards connect to L.8.1: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

Standard text: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.