Nouns and Verbs — Year 1 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: English Appendix 2 — Grammar: words (nouns, verbs) — Year 1
Overview
Pupils learn to identify nouns (naming words) and verbs (doing or being words) as the two most fundamental word classes. They practise sorting words into nouns and verbs, and understand that every sentence needs at least one noun and one verb to make sense.
Nouns and Verbs learning objectives
- Understand that nouns are naming words for people, places, and things.
- Understand that verbs are doing or being words.
- Identify nouns and verbs in simple sentences.
- Write simple sentences using a noun and a verb.
Success criteria
- I can say what a noun is.
- I can say what a verb is.
- I can find the noun and the verb in a sentence.
- I can write a sentence with a noun and a verb.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Play 'show me': say a word, pupils mime it if it is a verb (doing word) or point to something if it is a noun (naming word). Use words: jump, table, cat, swim, teacher, shout.
Explain: nouns name things (people, places, objects, animals); verbs show what something does or is. Model identifying each in simple sentences, colour-coding nouns and verbs. Show that removing either breaks the sentence.
Pupils sort a set of word cards into nouns and verbs. Then underline the noun (one colour) and verb (another colour) in a set of simple sentences.
Pupils write four simple sentences and circle the noun and underline the verb in each. Challenge: write a sentence with two nouns.
Teacher reads a sentence with the verb removed: 'The dog ___.' Pupils suggest verbs to complete it. Discuss: how many different sentences can we make by changing just the verb?
Support and extension for nouns and verbs
Support
- Use actions: pupils point to an object for a noun and act out a word for a verb.
- Sort picture cards into “things” and “actions” before using words.
- Use sentence stems: “The ___ (noun) can ___ (verb).”
Extension
- Write a sentence with two nouns and a verb.
- Find a word that can be both a noun and a verb, such as “jump” or “drink”, and use it both ways.
- Add an adjective to the noun in their sentence.
Check for understanding
Quick questions for the plenary or an exit ticket. Tap a question to see the answer.
1. Is “run” a noun or a verb?
Answer: A verb.
2. Find the noun: “The bird sang.”
Answer: bird
3. Find the verb: “Tom kicks the ball.”
Answer: kicks
4. Write a sentence about a cat with a verb in it.
Answer: For example “The cat sleeps.”
Resources you will need
- Picture cards of objects and actions
- Two sorting hoops labelled noun and verb
- Simple sentence strips
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils often think verbs are only physical actions (run, jump) — include being verbs: 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were'.
- Confusing adjectives with nouns — stress that nouns are things you can touch, see, or think of as a 'thing'.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Ability to write simple sentences.
- Familiarity with basic word types from oral language work.
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