F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Grammar Check: Agreement and Tense
WRITING · LESSON 9 OF 10
Lesson by English
This lesson contains 19 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.
F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Grammar Check: Agreement and Tense
WRITING · LESSON 9 OF 10
Functional Skills English Level 1 · Writing · Lesson 9 of 10 (about 60 minutes)
Covers: subject content 20 (correct grammar, including subject–verb agreement and consistent use of tense). Statement 22 (writing clearly and accurately) runs through the report task, and speaking and listening run through the pair work.
Before the lesson: print the handout, one per learner. It has the draft report to fix, the writing task with a planning frame, writing lines and the strategy card.
Respect for how people speak: forms like "we was" are normal in many regional and family ways of speaking. They are not "wrong English" when you talk. Today is about choosing Standard English for formal writing, where marks go to grammar.
Device-free fallback: every activity works with the printed handout, mini whiteboards and hands up.
Description: Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing, lesson 9 of 10. Learners make verbs agree with their subjects, keep the past tense steady in a report, and turn spoken forms into written Standard English, then fix and write incident reports.
Tags: subject verb agreement, was or were, consistent tense, past tense, standard english, grammar, incident report, proofreading, construction, public services, level 1 writing, functional skills english, further education, adult learners Image credit: Ascel Kadhem / Unsplash
😄 Great – ready to go
🙂 Good
😐 Okay
😕 Not great today
😴 Tired
Wellbeing check: what's your week been like so far?
Phase 0 · Wellbeing check (first 2 mins)
A quick, low-stakes check-in. Only totals show, so nobody is singled out. Say: "There's no right answer. It just helps me plan today."
Act on it: if several learners choose the last two options, ease the pace and build in a pair task early. Check in privately with anyone you are concerned about, and follow your college's wellbeing and safeguarding route.
Editor note: if any emoji have not come through, re-add them in the editor.
Device-free fallback: learners show 1–5 fingers, or write a number on a sticky note face down.
Spelling
Punctuation
Grammar
That it makes sense
I don't really check
When you write something for work or college, what do you check most?
Phase 1 · Hook (0–5 mins)
No wrong answer. Vote, then ask two or three learners: "What kind of mistake do you notice most in other people's writing?" (Often it's grammar: "we was", "they was", mixed-up tenses.)
Say: "Grammar is the set of rules for how words fit together. Today we fix the two grammar mistakes that lose most marks at Level 1."
Device-free fallback: hands up for each option, or stand by the corner of the room that matches your answer.
What we're doing today
W R I T I N G
Today you will
Why it matters
make the verb agree with who did it
keep your tense steady
turn spoken forms into written English
A report about an accident may be read by a manager or an inspector. It must be clear.
In the writing exam, marks go to grammar as well as to what you say.
Phase 2 · Goals (5–7 mins)
Keep it practical. On a building site, at the council or in a care home, a report can be read by a manager, an insurer or a safety inspector. It has to be clear and correct.
The Level 1 writing assessment lasts about an hour, usually two writing tasks set in real-life situations. Marks go to spelling, punctuation and grammar, as well as to what you say. There is no dictionary or spellchecker.
Vocabulary: agree here means match; tense tells you when something happens (past, present or future).
Device-free fallback: read the slide aloud; learners copy the three goals into their book.
Something goes wrong at work. What does an incident report need to say?
Phase 2 · Activation (7–10 mins)
Free association. Every answer counts: the date and time, the place, who was hurt, who saw it, what happened, first aid given, who was told, damage, what should change.
Say: "An incident is something that goes wrong or nearly goes wrong: a slip, a trip, a fall, damage to a van. Almost all of these details happened in the past, so the report is written in the past tense."
Device-free fallback: pairs list as many as they can in 60 seconds; collect on the board. Image credit: Lucian Alexe / Unsplash
Make the verb agree
The subject is who or what does it. The verb must agree (match) with it.
one person or thing: is, was, has
more than one: are, were, have
I am, I was · you are, you were
Phase 3 · Teaching (10–14 mins)
Say: "Ask: who or what is doing it? That's the subject. Is it one, or more than one? Then pick the verb to match."
Model it: "The van ___ late." One van → was. "The vans ___ late." More than one → were.
Misconception: you always takes were and are, even for one person: "you were right", never "you was".
Support: learners write the two lists (one / more than one) on a card to keep. Stretch: what about I? (I am, I was.)
Device-free fallback: write "one" and "more than one" on the board with the verbs underneath. Image credit: Scott Blake / Unsplash
Say it… write it
W R I T I N G
When we chat, we might say…
In writing, we put…
we was late
I done it
they was on site
he don't know
there's two cones
we were late
I did it or I have done it
they were on site
he doesn't know
there are two cones
Phase 3 · Teaching (14–17 mins)
Say: "None of these is wrong when you're chatting. Lots of people speak this way, and it is part of where they're from. But in formal writing, the reader expects Standard English: the English used in reports, letters and exams."
Probe: "Which of these do you hear most at work or at home?" Then: "How would you write it?"
Misconception: "I done it" can become I did it or I have done it. Both are correct; "I done" on its own is not.
Device-free fallback: write the left column on the board; learners write the right-hand version on mini whiteboards.
Find the real subject
W R I T I N G
1
One of the ladders was broken. One is the subject, so it takes was.
2
Each worker has a pass. Each, every and everyone mean one.
3
Jo and Sam were on site. Two people joined by and make more than one.
Phase 3 · Teaching (17–20 mins)
Click to reveal each one. These are the subjects that trick people, because the word next to the verb is not the real subject.
1: cover up "of the ladders" with your finger. What is left? "One… was broken."
2: each, every, everyone and nobody all mean one at a time, so they take is / was / has.
3: two names joined by and make more than one, so were. Watch "Darren and I was…": it should be "Darren and I were…"
Note: in British English, group words like team or crew can take either ("the team is / the team are"). Just choose one and keep it the same through your writing.
Device-free fallback: write the three examples on the board one at a time.
Which sentence is correct Standard English?
The workers was told to wear hard hats.
Each of the vans needs a safety check.
The plumber and the electrician is on site today.
One of the ladders were left outside.
Phase 4 · Check (20–22 mins)
Answer: B. The real subject is each (one), so needs is right.
Why the others are wrong: A: workers (more than one) → were told. C: two people joined by and → are on site. D: the subject is one, not ladders → was left outside.
Probe: "Fix one of the wrong ones out loud."
Device-free fallback: learners hold up A–D cards or fingers.
Which verb fits the gap? Check: one or more? Now or past?
is
are
was
were
The cones ___ blown over last night.
Today the site ___ closed to the public.
Yesterday the gate ___ left open.
Our ladders ___ checked every morning now.
Each of the bins ___ full right now.
The scaffolders ___ late last Friday.
Phase 4 · Practice (22–26 mins)
Two questions for each card: one or more than one? and now or in the past? The time words (now, today, yesterday, last Friday) give the tense away.
Answers: is: "Today the site ___ closed", "Each of the bins ___ full right now". are: "Our ladders ___ checked every morning now". was: "Yesterday the gate ___ left open". were: "The scaffolders ___ late last Friday", "The cones ___ blown over last night".
Watch for: "Each of the bins" filed under are. Cover "of the bins": each is one.
Device-free fallback: read each sentence aloud; learners write is, are, was or were on a mini whiteboard.
Pick a tense and stick to it
W R I T I N G
Reports look back
Spot the slip
Say what happened, so use the past tense all the way through.
slip → slipped
is → was
do → did
take → took
✗ The van stopped and the driver gets out.
✓ The van stopped and the driver got out.
Check each verb: does it still say then, not now?
Phase 3 · Teaching: tense (26–29 mins)
Say: "A report tells the reader what happened. So the whole story stays in the past tense. The mistake is slipping into the present halfway through, often after and."
Model it: read the ✗ sentence aloud and ask "When did he get out: now, or then?"
Misconception: a sentence about something that is still true or about the future can change tense: "I suggest that the boards are checked every morning." That is fine. The story of what happened stays in the past.
Support: learners keep a list of common irregular past forms: go → went, do → did, take → took, fall → fell.
Device-free fallback: write the two examples on the board; learners correct the ✗ one.
Hollins & Shah Builders · Shared files · Site forms · incident-report
DRAFT · FIX 5 VERBS
Hollins & Shah Builders, Ashworth · Site forms
Incident report: Mill Lane site
To: Joanne Riley, Site Manager · Date: Tuesday 4 March
From: Kwame Asante, Apprentice Bricklayer
At about 10.15am, Darren Lee and I was moving blocks on the first floor. The scaffold boards was wet after the night's rain. Darren slipped on a board and hurts his left wrist.
I done what my training told me. I stopped work and called the site first aider, Grace Mensah. She put a cold pack on his wrist, and his partner takes him to hospital. The hospital said it was a sprain.
To stop this happening again, I suggest that the boards are checked and dried every morning before work starts.
**Clear heading, To, From, Date.** The reader knows what this is, who wrote it and when. Kwame got this right.
**was → were.** "Darren Lee and I" is two people, so **were**. The boards are more than one too: the boards **were** wet.
**hurts → hurt.** The story is in the past. Slipped… and **hurt**.
**I done → I did.** In writing, use **I did** or **I have done**.
**takes → took.** Keep the past tense going: put… and **took**.
**What should change.** A good report ends with a suggestion. It's about the future, so the present tense is fine here.
Phase 4 · Model text: fix the draft (29–34 mins)
Kwame is an apprentice bricklayer. He wrote this report quickly at the end of a long shift. The layout and content are good, but the words in bold have grammar mistakes.
First: pairs find and fix the five bold words on the handout (3 minutes). Then open hotspots 1–6 to check.
Corrected: Darren Lee and I were moving blocks… The scaffold boards were wet… Darren slipped on a board and hurt his left wrist. I did what my training told me… his partner took him to hospital.
Point out: the last sentence ("I suggest that the boards are checked…") is in the present because it is about the future. That is correct.
Vocabulary: incident = something that goes wrong or nearly goes wrong; a first aider is the person trained to give first aid at work; a sprain is a stretched or torn joint.
Device-free fallback: printed draft; learners cross out each mistake and write the correction above it.
Keep the report in the past tense
At 2pm, a lorry reversed into the site gate. The driver was not hurt, but the gate broke. We closed the road for an hour.
Phase 4 · Check: keep it in the past (34–37 mins)
Every gap needs the past tense. The distractors are the present-tense versions of the same verbs, the exact slip from Kwame's draft.
Answers: reversed · was · broke · closed.
Probe: "Which one is irregular?" (break → broke: no -ed.)
Editor note: after pushing, set this fill's text to 28px in the editor.
Device-free fallback: write the sentences on the board with gaps; learners copy and fill them in.
Fix it fast
Spoken → written
Spin a phrase. Write it in Standard English as a full sentence.
Show your board when the timer ends.
You have 30 seconds a round.
second
Phase 4 · Practice: fix it fast (37–41 mins)
Spin, read the phrase aloud, start the 30-second timer. Everyone writes the Standard English version as a full sentence on paper or a mini whiteboard, then shows it. Play 4–5 rounds.
Answers: We were late · I did the job / I have done the job · They were on site · He doesn't wear gloves · There are three cones · She saw the crack / She has seen the crack · The vans need fuel · I have been to the depot / I went to the depot.
Speaking and listening: the first correct learner explains why ("they is more than one, so were").
Device-free fallback: pull the phrases from a hat.
Plan it, then write it
minute
second
You work for Ashworth Council Parks. A visitor tripped on a broken path by the play area. Write about 150–200 words: an incident report to your supervisor, Hassan Ali.
Plan first (5 mins):
Heading and To / From / Date
1. When and where? day, time, place
2. What happened? in order, past tense
3. Who was involved? names, jobs
4. What did you do? and what should change
Past-tense verbs
was · were · did · went
tripped · fell · hurt
called · checked · told
Phase 5 · Plan, then write: exam style (41–55 mins)
Learners work alone, on paper (the handout has a planning frame and writing lines). Start the 20-minute timer: 5 minutes to plan, 12 to write, 3 to check. Call out the time at each stage.
What good looks like: a heading; To, From, Date; what happened in time order; who was involved; what you did; a suggestion for what should change; past tense throughout; was/were correct; about 150–200 words.
Context: Ashworth Council Parks look after the town's parks and play areas. Learners invent realistic details (the visitor's injury, who helped, what was broken).
Support: use the planning boxes and the past-tense verbs in the word bank. Stretch: include one sentence with each or one of as the subject, and get the verb right.
Device-free fallback: the task is on the handout; read it aloud and write it on the board.
Check your writing
W R I T I N G
1. Past tense all through?
2. Was and were right?
3. No spoken forms?
4. When, where, who, what?
5. Capitals and full stops?
Underline each verb. Then or now?
One or more than one?
Say it, then write it in Standard English.
The reader was not there. Tell them everything.
Easy marks to win, and easy to lose.
What happened stays in the past. Only the suggestion looks forward.
One: was. More than one, or you: were.
No "we was", "I done" or "I seen".
Day, time, place, people, and what you did about it.
Every sentence starts with a capital and ends with a full stop.
Phase 6 · Check your writing (55–57 mins)
Click each yellow marker to show what good looks like. Learners check their own report and tick each point in the margin, or swap with a partner.
Proofreading habit: underline every verb in your report. For each one ask: then or now? and one or more?
Common errors: "we was / they was"; the tense slipping to the present after and; "I seen" or "I done"; no suggestion at the end.
Device-free fallback: read the checklist aloud; learners tick it on the handout.
You can now…
W R I T I N G
make the verb agree with its subject (was or were, is or are)
keep a report in the past tense from start to finish
turn spoken forms like "we was" into Standard English
Phase 6 · Celebrate progress (57–58 mins)
Click to bring in each tick. Ask: "Which of these feels solid now? Which one needs more practice?" Name it as real progress: grammar marks are spread through the whole writing assessment.
Device-free fallback: learners tick the three statements in their book, adding a question mark next to any they are unsure about. Image credit: LessonUp Studio (made for this series)
Was or were?
Is it all in the past tense?
I did, not I done
Finding the real subject
Not sure yet
Which grammar check will you do first in the exam?
Phase 6 · Reflect (58–60 mins)
No right answer. Ask one or two learners why they chose theirs, and where else it matters (a work report, a job application, a message to a manager).
If "Not sure yet" is popular: suggest underlining every verb as one quick check that covers all of them.
Device-free fallback: thumbs up for each option, or write the check on an exit slip.
Take it further
W R I T I N G
Stretch: in class
Before next lesson
Swap reports with a partner. Underline every verb.
Is each one in the past tense? Does it agree with its subject? Fix any that don't.
Write five sentences about something that went wrong this week, all in the past tense.
Then list five words you often spell wrong. Bring them to Lesson 10.
Take it further
Stretch is for early finishers in class. Partners underline every verb and label it P (past) or N (now); any N in the story part needs a second look.
Before next lesson needs no device. Learners bring their list of tricky words to Lesson 10, where we work on spelling and get exam ready.
Device-free fallback: this slide is already paper-based.