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Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts

A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on the parts of a sentence — nouns, verbs and adjectives — and on making them agree.

Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard L.1.1 — use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns and conjunctions correctly. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
L.1.1

Grade 1 · Language

L.1.1

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Objective

Students will be able to build a complete sentence with a noun and a matching verb, and add an adjective.

Students are successful when they can

  • Identifies the noun and the verb.
  • Matches a singular noun with a singular verb.
  • Adds an adjective in the right place.

What you need

  • Word cards in three colours: nouns, verbs, adjectives
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — sort the colours

5 min
  1. Sort twelve cards into the three colours by what they do.
  2. Nouns name, verbs do, adjectives describe.

Teach — build, then break

13 min
  1. Build a sentence from one noun card and one verb card.
  2. Swap the noun for a plural. The verb is now wrong. Fix it.
  3. Say the agreement rule as a sound, not a term: 'the dog runs', 'the dogs run'.
  4. Add an adjective. Try it after the noun and hear that it is wrong.
  5. Build one more with the class calling the colours.
“Change the noun and listen to the verb. Your ear will tell you before any rule does.”

Guided practice — build four

12 min
  1. Pairs build four sentences from the cards, each with an adjective.
  2. Then they swap one noun for its plural and fix the verb.
  3. They read each aloud to check.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the sentence-parts page.
  2. It asks them to name parts and fix agreement.

Close

2 min
  1. Give a sentence with the verb wrong. Take the fix.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Adds -s to the verb whenever the noun is plural.

Why: Plural means -s everywhere, and the noun rule was learned first.

Fix: Say both aloud. English puts the -s on one or the other, never both, and the ear catches it faster than the rule.

Puts the adjective after the noun.

Why: It is added last, so it goes last.

Fix: Read it aloud. 'The cat black' is audibly wrong, and one hearing is usually enough.

Calls every word a noun.

Why: Noun was taught first and is the most common label.

Fix: Ask what the word does, not what it is. Doing words go in the verb pile.

If they are not there yet

  • Two colours rather than three.
  • Give the verb pair — runs and run — side by side.

If they finish early

  • Use two adjectives and put a comma between them.
  • Build a sentence with a pronoun instead of the noun.
  • Find the noun and verb in a sentence from a book.

Exit ticket

The dogs ___ fast. Choose runs or run, and add an adjective.

What to look for: Plural noun with plural verb, adjective before the noun. Both -s means the say-it-aloud check needs another run.

Printable practice for L.1.1

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts

How long does the Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1 — L.1.1, Language for Grade 1: “Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.” In plain terms, use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns and conjunctions correctly.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Word cards in three colours: nouns, verbs, adjectives and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: adds -s to the verb whenever the noun is plural; puts the adjective after the noun and calls every word a noun. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “The dogs ___ fast. Choose runs or run, and add an adjective.” Plural noun with plural verb, adjective before the noun. Both -s means the say-it-aloud check needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts?

Yes — 1 printable L.1.1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Nouns, Verbs and Sentence Parts free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to L.1.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.