Writing: Asking Questions with the Verb “Be” and Prepositional Phrases for Primary 2

Class: Primary 2
Term: First Term
Week: 6
Age: 7 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Writing
Previous Lesson: Reading: Passages About Occupations
Topic: Writing: Asking Questions with the Verb “Be” and Prepositional Phrases
Subject Matter: Asking questions using the correct form of ‘be’ -Asking future questions about the location of person with appropriate prepositional Am + I + prepositional phrase, Am I in the mosque? Are you outside the classroom?

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the correct forms of the verb “be” (am, is, are) for asking questions.
• Identify common prepositional phrases used for location.
• Form simple questions about location using “be” verbs and prepositional phrases.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in learning to ask questions correctly.
• Participate actively in classroom activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Write grammatically correct questions about location using “be” verbs and prepositional phrases.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Chart showing examples of questions with ‘be’ verbs and prepositional phrases
• Textbook
• Notebook

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils develop essential communication skills by teaching them how to ask clear questions about location. Understanding the correct use of “be” verbs and prepositional phrases in questions is fundamental for accurate expression and comprehension in everyday interactions and written communication.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify simple sentences and have a basic understanding of verbs and nouns.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Writing: Asking Questions with the Verb “Be” and Prepositional Phrases

Asking Questions About Location

We ask questions to find out information. When we want to know where someone or something is, we can use the verb “be” and prepositional phrases.

The Verb “Be” in Questions

The verb “be” changes its form depending on who or what we are asking about. The main forms we use for questions are:

1. Am (used with ‘I’)
2. Is (used with ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, or one person/thing)
3. Are (used with ‘you’, ‘we’, ‘they’, or more than one person/thing)

Prepositional Phrases for Location

Prepositional phrases tell us about the position or place of something. Some common prepositional phrases for location include:

1. in the mosque
2. outside the classroom
3. on the table
4. under the chair
5. near the door
6. at home

Forming Questions with “Be” and Prepositional Phrases

To ask a question about location, we usually start with the correct form of “be,” then the person or thing, and then the prepositional phrase.

Structure: (Am/Is/Are) + (Subject) + (Prepositional Phrase)?

Examples:

1. Am I in the mosque?
2. Are you outside the classroom?
3. Is he at home?
4. Are they under the tree?
5. Is the book on the shelf?
6. Are we near the market?

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Demonstration, Individual Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Elicitation/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them simple questions like, “Are you happy today?” or “Is your friend here?”. The teacher then explains that today’s lesson is about learning to ask questions, especially about where people or things are.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Question-asking importance

Step 2: Explanation of ‘Be’ Verbs in Questions

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that to ask questions about location, we often start with ‘am’, ‘is’, or ‘are’. The teacher shows examples on a chart: “Am I…?”, “Is he…?”, “Are you…?”. The teacher emphasizes that ‘am’ is for ‘I’, ‘is’ for one person/thing, and ‘are’ for ‘you’ or many people/things.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart and repeat the ‘be’ verbs with their corresponding subjects.

Learning Point: ‘Be’ verbs for questions

Step 3: Introduction to Prepositional Phrases for Location

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Illustration/Concept building

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what prepositional phrases are, using simple examples like “in the box,” “on the chair,” “under the table.” The teacher shows pictures or points to objects to make the concept concrete, asking “Where is the book?” and demonstrating answers with prepositional phrases.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the location of objects using prepositional phrases and repeat examples given by the teacher.

Learning Point: Prepositional phrase meaning

Step 4: Forming Questions with ‘Am’ and Prepositional Phrases

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes “Am I in the mosque?” on the board. The teacher explains the structure: ‘Am’ + ‘I’ + prepositional phrase. The teacher guides pupils to form similar questions, e.g., “Am I in the classroom?”, “Am I near the door?”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read the example and practice forming questions starting with “Am I…” using different prepositional phrases.

Learning Point: Forming ‘Am I’ questions

Step 5: Forming Questions with ‘Are’ and Prepositional Phrases

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes “Are you outside the classroom?” on the board. The teacher guides pupils to form questions using ‘Are’ with ‘you’, ‘we’, or ‘they’, and various prepositional phrases. Examples: “Are we at school?”, “Are they on the playground?”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice forming questions starting with “Are you/we/they…” using different prepositional phrases.

Learning Point: Forming ‘Are you’ questions

Step 6: Forming Questions with ‘Is’ and Prepositional Phrases

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes “Is he at home?” on the board. The teacher guides pupils to form questions using ‘Is’ with ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, or a single noun. Examples: “Is she in the kitchen?”, “Is the ball under the chair?”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice forming questions starting with “Is he/she/it/the…” using different prepositional phrases.

Learning Point: Forming ‘Is he’ questions

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Which ‘be’ verb do we use with ‘I’ to ask a question?
2. Give an example of a prepositional phrase for location.
3. Form a question using ‘Are’ and “on the mat”.
4. Form a question using ‘Is’ and “in the box”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Question formation assessment

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on asking questions with ‘be’ verbs and prepositional phrases into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Question writing practice

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarizes how to ask questions about location using ‘am’, ‘is’, ‘are’ and prepositional phrases, encouraging pupils to practice more.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and affirm their understanding.

Learning Point: Question sentence consolidation

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Write five questions about location using ‘am’, ‘is’, or ‘are’ and different prepositional phrases.

1. (I / in the school)
2. (The teacher / near the board)
3. (You / at the market)
4. (They / under the tree)
5. (The book / on the chair)

Lesson Keywords

• Am – A form of the verb ‘be’ used with ‘I’ for questions.
• Is – A form of the verb ‘be’ used with ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, or one person/thing for questions.
• Are – A form of the verb ‘be’ used with ‘you’, ‘we’, ‘they’, or many people/things for questions.
• Prepositional phrase – A group of words that tells us about location (e.g., in the mosque, outside the classroom).
• Question – A sentence that asks for information.

Differentiation

For pupils who need extra support, the teacher can provide fill-in-the-blank sentences or sentence strips to arrange. For advanced learners, they can be challenged to create questions using more complex prepositional phrases or to ask questions about hypothetical situations.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for “Primary 2 English asking questions with be” or “Prepositional phrases for kids”.