Grammar Repair Clinic

Worked classroom example

Geography

Worked example

Edit subject explanations for missing past-tense endings in a case study.

Use this example to make the language move visible. Select subject content appropriate to the class’s age and prior knowledge.

Teaching sequence

1. Choose one recurring error that affects clarity in the current unit.
2. Learners locate it in short anonymous examples and propose corrections.
3. Ask each learner to edit one sentence of their own for the same feature.

Try it in your next lesson

Prepare

Use four short sentences with one target error. Choose a second example that checks the same language move without repeating the original answer.

Classroom task

Pairs find and correct one recurring grammatical pattern, then explain the correction.

Check independent transfer

Ask each learner to edit one sentence of their own for the same feature.

Collect a response on fresh content. Note what was achieved without the model, partner or teacher prompt, then choose one next teaching step.

Teacher language

Teacher language

What rule helped you repair the sentence?

Respond to the learner

Identify one successful meaning or language choice. Ask about one gap, allow thinking time, then invite a revision. Check the revised move again on a fresh example.

Adjust support and challenge

Offer a brief model, useful vocabulary and partner rehearsal where needed. Keep the subject goal; reduce one prompt on fresh content and record what was independent.

Teaching this skill → · Age and language support →

More support

Contrast two meaningful sentences, represent the difference visually and rehearse a new example. Check meaning before naming the rule. Allow familiar-language notes or another response mode when checking subject understanding.

Greater independence

Change the content, evidence or audience. Remove the completed model and ask learners to explain a choice. Increase subject complexity only when it fits the curriculum and prior knowledge.

Choose the next step

If subject meaning is insecure, reteach the concept. If the concept is understood but the English is unclear, model one useful language relationship and invite a fresh response.