Describing Emotions – Liking, Disliking, and Preferring in Sentences Structure English Grammar JSS 3 First Term Lesson Notes Week 3

Subject: English Grammar
Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 12-14 years
Topic: Structure – Describing Emotions (Liking, Disliking, and Preferring)
Sub-topic: Use of “Verb + to Infinitive”, “Would Prefer + to Infinitive”, and “Prefer + Noun”
Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioural Objectives

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

1. Identify structures used to describe emotions of liking, disliking, and preferring.
2. Use the structure “verb + to infinitive” correctly in sentences.
3. Differentiate between “would prefer + to infinitive” and “prefer + noun”.
4. Form sentences expressing personal preferences, likes, and dislikes.

Keywords

Liking, disliking, prefer, would prefer, to-infinitive, emotions, verbs

Set Induction

The teacher starts the lesson by asking students to talk about their hobbies. The teacher will then highlight how these hobbies often describe likes and preferences, linking it to the day’s lesson.

Entry Behaviour

Students have previously learned about verbs and may have some understanding of how to express preferences in simple terms.

Learning Resources and Materials

• Flashcards with examples of sentences showing likes, dislikes, and preferences
• Sample dialogue showing preferences

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge

Students have been taught how to use verbs and the basic concept of infinitives in earlier classes. They will now explore how to express preferences and emotions more specifically using proper structures.

Embedded Core Skills

• Communication skills
• Language development
• Sentence formation

Reference Books

• Lagos State Scheme of Work
• Oxford English Grammar for Secondary Schools

Instructional Materials

• Whiteboard and markers
• Flashcards with sentences
• Example dialogue between two characters showing likes and preferences

Content

Describing Emotions – Liking, Disliking, and Preferring

When we express our feelings or emotions about activities, we often use certain structures in English to talk about our likes, dislikes, and preferences.

1. Verb + to Infinitive

When describing what we like or dislike to do, we use the structure: Verb + to Infinitive.

• Like + to infinitive: She likes to read.
• Love + to infinitive: They love to dance.
• Hate + to infinitive: He hates to study.
• Prefer + to infinitive: I prefer to walk.

Examples

• I like to play football.
• She loves to sing.
• He prefers to stay at home.

2. Would Prefer + to Infinitive

When expressing a specific preference in a particular situation, we use “would prefer + to infinitive”:

• Example: I would prefer to eat pizza rather than pasta.
• Negative form: I wouldn’t prefer to stay up late.

Examples

• They would prefer to watch a movie.
• I would prefer to walk to school rather than take a bus.
• She would prefer to drink tea instead of coffee.

3. Prefer + Noun

When making a general comparison between two things, we use prefer + noun or prefer + noun + to + noun.

• Example: She prefers coffee to tea.
• Example: I prefer bikes to cars.

Examples

• I prefer apples to oranges.
• They prefer books to movies.
• He prefers basketball to football.

15 Fill-in-the-blank Questions with Options

1. I like ___ in the evening.
   a) to jog
   b) jogging
   c) jog
   d) jogs
2. She loves ___ novels in her free time.
   a) read
   b) reads
   c) to read
   d) reading
3. He would prefer ___ to school tomorrow.
   a) go
   b) to go
   c) going
   d) gone
4. I prefer bikes ___ cars.
   a) to
   b) for
   c) by
   d) with
5. She prefers to stay at home ___ go out.
   a) rather than
   b) instead
   c) over
   d) instead of
6. They would prefer ___ a movie tonight.
   a) watch
   b) to watch
   c) watching
   d) watched
7. He hates ___ early in the morning.
   a) wake
   b) waking
   c) wakes
   d) to wake
8. She likes ___ her homework after school.
   a) doing
   b) to do
   c) do
   d) does
9. I would prefer ___ pasta to pizza.
   a) to eat
   b) eating
   c) eats
   d) eat
10. They prefer books ___ magazines.
    a) rather than
    b) over
    c) to
    d) against
11. He loves ___ on weekends.
    a) swimming
    b) swim
    c) swam
    d) swims
12. She prefers ___ coffee.
    a) drinking
    b) drinks
    c) to drink
    d) drink
13. I would prefer ___ rather than walk.
    a) to drive
    b) driving
    c) drove
    d) drives
14. She prefers water ___ juice.
    a) for
    b) to
    c) instead
    d) over
15. I hate ___ late.
    a) sleep
    b) to sleep
    c) sleeping
    d) slept

15 FAQs with Answers for Better Understanding

1. What does “to-infinitive” mean?
   • It is the base form of a verb with “to”, like “to eat” or “to go.”
2. How do we use “like” with a verb?
   • We use “like” with a to-infinitive: “I like to read.”
3. What is the difference between “prefer” and “would prefer”?
   • “Prefer” is for general preferences, and “would prefer” is for specific situations.
4. Can I say “I like swimming”?
   • Yes, but you can also say “I like to swim.”
5. How do I express a preference between two things?
   • Use “prefer + noun + to + noun”: “I prefer apples to oranges.”
6. What is the structure for “would prefer”?
   • Use “would prefer + to infinitive”: “I would prefer to walk.”
7. What is the difference between “like” and “love”?
   • “Love” is a stronger emotion than “like.”
8. Can I use “would prefer” in the past?
   • Yes, but you need to change the verb tense: “I would have preferred to stay.”
9. Is “prefer” only used with nouns?
   • No, you can also use “prefer + to infinitive”: “I prefer to walk.”
10. What is the structure for expressing a dislike?
    • Use “hate + to infinitive”: “I hate to wake up early.”
11. Can I use “prefer” with “than”?
    • No, use “prefer + to”: “I prefer coffee to tea.”
12. What’s the negative form of “would prefer”?
    • “Wouldn’t prefer”: “I wouldn’t prefer to eat now.”
13. Can I use “prefer” for activities?
    • Yes, use “prefer + to infinitive”: “I prefer to run.”
14. How do I express a general preference?
    • Use “prefer + noun” or “prefer + noun + to + noun.”
15. Can I say “He loves to running”?
    • No, the correct form is “He loves to run.”

Presentation (Steps 1-3)

1. Step 1: The teacher introduces the topic by explaining how we describe emotions like liking, disliking, and preferences using the structures.
2. Step 2: The teacher writes example sentences on the board using “verb + to infinitive,” “would prefer + to infinitive,” and “prefer + noun”.
3. Step 3: The students practice forming their own sentences using the structures, first in pairs, then individually.

Teacher’s Activities

• Explain the structures for describing likes, dislikes, and preferences.
• Provide examples and correct any mistakes.
• Encourage students to practice forming sentences using these structures.

Learners’ Activities

• Listen to the teacher’s explanation.
• Practice forming sentences in pairs.
• Write sentences describing their preferences using the new structures.

Assessment

The teacher asks students to write five sentences about their preferences using “verb + to infinitive,” “would prefer + to infinitive,” and “prefer + noun.”

Ten Evaluation Questions

1. What is the structure for expressing a preference using “prefer”?
2. Give an example of “would prefer + to infinitive”.
3. What is the structure of “like + to infinitive”?
4. How do you express a dislike using a verb?
5. What is the correct form: “He loves to running” or “He loves to run”?
6. How do you express a preference between two things?
7. What is the difference between “prefer” and “would prefer”?
8. Give an example of “prefer + noun + to + noun”.
9. What does “to-infinitive” mean?
10. Use “hate” in a sentence to express dislike.

Conclusion

The teacher goes around to mark the students’ work and provides feedback on their use of the structures.