Using Modal Verbs to Express Willingness and Unwillingness | JSS English Grammar JSS 3 First Term Lesson Notes Week 4
Lesson Plan: Expressing Willingness/Unwillingness Using Modal Verbs and Adverbials
Subject: English Grammar
Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 13–15 years
Topic: Expressing Willingness and Unwillingness
Sub-topic: Using Modal Verbs and Adverbials
Duration: 40 minutes
Behavioural Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
- Identify and understand the use of modal verbs to express willingness and unwillingness.
- Use modal verbs with adverbials to form sentences expressing willingness and unwillingness.
- Differentiate between the usage of “will,” “would,” “shall,” “shan’t,” and other modals for expressing determination, intention, and refusal.
Keywords:
- Modal verbs
- Adverbials
- Willingness
- Unwillingness
- Determination
Set Induction:
The teacher will ask students about a time when they were willing or unwilling to do something and how they expressed it. This will introduce the concept of expressing willingness/unwillingness.
Entry Behaviour:
Students are familiar with basic modal verbs like “can,” “will,” “shall,” and “would.”
Learning Resources and Materials:
- Whiteboard and markers
- Sample sentences using modal verbs and adverbials
- Worksheets for sentence construction
Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge:
The teacher will review the concept of modal verbs previously discussed, reminding students that modal verbs are used to express ability, possibility, permission, and obligation.
Embedded Core Skills:
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Sentence construction
Instructional Materials:
- Lagos State Scheme of Work
- Grammar worksheets on modal verbs
Content:
1. Modal Verbs and Adverbials
Modal verbs are helping verbs that express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation. When combined with adverbials, they can express degrees of willingness or unwillingness. Examples of adverbials include: ever, hardly ever, seldom, occasionally, sometimes, often, usually, and almost always.
Examples:
- I can hardly ever see her these days.
- Can you ever stop talking?
- He could occasionally help me with my work.
- I may sometimes go out with friends on weekends.
2. Using Modal Verbs to Express Willingness/Unwillingness
Will and would express a willingness to do something.
- I will always be there for you.
- Would you please turn off the light?
- They would do anything for their parent.
Won’t and wouldn’t express a refusal or unwillingness.
- I won’t ever go back.
- They wouldn’t heed my advice.
Shall and shan’t are used to express neutral future intentions or refusal, usually with the pronouns “I” and “we.”
- I shall be seeing you tomorrow.
- I shan’t be staying long at school tomorrow.
Will can also express determination, promise, or intention.
- We will win the match, we promise.
- I won’t be intimidated.
Shall used with “he,” “she,” and “they” expresses strong willingness or orders.
- He shall be giving back his property.
- You shall remain there until further notice.
3. Using Adjectives and Adverbials to Express Willingness/Unwillingness
- Adjectives:
- I am willing to be there tomorrow.
- She was unwilling to admit her guilt.
- Adverbs:
- He willingly admitted his guilt.
- She gave him the money unwillingly.
Board Summary:
- Modal Verbs: Will, Would, Shall, Shan’t
- Adverbials: ever, hardly ever, occasionally, always, etc.
- Expressing Willingness: I will always help.
- Expressing Unwillingness: I won’t ever do that.
Teacher’s Activities:
- Explain the use of modal verbs and adverbials to express willingness and unwillingness.
- Write example sentences on the board, highlighting modal verbs and adverbials.
- Present dialogues to show how modals express different levels of willingness.
- Guide students to construct their own sentences using modal verbs and adverbials.
Learners’ Activities:
- Students will complete exercises by filling in the blanks with the correct modal verbs and adverbials.
- Students will work in pairs to create dialogues using modals to express willingness/unwillingness.
- Students will share their sentences with the class, and the teacher will provide corrections where necessary.
Evaluation Questions:
- What is a modal verb?
- List three modal verbs that express willingness.
- What is the difference between “will” and “shall”?
- Write a sentence using “won’t” to express refusal.
- Use the adverbial “occasionally” in a sentence with a modal verb.
- How does “would” express willingness in a polite way?
- Write a sentence using “shall” to express a future intention.
- Give an example of an adjective used to express willingness.
- Write a sentence using “willingly” as an adverb.
- How do modal verbs change the meaning of a sentence?
Class Activity Discussion:
- Why is it important to express willingness or unwillingness politely?
- What effect does the use of adverbials have on the meaning of a sentence?
- How can we use modal verbs to make requests sound more polite?
- Can the modal “would” be used to express both willingness and unwillingness? How?
- What are some other situations in which you might use “shall” or “shan’t”?
- How does the use of modal verbs reflect a speaker’s attitude?
- In what contexts would you use “shall” instead of “will”?
Conclusion:
The teacher will review the students’ sentences, correct errors, and provide feedback on the use of modal verbs and adverbials. The lesson will conclude with a summary of how modals can express both willingness and unwillingness.