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English lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 30 minutes

Formal register and tone

Writing & Editing

CCSS W.7.1.DCCSS L.7.3England: Y6 GPS (formal language)England: GCSE English Language Paper 2 Q5England: ACT English (Style and Tone)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Formal register and tone.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Formal and informal vocabulary

Leads to: Style, tone and word choice (ACT English); Adapting register and tone to audience and purpose

Materials: A model text, Planning frame, Checklists for editing, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Formal and informal vocabulary). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which is the most FORMAL way to say "find out"? (dig up / suss out / figure out / discover) → discoverPrompt: Formal words suit official letters, reports and essays.
  2. Which is the most FORMAL way to say "need"? (require / wanna / gotta have / could do with) → requirePrompt: Formal words suit official letters, reports and essays.
  3. Which is the most FORMAL way to say "get (as in "get the results")"? (obtain / grab / nab / snag) → obtainPrompt: Formal words suit official letters, reports and essays.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
  • Share the objective: Formal register and tone. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: An essay paragraph analysing a poem. Which sentence is most appropriate?
  • Step 1: Match your register to your audience and purpose; formal tasks need formal, precise language.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: The poet's repeated images of grey skies create a bleak and lifeless atmosphere.
  • Answer: The poet's repeated images of grey skies create a bleak and lifeless atmosphere.
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Letter to the head teacher about a new club. Which sentence is most appropriate? (I am writing to propose a new coding club for Year 7 pupils. / Coding club. Need it. Now. / Yo, can we get a coding club or what? / Hey! So I've got this cool idea for a club.) → I am writing to propose a new coding club for Year 7 pupils.Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose?
  2. A complaint letter to a company about a broken product. Which sentence is most appropriate? (The lamp's dead. Rubbish. / Unfortunately, the lamp I purchased stopped working after two days. / Your lamp is junk and I want my money back now. / Lol the lamp broke already.) → Unfortunately, the lamp I purchased stopped working after two days.Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A science report on plant growth. Which sentence is most appropriate? (Honestly, the shade plants were kind of rubbish. / The sunny plants totally smashed it, growing loads more. / The plants in sunlight grew an average of 4 cm more than those in shade. / OMG the plants in the sun grew so much!!) → The plants in sunlight grew an average of 4 cm more than those in shade.Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose?
  2. An essay paragraph analysing a poem. Which sentence is most appropriate? (The poet's repeated images of grey skies create a bleak and lifeless atmosphere. / I didn't really get the poem but it's sad. / The poet goes on and on about grey stuff. / The poem is pretty depressing tbh.) → The poet's repeated images of grey skies create a bleak and lifeless atmosphere.Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose?

Watch out for

  • Writing everything at once without planning.
  • Editing only spelling and not whether the writing makes sense.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Formal and informal vocabulary.
  • Use concrete materials: a model text.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Style, tone and word choice (ACT English); Adapting register and tone to audience and purpose.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-7.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Formal register and tone

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    A complaint letter to a company about a broken product. Which sentence is most appropriate?

    • A. Lol the lamp broke already.
    • B. Your lamp is junk and I want my money back now.
    • C. The lamp's dead. Rubbish.
    • D. Unfortunately, the lamp I purchased stopped working after two days.

  2. Question 2

    Letter to the head teacher about a new club. Which sentence is most appropriate?

    • A. Yo, can we get a coding club or what?
    • B. Hey! So I've got this cool idea for a club.
    • C. Coding club. Need it. Now.
    • D. I am writing to propose a new coding club for Year 7 pupils.

  3. Question 3

    A speech to the town council about traffic. Which sentence is most appropriate?

    • A. Residents have reported serious concerns about speeding on Mill Road.
    • B. Sort out Mill Road, it's a nightmare.
    • C. Mill Road is basically a racetrack, no joke.
    • D. People are well annoyed about cars zooming down Mill Road.

  4. Question 4

    A science report on plant growth. Which sentence is most appropriate?

    • A. Honestly, the shade plants were kind of rubbish.
    • B. OMG the plants in the sun grew so much!!
    • C. The sunny plants totally smashed it, growing loads more.
    • D. The plants in sunlight grew an average of 4 cm more than those in shade.

  5. Question 5

    An essay paragraph analysing a poem. Which sentence is most appropriate?

    • A. The poet's repeated images of grey skies create a bleak and lifeless atmosphere.
    • B. I didn't really get the poem but it's sad.
    • C. The poet goes on and on about grey stuff.
    • D. The poem is pretty depressing tbh.

  6. Question 6

    An email applying for a summer job. Which closing is most appropriate?

    • A. Get back to me ASAP, yeah?
    • B. That's all. Bye.
    • C. Cheers, hope I get it lol.
    • D. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Answer key: Formal register and tone

  1. 1. D. Unfortunately, the lamp I purchased stopped working after two days.

  2. 2. D. I am writing to propose a new coding club for Year 7 pupils.

  3. 3. A. Residents have reported serious concerns about speeding on Mill Road.

  4. 4. D. The plants in sunlight grew an average of 4 cm more than those in shade.

  5. 5. A. The poet's repeated images of grey skies create a bleak and lifeless atmosphere.

  6. 6. D. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.