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English lesson plan · 12th grade (Year 13 in England) · 45 minutes

Style, tone and word choice (ACT English)

Writing & Editing

CCSS L.11-12.3CCSS W.11-12.1.DEngland: ACT English (Knowledge of Language)England: GCSE English Language Paper 2 Q5

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Style, tone and word choice (ACT English).

  • 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 register and tone; Concision: cutting wordiness and redundancy

Leads to: 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 · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Formal register and tone; Concision: cutting wordiness and redundancy). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  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. / OMG the plants in the sun grew so much!! / The plants in sunlight grew an average of 4 cm more than those in shade.) → 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. The two twins look exactly identical to each other. Which revision is the most concise? (The two twins look identical to each other. / The twins look identical. / The twins look exactly identical. / The two twins look exactly the same identical.) → The twins look identical.Prompt: Look for words that repeat an idea already expressed.
  3. 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?

Hook · 5 min

  • Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
  • Share the objective: Style, tone and word choice (ACT English). Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: A scientific abstract: "We think maybe the drug might possibly help some patients a bit, perhaps." Which revision is appropriately cautious but not wordy?
  • Step 1: Effective style matches tone to purpose and uses precise, economical language.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: The results suggest the drug may benefit some patients.
  • Answer: The results suggest the drug may benefit some patients.
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 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. A travel article aims to evoke the atmosphere of a night market: "There were a lot of people and some food." Which revision best achieves the writer's goal? (The market had people in it, plus food. / Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals. / People were there. Food was there too. / There were many people and also some food items.) → Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals.Prompt: Who is the audience and what is the purpose?
  2. A eulogy for a beloved teacher: "Mr Osei was okay and stuff and people kind of liked him." Which revision best suits the occasion? (Mr Osei? Yeah, decent guy. / Mr Osei was a teacher who taught. / Mr Osei's patience and humour shaped the lives of countless students. / Mr Osei was okay and people liked him, mostly.) → Mr Osei's patience and humour shaped the lives of countless students.Prompt: Who is the audience and what is the purpose?

You do: independent practice · 10 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 5 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A travel article aims to evoke the atmosphere of a night market: "There were a lot of people and some food." Which revision best achieves the writer's goal? (There were many people and also some food items. / The market had people in it, plus food. / Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals. / People were there. Food was there too.) → Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals.Prompt: Who is the audience and what is the purpose?
  2. A eulogy for a beloved teacher: "Mr Osei was okay and stuff and people kind of liked him." Which revision best suits the occasion? (Mr Osei was okay and people liked him, mostly. / Mr Osei? Yeah, decent guy. / Mr Osei's patience and humour shaped the lives of countless students. / Mr Osei was a teacher who taught.) → Mr Osei's patience and humour shaped the lives of countless students.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 register and tone.
  • 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: 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-12.

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

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Style, tone and word choice (ACT English)

Name

Date

Score/ 5

  1. Question 1

    A eulogy for a beloved teacher: "Mr Osei was okay and stuff and people kind of liked him." Which revision best suits the occasion?

    • A. Mr Osei's patience and humour shaped the lives of countless students.
    • B. Mr Osei was okay and people liked him, mostly.
    • C. Mr Osei? Yeah, decent guy.
    • D. Mr Osei was a teacher who taught.

  2. Question 2

    A travel article aims to evoke the atmosphere of a night market: "There were a lot of people and some food." Which revision best achieves the writer's goal?

    • A. Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals.
    • B. There were many people and also some food items.
    • C. The market had people in it, plus food.
    • D. People were there. Food was there too.

  3. Question 3

    A report on a charity's work: "The charity helped a whole bunch of families with stuff." Which revision is most precise?

    • A. The charity provided food and housing support to 340 families.
    • B. The charity helped heaps of families with various stuff.
    • C. The charity helped many families with things.
    • D. The charity was helpful to families in lots of ways and stuff.

  4. Question 4

    A scientific abstract: "We think maybe the drug might possibly help some patients a bit, perhaps." Which revision is appropriately cautious but not wordy?

    • A. The drug definitely cures all patients.
    • B. Perhaps, maybe, the drug could possibly help.
    • C. We think maybe the drug might possibly help some patients.
    • D. The results suggest the drug may benefit some patients.

  5. Question 5

    An academic essay reads: "The study's methodology was, like, super solid, so its conclusions are pretty legit." Which revision best matches the essay's formal tone?

    • A. The methodology? Solid. The conclusions? Legit.
    • B. The study's methodology was solid-ish, so its conclusions are kind of fine.
    • C. The study's methodology was rigorous, so its conclusions are credible.
    • D. The study's methodology was totally awesome, so its conclusions rock.

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Answer key: Style, tone and word choice (ACT English)

  1. 1. A. Mr Osei's patience and humour shaped the lives of countless students.

  2. 2. A. Crowds jostled between stalls where skewers hissed over glowing coals.

  3. 3. A. The charity provided food and housing support to 340 families.

  4. 4. D. The results suggest the drug may benefit some patients.

  5. 5. C. The study's methodology was rigorous, so its conclusions are credible.