• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Style, tone and word choice (ACT English); Formal register and tone). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. A report on a charity's work: "The charity helped a whole bunch of families with stuff." Which revision is most precise? (The charity helped heaps of families with various stuff. / The charity helped many families with things. / The charity was helpful to families in lots of ways and stuff. / The charity provided food and housing support to 340 families.) → The charity provided food and housing support to 340 families.Prompt: Who is the audience and what is the purpose?
2. A science report on plant growth. Which sentence is most appropriate? (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!! / Honestly, the shade plants were kind of rubbish.) → 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?
3. A speech to the town council about traffic. Which sentence is most appropriate? (Mill Road is basically a racetrack, no joke. / People are well annoyed about cars zooming down Mill Road. / Residents have reported serious concerns about speeding on Mill Road. / Sort out Mill Road, it's a nightmare.) → Residents have reported serious concerns about speeding on Mill Road.Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose?

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

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Purpose: an email to a company complaining that a product broke after one week. Which sentence suits the audience and purpose best?
• Step 1: Effective writers adapt register — formality, vocabulary and tone — to their audience and purpose.
• Step 2: Firm, polite and specific is most effective for a complaint.
• Step 3: So the answer is: I am writing to report that the headphones I bought on 3 May stopped working after one week, and I would like a replacement or refund.
• Answer: I am writing to report that the headphones I bought on 3 May stopped working after one week, and I would like a replacement or refund.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Is the proposed answer correct? Purpose: a post for your friends' group chat inviting them to a beach clean-up. Which version suits the audience and purpose best? → Beach clean-up Saturday 10am — bring gloves and snacks! Who's in? 🌊 (yes, it is correct / no, it is not correct) → yes, it is correctPrompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose (request, inform, persuade, entertain)?
2. Purpose: the opening of a formal report to the council about traffic outside your school. Which opening suits the audience and purpose best? (I reckon the cars are a nightmare tbh. / This report sets out the results of a two-week traffic survey outside Hillside School and recommends three safety measures. / Traffic. Bad. Fix it. / OMG the traffic is SO bad, you guys have to do something!!) → This report sets out the results of a two-week traffic survey outside Hillside School and recommends three safety measures.Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose (request, inform, persuade, entertain)?

• 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Purpose: a short article for a science magazine for 11-year-olds explaining black holes. Which opening suits the audience and purpose best? (Black holes are regions of spacetime exhibiting gravitational effects so strong that no particles or electromagnetic radiation can escape. / Black holes, lol. / To whom it may concern: black holes. / Imagine something so heavy that not even light can escape its pull — that's a black hole!) → Imagine something so heavy that not even light can escape its pull — that's a black hole!Prompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose (request, inform, persuade, entertain)?
2. Is the proposed answer correct? Purpose: ask your head teacher for permission to start a climate club. Which opening suits the audience and purpose best? → Dear Ms Rahman, I am writing to ask whether a group of Year 12 students could start a lunchtime climate club. (yes, it is correct / no, it is not correct) → yes, it is correctPrompt: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose (request, inform, persuade, entertain)?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-12.