• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Thesis statements and supporting evidence; Active and passive voice). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence is the passive version of this sentence? The chef cooks the meals. • The meals were cooking by the chef. • The meals are cooked by the chef. • The chef is cooked by the meals. • The meals cook the chef. (The meals were cooking by the chef. / The meals are cooked by the chef. / The chef is cooked by the meals. / The meals cook the chef.) → The meals are cooked by the chef.Prompt: In a passive sentence, the thing the action is done TO becomes the subject.
2. Thesis: Public parks are essential to healthy cities. Which is the most convincing supporting evidence? (Parks have trees. / A study of ten cities found that residents living near parks reported 20% lower stress levels. / Some parks have cafés. / My friend likes going to the park.) → A study of ten cities found that residents living near parks reported 20% lower stress levels.Prompt: A strong thesis takes a clear, arguable position and hints at the reasons.
3. Is this sentence active or passive? The window was broken by a football. (active / passive) → passivePrompt: Who or what is the subject? Is the subject DOING the action or RECEIVING it?

• Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
• Share the objective: Academic style: hedging, nominalisation and objectivity. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: "This proves that social media causes loneliness." (The evidence is a single correlational survey.) Which revision uses appropriate hedging?
• Step 1: Academic style is objective, precise and cautious about what the evidence shows.
• Step 2: So the answer is: These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness.
• Answer: These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness.
• 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. "Everyone knows that homework is pointless." Which revision is most objective? (It's a fact that homework never works. / Homework is obviously useless, as anyone can see. / Everyone knows homework is completely pointless. / Some studies have questioned the value of homework for younger pupils.) → Some studies have questioned the value of homework for younger pupils.Prompt: Academic writing avoids overclaiming, slang and unnecessary personal pronouns.
2. "This proves that social media causes loneliness." (The evidence is a single correlational survey.) Which revision uses appropriate hedging? (This totally proves social media causes loneliness. / Nobody could ever disagree that social media causes loneliness. / These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness. / Social media definitely makes everyone lonely.) → These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness.Prompt: Academic writing avoids overclaiming, slang and unnecessary personal pronouns.

• 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 4 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. "This proves that social media causes loneliness." (The evidence is a single correlational survey.) Which revision uses appropriate hedging? (This totally proves social media causes loneliness. / Social media definitely makes everyone lonely. / These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness. / Nobody could ever disagree that social media causes loneliness.) → These findings suggest a possible link between social media use and loneliness.Prompt: Academic writing avoids overclaiming, slang and unnecessary personal pronouns.
2. "Everyone knows that homework is pointless." Which revision is most objective? (Everyone knows homework is completely pointless. / Some studies have questioned the value of homework for younger pupils. / Homework is obviously useless, as anyone can see. / It's a fact that homework never works.) → Some studies have questioned the value of homework for younger pupils.Prompt: Academic writing avoids overclaiming, slang and unnecessary personal pronouns.

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