Mastering Register: Formal vs Informal Writing
A comprehensive lesson designed for Year 6 students to master the difference between formal and informal registers. Students will learn about contractions, passive voice, subjunctive mood, and vocabulary choices, applying these to various writing contexts such as letters and emails.
Learning objectives
- Identify the linguistic features of formal and informal writing.
- Transform informal sentences into formal ones using appropriate vocabulary and grammar.
- Select the correct register based on the intended audience and purpose.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Introduction · 10 min
Starter: Sorting activity. Students sort phrases like 'Hiya' vs 'Dear Sir' into two piles.
Teaching · 15 min
Direct Instruction: Teacher talks through the explainer, vocabulary, and worked example.
Independent Practice · 20 min
Differentiated Worksheet completion: Students work on Support, Core, or Stretch tasks.
Plenary · 15 min
Review and Quiz: Go through key answers and complete the 8-question MCQ quiz.
Key vocabulary
- Register
- The level of formality in a piece of writing or speech.
- Contractions
- Shortened forms of words using an apostrophe (e.g., can't, won't).
- Colloquialism
- Words or phrases used in everyday, informal conversation.
- Subjunctive Mood
- A grammatical mood used for hypothetical statements or wishes (e.g., 'If I were...'). Common in formal writing.
- Passive Voice
- When the subject of the sentence receives the action (e.g., 'The cake was eaten'). Common in formal reports.
Core worksheet (first questions)
- Give one informal and one formal way to say 'Thank you'.
- Identify the features that make this sentence informal: 'I don't like it when people mess about.'
- Rewrite this sentence using a formal connective: 'Also, I think we should change the lunch menu.'
- Turn this informal complaint into a formal one: 'I'm really annoyed about the bad service!'
Quiz (sample)
1. In which of these scenarios should you use formal language?
- A. In a text message to a best friend.
- B. To a local business owner requesting a donation.
- C. In a diary entry about your day.
- D. In a birthday card for a cousin.
2. What is a contraction?
- A. It is a long word used in science.
- B. It is a punctuation mark used for lists.
- C. It is a shortened form of two words using an apostrophe, common in informal writing.
- D. It is a type of formal greeting.
3. Which of these sentences is formal?
- A. Guess what happened today!
- B. I am writing to inform you...
- C. See ya later!
- D. I'm gonna go to the park.
The full pack is waiting
Support and Stretch worksheets, every answer and model answer, the teaching explainer and common misconceptions, editable and ready to print as PDF or Word.
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