SL.6.6: Adapting Speech to Context and Using Formal English
In plain English: SL.6.6 is the Common Core grade 6 ELA standard that asks students to adapt their speech to a variety of contexts and tasks and to show command of formal English when a situation calls for it. Students read who is listening and why, then choose words, sentences and grammar to fit, following the grade 6 Language standards L.6.1 and L.6.3. It builds on SL.5.6 and leads to SL.7.6.
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Speaking and Listening Standards · Cluster: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas · Official standard
Students learn that good speakers change how they talk to fit the context (who is listening, where and when) and the task (what the talk has to do: share news, explain, report, thank, persuade). Talking with a friend at lunch calls for different words than explaining a game to a first grader or reporting results to a science fair judge. SL.6.6 also asks students to show command of formal English, the careful, standard English used in class presentations, interviews, assemblies and talks with adults they don't know well, whenever the situation calls for it. The official text points to the grade 6 Language standards for what that means: pronouns in the right case, intensive pronouns used correctly, no shifts in pronoun number or person, no vague pronouns and standard English in place of nonstandard forms (L.6.1), plus varied sentences and a consistent style and tone (L.6.3).
The anchor is a transcript written for this page in which a sixth grader explains the same science fair project to three listeners. Students then fix spoken lines with the Language standards, sort contexts by how formal they are, and practice switching as the listener changes. In Independent Practice they judge a rehearsal of an assembly introduction and a halftime huddle by the same student. Casual speech is not treated as wrong: the goal is to choose the register (the level of formality) that fits.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Identify the listener, task and setting of a speaking situation and decide whether formal English is indicated
Adapt the same information for different listeners and tasks by changing word choice, sentence length and structure
Use formal English when speaking: pronouns in the proper case, intensive pronouns used correctly, and no shifts in pronoun number or person or vague pronouns (L.6.1)
Recognize nonstandard forms in speech and replace them, varying sentence patterns and keeping a consistent tone (L.6.1e, L.6.3)
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Adapting speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation, at grade 5 SL.5.6
Comparing and contrasting the varieties of English (dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas or poems (L.5.3b)
Recognizing subjects and objects in a sentence and the pronouns that replace them
"You lost your library book. How would you tell your best friend? How would you tell the librarian? Say each version to your partner. What changed, and what stayed the same?"
List the changes on the board: greetings, slang, full sentences, polite words such as "please" and "I'm sorry," and how much detail each listener needs. The facts stayed the same; the way of speaking changed. Name that skill: adapting speech to the context and the task. Tell students that the first version is not wrong. It fits a friend, and the second fits the librarian.
Direct Instruction20 minutes
Part 1: The words of the standard. Give students the table below to keep.
The words of SL.6.6
Term
What it means
Context
The situation you are speaking in: who is listening, where you are and what is going on
Task
The job your talk has to do, such as sharing news, explaining, reporting results, thanking or asking for something
Adapt
Change how you speak to fit the context and the task
Register
How formal or informal your speech is, from casual talk with friends to careful formal English
Formal English
Careful, standard English: complete sentences, precise words, no slang, and grammar that follows the rules of L.6.1
Indicated or appropriate
The situation calls for formal English: a teacher asks for it, or the listeners, setting or task make it the right choice
Part 2: One project, three listeners. Read Transcript 1 aloud with two student volunteers as Bea and Mateo and yourself as Dr. Hwang. Ask: "What stays the same in all three conversations, and what changes?" Then use Diagram 1 to compare them.
1[At lunch, Ana tells her friend Bea about her science fair project.]
2Bea: So what's your science fair thing about?
3Ana: Okay, so me and Lucy tested if music messes with your memory. Basically, we read people a list of words, and they had to write down as many as they could remember. When the song had words in it, people forgot way more. Like, it was kind of wild.
4[During reading-buddy time, Ana tells her first-grade buddy, Mateo, about the same project.]
5Mateo: What's that poster?
6Ana: It's my science project. Do you know what "remember" means? It means keeping something in your head. My partner and I read a list of words to some big kids. Sometimes the room was quiet, and sometimes a song with words was playing. Can you guess when they remembered more words?
7Mateo: When it was quiet?
8Ana: You're right! The song's words got mixed up with the list words in their heads.
9[At the science fair, a judge, Dr. Hwang, stops at Ana's table.]
10Dr. Hwang: Good afternoon. Could you tell me about your project?
11Ana: Good afternoon. My partner, Lucy Chen, and I tested whether background music affects how many words people can remember. We read lists of fifteen words to twenty-four sixth graders in three conditions: silence, instrumental music and music with lyrics. Each student heard a different list in each condition. In silence, students recalled an average of 9.1 words. With instrumental music, the average was 8.7 words, and with lyrics, it dropped to 6.8 words. Our conclusion is that music with lyrics made it harder to remember words, while instrumental music made little difference.
12Dr. Hwang: Why do you think the lyrics mattered?
13Ana: We think the words in the song competed with the words on the list. Next year, we would like to test a larger group to see whether the results hold.
Written for this page (the students, judge, school and data are invented), Transcript 1: One Project, Three Listeners (a science fair project told to a friend, a first grader and a judge). Original passage written for this page.
Informal speech that fits (paragraph 3, with a friend)
Ana says "me and Lucy," "basically" and "kind of wild" to Bea. Is that a problem?
Result: No. Bea is a friend, the setting is lunch, and the task is to share news. Casual words, short sentences and a reaction ("it was kind of wild") fit that context. Formal English is not indicated. Ana is still clear: Bea learns what the project tested and what happened.
Adapting for a young listener (paragraphs 6 and 8, with a first grader)
How does Ana change her speech for Mateo, a first grader?
Result: She uses everyday words and defines the one hard word ("'remember' ... means keeping something in your head"). She leaves out numbers and the three conditions, which a six-year-old doesn't need, and asks a question ("Can you guess ...?") to keep him involved. The task changed from sharing news to explaining, and the listener changed, so her words changed.
Formal English when it is indicated (paragraphs 11 and 13, with a judge)
Why is formal English indicated with Dr. Hwang, and what does Ana do?
Result: A judge is an adult Ana doesn't know, the setting is a science fair, and the task is to report results. Ana greets the judge, uses complete sentences and precise words ("conditions," "recalled," "lyrics"), gives exact numbers (9.1, 8.7 and 6.8 words), and states a conclusion. She varies her sentence openings ("In silence," "With instrumental music," "Our conclusion is"), as L.6.3a asks.
Pronoun case in formal English (paragraph 3 against paragraph 11, L.6.1a)
Compare "me and Lucy tested" with "My partner, Lucy Chen, and I tested."
Result: "Me" is an object pronoun; the subject of "tested" needs the subjective case, "I." A quick test: drop the other person. "I tested" sounds right, and "me tested" does not. In formal English, the speaker also names the other person first. In the lunch conversation, "me and Lucy" is common casual speech; with the judge, Ana switches to the standard form.
Part 3: Four questions for any context. Before speaking, ask: Who is listening? What is my task? Where am I? Is formal English indicated? Point out that Ana is correct and clear with all three listeners. Adapting is not the same as being careless in casual talk and careful only in formal talk: the listener has to understand every time.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Formal English tune-up. A sixth grader rehearsed a book talk for her class and recorded these seven lines. The book talk is a formal task. Pairs cover the right-hand columns, say each line aloud, decide whether it follows formal English, fix it if needed, and name the Language standard behind the fix. Then uncover the columns and compare. Diagram 2 shows the same seven checks.
Formal English tune-up: seven spoken lines from a book talk rehearsal
Spoken line
Formal English
Rule
"Him and his sister find a map in the attic."
"He and his sister find a map in the attic."
Pronoun case: a subject takes the subjective case, "he," not "him" (L.6.1a)
"The librarian lent the book to my brother and I."
"The librarian lent the book to my brother and me."
Pronoun case: the object of "to" takes the objective case, "me" (L.6.1a)
"I checked the facts myself."
No change needed
Intensive pronoun: "myself" adds emphasis to "I" and is used correctly (L.6.1b)
"If a reader likes mysteries, you will love this book."
"If readers like mysteries, they will love this book."
Pronoun shift: the sentence starts with a reader and switches to "you" (L.6.1c)
"The sister and the mother argue, and then she leaves."
"The sister and the mother argue, and then the mother leaves."
Vague pronoun: "she" could mean either character (L.6.1d)
"The ending is kinda wild, and it gets you, like, totally shook."
"The ending is surprising, and it will make you want to read the book again."
Nonstandard forms and slang replaced with standard English (L.6.1e); tone kept consistent (L.6.3b)
"The book is long. The book is exciting. The book has a map in the front."
"The book is long, but it is exciting, and a map in the front helps readers follow the chase."
Vary sentence patterns so listeners stay interested (L.6.3a)
Debrief. Ask: "Which lines would be fine if she were telling a friend about the book?" Students usually say that "kinda wild" fits a friend. Point out that in casual talk "my brother and I" after "to" might pass, but in a formal book talk, listeners expect the standard form. Then ask pairs to say the fixed lines aloud, since formal English is a speaking skill here, not only a writing one.
Independent Practice15 minutes
Students read two transcripts from the same week in one student's life: a rehearsal of his introduction of a guest speaker at a school assembly, and his halftime talk to his soccer team. They mark each paragraph of Transcript 2 as ready or needs work for its context, then work alone on the quiz. Questions 1-9 are about Transcript 2, questions 10, 11 and 15 are about Transcript 3 (question 15 compares both), and the rest ask students to use the standard in new situations.
1[The day before the assembly, Jalen rehearses in the empty gym. His teacher, Ms. Lindgren, listens from the bleachers.]
2Good morning, students, teachers and families. Welcome to our Fire Safety Week assembly. My name is Jalen Brooks, and I am a sixth grader in Room 14.
3Me and Ms. Lindgren's class invited today's speaker. Captain Ruth Abernathy has served with the Fairview Fire Department for eighteen years. She leads the team that inspects schools, stores and apartment buildings. She visits more than two hundred buildings every year. She also teaches first aid classes on weekends.
4Captain Abernathy and Principal Grant talked last week, and she said she would bring the fire engine at ten o'clock.
5Today, Captain Abernathy will teach us what to do when the alarm goes off. When a student hears the fire alarm, you should stop what you are doing and line up at the door.
6Honestly, she's, like, super legit, and her stories are lowkey amazing.
7After the talk, Captain Abernathy and myself will hand out fire safety booklets at the doors.
8Please join me in welcoming Captain Ruth Abernathy.
9[Ms. Lindgren: That's a strong start and a strong ending, Jalen. Let's look at the middle together.]
Written for this page (the student, teacher, principal, firefighter and fire department are invented), Transcript 2: Introducing a Guest Speaker, Rehearsal (a sixth grader practices for a school assembly). Original passage written for this page.
1[At halftime of a practice game that same week, Jalen's soccer team huddles by the water cooler. Jalen is the team captain.]
2Jalen: Okay, listen up! We're down by one, but we've got this. They keep sending everybody up the left side, so Nico, stay back on defense and don't chase the ball. Mia, you're fast. Get open on the right, and I'll send it to you. And talk to each other! Yell "man on" when somebody's right behind you. Hands in. One, two, three, Hawks!
Written for this page (the students and team are invented), Transcript 3: The Same Student at Soccer Practice (a halftime huddle). Original passage written for this page.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: "Name one place this week where formal English is indicated for you, and one place where casual speech fits. For the formal one, write one sentence you might say there."
Teacher note. All the students, adults, schools and data in the transcripts are invented. Treat home languages and dialects with respect: SL.6.6 is about choosing a register that fits a context, not about one way of speaking being better than another. Some students switch between languages or dialects every day, and that is a strength to name. When correcting a student's spoken grammar, do it privately or with rehearsal lines like the ones in this lesson, not in the middle of a student's talk.
Homework. Students use the Situation Notes below to prepare the same information for three different listeners and tasks, then deliver one version aloud. Show them the directions and the rubric before they leave.
1Event: the Sixth-Grade Talent Show, to raise money for new library books.
2When and where: Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Doors open at 6:00.
3Acts: singing, dancing, magic, comedy, instruments or anything else that is school-friendly. Each act can be up to 3 minutes long. Groups of up to 4 students are allowed.
4Sign-up: by Tuesday, with Ms. Lindgren in Room 14. There are 16 spots, and 11 are already taken.
5Tickets: $2 at the door. Students in an act get in free.
6Help needed: 4 volunteers for the stage crew, to move the microphone stand and the piano bench between acts.
7Permission: the principal must approve using the multipurpose room's sound system.
Written for this page (the event, teacher and numbers are invented), Situation Notes: The Sixth-Grade Talent Show (for the homework). Original passage written for this page.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give sentence starters for formal openings: "Good morning. My name is ... ," "I would like to ... ," "Thank you for ... ."
Practice the "drop the other person" test for pronoun case with five quick oral sentences before the tune-up table
Let students rehearse a formal line with a partner twice before saying it to the class
For Advanced Students
Write a fourth conversation for Transcript 1, in which Ana explains her project to her grandmother on the phone, and label each choice she makes
Find three places in Transcript 1 where Ana varies her sentence patterns and explain what each variation does for listeners
Preview SL.7.6: list the contexts a seventh grader might face that a sixth grader usually does not, such as a club officer's report
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Look for students who name the listener and the task before they speak and change their words, sentence length and detail to fit. In formal contexts, listen for pronouns in the proper case ("My friend and I," "to my sister and me"), no switches from "a student" to "you," pronouns with a clear antecedent (the word the pronoun stands for), and a tone that stays formal from start to finish. In casual contexts, look for clear speech that fits, not for formal English. Watch for students who think formal means long or full of big words: formal English is precise and correct, not padded.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
How Formal? Context Sort
12 minPairs
Pairs place 8 context cards on a line from "casual speech fits" to "formal English indicated," then say one opening sentence for each card.
The 8 Context Cards
Card 1: Telling your cousin about a movie at a family picnic
Card 2: Asking the principal for permission to start a lunchtime club
Card 3: Explaining the rules of a board game to a kindergartner
Card 4: Presenting your history project to the class and two visiting parents
Card 5: Cheering on a teammate during a relay race
Card 6: Calling a museum to ask about its opening hours
Card 7: Meeting a friend's grandparents for the first time
Card 8: Planning a weekend bike ride with your neighbor
Procedure
Draw a long line on paper; label one end "casual speech fits" and the other "formal English indicated"
Place each card on the line and give a reason: who is listening, and what is the task?
For each card, say aloud the first sentence you would speak
Compare your line with another pair and move any card you now disagree about
Discussion Questions
Which card was hardest to place, and what would change your answer?
Card 3 is not formal, but it still needs careful speech. What makes it different from Card 8?
2
Switch the Listener
15 minGroups of 3
One student gives the same short message three times while a partner holds up a listener card and switches it partway through; the third student notes every change the speaker makes.
Messages and Listener Cards
Messages: "Our class needs two more days to finish the mural"; "I left my jacket in the gym"; "Our team won the math contest"
Listener cards: a best friend, the school principal, a second grader, a visiting member of the school board
Procedure
The speaker picks a message and starts speaking to the listener on the card
After about 20 seconds, the partner shows a new card and says "Switch!"; the speaker keeps going in the new register
The observer writes down each change: words, sentence length, greetings, pronouns and detail
Rotate roles until everyone has spoken once
Discussion Questions
What was the first thing you changed when the card switched?
Did anyone slip back into casual speech with a formal listener? What caused it?
Variation for Online Classes
The partner changes a picture on screen instead of holding up a card, and the observer types the changes in the chat.
3
Formal Welcome Relay
15 minGroups of 4
Groups prepare a one-minute formal welcome for an invented visitor, with each member speaking one part, while another group checks their formal English.
Visitor Cards (invented)
A children's book author visiting the sixth grade
A veterinarian who will talk about caring for pets
A city park ranger who leads nature walks
Procedure
Split the welcome into four parts: greeting and who we are, who the visitor is, what the visitor will talk about, and the welcome line
Each member writes and rehearses one part
Present in order to another group, which uses the checklist: pronoun case, no pronoun shifts, clear pronouns, no slang, varied sentences, one tone throughout
Revise one sentence the checkers flagged and present again
Modification for Large Classes
Have two groups welcome the same visitor, then compare which choices made each welcome sound formal.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: One Project, Three Listeners
How Ana adapts the same science fair project in Transcript 1 (invented) for a friend at lunch, a first-grade reading buddy and a science fair judge. The listener and the task change, so her words and sentences change. Use it in Direct Instruction.
Diagram 2: Formal English Checks from L.6.1 and L.6.3
The seven checks from the Guided Practice tune-up table, each with the grade 6 Language standard it comes from, a spoken line from the invented book talk rehearsal and its formal fix. Use it as a reference for formal speaking tasks.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
SL.6.6 Homework: One Event, Three Listeners
Directions: Use the Situation Notes about the Sixth-Grade Talent Show in the Closure phase of the lesson plan. Prepare what you would say to three different listeners, then deliver one version aloud to a family member. Write each spoken version as you would say it.
Part 1: Read the Context (Problems 1-2)
For each listener, write who is listening, what your task is and whether formal English is indicated: (a) a friend at lunch whom you want to join your act, (b) the principal, whose permission you need to use the sound system, and (c) a class of second graders you are inviting to come and watch.
Choose which facts from the notes each listener needs, and which to leave out. Explain one choice for each listener.
Part 2: Adapt Your Speech (Problems 3-4)
Write what you would say to your friend (casual, clear and short) and to the second graders (simple words, one question to keep them involved). Each version should be 3-5 sentences.
Write your request to the principal in formal English, 5-7 sentences, with a greeting, the request, the reason, the details the principal needs and a thank-you. Underline every pronoun and check its case and that it clearly refers to one person or thing.
Part 3: Deliver and Check (Problems 5-6)
Deliver your request to the principal aloud to a family member playing the principal. Ask your listener to name any word or sentence that did not sound formal, and write down what they said.
In three or four sentences, reflect: what did you change most between the three versions? Which Language rule (pronoun case, pronoun shifts, vague pronouns, standard English, varied sentences or consistent tone) did you have to fix, and how?
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Reading the Context
Listener, task and formality named correctly for all three, with fitting fact choices
Two of three correct, or fact choices not explained
Context not identified
Adapting
Three versions that clearly differ in words, sentence length and detail to fit each listener
Versions differ only a little, or one does not fit
One version copied three times
Formal English
Request uses standard pronoun case, no shifts or vague pronouns, no slang, varied sentences and one tone
One or two errors in the request
Request written in casual speech
Delivery and Reflection
Delivered aloud, listener feedback recorded and a specific reflection naming a rule
Delivered, but reflection is general
Not delivered
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
Questions 1-9 are about Transcript 2, and questions 10, 11 and 15 are about Transcript 3, both in the Independent Practice phase of the lesson plan. The students and adults in them are invented. The other questions ask you to use the standard in new situations. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Transcript 2, why is formal English indicated for Jalen's introduction?
Answer: B
The listeners include adults he doesn't know and an invited guest, the setting is a school assembly, and his task is to introduce and honor the speaker (paragraph 2: "students, teachers and families"). All of that indicates formal English. Choice A confuses the rehearsal room with the context of the real talk. Choice C invents a time limit and a rule. Choice D overgeneralizes: Transcript 3 shows a school activity where casual speech fits.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which is the correct formal version of the first sentence of paragraph 3?
Answer: C
The pronoun is part of the subject, so it takes the subjective case, "I" (L.6.1a). Drop the other words to test it: "I invited" is right, and "me invited" is not. Choice A is Jalen's original. Choice B moves "me" but keeps the wrong case. Choice D uses the intensive pronoun "myself" with no "I" for it to emphasize.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why is the sentence in paragraph 4 confusing?
Answer: D
Two women are named, and then "she said she would bring the fire engine." Listeners can't tell who said it, so it is a vague pronoun (L.6.1d). Choice A is not the problem; the sentence is a normal length. Choice B is wrong because the talk did happen last week, so the past tense is correct. Choice C would make it even less clear, since "they" would mean both people.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which revision fixes the problem in paragraph 4?
Answer: A
Naming "the captain" makes it clear who spoke, and the second "she" now points back to the captain, the nearest and clearest antecedent (the word a pronoun stands for). Choice B adds "that" but keeps both vague pronouns. Choice C makes it worse, since "They" now has no names at all. Choice D swaps in "they" and "it," which leaves listeners unsure who is bringing what.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which revision fixes the pronoun shift in paragraph 5?
Answer: B
The sentence begins with "a student" (third person) and switches to "you" (second person), an inappropriate shift in person (L.6.1c). Making both parts third person plural, "students ... they," fixes it. Choice A shifts from "a student" to "we," another shift. Choice C mixes "you" with "a student" and uses "you hears," which is not standard. Choice D keeps the shift and repeats it.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What is the problem with paragraph 6 in this context?
Answer: C
"Super legit," "lowkey" and the filler "like" are casual forms. The rest of the introduction is formal, so the tone suddenly shifts (L.6.3b) in front of an audience that includes adults and the guest. Choice A treats length as the problem. Choice B is wrong because "she" and "her" are in the correct case. Choice D is wrong because praising the speaker is part of an introduction's job; the problem is how it is said.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence would best replace paragraph 6?
Answer: A
Choice A keeps Jalen's praise, uses the captain's name and standard words, and fits the formal tone of the introduction. Choice B keeps the slang "super legit." Choice C keeps "lowkey" and adds another casual word. Choice D is still full of fillers ("Like," "you guys," "for real").
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which is correct in formal English for paragraph 7?
Answer: D
The pronoun is part of the subject, so it must be "I" (L.6.1a). "Myself" is an intensive or reflexive pronoun: it can emphasize a noun or pronoun already in the sentence ("I made it myself"), but it can't replace "I" as a subject (L.6.1b). Choice A is Jalen's original. Choices B and C use the objective case, "me," for a subject.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 3, three sentences in a row begin with "She." Which revision varies the sentence patterns best (L.6.3a)?
Answer: B
Choice B combines two sentences and starts the next with "On weekends," so the pattern changes and every fact stays. That keeps listeners interested (L.6.3a). Choice A makes the pattern even more repetitive. Choice C is so compressed that facts are lost and the meaning is unclear. Choice D is Jalen's original.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why is casual speech appropriate in Transcript 3?
Answer: D
The listeners are his teammates, the setting is a halftime huddle and the task is to give fast, clear directions. Short commands ("Nico, stay back on defense") and the team's own calls fit. Choice A is not the reason; the context is. Choice B is not in the transcript. Choice C is false: Jalen's casual speech still follows grammar rules ("I'll send it to you").
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which change would make Transcript 3 less effective for its context?
Answer: C
Halftime is short, and players need to hear and remember the plan at once. Long formal requests, such as "I would like to request that Nico remain on defense," would slow him down and sound odd to teammates, so formal English is not appropriate here. Choice A helps: names make the directions clear. Choice B helps: the team is outdoors. Choice D helps: the reason shows players why the plan makes sense.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
You are calling the public library to ask whether it has a copy of the novel Hatchet. Which opening fits the context best?
Answer: B
The listener is an adult staff member you don't know, and the task is a polite request, so a greeting, your name and a clear question fit. Choice A uses slang. Choice C is a demand, not a polite request. Choice D assumes the staff member knows who "me" is and which book "the book" means.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence uses pronouns correctly in formal English?
Answer: A
After "to," the pronoun is an object, so it takes the objective case, "me" (L.6.1a). Test it: "gave the awards to me." Choice B uses the subjective case where an object belongs ("to I"). Choice C uses "me" as part of the subject. Choice D uses the reflexive "myself" where no "I" came earlier in the sentence (L.6.1b).
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which situation most clearly indicates formal English?
Answer: D
A town meeting has adult listeners you don't know, a public setting and a persuasive task, so formal English is indicated. Choices A, B and C are casual contexts with people you know and tasks where friendly, informal speech fits.
Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer
Transcripts 2 and 3 come from the same week. Describe two differences in how Jalen speaks in them, quoting each transcript, and explain why each difference fits its context and task.
Model answer: First, his greeting: at the assembly he opens with "Good morning, students, teachers and families," but in the huddle he says "Okay, listen up!" The assembly needs a polite greeting for adults and a guest; the huddle needs to get teammates' attention fast. Second, his sentences: in paragraph 3 of Transcript 2 he gives full facts about the captain ("has served with the Fairview Fire Department for eighteen years"), while in Transcript 3 he gives short commands ("Nico, stay back on defense"). Introducing a guest takes complete information; halftime directions must be quick. Rubric: full credit for two accurate, quoted differences with a reason tied to listener, setting or task for each; partial credit for one; no credit for differences without quotations or reasons.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Rewrite this sentence from a student's class report in formal English, then name the Language standard behind each fix: "Me and him measured the plants, and then they said the results were wrong."
Model answer: "He and I measured the plants, and then our teachers said the results were wrong." Fix 1: "Me and him" is the subject, so both pronouns take the subjective case (L.6.1a); by custom, the speaker also names the other person first. Fix 2: "they" has no clear antecedent; naming "our teachers" (or whoever said it) makes it clear (L.6.1d). Rubric: full credit for both fixes with the rules named; partial credit for both fixes without rules, or one fix with its rule; no credit if the pronoun case is still wrong.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
A student wrote this line for a thank-you speech to the school nurse at an end-of-year assembly: "We are grateful for the care you gave us this year, from bandages on the playground to calm words on hard days." Now say the same idea the way you might say it to a friend at lunch, and explain one change you made and why.
Model answer: "Our nurse is the best. He fixed my knee on the playground, and he always calms everybody down." I changed "We are grateful for the care you gave us" to "the best," a casual way to praise someone, and spoke about the nurse instead of to him, because my friend is the listener now. The facts stay the same. Rubric: full credit for a casual version that keeps the ideas and a change explained by the new listener or task; partial credit for a casual version with no explanation; no credit for copying the formal line.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
You have to share this news: "The school play has moved from Friday to next Tuesday because the stage lights need repair." Write what you would say (a) to your best friend and (b) to the audience at a band concert, as an announcement before the music begins.
Model answer: (a) "Guess what, the play got moved to next Tuesday. The stage lights are broken, so we can't do it Friday." (b) "Good evening, and thank you for coming. Before we begin, we have one announcement: the school play has been moved from this Friday to next Tuesday, because the stage lights need repair. We hope to see you there." Rubric: full credit for two versions with the same facts, a casual one that fits a friend and a formal one with a greeting, complete sentences and standard pronouns; partial credit if both versions sound nearly the same; no credit if a fact is changed or missing.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Read this situation: "A reporter from the town newspaper visits your class and asks you to explain how the class recycling program works." Name the listener, the task and the setting, decide whether formal English is indicated, and write the first two sentences you would say.
Model answer: Listener: a newspaper reporter, an adult I don't know, whose words may be printed. Task: explain how the program works. Setting: my classroom during school. Formal English is indicated, because the listener is an adult stranger and what I say may appear in the paper. "Our class collects paper, cans and plastic bottles in three bins by the door. Every Friday, two students take the bins to the recycling area behind the cafeteria." Rubric: full credit for listener, task, setting, a reasoned decision and two formal, clear sentences; partial credit for three of these; no credit for a decision with no reasons.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
"When Grandma talked to my aunt, she said she was tired." Explain why this sentence is unclear in a formal talk, then rewrite it two different ways, each with a clear meaning.
Model answer: "She" is a vague pronoun: it could mean Grandma or my aunt (L.6.1d). Rewrite 1: "When Grandma talked to my aunt, Grandma said, 'I am tired.'" Rewrite 2: "When Grandma talked to my aunt, my aunt said, 'I am tired.'" Each version names the person who spoke and uses her own words, so no pronoun can point to two people. Rubric: full credit for the explanation and two clear rewrites with different meanings; partial credit for the explanation and one rewrite; no credit if the rewrites still use a vague "she."
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does SL.6.6 mean?
SL.6.6 means that sixth graders change how they speak to fit different situations and jobs, and use formal English when the situation calls for it. "SL" stands for Speaking and Listening. The standard is about speaking, so formal English here means how students sound in presentations, interviews, calls and assemblies, not only how they write.
What is formal English for a sixth grader?
Formal English is careful, standard English: complete sentences, precise words, no slang or fillers such as "like," and grammar that follows the grade 6 Language standards. For grade 6, that means pronouns in the right case ("My friend and I"), intensive pronouns used correctly, no switches from "a student" to "you," no vague pronouns and a tone that stays the same from start to finish.
Does SL.6.6 say informal English is wrong?
No. The standard asks students to adapt, which means choosing what fits. Casual speech is the right choice with friends, family and teammates. Formal English is expected when it is "indicated or appropriate": when a teacher asks for it, or when the listeners, setting or task call for it. Home languages and dialects are not wrong either; being able to switch is a skill.
What does "when indicated or appropriate" mean in SL.6.6?
"Indicated" means someone asks for formal English, such as a teacher assigning a formal presentation. "Appropriate" means the situation calls for it even if no one says so: speaking to adults you don't know, at a public event, in an interview or when you represent your class or school.
How does SL.6.6 connect to L.6.1 and L.6.3?
The official standard points to the grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 for what formal English requires. L.6.1 covers pronoun case, intensive pronouns, shifts in pronoun number and person, vague pronouns and recognizing nonstandard English in speaking and writing. L.6.3 asks students to vary sentence patterns and keep a consistent style and tone. SL.6.6 asks students to use those rules aloud.
Is "me and my friend went" wrong?
In casual talk, many people say it, and listeners understand. In formal English, the subject needs the subjective case and the speaker names the other person first: "My friend and I went." A quick test is to drop the other person: "I went," not "me went."
What is a vague pronoun?
A vague pronoun is one that could refer to more than one person or thing, or to nothing at all. In "Lena told Rosa that she won," listeners can't tell who won. Fix it by naming the person: "Lena told Rosa, 'You won.'" Vague pronouns are easy to miss when speaking, because the speaker knows who they mean.
How is SL.6.6 different from SL.5.6 and SL.7.6?
SL.5.6 asks fifth graders to use formal English "when appropriate to task and situation." SL.6.6 raises that to demonstrating "command of formal English when indicated or appropriate" and ties it to the grade 6 Language standards. SL.7.6 uses the same wording as SL.6.6 but points to the grade 7 Language standards, so the grammar expected in formal speech grows each year.
How can teachers grade SL.6.6 fairly?
Grade the match between speech and context, not one "correct" way of talking. Give students the context first, then score whether they read it correctly, adapted words and sentences, and used the formal English rules when they were indicated. Rehearsal lines, like the tune-up table on this page, let students fix grammar before a live talk. The homework rubric shows one way to score it.
How can parents help with SL.6.6 at home?
Play the listener. Before a phone call to a relative, a store or a coach, ask your child who they are talking to and what the call is for. Let them practice a formal request with you playing an adult they don't know, then switch to how they would tell a sibling the same thing. Praise the switch itself.
07
Related Standards
6 standards
These standards connect to SL.6.6: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
SL.5.6Prerequisite
Adapt speech to contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
L.6.1Parallel
Show command of standard English grammar and usage, including pronoun rules
