CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1b
The Standard
Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students examine usage questions that do not have simple, universally accepted answers. They consult reliable references, choose wording that fits the context, and explain the choice.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can compare guidance from reliable usage references and make a choice suited to the audience and purpose. They can cite the source and explain why the choice works.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume every disputed form has one fixed answer. They may rely on instinct, spellcheck, or a dictionary definition while ignoring usage notes, audience, and context.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: For a formal science report, choose “the data is” or “the data are,” then cite one usage note and explain the choice.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs usage cards to sort as accepted, disputed, or incorrect, then verify each choice with a print or online usage guide.
Write a short defense of singular they in a college application essay, using evidence from two usage references.
Run a reference relay where teams research who versus whom, less versus fewer, and different from versus different than.
Compare fewer and less in a newspaper, university website, and advertisement, then explain how audience and formality shape each choice.
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1a
Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact ...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4c
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word o...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4c
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word o...
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