CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2e
The Standard
Establish and maintain a formal style.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
What This Standard Means
Students need to write informational pieces that sound appropriate for school, public, or professional audiences. They should avoid slang, texting language, casual jokes, and overly personal comments unless the task calls for them. Their word choice, sentence structure, and tone should stay consistent from start to finish.
Mastery looks like a clear, steady voice that fits the topic and audience. Students can revise casual sentences into formal ones without making them stiff or confusing. They often get stuck by mixing tones, using vague words like “stuff,” or thinking formal writing means using long words they do not fully understand.
Ways to Teach It
- Give students a casual paragraph about school lunches and have them revise it into a formal paragraph for the principal.
- Ask students to explain how tone changes between texting a friend and writing an article for the school website.
- Show four sentences and have students label each as formal or informal, then rewrite one informal sentence formally.
- Bring in a real school policy letter and have students highlight words that create a formal style.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2e
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.