South Dakota ELA 11-12.L.1

11-12.L.1 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• 11-12.L.1.a

  Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time and within different contexts, and is sometimes contested.

• 11-12.L.1.b

  Resolve issues of complex or contested grammar and usage.

• 11-12.L.1.c

  Understand the purpose or value of nonstandard English grammar and usage (e.g., artistic or stylistic choices, dialects, colloquialisms).

01

What Students Need to Do

Students choose grammar that fits their audience in writing and speech. They check tricky choices in a reference and explain why dialect or informal phrasing may fit some contexts.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student fixes agreement and pronoun case in a job email without changing a character's voice in quoted dialogue. When two forms are accepted, they check a style guide and explain which fits their reader.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may change 'We was ready' in a character's dialogue because they treat every nonstandard form as a mistake. They may also assume a usage rule has one permanent answer and never check a reference.

04

How to Assess It

Exit ticket: Give students 'Me and Alex is ready' in an email, 'We was ready' in dialogue, and 'The data is ready' in a report. Ask them to revise the email, explain whether to keep the dialogue, and check a style guide before deciding on 'data is.'

1. 01

   Hand pairs an event flyer and word cards; have them move or replace the cards to fix agreement and pronoun case.

2. 02

   Ask students to write two sentences on why 'We was ready' might fit dialogue but not an interview follow-up email.

3. 03

   Run a reference relay: teams check 'data is' versus 'data are' in a style guide, then defend a choice for a science report.

4. 04

   Have students revise an email to a supervisor, then compare it with a text to a friend about the same missed shift.

• 11-12.L.2

  Demonstrate command of standard English mechanics and conventions. Consult references as needed.