South Dakota ELA 7.L.3.c
The Standard
- 7.L.3
- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Recognize variations from standard or formal English in writing and speaking, determine their appropriateness for the intended purpose and audience, and make changes as necessary.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students notice differences between casual and formal language in speech and writing. They decide which wording fits a reader or listener, then revise it when needed.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain why a phrase works in a text to a friend but not in an email to a principal. They can revise the email without changing the message.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may call every casual phrase wrong, even when it fits the audience. They may think formal writing means adding long words, or mistake a speaker’s dialect for an error.
How to Assess It
- Give students this prompt: “Revise ‘Yo, can I use the library after school? Thx.’ for an email to the principal. Explain one change you made.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups message cards and audience cards to match, then have them rewrite one message for a different recipient.
Compare ‘That test was brutal’ and ‘The test covered difficult material’; ask which fits a friend’s text and a school report.
Play a rewrite relay: show a casual message and name its recipient, then have teams write a fitting version and explain one choice.
Have students draft an email asking a coach for the practice schedule, then turn the same request into a text to a teammate.
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Printable 7.L.3.c Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 3.L.3.b
Recognize and observe differences between formal and informal English.
- 8.L.3.b
Recognize variations from standard or formal English in writing and speaking, determine their appropriateness for the intended purpose and audience, and make ch...
- 6.L.3.b
Recognize variations from standard or formal English in writing and speaking, determine their appropriateness for the intended purpose and audience, and make ch...
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