Virginia SOL 11.LU
SOL Standard (Knowledge and Skills Cluster)
The student will use the conventions of Standard English when speaking and writing, differentiating between contexts that call for formal English and situations where informal discourse is more appropriate.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English
Cluster contents
Knowledge and Skills in This Standard
11.LU is a Standards of Learning standard. These are the knowledge and skills expectations under it.
- 11.LU.1.A
Use verbal phrases to achieve sentence conciseness and variety in speaking and writing.
- 11.LU.1.B
Use complex sentence structure to infuse sentence variety in writing.
- 11.LU.1.C
Differentiate and apply active and passive voice to convey a desired effect in speaking and writing.
- 11.LU.2.A
Use commas, semi-colons, and colons correctly in complex sentences in writing.
- 11.LU.2.B
Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in style manual, such as that of the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological A...
- 11.LU.2.C
Spell correctly, consulting reference materials to check as needed.
Teacher's field guide
What This Cluster Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students choose formal or informal language to fit the audience and purpose. They build concise, varied sentences with verbal phrases, dependent clauses, and deliberate active or passive voice. They punctuate complex sentences, follow MLA or APA rules, and verify spelling with reliable references.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A strong student can revise a flat paragraph by combining ideas, trimming wordy clauses into verbal phrases, and choosing voice for a clear effect. The final draft uses suitable language, accurate punctuation and spelling, and consistent MLA or APA formatting.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often assume formal writing means using longer words or avoiding every contraction. They may treat passive voice as always wrong, join clauses with commas, or use semicolons and colons interchangeably. They also trust spell-check when a correctly spelled word is misused.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Revise “The committee made a plan, the plan had three goals, and it was kind of good” for a school board report. Use a verbal phrase, a complex sentence, correct punctuation, and deliberate voice, then explain your voice choice.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips with clauses and verbal phrases, then have them build three correct versions using commas, semicolons, and colons.
Have students rewrite the same announcement for a principal and a group chat, then explain each change in register.
Run a revision relay where teams fix run-ons, replace wordy clauses, vary sentence openings, and choose active or passive voice.
Edit a research paragraph and a club group text for suitable register, then check the paragraph against an MLA or APA sample page.
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Printable 11.LU Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 11.LU, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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