Virginia SOL 12.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
12.LU is a Standards of Learning standard. These are the knowledge and skills expectations under it.
- 12.LU.1.A
Use various clauses (independent, dependent, noun, relative, adverbial) to infuse sentence variety, add interest, and enhance meaning and purpose.
- 12.LU.2.A
Apply a style manual, such as that of the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA), to apply rules for punctuation and ...
- 12.LU.2.B
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 based on audience, purpose, and setting. They combine independent, dependent, noun, relative, and adverbial clauses to shape meaning and sentence rhythm. They use a style manual for quotations and check uncertain spellings with reference tools.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students adjust tone and word choice for a speech, academic paper, email, or casual conversation. They use noun, relative, and adverbial clauses without creating fragments or run-ons. They punctuate and format direct quotations consistently and verify uncertain spellings with a reliable reference.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may create fragments or comma splices when combining independent and dependent clauses. They may treat formal writing as wordy, assume informal writing can be careless, or mix MLA and APA quotation rules. Spell-check may also miss incorrect homophones such as “their” and “there.”
How to Assess It
- Give students a short informal paragraph containing a fragment, a comma splice, a misspelled homophone, and an incorrectly formatted quotation. Ask them to revise it for a scholarship committee using the assigned style guide.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups color-coded clause strips and have them build three correct sentences, then explain how each added clause changes emphasis.
Ask students to rewrite one request for a principal and a close friend, then discuss which language choices fit each audience.
Run an editing relay where teams correct fragments, comma splices, quotation punctuation, citation format, and misspelled homophones in short passages.
Have students format a quoted statement in a college essay or workplace report using the assigned style guide.
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Printable 12.LU Worksheet
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