Language matters

Language Matters Year 9 Sentence Starters

Icons key: For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation Flash activity. These activities are not editable.

Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page

Extension activities Web addresses Accompanying worksheet

Contents

Degrees of formality

Formal and informal writing

Formal and informal speech

Active and passive voice

School rules activity

Dialects

Language matters quiz

Language matters – Degrees of formality

Degrees of formality

Language matters

All writing has a

purpose

and is written for a specific

audience

. Or be informed?

Whatever you’re writing, you need to decide how you want your reader to respond.

Take you seriously?

Do you want the reader to laugh?

4 of 32 It is important to consider these questions

before

you begin writing.

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Degrees of formality

Perhaps the most important factor to consider is the degree of

formality

with which you write. The degree of formality must be appropriate to your purpose and audience.

We use formal language when we want to be taken seriously, if the topic we are discussing is particularly grave, or if our readers are people in authority.

Formality calls for standard English.

Markers of politeness are used in formal situations, e.g.

please, thank you

.

Formal English often uses the passive voice.

Sentences may be longer and more complex.

Never use contractions (e.g.

don’t

,

you’ve

) when writing formally.

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Degrees of formality

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Degrees of formality

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Language matters – Formal and informal writing

Formal and informal writing

Formal writing

How can you tell that this is a formal letter?

London council 4 Mansion Building Islington London N1 1RP

Address and date given

London N13 13 August 2006

Formal greeting (not hi!)

Dear Sir/Madam

Full, unabbreviated sentences

I am writing to complain about the litter in Overdale Park. Recently I have noticed it has been covered with sweet wrappers and cigarette butts. I suggest that you ban smoking and put more bins in the park.

Yours faithfully Mrs Marian Phillips

Formal closing (not bye!) Full/Formal name given

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Informal writing

Now it’s your turn! Annotate this postcard, identifying the features which show that the style is informal.

Hi Katie, Hello!! U alrite? I’m fab.  Weather here is great!!! Yesterday I went to a water pk with some mates I’ve made – it was SOOO cool! I wish I didn’t have to come home  go coz I have (no offence). Well I better sunbathing to do. Luv 2 Felix (meow!) Sian xxx 10 of 32 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Formal writing

Draft a formal response to Mrs Phillips with this outline.

Name and address of recipient Your address Date Dear Mrs Phillips Yours sincerely Your signature 11 of 32 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Informal writing

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Language matters – Formal and informal speech

Formal and informal speech

Speech: formal or informal?

Formulate a different version of each of the following requests to each of the six people listed below.

1. Ask someone to speak up. 2. Ask someone to move out of the way. 3. Ask someone to lend you a pen. Head teacher The Queen Parent Distant relative Close friend Form teacher 14 of 32 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Language and power

Did you notice that the way you phrased your requests on the previous slide reflected the authority relationship between you and the other person. Those without authority have to be polite to those who have it. In addition, people in authority are able to use

direct commands

because of their power. Sit down until the bell goes!

Put your hand up before answering!

Pay attention at the back!

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Language and power

However, commands are often hidden using polite add-ons such as

please

or

thank you

. This implies equality in the relationship (whether that equality is real or not) – but it also implies that the listener will co-operate anyway. I’d like some quiet now, Lei, if you don’t mind.

Put the tarantula back in your bag, please, Megan.

Turn round to face the front, please, Tom.

Can you think of any other ‘polite’ commands?

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Active and passive voice

Active and passive voice

Active voice

We usually write and speak in the active voice. In a sentence in the

active voice

, the

subject

is the most important thing because it performs the

verb

to the

object

, e.g.

Lei cooked a chocolate cake today. 1. subject 2. verb 3. object The active voice is normally used by writers or speakers because it provides readers or listeners with all the details of an event, in the order in which it occurred.

Sometimes, however, we don’t need to know who performed the verb or it is less important than what happened. In those cases, we use the

passive voice

.

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Passive voice

The passive voice is used when what has happened and to whom is more important than the person who did it. The

subject

of a sentence in the

passive voice

is referred to after the verb, e.g.

A chocolate cake was cooked today by Lei. 1. object 2. verb 3. subject Or the

subject

is not mentioned at all, e.g.

A chocolate cake was cooked today. 1. object 19 of 32 2. verb © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Active/passive voice quiz

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Using the passive voice

The passive voice is a useful way of writing formally when you wish to

depersonalize

what you are describing.

It is often used in

scientific writing

,

reports

and

explanatory texts

because it sounds formal and impersonal, e.g.

The mixture was filtered into a beaker… An aeroplane blew up last night because a bomb had been planted on it by a unidentified man… Homelessness is caused by many factors: family disputes, violence, substance abuse…

Write a paragraph in the passive voice describing an event or process. Try to sound impersonal.

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Language matters – School rules activity

School rules activity

School rules activity

The following school rules apply equally to students and teachers. This is the version distributed to students. However, there is also another version which is distributed to new teachers. How do you think this version might be worded? 23 of 32

School Rules

No chewing gum.

No smoking.

Do not drop litter.

You MUST sign out if leaving the site during school hours.

Have a try at writing the teachers’ version yourself, and explain the changes you have made!

Remember who your audience are and what your purpose is.

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Dialects

Dialects

Dialects

Do you ever find it difficult to understand people who speak in a different dialect (words and grammar) or accent (pronunciation) of English to you?

“To get to the toilets take the lift to the second floor and then turn right.” “To get to the bathrooms ride the elevator to the second floor and take a right.”

What words are different in the American English dialect to the Standard English dialect?

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Standard English

Britain is full of regional dialects and accents which are important parts of our linguistic heritage.

However, we write and speak in

Standard English

at school, on the news, in newspapers and on the radio.

Standard English is the form of English which

is understood by all speakers of English

because it has evolved as the dialect of British institutions, e.g. legal, political, medical, monarchy etc.

What would happen if we did not have a form of English that is understood by everyone?

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Dialects

Look this extract. It is written in a regional British dialect. Can you work out what the underlined words/phrases mean?

“Well, I have heard once or twice, ‘tis true, that my family had seen better days afore they came to Blackmoor. But I took no notice o’t, thinking it to mean that we had once kept two horses where we now keep only one. I’ve got a wold silver spoon, and a wold graven seal at home, too; but, Lord, what’s a spoon and seal?... And to think that I and these noble d’Urbervilles were one flesh all the time. ‘Twas said that my grt granfer had secrets, and didn’t care to talk of where he came from… And where do we raise our smoke, now, parson, if I may make so bold; I mean, where do we d’Urbervilles live?”

This dialect is from the south west of England.

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Do you like it? Is it easy to understand?

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Dialects

Read this opening stanza of a poem. Do you know what the underlined words/phrases mean?

When chapman billies leave the street, And drouthy neibors, neibors meet, As market days are wearing late, An’ folk begin to tak the gate; While we sit bousing at the nappy, And getting fou and unco happy, We think na on the lang Scots miles, The mosses, waters, slaps and styles, That lie between us and our hame, Where sits our sulky sullen dame. Gathering her brows like gathering storm. Nursing her wrath to keep it warm. 28 of 32

This dialect is Scots from Scotland.

Do you like it? Is it easy to understand?

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Dialects

Now read this extract. It is written in Standard English.

Well, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is high time that Mr Bunbury made up his mind whether he was going to live or die. This shilly-shallying with the question is absurd. Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids. I consider it morbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others. Heath is the primary duty of life. I am always telling that to your poor uncle, but he never seems to take much notice…

This dialect comes from the south east of England.

Compare it to the other dialects.

Is it easier to understand? Do you prefer it?

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Standard English

Historically, the majority of

British institutions

were all set up and

controlled from the south east

. This is why the London and East Midlands dialect became the standard form of English and it was used as the standard when the

printing press

was invented. Standard English is

considered more formal

than other dialects which is why it is taught in schools and should be used in essays, letters, job applications etc. to avoid using regional vocabulary and grammar which can be confusing to others.

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Language matters quiz

Language matters quiz

Language matters quiz

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