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Choosing How to Say It

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on comparing formal and informal ways of saying the same thing, and choosing between them.

Choosing How to Say It is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard L.2.3 — choose between formal and informal English to suit the situation. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 2
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
L.2.3

Grade 2 · Language

L.2.3

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Objective

Students will be able to say the same thing two ways and choose the right one for a situation.

Students are successful when they can

  • Produces a formal and an informal version.
  • Chooses correctly for a given situation.
  • Says what makes one formal.

What you need

  • Situation cards: a letter to the head teacher, a note to a friend
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — two ways

5 min
  1. Give one message. Say it to a friend, then to a stranger.
  2. Ask what changed. Usually the words and the length.

Teach — what makes it formal

13 min
  1. Write an informal sentence: 'Can I have a go?'
  2. Write the formal version: 'Please may I have a turn?'
  3. Name what changed: politeness words, full forms instead of contractions, no slang.
  4. Do a second pair.
  5. Then give a situation where the formal one would sound strange, and say so. Neither is better in general.
“Neither one is the right one. The situation decides.”

Guided practice — four situations

12 min
  1. Pairs write both versions of one message.
  2. They match each version to two of four situation cards.
  3. Take feedback on any card that split the room.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the formal and informal page.
  2. It gives sentences to convert both ways.

Close

2 min
  1. Give one situation. Take the version that fits.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Thinks formal means correct and informal means wrong.

Why: Formal is what school rewards.

Fix: Include situations where formal sounds odd. Both are correct English used in the right place.

Makes it formal by making it longer.

Why: Length is the most visible difference.

Fix: Name the actual changes: contractions, politeness words, slang. A long informal sentence is still informal.

Cannot produce the informal version.

Why: In a classroom, informal feels like being told off.

Fix: Give a friend as the audience explicitly. Naming the reader unlocks the register.

If they are not there yet

  • Convert one direction only.
  • Give two versions and pick the fit.

If they finish early

  • Write a version that is formal but still friendly.
  • Say what a very formal version would sound like and why it is too much.
  • Convert a whole short note.

Exit ticket

Write this two ways: one for a friend, one for the head teacher.

What to look for: Two genuinely different versions. A longer identical sentence means the named-changes list needs revisiting.

Printable practice for L.2.3

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Choosing How to Say It

How long does the Choosing How to Say It lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Choosing How to Say It teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.3 — L.2.3, Language for Grade 2: “Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.” In plain terms, choose between formal and informal English to suit the situation.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Situation cards: a letter to the head teacher, a note to a friend and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: thinks formal means correct and informal means wrong; makes it formal by making it longer and cannot produce the informal version. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Write this two ways: one for a friend, one for the head teacher.” Two genuinely different versions. A longer identical sentence means the named-changes list needs revisiting. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Choosing How to Say It?

Yes — 1 printable L.2.3 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Choosing How to Say It free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to L.2.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.