Formal and Informal Situations
A 40-minute Grade 4 lesson on differentiating contexts that call for formal English and situations where informal is appropriate.
Formal and Informal Situations is a free 40-minute Grade 4 English lesson plan for Common Core standard SL.4.6 — tell when to use formal English and when informal is fine. 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 4
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- SL.4.6
Grade 4 · Speaking & Listening
SL.4.6
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
Objective
Students will be able to identify what specifically makes a context formal and adjust accordingly.
Students are successful when they can
- Names the features of the context that raise formality.
- Adjusts vocabulary and structure.
- Recognises a context where informality is correct.
What you need
- Situation cards with varied features
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — what raises formality?
5 min- List the features: who is listening, how many, whether it is recorded, whether they know you.
- Rate three situations on each feature.
Teach — the features, not the label
13 min- Take a situation and rate it on each feature.
- Say what the ratings add up to and choose a register.
- Change one feature — a recording is now being made — and re-rate.
- Show that formality is not about the topic, which surprises people.
- Give a formal-sounding situation that is actually informal and analyse why.
“It is not about how serious the subject is. It is about who is listening and how.”
Guided practice — rate six
12 min- Pairs rate six situations on the four features.
- They produce one utterance for the most and the least formal.
- They argue about one contested case.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the register page.
- It gives situations to rate and sentences to adjust.
Close
2 min- Change one feature of a situation. Take the new register.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Ties formality to the seriousness of the topic.
Why: Serious subjects are usually discussed formally.
Fix: A serious topic with a close friend stays informal. The audience decides.
Treats formality as one dial with no features.
Why: It is felt as a single quality.
Fix: Four named features. Each can be changed independently.
Assumes formal is safer everywhere.
Why: School rewards it.
Fix: Include a case where formality would be strange or cold, and say so.
If they are not there yet
- Two features rather than four.
- Three situations rather than six.
If they finish early
- Find a situation where two features pull opposite ways.
- Adjust register mid-utterance and say why.
- Say what your own family's register norms are.
Exit ticket
Rate this situation on the four features. What register does it call for?
What to look for: Feature-based reasoning. A topic-based answer means the audience-not-subject point needs restating.
Printable practice for SL.4.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Formal and Informal EnglishTick the right answer.
Questions about Formal and Informal Situations
How long does the Formal and Informal Situations 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 Formal and Informal Situations teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.6 — SL.4.6, Speaking & Listening for Grade 4: “Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.” In plain terms, tell when to use formal English and when informal is fine.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Situation cards with varied features 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: ties formality to the seriousness of the topic; treats formality as one dial with no features and assumes formal is safer everywhere. 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: “Rate this situation on the four features. What register does it call for?.” Feature-based reasoning. A topic-based answer means the audience-not-subject point needs restating. 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 Formal and Informal Situations?
Yes — 1 printable SL.4.6 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 Formal and Informal Situations 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 SL.4.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.