This teaching sequence has been designed to help children revisit and recall ‘formal and informal language’, a key grammatical concept from the National Curriculum programme of study for Year 6.
The session provides a motivating and memorable image to stimulate discussion, before introducing formal and informal language.
Children have time to practise using this feature, before undertaking a short writing task to apply what they have learnt in the context of creative writing.
This resource includes:
- Formal and informal language image prompt
Look at the photograph of Ali practising her overhead kick. She has just scored with an overhead kick to win in the World Youth Cup Final. How might Ali be feeling as she walks off the pitch? Imagine she is interviewed straight after the game. What might she say? With a partner, role-play the conversation, taking it in turns to be Ali and the interviewer
- Grammar challenge
Write out the answers to these questions that Ali might give in an interview
- Writing challenge
Write a short interview with Ali for a football magazine, laid out like a playscript. Try to use informal language in Ali’s answers and more formal language in the interviewer’s questions.
- Teacher’s notes
What is formal writing?
Formal writing is used in situations that are serious or involve people we don’t know well. Some spoken English can also be formal, such as a speech or a lecture.
What is informal writing?
Informal writing is used in relaxed situations with people we know well. It is common to use informal language when we speak.
Formal and informal writing examples
Formal
- We went to London for the day. We have a lot of things to tell you.
- It was raining very heavily.
Informal
- Went to London for the day. Lots to tell you.
- It was raining cats and dogs
National Curriculum English programme of study links
Knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers.
The difference between vocabulary typical of informal speech and vocabulary appropriate for formal speech and writing.
The difference between structures typical of informal speech and structures appropriate for formal speech and writing.