Register Control
In C2, “good English” isn’t enough—students must select the right English for the context. This unit trains deliberate control of tone, formality, stance, and rhetorical style across genres: email, briefing, editorial, and academic writing.
SWBAT (Objectives)
- Diagnose register: identify tone, stance, and audience expectations in a text.
- Rewrite the same message into 4 genres (email, briefing, editorial, academic) without changing meaning.
- Control formality using lexis, grammar, and rhetorical moves (hedging, emphasis, directness).
- Avoid register errors (too casual, too aggressive, too vague, overly academic, etc.).
- Edit for precision: reduce ambiguity, improve clarity, and maintain consistent voice.
What is Register?
Register is the “setting” of language: how you adapt vocabulary, grammar, politeness, and structure to match audience, purpose, and genre.
You can switch voice quickly and deliberately—without sounding unnatural or inconsistent— and you can justify your choices (“Why this tone here?”).
Email (neutral): “Could you share the latest figures by Thursday so we can finalize the report?”
Briefing (direct): “We need the updated figures by Thursday to finalize the report.”
Editorial (persuasive): “Without timely reporting, decisions are made in the dark—updated figures must arrive by Thursday.”
Academic (measured): “To enable completion of the report, updated figures are required by Thursday.”
Register Signals (What Creates Tone?)
fix → resolve · help → assist · big → substantial
kid → child · job → position
direct vs hedged (“must” vs “may”) · active vs passive · modals · nominalisation
greetings/closings · softeners (“just”, “a bit”) · gratitude · face-saving
paragraphing · headings · bullet points · signposting · call-to-action placement
Genre Targets (Email · Briefing · Editorial · Academic)
- Clear subject + purpose
- Polite directness (“Could you…?”)
- Action items + deadlines
- Warm, professional closing
- Top-line summary first
- Bullets, headings, numbers
- Risks + recommendation
- Neutral, efficient tone
- Strong thesis + urgency
- Rhetorical devices (contrast, parallelism)
- Counterargument + rebuttal
- Call to action
- Hedging + cautious claims
- Precise definitions
- Evidence + citation language
- Objective tone (avoid loaded language)
Rewrite Toolkit (How to Switch Register)
Who reads it? What do they need? What action should happen next?
assertive · neutral · cautious · persuasive
add hedging (may/tends to) · nominalise · adjust directness (could/please) · change structure
a lot → a considerable amount · get → obtain · talk about → discuss · deal with → address · fix → remedy
Practice (Tone Switching Drills)
Label tone (neutral/persuasive/cautious/direct). Identify 3 signals causing that tone.
Rewrite a 70–90 word message as: email, briefing bullets, editorial paragraph, academic paragraph.
Fix “register breaks” (too casual, too emotional, too vague, too academic). Keep meaning.
Final Task: Register Portfolio (4 Pieces)
You are communicating a workplace / public issue (teacher provides scenario). The facts must remain consistent.
- Email (120–160 words)
- Briefing note (bullets + recommendation)
- Editorial paragraph (150–220 words)
- Academic paragraph (150–220 words, cautious)
- Audience-appropriate tone in each genre
- No register breaks (slang, mismatch, over-hedging)
- Clear structure & signposting
- Precision: minimal ambiguity
- Consistency of facts across versions
Materials & Downloads
- Unit 1 Slides — PPTX
- Register Basics — PDF · Tone Spectrum — PDF
- Register Signals Checklist — PDF
- Genre Templates — PDF · Model Texts — PDF
- Rewrite Toolkit — PDF · Formality Dials — PDF
- Practice Worksheet — PDF · Register Repair Drills — PDF
- Portfolio Template — PDF · Rubric — PDF
Swap placeholders with real file paths. Keep links consistent:
/levels/c2/assets/.