Courseversity

Lesson

Formal presentations

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U12-L0745–60 min

You will learn

  • Structure the talk.
  • Use formal register.
  • Use visuals.
  • Handle questions.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Plan the structure.
  2. Use formal language.
  3. Prepare visuals.
  4. Practise and present.

Words to know

register
the level of formality in language
formal presentation
a prepared talk in formal language
signpost
words guiding the audience through a talk
rehearse
to practise before presenting

1. Discover: Presenting to the class panel

Ayo presents her research to a panel. She uses a formal register: “Good morning. Today I will present my findings on school gardens.” Signposts guide the audience: “First… Next… To conclude…”. She rehearsed twice, uses a clear chart and keeps eye contact. When asked a question she pauses, answers calmly, and says, “Thank you for your question.”

This is a formal presentation.

Think: What makes it formal?

2. Understand: Speaking with confidence

Idea 1: Register

Use a formal register: polite, precise, no slang.

Idea 2: Signposts

Use signposts to show the structure.

Idea 3: Rehearse

Rehearse, use visuals and handle questions calmly.

Remember: A formal presentation uses a formal register, signposts, visuals, rehearsal and calm answers.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Register

Give a formal opening.

  1. Good morning.

Answer: good morning, today i will present my findings

Example 2 (We do it together): Signpost

Give a signpost.

  1. First.

Answer: first, next or to conclude

Example 3 (You try): Question

How did she answer?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Calmly.

Answer: she paused, answered calmly and thanked the questioner

Did you know?

Rehearsing aloud twice reduces nervousness for most speakers.

Why this matters

Formal presentations are common in secondary school.

4. Explore: Panel practice

Present formally.

  1. Plan the structure.
  2. Write signposts.
  3. Rehearse.
  4. Present and answer.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can present formally.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • Good morning; today I will ___.
  • First, ___.
  • To conclude, ___.
  • Thank you for your question.

Guided practice

Question 1. The level of formality is the ___.

register

Question 2. Words guiding the audience are ___.

signposts

Question 3. To practise before presenting is to ___.

rehearse

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. The level of formality is the ___.
  2. Words guiding the audience are ___.
  3. To practise before presenting is to ___.
  4. A prepared talk in formal language is a ___ presentation.
  5. Ayo used a clear ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. How many times did she rehearse?
  2. What did she say after a question?
  3. What did she keep?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is slang formal?
  2. Should you rehearse?
  3. Do signposts help?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Plan a three-minute formal presentation with signposts and a visual.

Show a sample answer

a presentation plan

Another one. Give your formal presentation to a family member and ask for one comment.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can structure the talk.
  • I can use formal register.
  • I can use visuals.
  • I can handle questions.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Register is the level of ___.

2. Signposts guide the ___.

3. To rehearse is to ___ before presenting.

4. A formal presentation uses ___ language.

5. Which is formal?

6. Which is a signpost?

7. What should you do if asked a question?

8. What should a visual be?

9. How can you reduce nerves?

10. What should you keep with the audience?

11. What ends the talk?

12. Why present formally?

Challenge 1. Which is a formal sentence?

Challenge 2. Which is a signpost?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Plan the structure.
  • Use formal language.
  • Prepare visuals.
  • Practise and present.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Critical thinking. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Define register and signpost. [2 marks]
  2. Give two formal phrases. [2 marks]
  3. Name two delivery skills. [2 marks]
  4. Why rehearse? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to give a formal presentation. [3 marks]

Total: 10 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. register is the level of formality [1]; signpost is a word guiding the audience [1]
  2. good morning [1]; thank you for your question [1]
  3. eye contact [1]; clear speech [1]
  4. to build confidence and fluency [1]
  5. plan structure and signposts [1]; use formal language and a clear visual [1]; rehearse and answer questions calmly [1]

Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. The level of formality is the ___.
  2. Words guiding the audience are ___.
  3. To practise before presenting is to ___.
  4. A prepared talk in formal language is a ___ presentation.
  5. Ayo used a clear ___.
  6. How many times did she rehearse?
  7. What did she say after a question?
  8. What did she keep?
  9. Is slang formal?
  10. Should you rehearse?

Homework

Give your formal presentation to a family member and ask for one comment.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. The level of formality is the ___. register 1
2. Words guiding the audience are ___. signposts 1
3. To practise before presenting is to ___. rehearse 1
4. A prepared talk in formal language is a ___ presentation. formal 1
5. Ayo used a clear ___. chart 1
6. How many times did she rehearse? twice 1
7. What did she say after a question? Thank you for your question 1
8. What did she keep? eye contact 1
9. Is slang formal? no 1
10. Should you rehearse? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 register; 2 signposts; 3 rehearse; 4 formal; 5 chart. Level 2: 1 twice; 2 Thank you for your question; 3 eye contact. Level 3: 1 no; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Structure the talk Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Use formal register Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Use visuals Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Handle questions Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: structure the talk; use formal register; use visuals; handle questions.

Prerequisite knowledge. Research-based writing.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.6.4 and SL.6.6 (present claims and findings; adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (formal speaking). These sources informed the lesson.

Scroll to Top