Please note: “Students may demonstrate a range of abilities within and across each ELP level; second language acquisition does not necessarily occur in a linear fashion within or across proficiency levels.
Differences in abilities within ELP levels are based upon ELLs’ native language proficiency, their academic background in their first language, and their individual differences. For the purposes of
presentation and understanding, the Levels 1–5 descriptors describe proficiency at the end of each ELP level in terms of a linear progression across the proficiency levels of an aligned set of knowledge,
skills, and abilities. At any given point along their trajectories of English learning, ELLs may exhibit some abilities (e.g., speaking skills) at a higher proficiency level while exhibiting other abilities (e.g.,
writing skills) at a lower proficiency level. Additionally, a student may successfully perform a particular task at a lower proficiency level but need review at the next highest proficiency level when presented
with a new or more complex type of task. Since, by definition, ELL status is a temporary status, an ELP level does not categorize a student (e.g., ‘a Level 1 student’), but, rather, identifies what a student
knows and can do at a particular stage of ELP (e.g., ‘a student at Level 1’ or ‘a student whose listening performance is at Level 1’).” 1 In addition, when reviewing sentence frames and question exemplars
below, consider the complexity progression in tandem with language development goals and grade-appropriate or age-appropriate expectations.
MICRO FUNCTION: STATE AN OPINION/CLAIM by making an argument supported by relevant evidence.
TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTION: state, claim, argue, reason, defend, support, evaluate, critique, assess, synthesize, represent, organize, categorize, inform, interpret, symbolize,
report, list, summarize, arrange, etc.
KEY WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTION: opinion, point of view, evidence, claim, give reasons, comprehension, understanding, reason, believe, perspective, critical, criteria, interpretation,
argument, main claim, restatement, logic, text, thesis, topic, tone, persuasion, persona, issues, sources, etc.
I. COMMONLY EMBEDDED FORMS
Non-prescriptive, and when participating in grade-appropriate classroom activities
5
1
State a claim showing independent control of English. State a claim based upon a complex sequence of
events, ideas, opinions, and/or steps in a process, using a wide variety of complex and sophisticated,
descriptive sentence structures and a wide vocabulary.
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
What is the amount of contentHow much information is
What is the range and specificity of
specific language that can be
packed within a sentence
words, phrases, and expressions used?
quickly processed or easily
structure (clause) or
produced?
sentence?
State a claim using
State a claim using a wide vocabulary,
• State a claim using a
descriptive sentences
including:
complex sequences of
characterized by a wide
events, ideas, opinions,
• A larger proportion of vivid, less
variety of sophisticated
and/or steps. Demonstrate
frequently occurring words and
sentence structures,
stamina in receiving or
phrases.
including:
providing an elaborated
• Precise derivations of words and
opinion.
• Verb forms such as passive
phrases regardless of context, such as
voice and subjunctive.
general, specific, technical, and
• State a claim, using multiple
• Modifiers such as phrases
paragraphs, chapters, and
abstract content-related vocabulary;
and clauses within a
essays, about gradecognates; content-specific
sentence (recognizing and
appropriate content-area
collocations; and figurative language.
correcting misplaced and
text.
• Precise use of intensive pronouns.
dangling modifiers).
• State a claim using an
• Opaque idioms (i.e., expressions with
accurate application of a
• A wide range of idiomatic
an undetectable link between literal
and unique sentence
variety of linking words and
and figurative language) with
patterns characteristic of
phrases to connect and
grammatical and metaphorical
content-area claims.
organize ideas, information,
complexity.
or events.
II. SENTENCE FRAME EXAMPLES
Typical patterns, non-prescriptive; order is from more complex frames to less
(see note at top of page)
• Based on a synthesis of the documents, it is apparent that ___________.
• Based on a synthesis of the documents, I believe that ______________.
• _______; thus we can see that __________________.
• In my opinion, the best course of action should be ____ because ____.
• On top of it all, the compelling evidence to support this…
• To support the main claim, the author provides evidence that suggests
_____________________.
• One of the integral factors would have been ___________.
• From our perspective, the primary justification would be…
• ______________ could _________________________ because
_______________________________.
• ______________ should _________________________ because
_______________________________.
• __________ would _________________________ because __________.
• _________ suggests ____________________.
• It is advisable that _____________________.
• _____________; consequently, __________________.
• ____________; therefore, ________.
• The study concluded that ________________________.
Shafer Willner, L. (2013). Proficiency level descriptors for English Language Proficiency Standards. Council of Chief State School Officers.
4
3
State a claim showing increasingly independent control of English. State a claim based upon related
events, ideas, and/or opinions, using multiple related paragraphs with increasingly complex, descriptive
sentence structures and a wider vocabulary..
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
State a claim using
State a claim using a wider vocabulary,
• State a claim using related
descriptive sentences
including:
events, ideas, and/or
opinions (developing ability characterized by
• An increasing proportion of less
to receive or provide a more increasingly complex
frequently occurring words and
sentence structures,
elaborated-upon opinion).
phrases; increasing use of vivid words
and phrases.
• State a claim, using multiple including:
• Verb tenses such as past
paragraphs containing a
• Multiple meanings of words and
perfect.
variety of sentences, about
phrases across contexts, such as
grade-appropriate contentspecific and technical content-related
• Modifiers such as phrases
area text.
terms; cognates; and expressions and
and clauses within a
some content-specific collocations.
sentence (recognizing
• State a claim using an
and correcting most
increasingly accurate
• An increasing number of intensive
misplaced and dangling
application of transitional
pronouns to add emphasis to a
modifiers).
words and phrases to
statement (e.g., myself, ourselves).
connect and organize
• Expanded simple,
• Semi-transparent idioms (i.e.,
events, ideas, and opinions
compound, and complex
expressions in which the link between
(yet may struggle with
sentence patterns
literal and figurative meaning is less
naturalness of phrasing).
characteristic of contentobvious) with increasing grammatical
area claims.
and figurative complexity.
State a claim showing developing control of English. State a claim based upon related paragraphs to
convey related events, ideas, and/or opinions, using frequently occurring complex sentence structures
and a developing vocabulary.
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
State a claim using
State a claim using a developing
• State a claim using related
descriptive sentences
vocabulary, including:
events, ideas, and/or
characterized by frequently
opinions (may retrace or
• Words and phrases in spoken and
occurring complex sentence
restart an opinion being
written forms in a growing number of
structures, including:
received or produced).
contexts, such as specific content-area
terms, cognates, and expressions.
• State a claim, using related • Verb tenses such as
present perfect.
paragraphs, about grade• An emerging awareness of how to
appropriate content-area
create new words from familiar words
• Modifiers such as
texts.
subordinating
(e.g., electricity from electric),
conjunctions and
collocations (i.e., habitual juxtaposition
• State a claim using a
prepositional phrases.
of a particular word with another
developing application of
word or words, with a frequency
an increasing range of
• Simple, compound, and
greater than chance) and multipletemporal and linking
some complex
meaning words.
words and phrases to
grammatical constructions
connect and organize
(e.g., independent,
• Relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom,
events, ideas, and opinions.
dependent, relative, and
which, that), relative adverbs (e.g.,
adverbial) across contentwhere, when, why).
area claims.
• Transparent idioms with developing
grammatical complexity.
• A point often overlooked is __________________.
• One of the most important reasons was ____________
• Everyone should _____________.
• I would argue that _________________.
• I agree/disagree because _____ and because _______.
• I agree/disagree because __________________.
• _____ happened because of _______.
• Strangely enough, _______________.
• Experts agree that _________.
• Historically, ____________________.
• The primary reason for X is _____.
• ___________ is important because of ______________.
• I think ___________ is a __________ because _________________.
• A piece of evidence that supports ______________ is…
• I think _____________________ because _______.
• My favorite ________________ is ___________ because _______.
• I like ________________ because__________.
• My favorite part was ____________________.
• My favorite _____ is _______.
• ____________ is a ______________.
• I think/believe ___________________.
• I like ______________.
2
1
State a claim showing emerging control of English. State a claim based upon briefly sequenced and/or
simply detailed information, using combinations of simple sentence structures and simple vocabulary.
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
State a claim using
State a claim using simple vocabulary,
• State a claim using a brief
combinations of simple
including:
sequence of events in
sentence structures,
order and/or introduction
• Frequently occurring words and
including:
of a topic with supporting
phrases.
details.
• Verb tenses such as past
• One to two forms of words and
tense (irregular), past
phrases based on specific context, such
• State a claim using
progressive, simple future.
multiple, related, simple
as social, instructional, and general
sentences containing
terms; cognates; and expressions
• Modifiers such as
content-area in gradeacross content areas.
frequently occurring
appropriate text or word
prepositions, adjectives,
• Frequently occurring pronouns used
problems.
adverbs.
with increasingly precise control.
• State a claim using a loose
• Repetitive phrases and
• A few transparent idioms (i.e.,
cohesion of information
sentence patterns across
expressions in which literal meaning is
and/or ideas using
content areas.
clearly linked to figurative meaning)
frequently occurring
that are grammatically simple in form.
linking words,
accomplished by repetition
of words or phrases.
State a claim showing limited control of English. State a claim based upon simple information using
simply constructed phrases and sentences with a limited range of vocabulary.
Discourse
• State a claim using simple
information about an
event, experience, and/or
topic.
• State a claim using short
sentences composed of
simple or predictable
phrases or sentences.
• State a claim using a
limited (i.e., initial)
cohesion among sentence
structures.
Sentence
Word/Phrase
State a claim using
syntactically simple
sentences, including:
• Verb tenses such as
present, present
progressive, simple future
(going to), simple past.
• Modifiers such as
adjectives, adverbs.
• Simple grammatical
constructions (e.g.,
commands, some whquestions, declaratives).
• Common social and
instructional patterns or
forms.
Identify using a limited (i.e., initial)
range of simple vocabulary, including:
• Very frequently occurring words and
phrases (everyday terms, cognates,
and expressions with clear, easily
demonstrated referents).
• A small number of frequently
occurring words, phrases, and
formulaic expressions based on literal
definition of words.
• Frequently occurring pronouns used
with initial control (and occasional
misapplications).
• Nonverbal communication.
QUESTION STEM EXAMPLES
• Based on writing by author X and author Y, what is the best course of
action?
• What evidence could you use to support your point of view?
• What is important about ____________________?
• Why do you agree with _________________?
• Why did __________________ happen?
• What are the effects of ____________?
• Do you agree with _________________?
• Which do you prefer: ___________ or ______________?