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: JUSTIFY to give reasons for an action, decision, choice, opinion, point of view, to prove a point, and/or convince others.
TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTION: justify, argue, persuade, make a case for or against, compare, contrast, distinguish, discriminate, illustrate, recognize, point out, relate, deduce,
categorize, combine, document, support, test, validate, verify, refer, give/support your point of view, debate, defend, show, rationalize, think, convince, sway, etc.
KEY WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTION: critical, crucial, debatable, evidence, tone, thesis, include, preclude, irrelevant, relationship, criteria, rationale, because of, for this reason, due to,
belief, support, evidence, furthermore, moreover, clearly, refer to, etc.
I. COMMONLY EMBEDDED FORMS
Non-prescriptive, and when participating in grade-appropriate classroom activities
5
1
Justify showing independent control of English. Make a justification 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?
Justify using descriptive
Justify using a wide vocabulary,
• Make a justification based
sentences characterized by
including:
upon a complex sequences
wide variety of sophisticated • A larger proportion of vivid, less
of events, ideas, opinions,
sentence structures,
and/or steps. Demonstrate
frequently occurring words and
including:
stamina in receiving or
phrases.
providing an elaborated
• Verb forms such as passive • Precise derivations of words and
justification.
voice and subjunctive.
phrases regardless of context, such as
general, specific, technical, and
• Justify using multiple
• Modifiers such as phrases
paragraphs, chapters, and
abstract content-related vocabulary;
and clauses within a
essays on gradecognates; content-specific
sentence (recognizing and
appropriate content-area
collocations; and figurative language.
correcting misplaced and
text.
dangling modifiers).
• Precise use of intensive pronouns.
• A wide range of idiomatic
• Justify using an accurate
• Opaque idioms (i.e., expressions with
and unique sentence
application of a variety of
an undetectable link between literal
patterns characteristic of
linking words and phrases
and figurative language) with
content-area justifications.
to connect and organize
grammatical and metaphorical
ideas, information, or
complexity.
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 writing by author X, who is an expert in Y, I believe that…
• On top of it all, the compelling evidence to support this…
• X, which is perhaps the key fact, is the main reason why ____.
• One of the integral factors would have been ___________.
• According to ____, _________; therefore, ___________.
• As a result of ______________, ____________.
• From our perspective, the primary justification would be…
• In lieu of _______________, the evidence supports…
• Indeed, ______________.
• _______________ will ____________ due to ________.
• ______ can be justified by ____________.
• It is significant to note _______________, because _________.
• A point often overlooked is __________________.
• _____________; consequently __________________.
• _______; thus we can see that __________________.
• In my opinion, ___ should ____ because ____.
• As _________ indicates, ____________.
• It is apparent that ______________.
Shafer Willner, L. (2013). Proficiency level descriptors for English Language Proficiency Standards. Council of Chief State School Officers.
4
3
Justify showing increasingly independent control of English. Make a justification 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
Justify using descriptive
Justify using a wider vocabulary,
• Make a justification based
sentences characterized by
including:
upon related events, ideas,
increasingly complex
and/or opinions
• An increasing proportion of less
sentence structures,
(developing ability to
frequently occurring words and
including:
receive or provide a more
phrases; increasing use of vivid words
elaborated justification).
and phrases.
• Verb tenses such as past
perfect.
• Justify using multiple
• Multiple meanings of words and
paragraphs containing a
phrases across contexts, such as
• Modifiers such as phrases
variety of sentences on
and clauses within a
specific and technical content-related
grade-appropriate contentsentence (recognizing
terms, cognates, and expressions and
area text involving
and correcting most
some content-specific collocations.
justification.
misplaced and dangling
• An increasing number of intensive
modifiers).
pronouns to add emphasis to a
• Justify using increasingly
• Expanded simple,
accurate application of
statement (e.g., myself, ourselves).
compound, and complex
transitional words and
• Semi-transparent idioms (i.e.,
sentence patterns
phrases to connect and
expressions in which the link between
characteristic of contentorganize events, ideas, and
literal and figurative meaning is less
area justifications.
opinions (yet may struggle
obvious) with increasing grammatical
with naturalness of
and figurative complexity.
phrasing).
Justify showing developing control of English. Use related paragraphs to convey related events, ideas,
and/or opinions, using frequently occurring complex sentence structures and a developing vocabulary.
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
Justify using descriptive
Justify using a developing vocabulary,
• Make a justification based
sentences characterized by
including:
upon related events, ideas,
frequently occurring
and/or opinions (may
• Words and phrases in spoken and
complex sentence
retrace or restart a
written forms in a growing number of
justification being received structures, including:
contexts, such as specific content-area
or produced)
• Verb tenses such as
terms, cognates, and expressions.
present perfect.
• Justify using related
• An emerging awareness of how to
• Modifiers such as
paragraphs on gradecreate new words from familiar words
subordinating
appropriate content-area
(e.g., electricity from electric),
conjunctions and
texts
collocations (i.e., habitual juxtaposition
prepositional phrases.
of a particular word with another
• Justify using developing
word or words, with a frequency
application of an
• Simple, compound, and
greater than chance) and multiplesome complex
increasing range of
meaning words.
grammatical constructions
temporal and linking
(e.g., independent,
• Relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom,
words and phrases to
dependent, relative, and
which, that), relative adverbs (e.g.,
connect and organize
adverbial) across contentwhere, when, why).
events, ideas, and opinions.
area justifications.
• Transparent idioms with developing
grammatical complexity.
• The fact that ____________ is prevalent is important to note because ________.
• ________ is statistically significant because _____.
• _____________________ should ________ because ___________.
• Analysts state ________, which shows _______.
• Historically, _________.
• If ________, then __________.
• ____________, therefore ________.
• It is our responsibility to __________ because _____.
• One of the most important reasons was…
• For this reason, ____________.
• The primary reason for X is _____.
• ______________ is the reason.
• It is clear that ________________.
• I would have _______________ because ___________.
• I agree/disagree because ____ and ____.
• I agree/disagree because ____.
• _____ happened because of _______.
• Almost all ___________.
• A majority of ___________.
• _____________________ is important because ___.
• I think ___________ because _________________.
• I believe ___ and I believe _____.
• I believe ______________.
2
1
Justify showing emerging control of English. Make a justification based upon briefly sequenced and/or
simply detailed information, using combinations of simple sentence structures and simple vocabulary.
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
Justify using combinations of Justify using simple vocabulary,
• Make a justification based
simple sentence structures,
including:
upon a brief sequence of
including:
events in order and/or a
• Frequently occurring words and
topic with supporting
phrases.
• Verb tenses such as past
details.
tense (irregular), past
• One to two forms of words and
progressive, simple future.
phrases based on specific context, such
• Justify using multiple,
related, simple sentences
as social, instructional, and general
• Modifiers such as
containing content-area,
terms; cognates; and expressions
frequently occurring
grade-appropriate text or
across content areas.
prepositions, adjectives,
word problems.
adverbs.
• Frequently occurring pronouns used
with increasingly precise control.
• Justify using a loose
• Repetitive phrases and
cohesion of information
sentence patterns across
• A few transparent idioms (i.e.,
and/or ideas using
content-area justifications.
expressions in which literal meaning is
frequently occurring
clearly linked to figurative meaning)
linking words,
that are grammatically simple in form.
accomplished by repetition
of words or phrases.
Justify showing limited control of English. Make a justification based upon simple information using
simply constructed phrases and sentences with a limited range of vocabulary.
Discourse
Sentence
Word/Phrase
• Make a justification based
upon simple information
about an event, experience,
and/or topic.
• Justify using short
sentences composed of
simple or predictable
phrases or sentences.
• Justify using a limited (i.e.,
initial) cohesion among
sentence structures.
Justify 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.
Justify 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
definitions of words.
• Frequently occurring pronouns used
with initial control (and occasional
misapplications).
• Nonverbal communication.
QUESTION STEM EXAMPLES
• Based upon your research, what course of action should we take?
• How can you convince someone of your ideas?
• How will you justify your point of view?
• What evidence do you have to support your point of view?
• How did you arrive at your decision?
• Why do you think ______ is important?
• Do you agree/disagree with __________________?