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Day 6 — Modality changes powerYear 12 English · T1 W1–2 · Day 6 lesson

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Year 12 / English / Term 1 / Weeks 01 02

Part of the full two-week lesson sequence. Check the pack guide and taught point before teaching.

Open for this lesson: Pack guide.

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Teacher copy: This page may include teaching prompts or answer keys. Answer keys in this public library can be viewed by anyone. Give learners a clean prompt, use checks as formative evidence, and change a case locally when prior access matters.

Success: Explain how changing “could” to “will” changes a claim's certainty and audience relationship.

  1. Notice · 3 min. Display Text A's “could tell us” and the hypothetical edit “will prove”. Which promise is larger?
  2. Model · 5 min. Show modal verbs as degrees of commitment. “Could” is cautious; “will” claims certainty the pilot cannot give.
  3. Try · 6 min. Learners locate “might”, “should” and “if” across A and B and annotate how each manages pressure or condition.
  4. Compare · 5 min. In pairs or solo, rewrite one sentence in stronger and weaker modality; discuss which version is ethical with the available evidence.
  5. Transfer · 4 min. Write two lines for a fictional board submission: one defensible claim, one evidence condition.
  6. Exit · 2 min. Ask which is justified now: “a pilot could help us learn” or “later hours will solve access”. Require a reason from the texts.