F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Reading Between the Lines
READING · LESSON 4 OF 10
Les van English
In deze les zitten 19 slides, met interactieve quizzen en tekstslides.
F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Reading Between the Lines
READING · LESSON 4 OF 10
Functional Skills English Level 1 · Reading · Lesson 4 of 10 (about 60 minutes)
Covers: subject content 11 (identify meanings in texts: here, what is implied but not said, tone and attitude), with links to 9 (main points and details). Speaking and listening (statements 2, 3, 6) run through the pair talk and the open question.
Before the lesson: print the handout (Source A is slide 9, Source B is slide 10) as an A4 handout, one per learner, so nobody has to read the sources only from the board.
Device-free fallback: every activity works with the printed sources, mini whiteboards and hands up.
Description: Functional Skills English Level 1 Reading, lesson 4 of 10. Learners read between the lines of a store manager's email after a chaotic Black Friday and a staff reply, working out tone, attitude and what is implied, and backing every inference with evidence.
Tags: functional skills english, functional skills level 1, level 1 reading, inference, reading between the lines, implied meaning, tone, attitude, evidence from the text, workplace email, retail, customer service, further education, adult learners Image credit: Zeki Okur / Unsplash
😄 Great – ready to go
🙂 Good
😐 Okay
😕 Not great today
😴 Tired
Wellbeing check: what's your week been like so far?
Phase 0 · Wellbeing check (first 2 mins)
A quick, low-stakes check-in. Only totals show, so nobody is singled out. Say: "There's no right answer. It just helps me plan today."
Act on it: if several learners choose the last two options, ease the pace and build in a pair task early. Check in privately with anyone you are concerned about, and follow your college's wellbeing and safeguarding route.
Editor note: if any emoji have not come through, re-add them in the editor.
Device-free fallback: learners show 1–5 fingers, or write a number on a sticky note face down.
They're having a bad day
They're at the end of a long shift
They don't like their job
They're just rude
I wouldn't notice
A shop assistant serves you with a big sigh and doesn't look up. What do you think is going on?
Phase 1 · Hook (0–5 mins)
No wrong answer. Vote, then ask two or three learners why they chose theirs. Anyone who has worked in a shop or café usually has a story here.
Point it out: "Nobody said a word, but you all worked something out from a clue: the sigh. That is today's skill. It's called inference, or reading between the lines."
Probe: "Could you be wrong? What else would you need to know?" (Inferences need evidence, and some are stronger than others.)
Device-free fallback: hands up for each option, or stand by the corner of the room that matches your answer.
What we're doing today
R E A D I N G
Today you will
Why it matters
spot the clues in what a writer says
work out their tone and attitude
back up an inference with evidence
At work, people don't always say exactly what they mean. A "thank you" email can also be a warning.
The Level 1 reading exam asks what a writer suggests, and how you know.
Phase 2 · Goals (5–7 mins)
Keep it practical. Learners who work already do this every day: reading a manager's text, a customer's complaint, a note left on the rota.
The Level 1 reading assessment often asks what a writer suggests, how they feel, or what a word tells you about their view. The marks go to answers backed by the text.
Device-free fallback: read the slide aloud; learners copy the three goals into their book.
Working in a shop on Black Friday. What is it like?
Phase 2 · Activation (7–10 mins)
Black Friday is a big sale day at the end of November, when many shops are extremely busy. Free association: crowds, queues, stress, overtime, sold out, angry customers, bonus, adrenaline, fun.
Say: "Today's text is an email a store manager sent his team the week after Black Friday. Keep these words in mind: they will help you read between the lines."
Support: ask learners who have worked a busy shift to describe one moment.
Device-free fallback: pairs list as many words as they can in 60 seconds; collect on the board. Image credit: Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash
Reading between the lines
Inference means working out what a writer suggests but does not say.
Writers leave clues: the words they choose, their punctuation, what they leave out.
You add what you know about life, like a detective.
Phase 3 · Teaching (10–14 mins)
Say: "Look at the photo. Nobody has written a word, but what can you tell?" Take ideas: she is tired, it is late, the shift has been long, she is fed up or worried. Then ask: "What is your clue for that?" (Her head on her hand, the dark outside, she is alone.)
Key idea: clue (what you can see or read) + what you know about life = inference.
Misconception: an inference is not a wild guess. If you cannot point to a clue, it is not an inference.
Statement 15 link: images can be read between the lines too (Lesson 6).
Device-free fallback: describe the photo aloud, or use a learner's own example of "knowing" a friend is upset without being told. Image credit: yan kolesnyk / Unsplash
Clue → inference → evidence
R E A D I N G
1
Spot the clue. A word, a phrase or a punctuation mark that seems to mean more.
2
Ask: what does it suggest? Think about feelings, attitude and what really happened.
3
Back it up. "I think… because the text says…"
Phase 3 · Teaching (14–18 mins)
Click to reveal each step. After step 3, model it aloud with the hook: "I think the shop assistant is tired because they sighed and didn't look up."
Support: give learners the frame "I think… because the text says…" on a card to keep.
Stretch: can they give two clues for the same inference?
Misconception: learners often quote the evidence but never say what it suggests. Both halves are needed for the mark.
Device-free fallback: write the three steps on the board one at a time.
Tone and attitude
R E A D I N G
Tone: how it sounds
Attitude: what they think
The feeling in the words: angry, grateful, worried, jokey.
Sarcastic = saying the opposite of what you mean, to make a point.
The writer's view of a person or a thing.
Clues: strong words, italics, brackets, polite phrases that hide a feeling.
Phase 3 · Teaching (18–21 mins)
Two words the exam uses a lot. Tone is how the writing sounds; attitude is what the writer thinks about something.
Model it: say "Great. Another delivery." in a cheerful voice, then a flat, fed-up voice. Same words, different tone. In writing, there is no voice, so the clues are the words and punctuation.
Vocabulary: sarcastic means saying the opposite of what you mean, to make a point.
Device-free fallback: the same, read aloud.
mail.kestrelhome.co.uk · Inbox
SOURCE A · email
Black Friday – thank you (and a few things)
From: Tom Kowalski, Store Manager To: All staff, Kestrel Home, Ashworth
Hi all,
Well, Black Friday was certainly interesting. First, a big thank you. We took more money in one day than in the whole of last November, and that is down to you.
However, a few things did not go to plan. By 10am the till queue reached the front door. Next year we will open all six tills from the start – not just the three that were staffed on the day.
By lunchtime the stock room looked like a bomb had hit it. I'm sure nobody meant that to happen, but it took Monday's early shift two hours to sort out.
Finally, a reminder that breaks are 20 minutes, not 45. I won't name names.
Please read the new rota on the noticeboard before Thursday. Any questions, my door is always open (well, most of the time).
Thanks again, Tom
**Italics on *interesting*.** He means the opposite: the day was chaotic. This is a **sarcastic** tone.
**"Only three were staffed."** A clue the shop was short of staff. Who does Tom seem to blame?
**"Like a bomb had hit it."** Not a real bomb! It means very messy. Strong words show he is frustrated.
**"I won't name names."** He knows who took long breaks. It is a polite warning.
**Brackets: (well, most of the time).** A joke to soften the email. What does it suggest about Tom?
Phase 3 · Reading Source A (21–26 mins)
Read the email aloud while learners follow on the handout. Ask first: "What is the main point?" (Thanks for Black Friday, but some things must change.) Then open hotspots 1–5: each is a clue to what Tom really thinks.
Probe: "Tom never says he is annoyed. How do we know he is?" (The italics on interesting, "a bomb had hit it", "I won't name names".)
Vocabulary: staffed means had a worker on it; a rota is the list of who works when.
Misconception: "interesting" is not praise here. The italics show he means the opposite.
Device-free fallback: printed Source A; learners underline the five clues and write what each suggests in the margin.
Staff noticeboard · back office, Kestrel Home, Ashworth
SOURCE B · note
NEW ROTA
Week starting 1 December
Please read before Thursday – Tom
Re: Tom's email
Six tills open = six people on tills. On Friday there were nine of us in the whole shop, and two were in their first week.
Just saying.
The stock room was a mess because the delivery came at 11am, not 7am.
Happy to help plan next year – but we need more hands!
Grace (tills) and Mo (stock room)
**The numbers.** Nine people, two of them new. A clue that the shop was short of staff.
**"Just saying."** Short and pointed. It suggests they feel annoyed or unfairly blamed.
**"because… not 7am"** A reason. They suggest the mess was not the staff's fault.
**"Happy to help… but"** Polite and helpful, with a clear message: hire more staff.
Phase 3 · Reading Source B (26–29 mins)
Two staff members pinned this note under the new rota. Read it aloud, then open hotspots 1–4.
Probe: "Do Grace and Mo agree with Tom? How do you know?" (Not fully: they give reasons the problems were not their fault.)
Key point: Source B changes how we read Source A. Tom hints that staff are to blame; Grace and Mo suggest the real problem was too few people and a late delivery.
Vocabulary: more hands means more workers.
Device-free fallback: printed Source B; pairs agree one word for the tone of the note.
Which best describes Tom's tone in Source A?
Angry and rude
Thankful, but annoyed about some things
Worried and nervous
Excited and proud of himself
Phase 4 · Check (29–32 mins)
Answer: B. He thanks the team twice, but the italics, "a bomb had hit it" and "I won't name names" show he is annoyed.
Why the others are wrong: A is too strong; he is polite throughout and even jokes. C and D have no clues in the text.
Probe: "Give me one clue for 'thankful' and one for 'annoyed'."
Device-free fallback: learners hold up A–D cards or fingers.
Drag each card: is it stated, implied, or is there no evidence?
Stated (the text says it)
Implied (you work it out)
No evidence
Grace and Mo feel unfairly blamed
Customers asked for refunds
Tom thanks the staff
All six tills will open next year
Tom is going to sack someone
Some staff took breaks that were too long
Phase 4 · Practice (32–37 mins)
Learners check each card against Sources A and B before they drag it. Stated = the text says it in words. Implied = you can work it out from clues. No evidence = it sounds possible, but nothing in the text supports it.
Answers: Stated: Tom thanks the staff; all six tills will open next year. Implied: Grace and Mo feel unfairly blamed; some staff took breaks that were too long. No evidence: customers asked for refunds; Tom is going to sack someone.
Probe: for each implied card, ask "What's the clue?"
Device-free fallback: read each card aloud; learners show S, I or N on a mini whiteboard.
What does Tom really think about the staff? Write "I think… because the text says…"
Phase 4 · Practice: be the detective (37–41 mins)
Learners write one inference and its evidence, using the frame. Give two minutes, then show answers and discuss two or three.
Good answers include: "I think Tom blames the staff for the mess because the text says 'I'm sure nobody meant that to happen'." · "I think Tom is frustrated because the text says the stock room 'looked like a bomb had hit it'." · "I think Tom is fair because he says 'that is down to you'."
Mark it in class: one mark for a sensible inference, one for a quotation or clear reference that supports it.
Support: point to one hotspot clue and ask "What does that suggest?"
Stretch: use Source B to challenge Tom's view: "However, Grace and Mo suggest…"
Device-free fallback: learners write on mini whiteboards or sticky notes and stick them on the board.
Complete the sentences
An inference is something a writer suggests but does not say. You find it from a clue in the text. To back it up, give evidence. Write: "I think… because the text says…"
Phase 4 · Check: the key words (41–43 mins)
A quick check of the three words learners need for the exam task.
Answers: inference · evidence · because.
Distractors: "opinion" is a near-miss: an opinion is a view; an inference is worked out from clues. "so" can work in speech, but the frame uses "because".
Editor note: after pushing, set this fill's text to 28px in the editor.
Device-free fallback: write the sentences on the board with gaps; learners copy and fill them in.
Exam-style practice
minute
second
Answer on paper using Sources A and B. Look at the marks: they tell you how many things to write.
1. Why does Tom thank the staff? (1 mark)
2. Tom says Black Friday was interesting. What does he really mean? (1 mark)
3. What does "I won't name names" suggest? (1 mark)
4. Using Source B, give one reason it may be hard to open six tills. (1 mark)
5. How do Grace and Mo feel about Tom's email? Give one piece of evidence. (2 marks)
Starters
He thanks them because…
He really means…
It suggests…
I think… because the text says…
Phase 5 · Independent practice, exam style (43–53 mins)
Learners work alone, on paper, with Sources A and B. Start the 10-minute timer. Questions 2, 3 and 5 are inference questions: the answer is not written in the text, so learners must work it out and back it up.
Support: for question 2, remind learners of hotspot 1 (the italics).
Stretch: answer question 5 with two pieces of evidence.
Mark it together on the next slide.
Device-free fallback: the questions are written to be copied from the board or printed.
Check your answers
R E A D I N G
1. Why Tom thanks them
2. "Interesting" means…
3. "I won't name names"
4. Six tills
5. Grace and Mo's feelings
Accept any wording about record sales or taking a lot of money.
Accept chaotic, difficult, stressful or went badly.
Accept a warning, or that he knows who it was.
The answer must come from Source B.
One mark for the feeling, one for the evidence.
They took more money in one day than in all of last November.
The day was chaotic or difficult – the opposite of what he says.
He knows who took long breaks. It is a warning.
Only nine staff in the shop, or two were new.
Annoyed or unfairly blamed + "Just saying." or "because the delivery came at 11am".
Phase 5 · Mark it (53–56 mins)
Click each yellow marker to reveal the answer. Learners mark their own work with a different colour pen and add up out of 6.
Common errors: Q2 "it was fun" (the italics show he means the opposite). Q5: a feeling with no evidence gets only 1 mark; a quotation with no feeling gets only 1 mark.
Device-free fallback: read the answers aloud.
You can now…
R E A D I N G
spot the clues in what a writer says and how they say it
work out a writer's tone and attitude
back up an inference: "I think… because the text says…"
Phase 6 · Celebrate progress (56–57 mins)
Click to bring in each tick. Ask: "Which of these feels solid now? Which one needs more practice?" Name it as real progress: reading between the lines is one of the harder Level 1 reading skills.
Device-free fallback: learners tick the three statements in their book, adding a question mark next to any they are unsure about. Image credit: LessonUp Studio (made for this series)
Strong or unusual words
Punctuation like italics, ! and brackets
What the writer leaves out
Polite phrases that hide a feeling
Which clue will you look for first next time?
Phase 6 · Reflect (57–60 mins)
No right answer. Ask one or two learners why they chose theirs, and where they could use it outside college (a text from a manager, a letter from a landlord, a customer review).
Device-free fallback: thumbs up for each option, or write the clue on an exit slip.
Take it further
R E A D I N G
Stretch: in class
Before next lesson
Rewrite Tom's sentence about the stock room twice:
once so it sounds angry
once so it sounds warm and kind
What did you change?
Find a short message: a work text, a notice or a sign in a shop window.
Write down:
one thing it says
one thing it suggests
who you think it is for
Take it further
Stretch is for early finishers in class. Good rewrites change the tone with word choice and punctuation, e.g. angry: "The stock room was a disgrace." Warm: "The stock room got a bit messy, which is understandable on a day like that!"
Before next lesson needs no device. It links to Lesson 5, where we ask who a text is for and what it wants to do.
Device-free fallback: this slide is already paper-based.