Common Core State Standards

Grades 11–12 ELA Standards

All 41 Common Core English language arts standards for grades 11–12, grouped into strands and written in plain English. The official wording is one click away.

41 standards

Reading: Literature RL

9 standards

Key Ideas and Details

RL.11-12.1

Quote the strongest lines from a novel, play or poem to back a reading of it, including a point it only implies, and say where the text leaves a question open.

Official wording

Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

RL.11-12.2

Trace two or more themes through a novel or play, show how they feed into each other to make a richer story, and sum it up without taking sides.

Official wording

Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.11-12.3

Explain how an author's choices about where a story is set, how its action is ordered and how its characters are revealed shape the whole work.

Official wording

Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

Craft and Structure

RL.11-12.4

Work out what words mean in a Shakespeare play or a modern poem, including double meanings and strikingly fresh phrasing, and say how they color the tone.

Official wording

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

RL.11-12.5

Explain how choosing where a story begins or ends, or giving it a comic or tragic ending, shapes its overall structure, its meaning and its beauty.

Official wording

Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

RL.11-12.6

Tell what a narrator or character states from what the author really means in satire, sarcasm, irony or understatement, and explain the gap.

Official wording

Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RL.11-12.7

Compare several versions of a play, like a live staging and a film of Hamlet or an American drama, and judge how faithfully each one reads the script.

Official wording

Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)

RL.11-12.8

(RL.11-12.8 not applicable to literature)Not applicable

RL.11-12.9

Know the foundational American literature of the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s, and show how two works from the same era handle a shared theme.

Official wording

Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

RL.11-12.10

Read novels, plays and poems at the grades 11 to college-ready level, with help at the top of the range in grade 11 and on your own by the end of grade 12.

Official wording

By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading: Informational Text RI

10 standards

Key Ideas and Details

RI.11-12.1

Back an analysis of an essay, speech or court opinion with its strongest evidence, for what it states and what it implies, and flag where it leaves matters unsettled.

Official wording

RI.11-12.2

Trace two or more central ideas through a nonfiction text, show how they build on one another into a complex analysis, and summarize it without opinion.

Official wording

Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.11-12.3

Explain how the people, ideas and events in a complex nonfiction account interact and develop from its opening to its close.

Official wording

Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

Craft and Structure

RI.11-12.4

Work out figurative, loaded and technical meanings in nonfiction, and track how a writer sharpens a key term, as Madison does with faction in Federalist No. 10.

Official wording

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

RI.11-12.5

Judge whether the way an essay or argument is organized makes its points clear, convincing and engaging, and say what works and what does not.

Official wording

Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

RI.11-12.6

Find the purpose behind a powerful speech or essay and explain how its style and content give it force, persuasion or beauty.

Official wording

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RI.11-12.7

Pull together several sources on a question, including charts, data, images and text, weigh each one, and use them to answer it or solve a problem.

Official wording

Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

RI.11-12.8

Lay out and judge the reasoning in seminal American texts, like how a Supreme Court opinion or dissent applies the Constitution or how The Federalist argues its case.

Official wording

Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses).

RI.11-12.9

Analyze the themes, purposes and rhetoric of founding American documents from the 1600s to the 1800s, like the Declaration of Independence and Lincoln's Second Inaugural.

Official wording

Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

RI.11-12.10

Read literary nonfiction, like essays, speeches and memoirs, at the grades 11 to college-ready level, with support in grade 11 and on your own by the end of grade 12.

Official wording

By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Writing W

10 standards

Text Types and Purposes

W.11-12.1

Write an argument on a substantive topic with a precise claim, weigh the other side's strengths and limits fairly, anticipate readers' biases, and keep a formal tone.

Official wording

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.aIntroduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.bDevelop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.cUse words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.dEstablish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.eProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

W.11-12.2

Explain a complex topic so each idea builds on the last, using the most telling facts and quotations, figures where they help, and a close on why the topic matters.

Official wording

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.aIntroduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.bDevelop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.cUse appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.dUse precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.eEstablish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.fProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

W.11-12.3

Write a story that opens on a problem and its stakes, may run several plot lines or viewpoints, builds toward mystery, growth or resolution, and reflects at the end.

Official wording

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.aEngage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.bUse narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.cUse a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).dUse precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.eProvide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

Production and Distribution of Writing

W.11-12.4

Decide how a college-level essay, report or story should be developed, organized and styled by who will read it and why.

Official wording

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

W.11-12.5

Plan, revise, edit, rewrite or start a draft over, focusing on what matters most for its purpose and readers, and edit to the grades 11-12 grammar and usage rules.

Official wording

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 11-12 here.)

W.11-12.6

Publish writing online and keep updating it as feedback, new arguments or new information come in, on your own or with a group.

Official wording

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

W.11-12.7

Run short and sustained research projects on a question or problem, narrowing or widening the inquiry as needed, and weave multiple sources into one account.

Official wording

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

W.11-12.8

Search print and online sources with advanced queries, weigh each one's strengths and limits, quote them without leaning on any one, and cite in a standard format.

Official wording

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

W.11-12.9

Cite literature and literary nonfiction, like two novels from one era or a Supreme Court dissent, in your own analysis, applying the grades 11-12 reading skills.

Official wording

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.aApply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics").bApply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]").

Range of Writing

W.11-12.10

Write routinely, from a researched paper revised over weeks to a response finished in one sitting or a day or two, for many tasks, purposes and audiences.

Official wording

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening SL

6 standards

Comprehension and Collaboration

SL.11-12.1

Lead and join discussions on grades 11-12 topics, prepared with research, keeping the exchange civil, airing every position, and deciding what still needs research.

Official wording

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.aCome to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.bWork with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.cPropel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.dRespond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

SL.11-12.2

Combine information from charts, data, speeches and text to make a decision or solve a problem, judging each source's credibility and noting where the data disagree.

Official wording

Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

SL.11-12.3

Judge a speaker's stance, premises, evidence and rhetoric, from how the ideas link up to word choice, emphasis and tone.

Official wording

Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

SL.11-12.4

Present findings with a clear and distinct perspective, address opposing views, and fit the organization, substance and style to formal and informal occasions alike.

Official wording

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

SL.11-12.5

Build a presentation's slides, audio, video and interactive parts so each one strengthens the findings, reasoning and evidence rather than decorating them.

Official wording

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

SL.11-12.6

Adjust how you speak to the setting, from a seminar to a job interview, and command formal English when the occasion calls for it.

Official wording

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11-12 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)

Language L

6 standards

Conventions of Standard English

L.11-12.1

Use standard grammar and usage when writing and speaking, knowing that usage shifts over time and is sometimes disputed, and settle a contested point with a usage guide.

Official wording

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.aApply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.bResolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed.

L.11-12.2

Capitalize, punctuate and spell correctly in writing, following the conventions for hyphens, like a well-known author but an author who is well known.

Official wording

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.aObserve hyphenation conventions.bSpell correctly.

Knowledge of Language

L.11-12.3

Vary sentence structure for effect, turning to a guide like Tufte's Artful Sentences when needed, and use that grasp of syntax to read complex texts more fully.

Official wording

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.aVary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte's Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

L.11-12.4

Work out an unfamiliar grades 11-12 word from context, word families like conceive, conception and conceivable, or a specialized reference, then verify the guess.

Official wording

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.aUse context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.bIdentify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).cConsult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.dVerify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

L.11-12.5

Interpret hyperbole and paradox in context and explain their role in a text, and weigh the nuances between words that mean nearly the same thing.

Official wording

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.aInterpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.bAnalyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

L.11-12.6

Build the academic and specialist vocabulary that college courses and careers demand, and gather new words on your own whenever one matters to the meaning.

Official wording

Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.