Functional Skills English

Listening for important detail (names, times, places, numbers)

Spotting when an explanation changes topic

Asking for an explanation to be repeated or clarified

Checking understanding by summarising back (“So you mean…”)

Choosing polite language for requests (“Could I…”, “Please may I…”)

Making clear requests in familiar contexts (college, shop, travel, home)

Asking clear “who/what/where/when/why/how” questions

Asking follow-up questions to get missing detail

Responding appropriately to straightforward questions (relevant, complete answers)

Using appropriate tone and volume for different situations

Using simple sentence starters to speak clearly (“I think…”, “I feel…”, “I prefer…”)

Giving a straightforward opinion with a reason (“because…”)

Describing feelings appropriately (happy, worried, annoyed, excited) and why

Following the gist of a short discussion (what it’s mainly about)

Identifying when speakers agree or disagree (basic signals)

Taking turns in a simple discussion without interrupting

Making a relevant contribution in a group (staying on topic)

Agreeing and disagreeing politely (“I agree because…”, “I’m not sure because…”)

Asking a group question to move the discussion on

Ending a discussion appropriately (summarise + next step)

Reading tricky homophones in context (hear/here, one/won, there/their/they’re, to/too/two)

Using sound–spelling patterns to decode unfamiliar words (phonics recap)

Recognising common prefixes (un-, dis-, re-, mis-, pre-) and how they change meaning

Recognising prefix changes (in-/im-/il-/ir-) in common words

Working out meaning from context clues in a sentence

Using a simple dictionary: guide words and finding the entry

Using alphabetical order to locate words (first letter)

Using alphabetical order to locate words (second letter)

Checking spellings using a dictionary while reading

Checking spellings using spell-check (basic options and choosing the right word)

Finding a specific detail by scanning (names, dates, places, prices)

Understanding common organisational markers (titles, headings)

Using subheadings to locate a section quickly

Understanding bullet points and numbered lists (what each point means)

Following simple sequencing markers (first/next/then/finally)

Reading instructions texts: identifying steps in order

Reading information texts: picking out key facts

Reading descriptive texts: identifying what something is like (adjectives)

Reading narratives: identifying what happened first/next/last

Understanding sentences with more than one clause (spotting the join)

Breaking a longer sentence into two simpler ideas

Using illustrations/images to locate information

Using captions to match an image to the right information

Using capital letters for sentence starts

Using full stops correctly

Using question marks for direct questions

Writing questions that match purpose (information vs request)

Using exclamation marks appropriately (not overusing)

Capital letters for names, places, days and months (core proper nouns)

Forming regular plurals by adding -s

Forming regular plurals by adding -es (e.g. -ch, -sh, -ss, -x)

Using spelling strategies: sound it out, break it up, look/say/cover/write/check

Spelling Entry Level 2 common words accurately (word list practice)

Avoiding homophone errors in writing (choosing the correct meaning word)

Proofreading for capitals, full stops, and question marks

Proofreading for spelling using known strategies (no dictionary in the writing exam)

Writing for audience: choosing suitable words and tone

Expanding notes into short clear sentences

Writing compound sentences using and

Writing compound sentences using but

Writing compound sentences using or

Spotting and fixing run-on sentences (where to stop or join)

Using adjectives to add detail (size, colour, feeling, opinion)

Choosing the best adjective (precise vs vague: “nice” → “friendly/helpful”)

Using simple linking words for time (first, then, after, finally)

Using simple linking words for reason/result (because, so)

Writing a short email: greeting, message, closing

Writing a short letter: purpose, key details, polite ending

Writing a simple narrative: beginning, middle, end

Editing to improve clarity: remove repeated words, add missing detail

Writing personal details clearly and accurately on a form

Writing addresses correctly across lines (house number, street, town, postcode)

Writing dates correctly (day/month/year formats)

Using capital letters correctly on forms (names and places)

Checking a form for completeness before submitting

Speaking, Listening and Communicating: what Task 1 and Task 2 look like

SLC practice: short explanation listening (main info + detail)

SLC practice: requests and clear questions in different contexts

SLC practice: discussion skills (respond, gist, opinions, contributions)

Reading assessment practice: answering short questions using evidence from the text

Reading assessment practice: using headings, lists, images and captions to locate answers

Writing assessment practice: spelling task approach (sound, syllables, prefixes, homophones)

Writing assessment practice: punctuation check

Writing assessment practice: writing 4–6 clear sentences to a prompt (purpose + audience)

Timing and checking routines for Reading and Writing papers