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GCSE · Grammar

Y11.1 SPaG Technical Accuracy

Calculators not allowed · about 60 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Each sentence below contains one underlined-style feature (shown in quotation marks). For each part, choose the letter (A-E) of the term that correctly names the feature. Each letter is used only once.

(a)the feature in: 'Although the museum had closed early, the volunteers stayed behind to finish the display.'(1)

A) a subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction
B) a non-defining relative clause adding extra information about a noun
C) a verb in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action
D) a modal verb expressing necessity, possibility or obligation
E) a fronted adverbial placed before the main clause for effect

(b)the feature in: 'The letter, which had been sitting in the drawer for years, was finally opened.'(1)

A) a subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction
B) a non-defining relative clause adding extra information about a noun
C) a verb in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action
D) a modal verb expressing necessity, possibility or obligation
E) a fronted adverbial placed before the main clause for effect

(c)the feature in: 'The results were announced by the head teacher on Friday morning.'(1)

A) a subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction
B) a non-defining relative clause adding extra information about a noun
C) a verb in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action
D) a modal verb expressing necessity, possibility or obligation
E) a fronted adverbial placed before the main clause for effect

(d)the feature in: 'You must submit the form before Friday.'(1)

A) a subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction
B) a non-defining relative clause adding extra information about a noun
C) a verb in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action
D) a modal verb expressing necessity, possibility or obligation
E) a fronted adverbial placed before the main clause for effect

(e)the feature in: 'Without warning, the fire alarm began to ring.'(1)

A) a subordinate clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction
B) a non-defining relative clause adding extra information about a noun
C) a verb in the passive voice, where the subject receives the action
D) a modal verb expressing necessity, possibility or obligation
E) a fronted adverbial placed before the main clause for effect

(Total for Question 1 is 5 marks)

Read the sentence below, then choose its correct classification.

'Although the rain had stopped, the pavements were still slippery, so the runners chose a different route.'

A) simple sentence
B) compound sentence
C) complex sentence
D) compound-complex sentence

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Here are eight statements about grammar and technical accuracy. Choose the FOUR statements that are TRUE.
A. A sentence written entirely in the passive voice always states clearly who or what performed the action.
B. A singular subject must be followed by a singular form of the verb.
C. In Standard English, using a double negative such as 'I didn't do nothing' is considered grammatically acceptable for emphasis.
D. A non-defining relative clause, usually marked off by commas, adds extra information about a noun without changing its core meaning.
E. Verb tenses within a single piece of continuous writing should generally stay consistent unless there is a clear reason for a shift.
F. An apostrophe should be added before the final 's' of every plural noun, regular or irregular.
G. A fronted adverbial that opens a sentence is usually followed by a comma.
H. Two complete, independent clauses can always be correctly joined using a comma alone.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

State the type of error in EACH of the following sentences (choose from: subject-verb agreement / tense shift / non-standard English).

(a)'Each of the students have completed their assignment.'(1)

(b)'She walked into the room and sees her friend waiting by the window.'(1)

(c)'We was going to the shop later that afternoon.'(1)

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Choose the option that correctly completes both gaps: 'The coach gave the team some useful ___ before the match, and reminded them to ___ their skills every single day.'

A) advice / practise
B) advise / practice
C) advice / practice
D) advise / practise

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

Choose the correct verb to complete the sentence: 'Neither the manager nor the assistants ___ available to help this afternoon.'

A) is
B) are

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets, keeping the tense consistent with the rest of the sentence: 'Yesterday, the technician arrived early and ___ (check) every machine before the shift began.'

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

Combine these two simple sentences into one complex sentence, using a subordinating conjunction of your choice: 'The council closed the road. Repair work could begin safely.'

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

Rewrite this sentence in the passive voice: 'The judges awarded the prize to the youngest competitor.'

(Total for Question 9 is 2 marks)

Add the two missing commas to this sentence: 'The bridge which was built in 1890 is now a protected structure.'

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

Rewrite the phrase 'the toys belonging to the children' using a possessive apostrophe.

(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)

Add the missing punctuation to this sentence so that it correctly shows direct speech: can you pass the report before lunch asked the manager calmly

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

Rewrite this sentence in Standard English: 'I never done nothing wrong.'

(Total for Question 13 is 2 marks)

Identify and correct the error in this sentence: 'The list of items for the school trip were pinned to the noticeboard.'

(Total for Question 14 is 2 marks)

Identify and correct the error in this sentence: 'She opened the letter, reads the first line, and then sat down.'

(Total for Question 15 is 2 marks)

Identify and correct the punctuation error in this sentence: 'The forecast was clear, the match went ahead as planned.'

(Total for Question 16 is 2 marks)

Identify and correct the error in this sentence: 'The witness's all agreed on the same version of events.'

(Total for Question 17 is 2 marks)

Below is a paragraph with six errors of capitalisation, subject-verb agreement, sentence punctuation, verb form and apostrophe use. Rewrite it correctly, correcting every error you can find.

'the manager announced the new rota on monday and everyone on the staff were pleased with the changes however sarah said she use to prefer the old system, even though the teams decision was final.'

(Total for Question 18 is 6 marks)

Write one sentence of your own for each part below, correctly using the feature named. Do not copy any sentence used earlier in this pack.

(a)Write one complex sentence of your own, using a subordinating conjunction of your choice.(2)

(b)Write one sentence of your own that correctly uses the passive voice.(2)

(c)Write one sentence of your own that correctly uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses.(2)

(Total for Question 19 is 6 marks)

Write a short paragraph (approximately 100-130 words) for a school newsletter, informing students about a new recycling scheme.
Your paragraph must include: one complex sentence using a subordinating conjunction, one semicolon joining two independent clauses, one sentence using the passive voice, and one correctly used apostrophe (possessive or contraction). Underline each of these four features clearly in your answer.

(Total for Question 20 is 12 marks)

'A local newspaper has reported that a well-known author believes mobile phones should be banned in all secondary schools.'
Write a letter to the newspaper's editor giving your point of view on this statement.
(8 marks are available for the content and organisation of your answer, and 8 marks for the technical accuracy of your writing.)

(Total for Question 21 is 16 marks)

Mark scheme · Y11.1 SPaG Technical Accuracy

Question 1

(a) B1 A
(a) Answer: A
(b) B1 B
(b) Answer: B
(c) B1 C
(c) Answer: C
(d) B1 D
(d) Answer: D
(e) B1 E
(e) Answer: E

Question 2

B1 D
Answer: D

Question 3

B1 B selected (true)
B1 D selected (true)
B1 E selected (true)
B1 G selected (true)
Answer: B, D, E and G are true. A is false (the passive voice can omit the agent entirely, e.g. 'The window was broken.'); C is false (a double negative is a non-standard form, not accepted in Standard English); F is false (simple plurals never take an apostrophe); H is false (a comma alone joining two independent clauses is a comma splice, a punctuation error).

Question 4

(a) B1 subject-verb agreement (the subject is the singular 'each', so it needs 'has', not 'have') (oe)
(a) Answer: subject-verb agreement
(b) B1 tense shift (the sentence mixes the past tense 'walked' with the present tense 'sees') (oe)
(b) Answer: tense shift
(c) B1 non-standard English (the subject 'we' requires 'were', not 'was') (oe)
(c) Answer: non-standard English

Question 5

B1 A
Answer: A

Question 6

B1 B) are
Answer: B

Question 7

B1 checked (past tense, matching 'arrived' and 'began'), cao
Answer: checked

Question 8

B1 a subordinating conjunction (e.g. 'so that', 'because', 'until') correctly shows the logical relationship between the two ideas
B1 both clauses remain grammatically complete and the sentence retains the original meaning, cao
Answer: The council closed the road so that repair work could begin safely.

Question 9

B1 correct passive construction: a form of 'to be' plus the past participle 'awarded'
B1 the sentence remains grammatically complete and keeps the original meaning; the agent ('by the judges') may be kept or dropped, cao
Answer: The prize was awarded to the youngest competitor (by the judges).

Question 10

B1 comma correctly placed after 'bridge', before 'which'
B1 comma correctly placed after '1890', closing the relative clause, cao
Answer: The bridge, which was built in 1890, is now a protected structure.

Question 11

B1 the children's toys (apostrophe placed before the 's', since 'children' is an irregular plural not already ending in 's'), cao
Answer: the children's toys

Question 12

B1 inverted commas correctly opened and closed around the spoken words only
B1 capital letter for the first word of the spoken sentence, with a question mark (not a comma) placed inside the closing inverted comma, since the spoken words form a question
B1 full stop placed at the very end of the whole sentence, after 'calmly', cao
Answer: 'Can you pass the report before lunch?' asked the manager calmly.

Question 13

B1 corrects 'done' to the correct past-tense verb form 'did'
B1 removes the double negative by changing 'nothing' to 'anything', cao
Answer: I never did anything wrong.

Question 14

B1 identifies the subject-verb agreement error (the true subject is the singular 'list', not the plural 'items')
B1 correct rewrite: 'The list of items for the school trip was pinned to the noticeboard.', cao
Answer: The list of items for the school trip was pinned to the noticeboard.

Question 15

B1 identifies the tense shift (the present tense 'reads' breaks the past-tense narrative of 'opened' and 'sat')
B1 correct rewrite: 'She opened the letter, read the first line, and then sat down.', cao
Answer: She opened the letter, read the first line, and then sat down.

Question 16

B1 identifies the comma splice joining two independent clauses
B1 correct rewrite using a semicolon, full stop or coordinating conjunction, e.g. 'The forecast was clear; the match went ahead as planned.' (oe)
Answer: The forecast was clear; the match went ahead as planned.

Question 17

B1 identifies that 'witness's' wrongly uses an apostrophe for a simple plural subject
B1 correct rewrite: 'The witnesses all agreed on the same version of events.', cao
Answer: The witnesses all agreed on the same version of events.

Question 18

B1 capitalises 'The' at the start of the sentence
B1 capitalises both proper nouns, 'Monday' and 'Sarah'
B1 corrects 'were pleased' to 'was pleased' (subject-verb agreement: the singular subject 'everyone')
B1 inserts a full stop and a capital letter before 'However', correcting the missing sentence boundary
B1 corrects 'use to' to 'used to'
B1 inserts the missing possessive apostrophe: 'teams' to 'team's'
Answer: The manager announced the new rota on Monday, and everyone on the staff was pleased with the changes. However, Sarah said she used to prefer the old system, even though the team's decision was final.

Question 19

(a) B1 a subordinate clause is correctly introduced by a subordinating conjunction (e.g. because, although, since, while)
(a) B1 both clauses are grammatically complete and the sentence makes clear sense, cao
(a) Answer: Sample answer (indicative, not the only acceptable response): 'Because the storm had knocked out the power, the whole street relied on candles for the evening.'
(b) B1 a correct passive construction: a form of 'to be' plus a past participle
(b) B1 the sentence is grammatically complete and clearly shows what receives the action, cao
(b) Answer: Sample answer (indicative, not the only acceptable response): 'The winning design was chosen by a panel of three judges.'
(c) B1 a semicolon joins two independent (main) clauses, without a coordinating conjunction directly after it
(c) B1 both clauses are grammatically complete and closely related in meaning, cao
(c) Answer: Sample answer (indicative, not the only acceptable response): 'The queue outside the bakery stretched around the corner; the new sourdough loaf had sold out by nine.'

Question 20

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited information about the scheme. Little sense of a register or organisation suited to a school newsletter.
- Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant information about the scheme, with some attempt to match the register of a newsletter; ideas are mostly sequenced clearly.
- Level 3 (5-6): Clear, well-organised and informative writing that is consistently matched to the register, audience and purpose of a school newsletter.
Technical accuracy (range of features) (AO6)
- Level 1 (1-2): One or two of the four required features are present, and these may be used inaccurately.
- Level 2 (3-4): Most of the four required features are present and mostly used accurately, with occasional errors.
- Level 3 (5-6): All four required features are present, clearly marked and used accurately and effectively, alongside a controlled range of other sentence forms and accurate spelling throughout.

Question 21

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited vocabulary. Little sense of organisation, register or the demands of a persuasive letter.
- Level 2 (3-4): Some attempt to match register, form and purpose. Some organisation, though ideas may not always follow logically; a developing sense of persuasive technique.
- Level 3 (5-6): Clear organisation with a range of persuasive techniques used with some success; consistently matched to the register, form and purpose of a letter to a newspaper editor.
- Level 4 (7-8): Convincing, well-controlled communication; sophisticated vocabulary and a range of persuasive techniques used for deliberate effect; secure and effective organisation across the whole letter.
Technical accuracy (AO6)
- Level 1 (1-2): Occasional accurate spelling and punctuation. Simple sentence structures with limited variety. Frequent errors of Standard English.
- Level 2 (3-4): Some accurate spelling and punctuation. Some control of a range of sentence structures. Some appropriate use of Standard English, with noticeable errors.
- Level 3 (5-6): Mostly accurate spelling and punctuation across a range of vocabulary. A good range of sentence structures used accurately. Standard English used consistently, with only occasional errors.
- Level 4 (7-8): Consistently high accuracy in spelling and punctuation. A wide range of grammatical structures, including varied clause types and a full punctuation range, used precisely and for effect. Confident, consistent Standard English throughout.

SPaG Technical Accuracy - Worksheets, Questions and Revision