SPaG Mixed Drill Set 2
SPaG Mixed Drill Set 2 is untimed error-correction practice: each sentence contains exactly one error, a spelling mistake, a missing or wrong punctuation mark, or a grammar mistake such as a wrong verb form or word class confusion, and the pupil must find it, name the type of error, and correct it. Unlike a timed test, the purpose is accuracy of diagnosis, learning to recognise which of the three SPaG categories an error belongs to before rushing to fix it.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Read the whole sentence once for general sense before hunting for the error.
- Check spelling first: does any word look wrong, especially a commonly confused word (their/there, its/it's, effect/affect)?
- Check punctuation second: is there a missing capital letter, a missing or misplaced comma, a missing apostrophe, or wrong end punctuation?
- Check grammar third: does the verb agree with its subject in number, is the tense consistent, and is the correct word class used?
- Once you find the error, name its category (spelling, punctuation or grammar) before writing the correction, since naming it forces you to check you have understood the mistake rather than just guessed a fix.
- Write out the whole corrected sentence, not just the fixed word, so you can check the correction reads naturally in context.
- If a sentence looks correct on a first read, check it again specifically for apostrophes and subject-verb agreement, since these are the errors pupils miss most often.
Worked example
Find, name and correct the single error in: 'The team of players were celebrating there victory on the pitch.'
- Read the sentence for sense: it describes a team celebrating a win, which makes sense overall.
- Check spelling: 'there' is used where 'their' (belonging to them) is needed, since it refers to the team's own victory - this is a spelling/homophone error.
- Check punctuation: no punctuation errors are present.
- Check grammar: 'team' is a collective noun and is being treated as singular elsewhere ('The team of players'), but note this is not the target error here - the homophone is the single error to fix.
- Correct the sentence: 'The team of players were celebrating their victory on the pitch.'
- Name the error type: a spelling/homophone error (there instead of their).
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Find and correct the single error: 'Its raining heavily outside.'Show answer
Answer: Spelling/homophone error - 'Its' should be 'It's' (it is raining heavily outside).
Q2Find and correct the single error: 'Each of the puppies were given a new home.'Show answer
Answer: Grammar error - 'were' should be 'was' (each is a singular subject).
Q3Find and correct the single error: 'we left the house early to catch the train.'Show answer
Answer: Punctuation error - the sentence needs a capital letter at the start: 'We left the house early to catch the train.'
Q4Find and correct the single error: 'The chefs speciality was a rich tomato soup.'Show answer
Answer: Punctuation error - missing apostrophe: 'The chef's speciality was a rich tomato soup.'
Q5Find and correct the single error: 'By next summer, she will have finish her exams.'Show answer
Answer: Grammar error - 'finish' should be 'finished' (future perfect tense: will have finished).
Q6Find and correct the single error: 'I recieved a letter from my cousin yesterday.'Show answer
Answer: Spelling error - 'recieved' should be 'received' (i before e except after c).
Q7Find and correct the single error: 'The weather effected the outcome of the match.'Show answer
Answer: Spelling error - 'effected' should be 'affected' (affect is the verb, effect is usually the noun).
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
For each of the following two sentences, name the type of error (spelling, punctuation or grammar), correct it, and write out the corrected sentence in full: (a) 'The two boy's ran quickly to the bus stop.' (b) 'Neither the teacher or the pupils was ready for the fire drill.' (4 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Explain, using an example of your own for each, the difference between a spelling error, a punctuation error and a grammar error, and why it is useful to name the type of error before correcting a sentence. (5 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the spag mixed drill set 2 worksheet pack - 16 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 5 of 11+ English Workbook 3, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
Next topics
Not quite what you needed?
Tell us what is missing on spag mixed drill set 2, or which topic to write up next. Every request is read, and we reply to every one.
Build a full practice pack.
This topic is one of hundreds in the library - pick the ones a student needs and generate a printable PDF in minutes.