Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Set 6
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Set 6 is further 13+ Common Entrance practice at the accuracy strand of the English paper, covering subordinate clauses, colons and semicolons, commonly confused words, and accurate punctuation of direct speech with more than one speaker.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn to identify a main clause, a complete sentence on its own, and a subordinate clause, which cannot stand alone, and check that every subordinate clause is correctly attached with a comma where needed.
- Revise when to use a semicolon, joining two complete and related sentences, and when to use a colon, introducing a list or an explanation.
- Learn commonly confused words such as there/their/they're, its/it's and where/were/we're, and test yourself on them until you can use each without hesitation.
- When punctuating a conversation with more than one speaker, start a new line for each new speaker and keep each person's words inside their own inverted commas.
- Check subject-verb agreement in every sentence, for example the group was, not the group were, when 'group' is treated as one unit, and keep tense consistent throughout a passage.
- Proofread in two passes: first for sense and meaning, then a second time checking punctuation, spelling and grammar word by word.
Worked example
Correct the punctuation and spelling in this exchange: wheres your coat asked mum its freezing outside i left it at school leo admitted
- Add the missing apostrophe, question mark and inverted commas to the first spoken sentence: 'Where's your coat?'
- Capitalise the proper noun 'mum' to 'Mum' and add a full stop to close the reporting clause.
- Add inverted commas and the missing apostrophe to the second spoken sentence: 'It's freezing outside.'
- Start a new line for the new speaker, and punctuate the third spoken sentence, capitalising 'leo' to 'Leo'. Final answer: 'Where's your coat?' asked Mum. 'It's freezing outside.' 'I left it at school,' Leo admitted.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Choose the correct word: ___ leaving their bags by the door. (Their / There / They're)Show answer
Answer: They're - short for 'they are'.
Q2Add a semicolon in the correct place: The bus was late the queue grew longer by the minute.Show answer
Answer: The bus was late; the queue grew longer by the minute. (joins two complete, closely related sentences)
Q3Identify the subordinate clause in this sentence: Because the fire alarm sounded, everyone left the building calmly.Show answer
Answer: 'Because the fire alarm sounded' - it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
Q4Choose the correct word: I'm not sure ___ my umbrella is. (where / were / we're)Show answer
Answer: Where - it is asking about a location.
Q5Punctuate this exchange between two speakers, starting a new line for each: are you ready asked sam almost said priyaShow answer
Answer: 'Are you ready?' asked Sam. 'Almost,' said Priya. (each speaker's words start a new line)
Q6Correct the subject-verb agreement error: The team of swimmers were training every morning.Show answer
Answer: The team of swimmers was training every morning. (the team, treated as one unit, takes a singular verb)
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Correct the punctuation in this sentence, adding a colon or a semicolon where needed: the coach gave one instruction do not stop until the whistle blows
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
Rewrite this sentence, correcting the THREE errors: the teachers were checking who's bag was left in the changing room, but they're search found nothing
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 3 available
Correct the FOUR errors in this passage, rewriting it correctly: the librarian said the new books was arriving on friday she also said there would be a special display for they're covers
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the spelling, punctuation and grammar set 6 worksheet pack - 12 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 36 of 13+ English Workbook, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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