Grammar

English grammar rules, explanations, and exercises for 11+ students.

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Punctuation

Master punctuation rules essential for 11+ English exams.

5 articles

Sentence Structure

Understanding sentence structure for effective 11+ writing.

4 articles

Tenses

Master verb tenses for accurate and effective 11+ writing.

3 articles

Grammar for Writing

Grammar lessons that help pupils write more clearly, accurately, and confidently in the 11+.

4 articles

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Featured

Mastering Commas and Semicolons for 11+ Creative Writing

A complete guide to using commas and semicolons correctly in 11+ exams. Learn the rules examiners expect you to know, with examples and common mistakes to avoid.

8 min readIntermediate

Featured

Using Apostrophes Correctly in 11+ English

Cover possession and contraction apostrophes with clear, age-appropriate examples. Address the most common mistakes: its vs it's, plural possessives, names ending in s. Use a conversational teaching style with plenty of correct and incorrect example sentences. Include a "spot the error" exercise with ten sentences. Avoid grammar jargon where possible; when a technical term is necessary, define it in plain English first.

8 min readIntermediate

Mastering Speech Marks and Dialogue Punctuation for the 11+

Provide a complete guide to punctuating dialogue correctly. Cover the basics: speech marks around spoken words, comma before closing marks, capital letter for new speech, new line for new speaker. Then address the tricky cases: question marks and exclamation marks inside speech marks, interrupted speech, speech within speech. Use ten example sentences progressing from simple to complex. Include a correction exercise with deliberately mispunctuated dialogue for students to fix.

9 min readIntermediate

Paragraph Breaks and Why They Matter in 11+ Writing

Address a surprisingly common issue: students who write entire stories as one long paragraph. Explain when to start a new paragraph: change of time, change of place, change of speaker, change of topic, change of mood. Show how paragraph breaks create visual breathing space and help the reader follow the story. Discuss paragraph length: too short feels choppy, too long feels dense. Provide a passage with no paragraphs and ask students to insert breaks in the correct places, then compare with a model answer.

8 min readIntermediate

Using Brackets and Ellipses for Effect in 11+ Writing

Teach students when and how to use brackets (for parenthetical asides) and ellipses (for trailing thoughts, suspense, or unfinished dialogue). These marks are rare in Year 5/6 writing, which is exactly why examiners notice them when used well. Covers formatting rules, ten sample sentences, and a writing exercise.

8 min readIntermediate

Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences: A Guide for 11+ Students

Understand the three main sentence types, learn how to vary them for effect, and discover what earns top marks in 11+ creative writing.

9 min readIntermediate

Varying Sentence Length for Effect in 11+ Writing

Show students how mixing long, flowing sentences with short, punchy ones creates rhythm and emphasis. Use three example paragraphs: one with all long sentences, one with all short sentences, and one with a natural mix. Explain when short sentences are most powerful (moments of shock, realization, or danger) and when longer sentences work best (building atmosphere, describing settings). Include a rewriting exercise where students take a flat paragraph and add variety.

8 min readIntermediate

Using Subordinate Clauses to Add Detail in 11+ Writing

Explain subordinate clauses in plain language: they add extra information to a sentence but cannot stand alone. Show three positions: at the beginning (fronted adverbial), in the middle (embedded clause), and at the end. For each position, provide examples and discuss the effect on rhythm and emphasis. Cover common subordinating conjunctions (although, because, while, when, if) and relative pronouns (who, which, that). Include a sentence-building exercise where students combine short sentences using subordinate clauses.

9 min readIntermediate

Fronted Adverbials: The Sentence Opener Examiners Reward

Explain fronted adverbials (words or phrases placed at the start of a sentence to describe how, when, where, or why) with age-appropriate examples. Cover the comma rule, why they add variety to sentence openers, and how to use them by purpose: time, place, manner, and cause. Includes a paragraph rewriting exercise.

8 min readIntermediate

When to Use Past and Present Tense in 11+ Creative Writing

Learn when to write in past tense and when present tense works better, how to stay consistent, and how to handle tense shifts such as flashbacks.

8 min readIntermediate

Mastering Past Tense Narrative for 11+ Story Writing

Explain why past tense is the default for 11+ stories and how to use it consistently. Cover the difference between simple past, past continuous, and past perfect with examples from children's fiction. Address the most common tense-slip errors and show how to catch them during proofreading. Include a practical exercise where students convert a present-tense passage to past tense. Write in a patient, supportive tone that normalises mistakes as part of learning.

9 min readIntermediate

When Present Tense Works Best in 11+ Creative Writing

Explore the advantages of present tense for creating immediacy and tension. Show examples where present tense outperforms past tense: action sequences, internal monologue, and diary-style writing. Warn students about the risks: present tense is harder to sustain and easier to slip out of. Provide a decision framework: three questions to ask before choosing present tense. Include side-by-side comparisons of the same scene in both tenses.

9 min readIntermediate

Subject-Verb Agreement: Avoiding the Errors Examiners Notice

Explain subject-verb agreement with clear examples and address the cases that trip up Year 5/6 students: collective nouns, sentences starting with "there is/there are", compound subjects joined by "and" or "or", and sentences where the subject and verb are separated by a prepositional phrase. Use ten correct and ten incorrect examples, asking students to identify which are wrong and why. Keep explanations brief and example-heavy; grammar is best learned by seeing patterns, not memorising rules.

9 min readIntermediate

Active vs Passive Voice: When to Use Each in 11+ Writing

Explain the difference between active and passive voice with simple examples ("The dog bit the man" vs "The man was bitten by the dog"). Discuss why active voice is generally stronger and more engaging for creative writing. Then cover the exceptions: when passive voice is useful for mystery (who did it?), for emphasising the action over the actor, or for formal writing in comprehension passages. Include a conversion exercise where students switch sentences between active and passive, and a paragraph analysis where they identify which voice is used and why.

9 min readIntermediate to Advanced

Using Colons and Dashes for Effect in 11+ Writing

Move beyond basic punctuation and teach students how colons and dashes can add dramatic effect to their writing. Colons introduce explanations, lists, or dramatic reveals ("She opened the door: the room was empty."). Dashes create pauses, interruptions, or asides. Show how these punctuation marks can replace overused connectives and make writing feel more sophisticated. Provide ten example sentences and a paragraph transformation exercise. Note that examiners are impressed by correct use of colons and dashes because most Year 5/6 students do not attempt them.

9 min readIntermediate

Modal Verbs for Precise Meaning in 11+ Writing

Introduce modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) and explain how they express possibility, obligation, permission, and certainty. Cover how precise modal choice changes meaning and how modals create character voice in dialogue and internal monologue.

8 min readIntermediate

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