Punctuation

Master punctuation rules essential for 11+ English exams.

5articles

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

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

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