For: Year 5 and Year 6 | Exams: KS2 SATs grammar, punctuation and spelling paper, and 11+ English
Jump to: Level 1 – SATs core · Level 2 – SATs stretch · Level 3 – 11+ standard · Level 4 – 11+ selective
📌 Show key words and rules
| Word or rule | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Capital letter | A big letter used at the start of every sentence, for proper nouns and for the word I. | On Monday, Jack and I went to Wales. |
| Proper noun | A noun that names one particular person, place, day or month. It always starts with a capital letter. Seasons do not. | Ellie flew to Rome in June. |
| Full stop | A mark (.) that ends a statement. It can also end a command. | The shop opens at nine. |
| Question mark | A mark (?) that ends a question. | Is it raining? |
| Exclamation mark | A mark (!) that ends an exclamation. It can also end a command or show strong feeling. | What a mess you made! |
| Statement | A sentence that tells you something. | Bees make honey. |
| Question | A sentence that asks something and needs an answer. | Where is my hat? |
| Command | A sentence that tells someone to do something. It can end with a full stop or an exclamation mark. | Sit down. Stop! |
| Exclamation | A sentence that starts with What or How, contains a verb and ends with an exclamation mark. | How tall the tower is! |
| Comma in a list | Commas separate the items in a list. Put and or or before the last item, with no comma before it. | eggs, flour, sugar and milk |
| Clause | A group of words built around a verb. | the cat slept |
| Main clause | A clause that makes sense on its own as a sentence. | We went inside when it rained. |
| Subordinate clause | A clause that adds to the main clause but cannot stand on its own as a sentence. | We went inside when it rained. |
| Subordinating conjunction | A word such as when, because, although, if or while that starts a subordinate clause. | We cheered because we won. |
| Coordinating conjunction | A word such as and, but, or or so that joins two main clauses. | It was cold, so we lit a fire. |
| Comma after an opening clause | When a sentence starts with a subordinate clause, put a comma at the end of that clause. | If you are hungry, have an apple. |
| Adverbial | A word or group of words that tells you how, when, where or how often. | We swam in the lake. |
| Fronted adverbial | An adverbial moved to the start of a sentence. It is followed by a comma. | After lunch, we played chess. |
| Relative clause | A clause that tells you more about a noun. It starts with who, which, that or whose. | the girl who sings in the choir |
| Parenthesis | Extra information added to a sentence. It can be marked by a pair of commas, brackets or dashes. | Our cat, a fluffy tabby, loves fish. |
| Comma splice | The mistake of joining two main clauses with only a comma. | ✗ It snowed, we built a snowman. ✓ It snowed, so we built a snowman. |
| Semi-colon | A mark (;) that can join two main clauses that are closely linked. | The sun came out; the snow melted. |
| Direct address | Speaking to someone by name. Use a comma to separate the name from the rest of the sentence. | Come here, Max. |
| Inverted commas | Marks (‘ ’) that go around the words someone actually says. | ‘I’m ready,’ said Asha. |
| Noun phrase | A group of words built around a noun. Keep the words of a noun phrase together when you use list commas. | strawberry jam, brown bread and butter |
| Subject | The person or thing that does the verb. Do not put a single comma between the subject and its verb. | The girl with long hair laughed. |
Level 1 – SATs core: capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
Matches the quick punctuation questions in the KS2 SATs grammar, punctuation and spelling paper.
✏️ WORKED EXAMPLE: Rewrite this sentence with the correct capital letters and end punctuation: priya and i visited york on saturday
Step 1: the sentence starts with priya, so it needs a capital letter. Priya is also a person’s name (a proper noun).
Step 2: York is a place and Saturday is a day of the week, so both are proper nouns. The pronoun I is always a capital.
Step 3: the sentence tells us something, so it is a statement and ends with a full stop: Priya and I visited York on Saturday.
Common mistake: writing days of the week (saturday) or the pronoun i in lower case.
Your turn
Q1.1 Circle the words that should start with a capital letter.
last week, my cousin leo flew from manchester to lagos.
Show answer
last starts the sentence; leo is a name; manchester and lagos are places: Last, Leo, Manchester, Lagos
Q1.2 Which sentence needs a question mark? Tick one.
☐ Ask Ben if he wants a drink
☐ I wonder whether it will rain
☐ Where did you put my scarf
☐ Tell me what time it is
Show answer
Only this one asks a question directly. The others are a command, a statement and a command: Where did you put my scarf?
Q1.3 Which sentence needs an exclamation mark? Tick one.
☐ What a brilliant goal that was
☐ What time does the match start
☐ How did you score that goal
☐ The match starts at three o’clock
Show answer
An exclamation starts with What or How and contains a verb, but it is not a question: What a brilliant goal that was!
Q1.4 Add the correct end punctuation to each sentence.
(a) Can you help me carry this box
(b) How heavy it is
(c) Our new sofa arrives tomorrow
Show answer
(a) is a question; (b) is an exclamation (the word order it is shows it is not a question); (c) is a statement: (a) ? (b) ! (c) . (For (c), an exclamation mark is possible only if the writer wants to show excitement; a full stop is the expected answer.)
Q1.5 Explain why Tuesday has a capital letter in this sentence.
Ravi has swimming every Tuesday.
Show answer
It is not at the start of the sentence, so the reason is: days of the week are proper nouns, so they always have a capital letter.
Q1.6 Rewrite this sentence with the correct capital letters.
my sister and i are going to paris in april.
Show answer
Sentence start, the pronoun I, a place and a month: My sister and I are going to Paris in April.
Q1.7 Tick the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
☐ Did Zara finish her book.
☐ zara finished her book on Monday.
☐ Zara finished her book on Monday.
☐ Zara finished her book on monday?
Show answer
The first needs a question mark, the second needs a capital Z, the fourth needs a capital M and a full stop: Zara finished her book on Monday.
Q1.8 Insert a full stop and a capital letter to make two sentences.
The rain stopped we ran outside to play
Show answer
Each part could stand alone as a sentence: The rain stopped. We ran outside to play.
Q1.9 Which word should always start with a capital letter, wherever it is in a sentence? Tick one.
☐ teacher
☐ Wednesday
☐ autumn
☐ school
Show answer
Days are proper nouns; seasons, jobs and places in general are common nouns: Wednesday
Q1.10 Which punctuation mark should end this sentence?
How many sweets are left in the jar
Show answer
It starts with How, but it asks for an answer, so it is a question: a question mark (?)
Level 2 – SATs stretch: commas in lists, after fronted adverbials and after subordinate clauses
Matches the harder ‘Insert a comma’ and ‘Explain why’ questions in the SATs grammar, punctuation and spelling paper.
✏️ WORKED EXAMPLE: Insert a comma in the correct place: Before the storm arrived the farmer brought the sheep into the barn.
Step 1: find the main clause, which makes sense on its own: the farmer brought the sheep into the barn.
Step 2: the words before it, Before the storm arrived, are a subordinate clause starting with the subordinating conjunction before.
Step 3: when a subordinate clause comes first, put a comma at the end of it: Before the storm arrived, the farmer brought the sheep into the barn.
Common mistake: putting the comma straight after the conjunction (Before, the storm…). The comma goes at the end of the whole clause.
Your turn
Q2.1 Insert commas in the correct places.
We packed sandwiches crisps apples and juice for the trip.
Show answer
Commas separate the items, with no comma before and: We packed sandwiches, crisps, apples and juice for the trip.
Q2.2 Underline the fronted adverbial, then insert a comma in the correct place.
Later that afternoon the children built a den.
Show answer
Later that afternoon tells us when, and comes before the main clause: Later that afternoon, the children built a den.
Q2.3 Tick the sentence that uses commas correctly.
☐ Mia bought pens, pencils, and, a ruler.
☐ Mia bought pens, pencils and a ruler.
☐ Mia bought, pens, pencils and a ruler.
☐ Mia, bought pens pencils and a ruler.
Show answer
Commas go between the list items only, with no comma before or after and: Mia bought pens, pencils and a ruler.
Q2.4 Insert a comma in the correct place.
Although Kofi was tired he finished his homework.
Show answer
The subordinate clause Although Kofi was tired comes first, so the comma goes at its end: Although Kofi was tired, he finished his homework.
Q2.5 Explain why there is a comma in this sentence.
As soon as the bell rang, the class lined up.
Show answer
The sentence starts with a subordinate clause (As soon as the bell rang), and the comma separates it from the main clause (the class lined up). Also accept: the comma comes after a fronted adverbial.
Q2.6 Which sentence needs a comma? Tick one.
☐ The dog barked when the postman came.
☐ When the postman came the dog barked.
☐ The dog barked loudly.
☐ The postman came and the dog barked.
Show answer
Only one starts with a subordinate clause: When the postman came, the dog barked.
Q2.7 Rewrite the sentence so that the subordinate clause comes first. Punctuate it correctly.
Sam wore his coat because it was snowing.
Show answer
Move because it was snowing to the front, add a capital letter and a comma: Because it was snowing, Sam wore his coat.
Q2.8 Insert one comma to separate the items in this list.
The museum had a huge whale skeleton a room full of fossils and a café.
Show answer
There are three items (all noun phrases), so only one comma is needed, between the first two items. There is no comma before and: …a huge whale skeleton, a room full of fossils and a café.
Q2.9 Move the underlined adverbial to the start of the sentence and punctuate it correctly.
The fox crept into the garden without a sound.
Show answer
Without a sound becomes a fronted adverbial, so it needs a comma: Without a sound, the fox crept into the garden.
Q2.10 Tick one box for each sentence to show the job of the comma.
| Sentence | Separates items in a list | Comes after a fronted adverbial or subordinate clause |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Every morning, Grace feeds the cat. | ☐ | ☐ |
| (b) Grace feeds the cat, the rabbit and the goldfish. | ☐ | ☐ |
| (c) If it rains, we will stay inside. | ☐ | ☐ |
Show answer
(a) Every morning is a fronted adverbial; (b) separates items in a list; (c) If it rains is a subordinate clause at the start: (a) after a fronted adverbial or subordinate clause (b) separates items in a list (c) after a fronted adverbial or subordinate clause
Level 3 – 11+ standard: commas for relative clauses and clarity, comma splices and editing
Typical of grammar-school 11+ English papers. Work out where each clause starts and ends before you add or remove a comma.
✏️ WORKED EXAMPLE: Correct the punctuation in this sentence: The museum was closed, we went to the park instead.
Step 1: find the clauses: The museum was closed and we went to the park instead. Both are main clauses, so each could be a sentence on its own.
Step 2: a comma on its own cannot join two main clauses. This mistake is called a comma splice.
Step 3: join them with a coordinating conjunction after the comma, or split them into two sentences: The museum was closed, so we went to the park instead. (Also correct: The museum was closed. We went to the park instead.)
Common mistake: adding another comma or leaving it as it is because it ‘sounds like a pause’. A pause is not a reason for a comma.
Your turn
Q3.1 Insert two commas to mark the relative clause.
My grandad who was born in Jamaica makes the best rice and peas.
Show answer
The relative clause who was born in Jamaica adds extra information, so it goes between a pair of commas: My grandad, who was born in Jamaica, makes the best rice and peas.
Q3.2 Which sentence contains a comma splice? Tick one.
☐ We missed the bus, so we walked to school.
☐ We missed the bus. We walked to school.
☐ We missed the bus, we walked to school.
☐ Because we missed the bus, we walked to school.
Show answer
Two main clauses are joined by only a comma, with no conjunction: We missed the bus, we walked to school.
Q3.3 This sentence contains a comma splice. Rewrite it correctly in two different ways.
Hana loves drawing, she wants to be an artist.
Show answer
Any two of these: Hana loves drawing. She wants to be an artist. / Hana loves drawing, and she wants to be an artist. / Hana loves drawing, so she wants to be an artist. / Hana loves drawing; she wants to be an artist.
Q3.4 Insert one comma to make the meaning of this sentence clear.
While the chef was cooking the sausages sizzled in the pan.
Show answer
Without a comma, we first read that the chef was cooking the sausages, and then sizzled has no subject. The comma ends the subordinate clause: While the chef was cooking, the sausages sizzled in the pan.
Q3.5 This short passage has five mistakes with capital letters or punctuation. Rewrite it correctly.
leila and her brother visited the zoo on friday, they saw lions, giraffes and penguins. which animal did Leila like best.
Show answer
Fix: leila, friday, the comma splice after friday, which, and the final full stop. The list commas are already correct: Leila and her brother visited the zoo on Friday. They saw lions, giraffes and penguins. Which animal did Leila like best? (Also accept …on Friday, and they saw… or a semicolon after Friday.)
Q3.6 Tick the sentence where commas are used correctly to mark a relative clause.
☐ The bridge, which was built in 1890 is being repaired.
☐ The bridge which, was built in 1890, is being repaired.
☐ The bridge, which was built in 1890, is being repaired.
☐ The bridge which was built, in 1890 is being repaired.
Show answer
The commas must go around the whole relative clause, which was built in 1890: The bridge, which was built in 1890, is being repaired.
Q3.7 Insert two commas to mark the parenthesis.
Mr Okafor our head teacher plays the trumpet.
Show answer
our head teacher is extra information about Mr Okafor. The sentence still makes sense without it: Mr Okafor, our head teacher, plays the trumpet.
Q3.8 Insert three commas in this passage.
When the film ended everyone clapped. Jamal who had never seen it before said it was the best film ever.
Show answer
One comma after the opening subordinate clause, and a pair around the relative clause: When the film ended, everyone clapped. Jamal, who had never seen it before, said it was the best film ever.
Q3.9 Which sentence is punctuated correctly? Tick one.
☐ Although it was late, we kept reading.
☐ Although, it was late we kept reading.
☐ Although it was late we, kept reading.
☐ Although it was late. We kept reading.
Show answer
The comma goes at the end of the subordinate clause. The last option is wrong because Although it was late cannot stand alone as a sentence: Although it was late, we kept reading.
Q3.10 Explain why the comma is needed in this sentence.
Inside, the hall was decorated with balloons.
Show answer
Without the comma, we would read ‘Inside the hall’ as one phrase and the sentence would not make sense. The comma shows that ‘Inside’ is the fronted adverbial and ‘the hall’ is the subject.
Level 4 – 11+ selective: how commas change meaning, direct address and tricky cases
The style of selective independent-school papers. Read each sentence both ways and ask: who is doing what, and to whom?
✏️ WORKED EXAMPLE: Explain the difference in meaning between Let’s eat, Grandma. and Let’s eat Grandma.
Step 1: in the first sentence, the comma shows that Grandma is being spoken to (direct address). The speaker is inviting Grandma to eat.
Step 2: in the second sentence, there is no comma, so Grandma becomes the object of the verb eat: she is the thing being eaten!
Step 3: so: the comma before a name shows that the person is being spoken to; without it, the name becomes part of the sentence’s meaning.
Common mistake: thinking a comma only shows where to take a breath. Here the comma changes who is doing what.
Your turn
Q4.1 Insert a comma to show that Dev is being spoken to.
Can you pass the salt Dev?
Show answer
A comma separates the name of the person being spoken to: Can you pass the salt, Dev?
Q4.2 Insert a comma in the correct place.
Ellie please close the window.
Show answer
Ellie is being spoken to (direct address), so her name is separated from the command: Ellie, please close the window.
Q4.3 Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences.
(a) My sister, who lives in Leeds, is a nurse.
(b) My sister who lives in Leeds is a nurse.
Show answer
In (a), the relative clause is extra information, so the writer probably has only one sister. In (b), the relative clause tells us which sister is meant, so the writer probably has more than one sister.
Q4.4 Which sentence tells us that every pupil ran the race? Tick one.
☐ The pupils, who had run the race, were tired.
☐ The pupils who had run the race were tired.
Show answer
The commas make the relative clause extra information about all the pupils. Without commas, it picks out only the pupils who ran: The pupils, who had run the race, were tired.
Q4.5 Tick the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
☐ Mum, said that dinner was ready.
☐ ‘Dinner is ready, Tom,’ said Mum.
☐ ‘Dinner is ready Tom,’ said Mum.
☐ ‘Dinner, is ready Tom’ said Mum.
Show answer
Tom is being spoken to, so his name needs a comma before it, and a comma goes before the closing inverted comma: ‘Dinner is ready, Tom,’ said Mum.
Q4.6 Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences.
(a) Charlie, the dog needs a walk.
(b) Charlie the dog needs a walk.
Show answer
In (a), someone called Charlie is being told that the dog needs a walk. In (b), the dog is called Charlie, and it needs a walk.
Q4.7 Ayo bought cheese sandwiches chocolate cake and lemonade.
(a) Insert commas so that Ayo bought five separate things.
(b) Insert one comma so that Ayo bought three things.
Show answer
(a) Every food word becomes its own item. (b) The two expanded noun phrases stay together: (a) Ayo bought cheese, sandwiches, chocolate, cake and lemonade. (b) Ayo bought cheese sandwiches, chocolate cake and lemonade.
Q4.8 Which sentence is punctuated correctly? Tick one.
☐ However, the shop, which sells comics was shut.
☐ However the shop, which sells comics, was shut.
☐ However, the shop, which sells comics, was shut.
☐ However, the shop which sells comics, was shut.
Show answer
It needs a comma after the fronted adverbial However and a pair of commas around the relative clause: However, the shop, which sells comics, was shut.
Q4.9 Explain why the comma in this sentence is wrong.
The boy in the red coat, ran across the field.
Show answer
The comma separates the subject (The boy in the red coat) from its verb (ran). A single comma should not come between a subject and its verb.
Q4.10 Insert a comma in two different places to give two different meanings. Explain each meaning.
Inside the cave explorers found ancient paintings.
Show answer
Inside the cave, explorers found ancient paintings. means some explorers found paintings inside the cave. Inside, the cave explorers found ancient paintings. means people who explore caves found paintings when they went inside.