If your child focuses on a handful of grammar areas, they will cover the majority of the SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) marks on a typical 11+ paper. Grammar rarely appears as a huge standalone test; instead it is woven through short, fast sections — "find the error", "choose the correct word", "which of these is a verb?" — and through the writing task, where accurate punctuation quietly earns marks. This guide walks through the ten rules examiners return to again and again, the exact question formats they hide inside, and the traps that catch bright children who simply rush.
Where grammar shows up on the real paper
Most grammar regions now use GL Assessment papers, with Essex families sitting the CSSE exam and many independent schools using the ISEB Common Pre-Test. (You may still hear parents talk about CEM, but CEM discontinued its traditional 11+ papers around 2022–2023, and GL is now dominant.) In a GL English paper of roughly 50 minutes you can expect one comprehension passage plus short sections of about 8–10 questions each on spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. Grammar questions are usually multiple choice, answered on a separate OMR answer sheet, at a pace of about a minute per question. That speed is why recognising the rule instantly matters more than being able to explain it.
The ten most-tested grammar rules
Master these ten and you have covered the ground where most SPaG marks live:
- Subject-verb agreement — "each of the children was", not "were"; the subject is each, which is singular.
- Apostrophes for possession and contraction, especially the its vs it's trap.
- Commas in lists and after an introductory clause ("After the storm, we...").
- Speech punctuation — the end mark sits inside the speech marks: "Run!" she shouted.
- Tense consistency — don't drift from past to present inside one paragraph.
- Pronoun choice after prepositions — "between her and me", not "and I".
- Homophones — their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, practice/practise.
- Word classes — telling an adverb from an adjective at a glance.
- Comparatives and superlatives — better/best, not "more better" or "most best".
- Active vs passive voice — knowing who is doing the action.
Don't drill all ten at once. Pick the two your child gets wrong most often and spend a focused week on each, using our free grammar worksheets to check progress.
Apostrophes: the number-one error
Apostrophes cause more lost marks than any other rule, because they do two completely different jobs. Keep these four cases separate:
| Job | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contraction | Apostrophe replaces a missing letter | it's = it is; don't = do not |
| Singular possession | Add 's | the boy's bag (one boy) |
| Plural possession | Plural ending in s takes just an apostrophe | the boys' bags (many boys) |
| The big trap | its (belonging to it) has NO apostrophe | the dog wagged its tail |
The examiner's favourite trick is a sentence like "The team lost it's way." Because it's only ever means it is, that apostrophe is wrong — it should be its. Read the sentence with "it is" swapped in; if it sounds absurd, drop the apostrophe.
Parts of speech at a glance
GL loves a "which word is a [word class]?" question. Learn a quick spotting tip for each:
| Word class | Example | Spotting tip |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | castle, Sarah | a naming word; put "the" in front |
| Verb | sprint, is | a doing or being word |
| Adjective | ancient | describes a noun |
| Adverb | quickly | describes a verb; often ends -ly |
| Pronoun | she, they | replaces a noun |
| Preposition | under, before | shows position or time |
| Conjunction | and, because | joins two parts of a sentence |
| Determiner | the, some, my | comes before a noun to point it out |
Homophones worth memorising
These sound-alikes appear in both the grammar and spelling sections. A memory trick makes them stick:
- their / there / they're — "their" owns things; "there" is a place (like here); "they're" = they are.
- your / you're — "you're" = you are; if you can't swap in "you are", use your.
- practice / practise — the noun is practice (like ice); the verb is practise.
- to / too / two — too means "also" or "excessively"; two is the number.
- affect / effect — affect is usually the verb (an action), effect the noun (a result).
Grammar in the writing task
In continuous writing — descriptive pieces, story continuations, letters or diary entries for CSSE and independent schools — grammar is marked as accuracy. Examiners reward varied sentences, correct tense, controlled punctuation and clear paragraphs. The pet hates: no paragraphs, tenses that wander, missing speech punctuation, and rushed endings. A quick two-minute proofread at the end of the writing task recovers more marks than an extra sentence would earn. Our revision hub and timed mock papers let your child practise this under real exam pressure.
How to practise so it sticks
Short, frequent bursts beat long sessions. Try 10–15 minutes on one rule, then a self-marking drill so mistakes are corrected immediately. Because Quest Arena is free, you can loop worksheet, drill and timed mock without a paywall — see how it works or check the key 11+ dates to plan a term of practice. Remember that scores are standardised (age-adjusted, mean 100), so a slightly younger child is not penalised for their birth month.
Frequently asked questions
Is 11+ grammar multiple choice?
On GL papers, yes — grammar questions are answered by shading a letter on a separate OMR sheet. CSSE and some independent-school papers mix in written answers and mark grammar through the writing task.
Which grammar rule loses the most marks?
Apostrophes, closely followed by homophones like their/there/they're. Both are quick wins once the child has a reliable check to apply.
Does grammar matter in the writing task?
Very much. Accurate punctuation, consistent tense and clear paragraphs are all marked. A short proofread at the end is one of the most valuable exam habits your child can build.