Can you spell as well as an 11-year-old? Test your spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge!

Curriculum changes mean that both Primary and Secondary schools are renewing their focus on spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

For primary schools, from summer 2013 year 6 children will sit an English grammar, punctuation, and spelling test, which will assess each child’s English skills in four key areas: Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, and Vocabulary.

In secondary schools, pupils’ GCSE grades now depend, in part, on their ability to write grammatically, use punctuation correctly, and spell accurately. This applies to grades in English Literature, History, Geography, and Religious Studies. 5% of total marks in these subjects will be for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

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Our challenge to you

How well do you think you would you do in a spelling, punctuation, and grammar test? We’ve compiled a short quiz with the kinds of questions children at the end of Key Stage 2 (end of primary school) will be asked.

 

Spelling

1.       Which is the correct spelling of the following?

a) accomodate                            b) acommodate                 c) accommodate

a) apparent                                 b) aparrent                         c) apparrent

a) rhythm                                    b) ryhthm                           c) ryhthum

a) embbarass                             b) embarass                        c) embarrass

a) tomorrow                              b) tommorrow                    c) tomorow

 

2.       Find a homophone for:

fair

great

grown

hear

 

3.       Give the correct spelling of the missing word in the following sentences:

a)      You can return the item if you still have your ………………………. (reciept/receipt) .

b)      My sister’s son is my nephew and her daughter is my ………………………………… (niece/neice) .

c)       Darwin wrote about the theory of evolution in his book, The Origin of the ………………………….. (species/speceis) .

 

 

Punctuation

Put in an apostrophe where appropriate:

  1. the girls dress

  2. The girls laughed.

  3. James hat

  4. Its raining again.

  5. Its tail is fluffy.

  6. Its past 10p.m.

  7. Cauliflowers are reduced to half price.

  8. Youre joking.

 

 

Grammar                                                

1.       Identify one relative pronoun and one possessive pronoun in the following sentence:

Fido picked up his bone, which was under his nose, and trotted away to bury it.

 

2.       Is the following sentence in the active voice or the passive voice?

The greenhouse was smashed to smithereens by our football.

 

3.       Match the verbs to the correct types:

  1. to walk                 auxiliary

  2. am                        modal

  3. will                       infinitive

 

4.       Identify the following nouns as common, proper, abstract, or collective:

  1. idea

  2. Prince William

  3. peas

  4. herd

 

5.       Find the adverbs in the following sentences:

  1. She hurriedly picked up her bag, and left as fast as she could.

  2. She ran often, usually taking a challenging route which included several steep hills.

  3. Recklessly, they threw their homework out of the bus window on the last day of term.

 

End of test!

How did you do? Do let us know in the comments box below.

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Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling DictionaryOxford School Spelling Punctuation and Grammar Dictionary

If you didn’t get full marks, you may need to grab a copy of our new Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary. It contains common tricky words targeting the top misspelt words used by primary school children, and a full colour section with grammar, punctuation and spelling terms and rules.

Our Oxford School Spelling Punctuation and Grammar Dictionary, for secondary school pupils, publishes in August.

11 thoughts on “Can you spell as well as an 11-year-old? Test your spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge!

  1. Answers to our spelling, punctuation and grammar quiz are below if you’d like to check that you got the right answers!

    Spelling

    Correct spellings
    1c
    2a
    3a
    4c
    5a

    Homophones
    Fare
    Grate
    Groan
    Here

    Correct spelling
    Receipt
    Niece
    Species

    Punctuation
    1. The girl’s dress
    2. None
    3. James’ hat
    4. It’s raining again
    5. None
    6. It’s past 10pm
    7. None
    8. You’re

    Grammar
    1. Relative pronoun: which. Possessive prounoun: his
    2. Passive voice
    3. To walk = infinitive, am = auxiliary, will =modal
    4. Idea = abstract noun, Prince William = proper noun, peas = common noun, herd = collective noun
    5. Adverbs
    a. Hurriedly or fast
    b. Usually or often
    c. Recklessly

    Hope that you got full marks!

    • Jane Sandell says:

      I did! I’m very relieved about that as I have a degree in English Language!! I’m pleased that children are being taught this again. At Glasgow University in 1986, I was one of 10 people in my 162 member class in first year English Language who’d been taught any grammar at school.

      • Marwa says:

        i will be sitting my sats test spag today wish me luck everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

    • Just an 11-year-old says:

      Go me! Full marks!

  2. Carla-Marie Block says:

    I did very well I’m glad I tried it! Xx

  3. Ellie Mae says:

    Yep I got full marks and it really helped because I’m doing my grammar sats in 5 days! Thank you!!

  4. pstpierre says:

    I am 70 plus years and I did get 3 wrong. Basically, I think I did okay.

  5. Emma says:

    I am an 11 year old, I got them all right!

  6. Dena --out of school 40 years says:

    types of verbs– all mixed up

  7. dua says:

    iam 11 years old and I got all off them right
    dua

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