Grammar & Punctuation

75 Skills in English. 55 are ready to try — three verified questions each, no account needed.

Ready to try

Ages 4–6
Building sentences
Understand that words combine to make sentences — a sentence expresses a complete thought; produce and expand complete sentences in speech and writing
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 4–6
Spaces Between Words
Separate words with spaces in writing; understand that spaces mark word boundaries in print
16 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 5–6
Question Words
Understand and use question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) to form and answer questions
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 5–6
Regular Plural Nouns
Form and use regular plural nouns orally and in writing by adding -s or -es; understand that plural means more than one
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 5–8
Starting and Ending Sentences
Begin sentences with a capital letter and end them with the appropriate mark (full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark); recognise and name end punctuation
14 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–7
Apostrophes: Contraction and Possession
Use apostrophes in writing for both contraction (marking omitted letters) and singular possession, distinguishing the two uses
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–11
Commas in lists
Use commas to separate items in a list within a sentence (e.g., 'I bought apples, bananas, and oranges')
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–7
Determiners and articles
Use determiners (articles a/an/the and demonstratives this/that/these/those) correctly before nouns
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–7
Expanded noun phrases
Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify, adding adjectives and other modifiers before a noun (e.g., 'the blue butterfly', 'the old, creaky door')
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–7
Grammar Terms: Nouns, Verbs and Tense
Use and understand Year 2 grammatical terminology in discussion: noun, noun phrase, statement, question, exclamation, command, compound, suffix, adjective, adverb, verb, tense (past/present), apostrophe, comma
11 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–9
Past, Present and Progressive Tense
Use verbs to convey past and present tense correctly and consistently, including the progressive form (e.g., she is drumming, he was shouting), understanding how tense indicates time
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–8
Adjectives vs adverbs
Use adjectives and adverbs correctly, choosing between them depending on whether a noun or verb/adjective is being modified (e.g., 'She ran quickly' vs 'She is quick')
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–8
Choosing A or An
Use the correct form of the indefinite article — 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–9
Grammar Terms: Clauses and Conjunctions
Use and understand Year 3 grammatical terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: preposition, conjunction, word family, prefix, clause, subordinate clause, direct speech, consonant letter, vowel letter, inverted commas/spe…
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–8
Irregular past tense verbs
Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs correctly (e.g., sat, hid, told, went, came, ran), recognising that these do not follow the regular -ed pattern
5 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–9
Irregular Plural Nouns
Form and use irregular plural nouns (e.g., children, teeth, mice, geese) in addition to regular plurals, recognising that some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow the -s/-es pattern
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–9
Pronouns for clarity
Choose pronouns for clarity and cohesion, avoiding ambiguity and repetition; use reflexive pronouns correctly (e.g., myself, ourselves, himself)
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–10
Punctuating Direct Speech
Punctuate direct speech using inverted commas (speech marks), understanding that direct speech records the exact words spoken and must be enclosed in punctuation marks
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–11
The Present Perfect Tense
Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the simple past tense, understanding how the present perfect indicates an action completed at an unspecified time or with ongoing relevance (e.g., 'He has gone out' vs 'He went out')
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Abstract nouns
Understand and use abstract nouns to name ideas, qualities, and states that cannot be perceived by the senses
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–10
Agreement in sentences
Ensure subject-verb agreement and pronoun-antecedent agreement within and across sentences
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–10
Expanded noun phrases (age 8+)
Expand noun phrases with modifying adjectives, nouns, and preposition phrases to add detail
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Fronted Adverbials and Commas
Use fronted adverbials to vary sentence openings and punctuate them with commas
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Grammar Terms: Pronouns and Determiners
Know and use Year 4 grammar terminology including determiner, pronoun, possessive pronoun, and adverbial
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Plural vs Possessive in Nouns
Distinguish between the plural -s suffix and the possessive -'s suffix in nouns
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Simple Past, Present and Future
Form and use the simple past, present, and future verb tenses consistently in writing
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Standard English Verbs
Use Standard English verb inflections in place of non-standard local forms
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Brackets and dashes for parenthesis
Use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis — additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the sentence's core meaning
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–11
Cohesion within paragraphs
Use cohesive devices within a paragraph — including pronouns, adverbials (then, after that, firstly), and synonyms — to link sentences and build a coherent flow of ideas
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–11
Commas Before Joining Words
Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet) when joining two independent clauses in a compound sentence
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Converting Words into Verbs
Convert nouns and adjectives into verbs by adding suffixes -ate, -ise (-ize), and -ify, understanding how word class changes affect sentence construction
11 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Expanded noun phrases (age 9+)
Form and use prepositional phrases (preposition + noun phrase) to add detail about time, location, or direction within sentences, recognising how they function as adjective or adverb phrases
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Fixing Fragments & Run-Ons
Recognise and correct sentence fragments (incomplete sentences lacking a subject or predicate) and run-on sentences (two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions)
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Grammar Terms: Modal Verbs and Clauses
Know and use Year 5 grammar terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: modal verb, relative pronoun, relative clause, parenthesis, bracket, dash, cohesion, ambiguity
14 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Modal Verbs and Possibility
Understand and use modal verbs (can, may, must, might, shall, will, could, should, would) and modal adverbs (perhaps, surely, certainly) to indicate degrees of possibility, necessity, and permission
16 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Progressive and Continuous Tenses
Form and use the progressive (continuous) verb tenses — past progressive (was walking), present progressive (am walking), and future progressive (will be walking) — to convey ongoing actions at different times
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Verb Prefixes and Meaning
Use verb prefixes (dis-, de-, mis-, over-, re-) to change verb meaning, understanding how each prefix modifies the action expressed by the root verb
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Active and passive voice
Use the passive voice to shift focus from the agent to the action or recipient, understanding how passive constructions affect the presentation of information in formal and objective writing
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Choosing Tenses for Precise Meaning
Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions, selecting tenses deliberately to express the precise timing and nature of actions and events
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Commas After Introductory Elements
Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence, including introductory words, phrases, and clauses
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Commas with yes, no, and names
Use commas to set off the words yes and no, to set off tag questions, and to indicate direct address in sentences
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Conjunctions, Prepositions and Interjections
Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and in particular sentences, understanding how each word class contributes to meaning
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Consistent verb tense
Recognise and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense within and across sentences and paragraphs, maintaining consistency unless a shift is required by meaning
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Correlative Conjunctions
Use correlative conjunctions correctly in sentences, pairing words such as either/or, neither/nor, both/and, not only/but also, and whether/or
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Grammar Terms: Voice and Punctuation
Know and use Year 6 grammatical terminology accurately: subject, object, active voice, passive voice, synonym, antonym, ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon, bullet points
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Hyphens in Prefixed Words
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity in compound modifiers and prefixed words, distinguishing between meanings that change based on hyphen placement
12 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Paragraph Cohesion
Link ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices including word repetition, grammatical connections such as adverbials, and ellipsis to create coherent extended texts
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Punctuating Titles of Works
Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works, applying conventions for different types of works such as books, stories, poems, songs, and articles
6 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
The subjunctive mood
Use the subjunctive form in formal writing and speech to express wishes, demands, suggestions, or hypothetical situations (e.g., 'If I were you', 'I suggest that he go', 'Were they to arrive')
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–14
Advanced Punctuation for Clarity
Use punctuation confidently and accurately for effect and clarity — including semicolons to link related clauses, colons to introduce lists or explanations, dashes and parentheses for parenthetical information, ellipsis for omission or sus…
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–14
Grammar for Effect
Analyse the effectiveness and impact of grammatical features in texts read — understanding how authors make deliberate grammatical choices (sentence length, passive voice, fronted adverbials, listing) to create specific effects on the read…
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–14
Literary and Language Terminology
Discuss reading, writing, and spoken language with precise and confident use of linguistic and literary terminology — including terms for word classes, sentence types, clause types, literary devices, and text-level features
11 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–13
Phrases & Clauses
Understand and analyse the function of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, prepositional) and clauses (main, subordinate, relative) in general and in specific sentences, including recognising and correcting misplaced and dangling m…
15 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–13
Standard English
Know and understand the differences between spoken and written language — including differences in formality, register, grammar, and vocabulary — and between Standard English and other varieties of English, using Standard English confident…
29 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 12–14
Verb Voice and Mood
Understand and use active and passive voice deliberately, and recognise verb moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive, conditional) and their effects — choosing the appropriate voice and mood for purpose and audience
30 verified questions on this shelf

Being planted

These Skills are on the map, but their questions are still being written and checked.

Ages 5–6
Basic Nouns & Verbs
Coming soon
Ages 5–7
Capitals for Names, Days and I
Coming soon
Ages 5–6
Grammar words: letter, word, sentence
Coming soon
Ages 5–7
Joining Words with 'And'
Coming soon
Ages 5–7
Prepositions
Coming soon
Ages 6–7
Four Types of Sentences
Coming soon
Ages 6–7
Pronouns
Coming soon
Ages 6–7
Subject-verb agreement
Coming soon
Ages 6–9
Subordinate clauses
Coming soon
Ages 7–8
Expressing Time, Place and Cause
Coming soon
Ages 8–9
Comparatives & Superlatives
Coming soon
Ages 9–10
Adjective Order in Sentences
Coming soon
Ages 9–10
Commas to avoid ambiguity
Coming soon
Ages 9–11
Linking paragraphs with adverbials
Coming soon
Ages 9–10
Relative Clauses
Coming soon
Ages 10–11
Bullet Point Punctuation
Coming soon
Ages 10–11
Colons and Semicolons in Lists
Coming soon
Ages 10–11
Punctuating Clauses
Coming soon
Ages 10–11
Varying Sentence Structure
Coming soon
Ages 11–14
Types of Sentences
Coming soon

Skill names and descriptions include the Marble Skill Taxonomy © Generative Spark, Inc. (withmarble.com), licensed under ODbL 1.0 (database) and CC BY-SA 4.0 (content). Practice questions are GlowGrades's own, each checked by independent verifiers that must agree before a child ever sees it.