SPaG: spelling, punctuation and grammar across both papers

What you'll learn

Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) are assessed in both writing sections of Edexcel GCSE English Language — Paper 1 Section B and Paper 2 Section B — through Assessment Objective 6, which is worth 16 of the 40 marks in each section. That means 32 marks across the qualification depend partly on technical accuracy and range. This guide is a complete SPaG reference: the core punctuation marks and how to use them, common grammatical errors, spelling rules and the most frequently misspelt words, homophones, and a reliable proofreading routine. Every example was written for this guide.

Technical accuracy also makes your reading answers clearer. Good SPaG lets examiners focus on your ideas rather than being distracted by errors.

Key terms and definitions

Spelling — Writing words with the correct letters.

Punctuation — Marks that organise writing and clarify meaning.

Grammar — The rules for how words combine into sentences.

Clause — A group of words containing a verb; a main clause makes sense on its own.

Subject–verb agreement — Matching the verb to its subject in number ("she runs", "they run").

Homophone — A word that sounds like another but differs in spelling and meaning.

Prefix / suffix — Letters added to the start / end of a word.

Standard English — Conventional grammar expected in formal writing.

Proofreading — Checking writing for errors and improving it.

Core concepts

Sentence boundaries

Every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. The most common boundary error is the comma splice:

✗ The weather was terrible, we stayed indoors. ✓ The weather was terrible, so we stayed indoors. ✓ The weather was terrible. We stayed indoors. ✓ The weather was terrible; we stayed indoors.

Commas

Use commas to:

• separate items in a list: bread, milk, eggs and butter;
• follow an introductory phrase or clause: After the storm, the streets were silent.
• mark off extra information: My cousin, who lives in Leeds, is visiting.
• separate clauses joined by a conjunction where needed: It was late, but we kept walking.
• before or after direct speech: "Come here," she said.

Apostrophes

Omission: do not → don't; it is → it's; they are → they're.

Possession:

• singular owner: add 's — the dog's lead;
• plural owner ending in s: add ' — the dogs' leads;
• plural not ending in s: add 's — the children's books.

Never use apostrophes for ordinary plurals: "two coffees", not "two coffee's". Its (belonging to it) has no apostrophe; it's means "it is" or "it has".

Other punctuation

• Semicolon (;) — joins related main clauses: She trained daily; she won easily.
• Colon (:) — introduces a list, explanation or emphasis: He needed one thing: sleep.
• Dash (—) — adds emphasis or an aside: The answer was obvious — or so I thought.
• Brackets ( ) — add extra information: The museum (opened in 1902) is free.
• Speech marks — enclose direct speech, with punctuation inside: "Stop!" he shouted.
• Question marks — after direct questions only: "Where are you?" but not after reported questions: She asked where I was.
• Hyphens — join compound adjectives before nouns: a well-known writer.

Grammar essentials

Subject–verb agreement: ✓ Each of the students has a locker. ✓ The team is winning. (team as a single unit)

Tense consistency: don't switch between past and present unless deliberately changing time.

✗ She walked into the room and sees a stranger. ✓ She walked into the room and saw a stranger.

Standard English forms: ✗ We was late. ✓ We were late. ✗ I should of known. ✓ I should have known. ✗ Me and Sam went. ✓ Sam and I went. ✗ He done it. ✓ He did it.

Pronoun clarity: make sure "it", "they" and "this" clearly refer to something.

Homophones and confusing pairs

Spelling strategies

• Learn common tricky words: necessary, definitely, separate, embarrass, accommodation, government, environment, beginning, believe, receive, occurred, rhythm, conscience, conscious, persuade, argument, sincerely.
• Rules that help: "i before e except after c" when the sound is "ee" (receive, but science is an exception); double the final consonant before adding -ed or -ing in short words with a short vowel (stop → stopped); drop the final e before -ing (make → making).
• Break words into parts: en-vir-on-ment, gov-ern-ment.
• Use mnemonics: "necessary — one collar, two sleeves" (one c, two s's).
• Only use ambitious words you can spell, or find a synonym.

Paragraphing

Start a new paragraph for a new time, place, topic, speaker or point. In writing tasks, paragraphs show organisation, which is rewarded under AO5 and helps clarity under AO6.

A proofreading routine

Leave five minutes at the end of each writing section and check, in this order:

1. Sentence boundaries — any comma splices or run-ons?
2. Apostrophes — its/it's, possessive plurals.
3. Homophones — there/their/they're, your/you're, to/too.
4. Tense and agreement — consistent?
5. Spellings of key and ambitious words.
6. Capital letters — names, places, sentence starts, "I".

Make corrections neatly: cross out with a single line and write the correction above.

Worked examples

All examples were written for this guide.

Example 1: Correcting a paragraph

Before: Their was alot of people at the concert, it was definatly the best night of my life, me and my freind's sang every song.

After: There were a lot of people at the concert. It was definitely the best night of my life: my friends and I sang every song.

Corrections: there/their; "a lot" as two words; comma splice fixed; "definitely" spelled correctly; "my friends and I"; "friends" without apostrophe; colon to introduce an explanation.

Example 2: Apostrophes

The teachers' meeting (several teachers) / the teacher's desk (one teacher) / the women's team (plural without s) / It's raining; the cat licked its paw.

Example 3: Range and accuracy together

Although the forecast had promised sunshine, the afternoon turned grey; by four o'clock, rain was hammering the tin roof — and we were still miles from home.

A complex sentence with a semicolon and a dash, accurately punctuated, shows both range and control.

Example 4: Quick-fire practice with answers

Correct each sentence (written for this guide).

1. The team played well, they won the cup. → The team played well, and they won the cup. (comma splice)
2. Its been a long day for the childrens choir. → It's been a long day for the children's choir.
3. We was going to go but there was to many people. → We were going to go, but there were too many people.
4. Your going to love they're new album. → You're going to love their new album.
5. i should of brought a coat → I should have brought a coat.
6. The effect of the storm's were terrible. → The effects of the storm were terrible.
7. Me and her went to the shop's. → She and I went to the shops.
8. "Wait" she said "I'm coming" → "Wait," she said. "I'm coming."

Ten words to learn this week

Grammar in Standard English: a summary

• Verb forms: we were (not we was); I did (not I done); they have gone (not they have went).
• "Should have", "could have", "would have" — never "of".
• Pronouns: Sam and I went (subject); for Sam and me (object).
• Fewer / less: fewer people (countable); less water (uncountable).
• Who / which: who for people, which for things.

Spelling, punctuation and grammar in reading answers

Although AO6 is only assessed in the writing sections, accurate writing in the reading questions makes your analysis clearer. Spell writers' names and key terms correctly (simile, metaphor, personification, juxtaposition), use quotation marks around quoted words, and write in full sentences so that examiners can follow your points.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Comma splices.
• Its/it's and other apostrophe errors.
• Homophone confusion.
• "Should of" instead of "should have".
• Lower-case "i" and missing capitals for names.
• "Alot" instead of "a lot".
• Leaving no time to proofread.

Commas in detail

Examples written for this guide.

1. Lists: We packed sandwiches, crisps, apples and water.
2. After an introductory word or phrase: However, the train was late. / After lunch, we left.
3. After a fronted subordinate clause: When the bell rang, everyone stood up.
4. Around extra (non-essential) information: My aunt, who lives in Cardiff, is a nurse.
5. Before a coordinating conjunction joining two main clauses (often): It was raining, but we went anyway.
6. With direct speech: "I'm tired," she said.
7. To avoid confusion: Let's eat, Grandma! (not "Let's eat Grandma!")
8. With adjectives of equal weight: a long, difficult journey.
9. Not between a subject and its verb: ✗ The boy in the blue coat, ran away. ✓ The boy in the blue coat ran away.
10. Never to join two complete sentences on its own — that is a comma splice.

Capital letters

Use capital letters for: the start of every sentence; the pronoun "I"; names of people, places, days, months, organisations and titles (Monday, March, Cardiff, the Royal Society, Mr Lee); and the first word of direct speech. Do not use them for seasons (summer) or for ordinary nouns in the middle of a sentence.

Sentence boundaries and paragraph boundaries

Just as a full stop marks the end of one idea within a paragraph, a new paragraph marks a new idea, time, place or speaker. In both writing sections, clear boundaries at both levels make your writing easier to follow and are rewarded in the mark schemes for organisation and accuracy.

Exam technique for "SPaG Across Both Papers"

• Remember AO6 is 16 marks in each writing section — 32 in total.
• Show range: varied sentences and a variety of punctuation used correctly.
• Prioritise accuracy over ambition when unsure.
• Use the proofreading routine in the final minutes.
• Write clearly in your reading answers too, so your points are easy to follow.

Quick revision summary

• Fix sentence boundaries; avoid comma splices.
• Use commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons, dashes and speech marks correctly.
• Keep subject–verb agreement and tense consistent; use Standard English forms.
• Learn homophones and commonly misspelt words.
• Paragraph for new time, place, topic, speaker or point.
• Proofread: boundaries, apostrophes, homophones, tense, spelling, capitals.