Helpful Tips for English!
Poppin’ Punctuation
Punctuation is very important. It shows where your sentences begin and end and tells the reader how they should be read.
Super Sentences
To make your writing interesting, you will need to use a range of sentence structures including simple, compound and complex. These superheroes will guide you through forming these different types of sentences and more!
Name of clause / Description of the clause / An exampleEmbedded clause / This is put within a simple sentence and adds extra information to the noun. / Mighty Complex, who was dressed in red, flew to the rescue.
Adverbial phrase / The adverbial phrase adds when, where, why or how to the simple sentence. / In the laboratory, Dr Evil made his plans to rule the world!
Subordinating clause / The subordinating clause needs the main clause (simple sentence) to make sense. / Mighty Complex lives in Wyberton which is in Lincolnshire.
Writer’s Toolkit
Use these cards to help you make your writing more interesting and exciting for the reader. They will explain the meaning of the language feature and also give you examples of how to use them.
Text Type Tips!
Before you begin writing, use these cards to help you remember the features of the genre.
Top Tips!
Spelling is easy once you know how. Use these tips to help you.
1. If the sound is ay, use ei: neighbour, weigh.
In most other words, use ie: believe, relieve.
2. When the prefixes dis, mis, or over are added to a word, the spelling of the original word remains the same:
dissatisfy, misspell, overreach.
3. When the suffixes – ness or –ly are added to word, the spelling of the word remains the same: meanness, finally.
4. If a word ends in y, change the y to i before adding the suffix: heaviness, readiness.
5. When a word ends in e, drop the final e before a suffix beginning with a vowel: caring, writing.
When the word does not end in e, simply add the suffix: studying.
Keep the final e before a suffix beginning with a consonant: careful, careless.
There are some exceptions: argument, abridgement, acknowledgment.
6. Double the final consonant when adding a suffix to words of one syllable ending with a consonant: clap/ clapped,
shop/ shopped.
7. Double the final consonant when the accent falls on the last syllable of a word ending with a consonant: control/
controlling.
8. Supersede, exceed, proceed, and succeed. All other words end in – cede.
9. To form plurals: If the word ends with a consonant plus y, change the y to i and add es: baby/ babies, city/ cities.
10. When words ending in double l are used as prefixes or suffixes, drop and l: all/almost, full/skillful.