Punctuation questions test the vocabulary and precision an 11+ English paper is really examining. Here is what is being asked, how to reason it out rather than guess, and five worked examples with full explanations, rising in difficulty.
English · examined by GL and CEM · 5 worked examples
Where marks get lost: For apostrophes ask: is something MISSING (it's = it is) or does someone OWN it (the dog's lead)?
Every question below is generated by the same engine your child practises on, and every answer is derived by our checker rather than written by hand — which is why we can put them on a public page at all.
Example 1 · level 1 — a gentle start
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: “Run!” shouted Ben. — The speech mark closes after the punctuation, and the reporting clause is lower case.
Example 2 · level 2 — typical of early practice
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: Tom, Anna and Raj went home. — Names in a list take commas; the last two are joined by and.
Example 3 · level 3 — standard paper difficulty
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: The team's captain thanked the players' families. — One team, many players — the apostrophes fall either side of the s accordingly.
Example 4 · level 4 — a harder paper
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: Having finished, she closed the book. — An opening participle phrase is followed by a comma.
Example 5 · level 5 — the level that separates candidates
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: She asked whether we were ready. — A reported question is a statement, so it takes a full stop.
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