Punctuation is tested in every 11+ English paper, either directly in SPaG questions or indirectly through the writing exercise. The 11+ doesn't require children to know every advanced rule — but the basics need to be solid.
The non-negotiable list
1. Full stops, capitals, question and exclamation marks
Trivial but losses here cost more marks than children realise. Every sentence ends with one of these four marks. Every sentence begins with a capital. Every proper noun has a capital. Common error: comma splices ("I went home, I ate dinner").
2. Apostrophes — contractions
"It's" = "it is". "Don't" = "do not". The apostrophe replaces the missing letters. Memorise these contractions: can't, won't, shouldn't, don't, isn't, aren't, hasn't, hadn't.
3. Apostrophes — possession
"The boy's bicycle" = the bicycle that belongs to the boy. Singular possession: 's. Plural ending in s: just '. "The boys' bicycles" = the bicycles of multiple boys.
4. Commas
Use commas: in lists (apples, pears, oranges), after fronted adverbials (After dinner, we went out), and to separate clauses with conjunctions (I was tired, but I kept walking). DO NOT use a comma between two independent sentences without a conjunction.
5. Speech marks
Open quote, capital first word of speech, full stop or comma INSIDE the closing quote, then he said/she asked. "I'll be home soon," said Maria. Important — comma goes inside the speech marks before he said/she said.
The "must memorise" eight
If your child has these eight rules solid, they'll score above the 80th percentile in 11+ punctuation:
- Apostrophe for it's vs its (its = possessive, no apostrophe).
- Apostrophe for the children's, the men's, the people's (irregular plurals — 's).
- Comma between adjectives of the same type (a tall, dark stranger).
- Semicolon between linked sentences (I went home; I ate dinner).
- Colon to introduce a list or explanation (I need three things: bread, butter and jam).
- Brackets or dashes for parenthetical clauses (My uncle — who lives in France — visited).
- Ellipses for trailing speech (I wonder…).
- Hyphens in compound adjectives (a well-known author).
Quest Arena's English worksheets include a 50-worksheet punctuation drill set.