Key Stage 1
Outcomes
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Year 1
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Reading
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Word Reading
Pupils should revise and consolidate the GPCs and the common exception words taught in Reception. As soon as they can read words comprising the year 1 GPCs accurately and speedily, they should move on to the year 2 programme of study for word reading. The number, order and choice of exception words taught will vary according to the phonics programme being used. Ensuring that pupils are aware of the GPCs they contain, however unusual these are, supports spelling later. Young readers encounter words that they have not seen before much more frequently than experienced readers do, and they may not know the meaning of some of these. Practice at reading such words by sounding and blending can provide opportunities not only for pupils to develop confidence in their decoding skills, but also for teachers to explain the meaning and thus develop pupils' vocabulary. Pupils should be taught how to read words with suffixes by being helped to build on the root words that they can read already. Pupils' reading and re-reading of books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words supports their fluency, as well as increasing their confidence in their reading skills. Fluent word reading greatly assists comprehension, especially when pupils come to read longer books.
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Comprehension
Pupils should have extensive experience of listening to, sharing and discussing a wide range of high-quality books with the teacher, other adults and each other to engender a love of reading at the same time as they are reading independently. Pupils' vocabulary should be developed when they listen to books read aloud and when they discuss what they have heard. Such vocabulary can also feed into their writing. Knowing the meaning of more words increases pupils' chances of understanding when they read by themselves. The meaning of some new words should be introduced to pupils before they start to read on their own, so that these unknown words do not hold up their comprehension. However, once pupils have already decoded words successfully, the meaning of those that are new to them can be discussed with them, so contributing to developing their early skills of inference. By listening frequently to stories, poems and non-fiction that they cannot yet read for themselves, pupils begin to understand how written language can be structured in order, for example, to build surprise in narratives or to present facts in non-fiction. Listening to and discussing information books and other non-fiction establishes the foundations for their learning in other subjects. Pupils should be shown some of the processes for finding out information. Through listening, pupils also start to learn how language sounds and increase their vocabulary and awareness of grammatical structures. In due course, they will be able to draw on such grammar in their own writing. Rules for effective discussions should be agreed with and demonstrated for pupils. They should help to develop and evaluate them, with the expectation that everyone takes part. Pupils should be helped to consider the opinions of others. Role-play can help pupils to identify with and explore characters and to try out the language they have listened to.
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Word Reading
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Writing
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Transcription
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Spelling
Reading should be taught alongside spelling, so that pupils understand that they can read back words they have spelt. Pupils should be shown how to segment spoken words into individual phonemes and then how to represent the phonemes by the appropriate grapheme(s). It is important to recognise that phoneme-grapheme correspondences (which underpin spelling) are more variable than grapheme-phoneme correspondences (which underpin reading). For this reason, pupils need to do much more word-specific rehearsal for spelling than for reading. At this stage pupils will be spelling some words in a phonically plausible way, even if sometimes incorrectly. Misspellings of words that pupils have been taught to spell should be corrected; other misspelt words should be used to teach pupils about alternative ways of representing those sounds. Writing simple dictated sentences that include words taught so far gives pupils opportunities to apply and practise their spelling
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Spelling
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
Pupils should be taught to recognise sentence boundaries in spoken sentences and to use the vocabulary listed in English Appendix 2 ('Terminology for pupils') when their writing is discussed. Pupils should begin to use some of the distinctive features of Standard English in their writing. 'Standard English' is defined in the Glossary.
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Transcription
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Spelling
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Revision of Reception Work
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All letters of the alphabet and the sounds which they most commonly represent
Play Activities 151Examples
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Consonant digraphs which have been taught and the sounds which they represent
Examples
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The process of segmenting spoken words into sounds before choosing graphemes to represent the sounds
Examples
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The sounds /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/ and /k/ spelt ff, ll, ss, zz and ck
The /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/ and /k/ sounds are usually spelt as ff, ll, ss, zz and ck if they come straight after a single vowel letter in short words. Exceptions: if, pal, us, bus, yes. Example words: off, well, miss, buzz, backExamples
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Adding s and es to words (plural of nouns and the third person singular of verbs)
If the ending sounds like /s/ or /z/, it is spelt as -s. If the ending sounds like /ɪz/ and forms an extra syllable or 'beat' in the word, it is spelt as -es. Example words: cats, dogs, spends, rocks, thanks, catchesExamples
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Adding -er and -est to adjectives where no change is needed to the root word
As with verbs (see above), if the adjective ends in two consonant letters (the same or different), the ending is simply added on. Example words: grander, grandest, fresher, freshest, quicker, quickestExamples
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All letters of the alphabet and the sounds which they most commonly represent
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Vowel Digraphs & Trigraphs
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Ai, oi
The digraphs ai and oi are virtually never used at the end of English words. Example words: rain, wait, train, paid, afraid, oil, join, coin, point, soilExamples
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Ay, oy
Ay and oy are used for those sounds at the end of words and at the end of syllables. Example words: day, play, say, way, stay, boy, toy, enjoy, annoyExamples
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A-e
Example words: made, came, same, take, safeExamples
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I-e
Example words: five, ride, like, time, sideExamples
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O-e
Example words: home, those, woke, hope, holeExamples
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Ee
Example words: see, tree, green, meet, weekExamples
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Ea (/i:/)
Example words: sea, dream, meat, each, read (present tense)Examples
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Er (/ə/)
Example words: (unstressed schwa sound): better, under, summer, winter, sisterExamples
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Oo (/u:/)
Very few words end with the letters oo, although the few that do are often words that primary children in year 1 will encounter, for example, zoo. Example words: food, pool, moon, zoo, soonExamples
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Oo (/ʊ/)
Example words: book, took, foot, wood, goodExamples
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Oa
The digraph oa is very rare at the end of an English word. Example words: boat, coat, road, coach, goalExamples
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Ou
The only common English word ending in ou is you. Example words: out, about, mouth, around, soundExamples
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Ow (/aʊ/), ow (/əʊ/), ue, ew
Both the /u:/ and /ju:/ ('oo' and 'yoo') sounds can be spelt as u-e, ue and ew. If words end in the /oo/ sound, ue and ew are more common spellings than oo. Example words: now, how, brown, down, town, own, blow, snow, grow, show, blue, clue, true, rescue, Tuesday, new, few, grew, flew, drew, threwExamples
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Air
Example words: air, fair, pair, hair, chairExamples
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Ear
Example words: dear, hear, beard, near, yearExamples
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Words ending -y (/i:/ or /ɪ/)
Example words: very, happy, funny, party, familyExamples
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New consonant spellings ph and wh
The /f/ sound is not usually spelt as ph in short everyday words (e.g. fat, fill, fun). Example words: dolphin, alphabet, phonics, elephant, when, where, which, wheel, whileExamples
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Compound words
Compound words are two words joined together. Each part of the longer word is spelt as it would be if it were on its own. Example words: football, playground, farmyard, bedroom, blackberryExamples
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Ai, oi
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Revision of Reception Work
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Sentence
How words can combine to make sentences Joining words and joining clauses using andPlay Activities 186Examples
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Sentence
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Reading
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Year 2
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Reading
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Word Reading
Pupils should revise and consolidate the GPCs and the common exception words taught in year 1. The exception words taught will vary slightly, depending on the phonics programme being used. As soon as pupils can read words comprising the year 2 GPCs accurately and speedily, they should move on to the years 3 and 4 programme of study for word reading. When pupils are taught how to read longer words, they should be shown syllable boundaries and how to read each syllable separately before they combine them to read the word. Pupils should be taught how to read suffixes by building on the root words that they have already learnt. The whole suffix should be taught as well as the letters that make it up. Pupils who are still at the early stages of learning to read should have ample practice in reading books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge and knowledge of common exception words. As soon as the decoding of most regular words and common exception words is embedded fully, the range of books that pupils can read independently will expand rapidly. Pupils should have opportunities to exercise choice in selecting books and be taught how to do so.
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Continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
Play Activities 404Examples
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Read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes
Examples
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Read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above
Examples
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Read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, when they have been frequently encountered
Examples
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Continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
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Comprehension
Pupils should be encouraged to read all the words in a sentence and to do this accurately, so that their understanding of what they read is not hindered by imprecise decoding (for example, by reading 'place' instead of 'palace'). Pupils should monitor what they read, checking that the word they have decoded fits in with what else they have read and makes sense in the context of what they already know about the topic. The meaning of new words should be explained to pupils within the context of what they are reading, and they should be encouraged to use morphology (such as prefixes) to work out unknown words. Pupils should learn about cause and effect in both narrative and non-fiction (for example, what has prompted a character's behaviour in a story; why certain dates are commemorated annually). 'Thinking aloud' when reading to pupils may help them to understand what skilled readers do. Deliberate steps should be taken to increase pupils' vocabulary and their awareness of grammar so that they continue to understand the differences between spoken and written language. Discussion should be demonstrated to pupils. They should be guided to participate in it and they should be helped to consider the opinions of others. They should receive feedback on their discussions. Role-play and other drama techniques can help pupils to identify with and explore characters. In these ways, they extend their understanding of what they read and have opportunities to try out the language they have listened to.
- Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:
- Understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by:
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Explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves
Examples
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Word Reading
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Writing
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Transcription
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Spelling
In year 2, pupils move towards more word-specific knowledge of spelling, including homophones. The process of spelling should be emphasised: that is, that spelling involves segmenting spoken words into phonemes and then representing all the phonemes by graphemes in the right order. Pupils should do this both for single-syllable and multi-syllabic words. At this stage children's spelling should be phonically plausible, even if not always correct. Misspellings of words that pupils have been taught to spell should be corrected; other misspelt words can be used as an opportunity to teach pupils about alternative ways of representing those sounds. Pupils should be encouraged to apply their knowledge of suffixes from their word reading to their spelling. They should also draw from and apply their growing knowledge of word and spelling structure, as well as their knowledge of root words.
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Spell by:
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Segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
Play Activities 301Examples
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Learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones
Play Activities 107Examples
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Learning to spell common exception words
Examples
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Distinguishing between homophones and near-homophones
Examples
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Segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
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Add suffixes to spell longer words, including -ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -ly
Examples
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Apply spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English Appendix 1
Examples
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Spell by:
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Spelling
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
The terms for discussing language should be embedded for pupils in the course of discussing their writing with them. Their attention should be drawn to the technical terms they need to learn.
- Develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:
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Learn how to use:
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Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
Examples
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Expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]
Examples
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The present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form
Examples
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Subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)
Examples
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Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command
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Transcription
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Spelling
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New Work for Year 2
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The /dʒ/ sound spelt as ge and dge at the end of words, and sometimes spelt as g elsewhere in words before e, i and y
The letter j is never used for the /dʒ/ sound at the end of English words. At the end of a word, the /dʒ/ sound is spelt -dge straight after the /æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɒ/, /ʌ/ and /ʊ/ sounds (sometimes called 'short' vowels). Example words: badge, edge, bridge, dodge, fudge After all other sounds, whether vowels or consonants, the /dʒ/ sound is spelt as -ge at the end of a word. Example words: age, huge, change, charge, bulge, village In other positions in words, the /dʒ/ sound is often (but not always) spelt as g before e, i, and y. The /dʒ/ sound is always spelt as j before a, o and u. Example words: gem, giant, magic, giraffe, energy, jacket, jar, jog, join, adjustExamples
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The /s/ sound spelt c before e, i and y
Example words: race, ice, cell, city, fancyExamples
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The /n/ sound spelt kn and (less often) gn at the beginning of words
The 'k' and 'g' at the beginning of these words was sounded hundreds of years ago. Example words: knock, know, knee, gnat, gnawExamples
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The /r/ sound spelt wr at the beginning of words
This spelling probably also reflects an old pronunciation. Example words: write, written, wrote, wrong, wrapExamples
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The /aɪ/ sound spelt -y at the end of words
This is by far the most common spelling for this sound at the end of words. Example words: cry, fly, dry, try, reply, JulyExamples
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Adding -es to nouns and verbs ending in -y
The y is changed to i before -es is added. Example words: flies, tries, replies, copies, babies, carriesExamples
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Adding the endings -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -y to words ending in -e with a consonant before it
The -e at the end of the root word is dropped before -ing, -ed, -er, -est, -y or any other suffix beginning with a vowel letter is added. Exception: being. Example words: hiking, hiked, hiker, nicer, nicest, shinyExamples
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Adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -y to words of one syllable ending in a single consonant letter after a single vowel letter
The last consonant letter of the root word is doubled to keep the /æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɒ/ and /ʌ/ sound (i.e. to keep the vowel 'short'). Exception: The letter 'x' is never doubled: mixing, mixed, boxer, sixes. Example words: patting, patted, humming, hummed, dropping, dropped, sadder, saddest, fatter, fattest, runner, runnyExamples
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The /ɔ:/ sound spelt a before l and ll
The /ɔ:/ sound ('or') is usually spelt as a before l and ll. Example words: all, ball, call, walk, talk, alwaysExamples
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The /i:/ sound spelt -ey
The plural of these words is formed by the addition of -s (donkeys, monkeys, etc.). Example words: key, donkey, monkey, chimney, valleyExamples
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Contractions
In contractions, the apostrophe shows where a letter or letters would be if the words were written in full (e.g. can't - cannot). It's means it is (e.g. It's raining) or sometimes it has (e.g. It's been raining), but it's is never used for the possessive. Example words: can't, didn't, hasn't, couldn't, it's, I'llExamples
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Homophones and near-homophones
It is important to know the difference in meaning between homophones. Example words: there/their/they're, here/hear, quite/quiet, see/sea, bare/bear, one/won, sun/son, to/too/two, be/bee, blue/blew, night/knightExamples
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The /dʒ/ sound spelt as ge and dge at the end of words, and sometimes spelt as g elsewhere in words before e, i and y
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New Work for Year 2
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Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation
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Word
Formation of nouns using suffixes such as -ness, -er and by compounding [for example, whiteboard, superman] Formation of adjectives using suffixes such as -ful, -less (A fuller list of suffixes can be found on page 54 in the year 2 spelling section in English Appendix 1) Use of the suffixes -er, -est in adjectives and the use of -ly in Standard English to turn adjectives into adverbsExamples
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Sentence
Subordination (using when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (using or, and, but) Expanded noun phrases for description and specification [for example, the blue butterfly, plain flour, the man in the moon] How the grammatical patterns in a sentence indicate its function as a statement, question, exclamation or commandExamples
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Punctuation
Use of capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to demarcate sentences Commas to separate items in a list Apostrophes to mark where letters are missing in spelling and to mark singular possession in nouns [for example, the girl's name]Examples
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Terminology for Pupils
Noun, noun phrase Statement, question, exclamation, command Compound, suffix Adjective, adverb, verb Tense (past, present) Apostrophe, commaExamples
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Word
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Reading