Skills - Writing: accurate Standard English: accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

The idea

This skill requires accurate Standard English: correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Spell common and complex words correctly, use punctuation like commas and apostrophes to clarify meaning, and write grammatically sound sentences. For example, distinguish between 'their/there/they're' and use apostrophes for possession, not plurals. Good grammar involves subject-verb agreement and consistent tense. In this specification, these skills (AO4) are assessed for technical accuracy in specific sections: Paper 1 Section A (Shakespeare) and Paper 2 Section A (Modern texts). Marks for technical accuracy are allocated to those sections, not to the 19th-century novel. Frequent errors can obscure your argument, so proofreading is essential to demonstrate control and secure these marks.

What earns the marks

• Accurate spelling includes correctly spelling common words and increasingly complex vocabulary, including subject-specific terms like 'soliloquy' or 'metaphor'.
• Accurate punctuation involves using full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, apostrophes and semicolons correctly to clarify meaning and structure sentences.
• Accurate grammar requires subject-verb agreement, consistent tense, correct pronoun use, and avoidance of sentence fragments or run-on sentences.
• Standard English means avoiding non-standard forms such as double negatives ('I don't know nothing') or incorrect verb forms ('we was').
• Control of writing is demonstrated when errors are rare and do not impede understanding; ambitious vocabulary and varied sentence structures are used accurately.
• AO4 is assessed for technical accuracy in Paper 1 Section A (Shakespeare) and Paper 2 Section A (Modern texts); do not assume it applies to every response.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing homophones such as 'their', 'there' and 'they're'.

  Put it right: Learn the meanings and practise using them in sentences.

• Misusing apostrophes for plurals (e.g., 'apple's' instead of 'apples').

  Put it right: Apostrophes show possession or omission, not plurals.

• Writing comma splices or run-on sentences.

  Put it right: Use full stops, semicolons or conjunctions to separate independent clauses.

• Inconsistent tense within a sentence or paragraph.

  Put it right: Proofread to ensure verbs stay in the same tense unless a shift is intentional.

• Assuming AO4 is assessed in every response, including the 19th-century novel.

  Put it right: Check the specification; AO4 is assessed in Paper 1 Section A (Shakespeare) and Paper 2 Section A (Modern texts).

Exam tips

• Leave five minutes at the end of the exam to proofread your work, focusing on spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• If unsure about a complex word, choose a simpler word you can spell correctly to maintain accuracy.
• Use a range of punctuation deliberately, such as semicolons to link related clauses or dashes for emphasis, but only if you are confident.
• Read your sentences aloud in your head to check for grammatical errors and clarity.