SPAG marks are the easiest 11 plus marks to lose and the easiest to win back. A stray apostrophe or a comma splice costs the same as a hard inference question — but it can be fixed with steady, targeted practice. Elevenplus FC covers 14 spelling, punctuation and grammar topics in the formats the 11+ uses.
The 14 SPAG topics in Elevenplus FC
Each topic has a learning mode that teaches the rule and a test mode with fresh questions every time, with difficulty that adapts to your child's answers.
The GL-style spot-the-mistake format
Many 11+ English papers, especially GL Assessment and the Kent Test, test spelling and punctuation by splitting a sentence into lettered sections:
A The childrens' coats B were hanging on C the hooks by the D classroom door. N no mistake
Answer: A — children is already plural, so the possessive is children's.
Elevenplus FC includes this lettered format for both spelling and punctuation, so the layout feels familiar long before exam day.
Grammar Decoder: any rule, explained simply
Not sure when to use a semicolon? What a fronted adverbial is? Your child can look up any grammar concept and get a plain-English rule, a memorable way to picture it, and a quick question to check they've got it. It's like having a patient English teacher on hand at homework time.
Mistakes become revision points
Every SPAG question your child gets wrong is logged in the Mistake Vault, which turns patterns into personalised revision points. The "Focus this week" card on the home screen then points them at their weakest topics — so practice time goes where it matters. After a wrong answer, a "Help me think" hint nudges them towards the rule rather than simply revealing the answer.
Five SPAG errors that cost 11+ marks
- Its / it's. It's only ever means "it is" or "it has".
- Plural possessives. The dogs' bowls (many dogs); the children's coats (irregular plural).
- Comma splices. "I was tired, I went to bed" needs a full stop, semicolon or conjunction.
- Direct speech punctuation. Punctuation goes inside the inverted commas: "Wait for me," she called.
- Homophones. There / their / they're; affect / effect; practice (noun) / practise (verb).
Also see our 11+ spelling list and grammar glossary. We cover these and fifteen more in common 11+ SPAG mistakes (and how to fix them).
Frequently asked questions
What does SPAG mean in the 11+?
SPAG stands for spelling, punctuation and grammar. In the 11+ it's tested directly — often as spot-the-mistake questions — and indirectly through the accuracy of a child's writing.
How is SPAG tested on GL Assessment papers?
GL-style English papers commonly show a sentence split into sections labelled A to D. The child chooses the section containing a spelling or punctuation mistake, or N if there is no mistake. Elevenplus FC includes this lettered spot-the-error format.
What grammar should my child know for the 11+?
The Key Stage 2 grammar curriculum is a good baseline: word classes, tenses, subject-verb agreement, pronouns, conjunctions and connectives, active and passive voice, and punctuation including apostrophes, commas, inverted commas, colons and semicolons. Selective schools expect it to be used accurately, not just recognised.
What is the Grammar Decoder?
A feature in Elevenplus FC that explains any grammar concept your child looks up with a plain-English rule, a memorable way to picture it, and a quick check question.