11 Plus Exams Forum

My son will be sitting a GL Assessment multiple choice exam this sept. He really struggles to spot punctation mistakes in a paragraph and is loosing a lot of marks on this section of the GL Assessment papers. He seems to have reasonable understanding of punctation but just cannot spot the mistakes. It is very frustrating! We have already done pack1 of GL Assessment and I want to save pack 2 until closer to the time. Does anybody know of any other books that have 'spot the mistake' style questions in them? I have tried bonds no nonsense English, it did have a small section in it.

This is a really good section to pick up marks, not lose them, as there are only a small amount of mistakes that there could be.

I find students always do badly in this section when they first do it as they rush to N too quickly.

Tell him to assume there is a mistake, not to assume there is not as mostly there is only one N in this section.

First Past the post English MC that can be bought in the forum shop also has this section but it is very easy to make up your own sentences with punctuation mistakes.

If this is a section where he is losing marks then you are absolutely right to focus on it until he understands how to do it.

Rushing this section could be the difference between getting a good enough score and being on the waiting list. DG

moominmomma wrote: He really struggles to spot punctation mistakes in a paragraph and is loosing a lot of marks on this section of the GL Assessment papers.

I think you mean "losing".

as you were.

Daogroupie wrote:This is a really good section to pick up marks, not lose them, as there are only a small amount of mistakes that there could be.

I find students always do badly in this section when they first do it as they rush to N too quickly.

Tell him to assume there is a mistake, not to assume there is not as mostly there is only one N in this section.

First Past the post English MC that can be bought in the forum shop also has this section but it is very easy to make up your own sentences with punctuation mistakes.

If this is a section where he is losing marks then you are absolutely right to focus on it until he understands how to do it.

Rushing this section could be the difference between getting a good enough score and being on the waiting list. DG

Ah yes! he does default to choosing 'N' too often. Good tip - I will explain to him that the N will prob only be used once, and I will buy the book you mentioned from the forum.
I dare not make my own questions for him to answer because my own knowledge of grammar is very poor (as you can probably see). I am actually working my way through a cgp book aimed at primary school children and I am finding it incredibly hard!
We actually are not an academic family but school have suggested we try him for the 11plus. God knows where he inherited his brains from! He does well in his maths practice papers (85%) , reasonably well on vr (80%) but shocking on English (60%) and I know this is not enough for a pass. Thank you for your advice.

piggys wrote:

moominmomma wrote: He really struggles to spot punctation mistakes in a paragraph and is loosing a lot of marks on this section of the GL Assessment papers.

I think you mean "losing".

as you were.

My grammar and spelling skills are shocking. Thank god you don't need to see my handwriting either

moominmomma wrote:

piggys wrote:

moominmomma wrote: He really struggles to spot punctation mistakes in a paragraph and is loosing a lot of marks on this section of the GL Assessment papers.

I think you mean "losing".

as you were.

My grammar and spelling skills are shocking. Thank god you don't need to see my handwriting either

Also just to point out that punctuation mistakes in this section includes use of capital letters, I have seen several questions in books were the name of a place started with a small letter and that was the error.