Understanding 11 plus English grammar can help children prepare for entrance exams by improving their knowledge of sentence structure, word classes, punctuation and correct language use. Grammar questions may ask pupils to identify errors, select the correct word or recognise how different parts of a sentence work together.

This guide explains the key grammar topics children should revise, provides clear examples and suggests practical ways to practise at home. The exact content of the 11+ English exam varies between schools and exam providers, so use this guide alongside the requirements for your child’s target schools.

11+ English Grammar: Rules, Examples & Practice

What Is 11+ English Grammar?

11+ English grammar covers the rules that govern how words, phrases and sentences are formed. Children may be tested on identifying word classes, choosing correct verb forms, recognising sentence structures and correcting grammatical errors.

Grammar is also important for reading comprehension and creative writing. Understanding how sentences work helps children interpret passages accurately and express their ideas clearly.

Key topics to revise include:

• Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
• Pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions and determiners.
• Sentence structure and types of sentences.
• Subject–verb agreement.
• Verb tenses.
• Singular and plural forms.
• Direct and indirect speech.
• Active and passive voice.
• Clauses and phrases.
• Punctuation and common grammatical errors.

Not every 11+ exam tests all these topics. Check the requirements for your child’s target schools and exam provider when planning revision.

1. Word Classes: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs

Word classes describe the roles words play in a sentence. Children should be able to identify common word classes and understand how they affect meaning.

Nouns

A noun names a person, place, object or idea.

Examples include:

• Person: teacher, doctor, child.
• Place: school, London, garden.
• Object: pencil, table, book.
• Idea: courage, happiness, freedom.

There are different types of nouns, including common nouns, proper nouns, abstract nouns and collective nouns.

Example: The team celebrated its victory.

Here, team is a collective noun because it refers to a group of people.

Verbs

A verb expresses an action, event or state.

Examples include run, think, write, be and seem.

Example: The children explored the forest.

The verb explored describes the action performed by the children.

Adjectives

An adjective describes a noun or pronoun.

Example: The exhausted runner crossed the finish line.

The adjective exhausted describes the runner.

Adverbs

An adverb can modify a verb, adjective or another adverb. It often explains how, when, where or to what extent something happens.

Example: The runner moved quickly.

The adverb quickly explains how the runner moved.

Other important word classes

Practice question: Identify the adjective and adverb in this sentence:

The cheerful girl answered the question confidently.

Answer: Cheerful is the adjective describing the girl, and confidently is the adverb describing how she answered.

2. Sentence Structure

A sentence needs to communicate a complete thought. Understanding sentence structure helps children recognise grammatical errors and write more clearly.

Simple sentences

A simple sentence contains one main clause.

Example: The dog barked.

The sentence contains a subject, the dog, and a verb, barked.

Compound sentences

A compound sentence joins two or more main clauses, often using a coordinating conjunction such as and, but or so.

Example: The sun was setting, but we continued walking.

Both parts can stand alone as complete sentences.

Complex sentences

A complex sentence contains a main clause and at least one subordinate clause.

Example: Although it was raining, the children continued playing.

The main clause is the children continued playing. The subordinate clause, Although it was raining, depends on the main clause to complete the meaning.

Common sentence errors

Sentence fragment: Because I was tired.

This is incomplete when used on its own in this context.

Corrected: I went to bed early because I was tired.

Run-on sentence: I finished my homework I went outside.

Corrected: I finished my homework, and then I went outside.

Children should practise identifying incomplete sentences, correcting run-on sentences and choosing appropriate conjunctions.

3. Subject–Verb Agreement

Subject–verb agreement means that the verb must agree with its subject in number and person.

Examples:

• The boy runs every morning.
• The boys run every morning.
• She has a new book.
• They have new books.

The subject determines which verb form is correct.

Common subject–verb agreement mistakes

Incorrect: The group of children are waiting outside.

Correct: The group of children is waiting outside.

In this sentence, group is the subject, so the singular verb is is used in standard British English.

Incorrect: Everyone have finished.

Correct: Everyone has finished.

Words such as everyone, everybody and each generally take singular verbs.

Practice question: Choose the correct verb.

The basket of apples (is / are) on the table.

Answer: Is. The subject is basket, which is singular. The word apples does not determine the verb.

4. Verb Tenses

Verb tenses indicate when an action or state takes place. Children should understand how to use common tenses consistently and recognise incorrect verb forms.

Present tense

The present tense can describe current actions, habits and general truths.

Example: She walks to school every day.

Past tense

The past tense describes actions or events that happened previously.

Example: She walked to school yesterday.

Future forms

Future meaning can be expressed in several ways, including will and going to.

Examples:

• She will visit her grandmother tomorrow.
• She is going to visit her grandmother tomorrow.

Perfect tenses

Perfect tenses connect one time to another.

Present perfect: I have completed my homework.

Past perfect: I had completed my homework before dinner.

Common tense errors

Incorrect: Yesterday, we go to the museum.

Correct: Yesterday, we went to the museum.

Incorrect: She has went home.

Correct: She has gone home.

Encourage your child to look for time indicators such as yesterday, already, since and tomorrow when choosing the appropriate verb form.

5. Singular and Plural Nouns

Singular nouns refer to one person, place or object, while plural nouns refer to more than one.

Many nouns form their plural by adding -s or -es.

Some plurals are irregular and must be learnt individually.

Common plural mistakes

Incorrect: Two childs were playing outside.

Correct: Two children were playing outside.

Incorrect: Three boxs were delivered.

Correct: Three boxes were delivered.

Children should also learn how apostrophes distinguish possession from ordinary plurals. For example, the girls’ bags means bags belonging to multiple girls, while the girl’s bag means a bag belonging to one girl.

6. Pronouns and Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns replace nouns or noun phrases to avoid repetition. They must be used clearly and consistently.

Common pronouns include:

• Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
• Object: me, him, her, us, them.
• Possessive: mine, yours, hers, ours, theirs.
• Reflexive: myself, yourself, themselves.

Example: Amelia picked up her book because she needed it for class.

The pronoun she refers to Amelia, while it refers to the book.

Common pronoun errors

Incorrect: Me and Tom went to the library.

Correct: Tom and I went to the library.

Incorrect: Each pupil must bring their book.

This construction is acceptable in modern standard English, where singular they is widely used. Children should follow the conventions expected by their school or assessment when a particular exercise tests a specific grammatical rule.

A useful rule is to check that the reader can tell exactly which person or thing each pronoun refers to.

7. Conjunctions and Prepositions

Conjunctions and prepositions help connect ideas and show relationships between words.

Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions include and, but and or. Subordinating conjunctions include because, although, while and unless.

Examples:

• I wanted to play, but it was raining.
• We stayed inside because it was cold.
• Although she was nervous, she answered the question.

Prepositions

Prepositions can show place, direction, time or other relationships.

Examples:

• The cat hid under the bed.
• We arrived before lunch.
• She walked through the gate.
• The book was beside the window.

Practice question: Complete the sentence with a suitable conjunction.

I took an umbrella ______ it was raining.

Answer: Because.

A different conjunction may also be possible if it creates a logical sentence, so encourage children to consider the meaning as well as the grammar.

8. Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech reports the exact words spoken by someone. Indirect speech reports what someone said without repeating their exact words.

Direct speech

Tom said, “I am tired.”

The speaker’s exact words appear inside quotation marks.

Indirect speech

Tom said that he was tired.

The words are reported rather than quoted directly, and the tense and pronouns may change depending on the context.

Punctuation rules for direct speech

In standard British English, common conventions include:

• Use quotation marks to show spoken words.
• Begin the spoken sentence with a capital letter.
• Use appropriate punctuation inside the quotation marks.
• Start a new paragraph when a different character speaks.

Example:

“Where are you going?” asked Mia.

“I am going to the library,” replied Sam.

Children should practise converting direct speech into indirect speech and punctuating dialogue correctly.

9. Active and Passive Voice

Voice describes the relationship between the subject and the action in a sentence.

Active voice

The subject performs the action.

Example: The teacher marked the homework.

The teacher is performing the action of marking.

Passive voice

The subject receives the action.

Example: The homework was marked by the teacher.

The homework receives the action.

The passive voice is often formed using a suitable form of be followed by a past participle.

Children should learn to recognise both forms and understand how changing the voice can shift the emphasis of a sentence.

Practice question: Change this sentence into the passive voice.

The gardener watered the plants.

Answer: The plants were watered by the gardener.

10. Clauses and Phrases

Understanding clauses and phrases helps children analyse sentences and use punctuation correctly.

Main clauses

A main clause can stand alone as a complete sentence.

Example: The children played outside.

Subordinate clauses

A subordinate clause depends on another clause to complete the meaning.

Example: Because the weather was warm, the children played outside.

Because the weather was warm is a subordinate clause.

Phrases

A phrase is a group of words that works together but does not form a complete clause on its own.

Examples:

• Under the old bridge.
• The extremely tall building.
• Running through the park.

Recognising the difference between a phrase and a clause helps children understand sentence structure and avoid incomplete sentences.