Spelling and Grammar Tips Tricky Spellings Word Remember Word Remember Accommodation double C double M Achieve I before E Across think A and CROSS Appear think APP and EAR Autumn ends in MN Basically ends in ICALLY Beginning double N before the ING Believe there is a LIE in ‘Believe’ Business remember SIN Calendar remember A E A Cemetery 3 Es – EEEK! Character 2 Cs, 2 As, 2 Rs and an unexpected H! Coming lose the E Completely learn the ending first: ETELY Conscience ends in SCIENCE Definitely say AYE in definItely Describe remember E I E Disappear 1 S 2 Ps Disappoint 1 S 2 Ps Embarrass double R double S Especially double L Exaggerate remember AGGER Experience I before E February 2 Rs Finally double L Forty begins with FOR not FOUR Friend FRI is the friendly END of the Government remember NM week Grammar 2 Ms 2 Rs 2 As and a G Happened double P Height unusually E before I and GHT Immediately double M and remember ATELY Independent 3 Es Intelligent double L and ends in GENT Interrupt double R Knowledge 2 words KNOW and LEDGE Library 2 Rs Length remember GTH Loneliness remember Y changes to I Making lose the E Meat EAT MEAT Necessary Never Eat Chips Eat Sensible Salads Always Occasion 2 Cs 1 S Peace peAce not wAr Piece I before E (piece of pie) Principal the school principal is your PAL Probably don’t forget the A Queue 2 Us 2 Es Receive E before I as in CEILING Rhythm Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move Sentence 3 Es 1 C Sincerely 2 words SINCE and RELY Stationary Means to remain still – Stationery pens, pencils, envelopes, etc. – think stAy think E is for Envelope Strength remember LENGTH Together TO GET HER Wednesday say it out in 3 parts WED NES Until only 1 L DAY © Gill Education SPELLING AND GRAMMAR TIPSD1 Useful Spelling Rules I before E friend thief niece believe chief field Except after C ceiling receive receipt deceive deceit Or when sounded like A neighbour weigh sleigh their freight heir neigh veil reign eight Exceptions to the Rule science weird height O U Lucky Duck Often misspelt endings ELY I SHOULD spell correctly Completely I WOULD if I COULD Definitely Extremely Immediately Lonely Lovely I Owe U Help with Homonyms Anxious You HEAR with your EAR Atrocious A PRINCIPAL is a person of PRINCIPLE Curious WHICH WITCH wore the tallest hat? Delicious Bring TWO jumpers TO the beach in case it’s Furious TOO cold Obvious Serious Suspicious Superstitious Exercise – Homophones Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of homophones. The waiter brought t__________ glasses t__________ the table, but as I was alone it was t__________ many. Now write your own example to show the difference. D2 FIRE AND ICE SERIES © Gill Education They left ___________________ luggage over ___________________. Now write your own example to show the difference. We will swim ___________________ the ___________________ is hot or not. Now write your own example to show the difference. Our ___________________ is a headmaster with strict ___________________s. Now write your own example to show the difference. I felt a sharp ___________________ as my hand went through the ___________________ of glass. Now write your own example to show the difference. It’s ___________________ cold ___________________ take the baby for a walk ___________________ the park. Now write your own example to show the difference. When to use ‘practice’ and ‘practise’ ‘Practice’, with a c, is a noun. ‘Practise’, with an s, is a verb. One way to remember this is that ‘noun’ comes before ‘verb’ in the dictionary, just as c comes before s in the dictionary. So the noun is practice, e.g. the dentist’s practice; practice makes perfect; you will get better at writing through daily practice. The verb is practise, e.g. practise writing good opening sentences; she practised her song all day; he went out to practise his football skills. © Gill Education SPELLING AND GRAMMAR TIPSD3 Plurals Most nouns add S to make the plural ................................................ boys girls teachers students Nouns ending in X S SH or CH add ES ............................................ boxes ashes lunches buses Nouns ending in F change to VES .................................................... calves knives loaves wives Nouns ending in Y change to IES ..................................................... story ➜ stories family ➜ families Nouns ending in EY, OY, or AY add S ............................................... storey ➜ storeys (of a building) ...................................................... valley ➜ valleys ...................................................... holiday ➜ holidays ...................................................... key ➜ keys ...................................................... toy ➜ toys Nouns ending in O are tricky! Most of them add ES ..................... potato ➜ potatoes ...................................................... hero ➜ heroes ...................................................... tomato ➜ tomatoes But! Words that are abbreviations, such as video or photo, just add s ..... videos photos Compound Words (single words composed of two or more words) add the S to only one word ..... mothers-in law sons-in-law passers-by roller-coasters commanders-in-chief Remember Simple plurals do not need apostrophes. Exercise – Plurals Create the plural of the following nouns. glass: trolley: fox: berry: tax: city: shelf: thief: half: leaf: wolf: lorry: sandwich: company: baby: injury: donkey: life: volcano: echo: journey: daughter-in-law: D4 FIRE AND ICE SERIES © Gill Education Apostrophes An apostrophe (’) is used to indicate possession (Isabelle’s cat) or to indicate missing letters or numbers (He’s gone/1 Jan. ’17). Simple plurals do not use apostrophes .......................... companies, families, supermarkets, schools. Put the apostrophe after the s when the possessive noun is plural. The players’ dressing room The boys’ changing room The girls’ school If the plural possessive noun does not end in s then add ’s The children’s playground The people’s republic The sheep’s pen Exercise – Apostrophes Put the apostrophe in the right place. 1. The murderers thumbprint was on the victims throat. 2. Emilys scarf was lost at Mollys party. 3. The presidents speech was heard at the peoples meeting. 4. My sisters friend got lost at the universitys open day. 5. The schools new laboratory will be opened by the boards chairperson. 6. The students lockers are behind the principals office. 7. The referees whistle is in the players dressing room. 8. Witches hats are black and chefs hats are white. 9. Sheeps heads are usually white, but can sometimes be black. 10. The childrens party was cancelled. ‘It’s’ and ‘Its’ We encounter the words ‘it’s’ and ‘its’ in our speaking and writing, but many people often don’t know which is the right one to use when writing. There is only one way to use them (and it’s slightly confusing after what you have just learned): It’s is the shortened form of ‘it is’. The ’ is in place of the missing letter ‘i’ of ‘is’ Its indicates possession. You only ever use an apostrophe in ‘it’s’ when you are trying to say ‘it is’: It’s a lovely day It’s going to be a very long journey Otherwise, use ‘its’ without an apostrophe in your writing. © Gill Education SPELLING AND GRAMMAR TIPSD5 To know exactly whether you should use it’s or its in your writing, a simple trick is to try saying the sentence in your head first using ‘it is’. If it makes sense, use ‘it’s’; otherwise, use ‘its’. The dog stayed in it’s kennel all night The dog stayed in [it is] kennel all night ✘ The class really enjoyed it’s school trip The class really enjoyed [it is] school trip ✘ Deleting Twitter will also delete all of it’s data Deleting Twitter will also delete all of [it is] data ✘ Read these correct examples. It’s a great day for surfing It’s too cold to swim It’s too much trouble The milk is past its sell-by date The dog is in its kennel The key is on its hook Exercise – It’s and Its Fill in ‘it’s or ‘its’ as appropriate in the following sentences. 1. The cat held the dead mouse in _________________ mouth. 2. _________________ too wet to play on the pitch because _________________ been pelting rain all day. 3. _________________ very uncomfortable here and _________________ all your fault. 4. The dog wagged _________________ tail when it saw me. 5. The club rebuilt _________________ sports hall and asked _________________ members to pay higher fees. 6. When the budgie was sick it lost _________________ feathers. 7. The monkey lifted _________________ paw to swing from the branch. 8. Its been a great day but _________________ late and _________________ time to go home. 9. Each country has _________________ own customs. 10. _________________ very hard to know when to use the apostrophe but _________________ becoming clearer to me now. D6 FIRE AND ICE SERIES © Gill Education.