SpaG: Improving your

overall grade
Objectives:
To improve our understanding of SpaG
criteria
To use SpaG to gain marks in the

exams


Outcomes:


 We will have developed our

sentence structure and punctuation
techniques to gain a higher grade
 GCSE Writing Skills


You gain marks in 2 ways for your



writing skills:


 Content & Organisation (18

marks)


&
 Spelling and Grammar (9 marks)
 Exam Marks
Coursework Paper 1 Paper 1 Paper 2 Paper 2
Original Section
ReadingA& Section
Writing B
to Section
ReadingA& Section
Writing B
to
Writing
20% analysing
20% argue,
20% analysing
20% inform,
20%
Media non-fiction persuade or Poetry from explain or
Prose texts. advise. Other describe
Shakespeare Cultures

Paper 1 Paper 2
O u r fo cu s Section B Section B
Writing to
Writing to
w illb e : argue, inform,
persuade or explain or
advise.
20% describe
20%
How you receive you marks
PAPER 1 SECTION B PAPER 2 SECTION B
27 marks 27 marks
Writing to ARGUE, Writing to INFORM,
PERSUADE
18 Content &&Organisation
ADVISE EXPLAIN
18 Content && DESCRIBE
Organisation
9 SpaG 9 SpaG
33% 33%
 Spelling & Grammar (SpAG)
Criteria
 6- 7 marks:
 - Uses sentence forms for effect
 - Generally secure in spelling
 - Generally secure in punctuation which
clarifies meaning & purpose


 8-9 marks:
 - Uses a full range of appropriate
sentence structures
 - achieves a high level of technical
accuracy in spelling
 - achieves a high level of technical
accuracy in punctuation
Today we will focus on the SpAG by


enhancing three sets of skills

assessed in the mark criteria:


MARK CRITERIA:


1)
 Varied sentence construction


2)
 Using punctuation to clarify
meaning


3)
 Accurate spelling
1)Sentence Openings
2)
3)Complex sentences
4)
5)Colons
6)
7)Semi Colons
8)
9)Spelling of homophones
 Sentence Openings
Mark criteria: ‘Varied sentence


construction’


 TECHNIQUE: Use different

sentence openings to grab the
interest of your reader
 Beginning with an adverb
 An adverb adds information on to
a verb; i.e. it tells us exactly how a
verb is being completed.
•
For example: He walked.

He walked briskly.

You have a go – ‘She spoke…….’


 Beginning with an adverb
(2)
 By putting the adverb at the start
of a sentence, you tell the writer
exactly what you want them to
imagine.


Briskly he walked, as time was running

out.
Loudly she spoke, trying to get his

attention.


 You have a go
 Beginning with an adjective
• An adjective is used to describe a
noun (a thing or a person).
•
For example. Look at that man. Look

at that haggard, old and lonely man.



You have a go

 Beginning with an adjective
(2)
• By putting the adjective at the start
of the sentence, you guide the
reader’s imagination and
expectation.


Haggard and old, the man looked



lonely.


Noisy and angry, the crowd looked



violent.


You have a go

 Beginning with an ‘Ing’ verb
(infinitive)
• An ‘ing’ verb adds impact to your story
because it involves the reader with the
current action.
•
For example: Running for his life, his heart

pounded like a hammer.



You have a go

 Beginning with a prepositional
phrase
 A prepositional phrase tells the
reader where something is.


 For example. The man hid in the

shade under the oak tree.


 You have a go YOU ARE HERE


 Beginning with a prepositional
phrase (2)
 By putting the prepositional
phrase first, you give the reader a
precise idea of location.


 Beside the woman, a man sat

down on the bus, knocking her bag
off the seat.
Past Question: You have 4 minutes to
write a paragraph that includes all 4
different types of sentence openings:


 Describe the best day of your

life


• Adverbs
• Adjectives
• Ing verbs
• Prepositional phrases
 Complex Sentences
 Mark Criteria: Uses a range of
sentence structures, including
complex sentences to add detail or
expand ideas.


 TECHNIQUE: Using who, which,

where and when to build detail.
 Subordinate clauses: information
that only makes sense when linked
to another clause


 The man, who……. , spoke clearly.



 The house which ……. , had become

derelict.


 The restaurant where …….. ,

reopened in May.


 The students when ……. , moved

Past Question: You have 4 minutes to
write a paragraph that includes 4
sentences with all 4 ‘w’ words.


 Describe the best day of your

life


• Who
• Which
• Where
• When
 Colons
 Mark Criteria: Candidates use
punctuation to clarify meaning.


 TECHNIQUES: using colons to

introduce speech and a list.
 Introducing speech
 Before including speech in your
writing (either dialogue in WRITING
TO DESCRIBE or a quotation in
WRITING TO PERSUADE), you can use
a colon.


 The general faced his troops and

addressed them: ‘When you see the
enemy, run!’


 You have a go
 Introducing a list
 Before including a list in your
writing (either a list of people or
things around you in WRITING TO
DESCRIBE or a list of reasons in
WRITING TO PERSUADE) you can
include a colon.


 The room was full to the brim:

overflowing desks, noisy children and
a panicking teacher.

 Semi colons
 Mark Criteria: Candidates use
punctuation to clarify meaning.


 TECHNIQUES: using semi colons to

separate items in a long list;
separating linked clauses.
 Items in a list
 If you include a list in your writing
(either a list of people or things around
you in WRITING TO DESCRIBE or a list of
reasons in WRITING TO PERSUADE),
you can add adjectives to make your
list detailed and then use a semi colon
to separate the items.


 The room was full to the brim:

overflowing desks, noisy children and a
panicking teacher.


 Try to make the list above more

detailed so you can replace the comma
 Separating linked clauses
 Two statements can be linked
together if you use a semi colon
instead a full stop.


 The room was hot. I was sweaty.



 The room was hot; I was sweaty.



 You have a go…

Past Question: You have 4 minutes to
write a paragraph that includes all 4
ways of using a colon & a semi colon.


 Describe the best day of your

life


• : list
• : speech
• ; separate items in a list
• ; separate linked clauses
 Spelling of homophones
Homophones are words that sound the


same but have different meanings and

are spelt differently.


 Homo – means ‘same’

 Phone – means ‘sound’


 Try to write the correct spellings for

the following homophones…


 and
•
•
 and


 and



 There, their & they’re


There – minus the ‘t’ it’s here, a place!



Their – minus the ‘t’ it’s heir,



belonging to


They’re – add the ‘a’ it’s They are


 Where, wear and we’re
Where – minus the ‘w’, it’s here, a


place


Wear – minus the ‘w’, it’s ear,

something
 on your body


We’re – add the ‘a’ it’s we are, they


 You and you’re
Your – minus the ‘y’, it’s our, belonging


to


You’re – add the ‘a’, it’s you are


Past Question: You have 4 minutes to
write a paragraph that includes the
correct spelling of homophones


 Describe the best day of your

life


• There, their & they’re

• Where, wear & we’re
• Your and you’re