Spelling, grammar and Standard English

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Lesson notes

Spelling

Learn patterns with examples and exceptions: run → running, hope → hoping, city → cities. “I before e” has many exceptions and is not a universal rule.
Check homophones such as there/their/they’re, your/you’re, to/too/two and whose/who’s. Also check easily confused words that may not sound alike, such as affect/effect and lose/loose. Pronunciation varies by accent.
Keep a list of your own common errors and learn them.

Choose the spelling by meaning

Standard English grammar

Standard English is a recognised variety with shared grammar and vocabulary conventions. It can be formal or informal and spoken with different accents. Formal tasks usually require a suitable register as well as Standard English.
Subject-verb agreement: "The dogs bark" (not "The dogs barks"); "He doesn't" (not "He don't").
Keep time relationships clear and make deliberate shifts explicit. Different tenses can appear together when meaning requires them.
Pronouns: "My friend and I went" (not "Me and my friend went"); "between you and me".
For a single negative, Standard English normally uses “I don’t have any” rather than negative concord “I don’t have none”. “Not unhappy” is valid and has a different meaning.
Avoid "could of / should of / would of": use could have. Avoid "less" with countable nouns: "fewer people".

Meaning controls the choice

Nonstandard in dialogue

Dialect and slang may be used deliberately in narration, dialogue or other suitable contexts. Formal writing usually calls for Standard English and a suitable register. Do not confuse dialect, accent and formality or treat them as measures of ability.

Variety, register and accent

Slides

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Practice questions

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1.Which is the correct spelling?
Easy
- Anecessary
- Bneccessary
- Cnecesary
- Dneccesary
2.Which is the correct spelling?
Easy
- Aseperate
- Bseperete
- Cseparete
- Dseparate
3.Which homophone completes: 'I want ___ go home'?
Easy
- Atwo
- Btu
- Cto
- Dtoo
4.Which completes: 'It is ___ cold'?
Easy
- Atue
- Btoo
- Cto
- Dtwo
5.Which completes: 'Put your coat over ___'?
Easy
- Athere
- Btheir
- Cthey're
- Dthare
6.Which completes: '___ going to be late'?
Easy
- ATheir
- BThere
- CThair
- DThey're
7.Which completes: '___ book is this?'
Easy
- AWhos
- BWhoes
- CWhose
- DWho's
8.Which completes: 'The weather will ___ the match'?
Easy
- Aaffekt
- Baffect
- Ceffect
- Defect

More questions

9.Which version uses Standard English grammar?
Easy
- AThe dogs bark loudly.
- BThe dogs barks loudly.
- CThe dog bark loudly.
- DThe dog barking loud.
10.Which version uses Standard English grammar?
Easy
- AHe don't like it.
- BHe doesn't likes it.
- CHe don't likes it.
- DHe doesn't like it.
11.Which version uses Standard English grammar?
Easy
- AMe and I went to the park.
- BI and me went.
- CMy friend and I went to the park.
- DMe and my friend went to the park.
12.Which sentence uses negative concord, with two negative forms expressing one negative meaning?
Medium
- AI saw somebody.
- BI didn't see nobody.
- CI didn't see anybody.
- DI saw nobody.
13.Which version uses Standard English grammar?
Medium
- AWe should have gone earlier.
- BWe should of gone earlier.
- CWe should off gone earlier.
- DWe shoulda of gone.
14.Which version follows the usual formal distinction between “fewer” and “less”?
Medium
- AThere were less people than expected.
- BThere were few less people.
- CThere was less people.
- DThere were fewer people than expected.
15.Which sentence shifts from past to present without signalling a change of time?
Medium
- AShe walks in and sits down.
- BShe walked in and was sitting down.
- CShe walked in and sits down.
- DShe walked in and sat down.
16.Which version uses Standard English grammar?
Medium
- ABetween me and you's secret.
- BBetween you and me, it's a secret.
- CBetween you and I, it's a secret.
- DBetween I and you, it's a secret.
17.Which is a correct plural?
Medium
- Acities
- Bcitys
- Ccityes
- Dcitis
18.Which is the correct spelling when adding -ing to 'run'?
Medium
- Aruning
- Brunnning
- Cruneing
- Drunning
19.Which version is most suitable as a complete sentence in a formal written report?
Medium
- AWe were late 'cause the bus broke.
- BUs was late.
- CWe were late because the bus had broken down.
- DWe was late cos the bus broke.
20.Which follows traditional formal singular agreement after “neither of”?
Medium
- ANeither of boys was ready.
- BNeither of the boys was ready.
- CNeither of the boys am ready.
- DNeither boys was ready.
21.Which is a deliberate, context-appropriate use of dialect?
Medium
- Aa narrator or character using an established regional voice
- Bchanging grammar randomly in a formal report
- Cjudging intelligence from a speaker’s accent
- Dassuming everyone from a region speaks identically
22.Which uses singular agreement to present the team as one unit?
Medium
- AThe team am winning.
- BThe team be winning.
- CThe team were winning (present-tense singular agreement).
- DThe team is winning.
23.Which is the correct spelling?
Easy
- Adefinitly
- Bdefanitely
- Cdefinitely
- Ddefinately
24.Which version uses Standard English grammar?
Easy
- AI couldof helped.
- BI could have helped.
- CI could of helped.
- DI could off helped.
25.Which is correct?
Medium
- AWhose coat is this?
- BWho's coat is this?
- CWhos coat is this?
- DWhose' coat is this?
26.Which is correct?
Medium
- AI loose my keys often.
- BI luse my keys.
- CI loose keys often.
- DI lose my keys often.
27.Homophones sound the same but have different meanings.
Easy
True or false?
28.For the meaning “I have no money”, Standard English normally uses “I don’t have any money” rather than “I don’t have no money”.
Easy
True or false?
29.“Should of gone” is the conventional written form for “should have gone”.
Easy
True or false?
30.Dialect can appear in dialogue.
Easy
True or false?
31.'Fewer' is used with uncountable nouns.
Medium
True or false?
32.Which are standard spellings pronounced like “there” in many English accents?
Medium
- Atheir
- Bthey're
- Cthere
- Dthree
- Etheir's
33.Which are correct Standard English?
Medium
- AThey were late.
- BI didn't see anything.
- CShe doesn't know.
- DWe done it.
- EHe don't care.
34.Correct the errors: 'Me and him seen the film, and we should of went earlier because there was less people.'
Medium

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