Grammar and punctuation games

Lower Key Stage 2

Year 3: Conjunctions: when, if, because, although

Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: “extending the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although”

A conjunction is a joining word. It links two words, phrases or clauses together so that one sentence can hold more than one idea. Children start in Year 1 by joining ideas with and. In Years 3 and 4, the National Curriculum asks them to use a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because and although, to make longer and more interesting sentences.

Conjunctions also do an important job for meaning. Because explains a reason, if sets a condition, when gives a time and although shows a contrast. Choosing the right one makes writing clearer: 'I wore my coat because it was cold' means something different from 'I wore my coat although it was warm'. In the game, children read a sentence and pick out the word that is doing the joining. Spotting conjunctions in other people's sentences is the first step to using them confidently in their own writing.

Play Conjunctions: when, if, because, although · Free printable

Year 4: Fronted adverbials and commas

Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: “using fronted adverbials; using commas after fronted adverbials”

An adverbial is a word or phrase that tells us more about a verb: when, where or how something happened. A fronted adverbial is simply an adverbial that has been moved to the front of the sentence, before the main clause. 'Later that day, I heard the bad news' starts with the fronted adverbial 'Later that day'. Fronted adverbials help writers vary how their sentences begin, so writing does not always start with 'I' or 'The'.

In Years 3 and 4 the National Curriculum asks pupils to use fronted adverbials and to put a comma after them. English Appendix 2 places both in Year 4. The comma matters because it shows the reader where the extra information ends and the main part of the sentence begins. In the game, children either pick the sentence with the comma in the right place or pick out the fronted adverbial itself.

Play Fronted adverbials and commas · Free printable

Upper Key Stage 2

Year 5: Relative clauses: who, which, where, when, whose

Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: “using relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that or with an implied (i.e. omitted) relative pronoun”

A relative clause is a part of a sentence that adds extra information about a noun. It usually begins with a relative pronoun: who, which, where, when, whose or that. In 'My aunt, who lives in Leeds, is a doctor', the relative clause 'who lives in Leeds' tells us more about my aunt. Relative clauses let writers pack more detail into a sentence without starting a new one.

In Year 5 the National Curriculum asks pupils to use relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that, or with an omitted relative pronoun. The key skill is choosing the right relative pronoun for the noun: who for people, which for things, where for places, when for times and whose for belonging. In the game, every sentence uses commas around the relative clause, which means 'that' would not be correct, so the choices focus on the other five.

Play Relative clauses: who, which, where, when, whose · Free printable

Year 6: Colons, semi-colons and hyphens

Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: “using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses; using a colon to introduce a list; using hyphens to avoid ambiguity”

Colons, semi-colons and hyphens are small marks that do big jobs. A colon (:) introduces a list or an explanation after a complete sentence. A semi-colon (;) joins two complete sentences that are closely linked, and separates items in a list when the items already contain commas. A hyphen (-) joins words together so that the meaning is clear: a man-eating shark is very different from a man eating shark.

In Years 5 and 6 the National Curriculum asks pupils to use semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses, to use a colon to introduce a list, and to use hyphens to avoid ambiguity. English Appendix 2 places these in Year 6, and they often appear in the Year 6 grammar, punctuation and spelling test. In the game, children choose which mark belongs in the box. Dashes are never offered as a choice, because a dash can also be correct between two clauses.

Play Colons, semi-colons and hyphens · Free printable

More practice across the years

Year 1: Full stop or question?

Children distinguish sentences that tell the reader something from sentences that ask a question. Each card starts with a capital letter and leaves off its ending so the choice has a clear purpose. Read the sentences aloud together, then find full stops and question marks in a familiar book. This is selected punctuation practice rather than the whole Year 1 grammar programme.

Play Full stop or question?

Year 1: Sentence repair

Each prepared example needs a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop at the end. The personal pronoun I is also capitalised. This matching game practises recognising a correctly written statement; afterwards, say and write an original sentence together. Questions use a question mark, explored in Full stop or question? Exclamation marks and other sentence purposes need wider teaching.

Play Sentence repair

Year 2: Sentence type sorter

Year 2 writing uses statements, questions, commands and exclamations. A question asks something and a command tells someone what to do. The exclamations here use the grammatical What or How pattern with a verb; an exclamation mark alone does not turn every sentence into that pattern. Talk about meaning as well as the marks at the end.

Play Sentence type sorter

Year 4: Speech punctuation studio

The examples place a reporting clause before the quoted words. Notice the comma after said or asked, the opening and closing speech marks, the capital at the start of the spoken sentence and its final punctuation inside the closing mark. Other arrangements of direct speech need additional teaching. Read the words aloud using different voices, then write an original two-line exchange.

Play Speech punctuation studio

Year 5: Modal meanings

Modal verbs help express meanings such as possibility, obligation and recommendation. The prepared contexts make the intended use clear: could can express ability in other sentences, but It could rain later presents a possibility. The game covers selected uses, not every meaning of each modal. Discuss how changing may to must changes a message before using a modal in original writing.

Play Modal meanings

Year 5: Bracket builder

Parenthesis supplies extra information while the main sentence remains grammatically complete without it. These prompts explicitly request brackets, so the game has a clear target; commas or dashes can mark parenthesis in other contexts. Read the sentence with and without the bracketed words, check that the information relates clearly to the right noun, then try an original example.

Play Bracket builder

Year 6: Active or passive?

The selected pairs keep the event while changing how it is presented. In the active version, the subject performs the action; in the passive version, the subject receives it. Not every sentence containing was is passive: The door was open may describe a state. The examples here use clear actions. Discuss why a writer might change the focus, and retain a clear meaning when rewriting.

Play Active or passive?

Year 6: Register partners

Register depends on purpose, audience and context. The informal phrases are not inherently wrong; they may be suitable with familiar people. The game pairs them with more formal alternatives that could suit a letter or report. Discuss what changes in vocabulary, contractions and politeness, then choose an appropriate form for a real audience. Accent and identity are not assessed.

Play Register partners