KS2 SATs KS2 English Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling 6 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the grammatical term for 'However' when used at the start of a sentence to link ideas?
- Conjunction
- Adverbial (Correct answer)
- Pronoun
- Preposition
Correct answer: Adverbial
When 'However' begins a sentence and links to the previous idea, it functions as a sentence adverbial (also called a cohesive device or connective). It modifies the whole sentence and shows contrast.
Question 2: Which of these is a compound word?
- running
- beautiful
- football (Correct answer)
- quickly
Correct answer: football
A compound word is formed by joining two separate words together. 'Football' = 'foot' + 'ball'. Other compound words include 'sunshine', 'bedroom', and 'rainbow'.
Question 3: What does 'expand the noun phrase' mean in: 'the dog' → 'the enormous, shaggy dog'?
- Changing the verb
- Adding adjectives or other modifiers to a noun (Correct answer)
- Replacing the noun with a pronoun
- Using a conjunction
Correct answer: Adding adjectives or other modifiers to a noun
Expanding a noun phrase means adding adjectives, prepositional phrases, or relative clauses to give more detail about the noun. 'Enormous' and 'shaggy' are adjectives that expand 'the dog'.
Question 4: Which word is a preposition in: 'The cat sat under the table'?
- cat
- sat
- under (Correct answer)
- table
Correct answer: under
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words, often indicating position or direction. 'Under' tells us where the cat sat in relation to the table.
Question 5: What is the effect of using short sentences in a piece of writing?
- To make it harder to read
- To create tension or impact (Correct answer)
- To add more detail and description
- To make it sound more formal
Correct answer: To create tension or impact
Short sentences create tension, urgency, or dramatic impact in writing. They draw the reader's attention and can make events feel fast-paced. Writers use them deliberately for effect, especially in action or suspense.
Question 6: Which sentence uses brackets correctly?
- The Amazon (river is the longest) in South America.
- The Amazon (the longest river in South America) flows to the Atlantic. (Correct answer)
- The Amazon river (is the longest) in South America.
- The (Amazon) river is the longest in South America.
Correct answer: The Amazon (the longest river in South America) flows to the Atlantic.
Brackets are used to add extra or parenthetical information that could be removed without changing the main meaning. 'The longest river in South America' is additional detail that sits correctly within brackets.
KS2 SATs KS2 English Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling 6
What is the grammatical term for 'However' when used at the start of a sentence to link ideas?