It’s official: SPaG (that’s spelling, punctuation and grammar) continues to baffle even the brightest GCSE minds.
Apostrophes seem to move around like they’ve got a life of their own. Commas either vanish or multiply. And homophones? There, their, they’re enough to drive anyone up the wall.
But before we roll our eyes at misplaced apostrophes or groan over comma splices, let’s remember something important: SPaG is hard. And not because pupils aren’t trying — it’s just that
English is full of weird rules, strange exceptions, and words that look like they were designed to confuse.
The good news? There are simple ways to help SPaG feel less like a minefield. One quick win: the “common confusables” wall. Sticking up posters with tricky word pairs (your/you’re, affect/effect, it’s/its) can work wonders over time — constant reminders help things stick.
Another fun tip? A “Grammar Detective” game: give pupils a paragraph with hidden errors and challenge them to hunt them down. It’s like SPaG-meets-Sherlock, and it turns correction into a game rather than a chore.
So if your teen is struggling with SPaG, don’t panic. They’re not alone — and there are ways to turn confusion into confidence. Apostrophes beware: we’re coming for you.
👉 The Year 10 Summer School in Stevenage offers friendly, small-group English and maths sessions designed to boost confidence before Year 11. SPaG struggles welcome — we’ve got them covered! Year10summerschool.co.uk
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