Which grammar school entrance exams assess English?
English comprehension, grammar, punctuation and spelling are key.
Urmston Grammar, Loreto and St Ambrose College all require students to sit an entrance examination in English (as well as two other papers). Each grammar school also assesses creative writing. There are also comprehension passages in Sale Grammar School’s new, CEM-style entrance examination. The Altrincham Grammar Schools for Girls/ Boys are also considering changing their examination format to assess English, but this decision has yet to be finalised. All information is correct at the time of writing (December 2014).
Comprehension
Your child will need to read a substantial passage and answer a series of multiple choice questions to demonstrate his/ her understanding of the text. S/he will need to be able to make inferences, use context clues and have a wide vocabulary. S/he will also need to be able to identify parts of speech (nouns, prepositions, adverbs, etc.).
Punctuation
Your child will need to demonstrate an understanding of punctuation, including but not limited to commas, colons, brackets and capital letters. S/he will need to identify where errors of punctuation have been made in a passage. This will also be multiple choice.
Spelling
Your child will need to identify spelling errors in a passage.
Grammar
Your child will need to select the correct word or phrase to complete a correctly written sentence.
Creative Writing
Your child will need to write a descriptive passage or complete a story that has been started off. Previous tasks have included:
– Describe a garden in winter
– Describe the city at night
– You are in a forest and you find a strange box. You decide to open it. What happens next?
Your child will need to demonstrate a good imagination, as well as the ability to spell and punctuate accurately.
If your child needs help to prepare for grammar school entrance exams, why not get in touch with the experts at our Urmston tuition centre? Call Paul Syrett or Christine McLaughlin on 0161 748 3912 to book your FREE assessment or practice entrance examination.
