A Revision Guide for English PSLE: 4 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid
It is important to develop a good command of grammar and its correct usage for your child to excel in the English PSLE.
The problem, however, is that despite learning the language for years and going through numerous practices, it is still common for many students to make simple grammar mistakes that can easily be avoided to get that few extra marks. To help your child work on his English grammar, you may consider enrolling him in a PSLE English tuition online class as a start.
Meanwhile, this blog post will serve as a revision guide for any student who wants to avoid these common errors during exams and produce better essays with higher scores:
4 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement is the key foundation of grammar English. If you don’t get it right, you may struggle to match sentences and write an understandable draft.
Subject and verb give meaning to every type of sentence. Your child should, therefore, have a good understanding of the English rules of subject and verb before taking the English PSLE.
Subjects and verbs should always agree in terms of numbers. If the subject is singular, then the verb should also be singular.
For example, in the sentence “My mother eats”, my mother is a singular subject which means that the right verb to use in this case is “eats” instead of “eat”. In this case, the subject and verb are in agreement. This is a basic grammar rule taught in Primary 1.
The rules of subject-verb agreement get even more complex when using indefinite pronouns such as someone, everyone, and nobody. Indefinite pronouns are always in the singular case and should always be used with singular verbs.
You can help your child to master subject-verb agreement by reading English books or enrol him in the best online English tuition class in Singapore to be well-prepared for PSLE.
2. Using the Wrong Prepositions
Another common mistake to avoid in English grammar is using the wrong preposition in your writing. Your child should know the correct usage of prepositions.
For example, “at” and “in” are used for places, “on” for dates, and “at” for time. When the wrong prepositions are used, it can ultimately change the tone and intention of the sentence.
3. Writing Fragmented Sentences
Fragmented sentences are basically incomplete statements that make your prose sound incomprehensible. The sentences lack either a subject or predicate.
For example, it is quite common to see students write sentences such as “Since I love pizza.” This kind of sentence is incomplete because the word “since” denotes that something else will happen after you say that you love pizza.
You can correct the sentence by removing the word “since” to make the sentence complete. Avoid writing fragmented sentences by ensuring that the subject and predicate are intact.
4. Using Wrong Punctuation
Finally, English sentences are held together by the correct use of punctuation. A single comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence. Punctuations can be difficult to master without reading and exercising your English writing skills.
You can also enrol your child in a PSLE English online class to improve his mastery of punctuations – with homework help by expert mentors within reach to support your child through his learning.
Need Help Improving Before the Big English Exam?
It is quite easy for students to make grammar mistakes in their PSLE English tests and comprehension exams if they do not know where they are making the mistakes.
If your child needs help to improve his grammar, you can get your child started with our online learning platform that guarantees quality strategy-based teaching and innovative features. With ample practices and lessons covering the proper use of grammar, Superstar Teacher can significantly help in improving your child’s grammar skills and PSLE results.
