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Once apostrophes and homophones are sorted, the next tier of SPaG — and the one that separates a solid mid-band response from a top-band one — is tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, and the cohesive devices that knit sentences into a coherent whole. These are less about individual word choice and more about how your writing hangs together across sentences and paragraphs.
Tense-switching mid-way through a Section B piece is a top-band-killer: it signals that the writer has lost control of the timeline. Pronoun ambiguity confuses the reader. Subject-verb disagreement is a visible error that examiners catch immediately. And without connectives, an analytical paragraph reads as a list rather than an argument.
This lesson develops AO5 (communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively) and AO6 (accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar) across both papers.
English tense describes when something happens. At GCSE, you are expected to be confident across past, present, and future, and to use the perfect aspects where appropriate.
| Tense | Example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | She walks. | Habitual action, narrative present |
| Past simple | She walked. | Completed past action |
| Future simple | She will walk. | Prediction, intention |
| Present perfect | She has walked. | Past action with present relevance |
| Past perfect | She had walked. | An action completed before another past action |
| Present continuous | She is walking. | Action currently in progress |
| Past continuous | She was walking. | Action ongoing in the past |
The key move is not naming the tenses — it's keeping them consistent across a piece of writing.
When a piece of writing shifts tense without a reason, it reads as careless. Examiners notice immediately.
She walked into the room and sees the letter on the table. She picked it up and reads the first line.
The paragraph swings between past (walked, picked) and present (sees, reads) in every sentence. The reader is disoriented.
She walked into the room and saw the letter on the table. She picked it up and read the first line.
She walks into the room and sees the letter on the table. She picks it up and reads the first line.
Both work; what matters is that the tense is chosen and kept.
Tense changes are fine — even necessary — when the timeline of the story requires them.
She walks into the room and sees the letter. It had been there for days; she had simply chosen not to open it.
Here, the present-tense frame is established (walks, sees), and then past perfect (had been, had chosen) is used for events earlier than the narrative present. This is controlled tense use.
In fiction extracts, writers sometimes shift tense for effect — usually shifting into the present tense at a dramatic moment to bring the reader into the event. Recognising this shift is an AO2 move.
She had waited all afternoon. The clock ticked; the phone stayed silent. Now she is waiting still, hours later, in a darker room.
The shift from past (had waited, ticked, stayed) to present (is waiting) creates immediacy. The writer has collapsed the distance between the event and the reader. Naming this shift in analysis scores.
The verb must match the subject in number (singular or plural).
| Subject | Verb form |
|---|---|
| The dog barks | singular |
| The dogs bark | plural |
| She runs | singular |
| They run | plural |
Obvious in simple sentences. Tricky in four situations.
Words like team, government, class, family, committee can take either singular or plural verbs, depending on whether the group is acting as a unit or as individuals.
The team is celebrating. (one unit) The team are arguing among themselves. (individuals within the group)
British English permits both. The test: if you can replace the noun with it, use singular; if you can only replace it with they, use plural.
The box of chocolates, together with the card and the flowers, was left on the table.
The subject is box (singular) — not chocolates, card, flowers. The intervening phrase doesn't change the subject. Many students make the verb agree with the nearest noun, which is wrong.
The verb agrees with the closer subject.
Neither the teacher nor the students were happy. (closer subject is plural) Neither the students nor the teacher was happy. (closer subject is singular)
Each, every, everyone, someone, nobody, anybody are all singular.
Everyone has their own view. (singular verb has) Each of the students was assessed. (singular was, because each is the subject, not students)
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun — he, she, it, they, this, that. The noun it refers to is called the antecedent. Unclear antecedents are a common mid-band error.
John met Mark after he had finished his essay.
Who finished the essay — John or Mark? Ambiguous.
John met Mark after Mark had finished his essay. Or: After John had finished his essay, he met Mark.
This and that at the start of a sentence must have a clear antecedent.
Wrong:
Governments often fail to regulate new technology. Companies make huge profits without oversight. This is the central problem.
What is this? The failure to regulate? The profit? Both? The reader has to guess.
Right:
Governments often fail to regulate new technology. Companies make huge profits without oversight. This regulatory gap is the central problem.
Adding a noun after this forces clarity. It's a top-band move.
Cohesion is how sentences connect to each other. A paragraph without cohesive devices reads as a list; a paragraph with them reads as an argument.
| Purpose | Devices |
|---|---|
| Adding | and, also, furthermore, moreover, in addition, what is more |
| Contrasting | but, however, yet, nevertheless, on the other hand, whereas, although, in contrast, conversely |
| Consequence / cause | so, therefore, consequently, as a result, thus, hence, because, since |
| Example | for example, for instance, such as, notably, specifically |
| Sequence | first, next, then, after that, finally, subsequently, meanwhile |
| Emphasis | indeed, in fact, importantly, crucially, significantly |
| Summary | in conclusion, overall, to sum up, in short |
| Conceding | admittedly, granted, of course, it is true that |
A skilful writer rotates these. Using however four times in one paragraph is monotonous; mixing however, yet, in contrast, and conversely shows range.
Without cohesive devices:
Social media has changed how teenagers communicate. It has made communication faster. It has reduced the quality of face-to-face conversation. Schools are worried. Parents are worried. Studies are beginning to show real mental health effects.
Each sentence is an island. The reader has to build the connections themselves.
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