Writing: Punctuation, Grammar and Exam Technique

This is the final lesson of the course. It covers the punctuation marks you need at Level 1 (L1.20), essential grammar rules (L1.19), and brings everything together with writing exam technique — how to approach the writing paper, plan your answers, manage your time, and check your work before you hand it in.

Punctuation and grammar together make up about 40% of your writing marks. This lesson gives you everything you need to know, with clear explanations and plenty of examples. It also prepares you for exam day so you can walk in with confidence.

---

Punctuation at Level 1

At Level 1, you need to use five types of punctuation correctly:

1. Full Stops and Capital Letters

A full stop goes at the end of every sentence. The next sentence starts with a capital letter.

Rule	Example
End every sentence with a full stop	The meeting starts at 10am**.**
Start every sentence with a capital letter	The report is due on Friday.
Capital letters for names of people	Sarah, Mr Thornton
Capital letters for names of places	London, Park Street
Capital letters for days and months	Monday, March
Capital letters for organisations	National Health Service
"I" is always a capital letter	I will be there.

Common mistake: Forgetting full stops, especially when you are writing quickly in the exam. This is one of the easiest marks to earn — and one of the easiest to lose.

2. Question Marks

A question mark replaces the full stop at the end of a question.

Statement	Question
The office is open.	Is the office open**?**
You received the email.	Did you receive the email**?**
The deadline is Friday.	When is the deadline**?**

Only use a question mark if you are directly asking a question. Do not use one for indirect questions:

• Direct: "What time does the meeting start**?**" (question mark)
• Indirect: "I would like to know what time the meeting starts**.**" (full stop — this is a statement)

3. Exclamation Marks

An exclamation mark shows strong feeling — surprise, urgency, or a command.

Use	Example
Surprise	I could not believe it**!**
Urgency	Fire**!** Leave the building now**!**
Command	Stop**!** Do not touch that machine**!**

Important: Use exclamation marks sparingly. In formal writing (letters, reports, emails to managers), you should rarely if ever use them. One per piece of writing is usually enough. Using too many looks unprofessional.

4. Commas

Commas are the most useful punctuation mark at Level 1, but they are also the one learners find trickiest. Here are the main uses:

Use	Example
Lists	Please bring a pen**,** paper**,** and your ID badge.
After an introductory word or phrase	However**,** the meeting has been postponed. Unfortunately**,** the car park is full.
Before a joining word in a compound sentence	I sent the email**,** but he did not reply.
After a dependent clause at the start	Although it was raining**,** we walked to the meeting.
To add extra information	The report**,** which was due on Friday**,** has been delayed.

When NOT to use a comma:

• Do not use a comma to join two complete sentences without a joining word (this is a comma splice)
• Do not put a comma between a subject and its verb: "The manager, is coming" is wrong

5. Possessive Apostrophes

At Level 1, you need to use apostrophes to show that something belongs to someone or something.

Situation	Rule	Example
One owner	Add 's	The manager**'s** office (the office belongs to the manager)
Plural owner already ending in s	Add just '	The employees**'** car park (the car park belongs to the employees)
Plural owner NOT ending in s	Add 's	The children**'s** books (the books belong to the children)
A name ending in s	Usually add 's	James**'s** desk (the desk belongs to James)

Apostrophes for Possession: More Examples

Phrase Without Apostrophe	Correct with Apostrophe	What It Means
The dog lead	The dog**'s** lead	The lead belonging to one dog
The dogs lead	The dogs**'** lead	The lead belonging to more than one dog
The children toys	The children**'s** toys	The toys belonging to the children
The company policy	The company**'s** policy	The policy belonging to the company
Sarah coat	Sarah**'s** coat	The coat belonging to Sarah

Do NOT confuse possessive apostrophes with contractions:

Contraction	Meaning	Possessive	Meaning
It**'s** raining	It is raining	The dog wagged its tail	The tail belongs to the dog
You**'re** welcome	You are welcome	Your coat is here	The coat belongs to you
They**'re** leaving	They are leaving	Their car is outside	The car belongs to them

Exam Tip: Apostrophes are one of the most commonly tested punctuation marks. Before you hand in your paper, scan through your writing and check every apostrophe. Ask yourself: "Am I showing ownership or shortening a word?" Make sure each one is correct.

---

Grammar at Level 1

Subject-Verb Agreement

The subject and the verb in a sentence must match. If the subject is singular (one), the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural (more than one), the verb must be plural.

Subject	Correct	Incorrect
The manager	The manager is here	The manager are here
The staff	The staff are ready	The staff is ready
He	He was late	He were late
They	They were late	They was late
The report	The report has been sent	The report have been sent
The reports	The reports have been sent	The reports has been sent

Tricky cases:

Subject	Correct Verb	Why
Everyone	Everyone is welcome	"Everyone" is singular
Nobody	Nobody was injured	"Nobody" is singular
The team	The team is performing well	"Team" is a single group
Staff	Staff are invited	"Staff" is treated as plural in British English

Consistent Tense

Tense means whether you are writing about the past, present, or future. At Level 1, you need to keep your tense consistent — do not jump between past and present without a reason.