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Technical accuracy is worth 16 out of 40 marks in Paper 2 Section B — that is 40% of your mark on this question. Many students lose marks not because they cannot write persuasively, but because their spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPaG) let them down. This lesson covers the most common errors, the key punctuation marks you should use confidently, and strategies for improving your technical accuracy.
The mark scheme for AO6 (Technical Accuracy) rewards:
Exam Tip: You do not need to write in an artificially complex style. What matters is that whatever you write is accurate and controlled. A simple sentence written correctly is worth more than a complex one that falls apart.
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title Paper 2 Section B - 40 marks
"AO5 Content & Organisation (24)" : 24
"AO6 Technical Accuracy (16)" : 16
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct Spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Definitely | "Definately" | Definitely |
| Separate | "Seperate" | Separate |
| Necessary | "Neccessary" | Necessary |
| Government | "Goverment" | Government |
| Environment | "Enviroment" | Environment |
| Believe | "Beleive" | Believe |
| Argument | "Arguement" | Argument |
| Occurrence | "Occurance" | Occurrence |
| Accommodation | "Accomodation" | Accommodation |
| Conscience | "Concience" | Conscience |
| Words | Correct Usage |
|---|---|
| Their / There / They're | Their = belonging to them; There = a place; They're = they are |
| Its / It's | Its = belonging to it (no apostrophe); It's = it is or it has |
| Your / You're | Your = belonging to you; You're = you are |
| Where / Were / We're | Where = a place; Were = past tense of "are"; We're = we are |
| Effect / Affect | Effect = noun (the result); Affect = verb (to influence) |
| Practice / Practise | Practice = noun; Practise = verb (in British English) |
| To / Too / Two | To = direction/infinitive; Too = also/excessively; Two = the number |
The most fundamental punctuation. Every sentence must start with a capital letter and end with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark.
Common error (comma splice): "The library is important, it helps students study." Corrected: "The library is important. It helps students study." Or: "The library is important because it helps students study."
Commas are used for:
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Lists | "We need funding, staffing, resources, and commitment." |
| After fronted adverbials | "Undeniably, this is the most pressing issue of our time." |
| Surrounding embedded clauses | "The school, which was built in 1965, is in desperate need of renovation." |
| Before conjunctions in compound sentences | "The proposal has merit, but it fails to address the core issue." |
| After subordinate clauses | "Although the cost is significant, the long-term benefits justify the investment." |
A semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.
Example: "The evidence is clear; the time for action is now."
Exam Tip: One or two well-placed semicolons show the examiner you can use advanced punctuation confidently. But do not overuse them.
A colon introduces an explanation, a list, or a quotation.
Examples:
Dashes can be used for emphasis, parenthesis, or a dramatic pause.
Examples:
| Use | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contraction | Replace missing letters | "It's" = it is; "don't" = do not |
| Possession (singular) | Add 's | "The student's book" (one student) |
| Possession (plural) | Add s' (if plural already ends in s) | "The students' books" (multiple students) |
| Possession (irregular plural) | Add 's | "The children's playground" |
Common error: *"It's" used for possession — "its" (possessive) has no apostrophe.
The subject and verb must agree in number.
Incorrect: "The team are performing well." (in formal writing, treat "team" as singular) Correct: "The team is performing well."
Stay in the same tense unless you have a deliberate reason to shift.
Incorrect: "The proposal is flawed and it failed to consider the evidence." Correct: "The proposal is flawed and fails to consider the evidence."
Make sure every pronoun clearly refers to a specific noun.
Unclear: "The headteacher told the student that he was wrong." (Who was wrong?) Clear: "The headteacher told the student that the student's argument was flawed."
The mark scheme rewards extensive and ambitious vocabulary. This does not mean using obscure or pretentious words — it means choosing precise, varied, and effective words.
| Basic | Ambitious |
|---|---|
| "Good" | "Commendable," "exemplary," "invaluable" |
| "Bad" | "Detrimental," "harmful," "counterproductive" |
| "Big" | "Substantial," "significant," "considerable" |
| "Important" | "Crucial," "vital," "indispensable" |
| "Interesting" | "Compelling," "thought-provoking," "fascinating" |
| "Show" | "Demonstrate," "illustrate," "reveal" |
In your final 5 minutes, use this checklist:
| Check | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Sentence demarcation | Every sentence starts with a capital and ends with appropriate punctuation |
| Comma splices | Two sentences joined only by a comma — separate with a full stop or add a conjunction |
| Spelling | Read slowly, word by word — check commonly confused words |
| Apostrophes | Check every apostrophe — is it for contraction or possession? Is "its/it's" correct? |
| Tense consistency | Check you have not accidentally shifted tense |
| Repeated words | Have you used any word more than three times? Swap for a synonym |
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