Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar for Top Marks

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.

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Why SPaG Matters

The mark scheme for AO6 (Technical Accuracy) rewards:

• Sentence demarcation — using full stops, capital letters, question marks, and exclamation marks correctly
• Punctuation range — using commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, apostrophes, and brackets accurately
• Vocabulary — using ambitious, varied vocabulary with consistent accuracy
• Spelling — spelling accurately, including complex and ambitious words
• Sentence variety — using a range of sentence forms for effect

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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Common Spelling Errors