For the month of March, we are theming our Word for Wednesday blog posts around types of punctuation. So far we have looked at the word apostrophe and the word parenthesis. This week’s word is comma. Commas have a variety of functions yet many people are uncertain of how to use them. The main purpose of a comma is to clarify meaning by grouping together specific parts of the sentence. Each group within the sentence is separated by a comma which marks a slight break. One tip that teachers often use when teaching students how to read is to pause for one beat when there is a comma and pause for two beats at the end of a sentence. In this blog post, we...
For the month of March, we are theming our Word for Wednesday blog posts around types of punctuation. Last week we chose the word apostrophe, and our word this week is parenthesis. A parenthesis is a word or phrase inserted into a grammatically-complete sentence as an explanation or afterthought. The sentence would still make sense if the parenthesis was removed. There are three main punctuation marks used to mark of a parenthesis: Round brackets Daisy’s parents (Sally and James) are visiting France next month. Spellzone users have access to a variety of word lists (word lists, spelling tests, etc.). 2. Em dashes (...
March 4th marks National Grammar Day in the United States and to celebrate we're compiling some of our grammar articles from over the years. What exactly is grammar? When we talk about grammar, we are referring to the whole system and structure of a language, the way words are put together to form sentences. Learn more about the history of grammar here. Grammar is often confused with punctuation which is the written marks used to separate sentences in order to clarify meaning. Click here for Spellzone's guide to punctuation. Here are some of our top grammar articles: Clauses A clause is a group of words containing a verb that can either stand alone as a complete...
Not to be confused with a semi colon, a colon has three main uses: Use a colon between two main clauses when the second clause explains or clarifies the first. A clause is a group of words containing a verb that can either stand alone as a complete sentence or make up part of a more complex sentence. You can learn more about clauses here. Here are some examples of colons used in this way: She soon discovered the secret to spelling success: practise as often as possible. The journey won’t be easy: the buses are infrequent and there are often railway engineering works on the weekends. She had one motto in life: never give up. Use a colon ...
American vs. British English
Common Mistakes
Commonly Confused Words
English Idioms Explained
English Literature
Exams & Tests
Grammar & Punctuation
Mindful Spelling
Spelling at School
Spelling Games
Spelling Homework
Spelling Tips
Spellzone Tips & Tools
Supporting Adult Learners
Supporting Dyslexic Learners
Supporting EAL Learners
Word Origins & Stories
Writing & Vocabulary
"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."
Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's HillConnect with us at: 
