Common Grammar Mistakes in PSLE English — And How To Fix Them
If your child loses marks in PSLE English comprehension and you're not sure why, you're not alone. Many parents tell us the same story — “They answered the question! Why didn’t they get full marks?” The truth is, PSLE comprehension marking is all about technique, and even small phrasing issues or missing keywords can cost marks. In this post, we’ll break down how the marking works, what markers are looking for, and how you can help your child improve their answers at home — even without being a grammar expert.
Why Grammar Matters in the PSLE
Grammar is tested directly and indirectly across multiple components:
Language Use & Editing (10 marks) — Students must spot and correct grammar mistakes in a passage.
Grammar MCQs (10 marks) — These test rules like subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and prepositions.
Open-ended Comprehension — Poor grammar can make otherwise correct answers unclear, leading to lost marks.
Composition (Paper 1) — Weak grammar drags down overall fluency and can affect both content and language scores.
Strong grammar isn’t just about technical accuracy — it’s about clarity and confidence in written English. A student who avoids common errors is far more likely to score well.
Top 7 Grammar Mistakes PSLE Students Make
Here’s what we see again and again — both in school worksheets and during our PSLE English tuition classes.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
❌ He go to the shop every day.
✅ He goes to the shop every day.
This is one of the most common issues in MCQs and editing passages. Encourage your child to identify the subject first and match the verb accordingly.
2. Wrong Verb Tense
❌ I am going to the zoo yesterday.
✅ I went to the zoo yesterday.
Mixing up past, present, and future tense often happens when students write quickly. Use timeline prompts during practice to reinforce when each tense is appropriate.
3. Confusing Prepositions
❌ She jumped on the pool.
✅ She jumped in the pool.
Prepositions like in, on, at, to, and into often trip students up. Practising these in real-world sentences helps.
4. Using “Did” with Past Tense
❌ He didn’t went to school yesterday.
✅ He didn’t go to school yesterday.
The word “did” already implies past tense, so the base form of the verb should follow.
5. Overusing Pronouns
❌ The dog barked and the dog chased the cat.
✅ The dog barked and it chased the cat.
This is more about style than strict grammar, but it’s still marked under language quality in composition. Teach your child to avoid repetition and use pronouns appropriately.
6. Mixing Up “Much” and “Many”
❌ There were much people at the carnival.
✅ There were many people at the carnival.
Use much for uncountable nouns (e.g. water, sugar) and many for countable nouns (e.g. apples, people).
7. Punctuation Errors That Affect Meaning
❌ Let’s eat Grandma!
✅ Let’s eat, Grandma!
Missing commas or full stops can turn an innocent sentence into something completely different. Regular dictation and proofreading exercises help students catch these.
How These Mistakes Affect Marks
Grammar slips don’t just show up in the editing section. They creep into open-ended comprehension and composition — where even small errors can make otherwise correct points unclear.
Markers are trained to reward clarity. So if a sentence is confusing or uses incorrect grammar, your child might not get full marks, even if the core idea is there.
How to Help Your Child Improve
You don’t need to be a grammar expert to support your child. Here’s how parents can make a big difference:
✅ Use Error Journals
Keep a notebook where your child writes down the grammar mistakes they’ve made — with corrections. Review this regularly.
✅ Practise Editing Exercises
Use short daily grammar editing drills. MOE-style editing passages are ideal. Start with just 5 lines a day and build from there.
✅ Focus on 1 Rule Per Week
Pick one common mistake (like verb tense or prepositions) and make it the “Grammar Focus of the Week.” Stick notes on the fridge!
✅ Read Writing Aloud
This helps your child hear if a sentence “sounds wrong”. A key early-warning system for grammar slips.
✅ Use Past-Year Practice Papers
We recommend using PSLE English past papers to check grammar in context — not just in drills
