Year 5 brings relative clauses, modal verbs and parenthesis, the last full year before the Year 6 SPaG SATs. No formal test in Year 5 itself, but this is the year most of the harder grammar terminology gets introduced.
- Year 5 covers 39 of the 43 SPaG topics, with 6 new this year.
- New this year: relative clauses, modal verbs, brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis, formal and informal language, and subject-verb agreement.
- There is no formal SPaG test in Year 5, but it is the last full year before the Year 6 SPaG SATs.
- If your child is sitting the 11+, these topics can start to come up in papers from Year 5.
Every SPaG topic Year 5 covers
Grouped by strand. Tap any topic to open it on the interactive map, with a definition, examples and a practice question.
Vocabulary & Spelling
Punctuation
Sentences
Verb Forms & Tenses
Practise every topic above, free
The interactive SPaG map has all of Year 5's topics in one place, one practice question each, marked instantly.
Year 5 SPaG FAQ
What SPaG topics does Year 5 cover?+
39 of the 43 total SPaG topics, spread across 7 of the seven strands. 6 of them are typically introduced for the first time in Year 5, building on what earlier years covered.
Is SPaG tested in Year 5?+
Not with a formal government test. Only Year 6 sits the compulsory, nationally reported SPaG SATs (Year 2 has a non-statutory version).
Teachers do assess SPaG throughout Year 5 as part of normal class work, and if your child is preparing for the 11+, some of these topics can come up in papers from Year 5 onwards.
How should we revise for SPaG at home?+
One topic at a time, not a general read-through. Pick a topic from the map below, read the plain-English definition together, look at the examples, then try the practice question.
A few minutes on one topic beats a long session skimming everything.
Sources
- National curriculum in England: English programmes of study — Department for Education, GOV.UK, see English appendix 2: vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Year 5's topics on this page are staged against this statutory, year-by-year programme of study.
- Key stage 2: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) — Standards and Testing Agency, GOV.UK, confirms the compulsory, nationally reported GPS test is only at the end of Year 6.
The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers.
