Functional Skills
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Guide
Welcome to ‘Militaryopolis’.
A Place to Perfect your Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar
In Words We Trust!
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Introduction
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Do you ever have problems spelling certain words, no matter how many times
you try to remember the letter order?
Or wonder how to punctuate a sentence with commas, full stops or those
annoying semi-colons?
Well don’t worry; you are not alone. Here at Militaryopolis you get the chance
to practice your spelling, punctuation and grammar; preparing you for your
military training and exams.
I can’t believe I went out with an
apostrophe. He was so possessive!
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Memory Tricks,
Spelling Rules
and Strategies
If ever there were such a thing as ‘bad words’, the term ‘rules’ is definitely one of
them. Nobody likes to abide by them and yet we find ways to enforce them. Play them
at their own game, however, and you can rule the world; or, for the time being, spell
any word to perfection.
You have probably heard the rhyme:
‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’,
or when sounded as ‘A’,
as in neighbour or weigh
believe, receive, deceive and receipt;
however, there are certain exceptions: such as science. Weird, I know.
This rule works for such words as
The main thing to remember with the ‘i before e’ rule is that it applies to words that
make an ‘ee’ sound, which explains why the rule doesn’t apply to words like
neighbour, freight and weigh.
Despite the exceptions, however, it is important to be aware of this rule.
Activity
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Make a list of words which you find difficult to
spell.
Apply the ‘i before e’ rule where appropriate.
Identify which words follow this rule and which
words don’t.
Put the words into separate categories under the
headings
Rule
No Rule
Attempt to memorise each list; it may help you
remember the letter order of those words in
future.
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Spelling is easier if you break down the words into smaller chunks. Regular visitors
to Militaryopolis will know that chunks of words can be called prefixes, roots and
suffixes depending on where each chunk is situated in a word.
Don’t worry if this is your first time in Militaryopolis! Here is a breakdown of what
prefixes, roots and suffixes mean:
Roots:
The central part of a word.
Such as:
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Appear
Appoint
Fraud
Miss
Even
Form
Prefixes: combinations of letters which you can add to the beginning of root
words, which can change the meaning of the word.
Such as:
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
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Disappear
Disappoint
Defraud
Dismiss
Uneven
Reform
Suffixes:
Combinations of letters which can be added to the end of words.
Such as:
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

Disappearance
Disappointment
Defrauding
Dismissal
Reforming
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Activity
By using the table below, make as many words as you can. The first one is done for
you:
Prefix
de
para
in
re
man
sig
ob
un
in
ne
un
be
pas
le
Root
cent
pic
oeu
nat
chut
ive
act
cap
der
tru
expect
sive
gotia
cau
Suffix
ing
ure
sive
tion
ed
vre
ted
stand
se
ly
ity
sh
able
ing
1._manoeuvre_____________
2.______________________
3.______________________
4.______________________
5.______________________
6.______________________
7.______________________
8.______________________
9.______________________
10._____________________
11._____________________
12._____________________
13._____________________
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Here’s a helpful learning technique:
,Say,
Write , Check
It’s simple; just follow the steps:
1. Choose a word which you find difficult to spell and write it clearly (make sure
that it is spelt correctly by using a dictionary).
2. Look at the word carefully. Study the letter order.
3. Say it out loud while thinking about the different syllables.
4. Cover the word.
5. Write the word without looking at the original.
6. When you have finished, check the word with the original.
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Practice the ‘look, say, cover, write, check’ method on some of the 63 problem words
listed below:
Absence
Decision
Livelihood
Accommodate
Discipline
Lying
Achieved
Efficiency
Manoeuvre
Acknowledge
Eliminated
Maintenance
Aerial
Enthusiasm
Minutes
Analysis
Essential
Necessary
Appropriate
Expenses
Negotiate
Argument
Experience
Occurred
Arrangements
Financial
Occurrence
Ascend
Foreign
Opinion
Athletic
Government
Parliament
Benefited
Grievance
Perseverance
Beneficial
Guard
Personnel
Budgeted
Heroes
Physical
Clothes
Honorary
Preceding
Colleagues
Immediately
Prejudice
Competent
Independent
Preliminary
Conscientious
Intelligence
Prestige
Courteous
Knowledge
Procedure
Courtesy
Legitimate
Professional
Criticism
Liaison
Pronunciation
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A note on the Spell Checker
Don’t be fooled by this seemingly helpful device. It does not pick up certain
grammatical errors and can make you think that your work is correct when it is
riddled with errors. An example of this can be seen in the poem below:
Eye want to join the RAF,
Too travel ware Aye can,
Eye no it’s the write career for me,
It’s always been my plan.
Butt perhaps an Army Kernel,
Is a better weigh two go,
Oar a Navel Officer,
Yet see sickness affects me sow.
Eye would like to get sum meddles,
And bee won of the troupes,
Two where my blues with pride,
Aye no I’d jump threw hoops.
Sow now Aye must concentrate,
On the skills Eye have to hone,
Butt first Aye must get to grips with my homophones!
As you can see, there are a number of grammatical errors within this poem. Yet the
spell checker did not identify that anything was wrong. That is because the poem is
full of homophones. What are homophones I hear you ask? Don’t worry; they are not
as complicated as they sound.
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Homophones are words which are said
the same but can be spelt differently
and may mean something else.
For example, ‘night’ and ‘knight’ mean
completely different things but are
pronounced the same.
‘there’, ‘their’, and ‘they’re’ are words
which many people get confused when
they use them in a sentence.
Do not worry; here follows a guide to
help you combat your homophones.
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There/ Their/ They’re
There: is linked with place. It simply means ‘in that place’. For example: ‘I put my
P.E kit over there’; the function of this sentence is to locate where you have
placed your P.E kit. The word ‘there’ also shows that something exists. For
example: ‘There are three children in my family’.
Their: is used when something belongs to someone: their lunch, their homework,
their mum.
They’re: is an abbreviation of ‘they are’. The apostrophe is used to show that the ‘a’
of ‘are’ is missing. Examples of this word are: they’re (they are) going to the
zoo, they’re (they are) my parents, they’re (they are) going through basic
training.
Wear/ Where/ Were
Wear: is what you do with clothes. It is also to do with things that age, general
wear and tear. E.g. I would love to wear that outfit. I’m going to wear that
uniform. It will wear out if you use it too much.
Where: is to do with finding a place, object, or direction. E.g. I don’t know where I
am. Where is the swimming pool? I can’t think where I put my car keys.
Were: is the past tense for ‘are’. If you are
at the shops, and then you go home,
you would say you were at the shops. Were often gets confused with where.
Here are a few examples of when to use were correctly: Today we are going
to the beach, but yesterday we were at school. At the moment they are four
eggs in the egg box, but yesterday there were six.
To/ Too/ Two
To: is to show that you are moving towards something; it is also used with verbs (to
do something); e.g. we are going to drive to Exeter; we are going to school; to
play cricket; to stand in the rain.
Too: simply means ‘more than enough’; additionally, too can mean ‘also’ and ‘as well’.
Examples of this are as follows: I am too hot; he is too busy; can I go to the
party too?
Two: is the written version of the number 2; e.g. two ducks; two children; two
helmets.
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By/Buy/Bye
By: means at the side of or near something. It can also mean ‘as means of’ or a
person has written something; e.g. park in the car park by the pub; I would
like to sit by the fire; he travelled to the festival by bus; she is going to get
to Edinburgh by train.
Buy: means to pay for; e.g.
I want to buy a new pair of shoes; I went to the shop to
buy some milk.
Bye: is the expression you use when you leave someone; such as ‘goodbye’ or ‘bye
bye’.
Activity
Using the homophones above, fill the gaps with the correct word.
1. I wish we never had to say good _____.
2. I put my bag over _____.
3. I am _____ busy to see you today.
4. _____ mum is called Katrina.
5. _____ you supposed to say that?
6. _____ going to Singapore next week.
7. The book was written _____ Arthur Hamilton.
8. It is _____hot _____ go running today.
9. Do you know _____ my boots are?
10. I only have room for _____ more passengers.
11. I think _____ coming with us on Saturday.
12. Would you like _____ go _____ the cinema?
13. I was going to _____ my jeans, but then I decided against it.
14. I never got a chance to say good _____ to her.
15. _____was a storm last night.
16. Don’t _____ chocolate just because it is on offer.
17. The books _____ kept on the shelf _____ we could see them.
18. The cyclist was taken to hospital _____ ambulance.
19. The lining of this jacket is beginning to _____ away.
20. Do you know the way _____ the shops?
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More Homophones
advise/advice
meat/meet
allowed/aloud
more/moor
awe/oar/or/ore
new/knew
bare/bear
no/know
beach/beech
not/knot
bight, bite, byte
of/off
blew/blue
our/hour
board/bored
pain/pane
bought/brought
peace/piece
cellar/seller
pair, pare, pear
check/cheque
plain/plane
coarse/course
poor/ pour/ paw/ pore
currant/current
practise/practice
fair/fare
quite/quiet
feat/feet
rain/reign/rein
flour/flower
read/reed
great/grate
right, rite, wright, write
groan/grown
scene/seen
hair/hare
see/sea
hear/here
sight/site
heard/herd
theirs/there’s
hole/whole
threw/through
its/it’s
whether/weather
loan/lone
which/witch
lose/loose
whose/who’s
maid/made
wood/would
mail/male
your/you’re
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The Comma
a punctuation mark which shows a pause
between parts of a sentence, or dividing items
in a list.
Examples
 As I marched across the camp, I saw Ma’am Cooper, the
Flight Lieutenant, coming towards me, so I saluted.
 I have to go to the shops to get milk, bread, cheese and
toothpaste.
The Semicolon
a punctuation mark which is a longer pause
than a comma but is not as definite as a full
stop. The semicolon can link two statements
together successfully; it can also be used as a
separator when clusters of items are listed.
Examples
 He enlisted for the RAF; basic training was soon to follow.
 When he arrived at RAF Halton he was issued with 3 short
sleeved blue shirts; 3 pairs of trousers; 2 pairs of shoes; a
beret and a tie.
The Colon ` is used at the start of a list or after a phrase or
word which is then explained.
Examples
 To take part in the field trip exercise you will need:
coveralls, a thermal fleece, a field jacket and a roll matt.
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The Apostrophe
is a punctuation mark which has two uses.
The first is to show possession; however, the
question which always causes problems is does
the apostrophe come before or after the s?
It all depends on owners: how many owners are there? For
example: if there is one dog living in a house you would say ‘the
house is the dog’s home’. There is only one dog so you would add
an apostrophe and an s to the word dog. However, if there was
more than one dog you would say ‘the house is the dogs’ home’.
The word dog in this instance already has an s on the end to
show that there is more than one; an apostrophe is needed
after the s to show possession.
A good way to remember the rule with apostrophes is to think
of ‘Battersea Dogs’ Home’. Battersea is home to more than one
dog; therefore, the apostrophe goes after the s.
Apostrophes are also used to replace letters in words to form
an abbreviation. E.g. do not becomes don’t, cannot becomes
can’t, did not becomes didn’t, there is becomes there’s.
The apostrophe can replace more than one letter: of the clock
become o’clock.
Additionally, apostrophes are also used to abbreviate it is or it
has and forms it’s.
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The Full Stop
is a punctuation mark which shows the end of
a sentence.
The Question Mark
The Exclamation Mark
is placed after a direct question: Would
you like to go to the cinema?
is used to show emotion. Yes!
Capital Letters
Capital letters are used for a variety of reasons:
 After a full stop, question mark or an exclamation mark
 For the first letter, of the first word of each sentence
 For the first personal pronoun ‘I’
 For the first letter of the main words in titles of books,
plays, films, reports
 For the first letter of proper nouns (names): Nina, Sunday,
Liverpool, January
 For the first letter of an organisation or people’s titles
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Here at Militaryopolis we pay a lot of attention to sentence structure. It is
extremely important that your sentences make perfect sense to the reader. Mixing
up your word order can cause confusion and result in your work being misunderstood.
Here are examples of sentence structure gone wrong:
 The rifle was cleaned by the boy which was tarnished and rusty.
 The kit was tidied up by the boy in the cupboard.
 The command was given by the Drill Sergeant on the parade square marching.
Let’s break sentences down:
1. Firstly there are simple sentences, which are made up of one clause.
Example: We went to a core values lecture. We went to the drill revision
session. (both of these sentences are main clauses)
2. Secondly there are compound sentences, which are made up of two or
more main clauses that are linked by a joining word, such as ‘and’. These
joining words can also be called conjunction words.
Example: We went to a core values lecture and we went to the drill
revision session.
3. Finally there are complex sentences which include subordinate clauses.
Subordinate clauses are phrases/word combinations which are not as
important as the main clauses in the sentence, but would not make sense
on their own.
Example: We went to a core values lecture, as it was written on our
timetable, and then we went to the drill revision session.
Paragraphs
Organisation is very important when you are writing a piece of work. Paragraphs help
you to organise your work effectively. Essentially a paragraph is a group of related
sentences which are grouped together to help the reader make a logical progression
from one point to another.
When looking at a large piece of writing you should be able to identify the
paragraphs. A line is normally left between each paragraph or the first line of a new
paragraph is indented. Just remember when you move on to a new point in a piece of
writing, start a new paragraph!
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Now for a quick bit of Revision…
Do you ever get confused when it comes to pronouns, nouns or adjective? Lots of
people do. Here is the official Militaryopolis refresher guide:
Word Cluster
Description
Example
Adjective
A word which describes. It
is normally linked to a noun
or pronoun.
Another word which
describes, but an adverb is
linked to a verb rather
than a noun or pronoun.
A naming word.
big, small, brunette, pretty
A word which links two
clauses together.
The name of a place,
person, object or animal
But, and, or
Expresses/ shows the
relation between one thing
and another.
A word that replaces a
noun
The name of a place,
person, organisation, title,
months of the year, days
of the week.
With, for, against
Adverb
Common nouns
Conjunction
Nouns (Common and
Proper)
Preposition
Pronoun
Proper nouns
Verb
They always start with a
capital letter.
A ‘doing’ or action word
quietly, rapidly
Week, month, cat, bus
Max, cat, London, bus
She, he, it
Katherine, Bristol,
Tuesday, January
Walking, dancing, sleeping
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Writing a Formal Letter
Writing a formal letter can seem like a daunting experience and rather
unnecessary when we think of emails. However, formal letters are still
constantly used in the working world, therefore, it is important to know
how to write one.
Firstly, your address needs to go in the top right hand corner of
the page.
Then you write the address of the person to whom
you are writing your letter on the left.
Mr B. Perkins
10 Chatterley Crescent
Cheltenham
Glos
GL3 5JA
12th May 2010
1 Halton Avenue
Wendover
Bucks
HP22 7HH
You place the date underneath.
Then you write the name of the person you
are writing the letter to. If you don’t know
their name simply put: Dear Sir/ Madam.
Dear Mr. Perkins,
I am writing to you to practice my letter writing skills. I need to be able to write a formal
letter effectively to help me when I enter into a profession. I trust you find my letter
satisfactory.
Yours sincerely,
Janette Lane
After you have finished the main body of your letter
you have many different ways of signing it.
If, as in this instance, you have the name of the
person you are writing to: Mr B. Perkins, you write
‘yours sincerely’ followed by your name.
If you are addressing your letter to ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’,
however, you would write ‘yours faithfully’.
If you are writing a formal letter to someone you know
but you still need to show them respect (e.g. a work
colleague or supervisor) you would write ‘best regards’.
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Finally, a quick word on:
Don’t be put off by the word terminology. Terminology just means the words used in a
question. Many people lose marks by trying to answer a question straight away,
without really considering what the words in the question are asking them to do. If
you break down a question into smaller chunks, however, it can be easier to answer.
Example:
Using the information from documents 1 and 2, list the advantages and disadvantages
of joining the RAF. Outline the arguments for and against and examine how the image
in each document supports the arguments.
Key words/ phrases
Using the information
Explanation
Working with knowledge
List
To give an item by item
account of names or things
Outline
To give the essential
features or general
principles of
To inspect or investigate in The image in each
detail
document
Examine
Connected to
Taken from documents 1
and 2
Advantages and
disadvantages of joining
the RAF
The arguments for and
against
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