11+ English: What the Comprehension and Creative Writing Papers Test

Parents often spend the first year of 11+ preparation on maths, because it feels easier to measure. Then they find out that English, and the verbal reasoning that sits beside it, can carry as much weight in the final score. In the Birmingham grammar schools' test, for example, English and verbal reasoning make up half of the marks.

This post explains what 11+ English papers ask for, how the two main formats differ, and how to prepare your child for each part.

Two kinds of 11+ English paper

Multiple choice papers. Many grammar school tests are fully multiple choice, marked by computer. English here means a comprehension passage with questions, plus vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar questions. There is no writing to mark, but the questions are timed tightly, so reading speed matters.

Written papers. Independent schools and some grammar school areas set English papers that your child answers in their own words. That usually means comprehension answers in full sentences and a piece of creative or descriptive writing. In Kent, for example, children write a short piece during the test, which is used if the head teacher assessment is needed later.

Check the familiarisation guide for every school on your list. Many families apply to both kinds of school, and the preparation overlaps more than it differs. Our free 11+ past papers library includes the English papers each school has published.

Comprehension, the part every paper tests

Comprehension questions fall into a few types, and each needs a slightly different approach.

• Finding information. The answer is written in the passage. The skill is finding it quickly and copying only what the question asks for.
• Inference. The answer is suggested, not stated. How does the character feel, and how do you know? Your child needs to point to the words that give it away.
• Vocabulary in context. What does a word mean in this sentence? Reading the sentences either side usually gives the answer, even for an unfamiliar word.
• The writer's choices. Why has the writer used this word or this short sentence? This is the hardest type, and the one that separates strong candidates.

A useful habit at home is to ask your child which type a question is before they answer it. A child who knows they are answering an inference question will look for clues, rather than hunting for a sentence that is not there.

Creative writing, for the papers that ask for it

Creative writing is where children who read a lot often underperform, because they write the way they talk. What earns marks is control: a clear opening, sentences of different lengths used on purpose, a few precise words instead of many vague ones, and an ending that links back to the start.

Our English teachers build creative writing sentence by sentence. Your child learns one technique at a time, such as opening with a single short sentence, or showing a feeling through an action instead of naming it, and practises it in a paragraph before it goes into a full piece.

A good home routine is one short piece a week, around 20 minutes, based on a picture or an opening line. Read it together and pick out one sentence that works and one to improve. Two focused comments help more than a page of corrections.

Vocabulary and reading

Every part of 11+ English depends on vocabulary. It decides how much of the passage your child understands, it is tested directly in verbal reasoning, and it gives their writing precision.

Our free 11+ verbal reasoning game has over 3,000 questions across 17 question types, including synonyms, opposites and analogies, and it saves the words your child gets wrong so they can practise those. Our post on 11+ vocabulary sets out a ten minute daily routine.

Reading remains the long term work. Twenty minutes most days, ideally a little above your child's comfort level, builds the vocabulary and the reading speed that timed papers need.

When to start, and when to get help

Year 4 is a good time to start building vocabulary and reading habits, alongside the maths. Question types and timed comprehension practice fit best in Year 5, and creative writing practice can start whenever your child is ready to write a full page.

If you would like a specialist to take on the English, our online English tutors teach 11+ comprehension, verbal reasoning and creative writing one to one. Henna Sabir marks GCSE English for AQA and A-Level English for Cambridge, and Nargis Akhtar has a first class degree in English. Their pupils have gone on to win places at selective schools, including Heckmondwike Grammar School.

Lessons are £270 a month for a 60 minute lesson each week, or £480 a month for 11+ maths and English together. The first lesson is an assessment, so it starts from what your child needs. Book a free consultation to talk it through.

Aadam, SHLC Tutors