Self-assessment on spelling

[2016 note: Unfortunately none of the links work for individual questions, but you can check your answers against the list of correct answers.]

There are two self-assessment tests on spelling:

• Adding suffixes
• Classifying errors

Adding suffixes:

Here is a quick test of your understanding of the basic rules. Select any spelling rule which you would apply in producing each form from the menu of rules below it.

a. present participle of love

• E-dropping
• consonant-doubling
• Y to I

b. present participle of run

• E-dropping
• consonant-doubling
• Y to I

c. past of rely

• E-dropping
• consonant-doubling
• Y to I

d. past of love

• E-dropping
• consonant-doubling
• Y to I

e. past of jet

• E-dropping
• consonant-doubling
• Y to I

Classifying errors

Here is a list of typical spelling errors from a KS3 pupil. The questions below will help you to classify the errors in terms of the pupil’s needs.

Each error reveals a gap in the pupil’s understanding of spelling. Which words illustrate each of the following gaps?

• When to delete a letter before a suffix;
• When to change a letter before a suffix;
• How to spell a suffix;
• How to spell a root;
• How to choose between homophones.