Year 4 English The statutory word list and the dictionary: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   Running fast makes your ___ beat more quickly.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. the organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body
   heart
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   Running fast makes your heart beat more quickly.
4. Write the answer.
   heart

Check. Read the whole sentence with heart in it. ✓

Watch out. Ear is in the middle, and the word ends in t.

Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.
   believe
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.
   2 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The ie is in the middle of the word: be-lie-ve.
   ie

Check. Put ie back in the box and read believe. ✓

Watch out. The ie is in the middle of the word: be-lie-ve.

Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   a chart that shows the days, weeks and months of the year
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.
   calendar
3. Check the tricky part. The word ends in -ar, not -er.
   Tricky part: ar
4. Write the answer.
   calendar

Check. Read calendar and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. The word ends in -ar, not -er.

Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.

1. Look at accidently. Compare it with the word accidentally.
   accidently is not right
2. Find the tricky part. Accidentally is accidental with -ly added. Keep the al before the ly.
   Tricky part: cc
3. Write the word correctly.
   accidentally

Check. Read accidentally and check each letter. ✓

Watch out. Accidentally is accidental with -ly added. Keep the al before the ly.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   The ___ of the parcel was too big for the post.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. how heavy something is
   weight
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   The weight of the parcel was too big for the post.
4. Write the answer.
   weight

Check. Read the whole sentence with weight in it. ✓

Watch out. Eigh is in the middle, as in eight. Wait is spelt differently.

Method. Sort the words the way a dictionary does, letter by letter.

1. Look at the first letter of each word. A dictionary goes A to Z by the first letter.
   b, b, b, b
2. Where two words start with the same letter, compare the second letter. Put the words with the earlier second letter first.
   bi, br, br, bu
3. Where the first two letters match too, compare the third letter. If one word is the start of the other, the shorter word comes first.
   bicycle < breath < breathe < build
4. Write the words in order.
   bicycle, breath, breathe, build

Check. Each word comes after the one before it in the alphabet. ✓

Watch out. Look at the second and third letters when the first letters are the same.

Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   in spite of the fact that
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.
   although
3. Check the tricky part. Al is at the start, then ough at the end.
   Tricky part: ough
4. Write the answer.
   although

Check. Read although and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Al is at the start, then ough at the end.

Method. Compare the letters one at a time.

1. Look at busy and business. Both start with bus.
   bus
2. Compare the fourth letter. Business has i, and busy has y. I comes before y.
   i before y
3. Write the answer.
   No. Business comes first, because the fourth letters are i and y, and i comes before y.

Check. business comes before busy. ✓

Watch out. Do not decide by length alone.

Method. Compare the spelling and the meaning of each word.

1. Look at heard. Heard is the past tense of hear.
   heard: ear
2. Look at herd. Herd is a group of animals, spelt with er.
   herd: er
3. Write the answer.
   No. Heard is the past tense of hear, with ear in it. Herd is a group of animals, and it is spelt differently.

Check. The words differ in spelling and meaning. ✓

Watch out. Read the whole sentence first.

Method. Sort the words the way a dictionary does, letter by letter.

1. Look at the first letter of each word. A dictionary goes A to Z by the first letter.
   t, t, a, t, t
2. Where two words start with the same letter, compare the second letter. Put the words with the earlier second letter first.
   al, th, th, th, th
3. Where the first two letters match too, compare the third letter. If one word is the start of the other, the shorter word comes first.
   although < therefore < though < thought < through
4. Write the words in order.
   although, therefore, though, thought, through

Check. Each word comes after the one before it in the alphabet. ✓

Watch out. Look at the second and third letters when the first letters are the same.

Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   very great, or as far as possible in one direction
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.
   extreme
3. Check the tricky part. Ext is at the start, and the word ends in -eme.
   Tricky part: xtr
4. Write the answer.
   extreme

Check. Read extreme and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Ext is at the start, and the word ends in -eme.

Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.
   various
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 3 letter(s) in a row.
   3 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The word ends in -ous, after an i.
   ous

Check. Put ous back in the box and read various. ✓

Watch out. The word ends in -ous, after an i.

Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.

1. Look at libary. Compare it with the word library.
   libary is not right
2. Find the tricky part. Say lib-rar-y. The word has two r letters.
   Tricky part: rar
3. Write the word correctly.
   library

Check. Read library and check each letter. ✓

Watch out. Say lib-rar-y. The word has two r letters.

Method. Sort the words the way a dictionary does, letter by letter.

1. Look at the first letter of each word. A dictionary goes A to Z by the first letter.
   l, l, l, i
2. Where two words start with the same letter, compare the second letter. Put the words with the earlier second letter first.
   is, le, le, li
3. Where the first two letters match too, compare the third letter. If one word is the start of the other, the shorter word comes first.
   island < learn < length < library
4. Write the words in order.
   island, learn, length, library

Check. Each word comes after the one before it in the alphabet. ✓

Watch out. Look at the second and third letters when the first letters are the same.

Method. Say each word and find the letter that is written but not said.

1. Look at knowledge. The k at the start is not said.
   k
2. Look at island. The s in the middle is not said.
   s
3. Write the answer.
   k, s

Check. Each word has one silent letter. ✓

Watch out. A silent letter is written but not said.

Method. Compare the first four letters of each word.

1. Look at straight and strength. Both start with str.
   str
2. Compare the fourth letter. Straight has a, and strength has e. A comes before e, so straight comes first.
   a before e
3. Write the answer.
   Partly. Both start with str, but straight comes first, because its fourth letter is a and the fourth letter of strength is e.

Check. straight comes before strength. ✓

Watch out. Compare the fourth letter when the first three match.

Method. Use occasionally in a sentence that makes sense.

1. Think about what occasionally means. Occasionally means now and then, but not often.
   now and then
2. Write the sentence. Check the double c and the -ally ending.
   We visit the museum occasionally.
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any correct sentence with occasionally, for example: We visit the museum occasionally.

Check. occasionally has cc, and ends in -ally. ✓

Watch out. Occasionally has a double c and two l letters.

Method. Sort the words the way a dictionary does, letter by letter.

1. Look at the first letter of each word. A dictionary goes A to Z by the first letter.
   d, d, d, d
2. Where two words start with the same letter, compare the second letter. Put the words with the earlier second letter first.
   de, di, di, di
3. Where the first two letters match too, compare the third letter. If one word is the start of the other, the shorter word comes first.
   describe < different < difficult < disappear
4. Write the words in order.
   describe, different, difficult, disappear

Check. Each word comes after the one before it in the alphabet. ✓

Watch out. Look at the second and third letters when the first letters are the same.

Method. Check each word against the guide words.

1. Check bread and bridge. A word on the page comes between bread and bridge in the alphabet.
   bread to bridge
2. Check breath. Breath comes after bread and before bridge.
   bread < breath < bridge
3. Check build and brush. Both start with bu or br, and their letters come after bri, so they are not on this page.
   not on this page
4. Write the answer.
   breath. It comes between bread and bridge in alphabetical order; build and brush do not.

Check. breath is between bread and bridge. ✓

Watch out. Compare the letters one at a time.

Method. Use each word in a sentence that makes its meaning clear.

1. Use though. Though means even if, or in spite of this.
   It was cold, though the sun was shining.
2. Use although. Although means in spite of the fact that.
   Although it was late, we went for a walk.
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any two correct sentences, for example: It was cold, though the sun was shining. Although it was late, we went for a walk.

Check. Each word fits its meaning. ✓

Watch out. Although starts with al.