Sentence Forms Worksheet: Year 6 SATs SPaG

Year 6 SATs SPaG worksheet on sentence forms: 6 questions in the style of the SATs, with answers. Free PDF.

3-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank (Sentences and clauses): two pages of questions (tick-box grids) and an answer page. Example questions: Tick one box in each row to show the form of each sentence. / Tick one box in each row to show the form of each sentence.

What are sentence forms? There are four sentence forms: statements (giving information), questions (asking for information), commands (telling someone to do something) and exclamations (expressing strong feeling). In the SATs, an exclamation must start with ‘What’ or ‘How’ and contain a verb: What a wonderful day it is! How quickly the time flies! Commands usually begin with an imperative verb.

Common mistakes and tips: The most common error is calling any sentence ending in an exclamation mark an exclamation. ‘Stop shouting!’ is a command, and ‘It’s huge!’ is a statement. Children also struggle with commands that don’t start with the verb (Please sit down). Ask pupils what the sentence is trying to do rather than looking only at its punctuation.

This topic is part of the Year 6 English grammar, punctuation and spelling curriculum and appears in the SATs. Because the test uses precise terminology, practising with the correct terms here helps children recognise what a question is asking.

How teachers use it: as a ten-minute daily grammar slot, as a homework task, or as part of a mixed revision pack in the run-up to the SATs. Pairs can work through it and compare answers before checking the answer page. Revisiting the same topic a few weeks later is an effective way to check retention.

Building understanding, not just recognition: the SATs ask children to identify features, but the real aim is for them to use grammar confidently in their own writing. After completing the sheet, ask pupils to find examples of the topic in a class text and discuss why the author used them. Then set a short writing task where the feature must be used deliberately, such as a paragraph of a story or a piece of non-fiction. Shared editing, where the class improves a weak sentence together, is a powerful way to show the effect of a grammatical choice. Linking grammar to purpose and effect helps children remember the terminology, because it becomes a tool rather than a label.