The subjunctive may sound scary, but it’s simply the form we use for wishes, hypotheticals and formal suggestions—think “If I were…”, “We suggest that he be…”, and “Long live the King.” In this clear KS2 guide, you’ll learn what the subjunctive is, how to spot it quickly, and when to use it in writing. Includes a 10-minute mini-lesson, age-appropriate activities, common pitfalls, and a printable worksheet with answers—so you can help your child feel confident before SATs.

Relative clauses — mini-sentences starting with "who, which, that" and more — add extra detail to a noun: “The girl 'who won the race' is my sister.” This Year 5 parent guide untangles the difference between relative and other subordinate clauses, gives a handy pronoun cheat-sheet, and shares quick “underline-the-clause” games to boost your child’s grammar skills before homework or SATs.

A determiner is the small word that comes before a noun—a, the, my, two, those—telling us which one, whose, or how many. This parent-friendly guide lists every determiner type, shows the difference between determiners and adjectives, and offers easy games so children can spot and use them with confidence.

Active voice puts the doer first—“The dog chased the ball.” Passive voice moves the receiver to the front—“The ball was chased by the dog.” This Year 6 parent guide shows how to spot passive constructions, flip sentences step-by-step, and understand why writers sometimes choose the passive for science reports, unknown agents or polite diplomacy. Quick games, exam-style tips and common pitfalls help your child master both voices before SATs.

Modal verbs—can, could, may, might, must, and more—let writers show possibility, permission, or obligation. This parent-friendly guide lists every Year 5 modal verb, explains when to use each one, and shares fun activities (like a “certainty thermometer”) to help children master them.

Expanded noun phrases turn plain nouns into vivid pictures—“the fish” becomes “the shimmering, silver fish in the deep pond.” This parent-friendly guide explains the concept in simple terms, offers easy ways to build expanded noun phrases with adjectives and prepositional phrases, and includes quick games so children in Years 4–5 can practise adding detail and colour to their writing.

Main clauses can stand alone, but subordinate clauses can’t—they’re “helper ideas” that begin with words like *because, although,* or *when* and rely on a main clause to finish the thought. This parent-friendly guide explains the difference in plain English, shows how to spot common subordinating conjunctions, and offers easy activities to help children master complex sentences with confidence.

Fronted adverbials might sound like advanced grammar jargon, but they’re simply time-, place-, or manner-phrases moved to the start of a sentence - “Before sunrise, the birds began to sing.” This parent-friendly guide demystifies the term, explains why schools teach it, and shares quick at-home activities to help children practise. For interactive exercises and a child-ready explanation, head to EnglishFun.co.uk’s dedicated page on fronted adverbials.