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English

Read with understanding. Build useful vocabulary.

Choose a reading skill, explore everyday English, or return to the words you meet while learning.

Word Study: spelling and word parts

Prefixes, suffixes, homophones and spelling patterns. Learn the pattern, read the words, then practise using them.

Grades 3–5 · Word roots

Greek and Latin Roots: aud, port, struct, scrib, tele, bio

Learn eight Greek and Latin word roots, such as port (carry) and tele (far), and use them to work out the meaning of new words like portable and telescope.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Spelling patterns

Long Vowel Teams: ai, ay, ee and ea (rain, play, tree, beach)

Learn which spelling to choose for the long a and long e sounds: ai or ay, ee or ea. Read the word bank, use the position rule and practise spelling.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Homophones

Homophones: hear/here, see/sea, week/weak, meet/meat

Sort out pairs of words that sound alike but are spelled differently, use memory tricks, and choose the right spelling by checking the meaning.

16 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Spelling patterns

Syllables: Break Long Words into Parts (rabbit, tiger, table)

Learn what a syllable is, count the beats in a word, and use simple rules to split words such as rabbit, tiger, lemon and table so they are easier to read and spell.

16 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Suffixes and spelling

Suffixes -tion and -sion: Action, Decision and Division

Learn how -tion and -sion turn verbs into nouns, use the base verb to choose the right spelling, and practise action, decision, pollution and permission.

25 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Suffixes and spelling

Suffix -ly: Quick to Quickly, Happy to Happily, Gentle to Gently

Learn how the suffix -ly turns adjectives into adverbs, and the spelling rules for happily, gently, truly, carefully and finally. Then practise spelling them.

19 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Spelling patterns

Soft c and Soft g: Words Like City, Cent, Giant and Gentle

Learn when c says /s/ and g says /j/, why words like page and ice end in e, and the exceptions such as gift and girl. Then practise reading and spelling them.

18 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Prefixes

Prefixes dis- and mis-: Not, Opposite and Wrongly

Build words like disagree, disappear, misspell and misunderstand. Learn what dis- and mis- mean, keep the double s, and spot fake prefixes.

18 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Suffixes

Suffixes -er, -or and -ist: Words for People Who Do Things

Build words like teacher, actor and artist. Learn when to add -er, -or or -ist, how to spell baker and runner, and why corner and butter are not person words.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Spelling patterns

Silent Letters: kn, wr, mb and igh in Words Like Know and Light

Spell words with silent letters such as know, write, lamb and light. Learn where each silent letter usually hides, and spot the exceptions where it is said.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Compound words

Compound Words: Two Words Join to Make a New One

Split and build compound words like snowball and sunflower, learn when to write them as one word, two words or with a hyphen, and spot ones that trick you.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Verb endings

Adding -ed and -ing: Double, Drop the e or Change y

Learn when to just add -ed or -ing, when to drop the silent e, when to double the last letter, and why cry becomes cried but crying keeps its y.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Comparing suffixes

Comparing Words: -er, -est, More and Most

Learn when to add -er or -est, how to spell bigger, nicer and happiest, why good becomes better and best, and when to use more and most with longer words.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Contractions

Contractions: Join Two Words With an Apostrophe

Learn how contractions such as don't, I'm, we'll and they've are made, where the apostrophe goes, why won't is special and how to tell it's from its.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Plurals

Plurals: When to Add -s, -es or Change y to i

Learn when to add -s or -es, when to change y to i, and how to spot exceptions like leaves and mice, then fix misspelled plurals such as boxs and babys.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Homophones

Homophones: There, Their, They're and Other Sound-Alikes

Choose between there, their and they're, to, too and two, your and you're, its and it's, and hear and here, using quick tricks you can check yourself.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Suffixes

Suffixes -ful, -less and -ness: Endings That Change the Job of a Word

Learn what -ful, -less and -ness mean, turn base words into describing and naming words, and spell tricky ones like beautiful and happiness correctly.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Prefixes

Prefixes un-, re- and pre-: One Small Part Changes the Meaning

Learn what un-, re- and pre- mean, build new words from a base word, and spot the tricky words that only look like they have a prefix.

16 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Prefixes

Prefixes over-, under- and sub-: Too Much, Not Enough, Below

Learn what over-, under- and sub- add to a base word, build and spell new words like overcook, underpay and subway, and check tricky words like understand.

15 practice questions
Grades 3–5 · Spelling patterns

Long Vowels: igh, y, oa, ow and Silent e (light, fly, boat, snow)

Learn spellings for the long i and long o sounds: igh, y and i_e, oa, ow and o_e. Use the position rules, study the word bank and practise spelling.

15 practice questions

Try the main-idea starter ↓

English · Main idea

Find the idea that holds the details together.

A memorable detail is not always the main idea.

Elementary practice · Original examples

A short passage

Maya packed a pencil, checked her bus time and put her lunch beside her schoolbag. Before bed, she placed her shoes by the door.

This is an original practice passage. The details all support one idea: Maya prepared for the next morning.

Too narrow, too broad, or just right?

“Maya put her shoes by the door” covers one detail. “People do many things” is too broad to explain this paragraph. “Maya prepared for the next morning” covers the connected details without adding a new story.

Use the details as a check

Ask whether your main-idea sentence explains each important detail. Do not assume that it must copy the first sentence word for word.

Try it, then check

Main idea1. Which sentence best captures the main idea?
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Maya prepared for the next morning.. The preparations connect the details. The lunch sentence is only one of those details.

Supporting detail2. Which detail supports the main idea?
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Maya checked her bus time.. Checking the bus time is one of the preparations described. The other claims are not in the text.

Inference3. Which inference is reasonable but not guaranteed?
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Maya may be trying to avoid rushing in the morning.. Avoiding a rush is a reasonable possible purpose. The passage does not guarantee her future behaviour or describe her age.

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