Top Grammar Rules Every P3–P6 Student Must Master
Grammar becomes increasingly important as students progress through upper primary levels. With the growing difficulty of composition writing, comprehension, and synthesis questions, mastering core grammar rules helps students build accuracy and confidence. At Unitimes Academy, our primary English tuition programme focuses on strengthening these fundamentals so students can achieve better results in school.
In this guide, we break down the most important grammar rules for P3 – P6 students, explained simply, with examples your child can relate to.
1. Subject–Verb Agreement (SVA)
Understanding subject-verb agreement is one of the most important foundations in upper primary English. Many students lose easy marks because they struggle to identify whether a subject is singular or plural.
Key Points to Teach Students
Before diving into examples, help your child understand these rules clearly:
- Singular subject → singular verb
Example: The cat runs quickly.
- Plural subject → plural verb
Example: The boys play football every Sunday.
- “And” makes the subject plural
Example: Tom and Jerry are friends.
- Words like “each”, “every”, “everyone” take singular verbs
Example: Every student has a handbook.
Why This Matters
SVA carries weight across Paper 2 Grammar MCQs, Cloze passages, and even composition writing. Strong grammar accuracy directly improves overall English results.
2. Tenses and Timeline Consistency
Tenses help students express actions clearly. However, mixing past, present, and future tenses is a very common issue among P3-P6 learners.
The Three Most Important Tenses
Introduce these with simple examples:
- Simple Present – habits, facts
Example: She walks to school every day.
- Simple Past – completed actions
Example: They played badminton yesterday.
- Simple Future – upcoming actions
Example: We will visit our grandparents later.
Tips to Improve Tense Accuracy
- Look for time markers such as “yesterday”, “now”, “later”, “every week”.
- Keep the tense consistent within a paragraph.
- During composition writing, decide whether the story is told in the past or present tense and stick to it.
3. Pronouns and Clear References
Pronouns help avoid repetition, but students often use unclear or mismatched pronouns.
Rules Students Must Remember
Introduce these rules during primary English tuition or home revision:
- Pronouns must match in number
Example: The girls played, and they won.
- Avoid unclear references
Incorrect: When Sarah spoke to Emily, she cried.
(Who cried? It’s unclear.)
- Use gender-specific and neutral pronouns correctly
He / She / They
Why Pronouns Matter
Clear pronoun usage improves both comprehension and composition clarity. Examiners look for logical and well-connected writing.
4. Active vs Passive Voice
Knowing when to use active or passive voice helps students write more clearly and effectively.
Key Differences
- Active Voice – subject performs the action
Example: The boy kicked the ball.
- Passive Voice – subject receives the action
Example: The ball was kicked by the boy.
When to Use Each
- Use the active voice in compositions for more vivid writing.
- Use passive voice in formal or factual writing (e.g., science explanations, reports).
5. Prepositions and Their Correct Usage
Prepositions often confuse students because they require memorisation and practice.
Common Prepositions P3–P6 Students Must Master
- Time: at, on, in
- Place: on, in, under, beside
- Movement: to, into, through
- Direction: towards, along, across
Examples to Teach Clearly
- We will meet at 5 pm.
- The book is on the table.
- He walked through the forest.
Children often misuse prepositions in Synthesis & Transformation and Grammar Cloze. Regular practice helps.
6. Conjunctions for Better Sentence Construction
Conjunctions help students join ideas and form coherent sentences.
The Most Important Conjunction Groups
- Addition: and, also
- Contrast: but, although
- Cause & Effect: because, since
- Time: when, while, before, after
Examples Students Should Learn
- She wanted to play, but it was raining.
- He studied hard because he had a test.
- We will go home after school ends.
Mastering conjunctions improves composition flow and prevents choppy sentences.
7. Adjectives & Adverbs for Better Descriptions
Descriptive words make stories more engaging and help students score higher in composition writing.
What Students Should Know
- Adjectives describe nouns
Example: The colourful kite flew high.
- Adverbs describe verbs
Example: She ran quickly to the bus stop.
Tips to Improve Usage
- Avoid overusing the same adjectives (“nice”, “good”, “very”).
- Introduce vivid vocabulary: “thrilled”, “sparkling”, “trembling”, “furiously”.
- Teach gradable adjectives (cold → colder → coldest).
Final Thoughts
Mastering essential grammar rules is a key stepping stone towards stronger English proficiency in upper primary levels. Whether it’s composition, comprehension, or grammar MCQs, students perform significantly better when they understand the rules behind the language. At Unitimes Academy, our primary English tuition programme focuses on building grammar confidence through structured lessons, targeted exercises, and personalised feedback, helping every child improve steadily.
Looking for a trusted Primary English Tuition programme in Singapore? Unitimes Academy offers small-group classes, proven teaching methods, and strong improvement results for P3-P6 students.
Enrol today and give your child the grammar foundation they need to succeed!
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should students start learning advanced grammar rules?
Most students begin learning advanced grammar from P3 onwards, as required by the MOE syllabus. Starting early helps build confidence before upper primary exams.
How can I help my child improve grammar at home?
Daily reading, short writing exercises, and simple grammar quizzes help. Consistency matters more than duration.
How does primary English tuition help with grammar mastery?
Tuition provides structured practice, model examples, and personalised guidance, helping students avoid repeated mistakes and build long-term accuracy.
Ms Liu