Own-pace blocks · English
English for clarity.
- Years 4 to 11, up to GCSE.
- Every block serves one aim: say it so a reader understands it first time.
- Six clarity principles run through every year: purpose, order, precision, economy, connection and reader.
Years 4–11England · United States · International BaccalaureateMapped
At a glance
- Years 4–11covered
- 156blocks
- 62objectives benchmarked
- 29published sources checked
English
How it builds.
- Grammar & punctuationPriority thread
- VocabularyWord of the day runs in every session
- Reading & comprehensionPassage-based blocks
- StorytellingPlan, say, then write
- Explain, instruct & askIncludes asking clearly, for people and AI
- Language analysisFrom Year 7
English
Year by year.
Year 4Age 8–9 · US Grade 3 · IB PYP
Say one thing at a time, in order.
By the end of Year 4, they can:
- Open sentences with fronted adverbials and expand noun phrases
- Use Standard English verbs and punctuate direct speech and possession
- Use prefixes to build and decode words
- Retrieve facts, sequence events and infer feelings from a text
- Plan and tell a story, and write instructions others can follow
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationFronted adverbials, noun phrases, clear pronouns | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| VocabularyPrefixes; replacing tired words | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionRetrieve, sequence, summarise | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingStory spine; beginning, problem, end | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askInstructions that work | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- England names fronted adverbials in Year 4 (Appendix 2); Common Core never uses the term and only requires a comma after an introductory element in Grade 5 (L.5.2b).
- Common Core splits the expanded noun phrase into adjective order and prepositional phrases in Grade 4 (L.4.1d–e); England teaches it by name in Year 4.
- Common Core Grade 3 asks pupils to recount; 'summarize' starts in Grade 4 (RL.4.2, RI.4.2), so one-sentence summaries are slightly ahead of US Grade 3.
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 5Age 9–10 · US Grade 4 · IB PYP
Add detail without losing the reader.
By the end of Year 5, they can:
- Use relative clauses and add detail in brackets, dashes or commas
- Keep verb tenses consistent across a piece
- Change a word's class with suffixes
- Back up an inference with evidence and tell fact from opinion
- Plan a story around a character who wants something; ask precise questions
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationRelative clauses, commas for clarity, parenthesis | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| VocabularySuffixes; precise feelings and actions | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionInfer with evidence; words in context | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingStory mountain; a character who wants something | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askPrecise questions; cause and effect | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- Relative clauses line up exactly: England Year 5 (Appendix 2) and Common Core Grade 4 (L.4.1a, relative pronouns and adverbs).
- Parenthesis with brackets, dashes or commas is Year 5 in England but Grade 6 in Common Core (L.6.2a), two years later on the Year/Grade offset.
- Common Core names modal verbs (L.4.1c) but not adverbs of possibility, and it does not name fact versus opinion or predicting; England makes both statutory (predicting from Year 3, fact/opinion in Years 5–6).
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 6Age 10–11 · US Grade 5 · IB PYP (exhibition)KS2 SATs (grammar, spelling, reading)
Choose the structure that fits the reader.
By the end of Year 6, they can:
- Use the passive voice and choose formal or informal register
- Use semicolons, colons, dashes and hyphens so nothing is ambiguous
- Use synonyms, antonyms and word roots
- Compare two texts and explain an author's word choices
- Write a persuasive piece and brief a helper clearly
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationPassive voice, semicolons, colons, register | Same year | Later, or not taught | Same year |
| VocabularyShades of meaning; root words | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionCompare texts; author's word choice | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingOpenings, tension, dialogue, endings | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askPersuade, argue both sides, brief a helper | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- England front-loads formal grammar: the passive, subjunctive, semicolons, colons and dashes between clauses, and hyphens all sit in Year 6. Common Core places the passive and subjunctive in Grade 8 (L.8.1b–c), semicolons and colons in Grades 9–10 (L.9-10.2a–b) and hyphenation in Grades 11–12 (L.11-12.2a).
- Only England tests this year: the statutory KS2 grammar, punctuation and spelling test covers Appendix 2. The US has no national grammar test, and the PYP exhibition is a collaborative inquiry project, not a language exam.
- Weighing both sides of an argument is Grade 7 in Common Core (W.7.1a, 'alternate or opposing claims'); Grade 5 writes opinion pieces (W.5.1).
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 7Age 11–12 · US Grade 6 · IB MYP 1
Every sentence earns its place.
By the end of Year 7, they can:
- Build varied sentences and fix run-ons, fragments and agreement errors
- Use academic verbs and explain where words come from
- Back a point with evidence and explain how a text is built
- Choose a viewpoint and a setting that does a job in a story
- Explain for a set reader and name the effect of a simile or metaphor
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationSentence types, agreement, run-ons and fragments | Same year | A year either side | Same year |
| VocabularyAcademic verbs; where words come from | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionPoint, evidence, explain; structure | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingViewpoint; settings with a job; 300-word plots | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askExplain for a reader; requests that work | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Language analysisTechnique bank: imagery, semantic fields | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- England's KS3 is a three-year band (Years 7–9) with no year-by-year grammar list, so a UK 'Same year' mark from here to Year 9 means 'within KS3', not 'this year specifically'.
- Common Core teaches sentence types in Grade 3 (L.3.1i) and run-ons and fragments in Grade 4 (L.4.1f), so these blocks are revision on the US clock. Phrases versus clauses and compound-complex sentences arrive in Grade 7 (L.7.1a–b).
- Common Core names personification in Grade 6 (L.6.5a), a match. 'Semantic field' is not named in any of the three curricula.
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 8Age 12–13 · US Grade 7 · IB MYP 2
Make the reader see what you mean.
By the end of Year 8, they can:
- Cut wordiness and fix misplaced modifiers
- Choose active or passive voice for focus
- Tell apart words with similar meanings but different feelings
- Combine two sources in a summary and control pace in a story
- Brief anyone clearly and analyse dramatic irony
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationVariety for effect, concision, misplaced modifiers | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| VocabularyIntensifiers out; connotation in | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionGothic extracts; synthesising sources | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingMood, flashback, pacing, editing | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askBriefs: goal, context, constraints, format | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Language analysisPETAL; dramatic irony; structure | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- This is the closest US grammar match in the stack: Common Core Grade 7 names concision (L.7.3a, 'eliminating wordiness and redundancy') and misplaced and dangling modifiers (L.7.1c). England's KS3 does not name modifiers at all.
- Common Core puts dramatic irony in Grade 8 (RL.8.6), a year later. 'Pathetic fallacy' is not named by any of the three; it is a UK classroom and GCSE term.
- Gothic extracts are an Opblox choice. None of the three prescribes a genre here, although England requires pre-1914 literature across KS3.
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 9Age 13–14 · US Grade 8 · IB MYP 3
Shape an argument so it can't be misread.
By the end of Year 9, they can:
- Use parallel structure and embedded clauses, and hedge a claim
- Embed short quotations accurately
- Read Shakespeare and 19th-century non-fiction closely
- Write a short story about one moment
- Argue with evidence and compare two writers
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationEmbedded clauses, parallel structure, hedging | Same year | A year either side | Same year |
| VocabularyAcademic and tonal vocabulary | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionShakespeare, 19th-century non-fiction, unseen | Same year | A year either side | Same year |
| StorytellingOne moment told well; unreliable narrators | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askArgue, refine a request, present | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Language analysisTerminology; comparing writers | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- England requires two Shakespeare plays across KS3. Common Core first names Shakespeare in Grades 9–10 (RL.9-10.9) and requires a play only in Grades 11–12 (RL.11-12.7). IB MYP prescribes no authors, only a world-literature component.
- Parallel structure and the full set of clause types are Common Core Grades 9–10 (L.9-10.1a–b), a year later. England does not name parallel structure, hedging or nominalisation; the closest is Year 5 modal verbs for possibility.
- Common Core's historical non-fiction is US documents (Washington, Lincoln, King: RI.9-10.9); England's 19th-century non-fiction is driven by GCSE English Language, where one paper source is 19th century.
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 10Age 14–15 · US Grade 9 · IB MYP 4
Write accurately under time.
By the end of Year 10, they can:
- Control sentence boundaries and punctuation under time
- Use analytical terms such as motif and tone accurately
- Analyse language and structure in an unseen extract
- Compare non-fiction texts from different centuries
- Write stories, viewpoint pieces and set-text essays to a time limit
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationAccuracy under time; punctuation range | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| VocabularyAnalytical terms; ambitious, accurate words | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionGCSE-style reading papers | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingTimed narrative and description | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askViewpoint writing for an audience and purpose | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Language analysisSet texts; poetry comparison | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- England's GCSE prescribes set texts: a Shakespeare play, a 19th-century novel, poetry since 1789 including Romantic poetry, and British fiction or drama since 1914. Common Core lists exemplar texts only (Appendix B), and the MYP prescribes none.
- US grammar standards do not stop dead at Grade 8: Grades 9–10 add parallel structure, phrase and clause types, and semicolon and colon use (L.9-10.1–2), and Grades 11–12 add hyphenation. They are much thinner than Grades 3–8.
- Timed writing from an image matches GCSE English Language Paper 1 and the MYP Year 5 eAssessment creative task (400–600 words from a visual prompt). Common Core does not specify timed or image-prompted writing.
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
Year 11Age 15–16 · US Grade 10 · IB MYP 5GCSE / IGCSE English
Clear under pressure, every time.
By the end of Year 11, they can:
- Write with technical accuracy
- Answer timed reading papers on unseen texts
- Write creatively and for a stated audience under time
- Give a spoken presentation and answer questions
- Write literature essays on set texts in exam conditions
Where each thread sits
● Same year◐ A year either side○ Later, or not taught
| Thread | England | US | IB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar & punctuationAccuracy clinic | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| VocabularyAnalytical vocabulary review | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Reading & comprehensionTimed reading papers | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| StorytellingTimed creative writing | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Explain, instruct & askTransactional writing; spoken presentation | Same year | Same year | Same year |
| Language analysisLiterature essays; mocks | Same year | Same year | Same year |
Where it differs this year
- GCSE English Language gives technical accuracy (AO6) 20% of all marks; GCSE Literature gives it 5% (AO4). Spoken Language is a separate endorsement that does not count toward the grade.
- US Grade 10 has no national English exam; state tests vary. Several states now use renamed or revised standards in place of Common Core (not checked here).
- The MYP Year 5 eAssessment is optional: a 2-hour on-screen exam with an analysis task comparing two extracts and a creative task responding to an image. There are no set texts.
In the PDF: the full objectives and the sprint plan. Get the map
English
Where we take a different approach
- We teach grammar for clarity, not for the test. The terms England names are still taught by name, so the KS2 grammar test holds no surprises.
- A storytelling track runs through Years 4 to 6, alongside the main blocks.
- England names fronted adverbials in Year 4; US Common Core asks for the comma in Grade 5 (L.5.2b) and never uses the term.
English
How we checked.
- England's programmes of study are the spine. Each objective is checked against United States and International Baccalaureate.
- 29 published sources, listed in the PDF.
- Last checked October 2026.
Changes ahead
- England's reformed national curriculum is due from September 2028. We will check this map again when it is published.
Get the detailed map
The full year-by-year objectives, mapped against England, the US and the IB, with the sprint plan and every source we used.
Other stacks.
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