Primary 4 English Practice Paper 4

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - English Primary 4 (Answer Key)

Subject: English
Level: Primary 4
Paper: Practice Paper 4 (Version 4 of 5)
Total Marks: 50

BOOKLET A (20 marks)

Section A: Grammar MCQ (10 marks)

1. (3) has been
Explanation: "The box of chocolates" is a singular subject (the main noun is "box"), so it takes a singular verb. "Has been" is the present perfect tense, showing an action that started in the past and continues to the present ("since this morning").
Common mistake: Choosing "have been" (plural) because "chocolates" is plural, but the subject is "box".

2. (2) are
Explanation: With "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the noun closest to it ("students"), which is plural. Therefore, "are" is correct.

3. (2) rains
Explanation: This is a first conditional sentence (real possibility in the future). The "if" clause uses the simple present tense ("rains"), and the main clause uses "will be cancelled".

4. (1) go
Explanation: "My sister and I" is a plural subject (equivalent to "we"), so the plural verb "go" is used.

5. (3) was
Explanation: "The team" is a collective noun treated as a singular unit here, so the singular past tense "was" is correct. The action was ongoing ("was celebrating") when another past action happened ("the coach arrived").

6. (1) Each
Explanation: "Each" is a singular determiner and takes a singular verb ("has"). "Every" is also singular but is not followed by "of" in this structure. "All" and "both" are plural.

7. (2) us
Explanation: The verb "asked" is followed by an object pronoun. "Us" is the object form of "we".

8. (3) which
Explanation: "Which" is the relative pronoun used for things (the book). "Who" is for people, "whom" is the object form for people, and "whose" shows possession.

9. (3) to switch off
Explanation: After "told me" (verb + object), we use the to-infinitive ("to switch off"). This is reported speech for a command/instruction.

10. (4) When
Explanation: "When" shows a time condition. "Unless" means "if not", "since" gives a reason, and "although" shows contrast — none fit the meaning of a simple time condition for going out to play.

Section B: Vocabulary MCQ (5 marks)

11. (1) exhausted
Explanation: "Exhausted" means extremely tired, which fits the context of walking for five hours under the hot sun. The other options have positive or neutral connotations.

12. (1) produced
Explanation: "Produced" means to bring forth or make appear, which is what a magician does. "Reduced" means made smaller, "introduced" means presented someone, and "deduced" means concluded from evidence.

13. (1) observe
Explanation: "Observe" means to follow or comply with (rules). Note: Options (1) and (2) are identical in the question — this is an error in the question design. The intended answer is "observe". "Preserve" means to keep safe, "reserve" means to book or keep for later.

14. (1) demolished
Explanation: "Demolished" means pulled down or destroyed (a building). "Renovated" means repaired/improved, "decorated" means made pretty, "constructed" means built — opposite meaning.

15. (1) diligent
Explanation: "Diligent" means hardworking and careful, which leads to improvement. "Negligent" means careless, "reluctant" means unwilling, "indifferent" means not caring — all negative.

Section C: Visual Text Comprehension (5 marks)

16. (2) To promote a community gardening event
Explanation: The poster advertises the "Community Garden Festival" with date, time, venue, activities, and registration details — all features of an event promotion.

17. (2) Saturday, 15 June 2024
Explanation: Directly stated on the poster: "Saturday, 15 June 2024".

18. (3) Cooking Demo with Fresh Produce
Explanation: The activity schedule shows "Cooking Demo with Fresh Produce (1:00 PM)".

19. (3) Online at www.gvcc.org.sg or by calling 6234 5678
Explanation: Registration details state: "Register at www.gvcc.org.sg or call 6234 5678 by 10 June".

20. (2) 10 June 2024
Explanation: The poster says "by 10 June" for registration.

BOOKLET B (30 marks)

Section D: Grammar Cloze (8 marks)

Passage 1
21. (D) were
Explanation: "My family and I" = plural subject, past tense → "were".

22. (A) is
Explanation: "The weather" = singular subject. The sentence describes the weather condition at that past time, but "is" is the only singular present tense option. In context, "was" would be better but is used in Passage 2. Given the word box constraints, "is" is the only singular option left for a singular subject.
Note: This cloze uses a limited word bank; students must choose the best fit from given options.

23. (F) have
Explanation: "My parents" = plural subject, present perfect tense → "have prepared".

24. (F) have — Wait, each word used once only!
Correction: Let's re-evaluate the word bank usage. Each word (A–H) used ONCE only.

Available: A(is), B(are), C(was), D(were), E(has), F(have), G(had), H(having)

Q21: "My family and I were at the beach" → D (were)
Q22: "The weather was perfect" → C (was)
Q23: "My parents had prepared" → G (had) (past perfect)
Q24: "We had a wonderful time" → but "had" already used. Alternative: "We were having"? No, "having" is H. "We have a wonderful time" (present perfect) → F (have)

Q25: "Mr Tan has a walk" → no, "takes a walk". But from box: "Mr Tan has a walk" (Singapore English colloquial) or "takes" not in box. Best fit: "has" → E (has)
Q26: "He has been doing this" → but "has" used. "had been doing" (past perfect) → G used. "is been doing" no. "was been doing" no.
Wait — re-read: "He _______ been doing this for twenty years." → "has been" (present perfect continuous) or "had been". "Has" used at Q25. So "had been" → but "had" used at Q23.
This suggests the word bank may have duplicates intended, or "has" appears twice? But box shows single letters.

Revised interpretation: The word box likely allows each form once, but the test designer may have intended a different distribution. For answer key, we provide the grammatically correct choice from the box assuming each can be used once, and note the constraint.

Actual correct answers based on grammar (ignoring "once only" for a moment): 21. were (D) 22. was (C) 23. had (G) 24. had (G) — but used once. So "have" (F) for present perfect "have had a wonderful time" — acceptable. 25. has (E) — "has a walk" (habitual) 26. has (E) — but used. "had" (G) used. "is" (A) — "is been" no. "was" (C) used. "are" (B) no. "were" (D) used. "have" (F) used. "having" (H) — "having been doing" no. This word bank is flawed for "once only".

For marking purposes, we accept the grammatically correct word for each blank, and award marks if the student selects the correct form, even if the "once only" constraint makes it impossible to fill all correctly. In a real exam, the word bank would be balanced.

We will mark based on grammatical correctness per blank:

21. were (D) — plural past
22. was (C) — singular past
23. had (G) — past perfect
24. had (G) — but since "once only", have (F) is acceptable as present perfect "have had"
25. has (E) — singular present (habitual)
26. has (E) — but used. had (G) used. is (A) — no. Best remaining: has (if allowed twice) or had (if allowed twice).
27. has / had / is — "often has meetings" or "often had meetings"
28. make — not in box. "makes" not in box. "made" not in box. "making" not in box. "having" (H) — "having him feel" awkward. "have" (F) — "have him feel" (bare infinitive after "make" but "make" not there). The structure "The fresh air... _______ him feel relaxed" needs "make/makes/made". None in box.

Conclusion: The provided word bank in the question has issues. In the answer key, we provide the intended answers based on standard grammar, and note the discrepancy.

Intended answers (assuming a properly designed word bank): 21. were
22. was
23. had
24. had
25. takes (not in box) → has
26. has
27. has
28. makes (not in box) → makes

For this answer key, we award marks for: 21. were
22. was
23. had
24. have (as best available)
25. has
26. has (if allowed) or had
27. has
28. makes (not in box) → making (H) "making him feel" — possible as participle phrase? "The fresh air and green scenery making him feel relaxed" — no, needs main verb.

We will accept the following as correct for marking: 21. were
22. was
23. had
24. have
25. has
26. had
27. has
28. making (as present participle phrase, though grammatically incomplete) — OR the question has a typo and "makes" should be in box.

Marking note: In a real setting, this cloze would be vetted. Here, we mark 21–27 based on verb agreement, and for 28, accept "makes" (if written) or "making" with benefit of doubt. But since only box words allowed, no correct answer for 28 from given box. We will assume "makes" was omitted from box and accept it, or treat Q28 as void. For this key, we provide the grammatical answers.

Section E: Editing for Spelling and Grammar (6 marks)

29. children
Explanation: "Children" is already plural (irregular plural of "child"). "Childrens" is incorrect — no apostrophe, no extra 's'.

30. doesn't
Explanation: "My brother" = singular third person → "does not" / "doesn't". "Don't" is for plural or "I/you".

31. librarian (correct) / whisper (correct)
Wait — the instruction says "Each of the underlined words contains either a spelling or grammatical error." But both words are correct!
Re-read: "The librarian reminded us to whisper softly in the library." — Both spelled correctly, grammar correct.
This is an error in the question design. In a real paper, one would be wrong. For marking, if no error, student should not change. But instruction says each has error.
Possible intended errors: "librarian" → "librarian" (correct), "whisper" → "whisper" (correct). Maybe "whisper" should be "whispered"? But "reminded us to whisper" is correct (to-infinitive).
We will assume "librarian" was meant to be misspelled (e.g., "libarian") and "whisper" correct, or vice versa. Since both are correct in the given text, we accept no change needed but the format requires a word in the box. This question is flawed.

For answer key, we note the flaw and suggest: 29. children
30. doesn't
31. (no error — but if forced, perhaps "whisper" → "whispered" if "reminded us that we whispered"? No.) We will mark this as void or accept the correct spelling as answer.
Better: Assume "librarian" was "libarian" in original. Answer: librarian. And "whisper" is correct — but instruction says each underlined word has error. So maybe two boxes for Q31? The question shows one box [1] for two underlined words. Flawed.

We'll provide answers for the clear ones and note issues.

32. went / interesting
Explanation: "Goed" → past tense of "go" is "went" (irregular). "Interesting" is correctly spelled — but the question says each underlined word has error. "Interesting" is correct. Perhaps "interesting" → "interested"? "Saw many interested animals" no. "Interesting animals" correct.
Flaw again. We correct "goed" → went. For "interesting", no correction needed. But two words, one mark? The box is singular [1]. Likely only "goed" is the error.

33. beautiful / attract
Explanation: "Beautifull" → spelling error, correct is beautiful (one 'l'). "Attracts" → subject "flowers" (plural) → verb should be attract (plural).

34. knows
Explanation: "Neither of my friends" → the subject is "neither" (singular) → verb "knows". "Know" is plural. "Neither" is already in the sentence (not underlined). The underlined word is "know" → correct to knows.

Summary of Editing Answers: 29. children
30. doesn't
31. librarian (assuming "libarian" was intended) — or whispered (if "reminded us whispered" — ungrammatical). Best: librarian (spelling fix).
32. went (for "goed") — "interesting" is correct, but if must change, no valid change. Answer: went
33. beautiful and attract (two corrections, but one mark? The box is [1] for the sentence. Likely two separate boxes in original. We'll list both.)
34. knows

Marking: Award 1 mark per question (29–34) if the correction is correct. For flawed questions, award mark for identifying the clear error.

Section F: Sentence Synthesis and Transformation (4 marks)

35. Since Mary did not bring an umbrella, she got wet in the rain.
Marking:

• Correct use of "Since" at start [1]
• Correct clause order and meaning [1]
  Alternative: "Since Mary had not brought an umbrella, she got wet in the rain." (also correct)
  Common mistake: "Since Mary didn't bring an umbrella, so she got wet..." — "since" and "so" not used together.

36. Mother told me to close the door.
Marking:

• Correct reported speech structure: "told me to" + base verb [1]
• Correct pronoun and tense (no change needed for imperative → to-infinitive) [1]
  Common mistakes: "Mother told me close the door" (missing "to"), "Mother told me that I close the door" (wrong structure), "Mother told me I should close the door" (changes meaning slightly).

Section G: Comprehension Cloze (6 marks)

37. woke
Explanation: Past tense of "wake up". Context: "first day of school holidays", narrative past tense.

38. waited / been waiting / planned / prepared
Explanation: "Had _______ for this day for weeks." Past perfect tense. "Had waited", "had been waiting", "had planned", "had prepared" all fit. "Waited" or "planned" most common.

39. was
Explanation: "Jason _______ amazed" — singular subject, past tense, passive voice ("was amazed by").

40. got / managed / was able
Explanation: "He even _______ to try on a spacesuit!" "Got to" (had the opportunity), "managed to", "was able to" all fit. "Got" most natural for Primary 4.

41. delicious / tasty / lovely / nice / good
Explanation: Adjective describing "lunch". Positive context.

42. did
Explanation: "He _______ not want to leave" — past tense negative with "did not" (didn't). "Did" is the auxiliary for past simple negative.

Acceptable alternatives (with marks):
37. woke / gotten up (but "gotten" US) → woke best
38. waited / planned / looked forward / counted down → waited / planned
39. was
40. got / managed
41. delicious / tasty / yummy / wonderful
42. did

Section H: Reading Comprehension (6 marks)

43. The attic key was missing from its usual hook, so she could not explore the attic.
Or: She realised the small brass key was missing from its usual hook.
Mark: 1 mark for identifying the missing key as the reason.

44. Ben (her cousin)
Mark: 1 mark. Must mention Ben / cousin Ben.

45. "magpie's heart"
Mark: 1 mark. Exact phrase with quotation marks preferred.

46. On the windowsill (in Ben's room).
Mark: 1 mark. Must specify windowsill / Ben's windowsill.

47. It suggests that Ben likes to collect shiny things / is attracted to shiny objects, like a magpie.
Mark: 1 mark for explaining the metaphor: magpies collect shiny things → Ben collects shiny things (key, button, pebble).

48. She felt relieved / relief washed over her.
Mark: 1 mark for "relieved" or "relief".

MARKING SUMMARY

NOTES FOR TEACHERS / PARENTS

• Section D (Grammar Cloze) and Section E (Editing) contain known design flaws in the word bank and error distribution. In a vetted exam paper, these would be corrected. When marking, please use professional judgement:
  • For Q21–28: Award marks for grammatically correct verb forms that fit the context, even if the "use once only" constraint cannot be fully satisfied.
  • For Q31 and Q32: Only one clear error exists per question ("goed" in Q32, likely "libarian" intended in Q31). Award the mark for correcting the clear error.
• Section F (Synthesis): Strict marking — both structure and meaning must be correct for full 2 marks. Deduct 1 mark for minor errors (e.g., missing "to", wrong pronoun).
• Section G (Comprehension Cloze): Accept any grammatically and contextually appropriate word. The answers given are the most likely.
• Section H (Comprehension): Answers need not be in full sentences but must be complete and accurate. Lifted phrases from text are acceptable if they answer the question directly.

End of Answer Key