Primary 5 English Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 4

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - English Primary 5 (SA2 Version 4) - Answer Key

Total Marks: 55

BOOKLET A: GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY (20 marks)

Section A: Grammar MCQ (10 marks)

1. Answer: (3) was
Explanation: The subject is "The team of players". "Team" is a collective noun treated as singular here, so the verb must be singular. "Was" is the singular past tense. "Were" would be plural.
Mark: 1

2. Answer: (4) were
Explanation: With "Neither...nor", the verb agrees with the noun closest to it ("students", which is plural). Therefore, the plural verb "were" is correct.
Mark: 1

3. Answer: (2) had … started
Explanation: "By the time we reached" sets a past reference point. The action of the movie starting happened before that past time, so the past perfect tense "had started" is required.
Mark: 1

4. Answer: (1) must
Explanation: The context is a teacher giving a firm instruction/obligation. "Must" expresses strong obligation. "Could" and "might" express possibility; "would" is not used for direct commands.
Mark: 1

5. Answer: (3) were playing
Explanation: The phrase "when it suddenly started to rain" indicates an interrupted action in the past. The past continuous tense "were playing" shows the ongoing action that was interrupted.
Mark: 1

6. Answer: (1) is
Explanation: "Everyone" is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular. It takes a singular verb ("is").
Mark: 1

7. Answer: (3) were
Explanation: This is a Second Conditional sentence (unreal present/hypothetical situation). The structure is "If + past simple (were), ... would + base verb". "Were" is used for all persons in formal English.
Mark: 1

8. Answer: (3) whose
Explanation: "Whose" is the possessive relative pronoun used for both people and things. It shows that the cover belongs to the book. "Which" and "who" cannot show possession.
Mark: 1

9. Answer: (2) whether
Explanation: In reported speech for a yes/no question, "whether" (or "if") is used to introduce the clause. "Whether" is more formal and preferred in exams.
Mark: 1

10. Answer: (2) did he win
Explanation: "Not only" at the start of a sentence triggers subject-auxiliary inversion. The past tense "did he win" matches "received" in the second clause.
Mark: 1

Section B: Vocabulary MCQ (10 marks)

11. Answer: (1) scrutinised
Explanation: "Scrutinised" means to examine closely and carefully. A detective would scrutinise an alibi to find inconsistencies. "Glanced" is too quick; "ignored" and "invented" are opposite in meaning.
Mark: 1

12. Answer: (2) frail
Explanation: "Despite" signals a contrast. "Frail" means weak and delicate, which contrasts with "remarkable strength". The other options (robust, sturdy, muscular) mean strong, so they would not create a contrast.
Mark: 1

13. Answer: (4) remains
Explanation: "Remains" (plural noun) refers to the physical traces of a civilisation (buildings, artefacts). "Remnant" is a small remaining piece; "ruin" is a destroyed building; "relic" is a single surviving object. "Remains" is the standard term for archaeological sites.
Mark: 1

14. Answer: (1) address
Explanation: "Address" means to deal with or tackle a problem. The context "before it gets worse" requires action. "Avoid", "create", and "ignore" do not fit the urgency.
Mark: 1

15. Answer: (3) insensitive
Explanation: The remarks "offended many members", so they must have been lacking sensitivity. "Insensitive" means showing no concern for others' feelings. The other options are positive traits.
Mark: 1

16. Answer: (2) terminate
Explanation: "Terminate" means to end a contract. "Due to repeated violations" gives the reason for ending it. "Extend", "renew", and "modify" imply continuing the contract.
Mark: 1

17. Answer: (3) amiable
Explanation: "Amiable" means friendly and pleasant. This explains why she is "well-liked". "Aloof", "hostile", and "indifferent" are negative traits that would not make someone well-liked.
Mark: 1

18. Answer: (3) conclusive
Explanation: "Conclusive" evidence proves something definitively. It proved the accused was not there. "Fabricated" means fake; "circumstantial" is indirect; "insufficient" means not enough.
Mark: 1

19. Answer: (2) compromise
Explanation: A "compromise" is an agreement where both sides make concessions. "After hours of negotiation" leads to a resolution. "Deadlock", "disagreement", and "conflict" are negative outcomes.
Mark: 1

20. Answer: (2) exceptional
Explanation: An "exceptional" performance is outstanding, which earns a gold medal. "Mediocre", "average", and "ordinary" mean not special.
Mark: 1

BOOKLET B: GRAMMAR CLOZE & EDITING (15 marks)

Section C: Grammar Cloze (10 marks)

Passage 1
21. (C) whose — Possessive relative pronoun referring to "grandmother" (her hands).
22. (E) where — Relative adverb referring to place ("village").
23. (F) when — Relative adverb referring to time ("days").
24. (B) which — Relative pronoun for things/animals ("house").
25. (F) when — Relative adverb referring to time ("holidays"). Note: "when" is used twice in the box (F), but the instruction says "USE EACH WORD ONCE ONLY". This is a flaw in the question design. In a real exam, the box would have 10 distinct words for 10 blanks. For this answer key, we accept (F) for both 23 and 25 as the correct grammatical choice.

Passage 2
26. (A) who — Relative pronoun for people as subject ("scientist ... discovered").
27. (E) where — Relative adverb for place ("area ... conducted research").
28. (D) whom — Relative pronoun for people as object ("trusted whom").
29. (B) which — Relative pronoun for things ("journal ... recorded in").
30. (A) who — Relative pronoun for people as subject ("those ... dedicate"). Note: Same issue as above; "who" (A) is used for both 26 and 30.

Marking: 1 mark per correct answer. Total 10 marks.

Section D: Editing for Spelling and Grammar (5 marks)

31. principal → principal (No error? Wait. "Principal" (head of school) is correct. "Principle" is a rule. The sentence uses "principal" correctly. Correction: The question implies an error exists. Common confusion: principal vs principle. If the intended error was spelling, perhaps "principle" was written? But the prompt says "The principal of the school...". If the underlined word is "principal", it is correct. Assumption for marking: The error is likely a distractor or the word was "principle" in the source. However, based strictly on the text provided: "principal" is correct. Marking Note: If this is a "no error" item, the answer is "principal". If the paper expects a correction, it's flawed. I will mark "principal" as correct (no change) but note the ambiguity. *Actually, looking at standard P5 editing, they test common misspellings. "Principal" is often misspelled as "principle". If the underlined word in the exam paper was "principle", the correction is "principal". Since the prompt shows "principal", I will assume the printed word had an error (e.g. "principle") and the answer is principal.)
Answer: principal
Mark: 1

32. recieved → received
Rule: "i before e except after c". After 'c', it is 'ei'.
Mark: 1

33. was → were
Rule: Subject "The children" is plural. Verb must be plural "were".
Mark: 1

34. neccessary → necessary
Spelling: One 'c', two 's's. Common misspelling.
Mark: 1

35. have → has
Rule: "Neither of the boys" takes a singular verb ("has") in formal grammar. "Neither" is singular.
Mark: 1

BOOKLET C: SYNTHESIS & TRANSFORMATION (10 marks)

2 marks per question (1 mark for correct structure, 1 mark for accurate meaning/grammar). No half marks typically awarded in PSLE format; both parts must be correct.

36. Although the rain was heavy, the match continued.
OR: Although it was raining heavily, the match continued.
Key: "Although" starts the clause; comma separates clauses; no "but" in main clause.
Marks: 2

37. The teacher asked Tom if he had completed the assignment.
OR: The teacher asked Tom whether he had completed the assignment.
Key: Reported speech: "Did you complete" → "if/whether he had completed" (backshift past simple to past perfect). Pronoun "you" → "he". Question mark removed.
Marks: 2

38. Ali is not as tall as his brother.
OR: Ali is not so tall as his brother.
Key: Comparative "taller" → positive degree "as tall as" with "not".
Marks: 2

39. Unless you study hard, you will not pass the examination.
OR: You will not pass the examination unless you study hard.
Key: "Unless" = "If not". "Must" implies obligation/condition. Negative "not" needed in main clause because "unless" is negative. "Will pass" → "will not pass".
Marks: 2

40. So delicious was the cake that everyone asked for a second slice.
OR: The cake was so delicious that everyone asked for a second slice. (But "So" is the given starter).
Key: Inversion structure: "So + adjective + was/were + subject + that + clause".
Marks: 2

BOOKLET D: COMPREHENSION CLOZE (10 marks)

41. Despite / In spite of — Contrast linker. "Despite the many benefits..."
42. Moreover / Furthermore / Additionally / Also — Adds another related point (difficulty disconnecting).
43. on / for / regarding / concerning — Preposition collocation: "boundaries on/for device usage".
44. It — Dummy subject for "is also important to take...".
45. in — Collocation: "play a crucial role in modelling".
46. so / therefore / thus — Consequence linker. "Children imitate... so if parents are on phones, children will do same."
47. without — Contrast: "responsibly without letting it control". Gerund "letting" follows preposition.
48. between — Collocation: "balance between A and B".
49. rather — Collocation: "as a tool rather than letting it become...". Parallel structure (gerund "letting" matches "using" implied).
50. while / whilst / and — "While" shows simultaneous action/contrast. "Enjoy advantages while maintaining connections".

Marking: 1 mark per blank. Accept synonyms that fit grammatically and contextually. Total 10 marks.

MARKING SUMMARY

COMMON MISTAKES TO WATCH

1. Subject-Verb Agreement (Q1, 2, 6, 33, 35): Identify the true subject (ignore prepositional phrases like "of players"). Collective nouns = singular. "Neither...nor" → verb agrees with nearest noun. "Everyone/Neither" = singular.
2. Tense Consistency (Q3, 5, 37): Past perfect for "past of the past". Past continuous for interrupted action. Backshifting in reported speech.
3. Relative Pronouns (Q8, 21-30): Who (people, subject), Whom (people, object), Whose (possession), Which (things), Where (place), When (time).
4. Synthesis (Q36-40):
   • Although → no "but".
   • Unless → negative main verb.
   • So...that → inversion.
   • Not as...as for comparatives.
   • Reported speech: backshift tense, change pronouns, remove quotes/question marks.
5. Cloze (Q41-50): Read whole passage first. Check grammar (prepositions, articles, conjunctions) and meaning (linkers, collocations).
6. Editing (Q31-35): Look for common spelling rules (ie/ei, double consonants) and grammar (SVA, tense).