Primary 6 PSLE English Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 3

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper — Answer Key

Subject: English Language | Level: Primary 6 (PSLE) Paper: SA2 — Version 3 of 5 | Total Marks: 50

Section A: Grammar MCQ (10 marks)

1. (B) had known [1]

• Reasoning: This is a Type 3 conditional (unreal past condition). The structure requires the past perfect ("had known") in the if-clause and "would have + past participle" in the main clause. Option A uses simple past, which is incorrect for Type 3. Option C uses present perfect, which does not match the past unreal context. Option D is grammatically incorrect in this structure.

2. (B) started … had taken [1]

• Reasoning: "By the time" with a past event (the concert started) requires the past perfect in the clause describing the action completed before that time. The audience took their seats before the concert started, so "had taken" is correct. Option A uses present tenses, which do not fit the past context. Option C reverses the logic. Option D uses past continuous, which does not convey completion.

3. (B) nor [1]

• Reasoning: "Neither... nor..." is a fixed correlative conjunction pair. "Neither... or..." is grammatically incorrect. "And" and "but" do not pair with "neither."

4. (C) had been completed [1]

• Reasoning: The action (completing the report) happened before another past time reference ("the deadline last Friday"), so the past perfect passive is required. Option A is present perfect, which does not fit the past context. Option B is simple past passive, which does not show the action was completed before the deadline. Option D is present continuous passive, which is incorrect for a completed past action.

5. (B) would … following day [1]

• Reasoning: In reported speech, "will" changes to "would" and "tomorrow" changes to "the following day" (or "the next day"). Option A does not backshift "will." Option C fails to backshift both the verb and the time reference. Option D does not change "tomorrow."

6. (A) is [1]

• Reasoning: When the subject is followed by "along with," "as well as," or "together with," the verb agrees with the main subject ("The scientist"), which is singular. Therefore, "is" is correct. Option B incorrectly makes the verb agree with "research assistants." Options C and D use plural verbs.

7. (B) did [1]

• Reasoning: "Not only" at the beginning of a sentence triggers subject-auxiliary inversion. Since the second clause uses past tense ("improved"), the auxiliary "did" is needed. Option A uses present tense, which does not match. Option C uses present perfect, which does not match the past context. Option D uses "was," which is not the correct auxiliary for "reduce."

8. (C) to complete [1]

• Reasoning: After "made" in the passive voice ("were made"), the infinitive with "to" is used. The structure is "be made to do something." Option A (bare infinitive) is used after "make" in the active voice (e.g., "She made them complete..."), but not in the passive. Options B and D are grammatically incorrect in this context.

9. (A) more fluently [1]

• Reasoning: The comparative form is needed because of "than." "Fluently" is the adverb form (modifying "speaks"), and the comparative of a two-syllable adverb ending in -ly is formed with "more." Option B is superlative, not comparative. Options C and D use the adjective form "fluent," which cannot modify the verb "speaks."

10. (B) had been arguing [1]

• Reasoning: The past perfect continuous is used to describe an action that was ongoing before another past event ("reached a consensus"). The duration ("for three hours") also signals the continuous aspect. Option A uses present perfect, which does not fit the past context. Options C and D use passive voice, but "argue" is intransitive here and should not be passive.

Section B: Grammar Cloze (10 marks)

11. located / situated [1]

• Reasoning: A past participle is needed to form a reduced relative clause modifying "The Great Barrier Reef." "Located" or "situated" fits the context of describing where the reef is found.

12. stretches / extends [1]

• Reasoning: The present simple tense is used to state a general fact about the reef's length. "Stretches" or "extends" is appropriate for describing distance.

13. is [1]

• Reasoning: The phrase "is home to" is a fixed expression meaning "provides a habitat for." The present simple is used for a general fact.

14. pose / are [1]

• Reasoning: "Pose a threat" is a common collocation. Alternatively, "are" works with "a serious threat" (subject complement). The present simple is used for a current, ongoing fact.

15. where / in which [1]

• Reasoning: A relative adverb or relative pronoun is needed to introduce a clause describing the process of bleaching. "Where" (referring to the process) or "in which" correctly connects the explanation.

16. When / Once / After [1]

• Reasoning: A subordinating conjunction of time is needed to show that the coral turns white after the algae are expelled. "When," "Once," or "After" all fit logically.

17. are [1]

• Reasoning: "Efforts" is plural, so the plural verb "are" is needed. The present continuous ("are underway") indicates that the efforts are currently happening.

18. to [1]

• Reasoning: The infinitive of purpose "to restore" explains the purpose of the methods. "Methods to restore" is the correct structure.

19. are [1]

• Reasoning: This is a Type 1 conditional (real/possible future condition). The if-clause uses the present simple ("are") and the main clause uses the future simple ("will be able").

20. at [1]

• Reasoning: "Marvel at" is a fixed prepositional collocation. One marvels at something.

Section C: Editing — Grammar & Spelling (10 marks)

21. visited [1]

• Error: Subject-verb agreement. "My classmates and I" is a plural subject, so the verb should be "visited" (not "visits"). Additionally, "last Saturday" requires past tense.

22. excited [1]

• Error: Adjective confusion. "Excited" (feeling excitement) is correct, not "exciting" (causing excitement). The subject "we" refers to people who feel excited.

23. explained to us / told us [1]

• Error: Verb pattern. "Explain" does not take an indirect object directly; it requires "to" (explain something to someone). Alternatively, "told us about" is acceptable.

24. was [1]

• Error: Subject-verb agreement. "Each" is singular, so the verb should be "was" (not "were").

25. seen [1]

• Error: Past participle required. After "have never," the past participle "seen" is needed, not the simple past "saw."

26. better / much better [1]

• Error: Double comparative. "More better" is incorrect because "better" is already the comparative form of "good." The correct form is "better" or "much better."

27. photographs / photos [1]

• Error: Plural noun. "Many" requires a plural noun: "photographs" or "photos."

28. was [1]

• Error: Subject-verb agreement. "Everyone" is singular, so the verb should be "was" (not "were").

29. could [1]

• Error: Tense consistency. "Wished" is in the past, so the following verb should also reflect the past/could (past of "can"). "Can" should be changed to "could."

30. days [1]

• Error: Plural noun. "One of the most memorable..." requires a plural noun ("days") because it refers to one item within a group of many.

Section D: Sentence Transformation (10 marks)

31. Mei Ling said (that) she had never been to Japan. [1]

• Working: In reported speech, "I" changes to "she" (matching Mei Ling), "have never been" changes to "had never been" (present perfect → past perfect), and "tomorrow" is not present so no time shift is needed. "That" is optional.

32. It was such a powerful storm that it destroyed several houses. [1]

• Working: The "so... that..." structure is transformed to "such... that..." The adjective "powerful" and the noun "storm" are combined as "such a powerful storm."

33. The ancient temple is believed to have been built in the 12th century. [1]

• Working: The passive reporting structure "It is believed that..." is transformed to "The ancient temple is believed to..." Since the building happened in the past, the perfect infinitive "to have been built" is used.

34. Despite the terrible weather, the football match continued. / Despite the fact that the weather was terrible, the football match continued. [1]

• Working: "Although" (subordinating conjunction) is replaced with "despite" (preposition). After "despite," a noun phrase or "the fact that..." clause is used, not a full clause with a finite verb directly.

35. The worker warned the children not to touch the wet paint. [1]

• Working: "Don't touch" (imperative) is transformed to "not to touch" (infinitive) in reported speech. The reporting verb "warned" is appropriate for a command/warning.

36. She has been learning the piano for five years. / She has played the piano for five years. [1]

• Working: "Started... five years ago" (a point in the past) is transformed to "has been learning... for five years" (present perfect continuous, indicating an ongoing action over a duration).

37. I have not seen my cousin since December. [1]

• Working: "The last time I saw..." is transformed to "I have not seen... since..." using the present perfect tense to show the period from a past point to the present.

38. The problem was not simple enough for the students to solve. [1]

• Working: "Too complicated to solve" is transformed to "not simple enough to solve." The structure "not + adjective + enough + to + verb" is the opposite of "too + adjective + to + verb."

39. My mother asked (me) where I had put her keys. [1]

• Working: In reported speech, the question word "where" is retained, the word order changes to subject + verb (not question order), "did you put" changes to "I had put" (simple past → past perfect), and "my" changes to "her" (matching the mother).

40. The new library is expected to open next month. [1]

• Working: The impersonal passive "It is expected that..." is transformed to a personal passive "The new library is expected to..." The infinitive "to open" follows "is expected."

Section E: Grammar Application — Short Writing (10 marks)

Marking Criteria for Questions 41–45 (2 marks each):

41. Target: Conditional with "unless"

• Model answer: "Unless you water the plants regularly, they will die."
• Acceptable: Any grammatically correct sentence using "unless" to express a condition (equivalent to "if... not...").
• Common mistake: Using "unless" with a negative verb (e.g., "Unless you don't study..." — double negative error).

42. Target: Past perfect tense

• Model answer: "I had eaten breakfast before I went to school."
• Acceptable: Any sentence using "had + past participle" to describe an action completed before another past action.
• Common mistake: Using simple past instead of past perfect (e.g., "I ate breakfast before I went to school" — this is acceptable in casual usage but does not demonstrate past perfect).

43. Target: "Not only... but also..."

• Model answer: "Not only is she a talented singer, but she is also an excellent dancer."
• Acceptable: Any grammatically correct sentence using the correlative conjunction pair with proper parallel structure.
• Common mistake: Omitting "also" or failing to maintain parallel structure after "not only" and "but also."

44. Target: Passive voice

• Model answer: "Bread is made from flour, water, and yeast."
• Acceptable: Any grammatically correct sentence in the passive voice (subject + be + past participle).
• Common mistake: Using active voice or omitting the auxiliary verb "be."

45. Target: Type 2 conditional (If I were...)

• Model answer: "If I were the president, I would build more parks for the community."
• Acceptable: Any grammatically correct Type 2 conditional sentence using "If I were" in the if-clause and "would + base verb" in the main clause.
• Common mistake: Using "was" instead of "were" (though "was" is increasingly accepted in informal usage, "were" is the standard form expected in PSLE).

Mark Summary

SA2 Version 3 of 5 — Primary 6 PSLE English Practice Paper Answer Key