Q&A - PSLE English

[D3-n]

Alchemist:

Hi I have an S&T query


1. Having cheated in the school's bug eating competition, Reginald was consumed by guilt and tearfully admitted his crime.

Consumed _________________________________________________________

Ans Given: Consumed by guilt having cheated in the school’s bug eating competition,
Reginald tearfully admitted his crime.

Daughter's ans: Consumed by guilt of having cheated in the school’s bug eating competition,
Reginald tearfully admitted his crime.

Which would be correct? Many thanks in advance

I would think your daughter's answer is the better one.
It has to be the guilt \"of\" something.

By the way, I also feel that consumed \"with\" guilt is more appropriate in this context rather then consumed \"by\" guilt.

[Alchemist]

D3@n:

Alchemist:

Hi I have an S&T query


1. Having cheated in the school's bug eating competition, Reginald was consumed by guilt and tearfully admitted his crime.

Consumed _________________________________________________________

Ans Given: Consumed by guilt having cheated in the school’s bug eating competition,
Reginald tearfully admitted his crime.

Daughter's ans: Consumed by guilt of having cheated in the school’s bug eating competition,
Reginald tearfully admitted his crime.

Which would be correct? Many thanks in advance

I would think your daughter's answer is the better one.
It has to be the guilt \"of\" something.

By the way, I also feel that consumed \"with\" guilt is more appropriate in this context rather then consumed \"by\" guilt.

Thank you. Agree consumed with sounds more appropriate in this context.

[LilbutMightyEnglish]

Quick Oral Tips for Stimulus-Based Conversation


Hi Parents,

Here are some tips on how your children can prepare for the stimulus-based conversation during the 5 minutes that they are given. Do let them know that preparation should just stop at looking at the picture. They can be more prepared with the steps below:

Step 1. Study the Picture Carefully with a Purpose in Mind

What candidates need to understand is that they need to use details in the given picture. This is especially important for the first question, the directly-linked question. Most children cannot establish a purpose in looking at the picture as they do not know what questions are going to be asked. However, knowing that the first question is directly-linked means that the first question is likely to be about your choice or the function and purpose of the picture.

Choice: Will you purchase this gadget or not? Why?
Function: What do you think these bins (recycling) are for and where will you see them?

During the preparation time, candidates should therefore study the picture carefully. It will help to have an idea of the possible questions (e.g. Which will you choose, why? Will you attend this event, why? Where will you see this, why?) to guide you so that you will study the picture with a purpose. If it is a brochure or something which has words and features, be sure to read through them carefully and not just skim through. Even if it is a picture of signages with minimal words, study it carefully.

Step 2. There is always a \"Why?\" - Use the Details

From the questions above, You will notice that there is always a \"why\" question for you to support your choice or answer. For the directly-linked question, candidates must make a link to the picture by using the details provided to support their answer. For instance, if it is a promotion brochure for a visit to The Singapore Zoo and members of the zoo will have a further discount, candidates should use that detail as a reason to attend by saying that their parents or relatives are members and it will be a great chance for them to attend together. Try to use as much of the details and link them to your personal response as much as possible.

For broadly-linked question, answers should be supported with personal opinions or relevant experiences, stories and new ideas.

Step 3. Think about the Possible Topic for the Conversation

This is essential to help the candidates to brainstorm on the broadly-linked questions that will be asked after the directly-linked question. Candidates should already have a sense of the the topic from the reading, which usually has a similar topic or theme as the stimulus. For instance, if the reading is about a trip to Sentosa and the stimulus is a promotion brochure for a visit to The Singapore Zoo, the general topic will probably be about places of interest in Singapore or tourism.

Step 4. Brainstorm about the Stories to tell - Related Experiences

Conversations with friends are essentially a session of story-telling.

Ask your children to think about the last time they spoke to their best friends or what they had shared with their parents after school each day. They are likely to remember that they told their parents about how Jake, the funny boy in class, made everyone laugh or to their best friends, that awesome Minion movie they had caught over the weekend.

Conversations with the examiner is the same except that you need to answer their questions before going on to share about your own related stories. Once candidates have an idea of what the topic might possible be, begin thinking about any possible experiences related to the topic. Other than stories, related facts, news, watched movies and programmes should be tapped on too. These experiences may not be candidate's personal experiences. They can be stories which the candidates had heard from their relatives, friends, teachers or on the television. Dig them all out.

Help your children make good use of that 5 minutes of preparation time!

[flametree]

Hi,


Please help with the following S & T

1) The defendant is prohibited from leaving the country. He has to produced the necessary papers first.
Until_______________________________________________________________________

DS ans: Until he produces the necessary papers, the defendant is prohibited from leaving the country.

Given ans: Until the defendant produces the necessary papers, he is prohibited from leaving the country.

2) The boys would have drowned if the lifeguard had not been determined to rescue them.
Had it not been__________________________________________________________________

DS ans: Had it not been the lifeguard’s determination to rescue them, the boys would have drowned.

Given ans: Had it not been the lifeguard’s determination to rescue the boys, they would have drowned.

My son has been taught by his English Enrichment teacher about " Main clause and sub clause" and that is why he insisted his answer should be correct.

Please help.

Thank you in advance.

[D3-n]

Syntax-wise, we are taught to keep the (Proper) Noun in the main clause. Hence your son’s insistence.

However, the problem arises when it comes to the complex sentences you have given above.

The issue of semantics (meaning).

For example…

In…
[Until the defendant produces the necessary papers, he is prohibited from leaving the country.]
"The defendant" comes first and it controls the following pronoun "he".
Therefore, "he" refers to "the defendant"

But in…
[Until he produces the necessary papers, the defendant is prohibited from leaving the country.
"The defendant" comes after "he" and does not control it.]
Therefore, while "he" can refer to "the defendant",
[Until he (the defendant) produces the necessary papers, the defendant is prohibited from leaving the country.]
it can also refer to another male person, eg. his father, his brother, his best-friend.
[Unless he (ie his father/brother/best-friend) produces the necessary papers, the defendant is prohibited from leaving the country.]

So, while both sentences are grammatically correct, the meaning of the given answer is not ambiguous while your son’s answer is.

Hope this helps.

[flametree]

Hi D3@n,


Thanks for clarification.

Since both sentences are grammatically correct, I guess it will be "safer" if I were to ask my son to always put noun in front especially for complex sentences?

Flametree

[D3-n]

Hi Flametree,


Unfortunately, it is not necessarily so.
There are cases that contradicts this too.

Consider
On hearing that her son was injured in an accident, Mrs Chen passed out.
On hearing that Mrs Chen's son was injured in an accident, she passed out.

In this case, the first sentence is the \"correct\" one if \"her\" is to mean \"Mrs Chen\".
In the second, \"she\" does not refer to \"Mrs Chen\" but another female.

I suppose the golden rule is to look at the meaning of both possible synthesised sentences, and decide which answer is not ambiguous and retains the intended meaning of the two separate sentences.

To be honest, this ability should not be expected of students of Primary school level.
So I hope the setters of their Prelims/PSLE papers would be \"kind\" enough not to set questions that require this.

[flametree]

Hi D3@n,


Thank you for your explanation! Really appreciate your help.

I sincerely hope that the setters will be kind. This son is my youngest kid, I don't recall my older kids'(10 years apart) synthesis questions were that tricky at all.

Flametree

[D3-n]

You’re welcome, Flametree!

And tell me about it! I don’t know why they expect/demand children these days to learn the advanced stuff so early so soon.
My Secondary 3 student in IP programme is already doing the same stuff as my JC student. It’s absurd!

[jhjkksdad]

Hi,


I am looking for an English tutor to help my son who will be sitting for PSLE in October.

As his school already has many after-school classes, I don’t really want him to sit in tuition classes.

I just need the tutor to help mark and score Continuous writing/Situation writing practice paper he does at home. The feedback can be provided by phone or email so I don’t require him / her to come to my home. I am willing to pay good (I think) rates on a per-marked paper basis.

Let me know if you know of anyone who can help on this. A current or recent ex-MOE teacher will be preferred as the new English paper 1 format is different. Thanks!

Please PM me or let me have the contact of the tutor.