Q&A - PSLE English

[zeemimi]

CayennePepper:

zeemimi:

Can someone help with this? Thank you.


I heard the doorbell ______ just before i went to bed.

1) ring 2) rings 3) rang 4) rung

The answer is (1) ring.

Read this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv214.shtml

Thanks a lot!

[Furriehammie]

Can someone help with this?

It is direct to reported speech

1) "It might have been him!" Lin shouted.
Ans:___________________________________.

(My answer: Lim shouted that it might have had been him.
But given answer says it’s : Lim shouted that it might have been him.)
I thought the normal way for synthesis was to change past to past participle?
Anyone can help explain too?

2)"Think carefully about the advice that he has given to you," my mother said ," becasue it may not be good advice."
Ans:____.

My answer:My mother told me to think carefully about the advice that he had given to me because it might not be good advice.
Given answer:My mother said that I should think carefully about the advice that he had given to me because it might not be good advice.

In this question, the answer did not specify that they should start with said or told. What I would like to know is, would my answer be acceptable in PSLE context? If not, why?

3)Mrs Lee, the form teacher, said," You can always approach the school counsellor or me if you need to talk to someone."
Ans:
My answer: Mrs Lee, the form teacher, told us that we could always approach the school counsellor or her if we needed to talk to someone.
Given answer:Mrs Lee, the form teacher, said that we could always approach the school counsellor or her if we needed to talk to someone.

My question is the same here as for question 2). Can we write told instead of said?

[Verysuperkiasu]

Synthesis & Transformation:


Question:
Mother threw away the old jacket. She bought a new one.
After…

Answer :
After throwing away the old jacket, mother bought a new one.

Teacher’s comment:
Past of the past action must use ‘past perfect’. So the answer should be :
After Mother had thrown away the old jacket, she bought a new one.

While I agree with the teacher that for the action in the earlier past, past perfect should be used, I don’t think the original answer is wrong either. I want to know how PSLE English is marked as far as synthesis & transformation is concerned.

I also came across another question in an assessment paper:

Huixin finished doing her homework. She played with her pet kitten.
Answer in the answer key:
Before playing with her pet kitten, Huixin finished doing her homework.

But if going by the teacher’s logic, then it should be
'Before Huixin played with her pet kitten, she had finished doing her homework.

Which is correct? Anyone knows how the PSLE markers mark this?

[HAPPYH]

Furriehammie:

Can someone help with this?

It is direct to reported speech

3)Mrs Lee, the form teacher, said,\" You can always approach the school counsellor or me if you need to talk to someone.\"
Ans:___________________________
My answer: Mrs Lee, the form teacher, told us that we could always approach the school counsellor or her if we needed to talk to someone.
Given answer:Mrs Lee, the form teacher, said that we could always approach the school counsellor or her if we needed to talk to someone.

My question is the same here as for question 2). Can we write told instead of said?

Why we and not they? We use \"him\" or \"her\" if they give \"me\" so why it is not \"they\" if the word \"you\" is given? Kindly advice. Thank you

[AdvancedAcademia]

1) \"It might have been him!\" Lin shouted.

Ans:___________________________________.

(My answer: Lim shouted that it might have had been him.
But given answer says it's : Lim shouted that it might have been him.)

The reason is that the verb you should have been looking at is 'might' not 'have'. The verb phrase 'might have been' is already in past perfect (to be accurate; pst modal perfect) form. Further transformation is not needed.

2 & 3)In this question, the answer did not specify that they should start with said or told. What I would like to know is, would my answer be acceptable in PSLE context? If not, why?

It's common practice to give the verb of saying, so no worries here.

[Furriehammie]

Hi AdvancedAcademia,


thank you very much for helping out with Question 1). But I am afraid I do not understand fully what you mean by "It’s common practice to give the verb of saying, so no worries here."

could you be more specific in what you mean? Thank you

[AdvancedAcademia]

Furriehammie:

Hi AdvancedAcademia,


thank you very much for helping out with Question 1). But I am afraid I do not understand fully what you mean by \"It's common practice to give the verb of saying, so no worries here.\"

could you be more specific in what you mean? Thank you

Sorry, let me try to explain. In PSLE, they would usually give the first verb of saying to pupils. This is because, the verb of saying determines if there is a need to change the tense of the speech. For example,
Tom says, \"Joseph goes to Wild Honey for breakfast.\"
Tom said that Joseph went to Wild Honey for breakfast.
Tom says that Joseph goes to Wild Honey for breakfast.

[Jolyn]

In my opinion, the use of the mobile phone should be prohibited not only when one is watching a movie or attending a meeting, but during meals and conversations as well.



Many of us must have(1)___________ the unpleasant beeping of the mobile phone when we are halfway(2)____________ a conversation, its shrill melody demanding the (3)__________ of its(4)___________ .Conversation is(5)____________ as the owner attends to his or her mobile phone.


Last week, at a restraunt, i (6)_____________ a sight that has become all too (7)__________ in singapore. four friends sat down for a (8). After ordering, they conversed for (9)___________ five (10). Then, one of (11)__________ mobile phones started ringing. Within a minute,


(12) mobile phone beeped with a message. The third decided that he had to (13)__________ a text message to a colleague and the forth friend was (14)___________ to eat his meal in silence. Two minutes later, he too was fiddling with his phone! It is a wonder we talk face-to-face anymore!

The emergence of the mobile phone era has indeed changed one’s lifestlye. Gone are the days when a ten-cent coin or a phone card was never absent from one’s (15)___________ in case it was needed for that urgent call from the public phone. And, gone too are the long queues at public phone booths.

[zeemimi]

Jolyn:

In my opinion, the use of the mobile phone should be prohibited not only when one is watching a movie or attending a meeting, but during meals and conversations as well.



Many of us must have(1)___________ the unpleasant beeping of the mobile phone when we are halfway(2)____________ a conversation, its shrill melody demanding the (3)__________ of its(4)___________ .Conversation is(5)____________ as the owner attends to his or her mobile phone.


Last week, at a restraunt, i (6)_____________ a sight that has become all too (7)__________ in singapore. four friends sat down for a (8)_____________. After ordering, they conversed for (9)___________ five (10)__________. Then, one of (11)_____________ mobile phones started ringing. Within a minute,


(12) mobile phone beeped with a message. The third decided that he had to (13)__________ a text message to a colleague and the forth friend was (14)___________ to eat his meal in silence. Two minutes later, he too was fiddling with his phone! It is a wonder we talk face-to-face anymore!

The emergence of the mobile phone era has indeed changed one's lifestlye. Gone are the days when a ten-cent coin or a phone card was never absent from one's (15)___________ in case it was needed for that urgent call from the public phone. And, gone too are the long queues at public phone booths.

(1) experienced
(2) through
(3) attention
(4) owner
(5) interrupted
(6) witnessed
(7) common
(8) meal
(9) about
(10) minutes
(11) their
(12) another
(13) send
(14) left
(15) pocket

hope they are all correct.

[KRR]

Hi,

I need help in these questions. Can somebody help me.

1. My mother said,\"I shall be leaving for Penang tomorrow.\"
Answer: My mother said that she would be leaving for Penang the next day. IS IT CORRECT

Why is this answer wrong - My mother said that she should be leaving for Penang the next day.

2. The race will be run today. The winner will receive a cup.
The winner of the race which will be run today will receive a cup. OR The winner of the race that will be run today will receive a cup. When should 'that' be used and when should 'which' be used.
Thanks a lot for someone who can help me.

KRR