Grammar Cloze & Visual Text

In this article, we will learn about Grammar Cloze and Visual text as per the Primary 6 English and PSLE. This topic carries a lot of weightage for PSLE and so, you must study it carefully. 

We will learn about the following subtopics:

• Grammar Cloze
  • Subordinating Conjunctions
  • Use of Subordinating 
  • Conjunctions in Sentences
• Visual Text
  • Common Time Expressions
  • Biennial/ Biannual/ Annual

Grammar Cloze

Approach

• This section tests your familiarity with phrasal verbs and the use of grammatical concepts such as prepositions and adverbs.
• For each question, mark out the contextual clues.

Subordinating Conjunction

Definition: These linking words are often used to expand or further describe the main clause/ element. They must be followed by a comma.

Use Of Subordinating

Below is a limited list of words used for subordinating:

• as, because, since (cause)
• so, so that (purpose)
• although, though (contrastive)
• after, before, until, while (temporal)
• if, unless, provided, whichever, whenever (conditional)

Conjunctions In Sentences

Here are a few examples of how conjunctions are used in sentences

• Before going to the game (subordinate), we often eat at the pub (main).
• Although very cute (sub), pandas are not suitable pets (main).
• Candice was feeling lonely (main), so she adopted another cat (sub).
• Peanut butter is delicious (main), provided you don’t have a nut allergy (sub).

Practice Questions - Grammar Cloze

Question 1:

Add the correct subordinating conjunction

Mary was hungry while at the grocery store, __________ she bought chips, ice cream and an entire cake.

__________ the fast internet connection, the cable TV is lagging.

__________ the island was beautiful, it had an infestation of coconut crabs.

__________ we exercise daily and eat healthily, we will not lose weight.

Solution:

Mary was hungry while at the grocery store, so she bought chips, ice cream and an entire cake.

Despite the fast internet connection, the cable TV is lagging.

Although the island was beautiful, it had an infestation of coconut crabs.

Unless we exercise daily and eat healthily, we will not lose weight.

Question 2:

Passage A: Toppled Trees

There was once a tree in South Africa so wide it could fit 60 people inside its hollow trunk. The tree reached 62 feet (1) __________ the sky. It was more than 1,100 years old. But recently, that tree and others like (2) __________ have died. Scientists are wondering why.

Solution:

(1) D - into

(2) G - it

It is very important to write the Alphabets very clearly. Just mentioning the words without the alphabet will NOT fetch you any marks.

Question 3:

The tree was a baobab (bay-a-bab). A baobab looks like a giant oak turned upside down. Its branches resemble roots reaching towards the sky. It grows in Africa and is nicknamed the Tree of Life. Baobab trees tend (3) __________ live a long time.

1. F
2. D
3. H
4. B

Solution: 

(4) B - to

Question 4:

One of the oldest stood (4) __________ more than 2,400 years.

1. M
2. K
3. N
4. L

Solution:

(2) K - for

Question 5:

In 2005, scientists began a survey to determine the age of more than 60 baobabs. (5) __________ the process, they noticed that several of the trees had died. 

1. J
2. C
3. F
4. K

Solution:

(3) F - during

Question 6:

Their results, recently published in Nature Plants, show that nine of the 13 oldest baobab trees and five (6) __________ of six of the largest died in the 12-year study period.

1. J
2. M
3. A
4. P

Solution: 

(4) P - out

Question 7:

Stephan Woodborne conducted the baobab study (7) __________  six other scientists.

1. M
2. B
3. E
4. A

Solution: 

(1) M - with

Question 8:

(8) __________ the scientists say more research is needed to know why the trees died, they think climate change may be to blame.

1. A
2. N
3. H
4. E

Solution:

(3) H - through

Question 9:

That is because the trees showed no evidence of disease and many were in national parks, so they would have been protected (9) __________ harmful human activities.

1. K
2. N
3. C
4. P

Solution:

(2) N - from

Question 10:

Furthermore, the most affected baobabs were (10) __________ the outer edge of their ideal habitat. Increasing heat and shifting rainy seasons have made it harder for baobabs in these areas to thrive.

1. C
2. N
3. Q
4. E

Solution: 

(1) C - on

Question 11:

Stephan Woodborne thinks that it is probably a unique combination of a drought that happened in 2015 and elevated temperatures (11) __________ climate change conditions that killed off the baobabs.

1. F
2. K
3. E
4. M

Solution: 

(3) E - under

Question 12:

(12) __________ more eco-conscious is one way to help protect baobabs and other trees from the effects of climate change. That could mean recycling more and using less electricity, when possible.

1. F
2. H
3. M
4. A

Solution: 

(4) A - being

Visual Text

Know the meanings of common time expressions

Common Time Expressions

Questions may ask you how often an event occurs, or when the deadline to register for an event is. In such cases, you will need to understand the meaning of certain time expressions in order to be accurate. Let’s take a look at some confusing ones.

Biennial / Biannual / Annual

Do these words look the same to you? Well, they all involve years but in different ways.

Biennial = happening once every two years

Example:

This is a biennial event. Since it was last held in 2017, the next time will be in 2019.

Biannual = happening twice a year (Bi = twice; annual = a year)

Example:

The festival is held biannually, once in January and once in December.

Annual = once a year

Example:

The workshop is conducted annually. Since you missed it this year, you will have to wait till next year.

In order to remember the difference between biennial and biannual, just remember:

Bi = twice;

annual = a year

Hence, biannual means ‘twice a year’. So, ’biennial’ cannot have the same meaning.

Practice Questions - Visual text

Question 1:

The main aim of the poster design competition is to __________.

1. Encourage children to design beautiful posters
2. Promote the photography of endangered animals
3. Introduce children to the Institute of Animal Protection
4. Encourage children to find out more about endangered animals

Solution: 

(4) Encourage children to find out more about endangered animals

Question 2:

Which of the following is not a requirement of the competition?

1. Participants must be children above 4 years old.
2. Participants must draw pictures of three baby animals.
3. Participants must send in their entries by 3 March 2021.
4. Participants must provide information of at least 2 endangered animals.

Solution:

(2) Participants must draw pictures of three baby animals.

Question 3:

The champion of the poster design competition will receive __________.

1. $5000 cash voucher and Arts Friends membership
2. $5000 cash and a free membership at Gourmet Café
3. $5000 cash and a photograph taken with a baby animal
4. $5000 cash voucher and a free membership of Singapore Zoo

Solution:

(3) $5000 cash and a photograph taken with a baby animal

Question 4:

Participants are to register and submit their entries __________.

1. by calling Jenny Tay at 9885 3367
2. by emailing the poster to babyanimals@gmail.com.sg
3. at the Singapore Mandai Zoo Customer Service Counter
4. at the Institute of Animal Protection Customer Service Counter

Solution:

(3) at the Singapore Mandai Zoo Customer Service Counter

Conclusion

In this article we have learnt about the following topics as per the Primary 6 English and PSLE. This is one of the most critical topics for PSLE. 

• Grammar Cloze
  • Subordinating Conjunctions
  • Use of Subordinating 
  • Conjunctions in Sentences
• Visual Text
  • Common Time Expressions
  • Biennial/ Biannual/ Annual

I would request you to please pay special attention to this topic and make yourself very comfortable with this topic. Please do these questions again and again to get a better handle on this topic.