Home Past papers English P3 English SA2 2025 — Nan Hua
P3 English SA2 2025 — Nan Hua
P3
English
2025
SA2
62 questions
84 marks
Source: Nan Hua, 2025
This P3 English SA2 paper from Nan Hua (2025) contains 62 questions worth 84 marks. Use it as a study reference for English topics typically tested at P3 level in Singapore schools.
Q1 Q1 Q1 Q2 Q2 Q3 Q3 Q4 Q4 Q5 Q5 Q6 Q6 Q7 Q7 Q8 Q8 Q9 Q9 Q10 Q10 Q11 Q11 Q12 Q12 Q13 Q13 Q14 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 Q19 Q20 Q21 Q22 Q23 Q24 Q25 Q26 Q27 Q28 Q29 Q30 Q31 Q32 Q33 Q34 Q35 Q36 Q37 Q38 Q39 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q44 Q45 Q46 Q47
Q1
Open-ended
20 marks
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A four-panel comic strip showing a sequence of events. Panel 1: Two boys are walking past a parked car (license plate S1101), and one boy is throwing a stone at it. Panel 2: The car's alarm is blaring, and the boys are looking surprised and nervous, one boy is looking at the car. Panel 3: The boys are hiding behind a wall, peeking out at the car with a '?' bubble above them. The car's alarm is still ringing (indicated by sound waves and '51' and 'S1104' on plate). Panel 4: The boys are facing an adult, seemingly apologetically, with a large '?' bubble in the background, implying uncertainty or an unknown outcome. Below the panels, a box labelled 'Helping Words' contains: 'hurled a stone', 'windscreen', 'felt guilty', 'parked along the road', 'alarm went off', 'apologised', 'dodged', 'nervous', 'regretted their actions'.
Write a story of at least 100 words based on the pictures below. Give the story your own ending. You may use the words and phrases given in the box. You are encouraged to include other relevant points to make your composition interesting.
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Q1
MCQ
1 mark
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A set of four pictures depicting a boy and laundry. Picture 1: A boy folding clothes. Picture 2: A boy putting clothes into a washing machine. Picture 3: A boy sorting dirty clothes into a basket. Picture 4: A boy hanging clothes on a clothesline.
For Question 1 to Question 4, look at the set of pictures. Listen carefully to what I am going to read to you. Then choose the picture that shows what I have read. Write the number 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the brackets provided.
1
2
3
4
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Q1
MCQ
1 mark
Mary had to climb over the fence to get to her neighbour's side to ____ her kite.
(1) hide
(2) save
(3) catch
(4) retrieve
Explanation
To 'retrieve' means to get or bring something back from somewhere. This best fits the context of getting a kite that has gone over a fence. 'Hide' and 'catch' are inappropriate, and 'save' is less specific than retrieve in this context.
Q2
MCQ
1 mark
Tim walked ____ through the dark forest, unsure of what was ahead.
(1) warily
(2) noisily
(3) keenly
(4) carelessly
Explanation
If Tim was 'unsure of what was ahead,' he would walk with caution, which is what 'warily' means. 'Noisily' and 'carelessly' would be the opposite of cautious, and 'keenly' means enthusiastically, which doesn't fit the uncertainty.
Q2
MCQ
1 mark
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A set of four pictures showing a girl in a library. Picture 1: A girl sitting on the floor surrounded by bookshelves, reading a book. Picture 2: A girl standing and browsing books on a shelf. Picture 3: A girl reaching for a book on an upper shelf. Picture 4: A girl showing a book to another person.
For Question 1 to Question 4, look at the set of pictures. Listen carefully to what I am going to read to you. Then choose the picture that shows what I have read. Write the number 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the brackets provided.
1
2
3
4
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Q3
MCQ
1 mark
After all his friends had left the party early, Ryan sat in a corner feeling ____.
(1) as still as a statue
(2) as lonely as a cloud
(3) as poor as a pauper
(4) as cheerful as a song
Explanation
When friends leave and someone is left alone, they typically feel 'lonely'. The idiom 'as lonely as a cloud' expresses a profound sense of loneliness. Other options describe a physical state, financial status, or an emotion (cheerful) that contradicts the context of friends leaving.
Q3
MCQ
1 mark
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A set of four pictures showing children helping in the kitchen. Picture 1: A child setting the table. Picture 2: Two children assisting an adult with cooking, one chopping vegetables and the other stirring. Picture 3: A child washing dishes. Picture 4: A child putting food on plates.
For Question 1 to Question 4, look at the set of pictures. Listen carefully to what I am going to read to you. Then choose the picture that shows what I have read. Write the number 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the brackets provided.
1
2
3
4
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Q4
MCQ
1 mark
Please read the poster carefully so you do not miss any important ____.
(1) advice
(2) suggestion
(3) information
(4) knowledge
Explanation
A poster primarily provides 'information'. While it might contain advice or suggestions, 'information' is the broadest and most fitting term for what one might miss by not reading carefully. 'Knowledge' is something gained, not something one misses directly on a poster.
Q4
MCQ
1 mark
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A set of four pictures depicting children playing outdoors. Picture 1: A child playing with a toy car on the ground. Picture 2: Two children playing with a ball in a field. Picture 3: Two children building a sandcastle on a beach. Picture 4: A child playing with a kite.
For Question 1 to Question 4, look at the set of pictures. Listen carefully to what I am going to read to you. Then choose the picture that shows what I have read. Write the number 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the brackets provided.
1
2
3
4
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Q5
MCQ
1 mark
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A set of four pictures showing various activities. Picture 1: A group of people cheering or watching a performance. Picture 2: Ballerinas performing on a stage. Picture 3: A girl looking at airplanes from an 'AIRPORT DEPARTURES' terminal. Picture 4: A girl painting at an easel.
For questions 5 and 6, look at the set of pictures. I am going to read a paragraph for each question. Listen carefully. Then, show the correct sequence of what I have read by writing the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the boxes provided.
1
2
3
4
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Q5
MCQ
1 mark
The little rabbit ____ across the garden when it heard a loud noise.
(1) strolled
(2) sneaked
(3) staggered
(4) scampered
Explanation
Rabbits typically move quickly and dart about when startled. 'Scampered' means to run with quick, light steps, which perfectly describes how a rabbit would react to a loud noise. 'Strolled' implies leisurely, 'sneaked' implies secretly, and 'staggered' implies unsteadily.
Q6
MCQ
1 mark
🖼 Visual
Visual context
A set of four pictures showing a boy in different locations. Picture 1: A boy walking on a street next to a parked car (license plate 1198). Picture 2: A boy running in a park (labelled 'PARK'). Picture 3: The interior of a stationery store and grocery store, with a boy walking. Picture 4: The interior of a 'Mini Mart' with a boy walking.
For questions 5 and 6, look at the set of pictures. I am going to read a paragraph for each question. Listen carefully. Then, show the correct sequence of what I have read by writing the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the boxes provided.
1
2
3
4
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Q6
MCQ
1 mark
When Tim picked up the frog, it wriggled in his hands and felt ____ like wet jelly.
(1) filthy
(2) slimy
(3) rough
(4) bumpy
Explanation
Frogs and wet jelly are typically described as 'slimy' due to their texture. 'Filthy' refers to dirtiness, 'rough' and 'bumpy' do not describe the smooth, slick texture of a frog or jelly.
Q7
MCQ
1 mark
"____ is the library?" the girl asked.
(1) Who
(2) Why
(3) When
(4) Where
Explanation
To ask about the location of a place, the interrogative word 'Where' is used. 'Who' asks about a person, 'Why' asks for a reason, and 'When' asks about time.
Q7
Open-ended
1 mark
____. Red fire ants were first found in:
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Q8
Open-ended
1 mark
____. They can cause harm to:
insects and
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Q8
MCQ
1 mark
Samuel ____ to score a goal for the team when the referee blew the whistle.
(1) try
(2) tries
(3) is trying
(4) was trying
Explanation
The phrase 'when the referee blew the whistle' indicates a past action that interrupted another ongoing past action. Therefore, the past continuous tense 'was trying' is appropriate. Samuel was trying to score when the whistle blew.
Q9
Open-ended
1 mark
____. A country that has used a lot of money to deal with the ants:
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Q9
MCQ
1 mark
Jane has a fever. Her mother has already given her ____ medicine.
(1) any
(2) less
(3) some
(4) many
Explanation
'Medicine' is typically an uncountable noun in this context. 'Some' is used for an unspecified quantity of uncountable nouns. 'Any' is usually for negative sentences or questions. 'Less' is for comparing quantities. 'Many' is for countable nouns.
Q10
Open-ended
1 mark
____. One place that the ants grow well in:
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Q10
MCQ
1 mark
"May I have a look at ____ red book?" Mary asked the salesperson, pointing at the next shelf.
(1) this
(2) that
(3) these
(4) those
Explanation
'Book' is singular, so 'this' or 'that' must be used. Since Mary is 'pointing at the next shelf,' the book is not immediate or 'this' close, but rather slightly further away, making 'that' the appropriate demonstrative pronoun. 'These' and 'those' are for plural nouns.
Q11
Open-ended
1 mark
____. The equipment used to destroy the nests:
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Q11
MCQ
1 mark
All the students have to behave ____ during the guided tour at Gardens by the Bay.
(1) myself
(2) yourself
(3) ourselves
(4) themselves
Explanation
The subject is 'All the students' (plural, third person). The reflexive pronoun that corresponds to this subject is 'themselves'. 'Myself' (first person singular), 'yourself' (second person singular), and 'ourselves' (first person plural) do not match the subject.
Q12
MCQ
1 mark
What was Sam looking forward to at the camp?
(1) catching insects and getting dirty
(2) climbing trees and sleeping outdoors
(3) pitching a tent and cooking over a fire
Explanation
The actual audio script is not available. A plausible audio script would be: 'Sam was excited about the school camp. He couldn't wait to pitch his tent with his friends and cook sausages over a campfire. That was his favourite part.' Option (3) 'pitching a tent and cooking over a fire' matches this script.
Q12
MCQ
1 mark
I have to complete my homework, ____ I can watch my favourite cartoon programme.
(1) if
(2) after
(3) then
(4) because
Explanation
The structure implies a sequence of events: first homework, then cartoon. 'Then' indicates a consequence or subsequent action. 'If' introduces a condition, 'after' suggests a temporal order but 'then' clearly links the two actions in a cause-and-effect sequence or condition-result. 'Because' implies a reason.
Q13
MCQ
1 mark
What problem did they face during the camp?
(1) They lost their way in the woods.
(2) The campsite was too dirty and cold.
(3) The top sheet of their tent got caught in a tree.
Explanation
The actual audio script is not available. A plausible audio script would be: 'During the camp, Sam and his friends had a little trouble. As they were setting up, a strong gust of wind blew the top sheet of their tent and it got caught high up in a tall tree. They had to work together to get it down.' Option (3) 'The top sheet of their tent got caught in a tree' aligns with this.
Q13
MCQ
1 mark
James likes the latest computer games, but they ____ too expensive now. He needs to save up to buy them later.
(1) is
(2) are
(3) was
(4) were
Explanation
The subject is 'they' (referring to 'the latest computer games'), which is plural. The sentence uses 'now,' indicating the present tense. Therefore, the plural present tense verb 'are' is correct.
Q14
MCQ
1 mark
How did Mrs Heng feel when her children returned to the campsite?
(1) proud
(2) excited
(3) puzzled
Explanation
The actual audio script is not available. A plausible audio script would be: 'After overcoming their tent problem, Sam and his friends returned to the main campsite. Mrs Heng, their teacher, saw them and was very proud that they had managed to solve the problem by themselves.' Option (1) 'proud' fits the description.
Q14
MCQ
1 mark
Mel's violin performance was coming soon. She has to ____ hard for it.
(1) practise
(2) practises
(3) practised
(4) practising
Explanation
The phrase 'has to' is followed by the base form of the verb (infinitive without 'to'). Therefore, 'practise' is the correct form. 'Practises' is third person singular present, 'practised' is past tense, and 'practising' is present participle.
Q15
Open-ended
1 mark
Rani enjoys painting with water colours. Every Saturday, she and her friends meet ____ the community centre for their weekly art class.
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Q16
Open-ended
1 mark
They usually have a few minutes to play ____ their teacher comes.
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Q17
Open-ended
1 mark
They will walk ____ the building to look at the wall paintings.
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Q18
Open-ended
1 mark
At the end ____ the lesson, they always help to clean up the room.
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Q19
Open-ended
1 mark
Last Saturday, my brother decided to visit the library. ____ wanted to borrow some books about animals for his project.
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Q20
Open-ended
1 mark
I helped him look for ____.
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Q21
Open-ended
1 mark
We asked the librarian and he showed ____ the shelves where the books were kept.
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Q22
Open-ended
1 mark
____ were happy to find the right books. It was a fun afternoon.
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Q23
Open-ended
1 mark
Everyone rushed over ____ to see the plant. It closed its leaves when touched.
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Q24
Open-ended
1 mark
The floor was slightly wet from the morning rain. Adam nearly ____ while walking on the path.
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Q25
Open-ended
1 mark
"Careful!" warned the teacher. "It's quite ____ here."
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Q26
Open-ended
1 mark
As we entered the Cloud Forest, thick mist filled the air. The top of the tall trees seemed to have completely ____ into the clouds.
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Q27
Open-ended
1 mark
When the guide said we did not have enough time to visit the Supertree Grove, a few classmates ____ loudly. They had been looking forward to seeing the giant trees up close.
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Q28
MCQ
1 mark
I used the ( vaccum / vacuum ) cleaner to clean up the crumbs on the carpet.
(A) vaccum
(B) vacuum
Explanation
The correct spelling of the word is 'vacuum'.
Q29
MCQ
1 mark
I wanted to play outside with my friends after lunch. ( So / However ), it started to rain.
(A) So
(B) However
Explanation
'However' (B) is used to introduce a statement that contrasts with something that has just been said. Wanting to play outside and it starting to rain are contrasting ideas. 'So' indicates a result or consequence.
Q30
MCQ
1 mark
Sarah finished her homework quickly and helped her sister learn her spelling ( too / also ).
(A) too
(B) also
Explanation
Both 'too' (A) and 'also' mean 'in addition' or 'as well.' However, 'too' is typically placed at the end of a sentence or clause, while 'also' is usually placed before the main verb or after a form of 'to be'. In this structure, 'too' is the more natural and grammatically correct choice.
Q31
MCQ
1 mark
The mouse ( squeaked / squeeked ) loudly as it ran across the kitchen floor.
(A) squeaked
(B) squeeked
Explanation
The correct spelling of the past tense of 'squeak' is 'squeaked' (A).
Q32
MCQ
1 mark
The lion quietly crept through the tall grass, watching its ( pray / prey ) closely.
(A) pray
(B) prey
Explanation
'Prey' (B) refers to an animal hunted or caught for food. 'Pray' means to address a deity or an object of worship. The lion is watching its target for food, so 'prey' is correct.
Q33
Structured
1 mark
Tim stayed calm during the test. He had studied and prepared for it.
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Q34
Structured
1 mark
Jane went to the party early. Her friends were not there yet.
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Q35
MCQ
1 mark
Based on the first paragraph, what does the name "white rhinoceros" refer to? (1m)
(1) the size of the rhinoceros
(2) the colour of the rhinoceros
(3) the mouth shape of the rhinoceros
Explanation
The first paragraph states: 'The white rhinoceros is not actually white, even though its name says so. Its name comes from a Dutch word, wijde, meaning "wide", which refers to its wide, square-shaped mouth.' This explicitly states that the name refers to its mouth shape.
Q36
Structured
1 mark
The white rhinoceros is the largest mammal on land.
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Q37
Structured
1 mark
The white rhinoceros uses its horns to dig for water.
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Q38
Structured
1 mark
The longest white rhinoceros known is four metres long.
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Q39
Structured
1 mark
Tick ✓ your chosen answer.
How does a white rhinoceros detect danger? (1m)
It uses its sharp eyesight to spot danger.
It uses its thick skin to protect itself from insect bites.
It uses its strong sense of smell to escape from enemies.
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Q40
MCQ
1 mark
Which word has the same meaning as 'turns'? Circle either (A) or (B). (1m)
During the warm parts of the day, the white rhinoceros moves to shady spots or rolls in mud.
(A) moves
(B) rolls
(A) moves
(B) rolls
Explanation
In the context of 'rolls in mud', 'rolls' (B) means to turn over and over, which is synonymous with 'turns'. 'Moves' is too general.
Q41
Structured
2 marks
Name two ways we can help protect the white rhinoceros. (2m)
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Q42
Open-ended
1 mark
From paragraph 1, how long was Riya underwater?
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Q43
Open-ended
1 mark
What made Riya afraid of swimming? (1m)
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Q44
Structured
2 marks
Based on lines 10-13, state whether each statement in the table is true or false, then give one reason why you think so. (2m)
a) In the first lesson, Riya was excited to jump into the pool.
b) Mr Tan was patient and friendly.
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Q45
Structured
1 mark
Write 1, 2 or 3 in the blanks below to indicate the order in which the events occurred in the passage. (1m)
____ Riya swam halfway across the pool.
____ Riya practised water skills in the pool.
____ Riya felt more comfortable in the pool.
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Q46
Open-ended
1 mark
From paragraph 4, pick out a three-word phrase that shows Riya was afraid to swim. (1m)
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Q47
Structured
2 marks
How did Riya face her fear of swimming and overcome It? (2m)
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