P5 English SA2 2025 — Catholic High | Singapore Past Year Paper

Q: My father was very happy with my brother and ____ for doing well in the examinations.

B. me. After the preposition 'with', the objective pronoun 'me' is required to join 'my brother' as the object.

Q: Neither the musicians nor the conductor ____ ready for the performance tomorrow.

A. is. With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject 'the conductor' (singular). 'Tomorrow' signals present tense, so 'is' is correct.

Q: "You will not miss my birthday party, ____?" Ali asked Meng.

A. will you. A negative main clause ('will not miss') takes a positive question tag, so the correct tag is 'will you'.

Q: Mr Tan is the teacher ____ lessons are very interesting.

D. whose. The blank links the teacher to his lessons (possession), so the possessive relative pronoun 'whose' is required.

Q: Everyone, except Jayden, ____ their homework.

C. has completed. 'Everyone' is a singular indefinite pronoun and takes a singular verb, so 'has completed' is correct.

Q: "____ it is normal to celebrate winning the football match, you should remain humble," reminded the coach.

A. While. 'While' introduces a clause of concession ('even though it is normal...'), which fits the contrast with remaining humble.

Q: Mrs Lim ____ goes to the mall on weekends as it is too crowded.

B. rarely. Because the mall is too crowded, Mrs Lim avoids it; 'rarely' (almost never) matches this meaning.

Q: "We ____ since 7 a.m. Let's take a short break," Mary suggested.

D. have been studying. The time marker 'since 7 a.m.' shows an action starting in the past and continuing to now, which requires the present perfect continuous 'have been studying'.

Q: "Even though my mobile phone is old, I have ____ trouble with it," Muthu explained.

B. little. 'Trouble' here is an uncountable noun, and the contrast with 'even though...is old' implies a small amount, so 'little' is correct.

Q: Steven's classmates congratulated him ____ his first win at the recent Wushu competition.

C. on. The fixed collocation is 'congratulate someone on something', so 'on' is the correct preposition.

Q1 MCQ 1 mark

My father was very happy with my brother and ____ for doing well in the examinations.

Q2 MCQ 1 mark

Neither the musicians nor the conductor ____ ready for the performance tomorrow.

Q3 MCQ 1 mark

"You will not miss my birthday party, ____?" Ali asked Meng.

Q4 MCQ 1 mark

Mr Tan is the teacher ____ lessons are very interesting.

Q5 MCQ 1 mark

Everyone, except Jayden, ____ their homework.

Q6 MCQ 1 mark

"____ it is normal to celebrate winning the football match, you should remain humble," reminded the coach.

Q7 MCQ 1 mark

Mrs Lim ____ goes to the mall on weekends as it is too crowded.

Q8 MCQ 1 mark

"We ____ since 7 a.m. Let's take a short break," Mary suggested.

Q9 MCQ 1 mark

"Even though my mobile phone is old, I have ____ trouble with it," Muthu explained.

Q10 MCQ 1 mark

Steven's classmates congratulated him ____ his first win at the recent Wushu competition.

Q11 MCQ 1 mark

A separate queue was set up at the airport to give ____ to the elderly to go first.

Q12 MCQ 1 mark

The burglars ____ with the stolen jewellery before the police arrived.

Q13 MCQ 1 mark

The vigilant lifeguard ____ jumped into the pool to save the struggling boy without hesitation.

Q14 MCQ 1 mark

Many Singaporean families still ____ the tradition of visiting their relatives during special occasions.

Q15 MCQ 1 mark

Siti tried to ____ her laughter when she saw her friend make funny faces in class.

Q16 MCQ 1 mark

[Cloze comprehension extract: 'In the storeroom (16) cluttered with items, Lila tediously searched through loads of items for parts to fix an old radio.'] Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word 'cluttered'.

Q17 MCQ 1 mark

[Extract: 'In the photo, her grandfather was a young man, smiling (17) exuberantly beside the radio during a broadcast.'] Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word 'exuberantly'.

Q18 MCQ 1 mark

[Extract: 'Driven by curiosity, Lila dug deeper and uncovered journals (18) documenting his experiences, rich with tales of resilience and hope.'] Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word 'documenting'.

Q19 MCQ 1 mark

[Extract: 'Each page was more (19) absorbing than the previous but she decided to stop and fix the radio first.'] Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word 'absorbing'.

Q20 MCQ 1 mark

[Extract: 'She took a deep breath in an effort to maintain her (20) collectedness.'] Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word 'collectedness'.

Q21 MCQ 1 mark

[Refer to Text 1: SkinDoc 'CONFIDENCE — Look Good, Feel Good' poster. Bottom of poster: 'Hurry! First 100 customers to purchase at the Bishan outlet get 20% off! To view our full range of products, visit www.confidence.com. Get free delivery for all online orders above $100!'] What special offer is given to the first 100 customers who purchase at the physical store?

Q22 MCQ 1 mark

The main message of Text 1 is that ____.

Q23 MCQ 1 mark

How do we know that Janice Gan is confident of her product?

Q24 MCQ 1 mark

Based on Text 1, which of the following statements is true?

Q25 MCQ 1 mark

Based on Text 2, we should not trust the advertisement in Text 1 because ____.

Q26 Open-ended 1 mark

Cloze passage (word list A–Q, each word used only once): 'I would usually seek out a plate of chicken rice whenever something happens, good or bad. Depending (26) ____ how I feel, light steps or leaden legs would take me to the nearest chicken rice stall.' Fill in blank 26 with the most suitable letter from the word list (A at, B from, C has, D have, E if, F into, G of, H on, J once, K than, L the, M then, N to, P was, Q whether).

Q27 Open-ended 1 mark

'Growing up, chicken rice has always been a dish that speaks (27) ____ my heart.' Fill in blank 27 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q28 Open-ended 1 mark

'I pried open the plastic box and "clack clack" they went, coming loose after a bit (28) ____ a struggle.' Fill in blank 28 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q29 Open-ended 1 mark

'Tucking (29) ____ the dish, a smile materialised on my face.' Fill in blank 29 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q30 Open-ended 1 mark

'If there (30) ____ to be a national dish, it just might be chicken rice.' Fill in blank 30 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q31 Open-ended 1 mark

'(31) ____ dish was a part of happier occasions too.' Fill in blank 31 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q32 Open-ended 1 mark

'(32) ____, my family gathered for a meal after a long time apart.' Fill in blank 32 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q33 Open-ended 1 mark

'The steamed white chicken (33) ____ the star dish, helping to fill the quiet moments with shared enjoyment.' Fill in blank 33 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q34 Open-ended 1 mark

'(34) ____ served simply or in a more refined way, it always feels familiar and welcoming.' Fill in blank 34 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q35 Open-ended 1 mark

'For many Singaporeans, chicken rice is more (35) ____ just a meal.' Fill in blank 35 with the most suitable letter from the word list.

Q36 Open-ended 1 mark

Each underlined word contains a spelling or grammatical error. Write the correct word. Passage: 'I was taking a walk in the park with my daughter. Just then, she spotted an apple vendor nearby. She tugged (36) in my sleeve and asked if I could buy her an apple.' Correct the underlined word 'in'.

Q37 Open-ended 1 mark

'Smiling, I bought two apples and handed both to her with a sense of (37) ilashen.' Correct the underlined word 'ilashen'.

Q38 Open-ended 1 mark

'With one apple in each of her hands, I asked her (38) gentle if she could share one with me.' Correct the underlined word 'gentle'.

Q39 Open-ended 1 mark

'Without any (39) heziteshen, she took a bite from one apple, then quickly bitten into the second one too.' Correct the underlined word 'heziteshen'.

Q40 Open-ended 1 mark

'...she took a bite from one apple, then quickly (40) bitten into the second one too.' Correct the underlined word 'bitten'.

Q41 Open-ended 1 mark

'I could not believe what I had just (41) see.' Correct the underlined word 'see'.

Q42 Open-ended 1 mark

'Had I failed to teach her kindness and (42) generousiti?' Correct the underlined word 'generousiti'.

Q43 Open-ended 1 mark

'(43) Overwelmd with disappointment, I struggled to comprehend what had just happened.' Correct the underlined word 'Overwelmd'.

Q44 Open-ended 1 mark

'Just then, she looked up with sparkling eyes and said (44) sinsearly, "Papa, have this one. It's juicier and sweeter!"' Correct the underlined word 'sinsearly'.

Q45 Open-ended 1 mark

'A wave of guilt washed (45) into me.' Correct the underlined word 'into'.

Q46 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in each blank with a suitable word. 'Pickleball stands out for its simplicity and widespread appeal. Do you know it was invented in 1965 by three American fathers (46) ____ wanted to create a game that would (47) ____ their children entertained during the summer?' Fill blank 46.

Q47 Open-ended 1 mark

'...a game that would (47) ____ their children entertained during the summer?' Fill blank 47.

Q48 Open-ended 1 mark

'Since then, this quirky sport, often described as a blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, (48) ____ gained immense popularity around the world.' Fill blank 48.

Q49 Open-ended 1 mark

'From (49) ____ humble origins to its current status as a playground sensation, pickleball continues to attract fitness enthusiasts everywhere.' Fill blank 49.

Q50 Open-ended 1 mark

'(50) ____ some sports that require extensive training or specialised skills, pickleball is easy to (51) ____ up.' Fill blank 50.

Q51 Open-ended 1 mark

'...pickleball is easy to (51) ____ up.' Fill blank 51.

Q52 Open-ended 1 mark

'However, for players who want to push their limits, pickleball also involves strategic thinking, (52) ____ it a challenge for them.' Fill blank 52.

Q53 Open-ended 1 mark

'Pickleball is (53) ____ as a fast-paced sport which keeps players on their toes and their adrenaline pumping.' Fill blank 53.

Q54 Open-ended 1 mark

'The quick reactions and constant movement create an exciting environment that not only makes pickleball enjoyable but (54) ____ enhances players' agility, reflexes, and coordination.' Fill blank 54.

Q55 Open-ended 1 mark

'As the game does not (55) ____ on size or strength, there is less risk of injury...' Fill blank 55.

Q56 Open-ended 1 mark

'...so people (56) ____ varying ages, abilities and fitness levels can enjoy the game together.' Fill blank 56.

Q57 Open-ended 1 mark

'As it is a low-impact sport, it is gentler on the joints (57) ____ to sports like basketball or running.' Fill blank 57.

Q58 Open-ended 1 mark

'Whether you are young or (58) ____, playing pickleball is a great way to stay healthy and happy.' Fill blank 58.

Q59 Open-ended 1 mark

'With its growing popularity, it is easy to see (59) ____ so many schools and communities are picking up the sport.' Fill blank 59.

Q60 Open-ended 1 mark

'So why not give it a (60) ____? You might just find your new favourite sport.' Fill blank 60.

Q61 Open-ended 2 marks

"Why were you late for school this morning?" the teacher asked Ryan. Rewrite beginning with: 'The teacher asked Ryan ____.'

Q62 Open-ended 2 marks

She prefers walking to school to taking the crowded bus. Rewrite using: '____ would rather ____.'

Q63 Open-ended 2 marks

A famous author wrote this novel last year. Rewrite beginning with: 'This novel ____.'

Q64 Open-ended 2 marks

The woman is my aunt. We saw her at the exhibition. Rewrite as one sentence using 'whom'.

Q65 Open-ended 2 marks

The principal declared that the school playground was closed. Rewrite beginning with: 'The principal declared the ____.'

Q66 Open-ended 2 marks

Read the passage on pages 11 and 12 of Booklet A and answer questions 66 to 75. (20 marks) — Why was the writer's heart "heavy with disappointment" (line 1 – 2)? [2m]

Q67 Open-ended 1 mark

From the first paragraph, pick out a five-word phrase that tells us that the storm was approaching in a threatening way. [1m]

Q68 Open-ended 2 marks

Which two of the following words best describe the writer's mother in the second paragraph? Put a tick in the box beside each of your answers. [2m] DO NOT TICK MORE THAN TWO BOXES. Options: observant, cheerful, cooperative, hopeful, curious, creative.

Q69 Structured 3 marks

Based on lines 5 – 22, state whether each statement in the table below is true or false, then give one reason why you think so. [3m] (a) Joe showed interest in his mother's suggestion to create an indoor carnival. (b) The family's fairy lights were used frequently throughout the year. (c) The writer's mother struggled with the process of spinning cotton candy.

Q70 Structured 2 marks

List two ways Joe contributed to the set-up of the indoor carnival.

Q71 Structured 3 marks

Look at the table below. What do the words in the left column refer to in the passage? Write your answers in the column on the right. [3m] (a) The once dull space (line 15) (b) it (line 18) (c) them (line 32)

Q72 Structured 2 marks

From lines 23 – 31, pick out a phrase to show the writer's feelings and explain why she felt that way. [2m] Five-word phrase that shows that the writer felt happy: (a) ____ Reason for the writer's feeling: (b) ____

Q73 Open-ended 2 marks

Explain clearly why Uncle Ravi's "expression brightened with childlike wonder" (line 29). [2m]

Q74 Structured 1 mark

Write 1, 2 and 3 in the blanks below to indicate the order in which the events occurred in the story. [1m] ____ Joe learnt how to juggle soft balls. ____ The writer's mother purchased a cotton candy machine. ____ Aunt May baked chocolate chip cookies.

Q75 Open-ended 2 marks

Explain clearly why the writer "realised the cancellation of the carnival had been a blessing in disguise" (lines 40 – 41). [2m]

P5 English SA2 2025 — Catholic High

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