PSLE Synthesis & Transformation Practice 1
These 10 questions help you practise Synthesis and Transformation. Rewrite each sentence in your head with the word given. The meaning must stay exactly the same. Then tap the version you would write.
Each wrong option is a common exam mistake. If you tap one, the explanation shows why it loses the mark.
Combine using (too): 'The weather was very cold. We did not go swimming.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) The weather was too cold for us to go swimming.
Correct: (A). Use the pattern 'too + adjective + for + person + to'. (B) is a trap. 'Too cold to go' already means we could not go, so adding 'not' makes a double negative. (C) uses 'so… that' and does not use the word 'too'. (D) 'very too' is not correct English.
Rewrite using (Unless): 'She did not study hard. She will not pass the test.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) Unless she studies hard, she will not pass the test.
Correct: (A). 'Unless' already means 'if… not', so the verb stays positive: 'unless she studies'. (B) adds a second 'not' and makes a double negative. (C) changes the meaning. (D) uses the past tense 'studied', which does not fit a condition about now and the future.
Begin with 'The police…': 'The thief was caught by the police.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) The police caught the thief.
Correct: (A). The sentence changes from passive to active. The police did the catching, so 'the police' becomes the subject and 'was caught' becomes 'caught'. (B) is a trap. It changes to the present tense, but you must keep the past. (C) swaps who did what. (D) is not a correct verb form.
Rewrite using (Despite): 'He was tired. He kept on working.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) Despite being tired, he kept on working.
Correct: (A). 'Despite' is followed by a noun or an -ing word, so write 'despite being tired'. (B) is a trap. There is no 'despite of', and it is the most common mistake. (C) puts a full clause, 'he was tired', after 'despite'. (D) leaves out the -ing word or noun.
Report the speech (Mother said that…): ‘“I will call you tomorrow,” said Mother.’
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) Mother said that she would call me the next day.
Correct: (A). In reported speech, 3 things change. 'Will' becomes 'would', 'you' becomes 'me', and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day'. (B) is a trap. Forgetting to change 'tomorrow' is the most common slip. (C) keeps 'will'. (D) keeps 'you'.
Combine using (so): 'The bag was very expensive. My father could not buy it.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) The bag was so expensive that my father could not buy it.
Correct: (A). Use the pattern 'so + adjective + that + result'. (B) is a trap. 'Such' needs a noun, as in 'such an expensive bag'. (C) uses 'too', which does not go with 'that'. (D) changes to the present 'cannot'. Keep the past 'could not'.
Rewrite using (In spite of): 'Although she was ill, she came to school.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) In spite of her illness, she came to school.
Correct: (A). 'In spite of' is followed by a noun or an -ing word. So 'she was ill' becomes the noun 'her illness'. (B) is a trap. A full clause like 'she was ill' cannot follow 'in spite of'. (C) leaves out 'of'. (D) reverses the meaning.
Begin with 'The plants…': 'The gardener waters the plants every morning.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) The plants are watered by the gardener every morning.
Correct: (A). The sentence changes from active to passive. 'The plants' becomes the subject, giving 'are watered by the gardener'. (B) is a trap. 'Plants' is plural, so use 'are', not 'is'. (C) changes to the past. 'Every morning' shows the present, so keep it. (D) 'are watering' is active, not passive.
Combine using (so that): 'He ran quickly. He wanted to catch the bus.'
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) He ran quickly so that he could catch the bus.
Correct: (A). 'So that' shows purpose. It usually goes with 'could' or 'would'. (C) is a trap. 'So quickly that' shows a result, but the question asks for purpose. (B) uses the present 'catches' and (D) uses the present 'can'. Both should be the past 'could' to match 'ran'.
Report the question (The teacher asked me…): ‘“Where are you going?” the teacher asked me.’
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) The teacher asked me where I was going.
Correct: (A). A reported question has no question mark. It uses statement word order, 'I was going', and 'are' becomes 'was'. (B) is a trap. Keeping question word order, 'where was I', is the most common mistake. (C) does not change the tense. (D) puts 'that' before the question word 'where', which you should never do.
What to take away
Many of these traps are about meaning or small changes, not hard grammar.
| Question | The trap |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Forgetting that unless already means "if not" |
| Q4 | Writing "despite of" |
| Q5 and Q10 | Missing a change of tense or time word in reported speech |
When you finish a rewrite, read it next to the original. Check that the meaning is the same, with nothing added and nothing missing.
Write it out
In the exam, you write the sentence yourself. Pick any question above and write your own answer. Then check it against the original sentence.
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