A skills guide to the 70 language marks in PSLE English Paper 2: grammar and vocabulary MCQ, grammar cloze, editing, comprehension cloze, synthesis and transformation and visual text, with techniques, common traps, original practice sets and a P4 to P6 plan.
In Singapore, PSLE English cloze, editing, grammar and synthesis questions are the language-use sections of PSLE English Paper 2. They make up 70 of the paper's 90 marks, or 35% of the whole subject. Each section rewards a fixed routine: find the clue words, decide the word class and tense, write one exact answer, then check the full sentence. These routines can be practised from Primary 4.
"Cloze" is the name for the fill-in-the-blank passages, and Paper 2 has three of them: Vocabulary Cloze, Grammar Cloze and Comprehension Cloze. This guide covers those three plus every other language-use section in Paper 2, as SEAB's current syllabus describes them. For each one you get what is tested, a step-by-step technique, the traps that cost marks, and a short practice set we wrote ourselves, with answers.
The paper format for all four PSLE English papers, the timings and how marks turn into an AL are in our PSLE English paper-by-paper guide. The 20 marks of open-ended comprehension have their own comprehension guide.
Which Paper 2 sections test grammar, vocabulary and editing?
SEAB's PSLE English Language syllabus (code 0001), implemented from 2025, splits Paper 2 into Booklet A, with four multiple-choice sections worth 25 marks, and Booklet B, with five open-ended sections worth 65 marks. Eight of the nine sections test language use and carry 70 marks. Only the last section, open-ended comprehension, is a reading test in the usual sense.
SEAB names two things Paper 2 assesses: understanding of written and multimodal texts at the literal, inferential and evaluative levels, and the ability to "use vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling appropriately in context". The phrase "in context" matters. Almost every question on this page can only be answered by reading the words around the blank, not the blank alone.
Each Paper 2 mark is worth half a percent of the English result, because Paper 2 carries 90 marks and 45%. So the 15 Comprehension Cloze marks alone are worth 7.5% of PSLE English, three-quarters of the whole Listening paper. SEAB does not publish section-level details beyond the table above, so the descriptions of each section below are based on the way school and past papers usually set them.
How should my child answer grammar MCQ?
The 10 Grammar MCQs in Booklet A are single sentences with one blank and four options, worth 1 mark each. They test the grammar items children meet from P3 onwards: subject-verb agreement, tenses, question tags, prepositions, pronouns, connectors and conditionals. The fastest reliable method is to find the subject and the time words before reading the options.
1Find the subjectAsk who or what is doing the action. Ignore phrases like "together with" or "as well as" that sit between the subject and the verb
2Find the time clueWords such as yesterday, by the time, since, already, every day and tomorrow fix the tense
3Predict before you lookSay the answer in your head first, then find it among the four options
4Test the two closest optionsRead the full sentence with each one and ask which rule decides it
5Name the ruleWrite a one-word note in the margin, such as "SVA" or "past perfect", so checking is quick
Common grammar MCQ traps
Trap
Wrong
Right
Rule
A phrase between subject and verb
My sister, together with her friends, are at the beach.
My sister, together with her friends, is at the beach.
The verb agrees with "my sister", not "friends"
"Each" and "every one"
Each of the boys have a locker.
Each of the boys has a locker.
"Each" is singular
Neither ... nor
Neither the teacher nor the pupils was ready.
Neither the teacher nor the pupils were ready.
The verb agrees with the nearer subject
Question tags
She can swim, can she?
She can swim, can't she?
A positive statement takes a negative tag
Past before past
When we arrived, the bus left.
When we arrived, the bus had left.
The earlier of two past actions takes "had"
"If" for the future
If it will rain, we will stay in.
If it rains, we will stay in.
Simple present after "if" for a future event
Grammar MCQ practice
Neither the twins nor their mother ___ coming to the party. (A) is (B) are (C) were (D) have
Each of the pupils ___ given a worksheet yesterday. (A) is (B) are (C) was (D) were
By the time we reached the cinema, the film ___. (A) starts (B) has started (C) had started (D) will start
My brother, together with his friends, ___ football every Saturday. (A) play (B) plays (C) playing (D) are playing
You have finished your homework, ___? (A) don't you (B) haven't you (C) didn't you (D) isn't it
If it rains tomorrow, the match ___ postponed. (A) will be (B) would be (C) was (D) is being
Answers: 1 (A) is, because "mother" is nearer the verb and singular. 2 (C) was, because "each" is singular and "yesterday" is past. 3 (C) had started, because the film started before we reached. 4 (B) plays, because the subject is "my brother" and "every Saturday" is a habit. 5 (B) haven't you, because the statement uses "have" and is positive. 6 (A) will be, because the "if" clause describes a real future event.
How do you answer vocabulary MCQ and vocabulary cloze?
Booklet A has 5 Vocabulary MCQs and 5 Vocabulary Cloze MCQs, 10 marks in all. Vocabulary MCQs usually test one word in a single sentence, either the best word for a blank or the option closest in meaning to an underlined word. Vocabulary Cloze puts five blanks in a short passage, each with four options. Both reward reading the whole sentence and checking the clue that rules options out.
1Read the whole sentence or paragraphThe clue is often after the blank, for example "but she calmed down" tells you the first feeling was strong
2Decide the feeling or directionIs the missing word positive or negative, a cause or a result, the same as or opposite to a nearby word
3Replace the wordFor "closest in meaning" questions, put each option in place of the underlined word and reread
4Cross out the near missesOptions often look alike, such as rescued, received, released and reserved. Check the meaning, not the shape
5Watch fixed phrasesSome answers depend on a word that always goes with another, such as "pay attention" or "make a decision"
Common vocabulary traps
Choosing a word that looks familiar. "The firefighters received the people from the burning flat" uses a real word that does not fit. The correct word is "rescued".
Ignoring the clue after the blank. In "Mei was ___ to see her cousins again, so she counted down the days on her calendar", the clue "counted down the days" points to "eager", not "reluctant".
Mixing up words with similar sounds. "Affect" is usually a verb and "effect" usually a noun. "Accept" means agree to take, and "except" means apart from.
Vocabulary practice
The firefighters ___ the family from the burning flat. (A) rescued (B) received (C) released (D) reserved
Mum was ___ when she saw the broken vase, but she calmed down when Sam told her the truth. (A) furious (B) cheerful (C) curious (D) generous
Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word: "The old man was frail after his long illness." (A) weak (B) angry (C) famous (D) careless
The scouts had to ___ their tents before the storm arrived. (A) put off (B) put up (C) put on (D) put out
Answers: 1 (A) rescued. 2 (A) furious, because "calmed down" shows she had been angry. 3 (A) weak. 4 (B) put up, meaning to set up a tent. "Put off" means delay, "put on" means wear, and "put out" means stop a fire.
What is the best technique for grammar cloze?
Grammar Cloze is a passage with 10 blanks, worth 10 marks, in Booklet B. In most school and practice papers, pupils fill each blank from a box of helping words, and the box holds more words than there are blanks, so some are left over. The section tests small grammar words: prepositions, pronouns, connectors, relative pronouns, articles and helping verbs. The technique is to name the word class first, then choose.
1Read the whole passage onceGet the story and its tense before filling anything. Most passages are in the past tense
2Sort the boxGroup the words: connectors (although, unless), prepositions (by, since), pronouns (its, them), relative words (who, whose, which), helping verbs (had, was)
3Name what each blank needsLook one word before and one after. "The boy ___ bag" needs "whose". "___ it was late" needs a connector
4Fill the sure ones firstCross each word off the box as you use it, unless the instructions allow a word to be used twice
5Reread the full passageRead it in your head as one story. A wrong answer usually sounds odd in the full sentence even when it looked fine in the blank
Common grammar cloze traps
Trap
Wrong
Right
"Its" and "it's"
The cat licked it's paw.
The cat licked its paw.
"Since" and "for"
He has lived here since five years.
He has lived here for five years.
"Who" and "whose"
The girl who bag was lost cried.
The girl whose bag was lost cried.
"Which" for people
The man which helped us was kind.
The man who helped us was kind.
Two connectors
Although it rained, but we played.
Although it rained, we played.
Wrong helping verb
By the time I arrived, they have left.
By the time I arrived, they had left.
Grammar cloze practice
Fill each blank with a word from the box. Each word may be used once. Three words are not needed.
(A) although
(B) whose
(C) which
(D) by
(E) had
(F) since
(G) its
(H) them
Ravi had wanted a pet dog (1) ___ he was six. His parents finally agreed after he promised to walk it every day. The puppy, (2) ___ fur was the colour of honey, followed him everywhere. (3) ___ it was only a few months old, it learned to sit very quickly. One evening, Ravi realised that he (4) ___ forgotten to close the gate. The puppy was gone. Half an hour later, a neighbour brought it back, and it wagged (5) ___ tail happily.
Answers: 1 (F) since, because the wanting started at a point in time and continued. 2 (B) whose, because the fur belongs to the puppy. 3 (A) Although, with a capital letter, because it introduces a contrast. 4 (E) had, because forgetting happened before he realised. 5 (G) its, the possessive. "Which", "by" and "them" are not needed.
How do you spot and correct errors in editing?
Editing for Spelling and Grammar is 10 items worth 10 marks. In most papers, each wrong word in the passage is underlined, and the pupil writes the correct word in the box beside it. Spelling items and grammar items are usually grouped, with the spelling errors first. A correct answer must be spelt correctly, because a misspelt correction is still wrong.
1Read the full sentence, not only the underlined wordThe error is often decided by a word elsewhere in the sentence, such as a time word or the subject
2Decide: spelling or grammarIf the word is not a real word, it is a spelling error. If it is a real word in the wrong form, it is usually grammar
3For grammar, keep the word classA wrong pronoun becomes another pronoun. A wrong verb becomes another form of the same verb
4For spelling, break the word into syllablesBeau-ti-ful, ne-ces-sa-ry, im-me-di-ate-ly. Most errors are a missing or doubled letter
5Write one word, neatlyChange only what is wrong and copy the rest of the word letter by letter
Common editing traps
Doubling the consonant. "Stop" becomes "stopped", "plan" becomes "planned", and "spot" becomes "spotted". Writing "stoped" or "spoted" is a spelling error.
Homophones. "Weather" is rain and sun, and "whether" means if. "Their", "there" and "they're" are tested often.
Missing the tense of the passage. If the passage is in the past, "Everyone rush over" needs "rushed", not "rushes".
Changing the word class. If "happy" is underlined in "She smiled happy", the answer is "happily", the adverb, not a new word such as "brightly".
Correcting a word that was right. Only the underlined word is wrong. Children who rewrite the sentence in the box lose the mark even when their sentence is good.
Editing practice
The words in bold stand for the underlined words. Questions 1 to 3 have spelling errors. Questions 4 to 6 have grammar errors.
Last Saturday, our class visited the Botanic Gardens. Our teacher reminded us to bring a water bottle because the (1) temprature was high. We walked along a narrow path and saw many (2) beatiful orchids. Suddenly, Mei (3) spoted a monitor lizard near the pond. Everyone (4) rush over to look at it. The lizard (5) were not afraid of us. After an hour, we sat down and (6) eat our lunch under a big tree.
Answers: 1 temperature. 2 beautiful. 3 spotted. 4 rushed. 5 was, because "the lizard" is singular. 6 ate, the past tense of "eat".
How do you fill a comprehension cloze with no word bank?
Comprehension Cloze is the largest language section in Paper 2: 15 blanks worth 15 marks, one word per blank, and usually no word bank or options. It tests vocabulary and grammar together, because the word must fit the meaning of the passage and the grammar of the sentence. Look for the clue before and after each blank, and read the whole passage before writing anything.
1Read the whole passage firstFind out who, what happens, and the tense. The ending often explains words near the start
2Look at the sentence before and afterClues include a contrast (but, however), a cause (because, so) or a repeated idea in different words
3Decide the word classDoes the blank need a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition or connector. A word after "the" is usually a noun or adjective
4Check fixed phrasesMany blanks complete phrasal verbs or set phrases: give up, look forward to, proud of, in charge of
5Fill, then reread the whole sentenceCheck the tense, the singular or plural form and the spelling
6Never leave a blank emptyWrite your best single word. An empty blank scores nothing
Common comprehension cloze traps
Trap
Example
Fix
Right meaning, wrong form
"He was very success."
"He was very successful." The blank needs an adjective
Wrong tense
"Last week, the class ___ a trip to the zoo." Answer written: "make"
The passage is in the past, so "made" or "took"
Ignoring the contrast
"The test was easy, but many pupils found it ___." Answer written: "simple"
"But" signals the opposite, so "difficult" or "hard"
"received". A misspelt word is not accepted as the answer
Comprehension cloze practice
Fill each blank with one suitable word.
Jun Wei had never been good at swimming. Every time he jumped into the pool, he would swallow water and come up (1) ___ for air. His coach told him not to give (2) ___. "Practise a little every day," she said, "and you will see (3) ___." Jun Wei took her advice. He went to the pool three times a week, (4) ___ when it rained. Six months later, he swam two lengths without stopping, and his coach said she was proud (5) ___ him.
Answers: 1 gasping. 2 up. 3 results (also progress or improvement). 4 even. 5 of. Real marking schemes can accept more than one word where several fit the meaning and grammar. The alternatives in brackets are the ones we would accept.
What sentence patterns come up in synthesis and transformation?
Synthesis and Transformation has 5 items worth 10 marks, so each sentence carries 2 marks, twice a grammar MCQ. Pupils either join two sentences into one using a given word, or rewrite one sentence starting with given words. The meaning must stay exactly the same, and the new sentence must be grammatical and correctly punctuated. SEAB does not publish how the 2 marks are split, so aim for a fully correct sentence every time.
These are the patterns that come up most often in school and practice papers. Every example below is our own.
Pattern
Original
Rewritten
Watch out for
Although / though
The queue was long. We waited patiently.
Although the queue was long, we waited patiently.
Never add "but" after an "although" clause
Despite / in spite of
Hui Min felt unwell. She went for the test.
Despite feeling unwell, Hui Min went for the test.
Follow with a noun or -ing word, never "despite she felt"
Unless
You must hurry or you will miss the bus.
Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus.
"Unless" already means "if not", so no "not" after it
Neither ... nor
Amir did not know the answer. Siti did not know it either.
Neither Amir nor Siti knew the answer.
No "not" in the verb, and the verb agrees with the nearer subject
Not only ... but also
Lina sings well. She also dances well.
Lina not only sings well but also dances well.
Keep both parts the same shape (sings, dances)
Too ... to
The box was very heavy. Mei could not lift it.
The box was too heavy for Mei to lift.
Do not add "it" at the end
So ... that
The film was very funny. We laughed throughout.
The film was so funny that we laughed throughout.
"So" before an adjective, "such a" before a noun phrase
Relative clause (who, whose, which)
The boy lost his bicycle. He reported it to the police.
The boy whose bicycle was lost reported it to the police.
"Whose" shows belonging, "who" is for people, "which" for things
Direct to reported speech
"I will help you tomorrow," Aunt Lin said to me.
Aunt Lin told me that she would help me the next day.
Shift the tense back and change time and place words
Active to passive
The cleaner found a wallet under the bench.
A wallet was found under the bench by the cleaner.
Keep the tense: "found" becomes "was found"
No sooner ... than
The bell rang. The pupils rushed out at once.
No sooner had the bell rung than the pupils rushed out.
"Had" before the subject, and "than", not "when"
Comparison
Ben is the tallest boy in the class.
No other boy in the class is as tall as Ben.
"As ... as", and keep "in the class"
Instead of
Jia En did not watch television. She read a book.
Instead of watching television, Jia En read a book.
-ing after "instead of"
Because of / due to
The flight was delayed because there was a storm.
Because of the storm, the flight was delayed.
Follow with a noun, not a full clause
Changes in reported speech
Direct speech
Reported speech
will / can / is
would / could / was
am going / is doing
was going / was doing
did (simple past)
had done
today / tonight
that day / that night
tomorrow
the next day / the following day
yesterday
the day before / the previous day
here / this / these
there / that / those
"Please close the door," Mrs Tan said to Ken.
Mrs Tan asked Ken to close the door.
"Where do you live?" he asked me.
He asked me where I lived.
The last row trips many children. A reported question loses its question mark and the word order becomes a statement: "where I lived", not "where did I live".
A four-step check for every synthesis answer
1Underline the given wordCheck where it must go. "Begin with" means it opens the sentence
2Write the new sentence in fullInclude every idea from the original. Leaving out a word such as "always" or "very" can change the meaning
3Read it on its ownAsk whether a stranger would understand exactly what the original sentences said, no more and no less
4Check the small thingsCapital letter, full stop, question mark, commas after an opening clause, tense and spelling
Synthesis and transformation practice
It was raining heavily. The match continued. (Use "despite".)
Amir did not bring an umbrella. Siti did not bring one either. (Begin with "Neither".)
"I will lend you my book tomorrow," Priya said to Hana. (Begin with "Priya told Hana that".)
The cleaner found a wallet under the bench. (Begin with "A wallet".)
The bag was very heavy. The girl could not carry it. (Use "too".)
You must water the plant every day or it will die. (Begin with "Unless".)
Answers:
Despite the heavy rain, the match continued. (Also accepted: Despite the fact that it was raining heavily, the match continued.)
Neither Amir nor Siti brought an umbrella.
Priya told Hana that she would lend her her book the next day.
A wallet was found under the bench by the cleaner.
The bag was too heavy for the girl to carry.
Unless you water the plant every day, it will die.
Answer 3 looks odd with "her her", but it is correct: the first "her" is Hana, and the second is Priya's. Writing "she would lend her book" changes who receives it.
How do you read a visual text quickly and accurately?
Visual Text Comprehension is 5 MCQs worth 5 marks, based on a multimodal text such as a poster, flyer, advertisement or web page. SEAB's syllabus calls these "multimodal texts" because the meaning comes from words, pictures, layout and font together. Most marks are lost on small print, dates, conditions and the purpose of the text, not on hard vocabulary.
1Read the questions firstKnow what to look for before reading the text: a price, a date, a condition, a purpose
2Scan the layoutHeadings, bold words, boxes and footnotes. Conditions such as "members only" often hide in small print
3Find the line that proves itPoint to the exact words in the text before choosing an option
4Do the sumsQuestions on cost or time often need a small calculation, such as two children at the non-member rate
5Ask why the text existsPurpose questions want the main aim, such as to persuade people to sign up, not one detail
Visual text practice
Junior kite-making workshop. For children aged 8 to 12. Saturday 5 December, 9am to 12pm. Fee: $15 for members, $20 for non-members. All materials provided. Bring your own water bottle. Register at the front counter by 28 November. Only 30 places.
Who can join the workshop? (A) any child under 12 (B) children aged 8 to 12 (C) members only (D) parents and their children
A non-member signs up two children. How much does she pay? (A) $15 (B) $30 (C) $35 (D) $40
What must each child bring? (A) kite paper (B) a water bottle (C) scissors (D) a parent
What is the main purpose of the notice? (A) to sell kites (B) to explain how kites fly (C) to get children to sign up for the workshop (D) to thank members
Answers: 1 (B). 2 (D), because 2 times $20 is $40. 3 (B). 4 (C).
How long should each section take in the exam?
Paper 2 runs 1 hour 50 minutes, and SEAB does not split the time between sections. A plan that suits most pupils is about 20 minutes for the 25 Booklet A questions, about 8 minutes each for Grammar Cloze and Editing, 12 for Comprehension Cloze and 12 for Synthesis and Transformation. That leaves about 35 minutes for open-ended comprehension and some time to check. The full minute-by-minute plan is in the paper-by-paper guide.
The practical point is that the language sections should not eat into the open-ended comprehension time. If a child is spending 20 minutes on Comprehension Cloze in practice, timed drills of that one section help more than full papers.
What should P4, P5 and P6 pupils practise for Paper 2?
From Primary 4, the aim is accurate grammar and spelling in short tasks. Primary 5 adds the full set of section formats and the synthesis patterns. Primary 6 is about timed sections, full papers and an error log. Short daily practice of 15 to 20 minutes works better than one long weekend session, because these sections reward habits more than cramming.
Level
Focus
Weekly practice
Sign of progress
Primary 4
Tenses, subject-verb agreement, pronouns, prepositions, common spellings
2 short grammar sets, 1 spelling list, daily reading
Can name the rule behind each grammar answer
Primary 5
All eight section formats, the 14 synthesis patterns, reported speech
1 cloze passage, 1 editing passage, 3 synthesis items, 2 times a week
Scores steadily in Grammar Cloze and Editing, and fewer synthesis answers lose meaning
Primary 6
Timed sections, full Paper 2, error log review
1 timed section on most days, 1 full Paper 2 every week or two from Term 2
Finishes Booklet A in about 20 minutes and has time to check
Primary 4 also matters for subject choices. MOE says schools recommend a combination of Standard and Foundation subjects based on end-of-P4 results, with changes possible at the end of P5. Foundation English has a different, shorter Paper 2, which our paper-by-paper guide describes.
A Primary 6 timeline for PSLE 2027
SEAB had not published the 2027 PSLE calendar by 7 November 2026, so the 2027 dates below are expected, based on the 2026 calendar.
Jan to Mar 2027Fill the gapsGo through the error log from P5. Drill the three weakest sections, one each week
Apr to Jun 2027Timed sectionsOne timed section on most days. A full Paper 2 every one or two weeks, marked the same day
Mid-Aug 2027 (expected)Oral examIn 2026 the English oral was on 12 and 13 August. Paper 2 practice continues alongside
Early Sep 2027Last full papersTwo or three full papers under exam timing, then review only the error log
Late Sep 2027 (expected)Papers 1 and 2In 2026, Paper 2 was on Thursday 24 September, from 10.30am to 12.20pm
Late Nov 2027 (expected)Results2026 results were tentatively due on 24 or 25 November 2026
How can parents help with grammar and cloze at home?
Parents do not need to teach grammar rules to help. The most useful things are daily reading, short regular practice, and asking "why" when a child gets an answer right or wrong. A child who can explain the rule behind an answer will apply it again in a new passage, which is what cloze and editing test.
Keep an error log. In one notebook, write the wrong answer, the right answer and the rule in a few words, for example "spoted, spotted, double the t". Review it every week. Patterns show up within a month.
Ask for the reason, not just the answer. "Why is it 'was' and not 'were'?" builds the habit that grammar MCQs reward.
Read together, and stop at good words. When a book uses a word like "trudged" or "reluctantly", ask what it tells you and what simpler word it replaces. This feeds Comprehension Cloze and Vocabulary MCQ.
Play the blank game. Cover one word in a newspaper paragraph and ask your child to guess it from the words around it. It is a cloze without a worksheet.
Practise synthesis aloud. At dinner, say two short sentences and ask for one sentence using "although", "unless" or "too ... to". Spoken practice is quick and does not feel like homework.
Use the library. National Library Board branches and the NLB app give a steady supply of books at the right level, which keeps daily reading going without buying stacks of assessment books.
Mark past papers the same day. Go through the wrong answers while your child still remembers why they chose them. Our past year papers guide explains where to get real PSLE papers and how to space them out.
Key terms
These are the words teachers, worksheets and SEAB's syllabus use for Paper 2, each explained in one sentence so that a school briefing or a marked paper is easy to follow.
Cloze: a passage with words removed, where the pupil fills each blank. PSLE English has Vocabulary Cloze (MCQ), Grammar Cloze and Comprehension Cloze.
Word bank or helping words: the box of words given in Grammar Cloze. Comprehension Cloze usually has none.
Editing for Spelling and Grammar: a 10-mark section where pupils correct wrongly spelt or wrongly used words in a passage.
Synthesis and Transformation: joining two sentences or rewriting one sentence with given words, keeping the meaning the same, 5 items for 10 marks.
Subject-verb agreement: the rule that a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Reported speech: retelling what someone said without quotation marks, usually shifting the tense back.
Passive voice: a sentence where the receiver of the action comes first, such as "The window was broken by the ball".
Multimodal text: a text that uses words with pictures, layout and design, such as a poster or web page. Visual Text Comprehension uses these.
Phrasal verb: a verb with a small word that changes its meaning, such as "give up", "put off" or "look after".
Collocation: words that naturally go together, such as "make a decision" or "heavy rain".
Common questions
How many marks is the PSLE English cloze?
There are three cloze sections in Paper 2: Vocabulary Cloze (5 MCQs, 5 marks), Grammar Cloze (10 marks) and Comprehension Cloze (15 marks). Together they carry 30 of Paper 2's 90 marks.
Is there a word bank in the PSLE comprehension cloze?
Usually not. Pupils write one suitable word in each of the 15 blanks, using clues from the passage, while Grammar Cloze usually gives a box of helping words.
What is the difference between grammar cloze and comprehension cloze?
Grammar Cloze tests small grammar words such as prepositions, pronouns and connectors, usually chosen from a box. Comprehension Cloze tests meaning and grammar together, with no options, and is worth 15 marks instead of 10.
How many marks is synthesis and transformation in PSLE English?
10 marks for 5 sentences, so each sentence is worth 2 marks. SEAB does not publish how those 2 marks are split.
What are the most common synthesis and transformation patterns?
Although, despite, unless, neither ... nor, not only ... but also, too ... to, so ... that, relative clauses with who, whose or which, reported speech, the passive voice, no sooner ... than, and comparisons.
Does spelling count in cloze and editing?
Yes. Editing has its own spelling items, and in every open-ended section a correct word that is misspelt is not accepted as the answer.
How many marks is the editing section?
Editing for Spelling and Grammar is 10 items worth 10 marks, in Booklet B of Paper 2.
Can a comprehension cloze blank have more than one right answer?
Yes, where more than one word fits both the meaning and the grammar, a marking scheme may accept it. A word that fits the sentence but not the passage is marked wrong.
Is the PSLE English Paper 2 format changing in 2027?
No change has been announced. SEAB's current syllabus has applied since 2025, and it had not posted a 2027 format page by 7 November 2026.
When should my child start practising synthesis?
Start with the simplest patterns, such as although, unless and because of, in Primary 4. Learning two or three patterns a month through Primary 5 leaves Primary 6 for timed practice.
Where can my child get real PSLE Paper 2 questions?
SEAB sells past PSLE papers through its authorised distributors, Shing Lee Publishers and Educational Publishing House. Our past year papers guide explains how to use them.
Written by Theon Teo, Founder and Mathematics Tutor, The Singapore Syllabus. DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore, Game Development & Computer Science · 3 years' Mathematics teaching (Primary & Secondary). More about Theon
For 2027. Free to ask.
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