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Botswana PSLE English study materials
Botswana PSLE English study resources

Botswana PSLE English practice questions

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Question 1English

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: The children ___ playing football in the field yesterday.

  1. were Correct answer.
  2. are
  3. was
  4. is

Explanation

The subject 'children' is plural, and the time word 'yesterday' shows past tense. The plural past form of the verb 'to be' is 'were', so it agrees with the subject and the tense.

Question 2English

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. My friend, Thabo, lives in Maun.
  2. My friend Thabo lives in Maun. Correct answer.
  3. My friend Thabo, lives in Maun.
  4. My friend; Thabo lives in Maun.

Explanation

When a name identifies which person is meant and there is only one friend being discussed, no commas are needed. Commas are used around a name only when the name adds extra, non-essential information.

Question 3English

Choose the correct plural form of the word 'child'.

  1. childes
  2. childs
  3. children Correct answer.
  4. childrens

Explanation

'Child' is an irregular noun. Its plural is 'children', formed by adding '-ren' rather than the usual '-s'. Irregular plurals must be memorised because they do not follow the standard pattern.

Question 4English

Which word is the opposite in meaning to 'ancient'?

  1. old
  2. historic
  3. modern Correct answer.
  4. aged

Explanation

An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. 'Ancient' means very old, so its opposite is 'modern', which means belonging to the present time.

Question 5English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: She was so tired that she could ___ keep her eyes open.

  1. hard
  2. harder
  3. hardly Correct answer.
  4. hardest

Explanation

'Hardly' is an adverb meaning 'almost not'. The sentence needs this negative sense to show she was almost unable to keep her eyes open. 'Hard' means with great effort and does not fit the meaning.

Question 6English

Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb in the present perfect tense?

  1. He has went to school.
  2. He has gone to school. Correct answer.
  3. He has go to school.
  4. He have gone to school.

Explanation

The present perfect is formed with 'has' or 'have' plus the past participle. The past participle of 'go' is 'gone', and the singular subject 'he' takes 'has'.

Question 7English

Identify the adverb in this sentence: The old man walked slowly across the busy road.

  1. walked
  2. slowly Correct answer.
  3. busy
  4. old

Explanation

An adverb describes how, when, or where an action happens. 'Slowly' tells us how the man walked, so it modifies the verb. The other words describe nouns.

Question 8English

Choose the best word to complete the sentence: Neither the teacher nor the learners ___ ready for the test.

  1. were Correct answer.
  2. is
  3. was
  4. be

Explanation

With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. The nearest subject is 'learners', which is plural, so the plural past form 'were' is correct.

Question 9English

Which word correctly completes the sentence: I have been waiting for you ___ two hours.

  1. since
  2. from
  3. during
  4. for Correct answer.

Explanation

'For' is used with a length of time, such as 'two hours'. 'Since' is used with a starting point in time, such as 'since Monday'.

Question 10English

Choose the sentence that is written in the passive voice.

  1. The cat ran away quickly.
  2. The cat was chased by the dog. Correct answer.
  3. The dog is chasing the cat.
  4. The dog chased the cat.

Explanation

In the passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject, and the verb uses a form of 'be' plus the past participle. 'The cat was chased by the dog' follows this pattern.

Question 11English

What is the correct comparative form of the adjective 'good'?

  1. gooder
  2. more good
  3. best
  4. better Correct answer.

Explanation

'Good' is an irregular adjective. Its comparative form is 'better' and its superlative is 'best', so the regular '-er' ending does not apply.

Question 12English

Choose the correct question tag: You are coming to the party, ___?

  1. aren't you Correct answer.
  2. don't you
  3. are you
  4. isn't it

Explanation

A positive statement takes a negative question tag, and the tag repeats the auxiliary verb. Since the statement uses 'are', the tag is 'aren't you'.

Question 13English

Which word is a synonym of 'brave'?

  1. courageous Correct answer.
  2. timid
  3. fearful
  4. cowardly

Explanation

A synonym is a word with a similar meaning. 'Courageous' means showing courage, which matches 'brave'. The other options describe someone who lacks courage.

Question 14English

Choose the correct form to complete the sentence: If it ___ tomorrow, we will stay at home.

  1. would rain
  2. will rain
  3. rains Correct answer.
  4. rained

Explanation

In a first conditional sentence, the 'if' clause uses the present simple and the main clause uses 'will'. So 'rains' is correct after 'if'.

Question 15English

Which sentence contains a correctly used direct object pronoun?

  1. She gave the book to himself.
  2. She gave the book to him. Correct answer.
  3. She gave the book to he.
  4. She gave the book to his.

Explanation

After a preposition, an object pronoun is needed. 'Him' is the object form of 'he', so it is correct after 'to'.

Question 16English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The teacher asked the learners to ___ their homework neatly.

  1. wrote
  2. write Correct answer.
  3. rite
  4. right

Explanation

'Write' is the verb meaning to put words on paper. The other options are homophones or wrong forms that do not fit the meaning of producing homework.

Question 17English

Identify the type of sentence: Although it was raining, the match continued.

  1. complex Correct answer.
  2. compound-complex
  3. compound
  4. simple

Explanation

A complex sentence contains one main clause and at least one subordinate clause. 'Although it was raining' is a subordinate clause, and 'the match continued' is the main clause.

Question 18English

What does the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag' mean?

  1. To tell a lie
  2. To release an animal
  3. To reveal a secret Correct answer.
  4. To make a mistake

Explanation

Idioms have meanings that cannot be worked out from the individual words. 'Let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal information that was supposed to be secret.

Question 19English

Choose the correct word: The pupils divided the sweets ___ themselves.

  1. within
  2. among Correct answer.
  3. between
  4. through

Explanation

'Among' is used when something is shared by more than two people or things. 'Between' is normally used for two. Since 'pupils' is plural and likely more than two, 'among' fits.

Question 20English

Which word is spelt correctly?

  1. receive Correct answer.
  2. receve
  3. receeve
  4. recieve

Explanation

The spelling rule 'i before e except after c' applies here. Since 'receive' has 'c' before the vowel pair, the correct order is 'ei', giving 'receive'.

Question 21English

Choose the best word to complete the sentence: The teacher spoke ___ so that everyone could hear her.

  1. louder
  2. loud
  3. loudness
  4. loudly Correct answer.

Explanation

An adverb is needed to describe how the teacher spoke. 'Loudly' is the adverb form modifying the verb 'spoke'.

Question 22English

Read the sentence: 'The hungry lion roared fiercely in the dark forest.' Which word is the adjective?

  1. roared
  2. hungry Correct answer.
  3. fiercely
  4. forest

Explanation

An adjective describes a noun. 'Hungry' describes the noun 'lion', so it is the adjective in the sentence.

Question 23English

Choose the correct reported speech: She said, 'I am tired.'

  1. She said that she was tired. Correct answer.
  2. She says that she was tired.
  3. She said that she is tired.
  4. She said that I was tired.

Explanation

When reporting speech, the tense usually shifts back one step. The present 'am' becomes the past 'was', and the pronoun 'I' changes to 'she' to match the speaker.

Question 24English

Which word best completes the sentence: The baby slept ___ throughout the night.

  1. peacefulness
  2. peaceful
  3. peacefully Correct answer.
  4. peace

Explanation

The word must describe how the baby slept, so an adverb is needed. 'Peacefully' is the adverb form of 'peaceful' and modifies the verb 'slept'.

Question 25English

Choose the sentence that uses 'its' correctly.

  1. The dog wagged it tail.
  2. The dog wagged it's tail.
  3. The dog wagged its tail. Correct answer.
  4. The dog wagged its' tail.

Explanation

'Its' is the possessive form meaning 'belonging to it'. 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has', which does not fit here because no verb is being shortened.

Question 26English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The children were ___ to see the elephant at the zoo.

  1. exciting
  2. excite
  3. excited Correct answer.
  4. excitement

Explanation

Adjectives ending in -ed describe how a person feels, so 'excited' correctly tells us the children's feeling. The -ing form describes the thing that causes the feeling, and the other options are a verb and a noun.

Question 27English

Choose the correct plural form to complete the sentence: Three ___ were grazing in the field.

  1. sheepes
  2. sheeps
  3. sheep Correct answer.
  4. sheep's

Explanation

'Sheep' is an irregular noun whose singular and plural forms are identical, so 'three sheep' is correct. Adding -s, -es or an apostrophe produces forms that are not standard plurals.

Question 28English

Which sentence uses the article correctly?

  1. I ate a orange.
  2. They saw an owl in the tree. Correct answer.
  3. He bought a umbrella.
  4. She is a honest girl.

Explanation

'An' is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, and 'owl' starts with the vowel sound /aʊ/, so 'an owl' is correct. 'A' belongs before consonant sounds, and 'honest' begins with a vowel sound despite its letter h.

Question 29English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The pupils walked ___ the bridge to reach the other side of the river.

  1. beside
  2. across Correct answer.
  3. among
  4. between

Explanation

'Across' means from one side to the other, which matches moving over a bridge to the opposite bank. The other prepositions describe position rather than movement from side to side.

Question 30English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The pot broke because it was very ___.

  1. flexible
  2. fragile Correct answer.
  3. fortunate
  4. furious

Explanation

'Fragile' means easily broken, which explains why the pot broke. The other adjectives describe emotions, luck or bendability and do not give a reason for breaking.

Question 31English

Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence: The news ___ very surprising to everyone.

  1. were
  2. have been
  3. are
  4. was Correct answer.

Explanation

'News' is an uncountable noun that takes a singular verb even though it ends in -s. The past singular 'was' agrees with it and fits the past context of the sentence.

Question 32English

Choose the sentence in which the apostrophe is used correctly.

  1. The girls bags' were left in the classroom.
  2. The girls' bags were left in the classroom. Correct answer.
  3. The girl's bags were left in the classroom by all three of them.
  4. The girls's bags were left in the classroom.

Explanation

For a plural noun ending in -s, the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe after the s, giving 'girls''. The other options either use the wrong possessive form or place the apostrophe incorrectly.

Question 33English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: She sings ___ than her sister.

  1. beautifully
  2. beautiful
  3. more beautifully Correct answer.
  4. most beautifully

Explanation

When comparing two people, the comparative form is needed, and adverbs of three or more syllables form it with 'more'. 'More beautifully' correctly compares the two sisters' singing.

Question 34English

Choose the correct form to complete the sentence: By the time we arrived, the film ___.

  1. had already started Correct answer.
  2. was already start
  3. has already started
  4. already started

Explanation

The past perfect 'had started' shows that one past action happened before another past action, which is exactly the order here. The present perfect and simple past do not clearly mark the earlier event.

Question 35English

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: The two brothers shared the orange ___ themselves.

  1. between Correct answer.
  2. among
  3. within
  4. beside

Explanation

'Between' is used when two people or things are involved, so it suits 'the two brothers'. 'Among' is used for groups of three or more.

Question 36English

Which word is an antonym of 'generous'?

  1. wealthy
  2. cheerful
  3. stingy Correct answer.
  4. kind

Explanation

An antonym has the opposite meaning, and 'stingy' means unwilling to give, which is the opposite of 'generous'. The other words describe kindness, riches or mood rather than the opposite of giving freely.

Question 37English

Choose the correct indirect question to complete the sentence: He asked me ___.

  1. where do I live
  2. where did I live
  3. where I live?
  4. where I lived Correct answer.

Explanation

In reported or indirect questions, the word order changes to subject before verb and no question mark is used. Since the reporting verb 'asked' is past, the verb becomes 'lived'.

Question 38English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The teacher praised him for ___ his work on time.

  1. finishes
  2. finished
  3. finishing Correct answer.
  4. finish

Explanation

After a preposition such as 'for', a verb must take the -ing form, so 'finishing' is correct. The base form, third-person form and past form cannot follow a preposition.

Question 39English

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a relative pronoun.

  1. The boy whom won the race is my cousin.
  2. The boy which won the race is my cousin.
  3. The boy whose won the race is my cousin.
  4. The boy who won the race is my cousin. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Who' is the relative pronoun used for people when it is the subject of the clause, as here with 'won'. 'Which' is for things, 'whom' is for objects, and 'whose' shows possession.

Question 40English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: Hardly ___ entered the room when the lights went out.

  1. he has
  2. he had
  3. had he Correct answer.
  4. has he

Explanation

When a sentence begins with a negative or limiting adverb such as 'hardly', the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted, giving 'had he'. The tense must also be past perfect to pair with 'when the lights went out'.

Question 41English

Choose the correct completion: If she had studied harder, she ___ the examination.

  1. passes
  2. would pass
  3. would have passed Correct answer.
  4. will pass

Explanation

This is a third conditional sentence describing an unreal past situation, so the result clause uses 'would have' plus the past participle. The if-clause with 'had studied' signals this pattern.

Question 42English

Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.

  1. Each of the learners have a textbook.
  2. Each of the learners has a textbook. Correct answer.
  3. Each of the learners having a textbook.
  4. Each of the learners are having a textbook.

Explanation

'Each' is a singular subject, so it takes the singular verb 'has', even though it is followed by a plural phrase. The verb must agree with 'each', not with 'learners'.

Question 43English

Choose the best word to complete the sentence: The manager, together with his assistants, ___ attending the meeting.

  1. is Correct answer.
  2. have been
  3. were
  4. are

Explanation

The subject is 'the manager', which is singular, and the phrase 'together with his assistants' does not change the subject. The singular verb 'is' therefore agrees correctly.

Question 44English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The old man was so tired that he could ___ walk.

  1. hardly Correct answer.
  2. hard
  3. hardest
  4. harder

Explanation

'Hardly' is an adverb meaning almost not at all, which fits the idea of being too tired to walk. 'Hard' as an adverb means with effort, which gives a different and illogical meaning here.

Question 45English

Which sentence uses the modal verb correctly to express strong obligation?

  1. You must wearing a helmet when riding.
  2. You must wears a helmet when riding.
  3. You must wear a helmet when riding. Correct answer.
  4. You must to wear a helmet when riding.

Explanation

A modal verb such as 'must' is followed by the base form of the verb without 'to'. 'Must wear' therefore correctly expresses strong obligation.

Question 46English

Choose the correct sentence.

  1. My friend and I went to the shop. Correct answer.
  2. My friend and me went to the shop.
  3. Me and my friend went to the shop.
  4. I and my friend went to the shop.

Explanation

The subject pronoun 'I' is needed because it performs the action, and polite convention places the other person first. 'Me' is an object pronoun and cannot act as the subject.

Question 47English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The children tiptoed ___ so as not to wake the baby.

  1. angrily
  2. noisily
  3. quietly Correct answer.
  4. suddenly

Explanation

The purpose 'so as not to wake the baby' tells us the children moved without noise, so 'quietly' fits. The other adverbs describe loudness, anger or suddenness, which conflict with the purpose.

Question 48English

Read the sentence: 'Before the rain started, the farmers had quickly harvested the maize.' Which word is the conjunction?

  1. Before Correct answer.
  2. quickly
  3. started
  4. harvested

Explanation

A conjunction joins clauses, and 'before' links the time clause 'before the rain started' to the main clause. The other words are an adverb, a verb and a verb.

Question 49English

Choose the sentence that correctly uses the present continuous for a planned future event.

  1. We are visiting the museum tomorrow. Correct answer.
  2. We visited the museum tomorrow.
  3. We visiting the museum tomorrow.
  4. We visit the museum tomorrow.

Explanation

The present continuous can describe a fixed future arrangement, so 'are visiting ... tomorrow' is correct. The simple present, past tense and missing auxiliary do not express this planned future.

Question 50English

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The pupils were ___ because the bus arrived on time.

  1. happy Correct answer.
  2. happily
  3. happiness
  4. happier

Explanation

The verb 'were' is a linking verb, so it must be followed by an adjective that describes the subject 'pupils'. 'Happy' is the adjective form needed here.