This is the actual 2006 SEA Language Arts Examination

LANGUAGE ARTS

SECTION 1 GRAMMAR SKILLS

A
Complete the sentences by changing the nouns in brackets to the plural form.

EXAMPLE : Alvin lost the keys

key

1 The _____________ led their tribes into battle.

(chief)

2 The carpenter built several __________________ in the office.

(shelf)

3 During our hike in the countryside we saw ________________and

(deer)

different types of ___________________.

(cactus)

B
Write the correct form of the 'self' pronoun to complete the following sentences.

EXAMPLE : "I want to do it myself," said the little girl.

4 I am not going so you will have to do it by ___________________.

5 The children cooked the meal ___________________.

6 The girl ___________________ was able to complete the puzzle.

 C
Write the correct form of the verb in brackets to complete the following
sentences

EXAMPLE: The boy went to the cinema yesterday

(goes / went)

7 The birds ________________ a nest in the mango tree.

(built/builds)

8 We ________________ home within five minutes of school being

(arrive / arrived)

dismissed

9 They began to tire before they had even __________________ the length
of the pool. (swum /swam)

D
Write the correct form of the word in brackets to complete the following
sentences.
EXAMPLE: The children are scolded for not doing their
(scold)

homework..

10 A compass __________________ by explorers

( use )

11 Do you know when the television __________________________?

(invent)

12 Eggs ____________________ by birds.

(lay)
 E
Write the correct form of the word in brackets to complete the following
sentences.
EXAMPLE: Malika is the tallest of the thirty students in our class.
( tall)

13 Fleas can jump ____________________ than grasshoppers.

(high)

14 He has the __________________attitude to work in the class.

( serious)

15 Students of Standard Five won the ___________________ races

(much)
at the sports meeting.

F
Underline the adjectives in each of the following sentences

EXAMPLE : The kind child fed the hungry dog

16 The curious farmer asked why our basket was so heavy.

17 The sunny day was mainly responsible for the game being exciting.

G
Underline the adverb in each of the following sentences.

EXAMPLE: Place the bag here and proceed.

18 The plane flew low over the cane field.

19 Tomorrow we will go to the library.

 H
Replace the contractions in brackets with their expanded forms to
complete the following sentences

EXAMPLE: I am going to Barbados on Sunday.

20 Some students __________________ come to the show next week.

(can't)

21 I __________________climbed that plum tree a thousand times.

must've

22 We were confident that _________________ do well in her

(she'd)

examinations.

SECTION 11- VOCABULARY/SPELLING/ PUNCTUATION

In the spaces below, write the APPROPRIATE form of the word that is
in CAPITAL LETTERS to complete EACH sentence. Remember to
spell correctly.

EXAMPLE: DIRECT The doctor told the patient to read the

directions on the label of the bottle.

23 DENY In spite of the prisoner's _______________ the truth

came out.

24 BEAUTY Flowers help to ______________ the surroundings.

 B
In each of the following sentences there is a word that is underlined.
For EACH underlined word write EITHER another word, OR a phrase, that
is similar in meaning

EXAMPLE: The girl detested the idea of having to return for

the book she had forgotten at home.

ANSWERS: The girl hated the idea of having to return for

the book she had forgotten at home.

The girl did not like the idea of having to return for
the book she had forgotten at home.

25 The honest man admitted to making the mistake.

26 In an organization rules are essential to maintain order.

27 The police questioned several eyewitnesses to the accident in order to

verify the driver's statement.

C
Underline the word which is incorrectly spelt and write the correct form
in the space provided.

EXAMPLE: Rita measured the lenght of the table. length

28 The miser acumulated vast sums which he did not deposit.

29 The national team had a disasterous start to the World Cup Campaign.
30 The boy's mother was embarassed by his lack of appreciation.

D
Insert the TWO missing punctuation marks to correctly complete EACH
of the following sentences. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REWRITE
YOUR SENTENCE.

EXAMPLE: The babys bottle fell on my clothes.

The baby's bottle fell on my clothes.

31 He s supposed to leave work at four o clock.

32 "Don't do it " yelled Maria the eldest girl in the class.

33 Zena's sister-in-law although younger than she was much taller.

34 "Didn't you believe the version of the story

35 These were the items we bought a pair of shoes, a blouse and a skirt
 SECTION 111 COMPREHENSION
A
Read carefully the passage below and answer the questions that are
based on it. Use complete sentences, correct grammar and spelling.

The world's main food plants are grasses. Wheat, rye, barley and oats are grasses
called cereals. Their ripe seed or grain are ground into flour.

Other grasses are millet, rice and corn. Millet and rice are grown in hot countries. Rice
is the main food for half of the world's people. It is grown in flooded fields called
paddies. Maize or corn gives us corn-on-the-cob, cooking oil and corn flour.
Short grasses are used for feeding farm animals. Cut grass can be stored as
dry hay..

Peanuts and groundnuts are roasted and salted for eating but they are more important
for the oil they produce. The oil is used for cooking and making margarine and soap.
Soya beans produce an oil which has the same uses as peanut oil but they are used
to make flour. This is a very important food in some countries. Soya beans are grown
mainly in China and the United States of America.

36 Name THREE grasses that are examples of cereals.

37 Why is it important to produce a large quantity on rice?

38 Name THREE food plants mentioned in the passage from which oil is
produced.
 39 Suggest three ways in which peanuts can be used.

40 In ONE sentence state the main idea of the passage.

B
Read carefully the passage below and answer the questions that are
based on it. Use complete sentences, correct grammar and spelling.

What is all this washing about,

Every day, week in, week out?
From getting up till going to bed,
I'm tired of hearing the same thing said.
5 Whether I'm dirty or whether I'm not,
Whether the water is cold or hot,
Whether I like it or whether I don't,
Whether I will or whether I won't -
Have you washed your hands, and washed your face?'
10 I seem to live in the washing-place.

Whenever I go for a walk or a ride,

As soon as I put my nose inside
The door again, there's someone there
With a sponge and soap, and a lot they care
15 If I have something better to do,
Now wash your face and your fingers too.'

Before a meal is ever begun,

And after a meal is done,
It's time to turn on the waterspout.
20 Please, what is all this washing about?
John Drinkwater
41 Which THREE parts of the body is the poet asked to wash

42 What does the first stanza (lines 1 -10) tell us about the attitude of the
poet?

43 Explain the line "I seem to live in the washing-place" (line 10).

44 According to the poem, what TWO activities allow the poet to enjoy a
break from washing?

45 Suggest an appropriate title for the poem.

 C
Read carefully the graph below and answer the questions that are
based on it. Use complete sentences, correct grammar and spelling.
Trinidad and Tobago

1100
1000
900
Tourist
800
Arrivals
700
600
500
400
300

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

46 Which two months recorded the greatest number of tourist arrivals?

47 During which two months did the same number of tourists arrive?

48 The tourism ministry is planning special events for tourists during the
months of December to February. According to the graph, why would this
be a suitable time?
49 Hotel owners looked at tourist arrivals in May. They decided that in the
future lower hotel rates will be charged in that month. Why would they take
such a decision?

50 Suggest a title for the graph above.