Reading Books, Writing Compositions and Examinations
Primary 6 · English
Reading Books, Writing Compositions and Examinations
Lesson 5 of 6
20 min
Let's begin
Gatete knew nearly every answer in his practice test, yet he lost eleven marks. One question said Underline the verb, and he circled it. Another said Answer in full sentences, and he wrote one word. A third said Give the opposite, and he gave the plural.
The questions were easy. The instructions caught him. Today you will learn to read an instruction like a detective, so that you never lose marks you have already earned.
Every exam question has an instruction, and it usually begins with a verb. Find that verb first. It tells you exactly what to do with your pen.
| Instruction | What you do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Choose / Circle the correct answer | Pick ONE answer and draw a ring around it, or write its letter. | Circle: She (go / goes) to school. |
| Underline | Draw a straight line under the word or words. | Underline the noun: The goat ate grass. |
| Fill in the blank / Complete | Write the missing word in the gap. | Kigali is the capital ___ Rwanda. |
| Match | Join each item in column A with its partner in column B. | Match each animal with its young. |
| Rearrange | Put the letters, words or sentences in the correct order. | Rearrange: to / going / are / we / Huye |
| Use the correct form of the word in brackets | Change the word so that it fits the sentence. | Yesterday she (write) a letter. → wrote |
| Rewrite as instructed / Do as you are told in brackets | Write the WHOLE sentence again, changed exactly as asked. | Rewrite, beginning: The cat … |
| Give the opposite / the plural / the meaning | Give only what is asked for. | The opposite of arrive: depart |
| Answer in full sentences | Write a complete sentence that uses words from the question. | Where does Keza live? → Keza lives in Huye. |
| Punctuate | Add capital letters, full stops, commas, question marks and quotation marks. | where is my pen asked habimana |
| Summarise in not more than … | Write the main points only, inside the limit. | Summarise in not more than 50 words. |
Worked example 1
Mugisha is tall. Gatete is taller. (Join using than.)
Answer: Gatete is taller than Mugisha. The whole sentence is written again, not only the new word.
Worked example 2
She reads every evening. She wants to improve. (Join using so that.)
Answer: She reads every evening so that she can improve.
Worked example 3
The dog chased the cat. (Begin: The cat …)
Answer: The cat was chased by the dog. When the instruction gives you a beginning, copy it exactly and let the rest of the sentence change to fit. You will learn more about this kind of sentence in the next unit.
Exams often ask you to punctuate a conversation. Here is a short conversation between three P6 pupils in Kigali on the morning of their exam.
"Did you sleep well?" Keza asked.
"Yes," said Mugisha, "but I am still a little nervous."
Habimana smiled and said, "Read every instruction twice, and you will be fine."
Before the exam: revise a little every day instead of a lot the night before. Practise with past papers, so that the instructions feel familiar. Sleep early, and pack two pens, a pencil, a ruler and a rubber.
During the exam:
Honesty: an exam shows what YOU know, so that your teachers can help you with what you do not know yet. Copying, whispering answers or bringing notes into the room is cheating. It breaks the rules, and it hides the very things you need help with. Your own answer, even if it is not perfect, is worth more than a copied one.
Tip
Find the verb, then obey it
Before you answer, put your pencil on the instruction word: circle, underline, match, rewrite. Say it in your head. Then do exactly that, no more and no less. If it asks for one word, a whole sentence will not earn extra marks.
Follow each instruction exactly, then check.
Give the plural of child.
Answer: children. Only the plural is asked for, so you do not need a sentence.
Punctuate: where is the library asked umutoni
Answer: "Where is the library?" asked Umutoni. The question mark goes inside the quotation marks, and the sentence and the name both start with capital letters.
Rewrite as instructed: Keza is kind. Keza is clever. (Join using and.)
Answer: Keza is kind and clever.
Use the correct form of the word in brackets: Last week we (visit) the museum.
Answer: visited. Last week is in the past, so we add -ed.
Answer in a full sentence: What is the capital city of Rwanda?
Answer: The capital city of Rwanda is Kigali. Use the words of the question in your answer.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each exam instruction to what you do.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
