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P3 Chinese connectives practice

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Singapore Primary 3 Chinese, connectives (关联词): choose the right connectives for a complex sentence — 因为…所以…, 虽然…但是…, 不但…而且… — testing the logical relation between the clauses. Everything here follows the MOE syllabus. You can try one set free without signing up, and it is marked as you go — get one wrong and the same point comes back asked a different way, so your child can make steady progress on connectives. This page has 17 skill points and 99 questions.

What is tested in P3 connectives

In P3 and P4 this is a fixed question in the language-use section, with 尽管, 虽然 and 不但 among the pairs that come up. It tests telling cause from contrast from escalation from condition, and knowing which word pairs with which inside one relation — 尽管 takes 还是, 虽然 takes 但是.

Common traps

How to practise

Decide the relation between the clauses before looking at the options. Ask whether the second clause is the result of the first, the opposite of it, a step beyond it, or a condition on it. Get the relation right and the words follow.

P3 connectives · worked examples

  1. 小和在小贩中心帮忙收拾碗盘，（　　）做得满头大汗，（　　）心里很开心。

    • ・一边……一边
    • ・不是……就是
    • ✓ 虽然……但是
    • ・因为……所以

    Why: The answer is "虽然……但是" (although…but). Clearing the plates is tiring and Xiao He is dripping with sweat, yet he feels happy, so there is a turn in meaning. "不是……就是" (either…or) means only one of the two, but sweating and feeling happy are both true. "一边……一边" (while) is for two actions at the same time, but feeling happy is not an action. "因为……所以" (because…so) shows cause and effect, but sweating is not why he is happy.

  2. ＿＿外面下大雨，＿＿我们只好留在家里。

    • ・一边…一边
    • ・如果…就
    • ✓ 因为…所以
    • ・虽然…但是

    Why: The answer is "因为…所以" (because…so). We have to stay at home because it is raining heavily: cause first, effect second. "一边…一边" (while) is for one person doing two things at once, but the rain is not something we do. "如果…就" (if…then) is for a supposition, but it really is raining, and "就" cannot come before "我们". "虽然…但是" (although…but) shows a contrast, but heavy rain and staying home are not opposite.

  3. ＿＿明天不下雨，我们＿＿去公园玩。

    • ・因为……所以
    • ✓ 如果……就
    • ・一……就
    • ・虽然……但是

    Why: The answer is '如果……就'. The sentence has a condition and result, so use '如果……就'. '一……就' means as soon as, '因为……所以' means because, '虽然……但是' means although, all wrong.

Decide first whether the clauses are cause, contrast, escalation or condition; get the relation right and the words follow.

Skill points on this page (17)

Skill point 1 / 17上L04·奇妙的变化
关联词

小乐把绿豆放进杯子里，（　　）每天浇水，（　　）绿豆很快就发芽了。