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P4 Chinese connectives practice

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Singapore Primary 4 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 20 skill points and 69 questions.

What is tested in P4 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.

P4 connectives · worked examples

  1. 欢欢（　　）偷吃了妈妈买的爆米花，（　　）觉得心里很不安。

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

    Why: The answer is "因为……所以" (because…so). Huanhuan feels uneasy because she secretly ate the popcorn: cause first, effect second. "不是……而是" (not…but rather) denies the first part and affirms the second, but she really did eat it. "虽然……但是" (although…but) shows a contrast, but eating it and feeling uneasy are not opposite. "不是……就是" (either…or) means only one of the two, but both are true.

  2. 学校举行越野赛跑，小乐（　　）跑得很累，（　　）坚持跑完了全程。

    • ・如果……就
    • ・因为……所以
    • ✓ 虽然……但是
    • ・不是……就是

    Why: The answer is "虽然……但是" (although…but). Xiao Le is exhausted, yet he finishes the whole race, so there is a turn in meaning. "因为……所以" (because…so) shows cause and effect, but tiredness is not why he finishes. "不是……就是" (either…or) means only one of the two, but being tired and finishing are both true. "如果……就" (if…then) is for a supposition, but he has already finished the race.

  3. （　　）妈妈煮的汤有点咸，（　　）小乐还是喝了一大碗。

    • ✓ 虽然……但是
    • ・不是……而是
    • ・因为……所以
    • ・如果……就

    Why: The answer is "虽然……但是" (although…but). The soup is a little salty, yet Xiao Le still drinks a big bowl, so the two parts go against each other. "因为……所以" (because…so) shows cause and effect, but the saltiness is not why he drinks so much, and it does not go with "还是" (still). "如果……就" (if…then) is for a supposition, but the soup really is salty, and "就" cannot come before "小乐". "不是……而是" (not…but rather) denies the first part and affirms the second, but the soup really is a little salty.

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

Skill points on this page (20)

Skill point 1 / 20上L03·看电视
关联词

小乐和爸爸在看新闻，小乐（　　）想看动画片，（　　）没有说出来，怕打扰爸爸。