P5 Chinese collocations practice
Singapore Primary 5 Chinese, collocations (句子搭配): choose the verb or phrase that completes a sentence — 弹钢琴, 放风筝, 打篮球 — testing verb-object pairing and idiomatic usage. 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 push towards the PSLE on word pairings. This page has 16 skill points and 70 questions.
What is tested in P5 collocations
In P5 and P6 this type appears consistently, testing verb-object pairing and idiomatic written usage. The option is often a phrase rather than a single word. The verbs tested most are 养成, 改正, 发扬 and 克服 and what they attach to.
Common traps
- The option is a complete phrase with exactly one thing mispaired and the rest correct.
- Two verbs are close in meaning, one used of things and the other of people.
- Four-character pairings: 发扬精神 works, 发扬成绩 does not.
How to practise
Go through the collocations of the twenty-eight commonest words once, recording two that work and one that does not for each. When answering, cut the option down to verb plus object and judge that pair alone.
P5 collocations · worked examples
虽然这次的攀岩活动很辛苦，（ ）。
- ・所以大家都觉得很遗憾
- ✓ 但是大家都觉得收获很多
- ・因此大家都想早点回家
- ・所以大家都累得不想说话
Why: The answer is "但是大家都觉得收获很多" (but everyone felt they gained a lot). "虽然" indicates contrast, so the second part should contrast with difficulty. Others use "所以" or "因此" which don't fit with "虽然".
因为树干被虫子咬坏了，所以（ ）。
- ✓ 这棵树慢慢地腐烂了
- ・这棵树长得又高又大
- ・这棵树开出了乳白的花
- ・这棵树的生命力很顽强
Why: The answer is "这棵树慢慢地腐烂了" (the tree slowly rotted). When the trunk has been eaten away by insects, the tree slowly goes bad; that is the result that follows "因为……所以". "这棵树长得又高又大" (the tree grew tall and big) and "这棵树的生命力很顽强" (the tree is very hardy) both say the tree is doing well, the opposite of what insect damage leads to. "这棵树开出了乳白的花" (the tree bloomed with milky white flowers) has nothing to do with insect damage.
因为这部电影很适合全家一起观看，（ ）。
- ・可是妈妈不同意带我们去
- ✓ 所以爸爸决定带我们去看
- ・但是电影院的票价太贵了
- ・虽然我们全家都很想看
Why: The answer is "所以爸爸决定带我们去看". "因为……所以……" (because...so...) is cause and effect: the first part says the movie is suitable, the second gives the resulting decision. "但是电影院的票价太贵了" uses "但是" for contrast, "虽然我们全家都很想看" uses "虽然" for concession, and "可是妈妈不同意带我们去" uses "可是" for contrast — none of them can follow the cause-effect pattern set up by "因为", so they're wrong.
Notice the settled expressions around you; pairings are mostly picked up by reading and listening.
Skill points on this page (16)
- 上L03·懂事的你 · 4 questions
- 上L04·分享是快乐的 · 4 questions
- 上L05·我的东西找到了 · 5 questions
- 上L06·一千桶水 · 4 questions
- 下L09·成长的烦恼 · 7 questions
- 下L10·同学之间 · 2 questions
- 下L12·汉字王国 · 3 questions
- 下L13·老师，谢谢您 · 5 questions
- 下L15·世界那么大 · 7 questions
- 上L02·身体会说话 · 4 questions
- 上L07·和时间赛跑 · 5 questions
- 下L11·新加坡，我为你骄傲 · 4 questions
- 下L10·打架 · 5 questions
- 句子搭配 · 4 questions
- 句子搭配 · 3 questions
- 上L08·很久很久以前 · 4 questions
虽然小乐不小心把材料撒了一地，但妈妈并没有骂他，（ ）。