Primary Leaving Examination 2016 — English Language
RNEC Revision Quiz · Auto-correcting · All sections
📝 Student Details
Section A — Comprehension & Vocabulary (35 marks)
Read the passage “The Hunter’s Trap” carefully, then answer all questions in Section A.
The Hunter’s Trap
Long ago there was a hunter who used to catch animals using a trap. One day, he set a trap in one of the thick bushes near his home. After some hours, he went to check his trap. He was sure that he would find at least an animal in it. As he walked nearer the trap, he saw a snake in it. The man was shocked.
“So it is you inside my trap!” the man said. “Please let me out!” the snake cried. “I’ve got you this time!” said the man as he started looking for a big stick. “Please don’t kill me! If you let me out, we shall be good friends,” said the snake. “If I let you out of the trap, will you promise that you won’t bite me?” asked the man. “I promise! I promise that I won’t bite you. You will be very safe if you let me out of this dangerous trap,” replied the snake. “Alright, I will let you out,” said the man. So the man set the snake free.
“Aha! I’m now free. I’m now going to bite you because you are the one who set the trap,” said the snake. Just as the snake was about to jump on the man, Mr. Rat arrived at the place.
“What’s the matter?” Mr. Rat asked. “I had set my trap to catch animals, but this unfriendly snake got caught in it. He begged me to let him out and he promised not to bite me if I set him free. After letting him out, he changed his mind. He was just about to bite me when you arrived,” the man explained to Mr. Rat.
“I see! I see!” said Mr. Rat as he was now thinking of what should be done. “Let’s do this: Could you set the trap again and let me see exactly how the snake got caught in it?” Mr. Rat asked the man. “Yes, I will do that,” replied the man as he set the trap again. “Now my friend, Mr. Snake get in and let’s see how you got caught in this trap,” Mr. Rat said politely. The snake agreed and entered the trap. Once more he was unable to escape.
“There you are,” Mr. Rat told the man. “Now you can go ahead and kill him so that we are all safe.” The man collected a big stick and killed the snake. “What can I do to reward you?” the man asked Mr. Rat. “It’s simple. I want you to allow me to come and live in your house forever. We shall share whatever food you eat,” replied Mr. Rat. The man agreed.
A.1 — Comprehension Questions (20 marks)
1Where did the hunter set his trap?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Paragraph 1: “he set a trap in one of the thick bushes near his home.” → Answer: B.
2Which animal did the hunter find in his trap?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Paragraph 1: “he saw a snake in it.” Although Mr. Rat features in the story, the rat was not in the trap. → Answer: C — A snake.
3Why did the snake want to bite the hunter?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: The snake said: “I’m now going to bite you because you are the one who set the trap.” → Answer: C.
4Why did Mr. Rat ask the man to set the trap again?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Mr. Rat’s plan was clever — he got the snake to re-enter the trap so the man could kill it safely. “Now you can go ahead and kill him.” → Answer: B.
5What did the man use to kill the snake?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: “The man collected a big stick and killed the snake.” → Answer: C — A big stick.
6What reward did Mr. Rat get from the hunter?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Mr. Rat said: “I want you to allow me to come and live in your house forever. We shall share whatever food you eat.” → Answer: B.
7Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: The trap is the central element around which the entire story revolves — the snake is caught in it, freed, and then caught again. The original title given is “The Hunter’s Trap.” → Answer: C.
A.2 — Word Meanings from the Passage (6 marks)
8What is the meaning of “ESCAPE” as used in the passage?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: The passage: “he was unable to escape” — the snake could not get out of the trap. Escape = to get away from a place of confinement. → Answer: B.
9What is the meaning of “REWARD” as used in the passage?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: “What can I do to reward you?” — the man wants to give something back in return for Mr. Rat’s help. A reward = something given in recognition of a good deed. → Answer: B.
10What is the meaning of “SAFE” as used in the passage?2 mks
💡 Worked solution: The snake said: “You will be very safe if you let me out.” Mr. Rat said: “so that we are all safe.” Safe = free from danger or harm. → Answer: C.
A.3 — Complete the Sentences (5 marks)
11A.3.1 — “The man was ___________ to see a snake in his trap.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Paragraph 1: “The man was shocked.” — he expected an animal, not a snake. → Answer: B — shocked.
12A.3.2 — “The snake promised the man that it ___________ him if he let it out of the trap.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: The snake promised: “I won’t bite you.” In reported speech with past tense: “promised that it won’t bite him” (the exact words are preserved here in the reported form). → Answer: B — won’t bite.
13A.3.3 — “The snake was about to bite the hunter when Mr. Rat ___________ at the scene.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Paragraph 3: “Mr. Rat arrived at the place.” → Answer: B — arrived.
14A.3.4 — “Mr. Rat asked the snake to go back in the trap to see how he was ___________.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Mr. Rat said: “let me see exactly how the snake got caught in it.” The pretence was to see how he was caught. → Answer: C — caught.
15A.3.5 — “The man agreed that Mr. Rat would ___________ in his house forever.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Mr. Rat asked: “allow me to come and live in your house forever.” → Answer: C — live.
A.4 — Opposites / Antonyms (10 marks)
16A.4.1 — “The HEADMASTER called the head boy to the office.” — Opposite of HEADMASTER:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Headmaster = male head of a school. Opposite (female) = headmistress. Headteacher is gender-neutral. → Answer: B — Headmistress.
17A.4.2 — “The woman was found INNOCENT in court.” — Opposite of INNOCENT:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Innocent = not guilty of a crime. The direct legal opposite is guilty. → Answer: C — Guilty.
18A.4.3 — “My GRANDFATHER used to go to school on foot.” — Opposite of GRANDFATHER:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Grandfather = male grandparent. Opposite (female) = grandmother. “Grandson” is a different generation. → Answer: D — Grandmother.
19A.4.4 — “Lake Kivu is a very DEEP lake.” — Opposite of DEEP:
Lake Kivu is one of Africa’s Great Lakes, located on the border between Rwanda and the DRC, reaching depths of 480 m.1 mk
Lake Kivu is one of Africa’s Great Lakes, located on the border between Rwanda and the DRC, reaching depths of 480 m.1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Deep = having a great distance from top to bottom. Opposite = shallow (little depth). “Narrow” is the opposite of wide. → Answer: C — Shallow.
20A.4.5 — “He CAME before them.” — Opposite of CAME:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Came = moved toward / arrived. Opposite = went (moved away). “Come” and “go” are directional opposites. → Answer: C — Went.
21A.4.6 — “John comes from a RICH family.” — Opposite of RICH:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Rich = having a lot of wealth. Opposite = poor (having little wealth). → Answer: B — Poor.
22A.4.7 — “Sandrine is a very BEAUTIFUL girl.” — Opposite of BEAUTIFUL:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Beautiful = attractive, pleasing in appearance. Opposite = ugly (unpleasant in appearance). → Answer: D — Ugly.
23A.4.8 — “She is a BAD girl.” — Opposite of BAD:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Bad = not good, behaving wrongly. Direct opposite = good. → Answer: B — Good.
24A.4.9 — “Steven CLOSED the door behind him.” — Opposite of CLOSED:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Closed = shut. Opposite = opened. “Locked” implies closing with a key — not the simple opposite. → Answer: C — Opened.
25A.4.10 — “This room is very COLD.” — Opposite of COLD:1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Cold = low temperature. Opposite = hot (high temperature). → Answer: D — Hot.
Section B — Grammar (45 marks)
B.1 — Fill each blank with a word from the list (5 marks)
Word list: to · dressed · what · for · are · at
26B.1.1 — “What ___________ you doing now?”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Subject “you” takes auxiliary are in present continuous: “What are you doing now?” → Answer: C — are.
27B.1.2 — “The candidates are ready ___________ do the examination.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Ready to + infinitive”: “ready to do the examination.” “Ready for” needs a noun. → Answer: A — to.
28B.1.3 — “___________ a wonderful day this is!”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Exclamations with a noun phrase use What: “What a wonderful day this is!” “How” is for adjectives alone: “How wonderful!” → Answer: A — What.
29B.1.4 — “She was smartly ___________ for the party.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Was smartly ___” needs a past participle: “was smartly dressed.” → Answer: B — dressed.
30B.1.5 — “He has lived in Kigali ___________ the last two years.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “The last two years” = a duration → use for: “for the last two years.” “Since” requires a point in time. → Answer: D — for.
B.2 — Use the correct form of the word in brackets (10 marks)
31B.2.1 — “I cannot wear this shirt because it is not ___________.” (my)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “It is not ___” needs an independent possessive pronoun (standing alone, no noun after it): “it is not mine.” “My” needs a noun: “my shirt.” → Answer: C — mine.
32B.2.2 — “A mango is ___________ than an apple.” (juice)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Comparison using “than” requires a comparative adjective. Noun “juice” → adjective “juicy” → comparative = juicier. Short adjectives use -er. → Answer: C — juicier.
33B.2.3 — “My brother’s ___________ with Mary did not last long.” (marry)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “My brother’s ___” needs a noun (subject of “did not last”). Verb “marry” → noun = marriage. → Answer: D — marriage.
34B.2.4 — “The old woman has been ___________ in her bed for the last two days.” (lie)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Has been ___” = present perfect continuous → needs the -ing form: “has been lying.” Lie (recline): lie → lay → lain → lying. → Answer: C — lying.
35B.2.5 — “Our chief was ___________ injured in the accident.” (bad)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Modifies the verb “injured” → adverb needed: adjective “bad” → adverb = badly. → Answer: B — badly.
36B.2.6 — “John could not tell the ___________ between the two books.” (similar)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Tell the ___” needs a noun: adjective “similar” → noun = similarity. (“Tell the difference/similarity between…”) → Answer: C — similarity.
37B.2.7 — “A lion is a ___________ animal.” (danger)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Needs an adjective to describe “animal”: noun “danger” → adjective = dangerous. “Dangerously” is an adverb. → Answer: D — dangerous.
38B.2.8 — “The ___________ of the old man has helped people in the village to develop.” (wise)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “The ___ of the old man” = subject → noun needed: adjective “wise” → noun = wisdom. → Answer: C — wisdom.
39B.2.9 — “A snake ___________ him last week.” (bite)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Last week” = past simple tense. Irregular verb: bite → bit (past simple) → bitten (past participle). → Answer: D — bit.
40B.2.10 — “The girl ___________ down the stairs and greeted her parents.” (rush)1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Both verbs in the sentence are past tense (“greeted”) → parallel past simple: rushed. → Answer: C — rushed.
B.3 — Re-write the sentences as instructed (10 marks)
41B.3.1 — “You will not be punished if you obey school rules.”
Re-write ending with: “…disobeyed school rules.”1 mk
Re-write ending with: “…disobeyed school rules.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: The original: obeying = no punishment. Opposite: disobeying = punishment. “Disobeyed” signals second conditional (hypothetical): “You would be punished if you disobeyed school rules.” → Answer: B.
42B.3.2 — “The pen you have taken is mine.”
Re-write using: “belongs”1 mk
Re-write using: “belongs”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Is mine” = “belongs to me.” Fixed collocation: belongs to (never “belongs with”): “The pen you have taken belongs to me.” → Answer: C.
43B.3.3 — “I had breakfast then I went to school.”
Re-write using: “after”1 mk
Re-write using: “after”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: The gerund construction: “I went to school after having breakfast.” The order of events is preserved: breakfast first, then school. → Answer: B.
44B.3.4 — “Sugar is sweet. Honey is also sweet.”
Join using: “as … as”1 mk
Join using: “as … as”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Equal comparison: as + adjective + as → “Sugar is as sweet as honey.” Never use “than” or “like” in this structure. → Answer: B.
45B.3.5 — “The young man is driving the tractor carelessly.”
Begin: “The tractor…”1 mk
Begin: “The tractor…”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Present continuous active (“is driving”) → passive = “is being driven”: “The tractor is being driven carelessly by the young man.” → Answer: C.
46B.3.6 — “If he doesn’t help us to do this work, we will not complete on time.”
Begin: “Unless…”1 mk
Begin: “Unless…”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Unless = “if not” → “If he doesn’t help us” → “Unless he helps us” (drop the negative). Result stays the same: “Unless he helps us to do this work, we will not complete on time.” → Answer: A.
47B.3.7 — “All the boys failed the test.”
Begin: “None…”1 mk
Begin: “None…”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “All failed” = “None passed.” Structure: None of the + noun: “None of the boys passed the test.” Option D says “none failed” which means all passed — incorrect. → Answer: B.
48B.3.8 — “The man cried bitterly. His cows were stolen.”
Join using: “whose”1 mk
Join using: “whose”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Whose is the possessive relative pronoun: “The man whose cows were stolen cried bitterly.” Never repeat “his” after “whose.” → Answer: C.
49B.3.9 — “Can I help you, Sarah?” asked Joyce.
Re-write in reported speech.1 mk
Re-write in reported speech.1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Reported speech: “Can” → “could”; “I” → “she”; “you” → “her”; question word order changes to statement order: “Joyce asked Sarah if she could help her.” → Answer: B.
50B.3.10 — “He is very weak. He will not pass the examinations.”
Join using: “too … to”1 mk
Join using: “too … to”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Structure: too + adjective + to + infinitive: “He is too weak to pass the examinations.” Never say “very too.” → Answer: C.
B.4 — Plural Forms (10 marks)
51B.4.1 — Plural of “Furniture“:2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Furniture is an uncountable noun — it has no plural form. We say “pieces of furniture,” not “furnitures.” → Answer: C — Furniture (no change).
52B.4.2 — Plural of “Thief“:2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Words ending in -f/-fe change to -ves in the plural: thief → thieves. (leaf → leaves, knife → knives.) → Answer: C — Thieves.
53B.4.3 — Plural of “Secretary“:2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Consonant + y → change y to i and add -es: secretary → secretaries. (city → cities, party → parties.) → Answer: B — Secretaries.
54B.4.4 — Plural of “Mango“:2 mks
💡 Worked solution: The standard plural of mango is mangoes (adding -es). Both “mangoes” and “mangos” exist but the REB exam expects mangoes. → Answer: B — Mangoes.
55B.4.5 — Plural of “Cargo“:2 mks
💡 Worked solution: Like mango → mangoes, cargo adds -es: cargoes. (Also: volcano → volcanoes, tomato → tomatoes.) → Answer: C — Cargoes.
B.5 — Composition Sentence Order (5 marks)
Composition — Jumbled Sentences (about P6 pupils)
1. They should also give them all their parental care.
2. Perhaps the best answer would be “Unity and strength.”
3. Finally, the children themselves must be highly disciplined.
4. What makes some children do well in their examinations?
5. In addition, they must be obedient to both their parents and teachers.
6. First of all, the parents must play their part well.
7. Secondly, the teachers must teach them well.
8. This is really a very difficult question to answer.
9. They must always mark their books properly.
10. This is by sending their children to school.
56B.5.1 — Which sentence should come FIRST in the correct order?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: A composition begins with a question/introduction. Sentence 4 introduces the topic: “What makes some children do well in their examinations?” → Answer: B — Sentence 4.
57B.5.2 — Which sentence should come LAST in the correct order?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Sentence 3 begins with “Finally” — the discourse marker for a conclusion: “Finally, the children themselves must be highly disciplined.” → Answer: D — Sentence 3.
58B.5.3 — Which sentence comes SECOND in the correct order?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: After the opening question (4), the next sentence responds to it: “This is really a very difficult question to answer.” (Sentence 8) — then sentence 2 offers “the best answer.” → Answer: A — Sentence 8.
59B.5.4 — Which sentence comes THIRD in the correct order?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Order: 4 (question) → 8 (hard to answer) → 2 (best answer: “Unity and strength”) → 6 (First: parents) → … Sentence 2 gives the answer premise, coming third. → Answer: C — Sentence 2.
Section C — General Knowledge (20 marks)
C.1 — Confusable Words: choose the correctly used sentence (10 marks)
60C.1.1a — Which sentence correctly uses the word “LIVE“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Live = to reside/dwell. “Where do you live?” is correct. Options A, C, D should use “leave” (to depart from or abandon). → Answer: B.
61C.1.1b — Which sentence correctly uses the word “LEAVE“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Leave = to go away from / to let alone. “Please leave me alone” = do not disturb me. Options A and B should use “live” (to reside). → Answer: C.
62C.1.2a — Which sentence correctly uses the word “WEAK“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Weak = lacking strength (adjective). “Mary is feeling weak after her illness” is correct. A, C, D should use “week” (7 days). → Answer: B.
63C.1.2b — Which sentence correctly uses the word “WEEK“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Week = a period of 7 days. “Sunday is the first day of the week” is correct. A and B should use “weak”; D should use “woke.” → Answer: C.
64C.1.3a — Which sentence correctly uses the word “MEET“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Meet = to come together/encounter (verb). “Let us meet at school” is correct. C and D should use “meat” (animal flesh). → Answer: B.
65C.1.3b — Which sentence correctly uses the word “MEAT“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Meat = animal flesh used as food. “We eat meat once every month at school” is correct. A, B, D should use “meet.” → Answer: C.
66C.1.4a — Which sentence correctly uses the word “QUITE“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Quite = fairly/rather (adverb of degree). “His work is quite good” is correct. A, B, C should use “quiet” (making little noise). → Answer: D.
67C.1.4b — Which sentence correctly uses the word “QUIET“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Quiet = making little or no noise (adjective). “Good children should keep quiet in class” is correct. A, B, D should use “quite.” → Answer: C.
68C.1.5a — Which sentence correctly uses the word “LACK“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Lack = to be without / to not have enough of. “Children with kwashiorkor lack proteins” is correct. A, C, D should use “luck” (good fortune). → Answer: B.
69C.1.5b — Which sentence correctly uses the word “LUCK“?1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Luck = good fortune (noun). “I wish you good luck in your exams” is correct. A should use “lack”; D is ungrammatical. → Answer: C.
C.2 — Complete the Passage (10 marks)
Word List
Trackers · thirsty · early · soaked · thorns · path · branches · guide · camped · waterproofPassage: “John and Eric came to Rwanda to see gorillas. They (1)___ in the forest but they did not get up (2)___. They didn’t get time for breakfast. They decided that they didn’t need a (3)___ to find the gorillas. They set off through the forest late in the morning and followed a (4)___. They didn’t take anything to cut the (5)___ in the forest. The (6)___ tore their clothes. They didn’t take any food or water with them so they felt hungry and (7)___. They didn’t find any gorillas because they went to the wrong place. They got (8)___ by the rain because they didn’t have any (9)___ clothing. They got lost in the forest. Luckily, some (10)___ found them and took them back to their camp.”
70C.2.1 — “They ___________ in the forest…”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: They stayed overnight in the forest → camped (set up a temporary shelter). → Answer: A — camped.
71C.2.2 — “…but they did not get up ___________.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Did not get up ___” — getting up late explains why they had no time for breakfast: early. → Answer: C — early.
72C.2.3 — “They decided that they didn’t need a ___________ to find the gorillas.”
Mountain gorilla tracking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans) requires trained guides and trackers.1 mk
Mountain gorilla tracking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans) requires trained guides and trackers.1 mk
💡 Worked solution: A guide is a person who leads you through unfamiliar territory. They foolishly decided they didn’t need one. → Answer: B — guide.
73C.2.4 — “…and followed a ___________.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Followed a ___” — you follow a route or trail: path (a narrow track through a forest). → Answer: C — path.
74C.2.5 — “They didn’t take anything to cut the ___________ in the forest.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Anything to cut” implies sharp objects. The next sentence says “The ___ tore their clothes” — thorns are sharp and need to be cut through. → Answer: B — thorns.
75C.2.6 — “The ___________ tore their clothes.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Following blank 5 (thorns), blank 6 is the word that “tore their clothes.” Branches (tree limbs extending outward) can also tear clothes as you push through them. → Answer: B — branches.
76C.2.7 — “…so they felt hungry and ___________.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “They didn’t take any food or water” → hungry and thirsty. Thirsty = needing water. → Answer: C — thirsty.
77C.2.8 — “They got ___________ by the rain…”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: “Got ___ by the rain” = became very wet: soaked. → Answer: B — soaked.
78C.2.9 — “…because they didn’t have any ___________ clothing.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Clothing that keeps rain out = waterproof clothing. They had none, so they got soaked. → Answer: D — waterproof.
79C.2.10 — “Luckily, some ___________ found them and took them back to their camp.”1 mk
💡 Worked solution: Trackers = experienced forest guides who follow animal and human trails. In Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, trackers find gorillas and lost tourists. → Answer: D — Trackers.
