English Year 4 21 questions with answers

Year 4 English: a question for each objective

The national curriculum lists what children are taught in English in Year 4. Here is each objective in its own words, with one question on it, its answer and the reason.

Questions written by Remelia for the objectives of the national curriculum for England; not taken from any test paper.

Grammar

Objective: The grammatical difference between plural and possessive -s
In which sentence does the s show that something belongs to someone?
- A The horses sat down.
- B The birds were hungry.
- C The fox's blanket was on the floor.
- D The boys were very noisy.
Show the answer to question 1
Answer: C · The fox's blanket was on the floor.
Why:
"fox's blanket": the blanket belongs to the fox. In the others the s just means more than one.
Objective: Standard English forms for verb inflections instead of local spoken forms
Maya wrote: "Them books are mine."
Is that Standard English?
- A Yes, it is Standard English
- B No: it should be "Those"
Show the answer to question 2
Answer: B · No: it should be "Those"
Why:
Standard English: "Those books are mine."
Objective: Choose the right homophone in context, Years 3–4 pairs in use
Which sentence uses "mist" correctly?
- A She mist the bus by a minute.
- B He mist the goal.
- C A thick mist covered the hills.
Show the answer to question 3
Answer: C · A thick mist covered the hills.
Why:
"mist" means thin cloud near the ground. "missed" means did not catch or hit.
Objective: Noun phrases expanded by the addition of modifying adjectives, nouns and preposition phrases
Which of these is an expanded noun phrase?
- A the small kitchen table with wobbly legs
- B the table
- C because it was raining
- D cycled to school
Show the answer to question 4
Answer: A · the small kitchen table with wobbly legs
Why:
"the small kitchen table with wobbly legs" is built round the noun "table", with words added before and after it to tell you more.
Objective: Fronted adverbials
Move the adverbial to the front and write the new sentence. Remember to punctuate your answer correctly.
"The fox crept closer behind the shed."

Show the answer to question 5
Answer: Behind the shed, the fox crept closer.
Why:
Behind the shed, the fox crept closer. At the front, it needs a comma after it.
Objective: Determiners; pronouns and possessive pronouns; adverbials as terminology
Archaeologists showed us mummies.
Which word is a pronoun?
- A us
- B mummies
- C showed
- D Archaeologists
Show the answer to question 6
Answer: A · us
Why:
"us" is a pronoun: it stands in place of a noun, so the writer does not have to name the person or thing again.
Objective: Correct choice and consistent use of present tense and past tense throughout writing
"Yesterday Ines painted a picture in the morning, talked to a friend on the phone after lunch and runs round the field before tea."
One verb is in the wrong tense. Which?
- A runs
- B painted
- C talked
Show the answer to question 7
Answer: A · runs
Why:
"Yesterday" puts everything in the past. "runs" is present tense; it should be "ran".
Objective: The progressive form of verbs in the present and past tense to mark actions in progress
Which sentence is in the present progressive?
- A My sister climbed the big tree earlier.
- B My sister was climbing the big tree earlier.
- C My sister is climbing the big tree now.
- D My sister climbs the big tree every day.
Show the answer to question 8
Answer: C · My sister is climbing the big tree now.
Why:
"is climbing" is happening now and is still going on: present progressive.
Objective: Paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme
Foxes
Foxes will eat almost anything. In the countryside, they hunt rabbits and mice. Fox cubs are born in the spring. For the first few weeks, they stay inside the den with their mother.
This text should be two paragraphs. Which sentence should start the second paragraph?
- A In the countryside, they hunt rabbits and mice.
- B For the first few weeks, they stay inside the den with their mother.
- C Fox cubs are born in the spring.
Show the answer to question 9
Answer: C · Fox cubs are born in the spring.
Why:
The text moves on from what foxes eat to baby foxes, so a new paragraph starts there: "Fox cubs are born in the spring."
Objective: Appropriate choice of pronoun or noun within and across sentences to aid cohesion and avoid repetition
We put up our tent by the lake. In the night, the wind shook the tent. By the morning, the tent had blown over!
The writer uses "the tent" twice. Which word could replace "the tent" in the last sentence?
- A they
- B it
- C its
- D them
Show the answer to question 10
Answer: B · it
Why:
"it" is the pronoun for one thing: "By the morning, it had blown over!"

Punctuation

Objective: Inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech: a comma after the reporting clause; end punctuation within inverted commas
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- A 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round' explained the ranger.
- B 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round.' explained the ranger.
- C 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round', explained the ranger.
- D 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round,' explained the ranger.
Show the answer to question 11
Answer: D · 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round,' explained the ranger.
Why:
The spoken words end with a comma inside the inverted commas, because the sentence carries on: 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round,' explained the ranger.
Objective: Apostrophes to mark plural possession
Priya wrote: "I found the dogs's blankets." There were several dogs.
Write the three words after "found" with the apostrophe in the right place.

Show the answer to question 12
Answer: the dogs' blankets (also accept dogs' blankets)
Why:
Several dogs own the blankets. The plural "dogs" ends in s, so the apostrophe goes after it: dogs'.
Objective: Commas after fronted adverbials
Only one of these is punctuated correctly. Which one?
- A Along the coast, waves slowly wear away the cliffs.
- B Along, the coast. Waves slowly wear away the cliffs.
- C Along, the coast, waves slowly wear away the cliffs.
- D Along the coast. Waves slowly wear away the cliffs.
Show the answer to question 13
Answer: A · Along the coast, waves slowly wear away the cliffs.
Why:
Find the fronted adverbial at the start of the sentence, and check the mark after it and the word after that.
A is right.
B: Two mistakes. There is a comma inside the fronted adverbial, after "Along": "Along the coast" is one adverbial, so the only comma goes after all of it. A full stop cuts the sentence in two, but "Along the coast" is not a sentence on its own: a comma goes after it instead.
C: There is a comma inside the fronted adverbial, after "Along": "Along the coast" is one adverbial, so the only comma goes after all of it.
D: A full stop cuts the sentence in two, but "Along the coast" is not a sentence on its own: a comma goes after it instead.
A fronted adverbial tells you when, where or how, at the start of a sentence. A comma goes straight after all of it, and the sentence carries on.
Objective: Commas to separate items in a list
Which sentence needs commas to separate the items in a list?
- A Hedgehogs eat beetles earwigs worms and slugs.
- B Shall we learn about volcanoes or mountains?
- C The ancient Egyptians grew lettuces and onions.
- D Minibeasts in the school garden include snails and earthworms.
Show the answer to question 14
Answer: A · Hedgehogs eat beetles earwigs worms and slugs.
Why:
Hedgehogs eat beetles, earwigs, worms and slugs. It lists 4 things. The other sentences join just two things with "and" or "or", so they need no comma.

Spelling

Objective: The suffix -ous, with its four rules
What happens when you add -ous to "glory"?
- A Change -our to -or, then add -ous.
- B Drop the e, then add -ous.
- C Keep the e, then add -ous.
- D Change the y to i, then add -ous.
Show the answer to question 15
Answer: D · Change the y to i, then add -ous.
Why:
glory → glorious. Its root word ends in y, and the y changes to i.
Objective: Endings sounding like /ʃən/: -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian, by the root word's last letters
"hesitate" becomes a noun that ends in the sound "shun". Which spelling of the ending does it take?
- A -tion
- B -sion
- C -ssion
- D -cian
Show the answer to question 16
Answer: A · -tion
Why:
"hesitate" ends in t or te, so it takes -tion: hesitation.
Objective: Words of Greek, French and Latin origin: /k/ spelt ch, /ʃ/ spelt ch, /g/ spelt -gue and /k/ spelt -que, /s/ spelt sc
Which word is this? A building where Muslims pray.
The "k" sound in it is spelt que. Write the whole word.

Show the answer to question 17
Answer: mosque
Why:
mosque. The "k" sound at the end is spelt -que in some words that came from French.
Objective: The /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh or ey
Which of these words spells the "ay" sound with ey?
- A rein
- B survey
- C weigh
- D stay
Show the answer to question 18
Answer: B · survey
Why:
survey: the "ay" sound is spelt ey. Others spelt the same way: they, obey, grey.
Objective: The Years 3–4 statutory word list, group 3 (25)
Which spelling is correct?
- A poppular
- B popular
- C populer
Show the answer to question 19
Answer: B · popular
Why:
popular. Watch the "a": popul[a]r.
Objective: The Years 3–4 statutory word list, group 4 (25)
Which spelling is correct?
- A resant
- B reacent
- C recent
Show the answer to question 20
Answer: C · recent
Why:
recent. Watch the "e": r[e]cent.

Vocabulary

Objective: Word choice for effect: propose a stronger or more precise word; use a dictionary and a thesaurus
Which is the weakest word?
downpour, rain, drizzle
- A rain
- B drizzle
- C downpour
Show the answer to question 21
Answer: B · drizzle
Why:
From weakest to strongest: drizzle, rain, downpour.

Answers

1. C · The fox's blanket was on the floor.
2. B · No: it should be "Those"
3. C · A thick mist covered the hills.
4. A · the small kitchen table with wobbly legs
5. Behind the shed, the fox crept closer.
6. A · us
7. A · runs
8. C · My sister is climbing the big tree now.
9. C · Fox cubs are born in the spring.
10. B · it
11. D · 'Owls can turn their heads a long way round,' explained the ranger.
12. the dogs' blankets (also accept dogs' blankets)
13. A · Along the coast, waves slowly wear away the cliffs.
14. A · Hedgehogs eat beetles earwigs worms and slugs.
15. D · Change the y to i, then add -ous.
16. A · -tion
17. mosque
18. B · survey
19. B · popular
20. C · recent
21. B · drizzle

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