English Year 5 27 questions with answers

Year 5 English: a question for each objective

The national curriculum lists what children are taught in English in Year 5. 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.

Also taught in Year 5, with no question on this page: “Identify and discuss themes and conventions; make comparisons within and across texts”, “Plan writing by identifying the audience and purpose, selecting the appropriate form, and noting and developing initial ideas”, “Draft: describe settings, characters and atmosphere; integrate dialogue to convey character and advance the action”, “Evaluate and edit: ensure the consistent and correct use of tense; subject and verb agreement; the appropriate register” and “A written creative response under time”.

Try each question before opening its answer. Printed, the questions come first and the answers on a sheet of their own.

Grammar

Objective: Verb prefixes dis-, de-, mis-, over-, re- (and, from FSCE's list, super-, anti-, auto-)
Take the prefix off "revisit". What root word is left?

Show the answer to question 1
Answer: visit
Why:
revisit = re- + visit.
Objective: Converting nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes -ate, -ise, -ify
When the wax cools, it will ___.
Make a verb from "solid" to fill the gap.

Show the answer to question 2
Answer: solidify
Why:
solid → solidify: When the wax cools, it will solidify.
Objective: Homophones and other words often confused, Years 5–6 list
"I ___ a strange noise. The ___ of deer ran into the woods."
Which words fill the two gaps, in order?
- A heard, herd
- B herd, heard
- C herd, herd
- D heard, heard
Show the answer to question 3
Answer: A · heard, herd
Why:
First gap: "heard", which means took in with your ears (from hear). Second gap: "herd", which means a group of animals.
Objective: Relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that, or an omitted relative pronoun
"Neil Armstrong was the astronaut who first walked on the Moon."
Write the relative clause: the part that begins with a relative pronoun.

Show the answer to question 4
Answer: who first walked on the Moon
Why:
The relative clause is "who first walked on the Moon". Take it away and the sentence still makes sense.
Objective: Indicating degrees of possibility using adverbs or modal verbs
The forecast says it ___ snow on the hills tomorrow, but it is not certain.
Which modal verb fits best?
- A might
- B will
- C must
- D shall
Show the answer to question 5
Answer: A · might
Why:
"might" says it is possible: The forecast says it might snow on the hills tomorrow, but it is not certain.
Objective: Devices to build cohesion within a paragraph
Heavy rain fell all through the night. By morning, the river had burst its banks. As a result, the football pitch was under water.
What does "As a result" tell the reader?
- A It shows that what comes next happens because of what came before.
- B It shows the order that things happen in.
- C It shows that an example is coming.
- D It shows that what comes next is not what you would expect.
Show the answer to question 6
Answer: A · It shows that what comes next happens because of what came before.
Why:
"As a result" shows that something happened because of what came before.
Objective: Linking ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time, place and number, or tense choices
1 When I came downstairs, the cat was asleep by the fire. Its fur was wet and muddy.
2 It had been out in the rain all night.
Why does the writer use "had been" and not "was" in paragraph 2?
- A To show that the cat was out in the rain before I came downstairs.
- B To show that the cat is out in the rain now.
- C To show that the cat went out after I came downstairs.
- D To show that the cat will go out tonight.
Show the answer to question 7
Answer: A · To show that the cat was out in the rain before I came downstairs.
Why:
"had been" takes the reader further back in the past, to something that happened before the rest: The cat was out in the rain before I came downstairs.

Punctuation

Objective: Brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis
Our school trip
Last week, our class visited Warwick Castle (a castle that is nearly a thousand years old). We climbed to the top of a tall tower. From there, we could see for miles.
Why has the writer put "a castle that is nearly a thousand years old" in brackets?
- A To show the words that someone says.
- B To show where one sentence ends and the next begins.
- C To add extra information. The sentence still makes sense without it.
- D To separate the items in a list.
Show the answer to question 8
Answer: C · To add extra information. The sentence still makes sense without it.
Why:
"(a castle that is nearly a thousand years old)" adds extra information for the reader. Without it the sentence still makes sense: Last week, our class visited Warwick Castle.
Objective: Commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity
When the class had finished drawing the teacher collected the pencils.
Put in a comma so that it means: The class finished their drawings, and then the teacher collected the pencils.
Which word should the comma come after?

Show the answer to question 9
Answer: drawing (also accept after drawing)
Why:
When the class had finished drawing, the teacher collected the pencils. The comma shows where the first part of the sentence ends.

Spelling

Objective: Endings sounding like /ʃəs/ spelt -cious or -tious; endings sounding like /ʃəl/ spelt -cial or -tial
Which word is this? Wanting very much to succeed.
Fill in the missing letter: "ambi_ious"
Write the missing letter.

Show the answer to question 10
Answer: t (also accept ambitious)
Why:
ambitious. Its related word, "ambition", ends in -tion, so it takes -tious.
Objective: Words ending -ant/-ance/-ancy and -ent/-ence/-ency
Finish the word with -ance or -ence: "intellig___". Write the whole word.

Show the answer to question 11
Answer: intelligence
Why:
intelligence. The g just before the ending is soft, saying "j", so it takes -ence.
Objective: Words ending -able/-ably and -ible/-ibly
Which ending finishes this word?
"reli___"
- A -able
- B -ible
Show the answer to question 12
Answer: A · -able
Why:
reliable. You can hear the complete root word, "rely" (its y changes to i), so it takes -able.
Objective: Adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words ending in -fer
Which word is this? The one you like better.
It is made from "prefer". Write the whole word.

Show the answer to question 13
Answer: preference
Why:
preference is said PREF-er-ence: "fer" is not stressed, so the r stays single.
Objective: Use of the hyphen to join a prefix to a root word
Which prefix and root word are joined with a hyphen?
- A re + fill
- B de + ice
- C pre + caution
- D re + build
Show the answer to question 14
Answer: B · de + ice
Why:
de- + ice = de-ice. The prefix ends in a vowel letter and "ice" begins with one, so a hyphen keeps the two vowels apart. precaution, rebuild and refill are written as one word.
Objective: Words with the /i:/ sound spelt ei after c
Which word breaks the rule "i before e, except after c"?
- A ceiling
- B relief
- C piece
- D protein
Show the answer to question 15
Answer: D · protein
Why:
protein has ei, but not after c. It is one of the few words to learn: protein, caffeine, seize. ceiling, piece, relief keep the rule.
Objective: Words containing the letter-string ough
How do the letters ough sound in "bough"?
- A "or", as in "fork"
- B "uff", as in "puff"
- C "off", as in "coffee"
- D "ow", as in "cow"
Show the answer to question 16
Answer: D · "ow", as in "cow"
Why:
In "bough", ough sounds like "ow", as in "cow". It sounds the same in plough.
Objective: Words with silent letters
Which letter is silent in "gnome"?
- A n
- B g
- C m
Show the answer to question 17
Answer: B · g
Why:
gnome: the g is silent. You write it, but you do not say it.
Objective: The Years 5–6 statutory word list, group 1 (25)
Which word is this? A group that things are sorted into.
Fill in the missing letter: "cat_gory"
Write the missing letter.

Show the answer to question 18
Answer: e (also accept category)
Why:
category. Watch the "e": cat[e]gory.
Objective: The Years 5–6 statutory word list, group 2 (25)
Which spelling is correct?
- A existance
- B existense
- C existence
Show the answer to question 19
Answer: C · existence
Why:
existence. Watch the "e": exist[e]nce.

Vocabulary

Objective: Synonyms and antonyms; similar and opposite word families
Three of these words mean nearly the same thing. Which one does not belong?
- A difficult
- B hard
- C tough
- D effortless
Show the answer to question 20
Answer: D · effortless
Why:
difficult, hard and tough are synonyms; effortless is an antonym, the opposite.
Objective: Nuance and depth of meaning in context; figurative language and its effect
"The old man shuffled along the path."
The writer chose "shuffled", not "walked". What does "shuffled" tell you?
- A He walked slowly, dragging his feet.
- B He skipped along happily.
- C He walked quickly and proudly.
Show the answer to question 21
Answer: A · He walked slowly, dragging his feet.
Why:
"shuffled" means more than "walked": he walked slowly, dragging his feet. A precise word gives the reader a clearer picture.

Reading

The national curriculum gives reading objectives for Years 5 and 6 together. Read the text first, then answer a question on it for each objective.

Book Review: Wren and the Whale Road

1 Wren and the Whale Road is an adventure story for readers aged eight to twelve. It is the author's first book, and it is one of the most exciting stories I have read this year. It tells the story of Wren, a girl who lives on a small island off the coast of Scotland with her father, a fisherman.

2 One stormy night, Wren spots a young whale trapped in the shallow water of the bay. The tide is going out fast, and the whale is in danger of being stranded on the sand. With no adults nearby, Wren has to decide what to do. I will not spoil the ending, but the chapters that follow kept me reading long past my bedtime.

3 The best thing about the book is Wren herself. She is brave, but she is not fearless: she worries, makes mistakes and sometimes loses her temper, which makes her feel like a real person. Her friendship with old Mr Mackay, the grumpy lighthouse keeper, is funny and surprisingly moving.

4 The descriptions of the island are also wonderful. You can almost smell the salt and hear the gulls screaming overhead. At the back of the book there is a short section of true facts about whales, which I found fascinating. For example, it explains that whales breathe air through blowholes on the tops of their heads.

5 However, the book is not perfect. The middle part is slower than the rest, and one or two chapters about the island's history could have been shorter. Some younger readers might also find the storm scenes a little frightening.

6 Overall, I would give Wren and the Whale Road four stars out of five. If you enjoy adventure, animals and the sea, I think you will love it.

Objective: Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
What does Wren spot in the bay?
- A a shipwreck
- B a seal
- C a dolphin
- D a young whale
Show the answer to question 22
Answer: D · a young whale
Why:
Paragraph 2 says: "One stormy night, Wren spots a young whale trapped in the shallow water of the bay."
Objective: Draw inferences such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justify inferences with evidence
The chapters "kept me reading long past my bedtime". What does this tell you about the reviewer?
- A The reviewer found the story too exciting to put down.
- B The reviewer found the story so boring that it sent them to sleep.
- C The reviewer was not allowed to read the book at home in the evenings.
- D The reviewer reads very slowly, so it took a long time to finish.
Show the answer to question 23
Answer: A · The reviewer found the story too exciting to put down.
Why:
People stay up late with a book when they cannot stop reading it. The reviewer is showing how gripping those chapters were.
Objective: Predict what might happen from details stated and implied
The reviewer "will not spoil the ending". Using paragraph 2, what is the ending of the book most likely to be about?
- A Her father buying a new fishing boat after the storm.
- B Whether Wren manages to save the whale.
- C Mr Mackay winning a prize.
- D Wren moving to a big city.
Show the answer to question 24
Answer: B · Whether Wren manages to save the whale.
Why:
Paragraph 2 sets up the problem: a whale trapped as the tide goes out, and Wren deciding what to do. The ending will be about how that turns out.
Objective: Summarise the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas
Which sentence best sums up the reviewer's opinion of the book?
- A A perfect book with nothing wrong with it at all, which every reader of any age will love from start to finish.
- B A boring book that nobody should read, because the story about the whale is far too slow all the way through.
- C An exciting adventure with a lifelike heroine, though a little slow in the middle.
- D A frightening book that is only for adults.
Show the answer to question 25
Answer: C · An exciting adventure with a lifelike heroine, though …
Why:
The reviewer praises the excitement, Wren and the descriptions, says the middle is slower, and gives four stars out of five.
Objective: Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
Why does the reviewer include paragraph 5, about what is not so good?
- A To tell the reader how the story ends in the last chapter.
- B So that the review is fair and readers can trust it.
- C To persuade people not to buy or read the book at all.
- D To show that the reviewer did not finish the book because the middle part was too slow.
Show the answer to question 26
Answer: B · So that the review is fair and readers can trust it.
Why:
A review that only praised the book would be hard to trust. Giving its weak points as well shows the reviewer is being honest, and the verdict is still four stars.
Objective: Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
The reviewer says the book is "one of the most exciting stories I have read this year". Why is this an opinion?
- A Because it can be checked in the book by anybody who reads the story for themselves.
- B Because it is what the reviewer feels, and another reader might disagree.
- C Because the reviewer has read the whole book from beginning to end, including every chapter.
- D Because it says when the reviewer read it, which was this year, so it can be checked.
Show the answer to question 27
Answer: B · Because it is what the reviewer feels, and …
Why:
Whether a story is exciting depends on the reader. You cannot check it or prove it, and someone else might find it dull. That makes it an opinion.

Answers

1. visit
2. solidify
3. A · heard, herd
4. who first walked on the Moon
5. A · might
6. A · It shows that what comes next happens because of what came before.
7. A · To show that the cat was out in the rain before I came downstairs.
8. C · To add extra information. The sentence still makes sense without it.
9. drawing (also accept after drawing)
10. t (also accept ambitious)
11. intelligence
12. A · -able
13. preference
14. B · de + ice
15. D · protein
16. D · "ow", as in "cow"
17. B · g
18. e (also accept category)
19. C · existence
20. D · effortless
21. A · He walked slowly, dragging his feet.
22. D · a young whale
23. A · The reviewer found the story too exciting to put down.
24. B · Whether Wren manages to save the whale.
25. C · An exciting adventure with a lifelike heroine, though …
26. B · So that the review is fair and readers can trust it.
27. B · Because it is what the reviewer feels, and …

More Year 5 English

Remelia practises English for the child's own year group, in short sessions, and brings back on later days what they got wrong.

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The other years: Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6. Every practice page