Synthesis & Transformation
5 questions requiring rewriting sentences using given words or structures — combining two sentences, converting between active/passive, direct/reported speech, or changing sentence type. Must preserve meaning exactly.
Pattern 1 of 5
Direct ↔ Reported (Indirect) Speech
Key changes when converting to reported speech:
Present → Past | "I/we" → "he/she/they" | "you" → "he/she/I"
"this/here/now/today" → "that/there/then/that day" | Remove quotation marks
Structure by speech type:
Statement → reporting verb + that + clause
Yes/No question → asked + if / whether + clause (statement order, no "?")
Wh- question → asked + question word + clause (statement order)
Command/warning → told / warned / advised + object + (not) to + base verb
Exclamation → exclaimed + that + clause (no "!")
Present → Past | "I/we" → "he/she/they" | "you" → "he/she/I"
"this/here/now/today" → "that/there/then/that day" | Remove quotation marks
Structure by speech type:
Statement → reporting verb + that + clause
Yes/No question → asked + if / whether + clause (statement order, no "?")
Wh- question → asked + question word + clause (statement order)
Command/warning → told / warned / advised + object + (not) to + base verb
Exclamation → exclaimed + that + clause (no "!")
Direct "I am tired," she said.
Reported She said that she was tired.
Direct "Where is the station?" he asked.
Reported He asked where the station was.
Direct "Don't touch that!" she warned him.
Reported She warned him not to touch that.
Direct "I can't wait to go!" Mr Wong exclaimed excitedly.
Reported In an excited voice, Mr Wong exclaimed that he could not wait to go.
Practice questions
"You should revise this topic regularly," the teacher told Peter.
The teacher told Peter that
.
The teacher told Peter that he should revise that topic regularly.
"You" → "he." "This" → "that." "Should" stays as "should" — modals like should, could, might, would do not change in reported speech.
Common error: "...revise this topic..." — "this" must become "that" because the speaker is no longer pointing to something nearby.
"Have you ever visited the science museum?" Auntie Mei asked her nephew.
Auntie Mei asked her nephew
.
Auntie Mei asked her nephew if he had ever visited the science museum.
Yes/no questions use "if" or "whether." "Have you visited" → "had ever visited." "You" → "he." No question mark — reported questions become statements (subject before verb).
Common error: "...asked her nephew had he ever visited..." — use statement word order in reported questions.
"Don't touch the exhibits," the guide warned the visitors.
not
.
The guide warned the visitors not to touch the exhibits.
Reported commands: warned / told / advised + object + (not) + to-infinitive. "Don't touch" → "not to touch." "Not" comes directly before "to."
"I went to the supermarket to look for you," Uncle John said to Aunty Mary.
that
.
Uncle John told Aunty Mary that he had gone to the supermarket to look for her.
"Went" → "had gone" (backshift to past perfect). "I" → "he." "You" → "her." "Said to" → "told."
Common error: "Uncle John said Aunty Mary that..." — use told (not "said") when the listener is named: told + person + that.
Pattern 2 of 5
Phrase Openers & Sentence Starters
Two sentences are merged by turning one idea into an opening phrase. The given starter tells you the exact structure required — and what must follow it.
Out of [emotion noun] — motive / reason
Much to [possessive + emotion noun] — reaction
Neither of [plural noun] + singular verb — double negative
No matter [what / who / how] — concession (result stays the same)
With [possessive]'s [noun] — condition / manner
Due to its / Due to the — cause / reason
Out of [emotion noun] — motive / reason
Much to [possessive + emotion noun] — reaction
Neither of [plural noun] + singular verb — double negative
No matter [what / who / how] — concession (result stays the same)
With [possessive]'s [noun] — condition / manner
Due to its / Due to the — cause / reason
Out of
Out of curiosity, she opened the drawer.
Much to
Much to her relief, the results were good.
Neither of
Neither of the boys was late. (singular verb — not "were")
No matter
No matter what happens, stay calm.
With his
He entered the competition with his mother's consent.
Due to its
The bird was caught due to its inability to fly.
Practice questions
Renee ruined Devi's drawings. Renee was envious.
Out of
.
Out of envy, Renee ruined Devi's drawings.
"Out of" must be followed by an emotion noun — not an adjective. Convert: envious → envy. Other conversions: jealous → jealousy, curious → curiosity, anger → anger.
Common error: "Out of envious, Renee..." — never use an adjective after "Out of." It must be a noun.
Fadri was relieved to find out that his wallet was not missing.
Much to
.
Much to Fadri's relief, his wallet was not missing.
"Much to [someone's] + emotion noun." Convert: relieved → relief, surprised → surprise, delighted → delight, disappointed → disappointment. The possessive ('s) is required.
Common error: "Much to Fadri's relieved..." — after the possessive, use a noun (relief), not an adjective (relieved).
Both my parents were absent from my performance yesterday.
Neither of
.
Neither of my parents was present at my performance yesterday.
"Both were absent" = "neither was present." Flip the adjective: absent → present. Key rule: "Neither of + plural noun" always takes a singular verb — "was," not "were."
Common error: "Neither of my parents were present..." — use singular "was," even though "parents" is plural.
He can say anything. I will not go.
No matter
.
No matter what he says, I will not go.
"No matter + question word" means the result stays the same regardless. "Anything he says" → "what he says." Other patterns: "No matter how hard she tries," "No matter who comes." Always place a comma after the "No matter" clause.
John took part in the competition. His mother agreed to it.
with his mother's
.
John took part in the competition with his mother's consent.
"His mother agreed to it" = she gave her consent. "With his mother's" must be followed by a noun: consent, agreement, or approval — all are acceptable.
Common error: "...with his mother's agreeing" — after the possessive, use a noun, not a gerund.
Pattern 3 of 5
Combining sentences — conjunctions & connectors
Join two sentences using the given word. The meaning must stay exactly the same — changing the meaning scores zero even if the grammar is correct.
despite
Despite being tired, she kept working. (noun/gerund — not a full clause)
although
Although she was tired, she kept working. (full clause: subject + verb)
so…that
The queue was so long that we decided not to wait.
unless
Skills will not improve unless you practise. ("unless" already contains the negative)
not only
She not only sings but also plays the piano.
admitted to
He admitted to breaking the vase. ("admitted to" + gerund -ing, not infinitive)
Practice questions
She was exhausted. She continued to work late into the night.
Despite
.
Despite being exhausted, she continued to work late into the night.
"Despite" must be followed by a noun or gerund (-ing form), NOT a full clause. Correct: despite + noun/gerund + comma + main clause.
Despite vs although: "Despite" + noun/gerund. "Although" + full clause. Never write "despite that she was exhausted."
The queue was very long. We decided not to wait.
so
that
.
The queue was so long that we decided not to wait.
"So + adjective + that + result clause." The adjective "long" goes between "so" and "that." Do not place a comma between "so" and "that."
If you do not practise daily, your piano skills will not improve.
unless
.
Your piano skills will not improve unless you practise daily.
"Unless" = "if not." Remove the negative from the condition: "do not practise" → "practise." Never write "unless you do not practise" — this creates a double negative and reverses the meaning.
The new community centre has a swimming pool. It also has a library and a gym.
not only
but also
.
The new community centre not only has a swimming pool but also a library and a gym.
"Not only...but also" pairs two related ideas. When the subject is the same in both clauses, "has" in the second part is implied and can be omitted.
Min Yao broke the expensive vase. He admitted it.
Min Yao admitted to
.
Min Yao admitted to breaking the expensive vase.
"Admitted to" is followed by a gerund (-ing form). Other verbs that follow the same pattern: look forward to, confess to, object to, resort to.
Common error: "Min Yao admitted to break..." — after "admitted to," use -ing: breaking.
Pattern 4 of 5
Active ↔ Passive voice
Active: Subject does the action — The chef cooked the meal.
Passive: Subject receives the action — The meal was cooked by the chef.
Formula: Object + was/were/is/are/has been + past participle + (by + agent)
The agent ("by...") can be omitted when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
Passive: Subject receives the action — The meal was cooked by the chef.
Formula: Object + was/were/is/are/has been + past participle + (by + agent)
The agent ("by...") can be omitted when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
Active The chef cooked the meal.
Passive The meal was cooked by the chef.
Active Someone has stolen my bicycle.
Passive My bicycle has been stolen. (agent unknown — "by someone" omitted)
Active Searchlights were used to guide the ship into the harbour.
Passive The ship was guided into the harbour by searchlights.
Practice questions
The school board announced the new timetable yesterday.
The new timetable
.
The new timetable was announced by the school board yesterday.
"The new timetable" becomes the subject. "Announced" → "was announced." The original subject ("the school board") becomes the agent and follows "by." Time phrase ("yesterday") stays at the end.
The injured hiker was rescued by the emergency team within two hours.
The emergency team
.
The emergency team rescued the injured hiker within two hours.
The agent becomes the subject. "Was rescued by" → "rescued." Remove "was/were" entirely when converting to active.
Common error: "The emergency team was rescued the injured hiker" — never use "was/were" in an active sentence.
Someone has stolen my bicycle.
been
.
My bicycle has been stolen.
Present perfect passive: has + been + past participle. Agent unknown — "by someone" is omitted. The given word "been" locks the structure: has + been + past participle.
Searchlights were used to guide the ship into the harbour.
The ship
.
The ship was guided into the harbour by searchlights.
The ship is the object being acted upon. With "The ship" as the new subject: was + guided + into the harbour + by searchlights.
Common error: "The ship was used to guide..." — "used" belongs to the searchlights (the tool), not the ship.
Pattern 5 of 5 — Mixed practice
Mixed transformation — exam-style questions
These questions mix all patterns. Before writing, identify which transformation is needed — the given word or starter is your clue. Check: Does my completed sentence preserve the exact meaning? Is it one grammatically complete sentence?
Full exam-style practice
The film received mostly negative reviews. Thousands of people went to watch it.
Although
.
Although the film received mostly negative reviews, thousands of people went to watch it.
"Although" + full clause (subject + verb). Comma after the "although" clause when it comes first. Unlike "despite," "although" takes a full clause — not "Although receiving negative reviews..."
"Can you show me the way to the post office?" the tourist said to the shopkeeper.
asked
.
The tourist asked the shopkeeper to show him/her the way to the post office.
A polite request ("Can you...?") is reported as: asked + object + to-infinitive. "Can you show me" → "to show him/her." The examiner accepts either him or her.
The scientist won the Nobel Prize. Her research changed our understanding of climate change.
whose
.
The scientist whose research changed our understanding of climate change won the Nobel Prize.
"Whose" replaces "her" to connect the two sentences. The relative clause ("whose research changed...") is embedded into the main sentence. The main verb "won" follows after the relative clause.
Mdm Ho did not buy the microwave due to the poor service.
Had it not
.
Had it not been for the poor service, Mdm Ho would have bought the microwave.
"Had it not been for [cause]" is the formal inverted conditional — it replaces "If it had not been for..." The result clause uses "would have + past participle."
The "had" inversion pattern: "If it had not been for..." → "Had it not been for..." — same meaning. This formal structure appears regularly in PSLE S&T.
You study hard. You will pass the examination.
If
.
If you study hard, you will pass the examination.
Real condition: If + present simple → will + base verb. Place a comma after the "if" clause when it comes first. No comma needed if the main clause comes first: "You will pass the examination if you study hard."