# Secondary 2 · Term 1 · English — Unit Test 1 Revision

**Level 2/3 · Reading Comprehension & Grammar: Sentence Types**
**Unit Test 1: 26 August 2026**
**42 questions · 50 marks · + 4 extended writing tasks**

This document contains all questions from the interactive sheet in a printable format. Students write their answers directly in their notebooks. Questions come in two kinds:

- **Multiple choice** — circle the letter of the correct option.
- **Short answer** — write your answer on the line provided (a word, phrase or short quotation).

A separate **Extended Writing** section at the end has four longer, open-ended writing tasks with no single correct answer — these are for teacher marking or peer/self-review against the checklist provided.

---

## Section A: The Sentence & Simple Sentences

**Key ideas:** Every sentence needs a **subject** (who/what is being discussed) and a **predicate** (the part containing the verb). A simple sentence contains only one subject and one predicate, but that subject or predicate can be *compound* (more than one person/place/thing, or more than one action). The four simple-sentence types are: **SS** (single subject/single predicate), **CS** (compound subject/single predicate), **SC** (single subject/compound predicate), **CC** (compound subject/compound predicate).

### Questions

**Q1** (1 mark)
Every sentence must contain two essential parts. What are they?
- A) A conjunction and a clause
- B) A noun and an adjective
- C) A verb and an object
- D) A subject and a predicate

**Q2** (1 mark)
"Technology benefits society." — Write the **predicate** of this sentence (the part containing the verb).

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q3** (1 mark)
Which of these sentences is a **CS**?
- A) Maya laughed and cheered.
- B) Maya and Ben walked to school.
- C) Maya walked to school.
- D) Maya and Ben laughed and cheered.

**Q4** (2 marks)
Which sentence below is **CC** (compound subject / compound predicate)?
- A) Middle-aged people and the older generation read the news and communicate with friends online.
- B) Technology has benefitted society.
- C) The internet allows us to communicate easily and access information.
- D) Instagram helps entertain teenagers.

**Q5** (1 mark)
Classify this sentence using SS, CS, SC or CC: "Most students and teachers use the internet every day."

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q6** (1 mark)
Classify this sentence: "The internet provides information and helps us communicate."

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q7** (1 mark)
What is a "compound subject"?
- A) A subject containing more than one person, place or thing
- B) Two sentences joined by "and"
- C) A subject that repeats itself
- D) A predicate with two verbs

**Q8** (1 mark)
A simple sentence, regardless of its SS/CS/SC/CC type, always contains:
- A) a dependent clause
- B) only one independent clause
- C) two independent clauses
- D) a semicolon

---

## Section B: Compound Sentences — FANBOYS

**Key ideas:** A compound sentence joins **two or more independent clauses**. The first way to do this is with a **coordinating conjunction** — remember them with **FANBOYS**: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. A comma usually goes before the conjunction, though it can be dropped if both clauses are short.

### Questions

**Q9** (1 mark)
What do we call a sentence formed by joining two or more independent clauses?

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q10** (1 mark)
Which of the following is **NOT** one of the FANBOYS conjunctions?
- A) for
- B) yet
- C) however
- D) so

**Q11** (1 mark)
Fill in the blank with the correct FANBOYS conjunction (it means "for that reason"): "Robots don't make mistakes, ___ they are used in factories."

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q12** (1 mark)
Which coordinating conjunction means "also not" and requires inverted word order (e.g. "nor can she...")?
- A) but
- B) or
- C) nor
- D) yet

**Q13** (2 marks)
Rewrite using "nor": "Siri can't do your homework. Siri can't solve your friendship issues." Write only the words that follow the comma.

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q14** (1 mark)
"But" is used to:
- A) show two equally weighted options
- B) give a reason
- C) show time order
- D) contrast two ideas

**Q15** (1 mark)
"Robots are very efficient and reliable, ___ they are not very creative." Which FANBOYS conjunction fits?
- A) for
- B) so
- C) but
- D) nor

**Q16** (1 mark)
According to the comma rule, when is a comma optional before a FANBOYS conjunction?
- A) When using "nor"
- B) Never — a comma is always required
- C) When the sentence is a question
- D) When both independent clauses are short

---

## Section C: Compound Sentences — Conjunctive Adverbs (MOTH) & Semicolons

**Key ideas:** A compound sentence can also be formed with a **conjunctive adverb** — remember four of them with **MOTH**: Moreover, Otherwise, Therefore, However. Punctuation rule: **semicolon before**, **comma after** the conjunctive adverb. A third way to join independent clauses is with **only a semicolon**, but only when the two clauses are very closely related.

### Questions

**Q17** (1 mark)
What punctuation comes immediately **BEFORE** a conjunctive adverb like "however" when joining two independent clauses?
- A) a comma
- B) a full stop
- C) a colon
- D) a semicolon

**Q18** (1 mark)
What punctuation comes immediately **AFTER** a conjunctive adverb (name the mark)?

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q19** (1 mark)
MOTH is a memory acronym for four conjunctive adverbs. Which is the **odd one out** (NOT part of MOTH)?
- A) Nevertheless
- B) Otherwise
- C) Therefore
- D) Moreover

**Q20** (1 mark)
"However" is the MOTH equivalent of which FANBOYS conjunction?

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q21** (1 mark)
Which conjunctive adverb correctly completes: "Social media helps people stay in touch; ___, it can be used for bullying."?
- A) otherwise
- B) however
- C) moreover
- D) therefore

**Q22** (1 mark)
Which word below signals **cause-and-effect** rather than contrast?
- A) nevertheless
- B) meanwhile
- C) alternatively
- D) consequently

**Q23** (1 mark)
Which word shows **comparison/similarity**?
- A) hence
- B) likewise
- C) meanwhile
- D) essentially

**Q24** (2 marks)
Joining two independent clauses with only a semicolon (no conjunction/adverb) is only appropriate when:
- A) the two clauses are of different lengths
- B) FANBOYS words are unavailable
- C) the relationship between the clauses is very close
- D) the sentence is a question

---

## Section D: Complex & Compound-Complex Sentences

**Key ideas:** A **complex sentence** has at least one independent clause plus at least one **dependent clause**, joined by a **dependent marker** (e.g. although, because, if, when, since, unless...). Comma rule: comma **after** the dependent clause if it comes first; **no comma** if it comes after the independent clause. A **compound-complex** sentence combines at least two independent clauses with one or more dependent clauses.

### Questions

**Q25** (1 mark)
A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and:
- A) at least one dependent clause
- B) another independent clause
- C) no clauses at all
- D) two conjunctions

**Q26** (1 mark)
"If we rely on technology too much, we will never learn to study independently." Write the dependent marker word that begins this sentence.

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q27** (1 mark)
Which of these is **NOT** a common dependent marker?
- A) although
- B) moreover
- C) because
- D) unless

**Q28** (1 mark)
"___ robots are smarter than people, they will take over the world!" Which dependent marker fits best, meaning "at the time that"?

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q29** (1 mark)
When a dependent clause comes **before** the independent clause, you should:
- A) never use a comma
- B) insert a semicolon instead
- C) insert a comma before the dependent clause
- D) insert a comma after the dependent clause

**Q30** (1 mark)
"Robots will take over the world when they become smarter than us!" Why is there no comma before "when" here?
- A) Because the sentence is a question
- B) Because "when" is not a dependent marker
- C) Because the dependent clause comes after the independent clause
- D) Because the sentence is compound, not complex

**Q31** (2 marks)
"Although drones are fun, not everybody likes them because they can invade our privacy." How many dependent clauses does this sentence contain?

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q32** (1 mark)
A compound-complex sentence must contain:
- A) at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses
- B) one independent clause only
- C) only dependent clauses
- D) exactly three clauses

**Q33** (2 marks)
"Although gaming is a lot of fun, it can be addictive, so parents need to restrict their children's screen time." Write the dependent marker that begins this compound-complex sentence.

Answer: _______________________________________

---

## Section E: Reading Comprehension with P.E.E.E

**Key ideas:** P.E.E.E stands for **Point** (your main idea, directly answering the question), **Evidence** (a short, well-chosen quotation from the text), **Explanation** (how the evidence supports your point — don't just repeat the quotation), and **Explore** (zoom in on one word, phrase or technique and analyse its effect on the reader).

**Passage:** *from* The War of the Worlds *by H. G. Wells (1898)*

> Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a quantity of luminous greenish smoke came out of the pit in three distinct puffs, which drove up, one after the other, straight into the still air.
>
> This smoke (or flame, perhaps, would be the better word for it) was so bright that the deep blue sky overhead and the hazy stretches of brown common towards Chertsey, set with black pine trees, seemed to darken abruptly as these puffs arose, and to remain the darker after their dispersal. At the same time a faint hissing sound became audible.
>
> Beyond the pit stood the little wedge of people with the white flag at its apex, arrested by these phenomena, a little knot of small vertical black shapes upon the black ground. As the green smoke arose, their faces flashed out pallid green, and faded again as it vanished. Then slowly the hissing passed into a humming, into a long, loud, droning noise. Slowly a humped shape rose out of the pit, and the ghost of a beam of light seemed to flicker out from it.
>
> Forthwith flashes of actual flame, a bright glare leaping from one to another, sprang from the scattered group of men. It was as if some invisible jet impinged upon them and flashed into white flame. It was as if each man were suddenly and momentarily turned to fire.
>
> Then, by the light of their own destruction, I saw them staggering and falling, and their supporters turning to run.
>
> I stood staring, not as yet realising that this was death leaping from man to man in that little distant crowd. All I felt was that it was something very strange. An almost noiseless and blinding flash of light, and a man fell headlong and lay still; and as the unseen shaft of heat passed over them, pine trees burst into fire, and every dry furze bush became with one dull thud a mass of flames. And far away towards Knaphill I saw the flashes of trees and hedges and wooden buildings suddenly set alight.
>
> It was sweeping round swiftly and steadily, this flaming death, this invisible, inevitable sword of heat. I perceived it coming towards me by the flashing bushes it touched, and was too astounded and stupefied to stir. I heard the crackle of fire in the sand-pits and the sudden squeal of a horse that was as suddenly stilled. Then it was as if an invisible yet intensely heated finger were drawn through the heather between me and the Martians, and all along a curving line beyond the sand-pits the dark ground smoked and crackled. Something fell with a crash far away to the left where the road from Woking station opens out on the common. Forthwith the hissing and humming ceased, and the black, dome-like object sank slowly out of sight into the pit.

**Question used below:** *How does the writer present the destructive power of the heat-ray?*

### Questions

**Q34** (1 mark)
What does the "P" in P.E.E.E stand for?
- A) Passage
- B) Point
- C) Paragraph
- D) Proof

**Q35** (1 mark)
What is the purpose of the "Evidence" step in P.E.E.E?
- A) To restate the point in different words
- B) To summarise the whole passage
- C) To provide a short quotation from the text that supports the point
- D) To predict what happens next

**Q36** (1 mark)
In this passage, which single quoted phrase best serves as **evidence** that the heat-ray is presented as an unstoppable, almost supernatural weapon? Write the phrase exactly as it appears (no quotation marks needed).

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q37** (2 marks)
Which is the strongest **Explain** step for the evidence "this invisible, inevitable sword of heat"?
- A) This is a metaphor.
- B) This suggests that the heat-ray is presented as an unstoppable, almost supernatural weapon against which the humans have no defence, emphasising their helplessness.
- C) The writer uses long sentences.
- D) The Martians are standing in a pit.

**Q38** (2 marks)
What does the "Explore" step in P.E.E.E ask you to do?
- A) Give your overall opinion of the passage
- B) Find a second piece of evidence
- C) Restate the question
- D) Zoom in on one word or technique from the quotation and analyse its effect on the reader

**Q39** (1 mark)
In the model answer, the phrase "staggering and falling" is described as suggesting:
- A) The men are being fatally struck down by the heat-ray, dying in real time before the narrator's eyes
- B) The men are dancing joyfully
- C) The men are simply resting
- D) The men are hiding safely behind the pine trees

**Q40** (1 mark)
"The little girl gave a cry of amazement and looked about her, her eyes growing bigger and bigger..." Which literary technique is created by repeating "bigger"? (one word)

Answer: _______________________________________

**Q41** (2 marks)
Why do good P.E.E.E answers avoid simply repeating the quotation in the Explain step?
- A) Because quotations are not allowed in essays
- B) Because quotations should only appear once per essay
- C) Because the Explain step must interpret what the quotation reveals, not restate it
- D) Because the Explain step is optional

**Q42** (1 mark)
When choosing evidence to support a point, which is generally the better choice?
- A) A short, well-chosen quotation
- B) No quotation at all
- C) A quotation from a different text
- D) A long, vague quotation

---

## Extended Writing (not auto-marked — for teacher or self/peer review)

There is no single correct answer for these four tasks. Use the checklist at the end to review your own work, or ask your teacher/a study partner to check it.

**EW1 — Compound sentences.** Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) persuading your grandmother to buy a smartphone, using **only compound sentences** joined with FANBOYS conjunctions. Try to vary which conjunction you use.

**EW2 — Complex sentences.** Combine each pair of simple sentences into **one** complex sentence using an appropriate dependent marker. Punctuate correctly.
1. Drones are fun. Not everybody likes them.
2. Young people face a technical problem. They simply Google the answer.
3. Schools fail to teach children digital skills. Technology will end up mastering them.

**EW3 — Reading comprehension, full P.E.E.E.** Read the passage about Leila below, then answer the question **"How does the writer present Leila's challenge?"** using a full P.E.E.E paragraph (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Explore).

> Leila stared at the final step of the climbing wall. Her arms burned, and doubt whispered that she should let go. Below her, the ground seemed impossibly distant. She tightened her grip, reached upward and pulled herself onto the platform.

**EW4 — Mission Possible (sentence variety).** Write a paragraph (10 sentences) persuading your grandmother to buy a smartphone. Use a mix of sentence types: **1 simple, 3 compound, 4 complex, 2 compound-complex.** Label each sentence in brackets with its type, e.g. *(Simple)*, *(Compound)*, *(Complex)*, *(Compound-Complex)*.

### Self-review checklist

- [ ] EW1: Are all 5 sentences compound, each with a comma + FANBOYS conjunction before the second clause?
- [ ] EW2: Does each new sentence have a dependent marker and correct comma placement?
- [ ] EW3: Point directly answers the question; Evidence is a short, accurate quotation; Explanation interprets (not repeats) the quotation; Explore zooms into one word/technique and explains its effect on the reader.
- [ ] EW4: Does the paragraph contain exactly 1 simple, 3 compound, 4 complex and 2 compound-complex sentences, correctly labelled and punctuated?

---

## Answer Space

Leave blank space below each question for students to write their working and final answers.

---

*Source: Interactive version at `s2/t1/term1-english-unit1-revision.html` — use it to self-check Q1–Q42 after finishing. The Extended Writing tasks (EW1–EW4) are not in the interactive version; review them with the checklist above or with your teacher.*