Paper 2 · Synthesis and Transformation
Difficult Synthesis and Transformation questions: 12 patterns that trip up P6 pupils
No sooner, Hardly, Only when, Had … These are the questions that turn a 10 into a 6. For each one: a worked example, exactly why it is hard, the fix, and a question to test yourself at the end.
On this page 15 sections
Key takeaways
- Most difficult questions are hard for one of three reasons: the word order flips (inversion), the meaning flips (the negative moves), or a word has to change form.
- After No sooner, Hardly, Only when and a fronted Not only, the verb jumps in front of the subject: “No sooner had the bell rung …”.
- With Had … and Neither … nor, ask “what actually happened?” before writing, so the meaning does not reverse.
- Learn word forms in families (refuse/refusal, behave/behaviour). They come up again and again.
Why these twelve are hard
Most Synthesis questions test one change. The difficult ones test two or three at once: the order of the words, the tense, and whether the sentence is positive or negative. Miss one, and the answer is wrong.
Order
Inversion: the verb comes before the subject (patterns 1 to 4)
Meaning
The negative moves or reverses (patterns 5, 10 and 11)
Form
A word or tense must change shape (patterns 6 to 9 and 12)
For each pattern below, try the example before you reveal the answer. Then test yourself on all twelve at the end of the page.
About these examples. They are our own practice questions, written by our tutors, not questions from PSLE papers. Mustard Seed is independent and not affiliated with SEAB or MOE. New to Synthesis? Start with our guide to the ten common patterns and the 40 practice questions.
1. No sooner … than
Example
The bell rang. Immediately, the pupils rushed out of the classroom.
No sooner ________.
Show answer
No sooner had the bell rung than the pupils rushed out of the classroom.
Why it is hard: three things change at once. Had jumps before the subject, the verb becomes a past participle (rung, not rang), and the link word is than.
The fix: learn it as a frame: No sooner had + person + past participle + than + what happened next.
2. Hardly … when
Example
Mum had just stepped out of the house when it started to pour.
Hardly ________.
Show answer
Hardly had Mum stepped out of the house when it started to pour.
Scarcely works in exactly the same way.
Why it is hard: it looks like No sooner, so children write than. Hardly and Scarcely take when. The word just also disappears, because hardly already means “only just”.
The fix: a memory hook: No sooner … than (both have an “n”); Hardly … when.
3. Only when and Only after
Example
Jun Wei understood the problem only when his teacher drew a diagram.
Only when ________.
Show answer
Only when his teacher drew a diagram did Jun Wei understand the problem.
Why it is hard: the inversion happens in the second half, and it needs did, which was not in the original. With did, the verb goes back to its base form: understand, not understood.
The fix: first part as normal; second part as a question without the question mark: “… did Jun Wei understand the problem.”
4. Not only at the start of the sentence
Example
Sarah forgot her homework. She also left her lunch box at home.
Not only ________.
Show answer
Not only did Sarah forget her homework, but she also left her lunch box at home.
Why it is hard: in the middle of a sentence, not only needs no inversion (“Sarah not only forgot …”). At the start, it does: did + subject + base verb.
The fix: check where the given words put Not only. First word of the sentence? Invert.
5. Had …, would have …
Example
Kevin did not set his alarm, so he missed the school bus.
Had ________.
Show answer
Had Kevin set his alarm, he would not have missed the school bus.
Why it is hard: the sentence imagines the opposite of what happened, so both halves flip. He did not set it, so the new sentence says he had set it; he missed the bus, so he would not have missed it.
The fix: say the real story first (“He didn’t set it. He missed the bus.”), then flip both parts.
6. Reported advice, warnings and commands
Example
“You should not swim right after a big meal,” the coach said to us.
The coach advised ________.
Show answer
The coach advised us not to swim right after a big meal.
Why it is hard: children try to keep should (“advised us that we should not …”), which no longer fits the given words. With advised, warned, told or reminded, the pattern is person + (not) to + verb.
The fix: after these reporting verbs, write the person, then to or not to.
7. Reported questions with what, why and where
Example
“What are you doing here today?” the guard asked the boys.
The guard asked the boys what ________.
Show answer
The guard asked the boys what they were doing there that day.
Why it is hard: four changes in one short sentence: you → they, are → were, here → there, today → that day. And the word order becomes a statement (they were doing, not were they doing).
The fix: underline every pronoun, verb, place word and time word in the original, and change each one.
8. The passive with should have, must have and could
Example
Someone should have told the parents earlier.
The parents ________.
Show answer
The parents should have been told earlier.
Why it is hard: the passive needs been squeezed in: should have + been + past participle. Children often write “should have told” (still active) or “should been told”.
The fix: keep the helper verbs from the original, then add the right form of be: must be done, can be seen, should have been told.
9. Turning a verb into a noun
Example
Mrs Goh refused to lend us her ladder. This surprised everyone.
Mrs Goh’s ________.
Show answer
Mrs Goh’s refusal to lend us her ladder surprised everyone.
Why it is hard: the whole sentence rests on knowing one word, refusal. Children who do not know it write “refusing” or “refuse”, which do not fit after Mrs Goh’s. Word-form questions like this appear often in reported PSLE papers.
The fix: keep a word-family list: refuse/refusal, arrive/arrival, decide/decision, behave/behaviour, succeed/success, explain/explanation.
10. Neither … nor in the present tense
Example
The teacher does not know the answer. The pupils do not know it either.
Neither ________.
Show answer
Neither the teacher nor the pupils know the answer.
Why it is hard: two traps. The not must go, because neither is already negative. And the verb agrees with the nearer subject: pupils, so know, not knows.
The fix: cover the first subject with your finger. Read “… nor the pupils know”. Does it sound right?
11. Despite + having or being
Example
Although Hui Min had practised for weeks, she forgot her lines on stage.
Despite ________.
Show answer
Despite having practised for weeks, Hui Min forgot her lines on stage.
Also accepted: Despite the fact that Hui Min had practised for weeks, she forgot her lines on stage.
Why it is hard: despite cannot take a full clause, so she had practised must become having practised. Then the name has to move to the second half, where she was.
The fix: after despite, use having + past participle for something done before, and being + adjective for a state (despite being tired).
12. What … was …
Example
The hikers needed water more than anything else.
What ________.
Show answer
What the hikers needed most was water.
Why it is hard: the sentence is turned inside out to put weight on one thing. More than anything else becomes most, and the verb was has to be added.
The fix: ask “What is the one thing this sentence is about?” Put it last, after was.
Test yourself: one question on each pattern
Write each answer in full, then reveal ours and mark yourself. Your score adds up as you go.
- No sooner
The guests arrived. Immediately, the host served dinner.
Begin: No sooner …
Show answer
No sooner had the guests arrived than the host served dinner.
- Hardly
We had just sat down when the lights went out.
Begin: Hardly …
Show answer
Hardly had we sat down when the lights went out.
- Only when
Mei realised her mistake only when she checked her answers.
Begin: Only when …
Show answer
Only when Mei checked her answers did she realise her mistake.
- Not only
The storm uprooted trees. It also flooded several roads.
Begin: Not only …
Show answer
Not only did the storm uproot trees, but it also flooded several roads.
- Had
Daniel did not wear a helmet, so he was badly hurt.
Begin: Had …
Show answer
Had Daniel worn a helmet, he would not have been badly hurt.
- Warned
“Don’t touch the wet paint,” the caretaker said to the children.
Begin: The caretaker warned the children …
Show answer
The caretaker warned the children not to touch the wet paint.
- Reported why
“Why are you late today?” the teacher asked me.
Begin: The teacher asked me why …
Show answer
The teacher asked me why I was late that day.
- Passive, must have
Somebody must have taken my umbrella by mistake.
Begin: My umbrella …
Show answer
My umbrella must have been taken by mistake.
- Word form
The pupils behaved badly. The principal was upset.
Begin: The principal was upset by the pupils’ …
Show answer
The principal was upset by the pupils’ bad behaviour.
Spell it the British way: behaviour.
- Neither … nor
My brother does not like durians. My parents do not like them either.
Begin: Neither …
Show answer
Neither my brother nor my parents like durians.
- Despite
Although Ryan was injured, he finished the race.
Begin: Despite …
Show answer
Despite being injured, Ryan finished the race.
Also accepted: Despite his injury, Ryan finished the race.
- What … was
The team needed a good captain more than anything else.
Begin: What …
Show answer
What the team needed most was a good captain.
Scored 10 or more? These patterns are secure. Scored less? Pick the two you missed, reread their fix above, and write two sentences of your own with each before trying again tomorrow.
Questions parents ask
Do these patterns really come up in the PSLE?
Word forms, reported speech and the passive come up very often in reported PSLE papers. Inversion patterns such as No sooner and Hardly appear in school prelim papers, so P6 pupils should be ready for them. We do not reproduce exam questions; all the examples here are our own.
Is “No sooner … when” ever correct?
No. No sooner pairs with than. Hardly and Scarcely pair with when. Mixing them up is one of the most common ways to lose both marks.
Can my child avoid inversion by writing it another way?
Not when the question gives No sooner, Hardly or Only when as the first words. The answer must start with the words given, so the inverted order is required.
How should a P6 child practise these?
Two patterns a week: read the rule, do the example, then write two sentences of your own using the pattern. Our app’s Synthesis section then mixes them in with easier patterns, five questions at a time.
Mustard Seed is an independent tuition provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SEAB, MOE or Cambridge Assessment. No tutor can guarantee a particular grade.
