PSLE topic guides › Chinese › Idioms

PSLE Idioms — how to do idioms questions, and the mistakes that cost marks

Chinese · 5 practice questions in the free bank

PSLE Idioms: quick answers for parents

The short version, then the full guide below.

SubjectChinese · Singapore PSLE
LevelPrimary 5 and Primary 6
Free questions on Idioms5 in the free month bank, each marked step by step
How the work is markedStep by step — the written steps are marked separately, so you can see which step broke
Written workingIncluded — the bank has written workings, not only multiple-choice questions
CostFree for your first month. No signup and no card
Exam year2026 PSLE

Practise Idioms free →

The whole free bank covers Maths, English, Science and Chinese — no signup needed.

What Idioms means in the PSLE

Idioms is a tested chinese topic in the Singapore PSLE. The marks are not usually lost because a child does not know the method — they are lost in one specific step, and because nobody can tell the child which step went wrong, the same mistake repeats.

Why the wrong answer looks right

Question: 小丽为了准备演讲比赛,每天练习到很晚,连吃饭都常常忘记。她真是( )啊!下列成语中,填入括号最恰当的一项是( )。想一想:该用哪个成语来夸她?

Options: a) 三心二意 · b) 走马观花 · c) 心不在焉 · d) 废寝忘食

Correct answer: D

Choosing A: “三心二意”是又想这样又想那样,做事不专心,如:写作业时别三心二意。小丽每天练到很晚、连吃饭都忘记,是专心到了极点,正好和“三心二意”相反。“三心二意”的人,不会天天坚持练习到很晚。
Instead: 从事实推品质:天天练习到很晚、忘了吃饭 = 非常专心努力 → 用“废寝忘食”。
Choosing B: “走马观花”原指骑在马上看花,比喻匆匆看一眼、不深入,如:读书不能走马观花。小丽是反复认真地练习,不是随便扫一眼,意思完全相反。她是一遍一遍地练,不是匆匆扫一眼;浮在表面的人,练不好演讲。
Instead: “连吃饭都忘记”就是顾不上吃饭 → 对应“废寝忘食”里的“忘食”(忘记吃饭)。“忘食”两个字,正好对上她“连吃饭都忘记”。

How to help your child with Idioms at home

Four things that work, and they use the same method as the worked example above.

1. Get the steps said out loud before anything is written

Marks in Idioms are usually lost in one step, not across the whole question. Ask your child to say each step before writing it — a broken step is much easier to catch when you can hear it.

2. Mark the working, not just the final answer

A tick or a cross on the last line tells you nothing about where the thinking broke. Read the working line by line and ask, for each line, what it was for.

3. Name the step that broke, in your child's own words

One sentence is enough. Name the step rather than the topic — “I divided before finding one part” tells you what to fix next; “I am bad at Idioms” does not.

4. Keep the sets short

The free bank has 5 Idioms questions, marked step by step, and it needs no signup. A short set with the working marked tells you more than a long page of answers.

Practise Idioms free

Every question in this topic is marked step by step, so when your child goes wrong you can both see exactly which step broke. No signup.

Practise Idioms free →

Or take the free 3-minute diagnostic to see which topics are actually weak.

Questions parents ask about Idioms

Is Idioms tested in the PSLE?

Yes — Idioms is a Chinese topic in the Singapore PSLE, and the free Kyly Tuition bank holds 5 questions on it for P5 and P6 pupils.

Why do children lose marks in Idioms?

Usually not because they do not know the method. They lose marks in one specific step, and because the mistake is never identified, they practise more of the same and repeat it.

Is the practice free?

Yes. The daily drills are free in all four subjects for your first month, with no signup and no card required. The free diagnostic is also free.

Does this cover Paper 2?

Yes. The bank includes step-marked written problem sums, not only multiple-choice questions, and each step is marked separately.

How do I help my child with Idioms at home?

Mark the working, not just the answer, and name the one step that broke. The guide above walks through a real Idioms question step by step, and the free bank marks each written step separately, so you can see which step went wrong instead of only seeing that the answer is wrong.

How many free Idioms questions are there?

5 questions on Idioms are in the free Kyly Tuition bank, each marked step by step, with no signup and no card.

Where do children usually lose marks in Idioms?

Usually in one specific step rather than across the whole question. The worked example above shows a real Idioms question and flags the step children break on it.

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