You might find the following test questions from the 1940s and 50s extremely difficult.
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QUIZ: Would you pass the English Grammar School entrance exam from the 1940s and 1950s?
How clever are you?
A man bought 500 lettuce plants...
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They come from the 11 Plus entrance exams, a entrance exam issued by British grammar schools 60 years ago. The questions have been republished in the "Eleven-Plus Book."
The exam was taken by 11-year-olds hoping to get into grammar school, the selective tier of the English state school system.
English grammar schools still run entrance exams, but the format today is different.
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Q: If December 1 falls on Friday, on what day will Christmas Day fall that year?
A: Monday.
Q: Simplify (which means solve in 2014): (a) 15 x 20 (b) 1/2 + 1/3 (c) 0.75 x 3
A: (a) 300 (b) 5/6 (c) 2.25
Q: How many seconds are there between 11.53 am and 12.18 pm the same day?
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A: 1,500.
Q: A man bought 500 lettuce plants and after planting 12 rows with the same number in each, he had 32 left over. How many were in each row?
A: 39.
Q: There is something wrong with each of the sentences below. Write them as you think they should be written.
(a) The chair was by the window on which he stood.
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(b) I’d rather an apple than a pear.
(c) The strongest of the twins was the shortest.
(d) It is difficult to divide one small apple between six people.
(e) I asked him whether his name was William.
ANSWERS:
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(a) The chair on which he stood was by the window.
(b) I’d rather have/eat an apple than a pear.
(c) The shortest of the twins was the strongest.
(d) It is difficult to share one small apple between six people.
(e) I asked him if his name was William.
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Q: Give the feminine of each of the following:
(a) Brother
(b) Nephew
(c) Monk
(d) Wizard
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(e) Gander
(f) Merman
(g) Waiter
(h) Hero
(i) Fox
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(j) Cousin
ANSWERS:
(a) S
(b) N
(c) N
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(d) W
(e) G
(f) M
(g) W
(h) H
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(i) V
(j) C
Q: Give sentences of your own to express the meaning of five of the following:
(a) John had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.
(b) He was caught red-handed.
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(c) It is best to make hay while the sun shines.
(d) His bark is worse than his bite.
(e) The boy is never stumped for an answer.
(f) His excuse would not hold water.
ANSWER (phrasing here is subjective, but the meaning is clear):
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(a)
(b)
(e)
(f)
Q: Add a prefix to each of the following to make its meaning the opposite of what it is now: regular, capable, sense, legal, concerned.
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ANSWERS: irregular, incapable, nonsense, illegal, unconcerned.
Q: Substitute one word for each of the phrases underlined in the following sentences:
(a) The rode in triumph through the town.
(b) The letter is .
(c) The boy has always been
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(d) The burglar entered the room
(e) The prisoner was declared
(f) I am glad the children are
(g) The girl’s work is every day.
(h) As night fell, the noise and bustle of the city
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(i) Tommy was an attractive little boy, but very
(j) His large was his most treasured collection.
ANSWERS:
(a) Victors/winners
(b) Illegible
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(c) Conscientious
(d) Silently
(e) Innocent
(f) Healthy
(g) Improving
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(h) Diminished
Q: Write what you know about any five of the following (not more than four lines on each):
Lewis Carroll
Shylock
Sherlock Holmes
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Scrooge
Peter Pan
Hiawatha
ANSWERS (there are numerous, but we've picked the first given, which is the most obvious):
Lewis Carroll: English writer. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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Shylock: Famous Jewish character created by Shakespeare.
Sherlock Holmes: Fictional detective created by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Scrooge: Charles Dickens' stingy character from A Christmas Carol.
Hiawatha: The Song of Hiawatha is a poem by Henry Longfellow. Hiawatha was a Native American.
Q: Read the following story, then answer the following question:
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A Crow, having taken a bit of cheese out of a cottage window, flew into a high tree to eat it. A Fox, observing this, came and sat underneath, and began to praise the Crow’s beauty.
"I have never observed it before," he said, "but your feathers are of a more delicate white than any I have seen in my life. And what a fine shape your body is! I am sure, too, that you have a beautiful voice. If it is as fine as your complexion, I do not know a bird that can compete with you."
The bird wriggled with pleasure, but being a little uneasy about what the Fox said of her voice, thought she would show him how beautiful it really was. She began to sing and instantly the cheese dropped out of her beak. The Fox picked it up and trotted away, laughing to himself at the easy credulity of the Crow.
Now answer these questions in sentences:
(a) Mention two untruths the Fox told.
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(b) How did the Fox get the cheese?
(c) Where did the cheese, which the Crow had, come from?
(d) The Fox laughed at the credulity of the Crow. What does this mean?
(e) What lesson are we expected to learn from this story?
ANSWERS:
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(a) The Fox lied about the Crow having white feathers and a beautiful voice.
(b) The Fox got the cheese by persuading the Crow to sing, which made it open its beak and drop the cheese.
(c) The cheese came from a cottage window.
(d) The credulity of the Crow means that the Crow is easily fooled by lies.
(e) The lesson we are expected to learn from this story is not to be fooled by flattery.
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Q: Read this passage very carefully, then answer the questions:
Round the corner came a small group of men whispering excitedly among themselves. I heard the words ‘explosion,’ ‘collapse,’ ‘like rats in a trap,’ ‘shaft,’ ‘flooding,’ ‘gas.’
The men were grimy and exhausted, their clothing was soiled and sodden, soaked through with rain and perspiration. They had just staggered wearily away from the colliery, in unwilling obedience to orders, after having slaved for more than forty-eight hours, in a vain attempt to tunnel through to their imprisoned mates.
Now complete each of the following sentences by using the correct word or phrase from the bracket at the end:
(a) The men were (soldiers; engineers; miners).
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(b) They were excited about (a pit disaster; a forest fire; a railway collision).
(c) The men were (fresh and tidy; neat but dusty; wet and tired).
(d) They had worked (a whole day; over two days and nights; a half-day).
(e) The men were (glad to finish their work; eager to continue their work; anxious to start work).
(f) They were (marching along; running excitedly; hardly able to walk).
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ANSWERS:
(a) The men were miners.
(b) They were excited about a pit disaster.
(c) The men were wet and tired.
(d) They had worked over two days and nights.
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(e) The men were eager to continue their work.
(f) They were hardly able to walk.
Q: Cross out clearly what is not wanted in this silly sentence, so that it shall read properly. Do not cross out too much, and do not add anything.
A: Until you are told to let go your end of the rope, hold it firmly in the left hand.
Read the information below then answer the questions:
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1 roy = 15 ducas
1 duca = 6 floras
Now answer these questions:
(a) I buy an article worth 4 ducas. How much change should I receive out of 1 roy?
(b) I buy an article worth 2 roys 8 ducas and give the shopkeeper 3 roys. How much change should he give me?
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(c) I buy 3 articles at 7 floras each. How much change should I receive out of 4 ducas?
ANSWERS:
(a) 11 ducas
(b) 7 ducas
(c) 3 floras
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Q: In a test, Nan got two more marks than Jill and three marks less than Susan:
(a) Who got most marks?
(b) If Susan got fifteen marks, how many did Jill get?
ANSWERS:
(a) Susan
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(b) 10 marks
Q: One number in each line does not fit in properly with the others. Find this number and write it down.
(a) 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 17
(b) 29, 26, 21, 17, 13, 9
(c) 1, 9, 16, 23, 27, 31, 34
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(d) 2, 6, 18, 52, 162
(e) 144, 120, 96, 75, 48, 24
(f) 21, 19, 16, 13, 10
(g) 1, 4, 16, 60
(h) 4, 9, 14, 18, 24, 29
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ANSWERS:
(a) 15
(b) 26
(c) 23
(d) 52
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(e) 75
(f) 21
(g) 60
(h) 18
This piece was originally written by Joshua Barrie.
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