How far into a not-only sentence should notes go?

The part after "but also" - fewer errors - which is the emphasised point.

What should be written first when time runs short?

24 x 60 = 1440 seconds, divided by 18 questions gives 80 seconds each.

May an approximation be written as an exact figure?

4 x 45 = 180 seconds, which is 3 minutes.

S4 Chinese: Paper 3 Listening Paper 4 (Error Redo)

2026-11-03

S · 4

This paper reworks the commonest losses: missed second halves, approximations treated as exact, ignored units and quantities, time trade-offs, and confused number sounds.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10 questions
Suggested time	25 minutes
Difficulty mix	Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: S4 Chinese – Paper 3 Listening
Level	Error redo

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationA candidate hears “it not only saves time but also reduces errors” and notes only the first half. What is lost?
FoundationThe recording runs 24 minutes and the paper has 18 questions. How many seconds per question on average?
FoundationThe recording has four sections, each followed by forty-five seconds of tidy-up time. What is the total?
FoundationA question asks for two causes and the candidate writes one. What is the direct reason for losing marks?
IntermediateThe recording says “about seventy per cent supported it” and the candidate writes “seventy per cent supported it”. What kind of error is this?
IntermediateThe paper has 20 questions worth 2 marks each, so 40 marks in total. A candidate scores 30. What is the percentage?
IntermediateA candidate gets 4 wrong out of 15 questions. What is the accuracy rate, to one decimal place?
ChallengeWith one minute left for two questions, the candidate still writes full sentences. What is the likely outcome?
ChallengeA question asks why a plan was shelved; the candidate notes the consequences of shelving it. Is this a listening or a question-reading problem?
Error redoA candidate writes 3:50 for the recorded 3:15. What is the likely cause, and the remedy?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	The part after “but also” – fewer errors – which is the emphasised point.	In a not-only-but-also sentence the second half carries the point.
2	24 x 60 = 1440 seconds, divided by 18 questions gives 80 seconds each.	Convert to seconds first, then divide, so the units agree.
3	4 x 45 = 180 seconds, which is 3 minutes.	Spend the tidy-up time section by section; saving it all for the end runs out.
4	The required number of items was not met, so even a correct point earns only half.	Circle the quantity word in the question before writing: two, three, one example each.
5	An approximation was treated as exact by dropping “about”, making the answer too absolute.	Keep qualifiers such as about, over and nearly in the answer.
6	30 / 40 x 100% = 75%.	Divide the marks gained by the total marks, not the number of questions.
7	(15 – 4) / 15 x 100% = 73.3%.	Find the number correct first, divide by the total, then multiply by a hundred.
8	The second question goes unanswered and is lost; the trade-off is to note keywords first, then build sentences.	Under time pressure, cover every question first and polish sentences second.
9	A question-reading problem: the content was heard but the direction was wrong, so cause, effect and purpose must be told apart.	Spend one second confirming whether the question wants cause, effect or purpose.
10	The two similar-sounding numbers were confused; read the figure back and check the order of hour and minute.	Read every figure back at once, watching the order of the tens and units.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

Find a tutor free Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.