(1) - given
(d) washing machine
Why: The instruction involves water and washing powder, so it matches the washing machine.
වතුර සහ රෙදි සෝදන කුඩු භාවිත කරන නිසා රෙදි සෝදන යන්ත්‍රය ගැළපේ.
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O/L English Language 2025 (2026)
Answers with Reasons
සෑම පිළිතුරකටම ඉංග්‍රීසි සහ සිංහල හේතු සමඟ නොමිලේ පිළිතුරු.
Independent EWS suggested answers, not an official marking scheme. Writing responses are models; other accurate responses may be accepted. Read the notes about ambiguous source wording.
මෙය EWS ඉගෙනුම් මාර්ගෝපදේශයකි. ලිවීමේ පිළිතුරු ආදර්ශ වන අතර වෙනත් නිවැරදි පිළිතුරු ද තිබිය හැකිය.
Original question-paper source ↗Paper I - Test 1: Match instructions to pictures
(2)
(f) refrigerator
Why: A refrigerator door should stay closed to keep the inside cold.
ඇතුළත සිසිල්ව තබාගැනීමට ශීතකරණයේ දොර වසා තබයි.
(3)
(c) iron
Why: An iron has a heat setting that must suit the fabric.
රෙදි වර්ගයට ගැළපෙන ලෙස ඉස්තිරික්කයේ උෂ්ණත්වය සකස් කරයි.
(4)
(e) cash machine / ATM
Why: Cash, a bank card and a receipt are collected after an ATM transaction.
මුදල් ගනුදෙනුවෙන් පසු ATM යන්ත්‍රයෙන් මුදල්, කාඩ්පත සහ රිසිට්පත ලබාගනී.
(5)
(b) laptop / computer
Why: Shut down is the usual instruction for switching a computer off properly.
පරිගණකය නිසි ලෙස ක්‍රියාවිරහිත කිරීම සඳහා shut down යන යෙදුම භාවිත කරයි.
(6)
(a) blender
Why: The blender is the pictured appliance with a jar into which liquid can be poured.
දියර දැමිය හැකි භාජනයක් සහිත උපකරණය බ්ලෙන්ඩරයයි.
Paper I - Test 2: Pedestrian safety vocabulary
(1) - given
(a) crossing
Why: Pedestrian crossing is the usual word combination for the marked place to cross a road.
පාර මාරුවීමට සලකුණු කළ ස්ථානය pedestrian crossing ලෙස හඳුන්වයි.
(2)
(e) drivers
Why: Drivers are the people who need to see pedestrians on the road.
පාරේ යන පදිකයන් දැකිය යුත්තේ රියදුරන්ය.
(3)
(c) while
Why: While links two actions happening at the same time: using a phone and walking.
දුරකථනය භාවිත කිරීම සහ ඇවිදීම එකවර සිදුවන බව while පෙන්වයි.
(4)
(d) clothes
Why: Bright or reflective describes the clothing that makes a person easier to see.
දීප්තිමත් හෝ ආලෝකය පරාවර්තනය කරන ඇඳුම් නිසා පදිකයා පහසුවෙන් පෙනේ.
(5)
(f) right
Why: The supplied safety tip specifies the right side when there is no pavement.
පදික වේදිකාවක් නැති විට දකුණු පසින් ඇවිදින ලෙස මෙම උපදෙසේ දැක්වේ.
(6)
(b) signals
Why: Traffic signals is the standard phrase for road-control lights or signs.
මාර්ගයේ ගමනාගමනය පාලනය කරන සංඥා සඳහා traffic signals යන යෙදුම ගැළපේ.
Paper I - Test 3: Picture description
(1) - given
(d) dolls
Why: The girl on the left is showing toys to the two children.
වම් පස සිටින තරුණිය දරුවන් දෙදෙනාට බෝනික්කන් පෙන්වයි.
(2)
(i) salesman
Why: The young man near the children is a member of the sales staff.
දරුවන් අසල සිටින තරුණයා වෙළෙඳ සහායකයෙකි.
(3)
(k) smile
Why: The phrase on his face requires a facial expression; the picture shows a smile.
ඔහුගේ මුහුණේ පෙනෙන ප්‍රසන්න හැඟීම සිනහවකි.
(4)
(g) pile
Why: The folded clothes are stacked together on the floor.
නැමූ ඇඳුම් එක මත එක තබා ගොඩක් සාදා ඇත.
(5)
(a) handbag
Why: The woman standing beside her daughter carries a handbag.
දියණිය අසල සිටින කාන්තාව අත්බෑගයක් දරාගෙන සිටී.
(6)
(e) mopping
Why: After is, the -ing form describes the cleaning action happening in the picture.
is සමඟ යෙදෙන mopping යන රූපය දැන් සිදුවන බිම පිසදැමීම දක්වයි.
(7)
(j) arrows
Why: The two signs use arrows to point towards the cashier and play area.
මුදල් අයකැමි සහ ක්‍රීඩා ප්‍රදේශය වෙත යන දිශා ඊතල දෙකෙන් පෙන්වයි.
(8)
(b) trolley
Why: The second salesman stands beside the wheeled carrier loaded with clothes.
දෙවන වෙළෙඳ සහායකයා රෙදි පටවා ඇති රෝද සහිත ට්‍රොලිය අසල සිටී.
(9)
(h) clothes
Why: The salesman is arranging the clothing on the shelf.
වෙළෙඳ සහායකයා රාක්කයේ ඇඳුම් සකස් කරයි.
(10)
(c) ceiling
Why: The lights are fixed above the shoppers, in the ceiling.
පාරිභෝගිකයන්ට ඉහළින් විදුලි පහන් සවිකර ඇත්තේ සිවිලිමේය.
(11)
(f) customers
Why: The people shopping need the lights to see the goods.
භාණ්ඩ හොඳින් දැකීමට ආලෝකය අවශ්‍ය වන්නේ පාරිභෝගිකයන්ටය.
Paper I - Test 4: Prepositions
(1) - given
from
Why: Different from is the expected phrase for contrasting two things here.
දෙයක් තවත් දෙයකට වෙනස් බව දැක්වීමට මෙහි different from යෙදේ.
(2)
at
Why: Use at in the fixed time phrase at the beginning.
ආරම්භයේදී යන අර්ථයට at the beginning යන යෙදුම භාවිත කරයි.
(3)
of
Why: Of connects the end to the period it belongs to: the day.
දවසේ අවසානය යන අර්ථයට the end of the day යෙදේ.
(4)
during
Why: During is followed by a noun phrase naming the period when something happens.
යමක් සිදුවන කාල සීමාවක් දක්වන the day යන නාම පදයට පෙර during යෙදේ.
(5)
for
Why: The reason for introduces the behaviour that needs an explanation.
හේතුව අදාළ වන්නේ කුමකටද යන්න දැක්වීමට the reason for යෙදේ.
(6)
with
Why: Have to do with means be connected with or related to something.
have to do with යන්නෙන් යමක් සමඟ සම්බන්ධ බව අදහස් වේ.
Paper I - Test 5: Extract information
(1) - given
The City of Luminara
Why: This is the heading printed above the passage.
පාඨයට ඉහළින් දී ඇති මාතෘකාව මෙයයි.
(2)
About one million people
Why: The first paragraph states the approximate number of residents.
පළමු ඡේදයේ නගරයේ ජනගහනය ආසන්න වශයෙන් මිලියනයක් බව සඳහන් වේ.
(3)
English and Spanish
Why: Lumish is the main language; these are the two additional languages named.
ප්‍රධාන භාෂාව Lumish ය. ඊට අමතරව නම් කර ඇති භාෂා ඉංග්‍රීසි සහ ස්පාඤ්ඤ වේ.
(4)
Warm and sunny most of the year
Why: The weather description gives both temperature and sunshine.
කාලගුණ විස්තරයේ වසරේ වැඩි කාලයක් උණුසුම් හා හිරු එළිය සහිත බව දැක්වේ.
(5)
Rice
Why: The passage identifies rice as the main food, so it is the staple diet.
පාඨයේ ප්‍රධාන ආහාරය ලෙස බත් සඳහන් කර ඇති නිසා එය මූලික ආහාරය වේ.
(6)
Handmade glass lamps
Why: The city produces and exports these lamps; this answers the product question.
නගරයේ නිපදවා අපනයනය කරන්නේ අතින් සාදන වීදුරු පහන්ය.
Paper I - Test 6: Notice - one suitable model
Model notice
NOTICE
Return of Library Books
Grade Eleven students must return all borrowed library books by 15 March 2026. A fine of Rs. 10 per day will apply to late returns. Lost books must be replaced with identical copies. Please contact the library for assistance.
Chief Librarian
1 March 2026
Return of Library Books
Grade Eleven students must return all borrowed library books by 15 March 2026. A fine of Rs. 10 per day will apply to late returns. Lost books must be replaced with identical copies. Please contact the library for assistance.
Chief Librarian
1 March 2026
Why: The notice identifies the readers and includes a return date, a late fine and a replacement procedure for lost books. Must expresses the requirement. The sample dates and fine are invented for the writing task.
දැනුම්දීමේ අදාළ සිසුන්, ආපසු භාරදිය යුතු දිනය, ප්‍රමාද දඩය සහ නැති වූ පොත් සඳහා කළ යුතු දේ ඇත. must මඟින් අනිවාර්ය බව දක්වයි. දිනය හා දඩ මුදල මෙම ආදර්ශයට යෙදූ උදාහරණය.
Paper I - Test 7: Reading and inference
(1)
(b) village
Why: Among the choices, village fits the small houses, quiet streets and surrounding hills; painting is only a comparison.
කුඩා ගෙවල්, නිහඬ වීදි සහ අවට කඳු යන විස්තර අනුව දී ඇති තේරීම්වලින් ගම ගැළපේ. සිතුවමක් යන්න උපමාවක් පමණි.
(2)
(c) cheerful
Why: People smile, wave and greet the visitor kindly.
මිනිසුන් සිනහ වී, අත වනමින්, කරුණාවෙන් ආචාර කරන නිසා ඔවුන් ප්‍රීතිමත් බව පෙනේ.
(3)
(a) busy place
Why: The writer contrasts Glenhaven with the noisy city of cars and crowds visited earlier.
කලින් සිටියේ වාහන හා ජනකාය පිරුණු ඝෝෂාකාරී නගරයක බව ලේඛකයා පවසයි.
(4)
(c) excited
Why: The writer admires the place and considers staying there. Excited is the closest positive choice; the passage also directly shows relaxation.
ලේඛකයා ස්ථානයට කැමති වී එහි නවතින්නත් සිතයි. දී ඇති තේරීම් අතර ධනාත්මක හැඟීමක් දක්වන excited වඩාත් ගැළපේ; සන්සුන් බවත් පාඨයේ ඇත.
(5)
(b) travel story
Why: A first-person visitor describes arriving in a place and observing its people and scenery.
ගමනකදී ස්ථානයකට පැමිණ එහි මිනිසුන් හා දර්ශන දකින ආකාරය පළමු පුද්ගලයෙන් විස්තර කරයි.
Paper I - Test 8: Paragraph models - choose one in the examination
(a) Model paragraph
The food I like most is rice and curry. My mother prepares it with fresh vegetables, fish and a little coconut milk. I enjoy the different colours and flavours on my plate. We usually eat it together at lunchtime. It is tasty and filling, and sharing this meal with my family makes me happy.
Why: This 54-word model names a favourite food and develops it with preparation, taste and a personal reason. Present simple verbs describe a general preference.
වචන 54ක මෙම ඡේදයේ කැමති ආහාරය නම් කර, එය සකස් කරන ආකාරය, රසය හා කැමති හේතුව විස්තර කරයි. සාමාන්‍ය කැමැත්ත දක්වන නිසා සරල වර්තමාන කාලය යෙදේ.
(b) Model paragraph
Our school sports meet was held last Friday. The playground looked colourful with flags and decorations. Students took part in races, jumps and team events. I ran in the relay and our team won second place. Teachers and parents cheered for everyone. Although we were tired, we went home feeling proud and happy.
Why: This 53-word model gives the occasion, activities and personal experience in a clear sequence. Past simple verbs describe a finished event.
වචන 53ක මෙම ඡේදයේ අවස්ථාව, ක්‍රියාකාරකම් හා තම අත්දැකීම පිළිවෙළින් දක්වයි. අවසන් වූ සිදුවීමක් නිසා සරල අතීත කාලය යෙදේ.
Paper II - Test 9: Words in a customer-service dialogue
(1)
(a) clarification
Why: Dinesh wants an explanation of the high bill; clarification means making something clear.
අධික බිල පිළිබඳ පැහැදිලි කිරීමක් අවශ්‍ය නිසා clarification ගැළපේ.
(2)
(b) charged
Why: Charge someone an amount means ask that person to pay that amount.
කෙනෙකුගෙන් මුදලක් අය කිරීම charge යන ක්‍රියා පදයෙන් දක්වයි.
(3)
(a) attention
Why: Bring something to our attention is the fixed phrase for making us aware of a problem.
ගැටලුවක් අපගේ අවධානයට යොමු කිරීම සඳහා bring something to our attention යන යෙදුම භාවිත කරයි.
(4)
(c) understand
Why: Why asks for a reason; Dinesh cannot understand the reason for the high bill.
why මඟින් හේතුවක් විමසයි. බිල වැඩි වූ හේතුව තේරුම්ගත නොහැකි නිසා understand ගැළපේ.
(5)
(c) average
Why: He says his use was normal rather than different or exceptional; average fits after an.
විදුලි භාවිතය වෙනස් නොවූ සාමාන්‍ය එකක් බව ඔහු කියන නිසා average ගැළපේ.
Paper II - Test 10: Verb forms
(1)
is
Why: The gerund phrase telling the truth functions as one singular subject.
telling the truth යන ක්‍රියා නාම පද කණ්ඩය ඒකවචන කර්තෘයක් ලෙස යෙදෙන නිසා is යෙදේ.
(2)
makes
Why: It is third-person singular, so the present simple verb takes -s.
it ඒකවචන කර්තෘයක් බැවින් සරල වර්තමාන ක්‍රියා පදයට -s එකතු වේ.
(3)
know
Why: People is plural; use the base present simple form for a general truth.
people බහුවචන බැවින් සාමාන්‍ය සත්‍යයක් දැක්වීමට know යෙදේ.
(4)
lead
Why: A modal verb such as can is followed by the base form without to.
can වැනි සහායක ක්‍රියා පදයකට පසු to නොමැති මූලික ක්‍රියා පද රූපය යෙදේ.
(5)
earn
Why: The infinitive marker to is followed by the base verb.
to යන පදයට පසු මූලික ක්‍රියා පද රූපය වන earn යෙදේ.
Paper II - Test 11: Complete the passage
(1)
way
Why: A way to do something means a method of doing it.
යමක් කිරීමට ක්‍රමයක් යන අර්ථයට a way to යෙදේ.
(2)
had
Why: Had just found is past perfect: had + past participle.
had සහ අතීත කෘදන්තය එක්ව අතීත පූර්ණ කාලය සාදයි: had just found.
(3)
discovered
Why: After had, discovered supplies the past participle and gives the discovery meaning.
had පසු discovered යන අතීත කෘදන්තය යෙදීමෙන් සොයාගෙන තිබුණි යන අර්ථය ලැබේ.
(4)
before
Why: Before shows that several years passed first and use came later.
වසර කිහිපයක් ගත වූ පසු එය භාවිත කළ බව දැක්වීමට before ගැළපේ.
(5)
disease
Why: Fight disease is the meaningful verb-and-noun combination here.
රෝගයට එරෙහිව ක්‍රියා කිරීම යන අර්ථයට fight disease ගැළපේ.
(6)
was
Why: The singular it takes was in this past-time description.
අතීතයේ ඒකවචන it සමඟ was යෙදේ.
(7)
white
Why: White is an adjective describing the mice.
white යනු mice යන නාම පදය විස්තර කරන විශේෂණයකි.
(8)
they
Why: They is a plural subject pronoun referring to the mice and rabbits.
මීයන් හා හාවුන් යන බහුවචන නාම වෙනුවට කර්තෘ සර්වනාමය they යෙදේ.
(9)
try
Why: Decided to is followed by the base verb; try means test its use here.
decided to පසු මූලික ක්‍රියා පදය යෙදේ. මෙහි try යන්නෙන් පරීක්ෂා කර බැලීම අදහස් වේ.
(10)
asked
Why: The past-tense action describes Fleming making a request to his helper.
තම සහායකයාගෙන් ඉල්ලීමක් කළ අතීත ක්‍රියාව asked මඟින් දක්වයි.
(11)
agreed
Why: Agreed to take means consented to take the risk.
අවදානම ගැනීමට එකඟ විය යන අර්ථයට agreed to take යෙදේ.
(12)
he
Why: He is the singular subject referring to the helper.
සහායකයා වෙනුවට ඒකවචන කර්තෘ සර්වනාමය he යෙදේ.
(13)
but
Why: But contrasts taking the risk with finding no harmful effects in the exercise story.
අවදානමක් ගත්තත් අහිතකර ප්‍රතිඵල නොදුටු බව අතර වෙනස but මඟින් පෙන්වයි.
(14)
Penicillin
Why: The final sentence needs the name of the substance as its singular subject.
අවසාන වාක්‍යයේ ඒකවචන කර්තෘය ලෙස එම ද්‍රව්‍යයේ නම අවශ්‍ය වේ.
Paper II - Test 12: Choose the correct grammatical form
(1)
(c) is being built
Why: The bridge receives the action, and right now shows an action in progress: present continuous passive.
පාලම ඉදිකිරීමේ ක්‍රියාව ලබයි. right now මඟින් දැන් සිදුවෙමින් පවතින බව පෙන්වන නිසා is being built යෙදේ.
(2)
(d) were instructed
Why: Road users is plural and receives the instruction: were + past participle.
road users බහුවචන වන අතර උපදෙස් ලබන අය නිසා were සහ අතීත කෘදන්තය යෙදේ.
(3)
(b) complained
Why: The users performed the action in the past; complain is not passive here.
මාර්ග භාවිත කරන්නන් අතීතයේ පැමිණිලි කළ නිසා complained යෙදේ. මෙහි කර්මකාරක රූපයක් අවශ්‍ය නැත.
(4)
(b) disturbing
Why: The -ing clause describes the result of the congestion. A comma before disturbing would make the sentence clearer.
තදබදය නිසා ඇති වූ ප්‍රතිඵලය disturbing මඟින් දක්වයි. එයට පෙර කොමාවක් යෙදීමෙන් වාක්‍යය වඩා පැහැදිලි වේ.
(5)
(d) building
Why: Building a bridge is a gerund phrase acting as the subject of would cause.
building a bridge යන ක්‍රියා නාම පද කණ්ඩය would cause යන ක්‍රියාවේ කර්තෘය ලෙස යෙදේ.
Paper II - Test 13: Identify text purposes
(i)
A - Exam preparation guide
Why: The extract gives revision, practice and time-management advice for candidates.
විභාගයට සූදානම් වන අයට පුනරීක්ෂණ, පුහුණුව සහ කාල කළමනාකරණ උපදෙස් දී ඇත.
(ii)
E - Online shopping
Why: The steps describe finding a product, checking reviews and adding it to an online cart.
භාණ්ඩයක් සොයා, පාරිභෝගික අදහස් බලා, අන්තර්ජාල කූඩයට එක් කරන පියවර විස්තර කරයි.
(iii)
C - An advertisement
Why: Persuasive product benefits and a discount encourage the reader to buy shoes.
සපත්තු මිලදී ගැනීමට පෙළඹවීමට වාසි සහ වට්ටමක් සඳහන් කර ඇත.
(iv)
B - A recipe
Why: Ordered cooking instructions explain how to prepare a dish.
ආහාරයක් සකස් කරන පිසීමේ පියවර පිළිවෙළින් දක්වා ඇත.
(v)
F - A notice
Why: The extract announces maintenance dates and temporary changes to community activities.
නඩත්තු දින සහ ක්‍රියාකාරකම් තාවකාලිකව නවත්වන බව දැනුම් දෙයි.
Paper II - Test 14: Models - choose one in the examination
(a) Model formal letter
24, Temple Road,
Kandy.
10 March 2026.
The Manager,
FASTCARE Bookshop.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Enquiry about an undelivered book
I ordered a copy of English Grammar for Schools by R. Silva from your bookshop on 1 March. My order number is FC125. However, I have not received the book yet.
I need it urgently because my English examination begins next week. I paid Rs. 1,500 by bank transfer on the day I placed the order. A copy of the payment receipt is enclosed.
Please check my order and let me know when the book will arrive. If there is a delay, please explain it and arrange delivery as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
N. Perera
Kandy.
10 March 2026.
The Manager,
FASTCARE Bookshop.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Enquiry about an undelivered book
I ordered a copy of English Grammar for Schools by R. Silva from your bookshop on 1 March. My order number is FC125. However, I have not received the book yet.
I need it urgently because my English examination begins next week. I paid Rs. 1,500 by bank transfer on the day I placed the order. A copy of the payment receipt is enclosed.
Please check my order and let me know when the book will arrive. If there is a delay, please explain it and arrange delivery as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
N. Perera
Why: The body is about 100 words. The letter gives the book, order date and number, urgency and payment method, then asks politely for delivery information. Present perfect describes the book not arriving up to now. Sample names, dates and amounts are fictional.
ලිපියේ අන්තර්ගතය වචන 100කට ආසන්නය. පොත, ඇණවුමේ දිනය හා අංකය, හදිසි අවශ්‍යතාව සහ ගෙවීම සඳහන් කර ආචාරශීලීව විස්තර විමසයි. මේ වන තෙක් පොත නොලැබුණු බව දැක්වීමට වර්තමාන පූර්ණ කාලය යෙදේ. නම්, දින හා මුදල් උදාහරණ පමණි.
(b) Model chart description
The bar chart compares the percentages of Sri Lankan children in five age groups who consumed foods rich in vitamin A and iron within a day. In every group, vitamin A consumption was higher than iron consumption. The youngest group, aged six to eight months, recorded the lowest figures: 79% for vitamin A and 37% for iron. Vitamin A consumption peaked at 96% among children aged twelve to seventeen months. Iron consumption reached 66% in both the twelve-to-seventeen and eighteen-to-twenty-three-month groups. In the oldest group, the figures fell to 89% and 61% respectively. Overall, the youngest children had the lowest consumption.
Why: The description reports percentages rather than quantities of food. It compares both nutrients, identifies the lowest and highest values and uses respectively to keep the two figures in the correct order. All figures follow the chart.
මෙහි දක්වන්නේ ආහාර ප්‍රමාණ නොව ඒවා ගත් දරුවන්ගේ ප්‍රතිශතය. පෝෂක දෙක සසඳා අඩුම හා වැඩිම අගයන් දක්වයි. respectively මඟින් අගයන් පෙර සඳහන් අනුපිළිවෙළට ගැළපේ. සියලු අගයන් ප්‍රස්තාරයට අනුවය.
Paper II - Test 15: Reading with evidence
(1)(a)
True
Why: Even five people holding hands cannot reach around the trunk; this shows its great size.
අත් අල්ලාගත් පස්දෙනෙකුටවත් කඳ වටා අල්ලාගත නොහැකි බව එහි විශාලත්වයට සාක්ෂියකි.
(1)(b)
False
Why: The bark is described as rough and warm, rather than smooth and shiny.
පොත්ත සිනිඳු හා දිලිසෙන ලෙස නොව රළු සහ උණුසුම් ලෙස විස්තර කර ඇත.
(1)(c)
False
Why: Villagers go there for peace, hope and guidance; the passage does not portray the place as dangerous.
ගම්වැසියන් සාමය, බලාපොරොත්තුව හා මඟපෙන්වීම සොයා එහි යන නිසා එය අනතුරුදායක ස්ථානයක් ලෙස නොදක්වයි.
(1)(d)
True
Why: Birds rest on the branches, monkeys swing there and small animals shelter by the roots.
අතුවල කුරුල්ලන් විවේක ගනී, වඳුරන් පැද්දෙයි, කුඩා සතුන් මුල් අසල සෙවණ ලබයි.
(2)
(c) people treat it with respect
Why: Villagers avoid cutting its wood or touching its blossoms, so their respect helps preserve it.
ගම්වැසියන් ලී කපාගැනීමෙන් සහ මල් ඇල්ලීමෙන් වැළකෙන නිසා ඔවුන්ගේ ගෞරවය ගස ආරක්ෂා කිරීමට උපකාරී වේ.
(3)
(a) relaxing
Why: People sit beneath the tree when they need peace; the sensory description is calm and comforting.
සාමය අවශ්‍ය විට ගස යට හිඳින බවත් සන්සුන් පරිසරයක් ඇති බවත් දැක්වෙන නිසා එහි සිටීම සැහැල්ලුවක් දෙයි.
(4)
(c) useful for all forms of living beings
Why: The passage includes plants, birds, other animals and humans, making this the broadest suitable answer.
ශාක, කුරුල්ලන්, වෙනත් සතුන් සහ මිනිසුන් ගැන සඳහන් වන නිසා මෙම පුළුල් පිළිතුර ගැළපේ.
(5)
the roots / the tree roots
Why: The plural pronoun refers back to the roots spreading across the ground.
බිම පුරා විහිදෙන මුල් යන බහුවචන නාමය වෙනුවට they යෙදේ.
(6)(a)
(ii) branches
Why: In a description of a tree, limbs means its large branches.
ගසක් විස්තර කරන විට limbs යන්නෙන් විශාල අතු අදහස් වේ.
(6)(b)
(iii) lasted
Why: Survived means remained alive despite storms and floods, so lasted is the closest listed meaning. Experienced only means underwent the events; it does not itself say the tree stayed alive.
කුණාටු හා ගංවතුර මැදත් ජීවත්ව පැවතුණු බව survived යන්නෙන් කියවේ. එනිසා lasted වඩා සමීපය. experienced යන්නෙන් ඒවාට මුහුණ දුන් බව පමණක් කියන අතර ජීවත්ව පැවතීම අනිවාර්යයෙන් නොකියයි.
Paper II - Test 16: Extended-writing models - choose one in the examination
(a) Model magazine article
Traffic Congestion: A Problem We Can Reduce
Every morning, many students and workers spend a long time in traffic. A short journey can become a tiring experience. Traffic congestion affects our time, money, health and environment.
Vehicles waiting in queues waste fuel and release polluted air. Drivers and passengers may suffer from stress, while continuous horns disturb people living nearby. Students arrive late for lessons, and workers lose productive hours. Ambulances can also be delayed when roads are blocked. Impatient driving may increase the risk of accidents.
The authorities can reduce these problems by providing reliable buses and trains. Safe pavements and cycle lanes would give people more travel choices. Roads need proper maintenance, clear signs and traffic lights that work. Better planning around schools and busy junctions can prevent unnecessary delays.
The public also has an important role. We can use public transport, share vehicles and walk short distances where it is safe. Drivers should follow traffic rules, avoid blocking junctions and park only in permitted places. Schools can encourage families to arrange shared transport.
Traffic congestion cannot disappear overnight. However, sensible planning and responsible behaviour can make our roads safer and our daily journeys easier. Everyone can contribute to that change.
Every morning, many students and workers spend a long time in traffic. A short journey can become a tiring experience. Traffic congestion affects our time, money, health and environment.
Vehicles waiting in queues waste fuel and release polluted air. Drivers and passengers may suffer from stress, while continuous horns disturb people living nearby. Students arrive late for lessons, and workers lose productive hours. Ambulances can also be delayed when roads are blocked. Impatient driving may increase the risk of accidents.
The authorities can reduce these problems by providing reliable buses and trains. Safe pavements and cycle lanes would give people more travel choices. Roads need proper maintenance, clear signs and traffic lights that work. Better planning around schools and busy junctions can prevent unnecessary delays.
The public also has an important role. We can use public transport, share vehicles and walk short distances where it is safe. Drivers should follow traffic rules, avoid blocking junctions and park only in permitted places. Schools can encourage families to arrange shared transport.
Traffic congestion cannot disappear overnight. However, sensible planning and responsible behaviour can make our roads safer and our daily journeys easier. Everyone can contribute to that change.
Why: The article uses a clear heading, explains effects on people, gives practical solutions and states how the public can help. Present simple describes the problem; can and should express possibilities and advice. Paragraphs keep the three required areas clear.
ලිපියේ පැහැදිලි ශීර්ෂයක්, මිනිසුන්ට ඇති බලපෑම්, විසඳුම් සහ මහජන දායකත්වය ඇත. ගැටලුව දැක්වීමට සරල වර්තමාන කාලයත් හැකියාව හා උපදෙස් සඳහා can සහ should යෙදේ. ඡේදවලින් අවශ්‍ය කරුණු වෙන් කරයි.
(b) Model opinion essay - village preference
Why I Prefer Village Life
I would prefer to live in a village because I enjoy a peaceful environment and a close community. Both villages and cities offer advantages, but village life suits my interests and daily needs better.
A village often gives people more space and easier access to nature. I like hearing birds in the morning and seeing trees instead of crowded roads. There may be less traffic noise and air pollution. Growing vegetables at home can also help a family enjoy fresh food and reduce some expenses. Neighbours who know one another may offer support during difficult times.
However, village life has challenges. Some villages have fewer job opportunities, limited public transport and less convenient access to hospitals or higher education. A person may need to travel a long distance for work or specialist treatment. Reliable internet access is also important for modern study and employment.
These disadvantages should be addressed through better services and transport. I would choose a village within reasonable travelling distance of a town. That would allow me to enjoy a quieter home while still reaching essential facilities.
For me, a comfortable life is about good relationships, useful services and peace of mind. A suitable village would provide the balance I want.
I would prefer to live in a village because I enjoy a peaceful environment and a close community. Both villages and cities offer advantages, but village life suits my interests and daily needs better.
A village often gives people more space and easier access to nature. I like hearing birds in the morning and seeing trees instead of crowded roads. There may be less traffic noise and air pollution. Growing vegetables at home can also help a family enjoy fresh food and reduce some expenses. Neighbours who know one another may offer support during difficult times.
However, village life has challenges. Some villages have fewer job opportunities, limited public transport and less convenient access to hospitals or higher education. A person may need to travel a long distance for work or specialist treatment. Reliable internet access is also important for modern study and employment.
These disadvantages should be addressed through better services and transport. I would choose a village within reasonable travelling distance of a town. That would allow me to enjoy a quieter home while still reaching essential facilities.
For me, a comfortable life is about good relationships, useful services and peace of mind. A suitable village would provide the balance I want.
Why: The essay clearly chooses village life, supports the preference, acknowledges disadvantages and ends consistently. Would expresses a preferred imagined choice; however introduces a limitation. A city preference is equally valid when supported.
රචනාව ගම්මාන ජීවිතය තෝරා හේතු දක්වා අවාසිත් පිළිගෙන එකම අදහසින් අවසන් වේ. සිතින් තෝරාගන්නා කැමැත්තක් සඳහා would යෙදේ. however මඟින් සීමාවක් හඳුන්වයි. හේතු සහිත නගර කැමැත්තත් නිවැරදිය.
(b) Alternative model opinion essay - city preference
Why I Prefer City Life
I would prefer to live in a city because it would give me easier access to education, employment and essential services. Although village life can be peaceful, the opportunities in a city suit my plans for the future.
Cities usually offer a wider choice of schools, training centres and libraries. Students can attend classes and meet people with different skills and experiences. There are also more workplaces, which may make it easier to find suitable employment. Hospitals, shops and other services are often within a convenient travelling distance. Buses and trains can help people travel without owning a vehicle.
City life also has disadvantages. Traffic congestion wastes time, and noise and air pollution can affect daily comfort. Rent and other living expenses may be high. Some people feel lonely even when many others live nearby.
I would therefore choose my neighbourhood carefully. A modest home near reliable public transport would reduce travel costs. I would visit parks, maintain friendships and plan my spending responsibly. These habits could help me enjoy city life without ignoring its difficulties.
No place is perfect for everyone. For my education and future career, however, a well-planned city would offer the most useful combination of services, choices and opportunities.
I would prefer to live in a city because it would give me easier access to education, employment and essential services. Although village life can be peaceful, the opportunities in a city suit my plans for the future.
Cities usually offer a wider choice of schools, training centres and libraries. Students can attend classes and meet people with different skills and experiences. There are also more workplaces, which may make it easier to find suitable employment. Hospitals, shops and other services are often within a convenient travelling distance. Buses and trains can help people travel without owning a vehicle.
City life also has disadvantages. Traffic congestion wastes time, and noise and air pollution can affect daily comfort. Rent and other living expenses may be high. Some people feel lonely even when many others live nearby.
I would therefore choose my neighbourhood carefully. A modest home near reliable public transport would reduce travel costs. I would visit parks, maintain friendships and plan my spending responsibly. These habits could help me enjoy city life without ignoring its difficulties.
No place is perfect for everyone. For my education and future career, however, a well-planned city would offer the most useful combination of services, choices and opportunities.
Why: This equally valid alternative chooses city life, supports it with services and opportunities, and recognises cost, noise and traffic. The viewpoint remains consistent. Candidates write only one essay in the examination.
මෙම වෙනත් නිවැරදි ආදර්ශයේ නගර ජීවිතය තෝරා පහසුකම් හා අවස්ථා ගැන හේතු දෙයි. වියදම, ශබ්දය හා තදබදය යන අවාසිත් පිළිගනී. විභාගයේ ලිවිය යුත්තේ රචනාවක් පමණි.
(c) Model persuasive speech
The Importance of Reading
Good morning, respected teachers and dear friends. Today, I would like to speak about a habit that can change our lives: reading. A book can entertain us, answer our questions and introduce us to ideas beyond our own experience.
First, reading improves our language. We meet new words in meaningful sentences and learn how writers organise their thoughts. This helps us speak and write more clearly. We do not need to understand every difficult word immediately; we can use the surrounding sentences and check useful words later.
Second, reading opens a world of information. Books, newspapers and reliable online articles help us learn about science, history, culture and current events. Comparing trustworthy sources also teaches us to question information instead of believing every message we see.
Reading can broaden our understanding of other people. Stories invite us to consider different feelings and situations. They can develop imagination and encourage thoughtful discussion.
Dear friends, let us begin with ten minutes of reading each day. Choose a book that interests you, visit the school library and share a recommendation with a friend. Small, regular steps can build a lasting habit.
Let us read to learn, to understand and to enjoy. Thank you.
Good morning, respected teachers and dear friends. Today, I would like to speak about a habit that can change our lives: reading. A book can entertain us, answer our questions and introduce us to ideas beyond our own experience.
First, reading improves our language. We meet new words in meaningful sentences and learn how writers organise their thoughts. This helps us speak and write more clearly. We do not need to understand every difficult word immediately; we can use the surrounding sentences and check useful words later.
Second, reading opens a world of information. Books, newspapers and reliable online articles help us learn about science, history, culture and current events. Comparing trustworthy sources also teaches us to question information instead of believing every message we see.
Reading can broaden our understanding of other people. Stories invite us to consider different feelings and situations. They can develop imagination and encourage thoughtful discussion.
Dear friends, let us begin with ten minutes of reading each day. Choose a book that interests you, visit the school library and share a recommendation with a friend. Small, regular steps can build a lasting habit.
Let us read to learn, to understand and to enjoy. Thank you.
Why: The speech greets its audience, explains language, information and understanding benefits, then asks listeners to build a daily habit. We and let us include the audience; the final thanks suits a spoken presentation.
කථාව ශ්‍රාවකයන් අමතා භාෂාව, තොරතුරු හා අවබෝධය සඳහා කියවීමේ වාසි දක්වා දෛනික පුරුද්දක් ඇතිකරගැනීමට පෙළඹවයි. we සහ let us මඟින් ශ්‍රාවකයාත් ඇතුළත් කරයි. අවසානයේ ස්තුති කිරීම කථාවකට ගැළපේ.
(d) Model story
A Brave Friend
One night, the Perera family went to bed after a busy day. Their dog, Bindu, slept near the kitchen door. Suddenly, he smelled smoke and noticed flames spreading from a damaged electrical socket.
Bindu began barking loudly. He ran to the parents' bedroom and scratched the door. At first, Mr Perera thought the dog wanted to go outside. Then he smelled the smoke and immediately woke his wife and children.
The passage was already becoming smoky, but Bindu ran towards the back door, barking until the family followed him. Everyone reached the garden safely. Mr Perera called the fire service while his wife checked that both children were unharmed. Neighbours quickly came to help.
The firefighters arrived and brought the fire under control. The house was damaged, but nobody was injured. When the family realised what Bindu had done, they hugged him with tears in their eyes.
The following Sunday, the neighbours organised a small ceremony to honour the brave dog. The children made a colourful certificate, and a shopkeeper presented him with a comfortable new bed.
Bindu wagged his tail as everybody clapped. To the Perera family, he was much more than a pet. He was their courageous friend and a true hero.
One night, the Perera family went to bed after a busy day. Their dog, Bindu, slept near the kitchen door. Suddenly, he smelled smoke and noticed flames spreading from a damaged electrical socket.
Bindu began barking loudly. He ran to the parents' bedroom and scratched the door. At first, Mr Perera thought the dog wanted to go outside. Then he smelled the smoke and immediately woke his wife and children.
The passage was already becoming smoky, but Bindu ran towards the back door, barking until the family followed him. Everyone reached the garden safely. Mr Perera called the fire service while his wife checked that both children were unharmed. Neighbours quickly came to help.
The firefighters arrived and brought the fire under control. The house was damaged, but nobody was injured. When the family realised what Bindu had done, they hugged him with tears in their eyes.
The following Sunday, the neighbours organised a small ceremony to honour the brave dog. The children made a colourful certificate, and a shopkeeper presented him with a comfortable new bed.
Bindu wagged his tail as everybody clapped. To the Perera family, he was much more than a pet. He was their courageous friend and a true hero.
Why: The story follows the complete outline: a night fire, the dog raising the alarm and leading the family out, public praise and an honouring ceremony. Past simple tells the main events; past continuous provides background. Names and details are fictional.
කථාවේ රාත්‍රී ගින්න, බල්ලා පවුල අවදි කර පිටතට ගෙනයාම, ප්‍රශංසාව සහ උපහාර උත්සවය යන සියලු කරුණු ඇත. ප්‍රධාන සිදුවීම් සරල අතීත කාලයෙන්ද පසුබිම අතීත අඛණ්ඩ කාලයෙන්ද දැක්වේ. නම් හා විස්තර කල්පිතය.
Teaching notes and source wording
- Original EWS educational answer guide, not an official Department of Examinations marking scheme. Answers were checked against all 12 pages of the official 2025 (2026) English Language I and II question paper. Reasoned models may differ from an official examiner's accepted alternatives.
- මෙය EWS අධ්‍යයන පිළිතුරු මාර්ගෝපදේශයකි; විභාග දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ නිල ලකුණු දීමේ පටිපාටිය නොවේ. නිල ප්‍රශ්න පත්‍රයේ පිටු 12ම සමඟ පිළිතුරු පරීක්ෂා කර ඇත.
- Given examples are identified for learning and are not additional scored blanks. Test 11 leaves ever unused; Test 13 leaves D (A catalogue) unused.
- Test 7(4): excited is the closest offered positive answer. The passage more directly describes the writer as relaxed and interested in staying; do not teach excited and relaxed as identical meanings.
- Test 9 contains an arithmetic slip: Rs. 2,550 is three times Rs. 850, or 200% higher, rather than 300% higher. This does not change the five vocabulary answers.
- Test 11 is a language gap-fill. Its historical anecdote should not be treated as verified medical history or advice to consume mould or test medicines yourself.
- Test 12(4) is best read with a comma before the result clause. The answer remains disturbing.
- Writing models are examples, not the only valid answers. Notice details, addresses, book titles, dates, order numbers and payments are fictional choices for the tasks. Follow the question's word guidance and use your own relevant ideas.