What Does a Plant Stem Do? PSLE Science
A weekly series where we spotlight a tricky question.
A plant question from a 2024 Primary 4 paper: two plants, and their stems. Try it first.
Tap an option to check yourself
About 3 in 4 students on MCQ.SG get this wrong, most picking option 4 (T, U and V). They get T and U right, then add V, which sounds correct too. Check the four statements one by one.
- S is wrong. Holding the plant firmly in the soil is the job of the roots, not the stem.
- T is correct. Keeping the plant upright is one of the stem's main jobs.
- U is correct. The stem holds the leaves up toward the sunlight so they can make food.
- V is the trap. It says the stem transports "water made in the leaves." Stems do carry water, so it feels right, but water is not made in the leaves — it is taken in by the roots and carried up through the stem. Leaves make food, not water. One wrong idea makes the whole statement wrong.
So the answer is T and U — option 3.
Now try it on the whole plant. Name the part that absorbs water, the part that carries it, and the part that makes food. If you can place all three without hesitating, V would never have caught you.
If you want to try this on real questions, MCQ.SG marks open-ended questions point by point and gives feedback on every answer.
For more tips on improving your answers—from avoiding common mistakes to using precise science language—explore the complete PSLE Science OEQ Guide.