PB PAGEZ EXAMS CONSULT

Prep Mock Examinations For BECE Candidates

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 2 & 1 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES
PAPER 2
Essay
This paper consists of three parts; A, B and C. Answer three questions in all; one question from Part A and all
questions in Part B and Part C. Answer all the questions in your answer booklet.

PART A
ESSAY WRITING
[30 MARKS]
Answer one question only from this part. Your composition should be about 250 words long. Credit will be
given for clarity of expression and orderly presentation of materials.

1. Write a letter to the Member of Parliament of your constituency requesting for infrastructures for your
community and stating at least three reasons why you need them.
2. As the main speaker in a debate, write the speech you would give for or against the topic, The free supply
of textbooks is more important than free supply of uniforms.
3. Write an article suitable for publication in one of the national newspapers expressing your views on the
topic, The usefulness of vacation classes.

PART B
COMPREHENSION
[30 MARKS]
4. Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follows.

Some years back in the olden days, there lived a very powerful and rich King in a village called
Brutu. This king was called Naa Sankom III and he was married to a very pretty queen popularly known by
the villagers as Pawnaa. Pawnaa in her life time gave birth to her only charming and nice- looking princess.
Princess Mwinkom was their only child and therefore, became the apple of the king’s eyes.

When the princess attained the age of eighteen, there was nothing the king and queen could do any
more to keep their only joy in the palace. It was the tradition of the land that, any female who attained the
age of eighteen should be given out for marriage. The princess’s father at this point was compelled to give
her only daughter out for marriage. Announcements were made to all the surrounding villages and towns
nearby about the marriage of the princess. Men of strength and courage were asked to come forward to
contest for the princess’s hand in marriage.

On the D-day, when all the contestants had assembled, the king stepped forward to spell out the
rules for the game to begin. “My daughter is the only treasure I have and any man who wants to marry her
must prove himself worthy enough to do so. I have, therefore, released into this swimming pool crocodiles
and any man who can swim across this pool will marry my daughter and also possess half of my wealth”.
Before Naa could end his final statements, all the potential husbands had started leaving the king’s palace to
their various villages and towns calling him a wicked king. Within a twinkle of an eye, there was a
gentleman in the pool, swimming across. Immediately this man came out of the pool, the king held his right
hand and declared that, “this is my daughter’s husband to be.

Congratulations my courageous and brave son-in-law”. But the gentleman on the other hand was bent on
knowing who had pushed him into the pool. Not knowing it was one of the contestants who pushed him into
the pool for the crocodiles to eat him up but rather unfortunately, the crocodiles were toy ones and not real.
The gentleman realizing the truth at the end, shouted, “Oh thank you God for pushing me into my glory!”.
 a. Who or what is being referred to as the “only joy in the palace”?
b. What normally happened to 1adies who were eighteen years old in the village?
c. (i) What made the gentleman to swim across the pool?
(ii) Why was he not eaten up by the crocodiles?
d. Quote from the passage what the gentleman said after knowing the truth.
e. Were the king and queen happy giving their daughter’s hand in marriage? Explain why.
f. (i) What made the contestants withdraw from the contest?
(ii) What did the contestants say about the king?
g. Explain the following expressions as used in the passage in your own words:
(i) “The apple of the king’s eyes”;
(ii) “On the D-day”
(iii) “Within a twinkle of an eye”
h. For each of the following words, give another word or phrase that means the same, and can fit into
the passage:
(i) Pretty
(ii) Popularly
(iii) Attained
(iv) Compelled
(v) Contest
(vi) Assembled
(vii) Potential
(viii) Declared
PART C: LITERATURE
[10 marks]
Answer all the questions in this part
SACKEY J.A and DARMANI L. (COMP.): The Cockcrow

Questions 5(a) to 5(d) are based on the abridged and simplified version of Ama Ata Aidoo’s “The Dilemma
of a Ghost”

AMA ATA AIDOO - The Dilemma of a Ghost

SPEAKER A: Child bearing is always profitable.

For were not our fathers wise
Who looked upon the motion of our lives
And said,
They ask for people of the house
And not the money in it?
There is nothing that can compare with
Being a parent, my sister

SPEAKER B: Not always, my sister

If you per chance hear on a silent afternoon
The sound of a pestle hitting a mortar,
Go get out your mortar too
For they are only pounding cassava (Page 39)
 (a) Identify Speaker A and Speaker B.
(b) What literary device is used in the second sentence of Speaker A?
(c) The literary device used in the second sentence of Speaker B is an example of…………
(d) From the dialogue, we can know that Speaker A is …………….

Read the following extract carefully and answer Questions 5(e) to 5(g).

ROBERT FROST: A Minor Bird

I have wished a bird would fly away,
And not sing by my house all day;
Have clapped my hands at him from the door
When it seemed as if I could bear no more. (Page 185)

(e) The rhyme scheme in the extract above is

(f) The theme of the extract above is
(g) By number of lines per stanza the poem is a……………

Read the following extract carefully and answer question 5(h) and 5(i)

AMA ATA AIDOO: The Girl Who Can

“Nana thought it would be a waste of time. I never understood what she meant.
My mother seemed to know - and disagreed.” (Page 146)

(h) What would be a waste of time?

(i) Why would it be a waste of time?

Read the following extract and answer question 5(j)

WOSORNU LADE: Desert Rivers

Deserts too have their rivers.

Entombed from birth to earth
Waters mightier than Voltas
Lie hid from glare of sun” (Page 15)

(j) What literary device is employed by line 3?

 PAPER I
Answer All Questions
Each question is followed by four options lettered A to D. Find out the correct option for each question and
shade in pencil on your answer sheet the answer space which bears the same letter as the option you have
chosen. Give only one answer to each question.

LEXIS AND STRUCTURE

SECTION A
From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence

1. John lives in a…..….. near the main street. D. dare

A. yellow very big house 8. It is time we……… for the party.
B. very big yellow house A. leave
C. very yellow big house B. left
D. house very big yellow C. have to leave
D. will leave
2. If I……….. his advice, my problems 9. The goods arrived at………………
would have been easily solved. A. The Tema Harbour
A. have taken. B. Tema harbour’
B. had taken C. Terna Harbour
C. has taken D. The Tema Harbour
D. have take 10. My friends shouted……………my name
3. It about time politicians……… the truth to at the public square.
us. A. out
A. speak B. for
B. spoke C. with
C. speaking D. at
D. speaks 11. No one……….cleaned the room but
4. Would you object to…………to have Nabiru.
lunch with me? A. would have
A. me ask you B. should have
B. my ask you C. will have
C. me asking you D. could have
D. I asking you 12. Wasn’t this lesson taught so many weeks
5. If Kofi …………here, we would have won ago?
the game. A. No, it was
A. is B. Yes, it wasn’t
B. was C. No, it wasn’t
C. are D. Yes, it was
D. were 13. Kojo: ‘I respect teachers’. Kwame: ‘So do
6. It took Kofi too long to get…………..the I’ Koku: …………
issue. A. I do same
A. behind B. I do too
B. over C. so I do
C. off D. so do I
D. into 14. We have to solve the puzzle ………
7. How ………you order me about as like difficult it is.
your servant? A. though
A. dared B. due to
B. dares C. in view of
C. daring D. however
 SECTION B
Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in
each sentence.

15. The business flourished until the owner’s D. deceitful

death. 18. You will incur your father’s wrath if you
A. profited do that.
B. grew A. debt
C. counted B. favour
D. started C. pleasure
D. anger
16. We stood before the chief as he told his
story. 19. His mode to work is rather casual.
A. around A. response
B. facing B. method
C. behind C. answer
D. beside D. determination

17. Kofi did not pass the interview because his 20. Children of today have the privilege of
reply to the question asked was digital technology.
ambiguous. A. luck
A. disrespectful B. advantage
B. unclear C. quality
C. cunning D. value

SECTION C
In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives
lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.

21. It would be wrong to jump to conclusion 23. Kojo couldn’t pin down his difficulties in
about the students’ demonstration This learning. This means that Kojo
means that we must not A. hasn’t identified his learning problems.
A. rush into decision. B. has identified his learning problems.
B. rush into argument. C. solved his learning problems.
C. lose our temper. D. controlled his learning problems.
D. think that the conclusion is wrong.
24. Lend me your ears if you want the full
22. The ongoing talks for unity between the story. This means that I want you to
groups has stalled for a while now. This A. please pay attention to me
means that the talks has B. throw your ears at me
A. failed C. pretend to be listening to me
B. broken down D. watch me closely
C. finished
D. hunged on 25. It wasn’t the case that the matter hadn’t
been resolved. This means that the matter
A. is yet to be resolved.
B. is resolved.
C. need to be resolved.
D. can be resolved.
 SECTION D
From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word
underlined in each sentence

26. We have to become……………… rather than

consumers for the country to grow.
A. developers
B. designers
C. producers
D. founders

27. A strange disease attacked the village of

Nyankoma.
A. strong
B. spreading
C. grand
D. known

28. She became furious when she was duped by

the contractor.
A. wild
B. calm
C. fierce
D. angry

29. It is necessary to disseminate information

about the causes of the HIV/AIDS disease.
A. communicate
B. disregard
C. gather
D. spread

30. I shall do my best to emulate her shining

example.
A. copy
B. follow
C. ridicu1e
D. implicate
 PB PAGEZ EXAMS CONSULT
Prep Mock Examinations For BECE Candidates

FINAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE MARKING SCHEME

PAPER 1
OBJECTIVE TEST
[40 MARKS]

1. B 7. D 13. B 19. B 25. B

2. B 8. A 14. A 20. B 26. C
3. A 9. C 15. B 21. A 27. D
4. D 10. A 16. B 22. D 28. B
5. D 11. D 17. B 23. D 29. C
6. B 12. D 18. D 24. A 30. C

PAPER 2

ESSAY WRITING
[30 MARKS]
PREAMBLE
1. There are three parts. Part A, B and C. Candidates are expected to answer three questions in all.
ONE question from PART A and Questions 4 & 5. If a candidate attempts more than one question
from PART A, mark BOTH and choose the best among the two.
2. The minimum length of each composition should be 250 words. Mark allocation should be
distributed as follows.
CONTENT – 10 marks
ORGANIZATION – 5 marks
EXPRESSION – 10 marks
MECHANICAL ACCURACY – 5 marks
3. If a candidate writes on a topic other than the one given, award zero for Content and mark
Expression out of 5. The allocations for Organization and Mechanical Accuracy remains
unchanged.
4. Each ring should attract a deduction of half a mark (½). Formal features of letters should have two
rings only counted against the marks for Mechanical Accuracy. Subsequent errors in the formal
features should be underlined only.
5. The candidate is expected to know the basic rules of English Language. These include concord:
subject – verb agreement, noun – pronoun agreement, etc, the use of capital letters and correct
spelling of words. The candidate should also be able to use determiners and prepositions correctly
and be capable of constructing sentences with all their vital components.
6. PENALIZE
i. Each grammatical error
ii. Wrong spelling – the wrong spelling of the same word should be penalized only once.
iii. Faulty construction
iv. Punctuation error and the wrong use of the capital or small letter.
7. Each of these errors should be ringed and half a mark deducted up to a total of 5 marks.
 COMPREHENSION
[30 MARKS]
a. The Princess [2 marks]
b. They are given out in marriage [2 marks]
c. i. He was pushed by someone [2 marks]
ii. Because the pool didn’t contain real crocodiles but toys [2 marks]
d. “Oh thank you God for pushing me into my glory!”. [2 marks]
e. No. Because she was the joy of the palace [2 marks]
f. i. Because they thought the pool contained real crocodiles [2 marks]
ii. they said the king is wicked [2 marks]
g. i. the kings pride [2 marks]
ii. final day [2 marks]
iii. at once, in no time [2 marks]
h. i. beautiful, stunning
ii. familiarly
iii. reached, got to
iv. forced
v. compete
vi. gathered, come together
vii. prospective
viii. announced, proclaimed [1 mark each]

LITERATURE
[10 MARKS]

a. 1st Woman and 2nd woman [1 mark]

b. Rhetorical question [1 mark]
c. Oxymoron [1 mark]
d. Barren
e. The rhyme scheme is aabb [1 mark]
f. The under privileged in society suffer unjust accusations from the privileged [1 mark]
g. Couplet [1 mark]
h. That Ama attended school was a waste of time [1 mark]
i. Because she thought that she should get married and deliver kids. [1 mark]
j. Simile [1 mark]