UNDERSTANDING

KUNZWISISA
UNDERSTANDING

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
MUTAURO

Study Pack Form 3 & 4

ENGLISHBHUKU
LANGUAGE

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 Table of Contents
Types of compositions ............................................................ 5
Narrative composition ............................................................. 5
Tips to consider when writing a narrative composition .......... 7
Discursive/argumentative composition ................................... 9
Descriptive compositions ...................................................... 12
Factual composition .............................................................. 13
Section B: Guided Composition (20 Marks)......................... 15
Letter writing ........................................................................ 20
Informal letter/ friendly letter ............................................... 20
Business/Formal letter writing .............................................. 23
Report writing ....................................................................... 25
Article ................................................................................... 27
Speech writing ...................................................................... 30
Memorandum ........................................................................ 33
Practice paper ........................................................................ 35
Gross Errors .......................................................................... 38
How to enrich one’s language ............................................... 45
Answering English Language Paper Two ............................. 56
Language Structures.............................................................. 78
Supporting Language Structures Section B: Paper 2 ............ 78
Types of pronouns................................................................. 82
Direct speech......................................................................... 88
Indirect speech or reported speech ........................................ 89

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 Homographs .......................................................................... 94
Homophones ......................................................................... 94
PRACTICE PAPER TWO .................................................. 101

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 TYPES OFCOMPOSITIONS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1

Language is the key component to Paper 1, that is, one

should be able to tell a good story in good English
Language.

Aspects to be covered -

1. Understanding composition topics

Narrative/descriptive/factual/discursive/argumentative

2. Gross errors

3. Strategies for essay writing

4. How to enrich one’s language

5. Paper two language structures

SECTION A

Types of compositions
Narrative composition
A narrative composition is that essay where a writer tells
a story. For storytelling to be on point, it is crucial that the
candidate reads, understands and interprets the topic

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 correctly so as to write a relevant piece of writing that
meets the demands of the question. Narrative essays
incorporate characterisation, atmosphere, suspense, pace,
setting and description in a well-controlled plot.
Candidates must create a story, be on the lookout for
grammatical errors and adhere to the past tense. It is
important for candidates to use words whose spelling and
meaning they know so as to avoid experimenting with
new words in the final examination. The essence of the
narrative composition is to tell a story (narrate), the use of
descriptive language will be an added advantage.

Aspects to be considered in the writing and assessment

of a narrative composition
Consistency with topic (relevance)
Linguistic ability-(i) grammatical accuracy (ii) richness of
language (iii) register (formality and informality)
Originality

Realism

Interest value

Characterisation

Pace

Atmosphere

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 Coherence

Paragraphing and punctuation

Length requirements

Tips to consider when writing a narrative composition

 Plan your work first. Organise your ideas logically
 While using direct speech is commendable, it is
wiser to use it cautiously to avoid punctuation
errors.
 Construct sentences of varied length and structure,
that is, there should be a mixture of simple,
compound and complex sentences.
 Language must be enhanced through the use of
idiomatic expressions, proverbs, imagery and
phrasal verbs.
 Numerical values must be written in words not
figures except for dates
 Rambling sentences must be avoided
 Draw the attention of the reader through enticing
introductions

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  Write high interest value narratives
 Avoid writing many characters in your story
 Use appropriate discourse markers and linking
devices
 Do not attempt answering topics that have words
or phrases that you do not understand
 End your essay by resolving a situation
satisfactorily and provide a definite conclusion.

Sample question
Write a story based on the following statement:
When she realised her money had gone down the drain,
she wept inconsolably.

The above question can be interpreted in two ways; literal

interpretation or metaphorical interpretation. If you write
a story about a woman who loses money to a business deal
gone wrong, your interpretation of the topic is
metaphorical. It is fully relevant and therefore acceptable.

If you decide to write a story about an incident in which

someone’s bag of money somehow slips and falls into a

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 drain, then that is literal interpretation of the topic and its
fully relevant and acceptable.

It is important for candidates to take note of the pronoun

that is used in the question and ensure that they create a
story that focuses on a female character if pronoun ‘she’
is used. Changing the pronoun that is in the question is
penalised. For example, it is not proper for you to write a
story about a male character whose money went down the
drain for the above question.

Discursive/argumentative composition
This is a two-sided composition and the candidate has to
carefully consider and weight each side of the topic
against the other. At the end, the candidate must be able
to come down with a convincing view point. This is a
fairly challenging task that calls for an ability to argue
persuasively and meaningfully on both sides of a topic.
Factual information is also called for in this type of
writing just like the case of factual compositions, if your
knowledge about the topic in question is no more than
fragmenting, it is highly recommended that you choose

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 other topics. Discursive essays are like a debate, where
you give different arguments about the same topic. They
investigate and analyse an argument by two or more
opposing perspectives. In discursive essays, you look at
both sides of the motion. You must be able to tell a fact
from a view. The opening sentence of a discursive
composition must clearly indicate that the question is
discursive. For example, Success depends on academic
qualifications. The opening sentence in the introduction
can be written as follows: The assertion that success
depends on academic qualification is exceedingly
debatable. Thereafter, make the side you are taking
known. Reinforce your perspective. Develop your views
in the body of the essay by citing evidence. In the
conclusion, remind the examiner that in spite of the
arguments highlighted by the opposite side, you maintain
your standpoint. Use discourse markers to come up with
coherent arguments. Remember the language of a
discursive essay is largely technical and formal.

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 EXAMPLES OF DISCURSIVE COMPOSITION
TOPICS

1. Modern technology has brought more harm than good.

Do you agree?
2. The death penalty must be abolished. What are your
views?
3. The paying of lobola must be abolished. Discuss.
4. Women are more responsible for the spread of
HIV/AIDS than men. Do you agree?
5. Should children choose what they want to learn at
school?
6. Men are better drivers than women. Discuss.

Tips to consider when writing good discursive essays

 Plan and structure your essay very carefully
 Introduction: introduces the topic and declares
your standpoint
 First paragraph: write the first argument that
supports the topic, state your facts and back them
up using concrete evidence

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  Second paragraph: present another argument that
supports the topic
 Third paragraph: present another argument that
supports the topic
 Fourth paragraph state an argument against the
topic
 Fifth paragraph: write an argument against the
topic
 Conclusion: summarises your point of view
 Use vivid examples from personal experience to
show what you mean where applicable

Descriptive compositions
This is where writers paint a literary picture using words
for the readers through sense of sight, taste, touch, smell
and hearing instead of telling them. It presents sensory
information that makes writing vivid. A descriptive
composition graphically brings out the characteristics of
something or someone. Descriptive essays have
sensitivity, atmosphere and observation. A candidate who
manages to use descriptive language in such a way that a

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 The paragraphs should be of reasonable length.

Do not write a signature.

No date is required

Always present your work in a logical manner.

Always provide plausible evidence and information when

supporting and expanding the points given in the essay
question.

Avoid giving contradictory evidence.

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 Speech writing
The speech is one form of a guided composition. It is
normally presented in a formal way. The speech is always
given to an audience at a gathering. The person giving a
speech always holds a certain position and the position is
stated in the question. He or she can be the head girl/head
boy or a representative of the audience. Remember, a
speech is meant to be addressed before a live audience
hence the language must also be appropriate for an
audience and should be conversational, that is, you should
write your speech the same way you speak. Imagine
yourself in front of the given audience.

Format
A suitable title is enough for the format, for example- The
cancer of truancy
That is if the speech is on problems associated with truant
behaviour of school children.

Introduction
Normally the introduction answers the following
questions:

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 1. In what capacity are you giving the speech? Are you
the head girl/head boy, perfect or a member of the
audience?

2. Who is your audience? Are you addressing an

honourable official or the public audience?

3. Be respectful and begin by using titles of honour and

respect e.g. Mr. Chairman, Secretary, ladies and
gentlemen, comrades and friends.

4. Follow the protocols of the audience; that is the line of

authority and status. Usually you start by addressing the
most important person at that meeting going downwards
to the lowest.

5. Express your pleasure to have the opportunity to speak.

In the introduction, you can use the acronym GASP

(greetings, acknowledgement of the audience, self-
introduction and purpose) to help you capture what needs
to be written.

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 For instance-

Good morning the Head, teachers, ladies and gentlemen,

boys and girls. As the head girl of Zhombe High School,
I’m honoured to educate you on the evils of truancy
amongst learners as well as giving suggestions and
recommendations that can be used to nip this cancer in the
bud before it is too late.

Body
Allude to what the audience already knows and proceed
to give your own views. Amplify all the given pegs and
add your own relevant material. Use simple straight
forward language. Avoid careless mistakes.
Conclusion

Suggest a way forward. End with closing remarks

persuading them to consider your recommendations. Give
a vote of thanks at the end.

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 -widespread unemployment
-lack of recreational facilities
-peer pressure
-lack of role models
-hope for the future [20]

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 Gross Errors
(Indicated by underlined word)

The following are fatal errors which the candidate should

avoid at all costs;

1. Spelling errors

2. Error of agreement e.g. He have a big house

3. Misuse of simple words e.g. Their is no food left.

4. Omission of basic words

5. Misuse of prepositions, pronouns and articles

6. Error of punctuation, especially one that affects

sentence boundaries

7. Ridiculous idiom (Direct translation of proverbs,

idioms, adages, etcetera from any other language into
English)

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 ACTIVITY

The following sentences have gross errors. Re-write the

sentences, getting rid of all the errors.

1.All his parents died when he was only two.

2.Raise up your hand if you know the answer.

3.We persuaded him to go but he didn’t.

4.They bought the meat irregardless of its prize.

5.The master of ceremony was late for the event.

6.Chipo got in hot soup for coming home in the middle of

the night.

7.The doctor operated the old woman at midnight.

8.The police accussed him for overspeeding and

overloading.

9.Try by all means to get there in time.

10.If it was you I would not have listened to such

nonsense.

11.Educating a boy is better than a girl.

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 12.He was always number one in class.

2. Strategies for writing a good narrative composition.

Candidates are rewarded for-

Originality

 Varied vocabulary and sentence structure

 Sensible and relevant responses in all their essays.
This means that candidates must ensure that their
compositions are consistent with the topic
 Properly done paragraphing and punctuation
 Linguistic ability is sought after in all types of
compositions. Candidates must display excellent
linguist ability. No matter how interesting a story
is, if it is not written in good English, it will not
get a pass mark. Thus focus is on grammatical
accuracy, richness of language and appropriate
register

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 -to be beaten blue –black

-to kill two birds with one stone

-to shed crocodile tears

-a hard nut to crack

-to skate on thin ice

-in a nutshell

-a storm in a teacup

-a wild-goose chase

-to build castles in the air

-to take a bull by its horns

-to move heaven and earth

-a black sheep

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 III. Use of complex prepositional phrases.

Examples-

On account of =because of

On condition that = if.eg.l will come on condition that you

provide the bus fare.

On no account = for reason

IV. Use of discourse markers.

These are words are phrases whose grammatical function
is to link ideas, so they enhance the smooth flow of ideas
or a story line in a piece of writing. In narrative
compositions, discourse markers show clearly the order in
factual and descriptive essays. They help to separate or
demarcate ideas.
Examples of discourse markers that can be used in
narrative compositions

Meanwhile,

Afterwards, At long last,

All of a sudden, Subsequently,

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 Opt for—choose

Own up—confess

Wade through –get to the end of something with difficulty

Walk out on—leave somebody angrily

Weed out –remove, get rid of

Zero in on—direct or focus attention on

Zip up –keep quiet

Zoom in on—focus more closely

VI. Use of similes

These are used to create vivid mental pictures.
For example:

-as poor as church mouse

-as slow as a tortoise.as fast as lightning

-as useful as a cow

-as scarce as a hen’s teeth

-as simple as ABC

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 -as loud as thunder

-as soft as a wool

-as dark as midnight

-as cold as ice

-as cool as a cucumber

VII. Use of metaphors

A metaphor is a direct comparison between two things
that are seemingly unrelated e.g.
John is a slow coach.

You are a baboon.

The way he eats, he is a real pig.

The man is a lion.

She is an angel.

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 Answering English Language Paper Two
The paper is divided into two sections, Section A and B.
The first section consists of comprehension questions as
well as the summary question.

COMPREHENSION (20 marks)

To comprehend is to read and understand. Comprehension
calls for location of details in a text as well as being able
to answer correctly. Candidates are also expected to
evaluate certain aspects or events in a passage. Basically,
comprehension questions call for reading and
understanding the passage as well as being able to answer
the questions based on that particular passage. What is
therefore required is to answer accordingly. There are
different types of questions that are asked in the English
Language paper 2 and each type is going to be discussed
in detail.

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 1. Factual Questions
Just like the name suggests, candidates are required look
for facts in the passage. Facts are simply stated in a
passage so candidates can lift the answer directly from the
passage. Factual questions are mostly simple recall
questions whereby learners can simply recall and locate
stated information .The key questioning words in factual
questions are:
-What/How
-State
-Quote

What/How Questions
These are found in almost every comprehension passage.
Learners should first read the reference paragraph and
understand the general idea. After that, they should try to
locate the answer in the stated paragraph. Normally, the
answer will be a direct lift from the passage hence these
are called factual since the answer will be readily
available in the passage.
Example
From paragraph 1
(a)What was Jan waiting for?
This is a straightforward factual question which simply
requires one to revisit the passage and directly lift the

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 answer from the passage since the answer is clearly
stated.......for her mother to fetch her.

From paragraph 6
(b) How did they hear that there was an accident?
There is no need to reason here but to just refer to the
passage and lift the answer which is readily provided. A
sharp blast from a hooter squeal of brakes and a dull
thud.
State
This is also another example of how factual questions are
asked. To state is to simply take information that is
readily available. Here, learners should use their simple
recall of facts or the information from the passage.
Learners should visit the reference paragraph in order to
identify the answer in relation to the question.

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 Example
From paragraph 3
State what Jan liked about Peter's hair.
It is clearly mentioned in the passage that she liked ... the
curls... so that is also a direct lift from the passage.

Quote
This is the third example which falls within the factual
questions category. Quoting means taking it as it is
meaning that the learner has to take the facts as they are
from the given passage. The question on quoting usually
requires one to extract a phrase or consecutive words.
-Consecutive words -these are words which come one
after the other.
-Phrase - a group of words with a meaning.
All these come up to one thing that is quoting. Learners
should also refer to the reference paragraph and try to
locate either a phrase or consecutive words since these
will also be readily available. For a phrase, learners should
make sure that the words are meaningful. For consecutive
words, in most cases, there will be a word limit so that
limit should be adhered to. If the question says three
consecutive words it has to be observed, nothing more
nothing less.

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 Example
From paragraph 1
Quote a phrase of five consecutive words which shows
that there were many students at the gate.
The answer is....hundreds of bodies poured in.
Stick to the number of words ...do not add and do not
subtract as well.

CLUE
For all the factual questions the clue is to identify similar
words from the passage and those in the question. If the
key words in the question are similar to those in the
reference paragraph as well as reference line, read around
that area in order to locate the answer.

2. Inference Questions
These questions do not have clearly stated answers. These
questions require one to read 'between the lines' meaning
that one has to read closely and understand every detail in
the passage. Here, the learner should use the given
information in order to locate the answer. When
information is not clearly presented, the learner has to
infer by using the available information. In this category,
there are two main types of questions which are:
-Own word questions
-Simple inference

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 Own word questions
As explained above, this is a type of inference questions
whereby a learner is asked a question then an instruction
to give the answer using own words follows. The answers
can come in the form of
-Figurative
-Simple recast
-Implicitly stated (unclear)
Figurative
The figurative language in a text can be in form of similes,
idioms or idiophones. If the answer in the passage has a
hidden meaning like this, firstly, the learner has to
understand what the figurative language means. In this
situation, a learner has to first comprehend the figurative
language and know what it literally means. After that
understanding of the literal meaning, its key parts should
then be identified. In the literal meaning, one should then
find synonyms of the key parts of an answer. Those
synonyms qualify to be own words.

Example
From paragraph 7
Jan was disturbed by the sounds produced as the accident
occurred. Support this statement and give your answer
using your own words.
From the passage, it is stated that she was ....completely
white ...and this is figurative form so a learner has to infer
the meaning in relation to events which were taking place

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 thereby substituting completely white by ...... utterly
shocked.
Simple Recast
Like the name suggests, here it is a bit easy in that the
question will be clear. In this scenario, the words to be
recast will be clearly given. The words may be underlined,
put in bold or simply stated. This makes it easier for the
learner to use own words since the only task will be to
look for synonyms again.

Example
From paragraph 14
Peter stepped forward for a moment and retrieved their
crumpled and dusty blazers. Use your own words to
explain how the blazers looked like taking note of the
underlined words.
Focus should therefore be on finding synonyms of
crumpled and these are words such as creased and those
for dusty are dirty or soiled.

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 Giving Reasons
Questions whereby one is asked to come up with a reason
or give a reason also fall in the inference category. The
key questioning words are:
-Suggest/give reasons
-Why
-Explain
The required answers may either be clearly stated in the
text or there may be textual clues which lead to the
answer. If the reasons are clearly stated in the reference
paragraph, then select the part which answers the
question. If they are not given, use the clues in the text to
give the intended answer since the answer will not be
readily available. If there is need to give an explanation as
the answer, do so using textual clues. The explanations
should be clear and should also be answering the question.
Be straight to the point.
Example 1
From paragraph 16
'She felt giddy all of a sudden...' Suggest two reasons why
Jan felt this way.
Here, the answer is not readily available from the passage
meaning that inference and textual clues should help in
identifying the answers. From the previous events in the
passage, it can be noticed that the accident had an effect
on Jan .She got completely confused, disturbed and
everything happened so fast. These therefore are the

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 textual clues that can assist in finding out why Jane felt
very dizzy and became giddy. The correct answers are:
1. She had been disturbed by the accident.
2. She had worked extremely hard to assist the girl
within a short time.

Example 2
From paragraph 15
The answer can also be clearly stated in the passage.
Why was Helen looking for Jan?
In this case, the reason is clearly stated so the learner just
picks the answer...
She wanted to deliver a message from Jan’s mother.
CLUE
-Identify the answer if it is clearly stated.
-Do not use excess information.
- Check the mark allocation so as to know the number of
answers that one is supposed to give and if more than one
reason. Number them separately.
-If the answer is not clearly stated, the learner should use
textual clues to get the answer.

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 3. Deductive Questions
These call for the learner to deduce the meaning.
Vocabulary questions fall under this category. These
vocabulary questions are tested in two ways. A learner
may be asked to either:
(a) Give a word from the passage which has the same
meaning with a given word or (b) the question can simply
ask the learner to give word meanings.
In (a) above, learners should read the reference paragraph
and understand in order to come up with correct answers.
Another issue is that the learner should read widely so as
to be able to pick words with similar meanings. An
example of this question is:
Give a word in paragraph 1 which means the same as old.
A learner should know what old means as well as other
words which mean the same as old or in other words
synonyms of the word old and automatically words such
as ancient will be correct.
Vocabulary questions also require one to read and
understand the reference paragraph and to get a general
idea of what is being presented so as to be able to come
up with the meanings.
In (b), the vocabulary question is very clear as a list of
words is provided and the learner selects according to
instructions and gives word meanings. Learners are
supposed to follow the instructions on the number of
words to choose as well as the instruction on how to
answer the vocabulary question. The answer may be

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 5. Summary (20 marks)

To summarise is to write in brief without altering the

meaning in the passage. The summary question tests a
learner's ability to comprehend and being able to select the
main ideas in a passage. The gist of the summary is being
able to select the appropriate and relevant information that
is supposed to answer the question. The English Language
summary does not ask the learner to summarise the whole
story, instead certain aspects of the passage are tested.
Among some of the items tested are problems, solutions,
actions, reactions, advantages disadvantages and many
others. This means that one has to be able to read and
understand in order to locate answers.

Steps
When given a summary question, a learner has to:
-Read and understand the demands of the question
-Identify the key words in the question by taking note of
the question requirements since that will be the area of
focus (These might be actions, feelings or thoughts
depending on the question).
-Take note of the question's boundaries since that is where
the points or information that answers the question will be
obtained from. (The instruction will direct the learner to
the paragraphs where relevant points are found for
example; from paragraph 11 to the end of paragraph 13.)
This means that anything outside these boundaries is
irrelevant and does not answer the question.

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 -The learner is given the first ten words to begin the
summary with, so s/he should be able to link the first ten
words to the first summary point.
-Start selecting the relevant points.
-Know your role in that summary and this will only be
established by looking at the first ten words. A summary
question may ask one to imagine being the writer and in
this case, the first person narrative I can be used.
If one is reporting on something, then the narrative
approach of using the third person narrative can be used.
-The opening words of a summary guide one on the
correct pronoun to use
-Select a lot of relevant points, seventeen being the
minimum
-Join the relevant points to make a long continuous
paragraph
-The best way of joining these points is by using a comma
or the conjunction and
-Make sure you use the correct agent or subject since this
is very important
-If the points are in the passive voice, make sure that they
are changed to the active voice so that the action becomes
clear
-Make sure that points are joined in correct English,
adhering to all grammatical rules as not observing these
may result in loss of marks
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 -Make sure that the stipulated number of words in the
summary answer is adhered to and in most cases it is 160
words including the first 10 words, meaning that the
learner has to add 150 words ( always read the instruction
on number of words)
-Text lift the points and avoid the use of flowery language
-Focus only on what you have been asked to summarise
on
-Avoid the use of initial adverbs as they add more words
to the summary and may lead to punctuation errors (many
learners forget to put a comma after an initial adverb and
this is a grammatical error which may result in loss of
marks)
-Avoid the use of pronouns, instead make use of the real
agent/name
-If all these pointers are taken into consideration, then a
very good summary will be produced.
Example
Summary Question 3
Part of the passage describes how Jan and Peter assisted a
young girl who had been hit by a car. Write a summary on
what Jan and Peter did to help the girl from the time they
decided to assist her until the time when the ambulance
arrived. Your summary should have 160 words including
the ten words given below. Use material from paragraph
8 to the end of paragraph 11.

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 marks. In this case, the agent shifts from Jan to Peter so
the learner should also be very careful.
Model of joining points 5-12
Jan riffled through the case, found her tennis skirt and
ripped open the tennis skirt at the seam. She made a long
stretch of white cloth and handed the cloth to Peter. Peter
hastily wrapped the cloth around the leg of the little body.
Jan cleared the crowd of people around and ordered them
to get out of the way and off the road.

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 Language Structures
Supporting Language Structures Section B: Paper 2
QUESTION 4
The question will be based on the comprehension passage
given. The following points should be noted on this
section:
a) Take note of the instructions given on each
question. e.g. If asked to write the answer only
one needs to just do that.

The whole answer should be correctly constructed in

terms of spelling, punctuation and grammar
It is therefore advisable for candidates to work and
understand the language concepts. This chapter will deal
with the major language concepts since language is very
broad.

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 The following are the major components covered
The parts of speech
You need to understand the following basic parts
of speech. The candidate should be able to: define
them, identify them and construct sentences using
these.

1.The following are the parts of speech

A. Nouns
B. Pronouns
C. Verbs
D. Adjectives
E. Adverbs
F. Prepositions
G. Conjunctions
H. Articles

2 phrases
3 punctuation
4 direct and indirect speech
5 commonly misspelt words
6 types of sentences

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 Types of pronouns.
1. Personal pronouns: They change depending on
whether they are males, females or objects.
e.g. I like oranges.
They sing every Sunday in church.
He/ She enjoys swimming.
2. Relative pronouns: These are used to join clauses
in sentences. (That, which, what) are used when
talking about things. E. g The book which was on
the table belongs to Simon.

(Who, whose, whom) are used when referring to

people. E.g. The boy who stole the mangoes is
my neighbour.

3. Possessive pronouns: From the word possess it

means ownership. e.g. This book in mine. Hers
is in the satchel.
4. Reflexive pronouns: These are used if the subject
and the object are the same. e. g I like myself for
being loving. They end with ‘-self’ or ‘-selves.

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 3. Adjectives
These are descriptive words. They tell us more about the
noun. e. g small, beautiful, blue, four-sided, etc
The order of adjectives when used in a sentence:

1.opinion

2.size

3. physical quality

4. shape

5. age

6. colour

7. origin

8. material

9. type or pattern

10. purpose

e.g The tall, beautiful, young, African lady is Christine.

They can be used to compare things. e ,g This building is

the most beautiful of them all.

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 So we have comparative adjectives e .g Getty is taller
than Chichi.

Then superlative adjectives. e. g She is the tallest in class.

4. Adverbs
These tell us where, when and how an action is performed.

a) Adverb of time. (when) e. g The bus will arrive

soon to town.
b) Adverb of place (where) e.g. Tariro arrived at
home early.
c) Adverb of manner (how) e.g. He wrote the work
quickly.

Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.

e.g. happy – happily

slow - slowly

quiet - quietly

They also have comparative and superlative forms

e.g. badly - worse - the worst

slowly - more slowly - most slowly

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 8. Direct and indirect speech

Direct speech
These are the exact words said by someone. We use
opening and closing inverted commas and the exact words
spoken

E.g. “I like playing tennis” Tanaka said.

A comma, question mark, an exclamation mark follows

after the exact words then close with a .closing inverted
commas.

1. In a sentence where the words of the speaker are

interrupted by the speaker, place a comma then
on the continued spoken words begin with a
small letter
2. E.g. “We had to go to the school by bus,’
the boys said, “but we have to be at the station
early.”
3. If a speaker is mentioned before the exact words,
then the direct words should begin with a capital
letter and a comma must be placed before the
words spoken

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 9. Punctuation marks

Capital letter G Used at the beginning of a

sentence e.g. Go
On proper nouns (specific
nouns) e.g. Kariba, Heritage
Studies, Zimbabwe
Comma , a small interval that has a
pause effect in a sentence.
E.g At this point, he
surrendered the gun to the
police officer.
Also used when listing items
E.g. I like oranges, bananas,
mangoes grapes and
pineapples
On short sentences with the
same subject
E.g. Our class monitor, John
is very strict

Semi colon ; To separate items on a list

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 E.g. I love playing
basketball; swimming
during summer
To emphasize an idea
E.g. He was making noise;
and I was blamed

Colon : To introduce a list of items

When going to the village
carry the following items:
the bucket, torch, tomatoes
and candles
To join sentences which are
opposite in meaning without
using a conjunction

Exclamation ! To show a strong a feeling

or shock
E.g. Phew! I almost died
Oh no!
Stop it!

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 Opening and “it” On exact words said by
closing inverted someone
commas E.g. ‘I would like to pay you
a visit’, said Uncle Peter.

Ellipsis … Some words are missing

E.g. when quoting a phrase
or word
… sitting alone…

Full stop . A dot placed at the end of a

declarative sentence to
indicate the end. For
example: The cat ate its
default-language-classes-for-english-2.webp
food. It is also used in
abbreviations. For example:
U.N.I.C.E.F, Z.R.P, W.H.O

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 10. Anagrams
Words or phrases that are made by rearranging letters to
refer to other words
E.g. mug-gum

stop-tops

last-salt

Homographs
Words that are spelt the same but with different meanings
Rose-a beautiful flower/past tense of rise
Grave- a burial site/ a serious condition or situation
Boot – a shoe / of a car

Homophones
They have the same sound but have different meanings
and are spelt differently
Sheep-an animal
Ship-mode of water transport

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 12. Types of verb tenses

1. Present tenses

Something that happens normally / regularly

E.g. I brush my teeth every day.

2. Simple past tense

What has already happened

Regular verbs-add (-ed) e.g. rob - robbed

Irregular verbs e.g. choose – chose

3. Future tense

That will happen later

E.g. I will be going home after school.

4. Present perfect

We have lessons today.

She/He has a lessons today.

5 Past perfect

We had lessons today.

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 They had lessons today.

6 Future perfect

The will have had lessons.

I will have eaten.

7 Present continuous

I am eating.

He /She is eating.

They are eating.

8 Past continuous

He was eating.

They were eating.

He/ She was eating.

13. Prefixes and suffixes

Prefixes are letters which are used before a word
to form another word. This formed word can be
the opposite of the given word.
e.g. polite im- impolite

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 obedient dis- disobedient
Suffixes are letters used at the end of the word to
form another word.
e. g taste -less tasteless
taste -ful tasteful
host -age hostage

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 14. Commonly misspelt words
Correct Word Wrong Word Correct Word Wrong Word
1. privilege priviledge 26. sympathy Symparthy

2. university univesity 27. classmate Classmmate

3. umbrella umbrela 28. possession Posesion

4. mischievous mischeivous 29.disappointment dissappointment

5. envelope envelop 30. beautiful Beautifull

6. writing writting 31. quarter Qauter

7. argument arguement 32. gruesome Grruesome

8. pronounciation 33. impressive Immpressive

pronunciation

9. 34. conserve Conseve

accommodation acomodation

10. harass harrass 35. platform Plattform

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 11. receive recieve 36. knowledge Knowlledge

12. believe beleive 37. bizarre Bizarrie

13. respectful respectfull 38. night Nihgt

14. agreeable agreeble 39. paediatrician padiatrician

15.separate seperate 40. dietician Dietican

16. centre cente 41. field Feild

17.environment enviroment 42. blizzard Bllizzard

18. exaggerate exagerate 43. installed Instolled

19.hygiene hygeine 44. supermarket Supemaket

20.forty fourty 45. syndrome Syndromme

21. beginning begginning 46. abstinence abstainance

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 22.forgiveness fogiveness 47. Wednesday Wenesday

23.occasion occassion 48. Christmas Christimas

24.excitement excitment 49. relevant Rellevant

25. government goverment 50.business Bussiness

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 attempted without grave danger to the beaters. As
soon as he found he was being driven towards the
open, the leopard would have broken back and
attacked anyone in his way.

3 On my return to the village after my unsuccessful

attempt to get a shot at the leopard, I went down
with a bad attack of malaria and for the next
twenty –four hours I lay in a stupor. By evening
of the following day, the fever had left me and I
was able to continue the hunt. On their own
initiative, the previous night, the men had tied
out the second goat where the first had been killed
but the leopard had not touched it. That was all
too good, for the leopard would now be hungry,
and I set out on that third evening full of hope.

4 On the near side of the patch of the thicket, there

was an old oak tree. That tree was growing out of
a two metre bank between two terraced fields

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 and was leaning away from the hill at an angle
that made it possible for me to walk up the trunk
in my rubber-soled shoes. On the underside of the
trunk and about five metres from the ground,
there was a branch jutting out over the lower
field. That branch, which was about half a metre
thick, was hollow and rotten. However, as it was
the only branch on the tree, and as there were no
other trees within a radius of several hundred
metres, I decided to risk sitting on it.

5 As I had every reason to believe that the leopard

I was dealing with was the Panar man-eater, I
made the men cut a number of long black thorn
shoots. After I had taken my seat with my back to
the tree and my legs stretched out along the
branch made the men tie the shoots into bundles,
lay them on the trunk of the tree and lash them to
it securely with a rope. To the efficient execution
of those small details, I am convinced I owe my
life.

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 6 Several of the black thorn shoots, which were
from ten to twenty metres long, projected on
either side of the tree. As I had nothing to hold
onto to maintain my balance, I gathered the
shoots on either side of me and held them firmly
between my arms and my body. By five o’clock,
my preparations were complete and I was firmly
seated on the branch. The goat was tied to a stake
in the field, thirty metres in front of me, and the
men were sitting out in the field smoking and
talking loudly.

7 Up to that point, all had been quiet in the patch

of brush. Then a babbler gave its piercing alarm
call, followed a minute or two later by the
chattering of several white throated laughing
thrushes. Those two species of birds are the most
reliable informants in the hills, and on hearing
them I signalled to the men to return to the
village. That they appeared very glad to do, and
as they walked away, still talking loudly, the goat
started bleating. Nothing happened for the next

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 half hour and then, as the sun was fading off the
hill, above the village, two drongos that had been
sitting on the tree above me flew and started to
bait some animal on the open ground between me
and the thicket. The goat, while calling, had been
facing in the direction of the village, and it now
turned round facing me and stopped calling. By
watching the goat, I could follow the movements
of the animal that he was interested in and that
animal could only be the leopard.

8 Again, nothing happened for many minutes and

then I felt a gentle pull on the blackthorn shoots
I was holding onto and blessed my forethought in
having had the shoots tied to the leaning tree for
I could not turn around to defend myself. There
was no question then that I was dealing with a
man-eater and a very determined man-eater at
that. Finding that he could not climb over the
thorns, the leopard, after his initial pull, had then
got the butt ends of the shoot between his was

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 11 For ten or fifteen minutes, I listened anxiously for
further sounds from the leopard and then
95 the men called out and asked if they could
come to me. It was quite safe for them to do so,
provided they kept to the high ground. I therefore
told them to light the pine torches and come.
12 After a lot of shouting and running about, some
twenty men, each carrying a torch, left the
village. Following my instruction, they circled
round above the terraced fields and approached
the tree from behind. The knots in the ropes
securing the black thorn shoots to the tree had
been pulled so tightly by the leopard that they had
to be cut. After the thorns had been removed, the
men climbed up the tree and helped me down.

Adapted from: Men eater by Jim Corbet (1947) in the Man

Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, Oxford University Press,
London.

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 Answer all questions

Paragraph 1

1(a) (i) What prevented the writer from stalking the

leopard?

…………………………………………………………
………………………………….(1)

(ii) Why is a noiseless approach necessary when stalking

an animal?

…………………………………………………………
………………………………….(1)

(iii) What would have been the writer’s purpose for sitting
over the remains of the goat?

…………………………………………………………
…………………………………(1)

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 Paragraph 2

(b)(i) Why was the leopard not leaving its cover at this
time of the day? (Refer also to paragraph 9)

…………………………………………………………
…………………………………….(1)

(ii) How were the various birds able to help the writer as
he stalked the leopard?

…………………………………………………………
……………………………………(1)

Paragraph 3

(c) (i) In your own words describe the writer’s condition

after a malaria attack that prevented him from going to
shoot the leopard.

………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………
……… (2)

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 (ii) What made the writer hopeful when he set out on the
third evening?

…………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
………………………. (2)

Paragraph 4

(d) What danger did sitting on the branch pose for

the writer?
………………………………………………
…………………………………. (1)

Paragraph 5
2 (a) ( i) Give a reason why the writer took all
the precautions.
………………………………………………
………………………………….(1)
(ii) What effects did the precautions have?
………………………………………………
…………………………………..(1)

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 After the writer had waited for long, the first action…(20)

SUPPORTING LANGUAGE STRUCTURES

(10marks)

Answer ALL the questions given below. You are

recommended to answer them in the order set.

1. Identify the opposite of the parts of speech of the words

in bold. Write the answer only.

a) Jan stood under the huge old Msasa tree outside the
school gate.

b) Peter quickly moved across the road towards the scene.

2. Identify any misspelt words from the sentences given

below and correct them. Write the answer only.

a) The Headmistress huried across to Jan and Peter to

check on what had happened.

b) Peter was embarrassed by the girl’s torch and he swifty

moved away.

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 (ii) OWN WORDS ‘…description of the two types of
birds…’
ACCEPT: Recast of “reliable informants”
Reliable: dependable/ faithful/
trustworthy/ unfailing/ tried and tested/
regular/tried and true/ consistent/ fail proof/
failsafe
Informants: suppliers/ givers of news//
communicators// those who put you in
the picture// those who notify// notifiers//
reporters/ announcers// Birds that alert/ warn
something or someone (in the woods) [1]
N.B.: Dependable suppliers [2]
Faithful givers of news [2] etc
GIVE 0 FOR: spies/ sellouts

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 2 (c)

Word Accept Mark Zero

1. consult (l. Enquire// inquire// Seek (alone)

6) get advice//ask (for
advice)// confer 1
with// discuss// talk
about// talk to//
compare notes
with// exchange
observations/views/
/ seek advice/
counsel// solicit for
information// talk
over with//
deliberate
2. initiative Self-motivation// Creativity//
(l. 26) drive// enterprise// imagination//
personal/ own 1 inventiveness//
responsibility//dyna innovativeness
mism//push//
resourcefulness//
independently//unai
ded// unprompted
3. terraced Layered// having
(l. 31) different layers/ 1
levels// having
(wide steps) levels/
series of
levels//having
different tiers// with

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 stages// platformed//
tiered
4. jutting Projecting// Pointing
out (l. 34) protruding// sticking 1 outwards//
(out)// extending// sloping//
shooting (out)// leaning over//
overhanging// poke//
stretching// butting growing
(out)// jutting (out) out//pointing
out
5. execution Doing// carrying Fulfillment//di
(l. 42) out// putting/ put spatch//
into effect// 1 application
performance//
accomplishment//
administration//
discharge//
enacting//
enforcement//
prosecution//
finishing//implemen
ting// completion//
undertaking//
putting into practice
6. maintain Keep// retain// Provide for//
(l.45) sustain// uphold// 1 secure//
support// continue// perpetuate
prolong (0N)
7. piercing Sharp// shrill// Loud (0N)//
(l. 52) penetrating// ear- 1 ringing// high
splitting// high- sound
pitched// shattering//

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 12. 83-84 The writer felt sure that the leopard could
unseat him/ that if the leopard sprang up he would only
need to touch him to send him crashing to the ground.
[1]
13.85-86 The leopard jumped down on the high bank.
[1]
14.86 The leopard dashed towards the goat. [1]
15. 89 The leopard attacked the goat. [1]
16. 90 The writer waited. [1]
17. 91 The writer took aim at the leopard/ at where he thought
the leopard would be. [1]
18. 92 The writer pressed the trigger/ fired at the leopard.
[1]
19. 92 The leopard grunted angrily. [1]
20. 93 The leopard went over backwards. [1]
21. 93-94 The leopard disappeared down another high
bank. [1]

LANGUAGE STRUCURES
1a) ACCEPT small/tiny
b) ACCEPT slowly

2a) ACCEPT hurried

b) ACCEPT swiftly

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