Examination on English Language Studies
Class: JSS 3
Term: Second Term
Time: 1 Hour
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: READING COMPREHENSION
The dusty road leading to Ogbomosho village had been a source of much frustration for its inhabitants. During the rainy season, it became a muddy swamp, making transportation of farm produce to the market nearly impossible. Children often missed school because the path was impassable. For years, the community leaders had appealed to the local government for assistance, but their pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears.

One evening, a group of energetic young people, led by a recent university graduate named Emeka, decided they could no longer wait. Emeka, inspired by a civic education lecture, proposed a community self-help project. He rallied his peers, explaining that collective effort could bring about change, even without immediate government intervention. They organized meetings, mobilised resources, and sought advice from elders.

The initial days were tough. Many doubted their resolve, predicting failure. However, Emeka and his team worked tirelessly, clearing bushes, digging trenches for drainage, and sourcing laterite from a nearby quarry. Gradually, more villagers joined, seeing the dedication of the youth. Women brought food and water, while men contributed their labour and tools. The spirit of ‘harambee’ (pulling together) filled the air. After several weeks of relentless effort, a durable, all-weather road emerged, a testament to their unwavering spirit and unity. The new road not only eased transportation but also brought a renewed sense of pride and possibility to Ogbomosho.

Answer questions 1–10 based on the passage.

Answer all questions.

1. What was the main problem faced by the inhabitants of Ogbomosho village? (a) Lack of schools (b) A bad road (c) No market (d) Lazy youth
2. The phrase “their pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears” in paragraph one means the community leaders’ appeals were (a) ignored (b) heard clearly (c) quickly granted (d) misunderstood
3. Who initiated the community self-help project? (a) The community leaders (b) A group of women (c) Emeka and his peers (d) The local government
4. An example of a challenge faced by the youth at the beginning of the project was (a) lack of food (b) scepticism from others (c) no tools (d) heavy rainfall
5. Which of the following describes the spirit of ‘harambee’ as used in the passage? (a) Waiting for government aid (b) Individual effort (c) Collective self-help (d) Complaining bitterly
6. The main reason for the children missing school was (a) their parents’ farm work (b) the impassable road (c) lack of teachers (d) long distance
7. The new road brought a renewed sense of ________ to Ogbomosho. (a) sorrow and regret (b) pride and possibility (c) anger and frustration (d) isolation and despair
8. The word “mobilised” in paragraph two is nearest in meaning to (a) wasted (b) gathered (c) hid (d) ignored
9. Which of these is NOT a direct benefit of the new road mentioned in the passage? (a) Eased transportation (b) Increased government funding (c) Renewed community pride (d) Improved access to market
10. The correct form of the word describing Emeka’s action to gather his peers is (a) rallied (b) rally (c) rallies (d) rallying

LISTENING AND SPEAKING
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11. Choose the word that has a different vowel sound from the others. (a) Beat (b) Sit (c) Heat (d) Feet
12. Which of the following words has the long /i:/ sound? (a) Ship (b) Fill (c) Sheep (d) Bit
13. Identify the word with the diphthong /ei/. (a) Bread (b) Said (c) Play (d) Head
14. Which of these words has the consonant cluster /sk/ at the beginning? (a) Ask (b) Desk (c) Skip (d) Mask
15. The word “photo” is correctly stressed on the ________ syllable. (a) first (b) second (c) third (d) last
16. Choose the word that completes the sentence with the correct question tag: “You are coming to the party, ________?” (a) are you (b) aren’t you (c) isn’t it (d) do you
17. The correct intonation for a command like “Close the door!” typically (a) rises (b) falls (c) stays level (d) varies
18. Which of these sentences contains a weak form of “and”? (a) John and Mary (b) He is good and kind (c) They went and came back (d) She ate an apple and a banana
19. Identify the word with the short /æ/ sound. (a) Car (b) Cat (c) Far (d) Part
20. The word “measure” contains the consonant sound (a) /s/ (b) /z/ (c) /ʃ/ (d) /ʒ/

GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY
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21. My brother ________ to Lagos last week. (a) go (b) goes (c) went (d) gone
22. The boy ran ________ to catch the ball. (a) quick (b) quickly (c) quicker (d) quickest
23. An example of an adverb of purpose is found in (a) He ate slowly (b) She left to buy food (c) They arrived yesterday (d) I often visit
24. Which of the following sentences uses the present perfect tense correctly? (a) I have seen him yesterday (b) I have seen him often (c) I saw him now (d) I am seeing him tomorrow
25. The correct form of the verb in “If he ________ hard, he will pass” is (a) work (b) works (c) worked (d) working
26. Choose the word nearest in meaning to “ancient”. (a) Modern (b) Old (c) New (d) Fresh
27. The main reason for using modifiers is to (a) replace verbs (b) add detail to nouns and verbs (c) join sentences (d) show emotion
28. All of these are conjunctions except ________. (a) but (b) because (c) in (d) although
29. Which is NOT a modal verb? (a) Can (b) Will (c) Must (d) Runs
30. The word “beautiful” is an example of an (a) adverb (b) adjective (c) noun (d) verb
31. The correct preposition in “She is good ________ mathematics” is (a) at (b) in (c) on (d) for
32. Which of these sentences shows an adverbial of frequency? (a) He studies diligently (b) They go to church every Sunday (c) She lives there (d) He woke up early
33. The opposite in meaning to “optimistic” is (a) hopeful (b) positive (c) pessimistic (d) cheerful
34. The correct form of the word “educate” with a suffix to mean a person is (a) educater (b) education (c) educator (d) educatable
35. The sentence “She ________ help you if you ask nicely” expresses willingness. (a) must (b) should (c) will (d) might
36. Fill in the blank with the correct interjection: “________! That was a close call.” (a) Oh (b) Hurray (c) Alas (d) Wow
37. Identify the adverb in the sentence: “The old man walked slowly across the busy street.” (a) old (b) man (c) slowly (d) busy
38. The children ________ playing in the park when it started raining. (a) are (b) was (c) were (d) is
39. The correct form of the word “happy” with a suffix to mean a state is (a) happier (b) happiest (c) happily (d) happiness
40. My mother ________ me to tidy my room. (a) asked (b) asking (c) asks (d) has asked

WRITING
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41. Which of the following is a characteristic of an informal letter? (a) Formal salutation (b) Writer’s address only (c) Casual language (d) Official closing
42. An example of a topic sentence in a paragraph is one that (a) concludes the paragraph (b) introduces the main idea (c) provides supporting details (d) asks a question
43. The main idea of a passage is (a) a minor detail (b) the central point (c) a concluding statement (d) an example
44. When writing a summary, it is important to (a) include every detail (b) use your own words (c) add personal opinions (d) make it longer than the original
45. The ________ is called the introductory paragraph in a composition. (a) conclusion (b) body (c) opening (d) summary

LITERATURE
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46. Which of the following elements refers to the sequence of events in a story? (a) Theme (b) Character (c) Plot (d) Setting
47. The central message or idea conveyed in a literary work is known as its (a) plot (b) theme (c) mood (d) tone
48. An example of a literary device where non-human things are given human qualities is (a) simile (b) metaphor (c) personification (d) imagery
49. The feeling or atmosphere created in a literary work is referred to as the (a) tone (b) character (c) mood (d) symbolism
50. Which of these is NOT a typical element of characterization? (a) Dialogue (b) Physical description (c) Narrator’s comments (d) Plot twist

SECTION B: WRITING
Instruction: Answer ONE question only.

1. Write a descriptive essay on “My Favourite Market Day”.
2. Write an argumentative essay supporting the motion: “Social Media Does More Harm Than Good to Teenagers”.
3. Write an informal letter to your younger sibling, advising them on how to prepare for their upcoming junior WAEC examination.

OBJECTIVE MARKING SCHEME
Question 1 – ✅ (b) A bad road
Question 2 – ✅ (a) ignored
Question 3 – ✅ (c) Emeka and his peers
Question 4 – ✅ (b) scepticism from others
Question 5 – ✅ (c) Collective self-help
Question 6 – ✅ (b) the impassable road
Question 7 – ✅ (b) pride and possibility
Question 8 – ✅ (b) gathered
Question 9 – ✅ (b) Increased government funding
Question 10 – ✅ (a) rallied
Question 11 – ✅ (b) Sit
Question 12 – ✅ (c) Sheep
Question 13 – ✅ (c) Play
Question 14 – ✅ (c) Skip
Question 15 – ✅ (a) first
Question 16 – ✅ (b) aren’t you
Question 17 – ✅ (b) falls
Question 18 – ✅ (a) John and Mary
Question 19 – ✅ (b) Cat
Question 20 – ✅ (d) /ʒ/
Question 21 – ✅ (c) went
Question 22 – ✅ (b) quickly
Question 23 – ✅ (b) She left to buy food
Question 24 – ✅ (b) I have seen him often
Question 25 – ✅ (b) works
Question 26 – ✅ (b) Old
Question 27 – ✅ (b) add detail to nouns and verbs
Question 28 – ✅ (c) in
Question 29 – ✅ (d) Runs
Question 30 – ✅ (b) adjective
Question 31 – ✅ (a) at
Question 32 – ✅ (b) They go to church every Sunday
Question 33 – ✅ (c) pessimistic
Question 34 – ✅ (c) educator
Question 35 – ✅ (c) will
Question 36 – ✅ (d) Wow
Question 37 – ✅ (c) slowly
Question 38 – ✅ (c) were
Question 39 – ✅ (d) happiness
Question 40 – ✅ (a) asked
Question 41 – ✅ (c) Casual language
Question 42 – ✅ (b) introduces the main idea
Question 43 – ✅ (b) the central point
Question 44 – ✅ (b) use your own words
Question 45 – ✅ (c) opening
Question 46 – ✅ (c) Plot
Question 47 – ✅ (b) theme
Question 48 – ✅ (c) personification
Question 49 – ✅ (c) mood
Question 50 – ✅ (d) Plot twist