Examination on English Language Studies
Class: JSS 2
Term: Third Term
Time: 1 Hour
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (50 Marks)

READING COMPREHENSION
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The bustling market in Jide’s village was a symphony of sounds and colours. Early every Saturday, traders arrived from far and near, their vehicles loaded with fresh produce, vibrant fabrics, and handcrafted goods. Mama Bisi, known for her delicious akara, always had the longest queue, her frying pan sizzling rhythmically. Children darted through the narrow aisles, laughing as they helped their parents carry purchases, their small hands clutching bags of groundnuts or ripe mangoes. The air was thick with the aroma of spices, roasted corn, and freshly baked bread, mingling with the chatter of buyers and sellers. Jide loved accompanying his grandmother, who skillfully haggled for the best prices, her eyes twinkling with amusement. He often wondered about the stories behind each item, from the intricately carved wooden masks to the colourful beads, each telling a tale of its origin. The market was not just a place for commerce; it was the heart of the community, a vibrant hub where news was exchanged, friendships were forged, and the spirit of the village truly came alive. It was a place where everyone felt connected, a true reflection of their rich culture and daily life.

Answer questions 1–10 based on the passage.

1. The main reason for the market being described as a “symphony of sounds and colours” is ________. (a) the many musical instruments played (b) the variety of goods and lively atmosphere (c) the quiet nature of the traders (d) the presence of many artists
2. Which of the following items is Mama Bisi known for selling? (a) roasted corn (b) akara (c) groundnuts (d) wooden masks
3. All of these are mentioned as things Jide’s grandmother does in the market except ________. (a) haggling for prices (b) accompanying Jide (c) selling akara (d) having twinkling eyes
4. Which is NOT a type of aroma mentioned in the passage? (a) spices (b) roasted corn (c) freshly baked bread (d) fried plantain
5. The market is described as “the heart of the community” mainly because ________. (a) it is centrally located (b) it is where people exchange news and forge friendships (c) it sells the most vital goods (d) it is where the village elders meet
6. Which of these is not a type of item Jide wondered about the stories behind? (a) intricately carved wooden masks (b) colourful beads (c) vehicles loaded with goods (d) fresh produce
7. The word “haggled” in the passage means ________. (a) argued loudly (b) negotiated for a better price (c) bought quickly (d) sold at a fixed price
8. The word “vibrant” as used in the passage suggests the market is ________. (a) dull and boring (b) quiet and peaceful (c) lively and energetic (d) small and insignificant
9. Children in the market were described as helping their parents carry purchases and ________. (a) selling items (b) darting through aisles and laughing (c) driving vehicles (d) cooking akara
10. The passage suggests that the market is a place where ________. (a) only rich people shop (b) the village culture is displayed (c) people only focus on buying and selling (d) it is always quiet and orderly

LISTENING AND SPEAKING
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11. The ________ is called a diphthong. (a) /i:/ sound in ‘sheep’ (b) /əʊ/ sound in ‘boat’ (c) /æ/ sound in ‘cat’ (d) /ʌ/ sound in ‘cup’
12. Choose the word that has the /aɪ/ sound. (a) said (b) bite (c) bet (d) bed
13. The correct intonation for a yes/no question like “Are you coming?” is typically ________. (a) falling (b) rising (c) flat (d) neutral
14. Identify the stressed syllable in the word ‘photograph’. (a) pho- (b) -to- (c) -graph (d) pho-to-graph
15. Complete the sentence with the correct question tag: “You have finished your homework, ________?” (a) haven’t you (b) didn’t you (c) won’t you (d) isn’t it
16. The word with a different vowel sound from the others is ________. (a) look (b) cook (c) food (d) hook
17. Which of the following words has a silent ‘b’? (a) number (b) remember (c) climb (d) rubber
18. The intonation pattern for a statement like “I am going home” is usually ________. (a) rising (b) falling (c) rising-falling (d) flat
19. Choose the option where the word ‘present’ is stressed on the first syllable. (a) I will present the award. (b) What a lovely present! (c) Can you present your findings? (d) He wants to present his project.
20. Complete the sentence: “She speaks English fluently, ________?” (a) doesn’t she (b) isn’t she (c) won’t she (d) didn’t she

GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY
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21. An example of a sentence using the present perfect tense is ________. (a) She is eating now. (b) They have visited Lagos. (c) He was sleeping. (d) I will go tomorrow.
22. The correct form of the verb in “If I ________ (know) her, I would have greeted her” is ________. (a) knew (b) had known (c) know (d) would know
23. Identify the adverbial clause of purpose in the sentence: “He studies hard so that he can pass his exams.” (a) He studies hard (b) so that he can pass his exams (c) he can pass his exams (d) He studies
24. Which of the following sentences is in the past continuous tense? (a) She reads a book. (b) They were playing football. (c) He has eaten rice. (d) We will travel.
25. Fill in the blank with the correct tense: “By the time he arrived, the meeting ________ (start).” (a) has started (b) had started (c) was starting (d) starts
26. The correct form of the sentence “She is a doctor” as a question is ________. (a) Is she a doctor? (b) She is a doctor? (c) A doctor she is? (d) Doctor she is?
27. Choose the sentence with an adverb modifying a verb. (a) The very tall man. (b) She sings beautifully. (c) A red car. (d) He is quite happy.
28. All of these are conditional statements except ________. (a) If it rains, we will stay home. (b) Unless you work hard, you will fail. (c) I like to read books. (d) Had he come, he would have seen them.
29. The correct form of the adverb from ‘quick’ is ________. (a) quicker (b) quickest (c) quickly (d) quicken
30. Identify the adverbial clause of condition in: “You will succeed if you persevere.” (a) You will succeed (b) if you persevere (c) you will (d) persevere
31. The correct form of the verb in “She ________ (write) a letter now” is ________. (a) writes (b) wrote (c) is writing (d) has written
32. Which of the following sentences correctly uses the past perfect tense? (a) I had finished my work before he came. (b) I finished my work before he came. (c) I have finished my work before he came. (d) I am finishing my work before he came.
33. The main reason for using “so that” in a sentence is to express ________. (a) time (b) reason (c) purpose (d) contrast
34. Choose the sentence where an adverb modifies an adjective. (a) He runs fast. (b) She is extremely beautiful. (c) They live happily. (d) We won easily.
35. The correct transformation of “He said, ‘I am busy'” into indirect speech is ________. (a) He said that I was busy. (b) He said that he was busy. (c) He said that he is busy. (d) He said I am busy.
36. Which is NOT a correct conditional statement structure? (a) If + present, will + verb (b) If + past simple, would + verb (c) If + past perfect, would have + past participle (d) If + future, will + verb
37. Complete the sentence meaningfully: “She studies hard ________ she wants to get good grades.” (a) because (b) so that (c) although (d) unless
38. The correct form of the sentence “They were playing football” as a question is ________. (a) Were they playing football? (b) They were playing football? (c) Playing football they were? (d) Was they playing football?
39. An example of a modifier is ________. (a) quickly (b) beautiful (c) runs (d) in
40. The correct form of the verb in “We ________ (watch) a movie when the power went out” is ________. (a) watched (b) are watching (c) were watching (d) had watched

LITERATURE
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41. A poem that expresses strong emotions or feelings is generally called a ________. (a) narrative poem (b) epic poem (c) lyric poem (d) dramatic poem
42. The language of poetry often uses ________ to create vivid images and deeper meaning. (a) direct statements (b) literal meanings (c) figures of speech (d) simple vocabulary
43. Which of the following is an example of hyperbole? (a) He is as brave as a lion. (b) I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. (c) The silence was deafening. (d) The early bird catches the worm.
44. The central idea or message that an author wants to convey in a literary work is known as the ________. (a) plot (b) character (c) setting (d) theme
45. All of these are common features of prose writing except ________. (a) paragraphs (b) chapters (c) stanzas (d) continuous sentences
46. Which of the following is an example of irony? (a) The fire station burned down. (b) The sun smiled down on us. (c) He ran like the wind. (d) My love is a red, red rose.
47. The ________ is called the conversation between characters in a play. (a) monologue (b) soliloquy (c) dialogue (d) narration
48. In drama, the people or animals that take part in the action are called ________. (a) themes (b) settings (c) characters (d) plots
49. The main reason for using irony in literature is ________. (a) to confuse the reader (b) to create humour or emphasize a point (c) to make the story longer (d) to describe the setting
50. Arrange the following sentences in a logical order to form a coherent paragraph: (1) He put on his school uniform. (2) After breakfast, he packed his bag. (3) First, Emeka woke up early. (4) Then, he ate his breakfast.
The correct logical order is ________. (a) 3, 1, 4, 2 (b) 1, 3, 4, 2 (c) 3, 4, 1, 2 (d) 4, 3, 1, 2

SECTION B: WRITING (20 Marks)
Instruction: Answer ONE question only.

1. Write a descriptive essay about “A Memorable Day at a Nigerian Festival”. Your essay should be at least 150 words.
2. Imagine you are the Head Boy/Girl of your school. Write a speech to your fellow students on “The Importance of Discipline in Achieving Success”. Your speech should be at least 150 words.
3. Write a narrative composition about “The Day I Helped a Stranger”. Your story should be at least 150 words and include a clear beginning, middle, and end.

OBJECTIVE MARKING SCHEME

Question 1 – ✅ (b) the variety of goods and lively atmosphere
Question 2 – ✅ (b) akara
Question 3 – ✅ (c) selling akara
Question 4 – ✅ (d) fried plantain
Question 5 – ✅ (b) it is where people exchange news and forge friendships
Question 6 – ✅ (c) vehicles loaded with goods
Question 7 – ✅ (b) negotiated for a better price
Question 8 – ✅ (c) lively and energetic
Question 9 – ✅ (b) darting through aisles and laughing
Question 10 – ✅ (b) the village culture is displayed
Question 11 – ✅ (b) /əʊ/ sound in ‘boat’
Question 12 – ✅ (b) bite
Question 13 – ✅ (b) rising
Question 14 – ✅ (a) pho-
Question 15 – ✅ (a) haven’t you
Question 16 – ✅ (c) food
Question 17 – ✅ (c) climb
Question 18 – ✅ (b) falling
Question 19 – ✅ (b) What a lovely present!
Question 20 – ✅ (a) doesn’t she
Question 21 – ✅ (b) They have visited Lagos.
Question 22 – ✅ (b) had known
Question 23 – ✅ (b) so that he can pass his exams
Question 24 – ✅ (b) They were playing football.
Question 25 – ✅ (b) had started
Question 26 – ✅ (a) Is she a doctor?
Question 27 – ✅ (b) She sings beautifully.
Question 28 – ✅ (c) I like to read books.
Question 29 – ✅ (c) quickly
Question 30 – ✅ (b) if you persevere
Question 31 – ✅ (c) is writing
Question 32 – ✅ (a) I had finished my work before he came.
Question 33 – ✅ (c) purpose
Question 34 – ✅ (b) She is extremely beautiful.
Question 35 – ✅ (b) He said that he was busy.
Question 36 – ✅ (d) If + future, will + verb
Question 37 – ✅ (a) because
Question 38 – ✅ (a) Were they playing football?
Question 39 – ✅ (b) beautiful
Question 40 – ✅ (c) were watching
Question 41 – ✅ (c) lyric poem
Question 42 – ✅ (c) figures of speech
Question 43 – ✅ (b) I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
Question 44 – ✅ (d) theme
Question 45 – ✅ (c) stanzas
Question 46 – ✅ (a) The fire station burned down.
Question 47 – ✅ (c) dialogue
Question 48 – ✅ (c) characters
Question 49 – ✅ (b) to create humour or emphasize a point
Question 50 – ✅ (a) 3, 1, 4, 2