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

Instruction: Answer all questions.

SECTION A: READING COMPREHENSION
The annual inter-house sports competition at Community High School was always a highly anticipated event. This year, the excitement reached a fever pitch as students from Green, Blue, Red, and Yellow houses prepared to battle for supremacy. Weeks of rigorous training had gone into perfecting their skills in various track and field events. On the day of the competition, the school field buzzed with energy. Spectators, including parents and former students, filled the stands, eager to cheer on their respective houses.

The opening ceremony was colourful, featuring a march past by all the houses, led by their house captains. The principal, Mr. Adekunle, in his address, emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and healthy competition. He reminded the students that participating and giving their best was more crucial than winning. The events kicked off with the 100-meter dash, a thrilling race that saw students sprint with incredible speed. Later, the long jump, high jump, and relay races captivated the audience. The tug-of-war, a test of strength and teamwork, was particularly entertaining, with each house pulling fiercely.

As the day progressed, points were meticulously tallied. By late afternoon, it became clear that Green House had established a significant lead, thanks to their athletes’ consistent performance. However, Blue House put up a strong fight in the final relay events, closing the gap slightly. In the end, Green House emerged victorious, clinching the coveted trophy for the first time in five years. The celebration was ecstatic, with cheers and songs echoing across the field. Mr. Adekunle presented the trophy, congratulating all participants for their dedication and effort. He concluded by stating that the true spirit of the competition lay in the lessons learned about teamwork, perseverance, and respect.

Answer questions 1–10 based on the passage.

1. What was the main event described in the passage? (a) A graduation ceremony (b) An inter-house sports competition (c) A school debate (d) A cultural festival
2. How many houses participated in the competition? (a) Three (b) Four (c) Five (d) Six
3. The principal’s name is ________. (a) Mr. Adekunle (b) Mr. Adewale (c) Mr. Adebayo (d) Mr. Adetola
4. Which house won the competition? (a) Blue House (b) Red House (c) Yellow House (d) Green House
5. All of these events were mentioned in the passage except ________. (a) 100-meter dash (b) Shot put (c) Long jump (d) Tug-of-war
6. The word “meticulously” in the passage means ________. (a) Carelessly (b) Quickly (c) Roughly (d) Carefully
7. The main reason the principal emphasized sportsmanship was ________. (a) To encourage winning (b) To promote fair play (c) To discourage participation (d) To praise the winners
8. Which of the following is a fact from the passage? (a) The competition was the best ever (b) Green House deserved to win (c) Mr. Adekunle is a good principal (d) Green House won the trophy
9. The phrase “reached a fever pitch” in the first paragraph means ________. (a) Became very calm (b) Became extremely exciting (c) Started to decline (d) Was almost over
10. The correct form of the verb “clinch” as used in the passage means ________. (a) To lose (b) To secure (c) To avoid (d) To cancel

LISTENING AND SPEAKING
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11. Which of these words has the /θ/ sound? (a) That (b) There (c) Think (d) They
12. The word “measure” contains the consonant sound ________. (a) /s/ (b) /ʃ/ (c) /ʒ/ (d) /z/
13. Which of the following words contrasts with “ship” in having the /s/ sound? (a) Shop (b) Sip (c) Sheep (d) Share
14. The word “pleasure” has the same consonant sound as ________. (a) Pressure (b) Vision (c) Session (d) Passion
15. Choose the option with the correctly stressed syllable: (a) ‘Present (noun) (b) Pre’sent (noun) (c) ‘Converse (verb) (d) Con’verse (noun)
16. Which of these words has a rising tone when asking a ‘yes/no’ question? (a) How are you? (b) Where is it? (c) Is she coming? (d) What did you say?
17. The utterance “Oh no!” typically expresses ________. (a) Joy (b) Surprise (c) Disappointment (d) Excitement
18. Identify the word that has the /b/ sound. (a) Pen (b) Pig (c) Boat (d) Pot
19. Which of the following pairs contrasts /p/ and /b/ sounds? (a) Pat/Bat (b) Sit/Shit (c) Thin/Then (d) Ship/Chip
20. The word “thick” contains the consonant sound ________. (a) /ð/ (b) /s/ (c) /θ/ (d) /z/

GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY
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21. You ________ submit your assignment by Friday; it is compulsory. (a) might (b) should (c) must (d) could
22. She ________ speak French fluently when she was younger. (a) might (b) can (c) could (d) would
23. The student ________ leave the classroom without the teacher’s permission. (a) must not (b) should not (c) can not (d) may not
24. Which of the following sentences correctly uses a modal verb for possibility? (a) You must be tired. (b) She can sing well. (c) It might rain later. (d) They should study harder.
25. We ________ arrive on time if we leave now. (a) will (b) would (c) shall (d) can
26. The correct form of the verb to complete “He ________ (go) to the market yesterday” is ________. (a) goes (b) gone (c) went (d) going
27. They ________ (play) football when it started raining. (a) played (b) are playing (c) were playing (d) have played
28. The book ________ (write) by a famous author. (a) is written (b) wrote (c) writes (d) was writing
29. If I ________ (know) her address, I would visit her. (a) knew (b) know (c) had known (d) known
30. The boys ________ (eat) all the food before their parents arrived. (a) ate (b) had eaten (c) have eaten (d) were eating
31. An example of a sentence in the passive voice is ________. (a) The dog chased the cat. (b) The cat was chased by the dog. (c) The cat chases the dog. (d) The dog is chasing the cat.
32. Change the sentence “The mechanic fixed the car” to the passive voice. (a) The car fixed the mechanic. (b) The car was fixed by the mechanic. (c) The mechanic was fixed by the car. (d) The car is fixed by the mechanic.
33. The sentence “The ball was kicked by the boy” is an example of ________. (a) Active voice (b) Passive voice (c) Direct speech (d) Indirect speech
34. You ________ always remember to lock the door before you leave. (a) may (b) might (c) should (d) could
35. The baby ________ (sleep) soundly now. (a) sleeps (b) is sleeping (c) slept (d) will sleep
36. She said that she ________ (visit) her grandmother the next day. (a) visits (b) will visit (c) would visit (d) visited
37. The teacher advised us ________ (study) hard for the exam. (a) to study (b) studying (c) study (d) studied
38. Which sentence uses an adverbial to express restriction? (a) He hardly ever comes late. (b) She sings beautifully. (c) They ran quickly. (d) We eat slowly.
39. They ________ (live) in Lagos for ten years now. (a) live (b) lived (c) have lived (d) are living
40. The man ________ (work) in that company since 2005. (a) works (b) worked (c) is working (d) has worked

WRITING
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41. Which of these is a characteristic of a descriptive composition? (a) Explains a process (b) Presents an argument (c) Creates a vivid picture with words (d) Summarizes a text
42. A farewell speech is primarily delivered to ________. (a) Welcome a new person (b) Introduce a speaker (c) Bid someone goodbye (d) Celebrate an achievement
43. The main purpose of summary writing is to ________. (a) Expand on a topic (b) Retell a story in detail (c) Present the main points concisely (d) Argue a point of view
44. Which of the following is NOT typically found in a diary entry? (a) Date (b) Personal feelings (c) Formal salutation (d) Daily events
45. An expository essay that explains “How to prepare jollof rice” is an example of a ________. (a) Narrative essay (b) Descriptive essay (c) Process essay (d) Persuasive essay
46. The main feature of a simple poem is its use of ________. (a) Long paragraphs (b) Figurative language and rhythm (c) Detailed descriptions (d) Complex arguments
47. When writing a descriptive composition about a person, one should focus on their ________. (a) Future plans (b) External and internal features (c) Political views (d) Financial status
48. Which of these techniques is crucial for effective summary writing? (a) Including every detail (b) Copying sentences directly (c) Identifying key ideas (d) Adding personal opinions
49. A farewell speech should typically include expressions of ________. (a) Anger (b) Gratitude and good wishes (c) Indifference (d) Criticism
50. Diary keeping helps in ________. (a) Forgetting past events (b) Recording personal experiences and thoughts (c) Sharing secrets with others (d) Avoiding self-reflection

SECTION B: WRITING
Instruction: Answer ONE question only.

1. Write a descriptive essay about your favourite market in your community. Describe its sights, sounds, smells, and the general atmosphere.
2. Imagine you are leaving your school for another. Write a farewell speech to be delivered to your teachers and fellow students.
3. Write a poem of at least three stanzas about “My Country, Nigeria.”

OBJECTIVE MARKING SCHEME

Question 1 – ✅ (b) An inter-house sports competition
Question 2 – ✅ (b) Four
Question 3 – ✅ (a) Mr. Adekunle
Question 4 – ✅ (d) Green House
Question 5 – ✅ (b) Shot put
Question 6 – ✅ (d) Carefully
Question 7 – ✅ (b) To promote fair play
Question 8 – ✅ (d) Green House won the trophy
Question 9 – ✅ (b) Became extremely exciting
Question 10 – ✅ (b) To secure
Question 11 – ✅ (c) Think
Question 12 – ✅ (ʒ)
Question 13 – ✅ (b) Sip
Question 14 – ✅ (b) Vision
Question 15 – ✅ (a) ‘Present (noun)
Question 16 – ✅ (c) Is she coming?
Question 17 – ✅ (c) Disappointment
Question 18 – ✅ (c) Boat
Question 19 – ✅ (a) Pat/Bat
Question 20 – ✅ (c) /θ/
Question 21 – ✅ (c) must
Question 22 – ✅ (c) could
Question 23 – ✅ (a) must not
Question 24 – ✅ (c) It might rain later.
Question 25 – ✅ (a) will
Question 26 – ✅ (c) went
Question 27 – ✅ (c) were playing
Question 28 – ✅ (a) is written
Question 29 – ✅ (a) knew
Question 30 – ✅ (b) had eaten
Question 31 – ✅ (b) The cat was chased by the dog.
Question 32 – ✅ (b) The car was fixed by the mechanic.
Question 33 – ✅ (b) Passive voice
Question 34 – ✅ (c) should
Question 35 – ✅ (b) is sleeping
Question 36 – ✅ (c) would visit
Question 37 – ✅ (a) to study
Question 38 – ✅ (a) He hardly ever comes late.
Question 39 – ✅ (c) have lived
Question 40 – ✅ (d) has worked
Question 41 – ✅ (c) Creates a vivid picture with words
Question 42 – ✅ (c) Bid someone goodbye
Question 43 – ✅ (c) Present the main points concisely
Question 44 – ✅ (c) Formal salutation
Question 45 – ✅ (c) Process essay
Question 46 – ✅ (b) Figurative language and rhythm
Question 47 – ✅ (b) External and internal features
Question 48 – ✅ (c) Identifying key ideas
Question 49 – ✅ (b) Gratitude and good wishes
Question 50 – ✅ (b) Recording personal experiences and thoughts