WAEC English Language Sample Questions For 2024 BECE

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released English Language Sample questions for the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Let’s take a look at the questions

PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVE)

PART A – GRAMMAR USAGE

SECTION A

1. She ought to be here by now, …?
A. Mustn’t she
B. Isn’t it
C. Isn’t she
D. Oughtn’t she

SECTION B

2. Dr. Senoo made a tremendous effort to get the brothers reconciled.
A. Manifold
B. Great
C. Confident
D. Massive

SECTION C

3. Any journalist, worth their salt would choose a more interesting headline. This means that
A. a competent journalist would
B. a salt-loving journalist would
C. a well-known journalist would
D. a fearless journalist would

SECTION D
4. When Kwansema saw Amissah scurry out of the kitchen with a covered bowl, she became suspicious.
A. crawl
B. rush
C. tip-toe
D. walk

SECTION E
Mining is classified under the –5– sector of the economy. Ghana, formerly called the Gold Coast, is a country rich in mineral –6-. Besides the more well-known ones like gold, bauxite, manganese and copper, -7- is the latest mineral discovered in commercial quantities. Discussions are being held to consider –8– it for export.

5.
A. productive
B. quarrying
C. extractive
D. manufacturing

6.
A. vault
B. deposits
C. credit
D. stores

7.
A. lithium
B. petroleum
C. crude oil
D. ore

8.
A. recovering
B. discovering
C. prospecting
D. exploring

PART B – ORAL LANGUAGE

SECTION F
From the list A to D, choose the one which has the same vowel sound as the word underlined in the sentences below.

9. The whole area was submerged.
A. go
B. new
C. bill
D. bale

From the list A to D, choose the one which has the same consonant sound as the word underlined in the sentences below.

10. The blade of the sword is very sharp indeed!
A. grade
B. flood
C. breed
D. glade

PAPER 2

PART A – WRITING

[30 marks]

Answer one question only from this part. Your composition should be about 250 words long.

1. As a secretary of the Wildlife Club in your school, present the minutes you wrote at the first meeting for the term.

2. Write an article for publication in your school journal describing a trip you made to a tourist site and one lesson you learned from the trip.

3. At one time or another, most of us have to share something with someone else. Tell your friends about one difficulty you faced when you had to share something you value with another person and how you solved the problem.

PART B – READING

[20 marks]

4. Read the following passage carefully and answer all the questions which follow.

My friends and loved ones can be found all over the country. Among my numerous names are Akple, Etsew, and Banku, which is my favorite name. I am made from a batter of corn and cassava dough. The taste and preference of the cook or consumer determine the proportion in which the ingredients are mixed. I am a source of carbohydrates, so, diabetics and people watching their weight should eat me in moderation. I became popular in 1983. There was drought throughout the country and Yellow corn was supplied as food aid. The resourceful Ghanaian soaked and milled the corn. The dough was cooked as Banku. I have become a favorite dish of many people because I am easy and quick to cook. The ingredients used in preparing me are readily available and cheaper than others. Moreover, any stew, sauce, or soup is a good companion of mine. Last but not least, mothers who are introducing solid food to their babies need not look any further. Banku is a friend of all and sundry. Therefore, whenever you are unsure of what to have as your next meal, I am worth considering.

(a) When did Banku become very popular?

(b) List two reasons why Banku is a favorite dish in Ghana.

(c) “The taste and preference of the cook or consumer determine the proportion in which the ingredients are mixed.” What information does the writer give us in the statement above?

(d) What do you think is a disadvantage of eating Banku?

(e) Explain in your own words, the following expressions in the passage:
(i) in moderation
(ii) need not look any further
(iii) worth considering

(f) For each of the following words give another word or a phrase that means the same and fit into the passage:
(i) popular
(ii) batter
(iii) supplied
(iv) readily

(g) Summarizing

(h) In one sentence of not more than ten words, state the main idea of the last paragraph of the passage.

(i) Suggest a suitable title for the passage.

PART C – LITERATURE

[10 Marks] Answer all questions in this section correctly. Read the extract carefully and answer the questions below.

Lawrence Darmani: Scribbler’s Dream
14 Tell you the truth:
15 the gold adorning the neck
16 Once was lost in rocky soils
17 They dig deep who find it!

(a) What literary device is used in line 17 in the above extract?

(b) What meaning are lines 14, 15, and 16 conveying?

V. B. Aakye: The Colour of God
The damask and aquamarine
16 If you doubt me………..

Peter Paul Adolinama – Ripples
It was ironic that while the bride was unhappy,
She was the envy of all
the young women in town.

(d) Who was being referred to as the bride in the extract above?

(e) The above extract depicts the theme of envy.

(f) What dominant device is used in the above extract?

(Prose) Jean Watson: The Old man and his children
As the boys watched, their father tied these firmly together. Then he handed the bundle to his oldest son and said “Try and break that”.

(g) How many sticks were tied to make the bundle?

(h) Why could he not break it?

**Drama – Ama Ata Aidoo – The Dilemma of a Ghost**
1st Woman: If her son gets a goodly bag by the month, why has Esi Kom still not……
2nd Woman: They never ask “why”.
Is it not the young man’s wife?
1st Woman: What has she done now?
2nd Woman: Listen, I hear she swallows money as a hen does corn.

(i) Who is being referred to as “the young man’s wife”?

(j) What is the meaning of “She swallows money as a hen does corn”?