COMPOSITION WRITING

If there is any challenging component in an O level Certificate English examination, it is a composition.

Many candidates, the enlightened ones inclusive do not do well in this part of the examination owing to
various factors. Knowledge of the error markers can not only reverse the trait but have also proved valuable
in assisting many candidates to score good grades in compositions.
COMPOSITION WRITING HINTS
1. Read all the questions carefully but do not needlessly spend so much time on choosing the question you
will perfectly write on. Do not start writing your composition until you are fully sure of what is expected of
you. It would greatly help if you chose the question which appeals to your experience or interests or you
have vast knowledge on.
2. Do not under or over write. Stick to the required number of words- between 250 and 350 words. Avoid
writing freak essays [too short essays].
3. Balance your points-never write too much on one point. The time to show how much you know is in
history, geography or science. A composition is a test on how much you can communicate. You are writing
to communicate thus if nothing is understood then nothing has been achieved.
4. Observe coherence and cohesion in both sentences and paragraphs. Let each sentence or paragraph flow
naturally from the one before and lead naturally to the one after.
5. Avoid roundabout way of expressing oneself [circumlocution]. e.g. The sister to my father[aunt]. The
mother to my mother [grandmother]
6. Observe grammar. Strictly follow the rules of the language. Do not leave essential elements of the
sentence such as the subject and verb.
7. Use simple language- characterized by simple words and sparingly usage of over-flowery language. Never
use serious sounding words in an attempt to impress the examiners when a simpler word[s] would be more
suitable in the particular context.
For example, Grade 12 girls displayed their culinary prowess. Instead of: Grade 12 girls showed how well
they could cook.
8. Use formal language unless in rare cases i.e. informal letters. Formal language is the acceptable form of
English used in official reports, texts and references while informal language is one not officially acceptable.
Vulgar language on the other is substandard- one which expresses pomposity and is ill suited.
e.g Dick got sloshed at our do. [Sloshed-drunk/ do-party]
We transported Robert after he got drunk. [Transported-took]
Formal informal
-Psychotic -insane
-Incarcerated -in jail
-Recline - lie/eat
9. British and American words or spellings may be used but with consistence.
British American
Colour color
Labour labor
Pavement side walk
Chemist drug store
Pub bar
Lift elevator
Traffic lights robots

10. Pay attention to spellings, punctuations, and capitalisation.

11. Do not use abbreviations unless otherwise.
12. Do not write numbers in digits except for dates, addresses, telephone numbers and other conventional
figures
13. Avoid using long-winding sentences lest the examiner loses his way in them.
14. Never leave your reader in suspense. Say what you want to say and not what you meant to say.
e.g Peggy told Mary that she had seen her teacher. (Whose teacher was seen?).

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15. Avoid using ambiguous sentences- sentences with many meanings.
e.g Patrick agreed with Paul that he should not go. [Who should not go between the two?]
16. Use a variety of sentence starters, sequence indicators and connectors. Sentence starters and connectors
enhance cohesion-linking parts together i.e. sentences and paragraphs. In other words sentence starters and
connectors hold the whole composition together thereby making it interesting and meaningful.
In the table below are some examples of the same;
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SENTENCE CONNECTORS IDEA
CLAUSES CONNECTORS
Addition- similar ideas And Worse still, moreover,
furthermore, in addition,
similarly
Contrast– opposed ideas but However, nevertheless, even so,
yet nonetheless, although
Cause and effect Because, for, as, so Therefore, thus, hence,
consequently, as a result

QUALITIES OF A GOOD COMPOSITION

It has easy to read handwriting-legibility.
It has correct spellings, punctuation, tenses, etc
It has complete sentences.
It has short and long sentences.
It has indebted paragraphs.
It has coherently written sentences and paragraphs.
It has a variety of structures
ADVICE
Introduction
In the introductory paragraph, aim to arouse the reader’s interest always. You may define vital terms, give
striking examples, make quotations, ask provocative questions or contrast the past with the present.
Main body
Answer the question in a balanced manner. Do not leave room for your reader to get astray. Be convincing.
Support your claim with facts.
Conclusion
Restate the main ideas. Draw a conclusion. Consider what might happen in the future. Give your personal
point of view. Use appropriate quotations. Restate the main ideals.

Draw a conclusion. Consider what might happen in the future or if your line of thought is not followed.

The compositions in this paper will be discussed in accordance to the structure of the English Language
School Certificate Examination of the Examination Council of Zambia(ECZ). The current format of the
English Language Paper One (1121/1) consists of two sections.

SECTION 1
This section consists of six questions on the unguided type of composition and the candidate is expected to
select one essay of her/ his choice. The candidate should read through all the questions and then choose
the topic with which she or he is most familiar so that she or he will answer with minimum challenges. The
major types of composition that are usually tested in this section are: Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative,
Discursive and Expository. The different types of the letter are tested in this section as well as in section 2.

1. NARRATIVE COMPOSITION

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To narrate is to tell a story. A narrative composition therefore is one which describes an action or series of
actions or presents an orderly account of events. This is the easiest type of composition because it has a
character or characters, be they human or animal and takes place in a known place and in a certain period
of time.

Example of Narrative Composition

The New Teacher
Timidly, the new teacher entered the classroom and immediately introduced the topic for the day.
Everybody was impressed by his deep understanding of Chemistry. As he left the class at the end of
the double period, the pupils said to each other “with this teacher, we will certainly do well in
Chemistry”.
Since this was his last class for the day, the new teacher decided to take a walk around the school to
familiarise himself with the surroundings. Satisfied that he had seen everything which was
important, he decided to rest in the staff room before leaving for home.
However, no sooner had he sat down than the Sciences Head of Department asked him to stand in
for Mr. Kangwa who was reportedly unwell. Afraid that a refusal would be interpreted as a sign of
uncooperativeness, the new teacher hastily picked up his books and pieces of chalk and
immediately left for Grade eleven G.
Everybody in that class was surprised to see him in their class and for a moment they wondered
whether their experienced teacher had been taken away from them. The new teacher explained the
arrangement and the class sighed with relief. At the end of the lesson, many pupils felt that the new
teacher was not a bad one at all.
After this lesson, the teacher felt extremely tired. Not wanting to risk being asked to stand in for
somebody else, he quickly said bye to his Head of Department for home. As he walked, his mind
flashed the day’s events before him. He alternately smiled or grinned depending on weather the
scene before him was pleasant or not. People in the streets stopped to look at him but they were
not different from trees to him. He took no notice of them.

The smiles dominated as he walked on. He knew that it had been a very successful day and as he
approached his house, he felt his career prospects as a teacher were very bright. Entering his house,
the new teacher burst into a loud laugh of delight.
This essay has been written in chronological order that is, following the order in which the events
occurred staring with events that happened first.
Sample Questions
1. Write a story with one of the following titles:
a. Nobody thought it could be done
b. There is time for everything (2008)
2. Write a story with one of the following titles:
a. There is no smoke without fire
b. Still waters run deep (2015)
3. Write a story with the ending “…justice finally prevailed” (2014)
4. Write a story with one of the following titles:
a. Make hay while the sun still shines
b. He was as much to blame as I was (2016)

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2. DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION
This is a composition which skillfully describes somebody or something. It gives a picture of what
somebody or something looks like or feels like. This type of composition is best written using adjectives and
adverb.
An adjective is a word that indicates a quality of a person or thing referred to by a noun, for instance….funny
doctor, rotten mangoes and so on.
An adverb is a word that adds more information about a place, time, circumstance manner, cause, degree
and so on; to a verb, an adjective, a phrase or another adverb: slowly. She walked away, highly intelligent,
awkwardly done, too lazy….
Things to consider when writing a Descriptive Composition.
• To describe is to paint a picture of someone or something with words so that one can easily
visualize them in one’s mind or identify them when one comes across them.
• A descriptive composition gives an idea of what a person; place or thing is like or used to be like.
• The description should appeal to the mind’s eye and all the five senses.
• Use adjectives and adverbs, this will convey a vivid impression, both of what you are writing about
and your own feelings.
A. Description of a Person
Paragraph 1: Introduction – name, sex, age and nationally. Duration of acquaintance. Professional if
known mention religious/ political affiliation
Paragraph 2: Physical features, any peculiarity (bald, hairy…) or deformity (scar, hump, lame,
crippled) or mental retardation.
Paragraph 3: Academic qualifications and professional experience.
Paragraph 4: General conduct.
Paragraph 5: Conclusion – express personal wish or give readers details by which to identify
him/ her through mannerism or etiquette.
B. Description of a Place
Paragraph1: Introduction – name of place, geographical location, background, activities of
place.
Paragraph 2: Foreground – fence if any.
Paragraph 3: Middle ground - building in any direction upon entering the gate.

Paragraph 4: Back ground- the interior of the main building.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion – mention unforgettable aspects of the place and express own view on
or not you would mind revisiting.
C. Description of an Object
Paragraph 1: Introduction – name, age, place, of origin, size, shape weight, colour, and
aesthetic of object (relating to the appreciation of beauty or art).
Paragraph 2: Mode of operation.
Paragraph 3: Function of object.
Paragraph 4: Caution.
Paragraph 5: Conclusion- express- personal wish or view on the object.
D. Description of an Animal.
Paragraph 1: Introduction- name, color, age, species, natural, habit, weight.
Paragraph 2: Tamed or wild, diet, emotions in various situations.
Paragraph 3: Usefulness in nature, gestation period, reproduction, growth to
adulthood.
Paragraph 4: Natural friend or foe, behavior, longevity (long life).
Paragraph 5: Conclusion – express personal wish or view on the animal.
E. Describing an Event.

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When describing an event, you are usually told to write a story about what took place in the order in which
it happened i.e. chronological order. In doing this, you are likely to write brief description of people and
place as well.

Things to consider when writing a Descriptive Composition.

• It has the writers point of view- a clear theme i.e. it has a basis. The writer should make the readers see
the event he/ she sees it. The theme can also be expressed by the choice of words(vocabulary).
• It makes use of the senses, i.e. it does more than tell a story. The senses are used to describe what was
seen, heard felt or touched, smelt and tested.
• It is set in a place which the writer knows very well and about people and things that are familiar to him
or her.
SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS
1. Describe an occasion when someone you know abused his or her authority and what the end result was
(2008)
2. Describe an occasion when you disagreed with someone very close to you by clearly stating what caused
the disagreement and how you resolved it. (2015)
3. Describe some of the things you would do if you were the President of your country. (2014)
4. Describe an occasion when success by either a husband or a wife brought problems to their family
(2011)
5. Describe a specific animal or insect

An example of a Descriptive Composition

Question: Describe An Accident In Which You Were Involved
“Watch out” screamed somebody from the front seat of the mini Bus. The wonderful reveries into
which I had lapsed abruptly came to an end. Before I fully came to my senses, I was tossed out through the
window and landed on the road with a thump, face up. I rolled on the road in agony until slowly my mind
began to recollect what had happened, as loud a shout of pain reached my ears. I had been involved in a
terrible road accident.
It was a Christmas day I will never forget, not because it was a Christmas day but because of that
fatal accident which occurred ten kilometers from Mufulira at a place called Kansuswa. I was on my way to
Kitwe to spend Christmas Day with my parents when the dreadful happened.
As the Mini Bus in which I was travelling slowed down to pick up a Commander at Kansuswa Bus
Station, a truck that was following behind tried to overtake. Unfortunately, from the corner of the road,
about twenty metres away emerged a bus travelling at high speed. Hooters sounded and brakes screeched
but all in vain. And then came what everyone had feared. Trying to get back into his lane, the truck driver
hit into the back of the Mini Bus. It swerved right into the path of the on-coming bus. As it did so, I was
flung out of a window onto the road with the force of a volcano.
I tried to stand without success. Tears freely flowed down my checks. After the initial shock was
over, I felt an excruciating pain in my head which threatened to rip my head apart. Soon the pain spread to
the entire body. Two metres away a woman screamed as if in labour. A cold chill ran down my spine. I felt
helpless and shut my eyes.
Soon afterwards, I reopened them as someone touched my left arm. The people of Kansuswa had
come to our aid. Before long, I was on my way to Kamuchanga Hospital. Christmas Day had turned into a
nightmare.

Sample Exam Questions

6. Describe an occasion when someone you know abused his or her authority and what the end result was
(2008)
7. Describe an occasion when you disagreed with someone very close to you by clearly stating what caused
the disagreement and how you resolved it. (2015)
8. Describe some of the things you would do if you were the President of your country. (2014)
9. Describe an occasion when success by either a husband or a wife brought problems to their family
(2011)

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3. ARGUMENTATIVE COMPOSITION
As the title implies, this is a composition that is centred on an argument. As opposed to the Narrative and
Descriptive Compositions which are about people, objects, actions, events and so on, an argumentative
composition is about ideas. It involves the presentation of a problem around which an argument is logically
developed. The author tries to persuade the reader to his (author’s) line of thought or opinion. Hence, it is
also called a PERSUASIVE COMPOSITION. It mostly deals with controversial materials. The writer puts
up facts, reasons and examples to what he writes and relates incidents that render support to the argument
he is putting up so that one could follow his line of thought and agree with what he suggests.

An example of Argumentative Composition

Question: “Abortion should be legalised” write an essay either agreeing or disagreeing with the above
statement.
Before you begin answering this question, you must choose the side, whether or not you will agree with the
statement. You cannot be neutral when writing an argumentative composition. Even if you do not like both
sides of the argument, you will still have to choose a side for the sake of the marks involved.
Here is a plan for this composition.
Paragraph 1 What is abortion?
Paragraph 2 Abortion is anti-Christian, it’s murder.

Paragraph 3 Abortion is a health risk to human race.

Paragraph 4 Abortion encourages prostitution
Paragraph 5 Conclusion: Abortion must not be legalised.
Answer
Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy. In my view, abortion should be defined as
the ruthless, cold-blooded murder of an innocent human being. To legalise abortion therefore would be to
legalise murder which must not be.
As a gospel preaching Christian, I believe life starts at conception. Therefore, anyone who aborts
destroys life and becomes a murder. Abortion poses a great risk to the lives of both the mother and the
child. In many cases, attempts to abort have ended in double tragedies; both the mother and the child have
perished. According to statistics, three out of every five women who try to abort die in the process while one
out of every three of those who survive the operation dies three months later. Worse still, ninety eight
percent become barren for life. Clearly abortion is a threat to the human race and must be opposed by all
pro-life citizens.
Most women who commit abortion are prostitutes who do not care about family life. They abort
today and go back to prostitution the next day. Legalizing abortion would therefore be an indirect way of
promoting prostitution, which like murder, is anti-Christian.
The argument that a woman should have the right to abort is illogical. A woman intending to
terminate her pregnancy should realize that the child within her also has an equal right to life as she does
herself. How can a woman ask for the right to abort? This is indirectly asking for the right to trample on
other people rights, specifically the right to live.
Abortion is ruthlessness, insensitivity and animal like behaviour and must not be allowed, especially
in a Christian nation. Indeed as the late Paul Ngozi “Nyirongo sang”. If a dog can look after its young ones,
why can’t a human being”?
Notice that I have supplied a few statistics to give support to my argument. Apart from statistics, you may
even quote an authority (e.g. hospital official or magazine). However, always keep statistics and quotations to
the barest minimum.
The writer of an argumentative essay aims at persuading the reader to agree with his (writer’s) opinion
hence it is also called a Persuasive Essay. The above essay is written starting from the most important to the
least important point (in the author’s view)
Sample Questions
1. The more beautiful or handsome you are; the more problems you face. Argue for or against. (2015)

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2. “Girls and women are being favoured too much in this country”. Argue for or against this statement.
(2008)
3. Gender equality has brought more harm than good. Argue for or against this statement (2011)
4. Rural-urban migration has resulted in rapid increase in crime in urban areas. Argue for or against this
statement. (2014)
4. DISCURSIVE COMPOSITION
Discursive composition deals with two or more ideas at once. These ideas maybe discussed as the title
implies or they may be supported or indeed merely explained. The author of a discursive composition may
not give his opinion, if for instance he is simply explaining the different ideas on a topic like AIDS. “It
informs and helps the reader understand a particular topic by answering the questions who? what? where?
and how? Examples, definitions comparisons and explanations are logically presented for the reader to
have a clear picture of what the writer intends to put across.”
An example of Discursive Composition.
Question: Should Shanty Compounds Be Demolished or not? Discuss.
It is crucial to understand from the onset that shanty compounds refer to all compounds that are
built without the permission of the authorities responsible, namely the council. Whether or not to demolish
such compounds, however, is an extremely controversial issue, which requires to be handled with a high
degree of level-headedness. The starting point in resolving this problem is to examine reasons behind the
mushrooming of these shanty compounds.
Although it takes many faces, the problem of shanty compounds has its roots in the economic
difficulties the nation is facing. More and more rural people are flocking to town to secure jobs. Unable for
some reason or another to continue living with their relatives, they decide to construct their own houses.
These are joined by the growing number of retirees and retrenchees who prefer the bright lights of the city
to the potentially hostile rural settings.
Young adults who are unable to secure either admission to higher institutions of learning or jobs
soon realize that their guardians cannot endlessly continue to look after them. These too opt for shanty
compounds.
Basing their argument on the unfortunate circumstance of these people, the church and other
concerned citizens have advocated the improvement rather than the demolition of shanty compounds to
make them more habitable.
Others, led by economists strongly feel that shanty dwellers are just an economic liability, adding
that shanty compounds are breeding grounds and hideouts for dangerous criminals. As such this group
strongly advocates the immediate razing down of all such dwelling places.
While advocating the demolition of shanty compounds, other people insist that the government
must first fulfill its obligation of providing decent shelter to its entire people including shanty dwellers before
it can pull down such compounds.
While the finger pointing as to who is to blame continues and as the debate rages on, more and
more such compounds are emerging surrounding virtually each and every Zambian town. Since it agreed by
all including the shanty dwellers themselves that these compounds are undesirable, everybody concerned
should put their heads together and find a solution once and for all to this socio-economic cancer.
Take note that the writer has given his view or opinion and then gives other peoples’ opinions. The
opposing view is what distinguishes a discursive essay from an argumentative essay (which gives a one sided
view of a topic). Your views though must not dominate. In the conclusion, you have yet another opportunity
to reinforce your opinion

Sample Exam Questions

1. Teachers deserve much more than what they currently get. Discuss (2015)
2. Write on the advantages and disadvantages of the rainy season. (2008)
3. Growing up with a single parent is hard. Discuss. (2016)
4. Women should be allowed to wear anything they like. Discuss. (2014)
5. EXPOSITORY COMPOSITION

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This type of composition is used to explain a process (how something is done), give directions, give
instructions, compare one thing to another or explain a new term. Exposition writing involves detailed
description, explanation or interpretation of a problem, an issue, a thing or a process.
The main purpose of writing to explain is to make something clear to the reader and to convey this
information as effectively as possible. An explanation helps the reader to understand a particular topic by
answering the ’wh’ questions (what? how? and ‘why?) and provides answers to the reader. For example:
‘How do you cook nsima?’However, there are variations in the way explanations do this depending on the
purpose of the explanation. A good explanation must be accurate and carefully arranged. What is being
explained must be stated in the first sentence and the information is given in the subsequent sentences in an
order which will enable the reader to follow. There are three basic kinds of exposition.

(i) Explanation of a Process

Process writing involves describing how something is done or comes into being- a series of actions that are
done for a particular purpose. In exposing a process or activity, the author is trying to get his or her readers
well informed about the process or activity and understand how it is conducted. Consider the following:
• Use step-by-step organisation to explain how something happens, works or is done
• In order to keep the essay lively, use the active voice rather than the passive voice, for example, ‘
Make a fire’ ( active) rather than ‘A fire must made.’ (passive).
• Each stage in the process must lead to the one that follows.
(ii) Explanation of an Idea
In this kind of exposition the author tries to say why something is done or what the belief of certain people
on something is. For example, ‘What is the belief of Christians about life after death?’ In order to write a
good explanation of an idea the following must be noted:
• Make sure you what you want to write about and arrange the ideas in a logical order so that there is a
logical sequence of thought in order for the reader to understand what you are writing about.
• Use link words to present the idea in a logical sequence, contrast or cause and effect, for example,
‘nevertheless’, ‘moreover’, ‘similarly’, ‘consequently’ and others
(ii) Giving Instruction or Direction
This kind of exposition is used to give direction, information or instruction to someone. In order for the
person following the instruction not to make a mistake, the following points should be observed:
• Assume that your reader knows nothing about what you are writing about in order to make your
direction, information or instruction clear for the other person to understand what you are trying to
put across.
• Put yourself in the reader’s position and imagine what information heor she would have in order to
understand you.
• Instructions should be logically presented for the reader to follow them.
• Each important point should form a paragraph which should be linked to the subsequent ones
• There is no need for an introduction or conclusion in this type of essay: Begin with the first and
end with the last piece of information you have.
• Use simple, straight-forward language and be selective in the choice of word
An Example of Expository Composition
Question: How does the climate affect the distribution of plants and animals?
Answer
The Effect of the Climate on the Distribution of Plants and Animals
Climate is an important factor in the distribution of plants and animals. In Polar Regions, there is
little plant life because the ground is frozen or snow covered. Only animals which adapt themselves to
intense cold can live there.
In the desert, too, both flora and fauna are limited. The only plant found there are those which can
found there are those which can store water and withstand the extremes of heat or cold. Similarly, the
animals and insects that can survive in the desert are those which have learnt to adapt to harsh condition
such as lack of water, scarcity of food and extremes of temperatures.

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 In Tropical areas, on the other hand, conditions generally favour the growth of plants. There is
strong sunlight and abundant rainfalls, so vegetation is luxuriant and varied. As a result, food supplies for
animals, birds and insects are usually plentiful, and many species are found there.
Sample Exam Questions
1. A lot happens before one marries. Citing any culture, write about a complete process leading to a
marriage (2013)

6. LETTER WRITING
There are three main types of letters and we should know how to do each type correctly.
a. Informal
b. Semi-formal
c. Formal or business letters

(1) Informal Letter

These are letters which we write to friends or people our own age. In these letters we use the kind of
English we use when we are speaking to our friends. However it must be correct and acceptable.
Layout of the Informal Letter
1. (a) The senders address is written at the top on the right hand side of the page.
15 Ibis Crescent,
Kamenza Town/ship,
Chililabombwe.

5th June, 2017

(b)There is no senders name above the address.
(c)There is a comma at the end of each line in the address except for the last item (the town of the
country) which is followed by a full stop.
2. (a) There is a line space between the address and the date.
(b) The date is written in full, with a comma between the month and the year
3. (a) There is line space between the date and the salutation. e g Dear Chibwe,.
(b) The salutation begins close or next to the left hand margin line and is followed by a comma.
4. The first paragraph begins just below the middle of the salutation. The first word begins with a
capital letter.
5. The letter is divided into paragraphs. Each paragraph is indented.
6. The ‘farewell’ begins about half-way across the page. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a
comma. The second words do not begin with a capital letter.
7. The writers name is written just below the ‘farewell’.

(2) Semi-Formal Letter

Semi-formal letters are letters we write to people whom you know but who are not close to you (e.g. a friend
of your father, a priest or your class teacher. In such a letter you would not use the same register that you
would use when writing to a friend or a person of your own age.
Layout of a Semi- Formal Letter
1) The senders address is written at the top on the right hand side of the page.
No senders name above the address.
2) There is a line space between the address and the date.
3) Salutation it is generally Dear Mr…, Dear Mrs…., Dear Uncle…. Etc
4) The beginning of the letter states the purpose of the letter.
5) The main body
6) The ending is generally ‘ yours sincerely,’
Example of a semi-formal letter
(3) Formal (or Business) Letters

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These are written to people in their official capacities. They also include replies from such officials to the
people who have written to them. Very often, we do not know these people well or we do not know them at
all. These letters are very ‘business like’. We only write what is really necessary.
Layout of a Formal Letter
1) The senders address, which is written in the top right corner of a page.
2) Date
St. Francis Secondary School,
P.O. Box 20111,
Kitwe.

5th June, 2017.

3) Title and address of the person you are writing to.
4) Salutation
If you know the surname of the person you are writing to, you may use dear followed by the name/
e.g. Dear Mr. Soko. If you do not know the person’s name you should use dear Sir, or Dear
Madam. If you are not sure whether the person is a man or woman you may write Dear Sir or
Madam.
5) Heading
This is usually written in capital letters. This sums up the content of a letter. It must be written
below the salutation and should be brief and precisely stated.
6) Opening paragraph
This states what the letter is about. Note that it does not include greetings of an enquiry about the
health of the official to whom you are writing.
7) Main body
Use of courteous and professional tone
Use formal Standard English. Avoid contractions, abbreviations and slang.
Indicate the purpose for writing the letter.
If a letter requires a response, give the necessary information to get the appropriate response.
8) Ending
This is usually yours faithfully, yours sincerely.
9) Your full names and position (if only). Your name must be written in capital letters.

Samples of Formal Letters

Reference Letter
Kitwe Boys Secondary School,
P.O Box 2005,
Parkland,
Kitwe.

17th June, 2017

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN (Open) OR

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The Principal,
Kitwe College of Education,
P.O Box 2000,
Kitwe.

Dear sir or Madam, (Open) OR

Dear Mr. Banda,
REFERENCE: LOMBE TUMELO ( MALE)
Having taught LombeTumelo for the past five years since 2012, I hereby wish to report on his
academic skills, extra –curricular activities, talents as well as his general conduct.
Academically speaking, Tumelo can he rightfully be reported as an all-rounder. He was gifted in
almost all the subjects but more especially in Accounts, Mathematics, Biology, Physics and English. As his
teacher of English, I can confirm that he was exceptionally creative in composition writing, Reading
Comprehension and Transformation of sentence structures.
This year he has written his Grade 12 examinations and I am sure that he will do well in almost
every subject.
Tumelo was a prefect in his last two years of secondary education, before he also served as a very
reliable class monitor.
In extracurricular activities, he excelled in more than one discipline. He was very good at football,
very good swimmer and athletics.
As for his general conduct, Tumelo was a devout Christian, very respectful to both the teachers and
his fellow students. I therefore recommend Tumelo to your reputable institution without any reservations
that his skills and abilities can reach new heights for benefit of the nation in general.
Yours faithfully,
M.Moono
MOONO M.
CLASS TEACHER

NOTE:
For the Open Reference Letter, include ‘TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN’ as the receiver’s address and
‘Dear sir or Madam’ as the salutation. The Closed Reference Letter has definite receivers’ address and
salutation.

Application Letter

House Number 20,

Parklands,
Kitwe.

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 27th September 2017
The Manager,
Shoprite Checkers,
P.O. Box 20398,
Kitwe.

Dear Sir or Madam,

REF: APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A TILL ATTENDANT
With reference to the advertisement that that has been running on television since Monday , the
15th of May, 2017, I would like to apply for employment.
I am twenty years of age. I just sat my Grade Twelve examination last year 2016 and waiting for the
results. I sat seven subjects which also included Business Studies, Mathematics and English and I hope to
pass in all of them.
Honestly speaking, I do not have the experience as stated in the advertisement, however, I have
basic experience in handling cash because while at school I helped selling in the School Tuck shop. I am
confident that I can still do the job to your expectations.
If you want more information about me, please contact my Grade teacher, Mr. Denize Zulu at my
former school; Kitwe Boys’ Secondary School on Cell Phone number 096412345. I will be ready for the
interview whenever you may call up on me.
Yours faithfully,
M. Mwila
MWILA MANDY

SECTION 2
This section of paper1 ECZ examination comprises only one (1) compulsory question. The general
principle (rule) behind situational (guided) compositions is the candidate’s ability to SELECT the
RELEVANT information and ARRANGE it in a suitable order and AMPLIFY the selected information.
The candidate’s linguistic ability is also examined in this section.
A situation and the subject matter (information) in form of notes are given on a particular subject and the
candidate is required to use the material to answer the question asked. The candidate should select those
notes which contribute to production of a good composition. The main types and forms of composition
that feature in this section are: Reports, Article, Speeches, profiles and letters.

1. SPEECH WRITING
1. DEFINITION: A Speech is a prepared piece of writing or information on a given topic. A Speech is
anything spoken for an audience to listen. It is basically a formal address to a group of listeners.
2. TYPES OF SPEECHES
There are three main types of Speeches:
(i) introductory speech
(ii) speech of thanks/ vote of thanks
(iii) key note speech or main speech

3. FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN WRITING A SPEECH

Type of audience
Speeches are made for live audience. Decide on whether the speech is intended for adults, children,
diplomats or journalists, businessmen and women or sophisticated class of people e.g. Lawyers, Doctors,
Politicians etc.

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The purpose of the speech
Decide on whether the speech is to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to appease , to incite, to reprimand ,
or a combination of these. This will determine the use of appropriate language.
The subject matter (or topic)
Ascertain whether the topic is familiar to the audience or not and determine how much information to give
and hold back. Also ascertain whether the topic is ‘technical’ in nature and determine how to tackle it.
The situation
Ascertain whether the situation (or occasion) is a solemn one (mourning), a business meeting(where people
are only interested in results), after dinner speech(humorous), or a tense situation. The situation and the
audience also determine the language.
4. PREPARATION OF THE SPEECH
Once you have a topic, allow yourself time to think about it is part of your preparation
• Gather all necessary ideas and information on the topic given.
• Arrange the material (ideas and information) in appropriate order and then plan the form of
presentation.
• Planning
A speech must have a structure and a sense of direction. Note down all the main points you should
cover:
-what the aim of the speech is
-what the audience may hope to learn
• Review your list, grouping them under headings and assembling these in a logical order.
• Whatever the topic , you will need a striking way of opening and closing your speech.

Opening:
Should be original and interesting (enough to make people want to hear what you have to say)
Apart from giving the aim and the outline of the talk:
• Ask a question
• Tell a story
• Use a quotation.
Closing
• You should finish positively
• The standard approach is a summary
• Give the audience chance to participate by inviting them to comment, if necessary.
5. FORMAT A OF SPEECH
A Speech can be written in the following format:
1. Title:
The title should have the following items:
(a) The giver of the speech
(b) The occasion when the speech is delivered
(c) The venue
(d) The date
2. Salutation
Here you greet the people present in order of importance. The set out can either be vertically or
horizontally.
3. Appreciation
This comes after the salutation and can be written in the same paragraph as salutations. Here you thank the
Chairperson or organiser for the opportunity to address the gathering.
4. Main body
This is where the details are developed. Do not beat about the bush. Go straight into discussing the points
you have gathered.
5. Conclusion.

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End with a statement that restates the purpose and follow the order of salutations. Thank the audience for
paying attention.
6. LANGUAGE AND STYLE
(i) Use the tense you would use when speaking to the audience (Present tense)
(ii) Salute people in attendance according to seniority (order of hierarchy)

(iii) Repeat forms of address like sir, ladies and gentlemen, the guest of honour, etc. to capture interest
(iv)Paragraphs are usually short as speeches take a spoken form of language
(v) End with courtesy to the audience
(vi) A good speech needs to have some humour in order to attract attention and avoid boring the audience.

THE SPEECH OF INTRODUCTION

This is a speech given when introducing the main speaker.
Introduction
Address the people in attendance in descending order and thank the main speaker for sparing time for the
occasion
Main body
Give a brief account or background of the speaker which should include:
(i) Mention briefly the subject to be discussed by the main speaker
(ii) Mention his/her occupation, professional qualifications( if any), experience and if necessary his/her
family life.
THE MAIN SPEECH OR KEY NOTE SPEECH
This is a speech given by the main speaker or the guest of honour at a given occasion after the speech of
introduction
Introduction
Members present are addressed in descending order of social ranking(salutation).
Main Body
-the speaker to thank the organisers for giving him or her chance to address the
meeting
- briefly introduce the topic at hand. If possible, define the subject
- gives details of the subject/title to be discussed- outline the your details coupled
With relevant examples

Conclusion
-in concluding remarks, the speaker thanks the audience for listening

Sample Exam Question (2006)

You are the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education. Your Minister has asked you to prepare a
speech for him to be presented in Parliament on the problems his Ministry is facing and provide solutions.
Below are some of the points you have been given to prepare the speech.
- Inadequate classroom furniture
- teachers marrying early
- increase teacher’s salaries
- immigration officers are weak
- revive Physical Education (PE)
- low salaries
- construct more schools
- no serious teaching going on
- independence Stadium needs renovation
- lack of teaching and le3arning materials
- employ more teachers

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 - one class was broken into
- shortage of teachers
- more funding
- lack of Physical Education(PE)
- remunerate teachers
- more supervision required
- migration of teachers seeking greener pastures
- improve conditions of service for teachers
- lack of qualified teachers

Using the relevant points only and presented in a logical order, write a speech to be delivered in Parliament
by your Minister of Education

THE SPEECH OF THANKS/VOTE OF THANKS

This is a speech which is delivered at the end of a guest’s address. The format is as follows;
Introduction
Here you thank the guest for his wonderful message out of courtesy.
Main Body
Summarise main points of the guest’s speech.
Show how guest’s speech has broadened audience’s scope of knowledge on the theme discussed.

Conclusion
Express wish either to invite the guest again, put guest’s theories into practice to improve performance or
make any personal requests to guest. Again thank him wholeheartedly for sparing some of his precious
schedule
SAMPLE
Question (2011)
You are a teacher of English at Wawa High School and you have been assigned to write a speech for your
Headteacher to be read at an Awards Giving Ceremony at your school. The guest of honour is the Minister
of Education. Below are some points you have been given to write the speech.
- school certificate results are very good
- six streams each grade
- cows graze near school
- proud- minister is a lady
- most teachers not accommodated
- Bursar’s office broken into
- teachers and pupils very hard working
- text books and desks not enough
- Deputy Headteacher married to two wives
- pupils fetch water from the stream
- generator old-constantly breaking down
- very few beds
- two computers whole school
- P.T.A. Executive very hardworking
- thirty pupils got six points
- women stopped selling foodstuffs
- critical shortage of Mathematics and Science teachers
- most pupils come from poor families
- bars near school

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 - some former pupils hold key positions in government and society
Using the relevant points only and presented in a logical order, write a speech for the Headteacher. The
length of your speech should be between 250 and 350 words. Any words beyond the word limit will be
cancelled.
Answer
SPEECH TO BE DELIVERED AT AN AWARDS GIVING CEREMONY BY THE
HEADTEACHER AT WAWA HIGH SCHOOL ON 24.09.2015 AT 14:00HRS
The Guest of Honour, Permanent Secretary, and Provincial Education Officers present, District
Education Board Secretaries, Education Standard Officers, Headteachers, Heads of Department, all
teachers present, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a rare privilege to welcome you all to this awards giving ceremony. For many years, our school
has been performing very well but we have never had an opportunity like this to award them. Therefore,
with the support of the school board, we sat and came up with prizes to give to the immediate past Grade
12s for their performance.
The Guest of Honour, Madam, Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to thank the PTA executive who
are a very hardworking team, the teachers and the pupils who have equally worked hard to ensure our
school keeps on producing good results.
Guest of Honour, Madam, Ladies and Gentlemen, last year we recorded an increase in our pass
rate. This is because we had thirty pupils who got six points. A great achievement Indeed! This entails these
pupils are all going to Universities across the country. This also means that these pupils will join our former
pupils holding key positions in the government. What a great honour to have such hard working pupils!
Madam Minister, the girl child at our school is proud of having you in that office as you are a role
model to them. They are motivated further to work extra hard to be like you.
Ladies and gentlemen, even when our school has been doing well it does not mean all is well .The
school has its challenges. For example, most of our teachers are not accommodated, hence they live far
from our school which makes it difficult for them to arrive for work on time. Apart from that, we have a
critical shortage of text books and desks which makes learning and teaching a bit difficult. Moreover, the
school has only two computers and we appeal to you, madam, to come to our aid.
Madam, Ladies and Gentlemen, we also have a critical shortage of teachers especially in
Mathematics and Science, we therefore urge you, madam, to send more teachers in those subjects to
mitigate the shortage.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you most sincerely madam, for having taken time off from
your busy schedule to come and grace this occasion. This should continue so that we can present our
grievances directly to you and also to see how we are doing academically and professionally.
I thank you all for your attention and may God bless you.

NOTE. Speeches could also be made in the form of debates. Such speeches thus become an argumentative
form of composition. The speaker has to present his or her case either for or against a motion, as
convincingly and as forcefully as possible .

2. REPORT WRITING
A report is a written or spoken account of something witnessed, heard, seen, done, studied or work carried
out or of an investigation. It may be an informal report about an accident or a lost item or a formal report
about the activities of an institution such as a school or a club or an annual report of a business firm. The
following questions are answered when writing a report:
-what happened?
-when did it happen?
-where did it happen?
-who was involved?
-how did it happen?
-why did it happen?
PURPOSE

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The basic function of a report is to inform people about events that have taken place. A report gives a
detailed account or description of a speech, events, experiences or happenings that occur in our daily lives.
These might be on social, political and economical and so on. For example, we read these reports in
newspapers or listen to them on radio or television.

FORMAT
There are many types of reports but we shall look at the basic features of a report. Examples of reports
include: police report, narrative report, medical report, investigative report, project report, book report,
news report, medical report, newspaper report, sports report and many more. In a report the following
points should be taken into account:
(i) heading / title – must be brief and say what the report is all about. Some
reports have subheadings in order to make it easy for one to understand,
(ii) introduction – the opening sentences of a report sums up the major facts
of the event
-indicating what the report is all about by answering ‘wh’questions( i.e. what
What happened?, when…. ? where …? Who..?)
(iii) main body- must give details of the report in paragraphs ( each paragraph to
deal with one main idea), the information must be precise clear and relevant.
(iv)conclusion-the last event serves as a conclusion when one is merely
reporting an incident such as ‘a tour of the national park’ or the writer can make a concluding remark.
However, a report for a project or a survey usually includes conclusions derived from the study.
(v) recommendation – a recommendation is included in an investigative report,
project report or any other. A recommendation gives suggestions for future
action.
Language and Style
➢ A report should be factual and to the point (only important points should be included). It should
not contain opinions although your views or comments may be
useful as a conclusion.
➢ Use the past tense with a lot of bias in the use of reported speech though direct speech can be used
to quote striking information
➢ Reports can be written mainly from two points of view:
(a) Personal point of view, for example a report by an eye witness on the scene of a
a crime, the author of the report will use the pronoun ‘I’.
(b) Detached point of view; this is how most professional reports are written-
the third person (i.e. he, she, they) is used.
➢ Language must be formal, simple and straight forward.
➢ If a written report is to be of any use, the information it conveys must be clearly thought out and
well ordered. When writing a report of a road accident, for example, work out precisely where you
were in relation to the vehicles, what you saw and heard, and why you think the accident happened
might be a concluding remark.
➢ Points can be numbered if the report has subtitles
➢ The author of the report should be identified- it should be signed for and position of responsibility
indicated
SAMPLES
(A) NARRATIVE REPORT
You are the head boy or head girl at your school and you attended a meeting for all headboys, headgirls and
their deputies from all secondary schools in Zambia. The meeting was officially opened by the permanent
secretary; you are expected to write a report of the meeting for the headteacher, You took down some
points to help you write the report.
- Attendance: 200 headboys, 210 headgirls and corresponding number of their deputies
- Prefects should have bigger say in appointment of their successors
- Headteachers asked prefects to spy on teachers

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 - Money from user fees and APU not properly use
- lacked basic necessities in schools
- Headteachers dress like kings and queen and drive expensive cars
- Independent auditors should visit schools
- Prefects work long hours
- Prefects attend to matters that be handled by teachers during lesson time
- Ministry of Education to appoint to task force to look into the matter
- Otherwise prefects to continue being victims of unfair system
Using the points provided and presented in a logical order, write a report. The length of your speech
should be between 250 and 350 words. Any words beyond the word limit will be cancelled.
Answer
REPORT OF HEAD PREFECTS’ MEETING
The meeting was held at David Kaunda Technical Secondary School in Lusaka from9.00 hours to
12.00 hours on Wednesday the 15 th of January,1997.It was officially opened by the permanent secretary,
Ministry of Education, Mr Muswema .Participants were head boys, head girls and their deputies drawn
from all Senior Secondary Schools in the country and numbered 200 head boys, 210 head girls and a
corresponding number of deputy head girls and deputy head boys.
Various issues were discussed. Prominent among them was the feeling that head prefects should
have a bigger say in the appointment of their successors as opposed to the prevailing scenario where their
views are not given much thought by teachers
The head prefects lamented that the behaviour of head teachers (Headmasters and
Headmistresses) who constantly exerted pressure on them to spy on their teachers. Because of this, they
lived in daily fear of retaliation from the affected teachers once discovered.
It was overwhelmingly agreed that funds realised from user fees and the Academic production Unit
(APU) are not being properly utilised. Schools continued to lack basic necessities like stationery while head
teachers were observed to have suddenly started dressing like kings and queens. Others unaccountably
bought themselves vehicles. The head prefects felt that independent auditors should occasionally be called
in to probe the financial management of schools.
Most important of all the participants decried the long hours they were required to work. They said
they were expected to be the first to arrive at school and had to stay long hours after school hours, adding
that more often than not they left school at the same time as the headteacher. As if this was not enough they
were pulled out of classes to attend to matters that could be better handled by teachers. All this affected
their studies. One participant disclosed that at his school no head prefect had attained a division one in the
past five years.
The head prefects felt that there was need for the Minister of Education to appoint a task force to
look into the above issues. Otherwise; head prefects would continue to be victims of an unfair system that
seemed to benefit headteachers only.
MWANSA CHIBALE
HEADBOY
KASAMA SECONDARY SCHOOL
KASAMA

(B)A POLICE REPORT

Question
In the Police force, the duty officer is expected to give a report to the Officer-in- Charge on all the major
occurrences. You are a police officer and was on duty on the night when villagers from a nearby village
reported a murder case. You rush to the scene of the incident with your college and interviewed an eye
witness to establish how the man was killed. You took down the following notes to help you write a report:
- murder case reported at 23.00 hours
- eye witness- Annie Mwengwe
- deceased, Jackson Mulwila was drinking ‘ kachasu’ at witness’ house
- he was in a group of friends

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- they started quarelling
- MusengeMwansa stood up and pushed Jackson violently
- Lackson moved unsteadily few step backwards
-he failed to balance and fell head first
- landed on a stump in the structure they were drinking from
- he was rushed to Chitambo Mission Hospital
-was pronounced on arrival by the doctor
- death was caused by severe brain hemoharrge and fractured skull
- key suspect: MusengeMwansa30,Kalufumo Mwape 29 and Chilambwe Musuma 28, all of Chibale village
were arrested.
Using the points provided and presented in a logical order, write a report to the officer-in-charge. The
length of your speech should be between 250 and 350 words. Any words beyond the word limit will be
cancelled.

Answer
From: Constable Mwape Grevazio
To: The Officer- In- Charge
Mambilima Police Station, Serenje
Date: 22nd June, 2017
SUBJECT: REPORT ON THE MURDER CASE IN CHIBALE VILLAGE
I received a report yesterday around 23.00 hours about a murder case in Chibale village. In the
company of Constable Mwansa Chilombo, Idrove to the scene of the incident and carried out an
investigation. It was discovered that, the deceased, Jackson Mulwila, was in a group of friends drinking a
local illicit brew commonly known as Kachasu at the house of Annie Mwengwe.
Annie Mwengwe said that initially she heard Jackson and his friends quarrelling and little did she
know that their continuous arguments could lead to such a fatal ending. Since Annie Mwenge did not follow
the discussion, she only remembered seeing Musenge Mwansa standing up and grabbed Jackson Mwilwila
by the collar of his shirt and pushed him violently.
She went on to say that the deceased moved unsteadily few steps backwards. The effect of the brew
could not let his body hold the ground. He went down head first, and landed heavily on a stump a short
distance away that acted as a stool in the dilapidated structure they were drinking in.
Basing on the information gathered from the witness, we arrested the three key suspects all male;
Musege Mwansa 30,KalufumoMwape29 and Chilambwe Musuma 28, all of Chibale village.
I immediately put the three co-accused into police custody awaiting other course of action and
investigation.
A good Samaritan offered to rush the deceased to Chitambo Mission Hospital. However, upon
arrival the deceased was examined and certified dead by the Doctor on call. In his report the Doctor said
that Jackson Mulwila died because of severe brain Hemorrhage and fractured skull.
NOTE: A narrative report can also be written in the traditional format of an essay with just a title and signed
at the end (not the memorandum format).

(C) AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

Question
Many letters have been received by the chairman of the United Transport and Taxis Association of Zambia
complaining about various aspects of poor service. Imagine you are the secretary in the association and the
chairman has asked you to submit a report to him after a thorough investigation. After travelling on the
buses on a number of routes, you made notes in your dairy.
-the number of buses on certain routes are inadequate.

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-low income group areas can do with twice the present number
-some buses to be replaced
-some have head rails for passengers to hold on.
-during the morning and evening rush hour, small buses are more suitable on busy routes.
-an up- to- date statistical information about the number of people traveling on various routes required to
get true picture of the transport needs of the public.
- buses behind schedule on certain routes
-no toilets and shelters at the bus stop.
-this is an inconvenience especially during the rainy season
-some bus conductors are rude
- drivers, conductors and traffic officers not properly trained to deal with the public
- roads are in bad state especially in rural areas
Using the points listed above write a comprehensive report to be presented to the chairman.

Answer
REPORT ON THE COMMUTERS COMPLAINT ABOUT POOR BUS SERVICES OFFERED BY
UNITED TRANSPORT AND TAXIS ASSOCIATION (UTTA)
Introduction
An Investigation into various complaints of poor services offered by United Transport and Taxis
Association of Zambia (UTTA) was carried out by the secretary between 25th March 2017 and 30th April
2017. Many routes both in urban and rural areas were covered and a number of regular travelers were
interviewed.
Inadequate number of buses
Most regular bus travelers were of the opinion that the number of buses on certain routes is inadequate.
The low income group area, for instance could do with the present number as very few people have
transport of their own. Furthermore, these areas are more densely populated than high income areas.
State of Buses
A number of buses should not be allowed on the road as they are in bad state of disrepair. There are some
which literally have no overhead rails for standing passengers to hold on which may one day lead to fatal
accident s.

Bus Schedule
The majority of buses do not keep to time, which is an inconvenience to the passengers who have to reach
their working places at a given time. In addition, there are no shelters and toilets at bus stops. As a result,
people get soaked during the rainy season and the nearby bushes are used to answer the call of nature.

Crew Attitude
The drivers and conductors tend to be very rude to the passengers, partly because they are not trained to
deal with passengers. They have to be instructed to treat the public with courtesy; otherwise the association
will lose business in this competitive era.
State of Roads
The state of most roads is so bad that drivers dread travelling along them. On certain routes there are big
gullies on the roads, especially, in rural areas such that passengers have to alight from the buses for their
own safety till they have by passed the bad spot. It is this bad state of roads that has contributed greatly to
the poor condition of buses.
Conclusion
Generally, the bus services offered by UTTA are below expected standards as the association is failing to
meet commuters’ demands. The number of buses on most routes is inadequate and the few buses running
are in poor condition due to wear and tear caused by the bad state of road. In certain areas, there are no
shelters and toilets at bus stops and such a situation is a huge health hazard.
Recommendations
The following are the recommendations

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1. In urban areas, during morning and evening rush hours, small buses are more suitable on busy routes.
2. An up- to- date statistical information about the number of people travelling on various routes is required
to get a true picture of the transport needs on the public.
3. Bus shelters and toilets must be constructed where necessary .
4. Short courses should be introduced for drivers and bus conductors.
5. The Association must impress upon the government and the councils the need to repair bad roads.
John Mwendalubi
SECRETARY
UNITED TRANSPORT AND TAXIS ASSOCIATION

Sample of Exam Question (2004)

Last Friday night whilst you were relaxing with your family at home, you suddenly heard a police message
on the radio about a stolen vehicle during the day in Lusaka. The stolen vehicle was a Toyota Vanette with
the registration number ADA 155 and blue in colour.
The following morning, while waiting for a bus in Kitwe, a Toyota Vanette pulls up and stops to offer you a
lift. As you are in a hurry, you jump in and find two other passengers there.
Suddenly, you remember last night’s police message over the radio. You notice that the colour of the
vanette is blue as previously reported. Furthermore, you notice that the driver does not use a key to start the
vehicle but connects wires; nor does he want to go through police road blocks.
On your arrival in Kitwe, you decide to report the matter to the police. And the police welcome your
initiative but ask you to write are port on your observations.
Before you write the report, you write down some notes to guide you in writing the report.

YOUR NOTES
-Driver dodged road blocks
- decided to observe more closely if my suspicions were justified.
- registration number read ADA 155 with part of one chipped off.
- decided to inform police for investigation.
- on leaving the vanette looked to see number.
- Vanette was parked outside Chimwemwe bar.
- driver had alarge scar on his head and wearing a large black jacket.
- remembered last night’s police report on radio.
- driver’s front rotten and mouth smelling.
- Offered a lift in a blue vanette on way to Kitwe.
- fears justified because driver connected wires to start vehicle.
Using the points listed above and some of your own and presented in a logical order, write a report. The
length of your report should be between 250 and 350 words. Any words beyond the word limit will be
cancelled.

3. PROFILE WRITING
A profile is an account of someone’s life history. There are two types of profiles. These are:
(i) A Biography
This is a record of someone’s life written by another person. It is a record of what one has done,
experienced, achieved or failed to achieve. Only important events (situations) are mentioned. It presents
one’s life as one lived it.

(ii) An Autobiography
In this type of writing, the author gives an account of his or her own life( an account about oneself)
A profile must comprise the following:
(i) Title
- the name of the person being described
(ii)Introduction (Early life)

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 -date and place of birth
- gender, religion (if any),occupation
- family background (i.e. parents, number of brothers and sisters)
- early childhood
(iii) Main Body
(a) Education background
-where and when the subject attended school, i.e. primary,
secondary and tertiary education,
-if possible mention famous teachers
- co-curricular activities,
(b)Career
-professional life (job or jobs done and positions held and qualifications, special
skills acquired)
(c) Achievements
-personal successes
(d) Character (personality)
- interaction at personal level
- dislikes
- hobbies
(iv) Conclusion
-future prospects and lessons that can be learnt from the person’s fruitful life.
Note: If a biography is written posthumously, the most suitable tense to be applied in the conclusion will be
the past tense
Sample profile
Question
The editor of your school magazine has decided to produce a special issue of the magazine in which articles
and reports about the past and present history of the school will claim most space. One section called
‘Biographies’ will contain authentic reports on famous ‘’old girls and or boys of the school. One of the ex-
pupils of your school, who has now become a minister, is a distant relation of yours. You decide to
contribute to the ‘biographies’ section. After some research, you collect the following facts about your
relation’s career.
- Born in a remote area
- As a growing boy, tended father’s cattle, fetched water and collected firewood
- Did primary education in place of birth.
- Secondary education at large missionary school
- Worked as clerk in remote council
- Did not like job
- Trained as primary school teacher for two years.
- Obtained scholarship to study for Arts degree- interested in Economics and Political Science
- Graduated with a distinction in Economics. Went to the states – pursued PhD in Economics.
- Became lecturer at UNZA, Lusaka for two years.
- Entered politics in 1978. Elected MP for home constituency in first general election
- Became cabinet minister in 1984.
- Held a number of portfolios.
- Successful in each.
- Private life: simple, charming, plain speaking.
- Humorous in tone ,efficient ,man of action, eloquent in speech,
- Married to nurse, four children who are independent and working.

Using the points listed above and some of your own and presented in a logical order, write a biography.
The length of your report should be between 250 and 350 words. Any words beyond the word limit will be
cancelled

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Answer
MR. ALICK MWANZA
Mr.Alick Mwanza was born in 1952 in Malama Village in Chief Jumbe’s area. He is a Christian and
Catholic by faith. He comes from a very poor family, He is the second born in a family of nine and the only
boy to Mr. and Mrs.Mwanza. When he was a child, he did not attend pre-school but tended his father’s
cattle, fetched water and collected firewood for domestic use. His dedication to duty made his parents very
proud.
Alick started his primary education at the age of nine at Mutenguleni Primary School where he completed
his grade seven. He then went to Petauke Boarding School for his secondary education and performed very
well in the school certificate examinations. Upon completion of his secondary school education, he joined
Chama District Council where he worked as a clerk. Unfortunately, he did not like the job and resigned
after working for six months only. After leaving the council, he went to train as a primary school teacher at
Chipata Teachers’ Training College.
Before he could complete his two year teacher training programme, he was offered a scholarship to go and
pursue a Bachelor of Arts with Economics and Political Science at the University of Zambia (UNZA). He
completed his studies four years later and graduated with a distinction in Economics. This achievement
opened doors for him to pursue further studies in the United States of America where he obtained a
Masters of Arts and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Economics. He came back to Zambia and worked for two
years as a lecturer at UNZA in Lusaka.
In 1978, he realised that there was need to improve the livelihood of people in his home area and this
prompted him to leave lecturing and join politics. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP)for his home
constituency in Malama Village. He was later appointed cabinet minister and held a number of portfolios,
in all of which, he was successful. During his term of office as MP, he attended many international meetings
and this exposed him to many parts of the world.
Alick is a simple, plain speaking and charming man with high ideals. He also has a forceful personality
which makes him do his work effectively with minimum supervision. In addition, he is very energetic,
efficient and believes in getting things done, no wonder people refer to him as ‘the man of action’. Other
virtues worth noting are his eloquence in speech and humorous tone.
He is a happy family man, married to Gloria, a nurse by profession with whom he has four children who
are all independent and working. He also has two grandchildren. His future aspirations are to become
Republican President of Zambia and improve the living standards of the poor people.
Alick’s fruitful life has inspired many people, especially the youth. He has clearly demonstrated that hard
work and being focused on one’s set goals is key to success.
4. ARTICLEWRITING
Articles are one of the topics in composition that are covered both at junior and senior levels of Secondary
school. They can take any of the forms (types) of composition: narrative, descriptive, discursive, expository
or explanatory.
By definition, an article is a piece of writing written by an individual on a subject matter of common interest.
Articles are contributed to a journal or newspaper. As such articles must amass a good command of
language.
TYPES ARTICLES
There are four main types of articles namely news, feature, editorial and letter to the editor article: Our
interest however is on the Letter to the Editor as the other articles are rarely examinable at O’level English.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A letter to the editor is an article written by members of the public contributed to a newspaper or journal.
Since the editor of a Newspaper or magazines receives more articles than be he can publish, letters to the
editor should deal with a subject matter of common interest.
The letter should be addressed to the editor. Being an official letter, it should contain two addresses,
salutation and title or reference.

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Introduction
The article’s introductory paragraph should highlight the aim of your letter. The first paragraph is extremely
important because it covers in a gist, almost everything. Hence the upside down pyramid approach i.e. from
the general to the particular should be used. Common phrases used in the introduction may include;
• Will you allow me space in your newspaper to add my voice on this (the) matter [“spiritual
murders”] of great concern.
• I would like to air my views on the controversial question of examination leakages in Zambian
schools.
• Allow me to express my concern through your paper …
Main body
The articles’ main body will be the follow up to your introductory words. You will now do the things you
highlighted in the opening paragraph i.e. expressing your concerns, educating or warning the public etc. The
body of an article, like any other piece of writing; amplifies what is highlighted in the introductory
paragraph, it sustains the reader’s interest e.g. through suspense. The points in this part of your composition
should advance your reasons for or against your concerns.

Conclusion
The conclusion of your letter should be an enforcement of the points raised in the main body.
You may use the following or any similar expressions;
• In view of what I have written above, I ……….
• In the light of the foregoing observation, I wish ……..
• With these concerns (pieces of advice), I hope to ……..

The letter to the editor should end with; yours faithfully, name, signature and capacity in which you wrote it.
NB: If you don’t want your address and name to be published, write a postscript instructing the editor to
withhold your particulars.

Sample Letter to the Editor

Chitokoloki Day secondary school,

P.o. box 21222,
Kabompo.

23rd June, 2017.

The Editor,
Times of Zambia.

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Dear editor,

Re:Abortion—Not a Trouble-Free Solution

Kindly allow me to add my voice on the moral issue captioned above. I have been following the
debates in your newspaper which have been running for two months now on the critical subject of abortion.
True, diverse views on this subject matter have been advanced by many Zambians but I wish to educate
youths and women in my own terms.

Many youths have grown up to believe that abortion is a serious sin, tantamount to murder. But this
firm stance is often softened when this issue becomes personal. When youths became pregnant, they feel
they cannot face the commitment of marriage and parenthood. This makes them to quickly opt for what
they term as “the convenient solution,” which is abortion.
What these youths call a convenient solution to an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy is not
uncommon and restricted to the Zambian scenario alone. A 2007 global study reported that in 2003 there
were an estimated 42 million induced abortions worldwide. What is more striking is that women who have
abortions come from every race and nationality, from a variety of religious backgrounds, and from every
level of income, education, and age between puberty and menopause. But the key questions are, “Why do
so many choose abortion? Is abortion the key to unplanned pregnancy?”
Through this article, we educate youths and parents alike on the dangers of abortion. It ought to be
mentioned that women seek abortions for a variety of reasons, ranging from financial problems to a failed,
perhaps abusive, relationship that results in their not wanting any further ties with the man. Or the
pregnancy may simply not fit into the plans of the woman or the couple.
At times, abortion is chosen to protect a reputation. Such is true of the cases reported on by Dr. Susan
Wicklund in her book This Common Secret—My Journey as an Abortion Doctor. In her book, this doctor
reports of one confession of her patient who was seeking an abortion. She reports that this patient’s reason
for seeking abortion was that her parents were very religious and could not bear to see their daughter have a
baby out of wedlock, it would be a mark on their standing in society. It would say to all their friends that
their daughter had sinned.” Thus, according to this person, abortion, though a serious sin is less evil if kept
a secret than tarnishing a family reputation.
However, regardless of the situation, usually the decision to terminate a pregnancy deliberately is not
an easy one. It is often intensely painful. Consider the Consequences. A 2004 research study of 331 Russian
and 217 American women who had an induced abortion revealed that about half of both groups felt bad
after the abortion. Nearly 50 percent of the Russians and almost 80 percent of the Americans felt “guilt”
over the procedure. More than 60 percent of the American women were ‘unable to forgive themselves.’
Since guilt is such a pervasive problem—even among those who do not consider themselves religious—why
do so many young women still have abortions?
They often come under intense pressure to have an abortion. Parents, a mate, or well-meaning friends
may encourage abortion as a lesser of two evils. This can lead to a hasty, ill-informed decision. “However,
after the stressfulness of the decision and the procedure have ended,” explained Dr. Priscilla Coleman, an
expert on the mental-health risks of abortion, “women’s cognitive abilities return to normal, often ushering
in feelings of pronounced guilt, sadness, and regret.”
This regret often centers on the question: Did the abortion terminate a life that already existed? It is
worth noting that many pregnant women considering an abortion “were misled into thinking that nothing
but ‘tissue’ was being removed, and relate that they would not have had an abortion if they were told the
truth.”

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 After an evaluation of the “stunning and heart-wrenching testimony” of women who had abortions, the
study shows that many of these women are angered by grief at the loss of a child they were told never
existed. Some still have to often face the devastating psychological harm of knowing they killed their child.

Going forward, my views on abortion should be respected as they represent the views of the whole country.
I rest my case.
Yours faithfully,
M.Banda
MISHAEL BANDA

Question samples
You are a concerned grade 12 pupil over examination leakages in Zambia. Write an article (letter to the
editor) Times of Zambia to forward your concerns and advice to parents and your fellow grade 12 pupils.
Write a letter to the editor, Zambia Daily Mail, on the issue of Vandalism of Public Property in the country.

PLAIN ARTICLE
Like a letter to the editor, an article is written or contributed to a Newspaper or magazine. An article is a
personal expression on certain issues or an analysis of the problem. Articles discuss specific matters from a
cross section of life based on personal points of view or one’s opinion.
Introduction: The introductory paragraph is usually the summary of the whole article.
The Main Body: This includes facts that can convince readers to follow the writer’s line of thought without
difficulties.
After concluding, it is expected that the writer will write the name, place of residence and capacity in which
he or she writes the article.
NB: The article normally begins with topic sentences in all its new paragraphs.
Some expressions you may use
About HIV/AIDS
One of the most insolvable problems in most countries on earth is HIV/AIDS...
It is an undisputable fact that HIV/AIDS has caused …….
What is most disturbing about this disease is the fact that the youths who are usually innocent get their share
of the bitter pill ….
About TB
While HIV/AIDS is grabbing all headlines in leading Newspapers, TB is donatiating all footnotes in the
same turbothoids.
In a nutshell, I am saying that HIV/AIDS and TB are intertwined.
Child Discipline
The question of child discipline bothers many parents ….
There are many parents who regard the old English proverb ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ as necessary and
sufficient guide to good parenthood.
Dr.Change run, a specialist in child discipline has argued that lack of love in childhood can make a child
delinquent and that over permissiveness or strictness is not the real issue.
Research has shown that …. and it goes without saying that ….

SAMPLE OF A FEATURE ARTICLE

CHOOSING A CAREER
Perhaps this is an issue that most occupies the minds of many a senior secondary school pupil. This
has become more crucial and increasingly strenuous now more than ever before because of the
unfavourable economic climate prevailing in the country.

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 Top on considerations for choosing a particular career is the remuneration that a career promises
to its disciples.A survey conducted by the National Development Committee (NDC) last year revealed that
ninety five percent of school leavers put remuneration as priority number one in the choice of career.
One’s aptitude in a given area is another criterion. If a pupil does not hope to pass his ‘O’ level
Mathematics, for instance, it is pure folly for such a pupil to consider a career in engineering. Similarly a
pupil who is always struggling to construct a good English sentence should do well to forget about becoming
a journalist, at least for a media that employs English as a medium of communication.
There is also the question of prestige. Certain careers attract widespread envy and respect. Many
young people unfortunately consider status as a matter of great importance. Closely linked to this is the
pressure families, relatives and friends exert on individuals to pursue this or that career. Some parents have
been known to pressurise their children to become medical doctors.
In spite of this there are still a small segment of our society that appreciates the joy that lies in
choosing a career through which one can best express and offer thei God given abilities in a particular area.
This category considers a career a vacation and will do everything possible and ignore all obstacles to ensure
they pursue that career to the best of their ability. Such people normally perform their work with deep sense
of joy and satisfaction that others cannot understand. May the nation of Zambia have more of this type of
employees.

Sample of examination Question (2013)

You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section.

Your school magazine is carrying out feature articles on Career Choice for the grade twelves (12).
For the next edition, you have been asked to write about the jobs of Accounts Manager and Social Worker.
To make your task easy, you have been given the following notes to use to write your article:
ACCOUNTS MANAGER
- No job security
- Very well paying
- Travel local and abroad

- Opportunities to make more money

- No weekends
- Very motivating
- Own accommodation
- Visit different financial institutions
- Rarely home with family
- Long working hours
- Minimum supervision
- Short leave, maximum 30 days per year
SOCIAL WORKER
- Job security
- Not well paying
- Same work environment
- Opportunities further studies and promotion
- Weekends no work
- Self-satisfying
- Free accommodation
- More of service to others i.e. vocation rather than job
- A lot of time with family
- Normal working hours
- Much supervision

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 - Long leave up to 120 days per year

Using the relevant notes, write the article which has been started for you below. The length of your
article should be between 250 and 350 words. Any words beyond the word limit will be cancelled.

The job of Accounts Manager ______________________________________

Structure
In this section of the pamphlet, key topics in structure of the revised syllabus have been considered.
Detailed rule explanations as well as examination type questions have been covered under each topic.

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are usually introduced by relative pronouns such as that, who, or which and are used to
provide useful information about someone or something just mentioned.
Examples:
1. The girl who lives next door has travelled to Lusaka.
2. These shoes, which my aunt gave me, do not wear out easily.
3. The sermon that the pastor preached last Sunday was uplifting.
4. The girl whose father won the lottery has transferred to a private school.
In the examples above, the parts of the sentences in bold are relative clauses and give us information on the
nouns that precede them.
There are two types of relative clauses: defining and non-defining relative clauses.

a) Defining Relative Clauses.

In a defining relative clause, the information given by the clause identifies the person or thing
preceding it. Without this information, the meaning of the sentence would be incomplete.

Examples:
1. The girl who lives next door has travelled to Lusaka.
2. The sermon that the pastor preached last week was uplifting.
In the above examples, if the relative clauses are omitted, one would be left asking: Which girl? Or
Which sermon? The defining relative clauses are, therefore, necessary in identifying the particular
girl or sermon being talked about.
b) Non-defining Relative Clauses
In non-defining relative clauses, the information given is simply addition information without which
the meaning of the sentence would still be complete.

Examples:
1. These shoes, which my aunt gave me, do not wear out easily.
2. Our teacher of English, who joined the teaching staff last year, has been awarded for being hard
working.
In the above examples, these shoes and our teacher of English would still be identified or known
even if the relative clauses are omitted. Therefore, though the information given by the clauses may
be essential, its omission does not affect the identification of the nouns or pronouns preceding
them.
Note: Non-defining clauses are set off from the rest of the sentence by commas.

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 Relative Pronouns:
Who, whom, which, that, whose

Word Usage Example

Who 1. When referring to people and not 1. I have a friend. He lives in Chamboli.
things or animals. ➢ I have a friend who lives in Chamboli.
(Defining)

2. John has been demoted as class

monitor. He was found stealing.
➢ John, who was found stealing, has been
demoted as class monitor. ( Non-
defining)
Whom 1. As the object of the relative when 1. We chose the girl. She is Mary’s
talking about people. cousin.
➢ The girl whom we chose is Mary’s
cousin. (Defining)

2. Sharon is my classmate. You probably

met her yesterday.
➢ Sharon, whom you probably met
yesterday, is my classmate. (Non-
defining)

3. I borrowed the book from the boy. He

lives here.
➢ The boy from whom I borrowed the
book lives here. (whom can be
preceded by a preposition but not
who)

Which 1. When referring to things or animals 1. Her new shoes are nice. They seem
rather comfortable.
➢ Her new shoes, which seem rather
comfortable, are nice. (Non-defining)

2. The book belongs to John. It is lying

on the table.
➢ The book which is lying on the table
belongs to John.
( Defining)

3. We travelled in the bus. It was very

fast.
➢ The bus in which we travelled was very
fast. (Defining)

Note: Which is also used to refer to a group 4. We were in the team which won the
of people when considered as a single unit. cup.

Whose 1. To show possession, ownership or 1. I know the girl. Her brother won the

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 the relation between people championship.
➢ I know the girl whose brother won the
championship.

2. This is the man. His house has been

burnt down.
➢ This is the man whose house has been
burnt down.
That 1. Can be used in place of who in 1. I know the boy who got six points.
defining relative clauses ➢ I know the boy that got six points.

2. The book which is lying on the table

belongs to John.
2. Can be used in place of which in ➢ The book that is on lying on the table
defining relative clauses belongs to John.

3. Her new shoes, which seem

comfortable, are nice
Note: That is not used in non-defining clause Wrong: Her new shoes, that seem
comfortable, are nice.

4. The bus in which we travelled was very

Note: That is not used after a fast.
preposition. Wrong: The bus in that we travelled
was very fast.
Correct: The bus that we travelled in
was very fast.

Adverbs as relatives: when, where and why

When, where and why are used in the same way as relative pronouns.
Examples:
1. Saturday is the day when we meet for fellowship.
2. This is the school where the camp meeting took place.
3. He did not tell us why he could not come.

‘What’ as a relative
We can avoid using the thing(s) which and the thing(s) that by simply using what.
Examples:
1. He forgot the things which he was going to say.
➢ He forgot what he was going to say.
2. The thing that is not clear is why he came.
➢ What is not clear is why he came.

Questions
Cloze Text
Supply a suitable relative pronoun in the blank spaces of the text.

Laurel and Hardy were a pair of comedy actors (1) ……….. made over 100 films from 1926 to 1940.
Stan Laurel, (2) ……….. was born in Britain, and Oliver Hardy, an American, were first successful in silent

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films and were famous for their slapstick style of comedy. In their films, Laurel often caused the many
accidents (3)………… happened to them both, after (4)……….. Hardy would get angry and say, ‘This is
another fine mess (5) ……………. You’ve gotten me into.’
A Jekyll and Hyde is a person (6) ………… has two personalities, one of (7) ……………….is bad and the
other good. The expression comes from a novel about Dr. Jekyll, (8) ………………investigates the good and
evil parts of human nature and
invents a drug (9) ………….can separate them. When he takes the drug, he becomes an evil version of
himself, (10) ………..he calls Mr. Hyde.

Sentence Transformations
Join the following pairs of sentences by using relative clauses:
1. A. The men have been arrested. They tried to break into the shop.
B ………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. A. The man is friend of ours. He owns that garage.
B ……………………………………………………………………………………….
3. A. We must write to the contractor. They depend on that contractor.
B …………………………………………………………………………………………
4. A. I am trying to remember the name of the hotel. We usually stop at that
particular hotel.
B ……………………………………………………………………………………………
5. A. That’s the player. I kicked his leg accidentally.
B ……………………………………………………………………………………………

6. A. The tourist was urged to come back to Zambia. The Zambian people are
friendly.
B ………………………………………………………………………………………
7. A. Mr. Zulu has finally completed his Grade 12 despite being over 30 years.
Some people used to laugh at him.
B …………………………………………………………………………………………
8. A. This house was built over 30 years ago. It is still in immaculate condition.
B ……………………………………………………………………………………
9. A. I will introduce to Peter. Some people regard him as our best forward.
B ……………………………………………………………………………………
10. A. There is a price. I cannot go beyond that price.
B ………………………………………………………………………………………

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 COMPARISON

Structures or expressions of comparison are used to show the difference or similarity between or among
people or things.

Comparatives and Superlatives

The comparative forms are used for comparing two things or people, while the superlative forms are used
for comparing more than two things or people.
The comparatives and superlatives of single syllable adjectives and adverbs are formed by adding ‘–er’ and ‘-
est’.
e.g Positive Comparative Superlative
tall taller tallest
slow slower slowest
near nearer nearest
fast faster fastest

Adjectives of two syllables ending in -y, -er, -ow and -le normally form the comparative and superlative with
–er and –est
e.g Positive Comparative Superlative
pretty prettier prettiest
clever cleverer cleverest
narrow narrower narrowest
gentle gentler gentlest

Spelling Rules
If a word ends with the letter –y, the –y is changed to ‘i’ before adding ‘–er’ or ‘est’.
e.g Positive Comparative Superlative
pretty prettier Prettiest
naughty naughtier naughtiest
silly sillier silliest

The comparatives and superlatives of words which have two or more syllables other than those mentioned
earlier are formed by putting more and most before the positive form.
e.g Positive Comparative Superlative
interesting more interesting most interesting
poisonous more poisonous most poisonous
careful more careful most careful
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
Irregular Forms
Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular forms of comparison.
e.g Positive Comparative Superlative
good/well better best
bad/badly worse worst
little less least
much/many more most

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Sentence Patterns for Making Comparisons
The following patterns are used when comparing two people or things.
a) Adjective/Adverb(Comparative form) + than
i) Mbene is shorter than Mweene.
ii) This book is more interesting than the one I read last week.

b) as + adjective/adverb(Ordinary form) + as
This structure is used to compare two similar people or things.
i) Nsokolo is as kind as her mother.
ii) This house is as beautiful as the one we saw earlier.
iii) He runs as fast as a hare.
Note: Never use the comparative form when using this pattern.
e.g Wrong : Nsokolo is as kinder as her mother.
X
Wrong: This house is as more beautiful as the one we saw earlier.
X
c) ‘ not as + …as’
This is the negative form of the ‘as… as’ expression. It is, therefore, used to compare two people or
things that are unequal.
e.g i) Daka is not as clever as Simpungwe.
ii) Your house is not as big as mine.

d) less + adjective/adverb(Ordinary form) + than

e.g. i) Her hair is less long than mine.
ii) This book is less interesting than the one I read last week.
iii). He did the exercise less carefully than I did it.

e) like/just like
This structure is used to show similarity.
e.g i) Chima is a good artists just like her husband.
ii) That bicycle is like mine.
iii). He behaves like a baby.
f) ‘the same …as’
This expression is also used to show similarity.
e.g i) Suzan has the same dress as Becky’s.
ii) Mr. Kasumpa had the same idea as Mr. Banda.
iii). My birthday is the same as my mother’s.

g) (the+) Comparative
This pattern is also another way of comparing two people or things. ‘The’ can sometimes be
omitted.
e.g. i) Jane is the elder of the two sisters
ii). Peter and John are intelligent but Peter is (the) more intelligent

h) the + comparative … the comparative

This pattern is used to indicate parallel increase or decrease.

e.g i) The higher you go, the cooler it becomes.

ii) The sooner we start off, the better.
iii) The older he grew, the less intelligent he became.
iv) The more she practised, the better she played the guitar.

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 Note: The comma is used to separate the two parallel clauses.

g) comparative + and + comparative

This pattern is used to show gradual increase or decline.
e.g. i) The day is getting hotter and hotter.
ii) Life in Zambia is becoming more and more expensive.
iii). Their singing is getting better and better.

Sentence Patterns with the Superlative.

The superlative is used to compare more than two people or things. The following are the patterns used:
a) the + adverb/adjective(Superlative form)
i). She is the cleverest pupil in class.
ii). This is the most interesting movie I have ever watched.
iii). He is the best singer in the choir.

b) ‘one of’ + the + adjective(superlative form)

i) This book is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
ii) John is one of the most skilful players on the team.
iii). He bought one of the most expensive suits in the shop.

c) the + least + adjective(superlative form)

e.g. i) His work had the least mistakes of all the books marked.
ii) Of all the books I have read, this one is the least interesting.

Questions
1. A. Chisanga’s beauty increases as she grows older
B The older ……………………………………………………………………………

2. A. The rate of success in business increases with the number of risks taken.
B The more……………………………………………………………………………….

3. A. As you go higher, it gets cooler.

B The higher………………………………………………………………………………

4. A. Women’s clothes are less expensive than men’s clothes.

B Replace than with as ………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. A. No guitarist is as good as Matthews in the band.
B Mathews ……………………………………………………………………………..
6. A. I am short. My mother is tall.
B. My mother ……………………………………………………………………………..
7. A. Kuseka is not as charming as Kusekesha.
B. Of ……………………………………………………………………………………..
8. A. Secondhand clothes are increasingly getting expensive.
Use more in your sentence.
B: …………………………………………………………………………………………
9. A. Chileshe is the cleverest pupil in 12T2.
B. No pupil ………………………………………………………………………………….

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 10. A. He has not suffered an injury as bad as this one.
B. This………………………………………………………………………………………

Time
In this section, we are going to look at structures that may be used to show or indicate the order in which
events or actions occur.
a) ‘as soon as’

This pattern is used to show that an event or action takes place immediately after another. There is
no delay whatsoever.

e.g. i) As soon as the teacher entered the classroom, the pupils kept quiet.
ii) As soon as it stopped raining, the boys went out to play.
iii) As soon as Mary saw her father, she ran away.

The expression ‘as soon as’ can also be placed within the sentence but in which case the comma
must be omitted.
e.g. i) The pupils kept quiet as soon as the teacher entered the classroom.
ii) Mary ran away as soon as she saw her father.

b) ‘No sooner… than’

This pattern is also used to show that an event or action takes place immediately after another.
There is no delay whatsoever. The pattern can be used in place of ‘as soon as’.

e.g. i) No sooner had it stopped raining than the boys went out to play.
ii) No sooner had the teacher entered the classroom than the pupils kept
quiet.
iii) No sooner had Mary seen her father than she ran away.

c) ‘time conjunction + Participial Phrase’

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 In this pattern, a time conjunction (while, before, after, when) + Participial Phrase are used to show
the order events or actions occur. One event or action is expressed by using a participial phrase.
e.g. i) Before coming to school, Mweete cleaned the house.
ii) After writing their exams, the boys went to a party.
iii) When walking past the school, we saw pupils running out of their
classrooms in terror.

The part of the sentence containing the time conjunction and participial phrase can also be placed
within the sentence in which case the comma is omitted.

e.g i) Mweete cleaned the house before coming to school

ii) The boys went to a party after writing their exams.

d) Use of the Past Participle

We can also use a phrase containing a perfect participle when an action precedes another. The
action or event that takes place first is expressed using the perfect participle.

e.g. i) Having finished the exercise, the pupils marked their own books.
ii) Having preached the sermon, the pastor sat down.
iii) Having swept the floor, the maid dusted the table.

Examination feature of the topic

7. A. He went to bed when he finished his homework.
B After…………………………………………………………………………
(Use a Partcipial Phrase)
8. A. He discovered the hidden books as he cleaned the store room.
B While …………………………………………………………………………………
(Use a Participial Phrase)
9. A. I must study the matter more carefully before I answer your question.
B Before ………………………………………………………………………………
(Use a Participial Phrase) ,
10. A. I went to watch a soccer match after I completed my assignment.
B Having …………………………………………………………………………………
11. A. Immediately I sat down, the phone rang.
B No sooner ………………………………………………………………………………
12. A. I started feeling hungry again soon after eating.
B No sooner …………………………………………………………………………
13. A. Mr. Kapenda made sweeping changes to the institution upon being appointed
Principal.
B. As ……………………………………………………………………………………….
8. A. Without delay, Mrs. Nyendwa assisted the boy when she noticed that he was
unwell.
B. As ……………………………………………………………………………………….

9. A. The celebrations began immediately the referee blew the final whistle.
B. No sooner ……………………………………………………………………………
10. A. The comedian hurriedly left the stage after he accidentally broke his tooth.
B. Having ……………………………………………………………………………………

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 Contrast
Structures of contrast are used to link or combine ideas that normally do not go together or are contrary.
Example:
Charles was poor at Mathematics. He got a distinction.
The two situations of Charles being poor at Mathematics and him getting a distinction are contrary. The
structures of contrast can, therefore, be used to link these contrary situations as well as highlight this
difference.
The structures used to highlight contrast include the following:
a) ‘but’/ ‘yet’
i) Charles was poor at mathematics but he got a distinction.
ii) Charles was poor at mathematics, yet he got a distinction.
When we use ‘yet’, we usually put a comma before it.

b) ‘however’, ‘nevertheless’ , ‘even so’

These structures carry the same meaning hence can be used interchangeably.

e.g. The country experienced a drought last year. Mr. Kapila had a good harvest.

i) The country experienced a draught last year. However, Mr. Kapila had a good harvest.

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 ii) They were very tired. Nevertheless, they continued working.
Note: When the expressions ‘however’, ‘nevertheless’ and ‘even so’ are placed after
the first idea which ends with a full stop as in the above examples, place a
comma after the expression.

iii) The country experienced a drought last year, however, Mr. kapila had a good harvest.
iv) They were very tired, nevertheless, they continued working.

Note: In sentences (iii) and (iv), the contrasting idea are joined into one sentence
,and commas are placed before and after ‘however’ and ‘nevertheless’.

c) ‘although’, ‘though’, ‘even though’

The above structures can be used interchangeably.

• They can be used at the beginning of a sentence

e.g i) Although he was sick, he attended the meeting.
ii) Even though she was wrong, she did not apologies.
iii). Though he was an orphan, he did not solicit for sympathy.

• The structures can also be used within the sentence in which case the comma is omitted.
I) He attended the meeting although he was sick.
II) She did not apologies even though she was wrong.
Note: Usually begin with the idea that comes first in the sentence to begin with
although.
Wrong: Although he attended the meeting, he was sick.
▪ The sickness came before attending the meeting.
Correct: Although he was sick, he attended the meeting.

d) ‘ in spite of’/ ‘ despite’

These structures may be used as follows:

i) In spite of/ Despite + noun/pronoun + verb-‘ing’

➢ Despite Sabina being very tired, she completed the work.
➢ In spite of the bus breaking down twice, we reached Kitwe before sunset.
ii) ‘In spite of’/ ‘Despite’ + noun/noun phrase
➢ In spite of the injury, Sakala played very well.
➢ Despite the rains, the boys continued to play
➢ In spite of the fierce dogs found on the farm, the thieves stole the machinery.
iii) Despite + that
➢ Despite that Rita was in love with Charles, she got married to a local businessman.
➢ Despite that Bako is a wealthy man, he is very humble.
➢ Despite that Kazoka warned the pupils yesterday, they have dodged from class
again.

e) Use of ‘(the) one… the other’

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 This construction is used to compare two people or things. Usually ‘the one’ is used for the person
or thing first encountered, while the ‘the other’ is used for the last one.

Examples
i) The one sister was kind but the other was not.
ii) On the one hand, the boy is kind to animals, but on the other, he is very cruel to small
children.
iii) One twin is very short, while the other is tall.
iv) One of my brothers is a teacher; the other is an engineer.
As can be observed in the above examples, we can use ‘but’, ‘yet’ and the semi-colon to join the
clauses/phrases containing the two ideas

f) Adjective + as/ though

i) Annoyed though he was, he could not fight in public.
(Although he was annoyed, he could not fight in public.)
ii) Rich as Mr. Wamuwi is, he does not show off.
(Although Mr. Wamuwi is rich, he does not show off)
iii) Beautiful though Mary is, she is still unmarried.
(Although Mary is beautiful, she is still unmarried.)
g) No matter….
This structure can be used with the following patterns:
i). No matter + how + adjective/adverb
➢ No matter how hard he tries to come to school on time, he is always late.
➢ No matter how carelessly he drives, he will not cause an accident.
➢ No matter how difficult the mathematics questions are, you must solve them.
ii). No matter + wh…
➢ No matter who your parents are, you must respect them.
➢ No matter what you say, I will not forgive you.
➢ No matter where you live, you must be proud of your home.

h) Using the present participle with an expression introducing an alternative

e.g. i) Instead of using a pen, he used a pencil.
ii) He went playing instead of going to school.
g) Using the present participle with an expression introducing an additional
idea
e.g. i) In addition to insulting my sister, that boy tore up her exercise book.
ii) Besides being an engineer, he is an accountant.

Examination feature of the topic

14. A. She had a disadvantaged background, yet she became a prominent person in society.
B Despite ……………………………………………………………………………
15. A. Mulimba was sick for the most part of his final year but he managed to get distinctions.
B.. In spite …………………………………………………………………………

16. A. Mr. Mwale is a scientist. He has also written many popular novels.
B Apart …………………………………………………………………………………
17. A. Young men should make themselves useful rather than just waiting for handouts.
B Instead …………………………………………………………………………………

18. A. I was very disappointed but I could not show it.

B Disappointed ……………………………………………………………………………………………

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 19. A. The thief ate the food that was in the pot and stole the bag of mealie meal.
B In addition ……………………………………………………………………………
20. A. I tried hard but could not solve the problem.
B No matter ……………………………………………………………
21. A. Josephat is dull but he managed to pass the examination.
B. Dull…………………………………………………………………………………
9. A. The head teacher was angry but he did not slap the boys.
B. Angry ………………………………………………………………………………..
10. A Patrick is a very efficient prefect. He is disliked by every pupil.
B. Use ‘nevertheless’ ……………………………………………………………..

CONDITION

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
Introduction
➢ There are three main types:
• Probable or likely condition
• Improbable or unlikely
• Impossible or rejected
Type 1 If A happens, B will happen.
Type 2 If A happened, B would happen.
Type 3 If A had happened, B would have happened.

Typical Tenses of Conditional Sentences

KIND OF CONDITION TENSE IN CONDITIONAL TENSE IN MAIN CLAUSE

CLAUSE
LIKELY/PROBABLE PRESENT FUTURE
UNLIKELY/IMPROBABLE PAST SIMPLE CONDITIONAL
REJECTED/ IMPOSSIBLE PAST PERFECT PERFECT CONDITIONAL

(a) Likely or Probable condition

This type of sentence shows a condition that may be or is likely to be fulfilled and refers to the future.
Examples:
i) If I go to the village, I will buy some onion and Spinach.
ii). If Mary gets a distinction in English, her mother will buy her cell phone.

Variations
1. Present Simple + may (If you are late, the teacher may punish you.)
2. Present Simple + can (If you hurry, you can reach the station on time)
3. Present Simple + should (If you want to score high marks, you should
work hard)

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 4. Present Simple+ had better (If you want to pass, you had better
work hard)
5. Present Perfect+ Future Simple (If you have finished, I shall
clear the table)
6. Should + Imperative (If you should run into difficulties, ring me up)
7. Present Simple + Present Simple ( If you go to the market, buy some
some vegetables)

(b) Unlikely or Improbable Condition

This type of sentence shows a condition that is unlikely to be fulfilled because the supposition is
contrary to facts or action in the if- clause is not expected to happen. It refers to the present or it may
refer to the present.

Example: If I went to the village, I would buy some onion and spinach.
If our teacher was here, he would help us solve the problem.
Variations
1. Past Simple + might (If you worked hard, you might score high
marks.)
2. Past Simple + could (If he had a license, he could drive.)
3. Past continuous + conditional (If I were travelling by plane, I would
reach home earlier.)
3. Should + conditional (If he should come, I would be very happy.)

(c) Rejected or Impossible Condition

This type of sentence shows a condition which cannot be fulfilled as the event mentioned did not
happen. It refers to the past.

Example:
If I had gone to the village, I would have bought some onion and spinach.
( I did not go to the village. Therefore, it was not possible to buy some onion and spinach)
Variations
1. Past perfect + could + have (If you had arrived earlier, you could
have caught the train.)
2. Past Perfect + might + have (If we had found the money, we might
have given it to the police.)

Application
➢ Unless replaces if…………not:
Example: A: Unless army worms go away, I will not plant maize this
season.
B: If …………………………………………………………

A: If army worms do not go away, I will not plant maize this season.

➢ But for Had it not been for

➢ Only if Subject –Verb-inversion. .

Only when
Not until

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Example: A: Zambians will only be happy if the team brings the AFCON
Trophy.
➢ Had…………………………. (Rejected option).

OTHER IMPLIED CONDITIONS

Even if, supposing that, suppose that, on condition that, provided that, as long as, if ever, if only, if at all
given that).

Indicative mood

1. If + present conditional e.g. I should be very grateful if you would raise my salary (were willing to
raise it.)

2. If + present perfect tense + future simple e.g. If she has gone home, we will find her there (if this is
true, then the main clause will be true too).

3. If + future simple + future simple e.g. If you will help the poor, God will help you immensely.(if
you are willing to help the poor).

4. If + present tense + present tense e.g. If my car has a puncture, I normally go to town by a bus.
(repeated action /habit).

5. Would + like. I would like to live the room for a while. (If I am given your permission).

Imperative mood

If + present simple + present simple

If you go home, please greet your parents on my behalf (polite request)

Unreal past tenses/past subjunctive

It uses the past tense in order to refer to the present moment. It is used when people wish to express a wish,
a preference desire or doubt.

1. If +I + were e.g. If I were you, I would resign. (improbability/unreality)

Note: If I were you ‘’were’’ is not a plural but a relic of a verb form called the subjective.

2. Were + 1 e.g. Were I to become a lawyer, illegality would be a thing of the past.

3. Would + unreal past We would appreciate if you were punctual for all
meetings

4. It is (high) time + subject + simple past tense (= do it now without further delay)
E.g. It is high time you went to bed. (= go to bed now)
It is high time we stopped. (=we should stop right away)

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NB when analysing sentences, “it” is a dummy, i.e it has no noun reference.

Examinational Feature of the Topic

1. A: In your place, I would ask for a transfer to another school.
B:If …………………………………………………………………………………
2. A: She doesn’t know the answer. That is why she doubts.
B: If …………………………………………………………………………………..
3. A: We failed to visit you because the road was bad.
B:But for …………………………………………………………………………
4. A: You will never solve this problem until somebody helps you.
B: Not until……………………………………………………………………….
5. A: It is only after going for Voluntary Counseling and Testing that you can know your
HIV status.
B: Unless ………………………………………………………………………….
6. A. You will not convince her to marry you until you change your
drinking habits.
B: Not until………………………………………………………………………..
7. A: The house collapsed when the family was away so they were not
killed.
B: Had……………………………………………………………………………..
8. A: I will give you money only on condition that you come to school.
B: Unless…………………………………………………………………………
9. A: A physical distribution system will be effective if the transportation is well
co-ordinate.
B: unless ……………………………………………………………………….
10.A: If students are only interested in sports they will never pass the
examination.
B: For………………………………………………………………………………
11. A: It must be very exciting to be a pilot.
B: If I………………………………………………………………………………
12. A: He didn’t start to read until he was ten years old.
B: Not until ……………………………………………………………………..
13. A: He did not go to school. He did not write the test.
B: If he had………………………………………………………………………
14. A: Give me some of your bananas and I will show you the way.
B: Unless……………………………………………………………………….
13. A: Her father did not excuse Jane because she did not apologise.
B: If she had ……………………………………………………………………
14. A: Mwansa does not enter her parents’ bedroom until she has knocked on the door.
B: Not until …………………………………………………………………….

15. A: John was arrested because he insulted a police officer.

B: Had …………………………………………………………………………….
16. A: I spent all my money so I did not help you.
B:If …………………………………………………………………………………
17. A: Stop laughing at me or I will hit you.
B:I will hit you if you……………………………………………………………..
18. A: If I had not intervened, he would have been punished.
B: Had it …………………………………………………………………
19. A: John needs to be as quick and intelligent as Mary to be accepted
into Grade 10.
B:Unless………………………………………………………………………… 20. A: I will talk to you only
when you apologise for what you have

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 done.
B:Not until ……………………………………………………………………
21. A: He will not come to the party if you do not invite him.
B: Rewrite using “provided”.
22. A: Only if we invite them will they come
B: Unless………………………………………………………….
23. A: Monde failed his Grade 12 examinations because he did not work
hard.
B: Had………………………………………………………………………………
24. A: They were able to finish their work by 08:00hours because they
were forced by their supervisor to work through the night.
B: Had …………………………………………………………………………
25. A: But for the doctor’s promptness, the patient would have died.
B: If……………………………………………………………………

DIRECT AND INDIRECT (REPORTED) SPEECH

In this section, we shall consider both direct and indirect speech.

1. Direct Speech
Direct speech is when we report what someone says by repeating the exact words.
In written, this is represented by enclosing someone’s words in quotations marks.
e.g. Mother said, “ I am relocating to Kasama.”
The children asked, “Why are you relocating to Kasama?”

In the above examples, the exact words are placed in opening and closing inverted commas.
Mother said and The children asked are known as speech tags and these let us know who uttered
the actual words.

Therefore, a sentence in direct speech has two parts: the speech tag and the actual words of the
speaker.

Punctuation of sentences in direct speech

The following is to be considered when punctuating sentences in direct speech:

i) The quotation must begin with a capital letter, even if the speech tag comes first.
➢ Ethel said, “Help me solve this equation.”

ii) There must be a punctuation mark (A full stop, comma, exclamation mark or question
mark) at the end of the quotation and it must be placed inside the closing inverted
commas.
➢ The girl shouted, “I don’t need your help!”
➢ Carmelita asked, “Where can I find the drums?”
➢ Moses said, “Some candidates lack seriousness.”

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 iii) Set off the speech tag from the quotation using a comma when the speech tag comes before
the quotation.
➢ Mother said, “I am relocating to Kasama.”

iv) When the speech tag comes after the quotation, set off the speech tag from the quotation
by placing a comma after the quotation.
➢ “I am relocating to Kasama,” Mother said.

Note: If the quotation ends with a question mark or exclamation, the

Punctuation mark is left unchanged.
➢ “Where can I find the drums?” Carmelita asked.
➢ “Get out of here!” Jimmy shouted.

v) When the speech tag comes after the quotation, the reporting verb can also be placed
before its subject but not when the subject is a pronoun.
➢ “I am relocating to Kasama?” said Mother.
➢ “Get out of here!” shouted Jimmy.
➢ Wrong: “I need a break,” said he.
➢ Correct: “I need a break,” he said.

vi) The speech tag can also be placed in the middle of the quotation. In this case, place a
comma after the first part of the quotation and another after the speech tag.
(a) “Let us go,” Mukobe said, “and see what is happening outside.”
(b) “I was wondering,” he said, “if we could start over.”
(c) “I had a good harvest last year,” said the farmer. “The seed I used was of good
quality.”
Note: In sentences (a) and (b), the direct quotation after the speech tag begins with
a small letter because the speech tag merely intrudes a sentence. As for example
(c), the quotation after the speech tag begins with a capital letter because, though it
is the same speaker, it is a different sentence.
vii) When a title is mentioned in the quotation, punctuate as follows:
➢ “I have read ‘Things Fall Apart’,” said Bupe.

2. Indirect/Reported Speech.

Reported speech refers to the change from the exact words (Direct speech) that the first person
used to the words that the second person uses to transmit the same information.

When changing from direct to reported speech, the following must be taken into consideration:
(a) Tense Changes
(b) Pronoun Changes
(c) Expression of time and place

(a) Tense Changes

The following are the tense changes when changing from direct to reported speech:

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SN DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

1 Present Simple Tense Past Simple Tense

1. “Bruno sings in the choir,” said the 1. The Pastor said that Bruno sang in the choir.
Pastor 2. She complained that it was late.
2. “It is late,” she complained. 3. The boy boasted that he had a lot of money.
3. “I have a lot of money,” the boy
boasted.

2 Present Continuous Tense Past Continuous Tense

1. “Bruno is singing in the choir,” said 1. The Pastor said that Bruno was singing in the
the Pastor. choir
2. “We are listening to the news,” the 2. The parents said that they were listening to
parents said. the news.

3 Present Perfect Tense Past Perfect Tense

1. “Bruno has sung in the choir for five 1. The Pastor said that Bruno had sung in the
years,” said the Pastor. choir for five years
2. “I have waited for this moment,” the 2. The boy said that he had waited for that
boy said. moment.
4 Present Perfect Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense

1. “Bruno has been singing in the choir 1. The Pastor said that Bruno had been singing
since 2012,” said the Pastor. in the choir since 2012.
2. “I have been waiting for this moment,” 2. The boy said he had been waiting for that
said the boy. moment.
5 Past Simple Tense Past Perfect Tense

1. “Bruno sang in the choir yesterday,” 1. The Pastor said Bruno had sung in the choir
said the Pastor. the day before.
2. “The children played in the rain,” 2. Their mother complained that the children
complained their mother. had played in the rain.
6 Past Continuous Tense Past Continuous/Past Perfect Continuous Tense

1. He said that he was writing an assignment.

1. He said, “I was writing an assignment.” 2. He said that he had been writing an
assignment.
7 Future Tense Conditional

1. Ng’ambi said, “I will get a distinction 1. Ng’ambi said that he would get a distinction in
in mathematics.” mathematics.

Treatment of Modals

SN Direct Speech Reported Speech

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 1 Can Could

The teacher said, “The pupils can go.” 1. The teacher said that the pupils could go.
2 May Might

“Mr. Kaoma may come to the school The Headteacher told the teachers that
tomorrow,” the Headteacher told the Mr. Kaoma might go to the school the
teachers. following day.
3 Shall ‘Would’ or ‘Should’

1. “I shall do it right away,” said the prefect. 1. The prefect said that she would do it right
2. “Shall I close the door?” asked the pupil. away. ( Prediction/ Intention)
2. The pupil asked if he should close the
door. (Offers/ Suggestions)

4 Must Must/Had to

“You must do more,” the teacher told the 1. The teacher told the pupils that they must
pupils. do more
2. The teacher told the pupils that they had
to do more

Other Considerations
i) Commands
In addition to the usual changes, the imperative form of the verb is changed to the infinitive
Direct Speech Reported Speech

1. “Submit the books before you knock 1. The teacher told the pupils to submit
off,” the teacher said to the pupils. the books before they knocked off.

2. “Close the doors as you leave,” she said 2. She told the unruly boy to close the
to the unruly boy. door as he left.

ii) Questions
To change questions from direct to indirect speech, take note of the following:
➢ The statement order is used (subject + verb) is used instead of the question order
(verb + subject)
➢ The question is mark is dropped.
➢ Questions not beginning with an interrogative word like why, who, when, what,
require the addition of if or whether
Direct Speech Reported Speech

1. “Why were you absent yesterday?” the 1. The teacher asked the boy why he had been
teacher asked the boy. absent the previous day.

2. “Have you been to Jamaica?” the boy asked 2. The boy asked the Rastafarian if he had
the Rastafarian been to Jamaica.

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 (b) Pronoun Changes
Direct Indirect/Reported
I he/she
me him/her
you her/she/them/they
we they

us them
our/ours their/theirs
my his/her
(c) Expressions of time and place
Direct Indirect/Reported
today that day
yesterday the day before/ the previous day
tomorrow the next day/ the following day
yesterday evening the evening before/ the previous evening
last night the night before/ the previous night
ago before
now then
this that/the
these those/the

Questions
1. A. Christopher asked Mr. Zulu if he would submit his assignment the following
day.
B. “ …………………………………………………………………..” Christopher
asked Mr. Zulu.
2. A. “I left my jacket here yesterday,” he said.
B. He said that……………………………………………………………………..
3. A. The teacher said that he wanted me to tell him the truth or would slap me.
B. The teacher said to me, “………………………………………………………….
4. A. Mwila said, “I must get something to eat or I will faint.”
B. Mwila said that ……………………………………………………………………
5. A. “Did you read the article on examination malpractice in yesterday’s
newspaper?” the man asked his son.

B. Rewrite using reported speech

………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. A. “You can start planting as soon as it rains,” the farmer said to his workers.
B. The farmer told his workers that ………………………………………………………
7. A. The singer said to the government, “Castrate all child abusers.”
B. The singer urged the government ……………………………………………………
8. A. The farmer shouted with excitement saying that all the harvest had been gathered.
B. The farmer shouted excitedly, “……………………………………………………..”
9. A. “The clothes might be ready by tomorrow,” said the tailor.
B. The tailor said that ……………………………………………………………………
10. A. “Shall we talk after the meeting?” asked the chairman.

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 B. The chairman asked ………………………………………………………………….

Reason
Sentences expressing reason will mainly comprise of two parts/ clauses.
Part 1 (Main Clause) Part 2 (Subordinate Clause)
• The boy laughed in class because he was tickled.
• She did not come to school because she was sick.

From the above sentences, part 2(Subordinate Clause) of the sentences which is headed with the word
‘because’ gives the explanation or answers the question ‘why’ the event in part 1 occurred.
The following are the structures used to express reason:
a)‘because’, ‘since’, ‘as’
These structures are interchangeable and are used to head or introduce the part of the sentence
(subordinate clause) that gives an explanation for the other part (main clause)
e.g. i) Chabala got a distinction because he had studied hard.
ii) The lorry failed to go over the hill as it was over-loaded.
iii). Clara was appointed head girl since she possesses good
leadership qualities.

We can also begin the above sentences with the structures that express reason or with the
subordinate clauses. However, we need to place a comma in between the subordinate clause
and the main clause.

e.g. I) Because he had studied hard, Chabala got a distinction.

ii) Since the lorry was over-loaded, it failed to go over the hill.

b) ‘Seeing (that)’/ ‘Now (that)’

e.g. i) Seeing that/ Now that we have missed the train, let us travel by bus.
ii) Seeing that/ Now that I am in Grade 12, I need to concentrate on my
school work.

We can also start with the main clause in which case the comma is omitted.
e.g. i) Let us travel by bus seeing that we have missed the train.
ii) I need to concentrate on my studies now that I am in Grade 12.

Note: Avoid the use of ‘now that’ when the action happened in the past

Wrong: Now that they had completed their work, the children were allowed to go
home.

c) Use of Participial Phrases

i) Being in Grade 12, I need to concentrate on my studies.
(I need to concentrate on my studies because I am in Grade 12)
ii) Failing to observe the speed limit, the driver was stopped by the police.
(The driver was stopped by the police because he failed to observe the speed limit)
Note: When participial phrases are used, the part of the sentence that gives the
explanation is expressed as a participial phrase.
e.g. i) Because he failed to observe the speed limit, the driver was stopped by the
police.

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 (Failing to observe the speed limit, the driver was stopped by the police.)

Examination feature of the topic

22. The Kitwe City Council has closed down the business because it was
operating illegally.
B Operating ……………………………………………………………………………
23. A. You may read your library books since you have finished the exercise.
B Now that ……………………………………………………………………………
24. A. Mary decided to focus on her studies as it was time for the examinations.
B Seeing …………………………………………………………………………………
25. A. I have achieved all I set out to do; I am now ready to leave.
B Since ……………………………………………………………………………………
26. A. I asked to be escorted because I was unfamiliar with the town.
B Being ………………………………………………………………………………
27. A. He was cited for contempt of court because of his unruly behaviour in court.
B As ……………………………………………………………………………………
28. A. His father bought him a laptop computer because he had passed the exam.
B. On account…………………………………………………………………………..
8. A. She could not go to school. Her uniform was wet.
B. For……………………………………………………………………………………

9. A. The farmers were seriously affected by the drought because they lived in
the driest part of the country.
B. Living ……………………………………………………………………………….
10. A. John was unable to walk. He simply crawled to the nearest clinic.
B. ……………………………….because ……………………………………………

PHRASAL VERBS
Definition
Phrasal verbs are words that are formed by combing verbs and adverb particles or prepositional particles.
The resultant phrase forms special vocabulary that has no relationship to the distinct words that make up

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the phrase. Therefore, you must learn phrasal verbs in the same way you learn about vocabulary items;
from context or using the dictionary.
Formation
Phrasal verbs are made up of frequently used verbs like ‘go’, ‘take’, ‘put’, ‘do’, ‘fall’, ‘get’, etc. and simple
prepositions and adverbs like ‘to’, ‘for, ‘at’, ‘0n’, ‘off’, ‘away’, ‘over’, ‘through’, etc.
Verb + Adverb
Most phrasal verbs consist of a verb and an adverb e.g. ‘make out’. The adverb is sometimes separated
from its verb, for example, by an object as shown in the example below:
1. I can’t make Ben out. (Meaning-I can’t understand Ben.)
In some cases two different positions are possible: thus we can say either ‘ Put up your hands’ or ‘put your
hands up’. But if the object is a pronoun it must come before the adverb, e.g. ’put it up’ (not ‘put up it’).
Here are some further examples of phrasal verbs consisting of verb +adverb:
2. My application was turned down. (i.e. rejected)
3. This old car will have to be written off. (i.e. declared a complete loss)
4. I told him a funny story to cheer him up. (i.e. to make him more cheerful)

Verb + Preposition
Consider the following:
5. The antelope jumped up and made for the trees.
To make for is a phrasal verb meaning to try to reach. In this case, however, it consists of verb +preposition.
We can ‘put something up’ or we can ‘put up something’: this proves that up is an adverb. We can ‘make
for the trees’ but we cannot ‘make the trees for’. This proves that ‘for’ is a preposition.
Here are some further examples of phrasal verbs consisting of verb +preposition:
6. What do you make of it? (i.e. what do you understand by it?
7. The class took to him at once.(i.e. conceived a liking for him)
8. He is very upset, but he’ll get over it. (i.e. recover from it)
Verb + Adverb +Preposition
The following phrasal verbs contain both an adverb and a preposition:
9. Never look down upon your own family. (i.e. despise)
10. I can’t put up with insults. (i.e. endure)
11. He has made up for his bad behaviour. ( i.e. compensated for it by changing his ways)
12. Children should not be given in to. (i.e. submissively granted what they want)
Phrasal verbs are used mostly in informal English (i.e. in everyday speech and in friendly letters). In
situations which require formal English most people tend to avoid phrasal verbs. Where possible they use a
single word equivalent instead:
e.g. ‘continue’ instead of ‘carry on’
‘Investigate’ instead of ‘look into’
‘Postpone’ instead of ‘put off’

Types of Phrasal Verbs

There are two main types of phrasal verbs namely, transitive and intransitive.
1. Transitive Phrasal Verbs
These are phrasal verbs which require objects.
a) Sometimes the object must be placed after the verb.
e.g.i) Joyce doesn’t care for cocoa.
ii) Mrs Mafuta looks after her children very well.
iii) John takes after his father.
b) Sometimes the object may be placed either after the verb or ‘’within’ the verb.
e.g. i) Turn off the light!
orTurn the light off!
ii) I have to hand in this work tomorrow.
or I have to hand this work in tomorrow.

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c) When the object is a Pronoun, it is usually placed ‘within’ the Phrasal Verb.
e.g. i) He threw it away
ii) I lifted him up.
iii) Mother brought us up by herself.
2. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
These are Phrasal Verbs which do not have an object.
e.g. i) I don’t think the weather will clear up.
ii) The milk has boiled away.
iii) The gun went off with a bang.
NB: For more phrasal verbs refer to appendix 3 of English 9(ZBEC) Book 2
EXERCISE
Complete each sentence using one of the Phrasal Verbs listed below:
The meanings of the verbs are shown in brackets.
call off give up put out
care for looking forward to run into
got over put off talk (somebody) into
1. The firemen were able to ……………………. the fire very quickly. (extinguish)
2. Can I have a banana instead? I don’t …………………… oranges. (like)
3. We are all ………….the party. (expect with pleasure)
4. Have you ………………. your illness yet? (recover from)
5. I’ll try to ……………….. her ……………. coming with us. (persuade)
6. We’ll have to …………….. the meeting till next week.( postpone)
7. Can you guess who I ………..yesterday? (meet)
No. I ……….. Who was it? (stop trying to guess)
8. The District Governor is sick. He’s had to ………….. his visit. (cancel)
9. I’ve broken my leg. I’ll have to ……… football for six months. (stop doing
Something)

Examination Questions on the topic

(ECZ 2009 school Certificate/GCE Paper)
In each of the following sentences, four words have been put in brackets. For each sentence, choose the
best word and write it on the question pa[er in the space provided.
1. They took ………………their heels. (up, on, to, above)
2. She was praised……………telling the truth. (over, for, on, about)
3. Ducks wade ………….dirty water.(in, through, into, along)
4. The thieves broke into the bank safe and made………….. large sums of
Money.(away, up, off, on)
5. No one liked the song but it soon caught ……………...(off, up, on, in)
6. Humans are liable…………….error. (for, to, with, by)
7. Brothers and sisters should get……………very well. (in, by, with, along)
8. I couldn’t make…………..who he was since it was dark. (in, out, on, up)
9. Martin didn’t really want to go to church, but her friends talked her…………
It. (against, for, into, about)
10. The soldiers carried ……………with exercises despite the heavy rain.(ahead,
forward, on, over)
11. My uncle died three years ago but it’s taking me a long time to get………….it.
( through, over, by, along)
12. Our enemies blew …………….. the bridge to delay our advance.(by, over,
across, up)
13. The President will come here next week to drum……………..support for his
candidate.(for, at, up, on)

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14. Jane backed …………..of the debate when nobody agreed with her.
( out, off, down, about)
15. When I was looking for my pen, I came …………… my lost stamp. (by, over,
Across, upon)
16. The Minister of Education wanted to visit our school next week, but his plans
have fallen ……………… (out, forward, through, down)
17. Our church wants to cut ……………the amount spent on the Pastor’s trips.
(out, on, back, by)
18. She was literally screaming……………… rage. (in, by, with, under)
19. The board chairperson presided ……………the meeting in a biased manner.
(in, on, over, with)
20. She could not make it to school for she was incapacitated …………….........
Illness. (with, from, by, in)

SUBJECT- VERB AGREEMENT

For any sentence to be deemed correct there ought to be agreement between the subject and verb both in
gender and number.
Examples:

1. gender
 Duncan introduced Rosa to me as her sister. [x ]

2. Number > number refer to the two forms of a word; singular and plural.
 “When I dodged, I were three,” said Timothy. [X]
E.g Gift has two shops.
Charity is about to leave for Choma.
2. A plural subject must have a plural verb.
e.g We are about to leave for Livingstone.
My brothers were studying law.

3. A phrase or clause that interrupts a subject and its verb does not affect subject- verb

E.g.The actor most admired by the pupils is on stage.

I)A singular subject must have a singular verb.
The two girls who were suspended have been allowed to write their examinations.
4. Two or more singular subjects joined by joined by ‘ or’ or ‘nor’ must have a singular verb.
E.g. A car or bus is the only means of travel to Kankoyo.
Michael or Charles is expected at the party.
5. Two or more plural subjects joined by joined by or nor must have a plural verb.
e.g. Only the fathers or the mothers are invited.
6. If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or more plural subjects by ‘ or’ or ‘nor’, the subject
closest to the verb determines agreement.
e.g. Neither Victor nor my parents are going with us.

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 Neither my parents nor Victor is going with us.

7. A compound subject joined by and is generally plural and must have a plural verb.
e.g One boy and one girl are representing the school.
Two boys and one girl were selected to represent the school.
This rule has two exceptions:
If the parts of the compound subject add up to one thing, the compound subject is singular and takes a
singular verb. A singular verb is also required if the word everyor the word each precedes the compound
subject.
Ham and eggs is a hearty breakfast.
Sausage and Chips is my favourite dish.
Every dog and cat was inoculated.
8. A subject that comes after its verb must still agree with it in number.
e.g. At the bottom of the mountain is the river.
This is the dog that ate the meat.
9. A collective noun takes a singular verb when the group it names acts as a single unit.
E.g. The football team has gone into camp.
The government has paid the new nurses.
10. A collective noun takes a plural verb when the group it names acts as individuals different points
of view.
e.g. The jury have been unable to agree on a verdict.
The governments have increased the salaries for nurses.
11. Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning agree with singular verbs.
e.g Mathematics is an exciting subject for some.
The news today is interesting.
12. When two parts of the subject name parts of the whole or two closely related things, a singular verb
follows.
e.g The threat of hell and its fear is the most reason most people repent.
Peace and love is my message.
13. A compound subject joined by not only ...but also must agree with singular verbs.
e.g. Not only the kitchen but also the dining room was painted.
Not only Mirriam but also Odette is Mr Banda’s daughter.

14. A singular subject modified by a prepositional phrase beginning with – together with, in addition with, as
well as, e.t.c is followed by a singular verb.
e.g. A good job as well as descent accommodation is what I strive for.
Victor together with Godfrey was present at the party.
15. Singular nouns suggesting one idea or person must be used with singular verbs.
My friend and teacher has praised my book.
The author and reporter is my best friend.
16. Nouns joined by with or as well as must be used with a singular verb.
Godfrey as well as his cousin Idah is cute.
Aka with his wife Probate is going to London.
17. Neither, either, each, everyone or one plus plural noun and phrase many, must be used with
singular verb.
Neither of the two sisters is intelligent.
Each of the students has done well.
Every one of my sisters is married.
One of my friends has died.
Each boy or girl is expected to be in full uniform.
ACTIVITY
Choose the item in parenthesis that agrees with the subject of each sentence.

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 1. The bouquet of flowers [has, have] a nice aroma.
2. The speakers in my stereo [is, are] poorly balanced.
3. The pages of this book [is, are] in poor condition.
4. Another cause of accidents [is, are] unlit roads.
5. Both my boss and her partner [phone, phones] me often times.
6. Spaghetti and meatballs [is, are] her favorite dish.
7. Nurses or Dr Probate [is, are] coming to my party
INVERSION
Definition
Inversion in grammar is the use of a direct question word order in order to make a statement – verb +
subject.
In English, the normal sentence word is subject – verb – object.
For example; Sophie speaks good English.
Subject verb object

Sometimes, however, the word order may be changed if a certain point is to be emphasized or variation of
writing style is desired. In this case, an auxiliary verb, a preposition or an adverb may come first in the
sentence order.
At times, a preposition or an adverb starting a sentence and followed by an intransitive verb may also take
an inversion structure.
Such a sentence stands out because it has employed an unusual sentence structure. Swapping technique is
applied. Some of the word order structures that may require a direct question pattern are shown below:
1. Auxiliary + subject + verb + object + complement
Example; Will LATAZ improve results next year? (direct question)
2. Verb + subject + adjective + complement
Example: Was the Mandy tired this morning? (direct question)
3. Wh - / How +Auxiliary + subject + verb + object + complement
Example: How can anyone give me an eviction notice in my own home? (direct question)
4. Preposition + complement + intransitive verb + subject.
Example: under the new curriculum lies the brightening future. (Statement)
Across the Barotse plains trudged the expectant teachers. (statement)

Thus, the word order in the aforesaid questions and prepositional clauses is needed to vary the structure of
a statement from the traditional subject + (auxiliary) + verb +subject + object + complement into that of a
direct question.
Sentence structure variety is one of the main stylistic features of good writing.
Some beginnings (negative adverbs especially) requiring the inversion sentence structure are:
Not only ………/So …./Too…../ At no time…../ Nowhere else ../ No sooner./ Hardly …/ In no …/ Never …/
Scarcely…/ There …/ Here…/
On no …/Had… + Subject + Verb (+ object) + Main clause / Only if …/ Only when …/ Not until …/ (Only by
+ - ing) + inversion structure.

EXERCISE
Rewrite the following sentences as required but do not change the meaning in each case.
1. A: A tiger has no food until it catches its prey.
B: Not until. …………………………………………………………………………..
2. A: Throughout my career, my pupils have never questioned my academic integrity.
B: At no. ……………………………………………………………………………….
3. A: The waiters are coming here with their trays.
B: Here. ………………………………………………………………………………..

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 4. A: when the chairperson and his executive finished planning for the workshop, they invited the
members.
B: No sooner. …………………………………………………………………….
C; Barely. …………………………………………………………………………
5. A: He does not remember meeting you on any occasion
B. On. ………………………………………………………………………………
6. A: I was disappointed that I put all my eggs in one basket.
B: To. ………………………………………………………………………………
7. A: I am lost completely. …………………………………………………………?
Supply a question tag.
8. A: She seldom goes to visit her people
B: Seldom. …………………………………………………………………………
9. A: Chibwe would not fail his examination under any circumstances.
B: Under. …………………………………………………………………………..
10. A: If I had known how dangerous the place was, I would not have ventured into it?
B:Only if…………………………………………………………………………….
11. A: No sovereign state ought to sell its freedom to any other state.
B:To no other……………………………………………………………………..
NB (‘nota bene’): inversion is also in question tags and interrogatives. Examples;
You must have lost your direction, ……………?
You dare disturb the sleeping dog, …………………?
Did you get your allowances before coming here?

Examination feature of the topic

1. A: It hardly rains in the desert. Provide a question tag.
B: It. ……………………………………………………………………………
2. A: He was very skilful. He scored three goals in one match.
B: ……………………………….that he scored three goals in one match.
3. A: To the chief’s disappointment, the purse was empty.
B: The chief. …………………………………………………………………
4. A: Pupils should not be allowed free access to the staffroom on any account.
B: ………………………………………………………………………staffroom.
4. A: You are coming with us.
B: Add a question tag. …………………………………………………………
5. A: He rarely goes to the Village.
B: Rarely. ………………………………………………………………………
6. A: I only realized how dangerous the place was after meeting him
B: Only. ………………………………………………………………………….
7. A: You will never solve this problem until somebody helps you.
B: Not until. ……………………………………………………………………..
8. A: My mother was too bewildered to talk.
B: So. …………………………………………………………………………….
9. A: You will not convince her to marry you unless you change your drinking
habits.
B: Not until. ………………………………………………………………………
10. A: Why on Earth are you doing that?
B: What. ……………………………………………………………………….
11. A: Don’t you think the teacher needs to speak up?
B: Needn’t. ……………………………………………………………………
12.A: This winter has not been very cold.
B: Add a question tag. ………………………………………………………..

13. A: I didn’t think you would betray me.

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 B: Little. ………………………………………………………………………..
14. A: The house collapsed when the family was away so they were not killed.
B: Had. …………………………………………………………………………
15. A: The nation was relieved to learn that no one died in the accident.
B: To. ……………………………………………………………………………
16. A: There are a lot of snakes in the bush.
B: (Add a question tag) ……………………………………………………….?
17. A: Mice are a local delicacy in Eastern and Luapula Province.
B: Not only. …………………………………………………………………….
18. A: Not only is the Village headman a gifted hunter but also a strict ruler.
B: Besides. ……………………………………………………………………..
19. A: As soon as we had finished planting, the rain began to fall.
B: No sooner. ………………………………………………………………….
20. A: He wept so loudly that he attracted people’s attention.
B: So. …………………………………………………………………………..
21. A: The girl was a very good footballer. Every club wanted to hire her.
B: Such. ………………………………………………………………………..
22. A: Children are suffering and their parents don’t care.
B: Suffering. ……………………………………………………………………
23. A: He did not start to read until he was ten years old.
B: Not until. …………………………………………………………………….
24. A: Hardly had the lion roared when people took to their heels.
B: No sooner. …………………………………………………………………
25. A: The team was dismayed to lose again.
B: To. ………………………………………………………………………….
26. A: The Headteacher felt so angry at being let down by his pupils that he
punished them.
B: So angry. ……………………………………………………………………..
27. A: Mwansa does not enter her parents’ bedroom until she has knocked on
the door.
B: Not until. ………………………………………………………………………
28. A: John was arrested because he insulted a police officer.
B: Had. ……………………………………………………………………………
29. A: As soon as the Zambian Soccer team scored, the whole stadium cheered
Wildly.
B: No sooner. ………………………………………………………………….
30. A: Monde was not only a good singer but also a gifted actress.
B: Besides. ……………………………………………………………………
31. A: The teachers are not responsible for the pupils’ poor performance in any
Way.
B: In ………………………………………………………………………………
32. A: Some customers are so funny that they even call her ‘Sisi’
B: So funny. …………………………………………………………………….
33. A: Mary was very annoyed. Consequently, she slapped her husband.
B: So. ……………………………………………………………………………

34. A: He little thought that he would one day become Prime Minister.
B: Little. ………………………………………………………………………
35. A: Nancy rarely speaks in class.
B: Only occasionally. ……………………………………………………………
36. A: I will talk to you only when you apologise for what you have done.
B: Not until. …………………………………………………………………….

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37. A: The patient should not on any account take more than one tablet at a
Time.
B: On. ……………………………………………………………………………
38. A: The inexperienced motorist increased speed only when the road ahead
Was quite clear.
B: Not until. …………………………………………………………………….
39. A: Jane asked us to bury the hatchet.
B: ‘Let’s bury the hatchet ……………………………………?’ said Jane
40. A: They stole the man’s money as well as several valuable paintings.
B: Not only. ……………………………………………………………………

COMPREHENSION
Comprehension is a verb meaning to appreciate something. It is drawn from the root word ‘comprehend.
According Longman Dictionary of contemporary English to comprehend means is to ‘understand’.
Comprehension passages are fairly short and are drawn from all aspects from life. A passage may be on
Sport, Science, Politics, Religion History, people’s activities, Tourism Geography and from works of fiction.
Some of the passages may be technical. ie the use of English in those passages may be specialised. This is
the type of English which is unusual in everyday conversations.
The instructions at the beginning of the passage are straight forward. A candidate is expected to read the
passage carefully and answer the questions that follow the passage. Below are some hints on how to
approach a comprehension passage.

• It is essential to read through the passage very quickly to help you determine what kind of passage it
is. The first step is called skimming. To ‘skim’ means to read through quickly in order to get the
main ideas. You can at this stage skim through the questions as well.
• The second step involves reading through the passage again, this time carefully and with
understanding. Take note of the difficult and underlined words. This process of reading s called
scanning. To ‘scan’ means to examine closely or making a search for something.
• Now you are ready to answer the questions in comprehension and there are three types of
questions in comprehension, these include;
(i) The multiple choice questions.
(ii) The open-ended (free response) questions, where candidates are free to use their own
words other than those in the passage.
(iii) The vocabulary questions.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS.

This part usually comprises questions 1-8 each question carrying 2marks in most cases.
When answering multiple choice questions, read the questions carefully and examine the four free
alternatives which are usually A,B,C and D. Candidates have to be extra careful when aiming at the best
answer. They need to examine critically the part of the passage( paragraph) from where the question is
asked. Sometimes the difference between the best answer and the distracter is very minimal. This can be in
form of a word, a phrase, tense or even a spelling mistake. Multiple choice questions usually have special
reference to the paragraph the question is related. The question may begin as follows;
According to paragraph 1……
Reference should be made to the exact paragraph in question. For instance you cannot go to Paragraph
8when you have been asked to make reference to Paragraph 7. Always obey the instructions.

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Do not introduce your own ideas into the passage from your own experience or general knowledge, unless
you have been specifically asked to do so.
NOTE: If you cannot arrive at a decision, do not put two choices as your answers. For example, writing
two choices A or B. You will get no mark in this particular situation. If you cannot
understand the question, leave, but always remember to get back to it.

OPEN- ENDED /FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS

This is usually Question 9 and it also carries 2 marks.
Regarding this type of question, a candidate is required to use his or her own words but basing on the
passage read and the instructions given. Remember the use correct form of English in terms of tense and
spellings is very important at all times.

VOCABULARY QUESTIONS
This is the last question. This type of the question requires a candidate to work out the meanings of the
words from their contexts. In order to understand what the words mean. It is helpful to always make
reference to the related paragraph and the underlined words in order to arrive at a correct answer. Be
reminded that the examiner is also interested to know if you are able to recognise the tense in which a
required word is written.

PASSAGE ONE
Instructions
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
DREAMS
1. Dreams have always held a universal fascination. Some primitive societies believe that the soul
leaves the body and visits the scene of the dream. Generally, however, dreams are accepted to be
illusion, having much in common with day-dreams- the fantasies of our waking life. When
dreaming however, one tends to believe fully in the reality of the dream world. However
inconsistent, illogical and odd it may be.
2. Although most dreams apparently happen spontaneously, dream activity maybe be provoked by
external influences. ‘Suffocation’, dreams are connected with breathing difficulties of a heavy cold,
for instance. Internal disorders such as indigestion can cause vivid dreams, and dreams of racing
fire-engines maybe caused by the ringing of an alarm bell.
3. Experiments have been carried out to investigate the connection between deliberately inflicted pain
and dreaming. For example, a sleeper pricked with a pin perhaps dreams of fighting a battle and
receiving severe sword wound. Although the dream is stimulated by the physical discomfort, the
actual events of the dream depend on the associations of the discomfort in the mind of the sleeper.
4. A dreamer’s eyes often move rapidly from side to side. Since people born blind do not dream
visually and do not manifest this eye activity, it is thought that the dreamer maybe scanning the
scene depicted in his dream, a certain amount of dreaming seems to be human requirement. If a
sleeper is roused every time his eyes begin to move fast, effectively depriving him of his dreams, he
will make more eye movements the following night.
5. People differ greatly in their claims to dreaming. Some say they dream every night, others only very
occasionally. Individual differences probably exist, but some people immediately forget dreams and
others have good recall.
6. Superstition and magical practices thrive on the supposed power of dreams to foretell the future.
Instances of dreams which have later turned out to be prophetic have often been recorded, some
by men of the highest intellectual integrity. Although it is better to keep an open mind on the
subject, it is true that the alleged power of dreams to predict future events still remains unproved.
7. Everyone knows that a sleeping dog often behaves as though he were dreaming, but it is impossible
to tell what his whines and twitches really mean. By analogy with human experience, however, it is
reasonable to suppose that at least the higher animals are capable of dreaming.
8. Of the many theories of dreams, freud’s is probably the best known. According to freud, we revert
in our dreams to the modes of thought characteristic of early childhood. Our thinking becomes

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 concrete, pictorial and no-logical, and expresses ideas and wishes we are no longer conscious of.
Dreams are absurd and unaccountable ideas, disguises them.
9. Some of freud’s interpretations are extremely fanciful, but there is almost certainly some truth in his
view that dreams express the subconscious mind.

In each of the questions 1-8, select the best answer from the four options provided. Indicate your
answer by drawing a circle around the letter on this question paper as in the example below, If you
change your mind, cross out the initial choice neatly and then circle your revised answer clearly,
For questions 9 and 10, answer as instructed.

1. Some primitive societies believe that

A. dreams are universal and held in fascination.
B. the soul leaves the body and visits the scene of the dream.
C. the soul leaves the body in fascination.
D. the souls are universal and visit the scene of the dream.
2. Dreams are accepted to be
A. fantasies
B. difficulties
C. illogical
D. inconsistent

3. Although the dream is stimulated by physical discomfort, the actual events of the
A. dream depend on…
B. a dreamer’s eye moving from side to side.
C. a sleeper pricked by a pin.
D. the associations of the discomfort in the mind of the sleeper.
E. associations in the mind of the sleeper.

4. Dream activity may be provoked by

A. difficulties in breathing.
B. external influences
C. experiments and investigation
D. superstition and magical practices.

5. according to Freud,
A. everyone knows that a sleeping dog twitches and whines.
B. dreams maybe caused by stomach upset.
C. dreams express the subconscious mind
D. animals are capable of dreaming

6. Suffocation dreams are connected to…

A. superstition and magical powers
B. deliberate pain inflicted by being pricked.
C. breathing difficulties of a heavy cold.
D. fire –engines caused by a ringing bell.

7. From the passage, It is true that,

A. blind people dream because they see scenes.
B. everyone dreams
C. some people don’t dream
D. individual differences of dreaming exists.

8. by analogy with human experience,

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 A. people should not forget dreams
B. dreams do not happen spontaneously
C. at least higher animals are capable of dreaming.
D. dreams are superstitious and magical

9. A dreamers eyes move rapidly from side to side because

A. a sleeper is roused.
B. a sleeper is deprived of sleep
C. a sleeper is in pain
D. a sleeper is scanning a scene depicted.

10. Find the meaning of the words from the passage which you think are most likely to correspond with
the following;
A. alleged ------------------
B. unaccountable------------
C. Thrive----------------
D. Inconsistent ---------

Read the following passage carefully and answer questions that follow.

PASSAGE TWO (2)

FREEDOM IS NOT CHEAP -MHLANA
1. Koli Mhlana, a sprightly gentleman in his late fifties, is a tour guide at Robben, Island off the coast
of Cape Town. Now a museum and a World heritage site, the island is best known for being Prison
where Nelson Mandela spent 18years of his 27years incarcerated by South Africa’s apartheid
regime.
2. For several years now, Koli has been conducting tours of the former prison cum-museum, detailing
stories and anecdotes of its notorious history. Robben Island, which from the 17 th to the 20th
Centuries served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment, was officially opened as a
maximum security prison for political prisoners in 1960’s. Today, tourists take a twenty-five minute
ferry ride from the mainland to research the Museum which stands as a poignant remainder of the
price the newly democratic South Africa paid for freedom. Its last political prisoners left the island
in 1991. Despite not being the only tour guide on the Island, Koli’schroniclingof events take on a
more compelling listen when one learns that this is no mere academic retelling of events. Koli is a
former prisoner of Robben Island.
3. In 1980, at the age of 25, the Eastern Cape native was brought to the island after being convicted for
being an operative of the ANC underground. Last month, Koli led a group of Media Managers,
Editors and Reporters gathered in Cape Town for the annual CNN-Multichoice African Journalists
awards on a tour of the Island. And it’s clear from the beginnings that the memories of apartheid
past are permanently seared into his mind. “South Africans like most nations around the world
were always involved in the fight against oppression, fighting all sorts of oppressive Laws. “The
beauty of our struggle was that it was sort of peaceful by our own standards, our struggle was always
for non-racial society … we were influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s strategies of peaceful civil
disobedience,” he recalls.

4. However, the ANC abandoned its non-violence approach following the infamous Sharpeville
Massacre of March 1960. “On March 21, black South African’s decided to march in Sharpeville
against the pass laws,” he says solemnly. “On that day, 69 Africans were shot dead and over 100 got
injured. Thousands more were arrested and the government of the day declared a state of
emergency. Our political organizations were banned, leaders placed behind bars.”

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 5. After the sharpeville massacre, the ANC formed a military wing called the ‘Umkhonto we Sizwe’
(Spear of the nation), in 1961 with Mandela as one of its founder members. (Adopted from the
Post Newspaper, of Sunday November, 10, 2013)

In each of the questions 1-8, select the best answer from the four options provided. Indicate your answer by
drawing a circle around the letter on this question paper as in the example below, If you change your mind,
cross out the initial choice neatly and then circle your revised answer clearly, For questions 9 and 10,
answer as instructed.
Example
Koli Mhlana according to paragraph 1, is a………………………………
A. White man
B. Man in-charge of the Museum
C. Prisoner at Robben Island
D. Tour Guide
The best answer is D, as you can see it has been ringed.
1. Paragraph 1. What does the author mean when he says genialman?
A. Friendly and cheerful
B. A freedom fighter
C. A tour guide
D. One in charge of the museum
2. Paragraph 1, Robben Island is today……………………………
A. A Prison
B. A place where political prisoners like Nelson Mandela were kept.
C. A museum and a World Heritage Site
D. Located off the coast of Cape Town
3. According to paragraph 1, Mandela spent………………………
A. 27years at Robben Island in Prison
B. Many years at Robben Island in Prison
C. Part of 18 years at Robben Island in Prison
D. 18years at Robben Island in Prison
4. According to paragraph 2, what does the author mean when he says notorioushistory.
A. Rich history
B. Bad history
C. History with rich information
D. History of political leaders
5. The author says 17th to 20th century, in paragraph 2. This means that Robben Island served as a
place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment from………………………
A. 1600s to 1900s
B. 1700s to 2000
C. 1917 to 1920
D. 1817 t0 1820
6. What does the author mean when he says, “his is no mere academic retelling of events. (Paragraph
2)

A. He is recounting about facts.

B. It is an account of issues in academic.
C. Events have been documented to support his cause.
D. In academics facts are told.
7. According to paragraph 3, what influenced ANC to adopt a peaceful Civil disobedience?
A. Their fight was always for a non-racial society.
B. It was sort of peaceful by our own standards.
C. Because of Mahatima Gandi’s strategies of peaceful civil disobedience.

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 D. Because of Mahatima Gandi and Nelson Mandela’s strategies of peaceful Civil
Disobedience.
8. Paragraph 4. The author say ANC abandoned its non-violence approach because
……………………………….
A. Of the massacre of people in March, 1960.
B. Of the black South Africans decided to march in Sharpeville against the pass laws.
C. Of the Shaperville massacre that happened in March, 1960.
D. Of the infamous massacre where 69 Africans were short dead and over 100 got injured.
9. Paragraph 4. Why were the political parties banned and leaders placed behind bars?
A. Blacks decided to march in Sharpeville against pass laws.
B. Blacks decided to march in Sharpeville against pass laws and poor conditions.
C. Political parties and leaders were not united.
D. Some political parties were banned and leaders placed behind bars because they were
guilty of inciting the people.

10. From the underlined words in the passage, find one word which means the same or nearly
the same as each of the following words or phrase.
A. Something making you sad………………………….
B. Very sharp pain…………………………………………..
C. Imprisoned…………………………………………………
D. Hated……………………………………………………….

Read the following passage and answer both Comprehension and Summary questions that follow.
PASSAGE THREE (3)
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
1. The African Development Bank (AFB) has approved an 18 million US dollar loan for the livestock
infrastructure development support project (LIDSP) in Zambia.
2. The project will improve small holder livestock production and productivity, create market linkages
and increase household income in nine districts in Northern and Muchinga Provinces. According
to a statement, the project is expected to directly benefit 100 000 livestock keeping households,
including 33 600 households headed by women.
3. ‘ AfDB group approved on June 19, 2013, an 18 000 000 US dollars African Development Fund
concessional loan to Zambia in order to finance the country’s LISP,’ the bank says. The project will
train and empower individual members of the farmer groups as well as increase job opportunities in
livestock husbandry, marketing and livestock products value chain.
4. Public service capacity for the delivery of livestock services, disease prevention and control will also
be enhanced.
5. The project also facilitates participation of the private sector leasing out some of the structures
within the livestock service which will be used as outlets for veterinary drugs and livestock feeds
supplement.
6. About 8 000 people, including 4 000 women, indirectly benefit from the improved supply of quality
livestock products.
7. The benefits of the project will be increased through availability of land area for all season
agriculture by the development of water resources, promotion of crop diversification and value
chain development for improved food, nutrition security, and rural jobs for women.
8. Other benefits are that it will expand drought resistance cropping which will serve as a safe guard
against the effects of climate change and also serve as viable raw materials for industrial use and
import substitution, enhanced capacity of both public and private sectors to improve service
delivery functions to small holder farmers.

In each of the questions 1-8, select the best answer from the four options provided. Indicate your answer by
drawing a circle around the letter on this question paper as in the example below, If you change your mind,

Page 63 of 77
cross out the initial choice neatly and then circle your revised answer clearly, For questions 9 and 10,
answer as instructed.

1. Considering paragraph 1, what kind of loan has the AfDB approved?

A. Livestock purchasing
B. Livestock
C. livestock development
D. Project aimed at livestock infrastructural development
2. In how many provinces will the project be implemented?
A. six
B. Two
C. ten
D. nine
3. With reference to paragraph 2, how many households are expected to directly benefit from the
project?
A. 18 000 000
B. 100 000
C. 133 600
D. 400 000
4. What does the acronym in paragraph 3 stand for?
A. livestock improvement double special programme
B. livestock importance deep sciences pact
C. livestock
D. infrastructure development project
5. According to paragraph 4, what will be lent out?
A. Structures.
B. Outlets for veterinary drugs.
C. Livestock feeds supplement.
D. Some of the structures within the livestock service.
6. What are the main themes in paragraph 8?
A. Crop diversification, climate change, raw material.
B. Crop diversification, raw materials and capacity to improve service delivery.
C. Crop diversification.
D. Raw materials.
7. According to paragraph, what is the opposite of the word monopoly?
A. Availability
B. Development
C. Diversification
D. Nutrition security
8. Considering paragraph 7, how many women benefitted from the improved supply of quality
livestock products?
A. 4 000 women
B. 8 000 women
C. Approximately 4 000 women
D. About 12 000 women
9. What does the pronoun ‘it’ in paragraph 8 refer to?
A. The African Development Bank.
B. Public Service Capacity.
C. The Livestock Infrastructure Development Support Project (LIDSP).
D. Drought resistance cropping.
10. Choose an underlined word or words that mean the same or nearly the same as the ones below.
A. Foster: _______________________________

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 B. Lending: ______________________________
C. Profits: _________________________________
D. Eases: ___________________________________

Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
PASSAGE FOUR (4)
CULTURE
1. Culture can be defined in many ways. In the broader sense, culture refers to the whole ways of life
of a given people, which includes among others; their language, taboos festivals ,values and
traditions. Culture includes all aspects of people’s life such as the food they eat, the clothes they
wear, the type of housing they live, music, dance, symbols etc.
2. Culture is not something granted to us or something we were born with. It is something we learn as
we grow in our environment. Therefore, culture has nothing to do with race or nationality because
a Zambian born and raised in America, forinstance will behave like an American and his or her
beliefs and values will be shaped by the American beliefs and values.
3. It is a sum total of behaviour which people have learned over a period of time and defines ways by
which they do things.
4. Culture comprises skills, beliefs and knowledge that are commonly shared by a group of people
and are passed on to the young generation or new generation. In other words, culture is a social
heritage- It is generally transmitted from the older generation to the younger generation. It is also
shared. A person receives and shares it with other members of the group. For example, language is
passed on from one person to another through social contacts. Culture also includes an individual’s
or group’s way of responding to survival issues.
5. Why should culture be studied in schools? You may wonder why you should be learning about
culture when it is part of you. Culture is important because it contributes to reinforcing one’s own
identity. This brings about mutual understanding between different societies and people. Cultural
heritage is also understood to mean; archived piece of art, places of worship and monuments. This
includes; language, music and dances, festivals, rituals and traditional craftship. Cultural heritage
reinforces the culture and historical self-awareness. There can never be development without
culture because it is interpreted as the whole of belief, habits and customs of the society. Culture
helps the country to develop economically.
6. Components of culture are implanted in our society such that we only realise what is unique about
our culture when we come into contact with other cultures. A component is a unit or part of
something. It is an element of a whole just like the two legs are the component of a human being.
Therefore the components of culture are; language, religion, values and attitudes; education, social
organisations; technology and material, culture, laws and politics; and aesthetics.
7. In conclusion, the status of culture has evolved dramatically since the adoption of Article 27 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirmed, for the first time the right of every
human being freely to participate in the cultural life of the community and to enjoy the arts.
(Adapted from Civic Education Grade 10 Learners book 2nd Edition)
In each of the questions 1-8, select the best answer from the four options provided. Indicate your answer by
drawing a circle around the letter on this question paper as in the example below, If you change your mind,
cross out the initial choice neatly and then circle your revised answer clearly, For questions 9 and 10,
answer as instructed.
Example: The passage is about…
A. culture.
B. traditions.
C. Zambian culture
D. Cultural heritage.
A is the best answer and it has been circled.
1. In paragraph 1, culture can be defined as…
A. language, taboos festivals , values and traditions.
B. the food they eat, the clothes they wear.

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 C. the type of housing they live, music, dance, symbols
D. all aspects of human or people’s life.
2. According to paragraph 2, culture is…
A. adopted
B. inherited
C. adapted
D. learnt.
3. In paragraph 3, the writer alludes to culture as…
A. behaviour learnt
B. an adaptation
C. time bound
D. defining principle
4. In paragraph 4, culture has been referred to as a ‘social heritage’. This means that culture is…
A. transmitted from generation to generation
B. socially transmitted among members
C. an inheritance among the cultural group.
D. transmitted by the peopled involved.
5. Why should schools teach pupils about culture according to paragraph 5? Pupils should learn
about culture because it…
A. is part of their life.
B. brings about mutual understanding.
C. reinforces one’s own identity.
D. is an historical cultural heritage.
6. Still in paragraph 5, culture helps the country to develop…
A. socially
B. economically
C. emotionally
D. physically
7. In line with paragraph 6, which of the following is not a component of culture?
A. Values
B. Beliefs
C. Heritage
D. Customs

8. In paragraph 7, the writer indicates clearly that ‘every human being is free to participate in the
cultural life’. It is their…
A. Privilege
B. Tradition
C. Custom
D. Right
9. From the passage , list five components of culture
(i) ………………..
(ii) ………………..
(iii) ………………
(iv) ………………
(v) ……………….
10. From the underlined words in the passage, find one word which means the same or nearly the
same as the following phrases
(i) appreciation of beauty:…………………………………………….
(ii) moral principles and beliefs: …………………………………………
(iii) transmitted to other generation: ………………………………..
(iv) people of same age , experiences and attitudes: ………………………….
(v) Historical structures : ……………………………………………………………….

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PASSAGE FIVE (5)
THE WHALES.
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.

1. Every year, beginning in July, female southern right whales ( Eubalaenaaustralis) arrive at the
Southern coast of Santa catarina, Brazil. They come from as far as the sub Antarctic, thousands of
miles away, to give birth and nurse their calves in shallow waters. For several months residents and
tourists at the beaches or on the cliffs are thrilled to watch the whales- mothers and calves resting or
frolicking in the water.
2. A female can be 52 feet (16m) long about the size of an articulated bus and weigh up to 80 tons. Its
massive body is generally black, sometimes with white patches on the belly. The head is enormous,
a quarter of the entire body length. The mouth is long and arched. This whale has no dorsal fin as
do some other species. To swim forward, it flexes its broad and deeply notched tail up and down,
instead of side to side as fish do. To change direction, it moves its flippers. This is similar to the
way an airplane is steered.
3. Curiously, despite their immense proportions, right whales have considerable flexibility performing
some amazing acrobatics. You can see them sailing, the tail sticking out of the water for long
periods; lob tailing, raising the tail and slapping the water hard; and breaching thrusting themselves
out of the water and then falling back with great splash that can be seen from far away.
4. On and around the head, the right whale has a series of whitish or yellowish callosities- roughened
patches of skin covered by colonies of small crustaceans (cymiads) known as whale lice. Biologists
say that it is difficult to tell the right whales’ age when they die because this species of whales has no
teeth. They estimate the whales’ life expectancy to be at least 65 years on average.
5. Right whales feed on tiny crustaceans. On each side of whales’ upper jaw are filtering structure
made up of hundreds of baleen plates that fringed with fine hair. As they swim, their open mouth
allows water to filter through the baleen plates capturing the tiny prey in the baleen hairs, by this
means each whale can consume up to two tons of crustaceans.
6. Southern right whales spend the summer feeding in the Antarctic ocean, building up blubber. This
thick layer of fat provides excellent insulation when they are in cold waters and serves as food
reserves when they migrate.
7. From the 18thcentury onward, whalers hunted these whales extensively in the southern hemisphere.
They were considered the “right” whales to hunt. Why? Being slow swimmers were an ease catch
even for whalers in frail wooden boats that were equipped with only handheld harpoons. Besides,
unlike other whales,, right whales float when they are killed because of their extra- ordinary amount
of blubber. Thus whalers could easily drag them to the beach. In addition, blubber and baleen were
important commodities at the time. Blubber was used in the street oil lamps and as lubricant.
Baleen was fashioned into things such as corset stays, buggy whips, and umbrella ribs. In fact,
baleen plates obtained from one whale alone would cover the expenses of an entire expedition.
8. In the early 20th century, over-intensive hunting greatly reduced the right whale population and
eventually whaling was no longer commercially viable. In Brazil , the last whaling station was closed
down in 1973. While there has been a slow recovery of some species, others remain critically
endangered.
9. The right whale is definitely an outstanding example of the intricacy and great diversity of life on
earth. It testifies to the amazing wisdom and power of one who created it, the great designer-
Jehovah God .
(Adopted from Awake December 2015)

In each of the questions 1-8, select the best answer from the four options provided. Indicate your answer by
drawing a circle around the letter on this question paper as in the example below, If you change your mind,
cross out the initial choice neatly and then circle your revised answer clearly, For questions 9 and 10,
answer as instructed.
Example: The writer clearly tells us about…
A. the whales.

Page 67 of 77
 B. the right whales
C. the behaviour of whales
D. the breeding of whales
B is the best answer and it has been circled,
1. In paragraph 1, which of the following is not true about the whales?
The whales …
A. residents and tourist are thrilled to watch.
B. come from sub Antarctic.
C. give birth and nurse calves at the southern coast.
D. and calves rest or frolics in the water.
2. In paragraph 2, it can be inferred that the quarter of the entire body length can be…
A. long about the size of an articulated bus.
B. can be compared to the whale’s head size
C. its massive body in general
D. similar to the way an airplane is steered.
3. According to paragraph 3, in spite of the whales’ immerse proportions…
A. they can easily swim.
B. they can perform acrobatics.
C. they can sail with tails sticking out of the water.
D. they are considerable flexible
4. According to paragraph 4, it is difficult for Biologists to tell the age of the whale because…
A. they are dead already.
B. they estimate the whales’ life expectance
C. they have no teeth.
D. they are different kind of species.
5. What does the writer say about the feeding of whales in paragraph 5? Whales…
A. filter water through the baleen plates capturing the tiny prey.
B. such as the right whales feed on tiny crustaceans
C. open their mouths as they swim and feed.
D. can consume up to two tons of crustaceans.
6. “Southern right whales spend the summer feeding in the Antarctic ocean…” in paragraph 6, implies
that whale do this for the purpose of…
A. building blubber.
B. serving food.
C. giving birth.
D. migrating.
7. Paragraphs 6 and 7 tell us about ‘blubber’. What is blubber? Plumber …
A. makes whales float when they are killed
B. is the thick layer of fat substance found in whales.
C. Is used in the street oil lamps and as lubricant.
D. is an insulating substance used by whales in cold waters.
8. In paragraph 8 the statement ‘hunting greatly reduced the right whale population’ means…
A. Hunting increased greatly.
B. Whales were hunted regularly
C. Hunting decreased greatly on whales.
D. Whales’ numbers decreased due to hunting.
9. In paragraphs 6 to 8, give four reasons why right whales are ‘right’ to hunt.
(i) ………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) ……………………………………………………………………………………..
(iii) ……………………………………………………………………………………..
(iv) ……………………………………………………………………………………..

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 10. From the underlined words in the passage, find one word which means the same or nearly the
same as the following words or phrases.
(i) State of being made up of any parts………………………………………
(ii) Massive: ………………………………………………………….
(iii) Feed :……………………………………………………………..
(iv) Substance to smoothen surfaces………………………
(v) Physical body movements :………………………………..

PASSAGE SIX (6)

RABIES
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
1. Rabies is a serious disease which causes people and animals to go mad and die. This disease is
particularly common in dogs.
2. “People often ask why it is necessary to kill dogs,” said the Doctor in a meeting. “They do not know
what it is to have Rabies. I saw a child die that way two days ago”, he continued. “That is why am
willing to kill dogs. There has never been a person known to get well once the disease has
developed. You may wonder why we don’t vaccinate everybody. The answer is that this vaccine
sometimes makes people ill. According to the study made in the United States, it was found that
one person in each 700 who has been vaccinated became ill. Only for someone bitten is the risk
worth taking”.

3. “The best way to control the disease is to keep it from reaching human beings. So, not only dogs
are poisoned but also thousands of wild animals that infect the dogs in the first place. It is
sometimes forgotten that Rabies was first a disease of the countryside, with the wolf as the chief
carrier. And so it is that after a community has been freed from Rabies, dogs may be re-infected by
wild animals”.

4. The doctor had had experience with control of Rabies among wild animals when he was in charge
of a control group along the boundary between the United States and Mexico. It was his job to train
workers and to organise the work against Rabies on both sides of the boundary. Although dog
owners did not like it, nearly all dogs in the nearby towns were vaccinated, and Rabies was driven
back as far as the forest and deserts.

5. The Rabies control programme was later taken to all parts of Mexico. The World Health
Organisation provided for large scale production of vaccine needed for curing Rabies at a special
institute in Mexico. The institute has become the maker of low- cost vaccine needed for curing
Rabies in countries and territories of the America.

6. With the towns along the boundary now almost freed from Rabies, workers went to the fields
where wild animals were found to be highly infected. Forty-one poisoning offices were started in
distant parts with the help of field workers from the United States. Within 1.5 million acres, 18 000
wolves were killed with poisoned meat. This shows that poison can be very effective against wild
animals.

7. The effectiveness of the programme may be judged in several ways. The hunters reported that
formerly, they could kill two or three wolves on a day’s hunt but now they might go weeks without
seeing even a track. The reduction of cattle losses, the increase of wild game, and the disappearance
of Rabies in other wild animals, also proved the success of the programme.

( Ordinary Level English Language Review)

In each of the questions 1-8, select the best answer from the four options provided. Indicate your answer by
drawing a circle around the letter on this question paper as in the example below, If you change your mind,

Page 69 of 77
cross out the initial choice neatly and then circle your revised answer clearly, For questions 9 and 10,
answer as instructed.
Example: The writer clearly tells us about…
A. dogs
B. Rabies.
C. wolves
D. disease
B is the best answer and it has been circled.
1. According to Paragraph 2, the doctor was willing to kill dogs because;
A. he disliked them.
B. they kill children.
C. they spread rabies.
D. they infect people in town.
2. In paragraph 2, Rabies vaccine is not given to all people because;
A. It can be dangerous.
B. It is too costly.
C. There is not enough vaccine
D. The people will not take it.
3. Paragraph 3; The best way to control the disease is to ;
A. Vaccine everybody.
B. Prevent contacts with infected animals.
C. Warn children about dogs.
D. Warn dogs about people.
4. In paragraph 3, the phrase ‘Rabies was first a disease of the countryside..., ’ means;
A. The disease was common in urban areas.
B. The disease was common in rural areas.
C. The disease was not common in rural.
D. The disease was unheard of in urban areas.
5. According to paragraph 4, the experience of the doctor in Mexico had shown that:
A. Rabies could be controlled by vaccinating the dogs
B. New ways of working were needed to control Rabies.
C. All chief carriers and wild animals infected with Rabies could be killed.
D. There is hope to provide large- scale production of vaccine against rabies.

6. In paragraph 4, what is it that the dog owners did not like? Dog owners did not like….
A. Their dogs being killed.
B. Their dogs being vaccinated.
C. Their dogs taken as far as the forest
D. Their dogs taken to countryside.
7. Paragraph 5, ‘Rabies control programme was later taken to all parts of Mexico’ means; initially the
programme was …
A. Only in Mexico.
B. Only in some parts of Mexico.
C. In most parts of Mexico
D. In all parts of Mexico.
8. According to paragraphs 6 and 7, the effectiveness of Rabies control was as the result of….
A. forty-one poisoning offices.
B. poisoning the wolves which carried the disease.
C. killing the wolves by feeding them with poisoned meat.
D. the18,000 wolves which were killed.
9. From reading the passage it can be said that Rabies is found;
A. Only in the United States, Mexico and Central America.
B. All over the world.

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 C. In Africa.
D. All over the American continents.
10. From the underlined words in the passage, find one word which has the same or nearly the same
meaning as the following words or phrases.
(i) Rural area; ……………………………………………………
(ii) Areas controlled by a country or ruler; ………………………………………..
(iii) Series of actions or events; …………………………………………………….
(iv) Danger; ……………………………………………………..
SUMMARY WRITING

A summary is a brief account of a story or speech heard, read or seen. In a nutshell, summary is about
being economic with words by only supplying the sought for information.
The aim of candidates in a summary component should be to answer the question as opposed to reducing
the passage. It is not summary if one leaves out what he is asked of by the examiner.

HINTS
1. Strictly stick to the required number of words. No word estimation will suffice. Pay keen attention to the
instruction, “In not more than …… words, write a connected summary ……”
2. Marks are given according to the number of required answers [relevant points] brought out. Candidates
ought to know that the relevant points in the passage are spread across the passage hence the need for them
to read and understand the whole passage.
3. While candidates are allowed to use their own language, the meaning of the original passage should at no
time be altered. The candidates ought to give grammatical competence precedence.
4. Candidates must avoid falling prey to including unnecessary examples, adjectives, definitions and over-
flowery expressions which are not in any way helping them to answer the question.
5. Always write in prose unless the question demands otherwise.
6. Uses of generic words have proven priceless in summary. Generic words refer to words which can be
used to absorb other words, and in most cases, the words belonging to the same word class.
For example; John bought grapes, oranges, guavas, tomatoes, berries, apples, mangoes, pine apples, water
melons and bananas.
The sentence above would be summarized as; John bought fruits. [Note that three words have been used as
opposed to fifteen in the original sentences]. The generic word in this example is the word fruits.

7. Do not include points, though relevant but are not in the passage. All the relevant points must be derived
from the given passage.

PROCEDURE
1. Read and understand the question.
2. Scan the passage to have a feel of it before reading it carefully in order to identify the needed points. You
may take note of the points by ticking against them. Other candidates do this by underlining the said points.
3. Arrange the points in chronological order. Rearrange the points logically and write the fluent summary in
a passage form. Use appropriate link words where necessary.
4. Write the drafts depending on time available. Edit – Go through the summary for length and grammar
corrections.
NB: This is very rare in the final examinations as candidates are never supplied with paper for such drafts.
5. Having exhausted this procedure, candidates can now begin to write a final copy of the summary.
6. Avoid gross errors of tense, repetition, wrong sentence construction, Paragraph inadequacy, wrong use of
words, subject-verb agreement, use of run-on sentences and most of all errors of rubric.

Passage 1: Summary (20 Marks)

Read the following passage and then answer the question that follows

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Black jack vegetable is known botanically as bidens pilosa and in South Africa local names include muxiji
and gewone knapseherel. Like many indigenous African vegetables, black jack has an impressive nutritional
profile that comes with a very wide variety of benefits.
Black jack is a great choice for the prevention and treatment of diabetes due to the presence of various
nutrients. Firstly, black jack has plenty of antioxidants which are involved in regulating blood sugar. The
higher the amount of antioxidants in the body, the greater the body’s capacity to keep blood sugar under
control. Studies show that people whose diets are rich in antioxidants have a dramatically lower incidence of
diabetes.

Black jack is greatly beneficial to the cardiovascular system which relates to the heart and blood vessels. The
fiber abundantly present in black jack tremendously boosts heart health. What’s more, fiber provided by
black jack minimises belly fat, the most dangerous form of fat to carry. Belly fat, also referred to as visceral
fat, surrounds vital organs like the heart and liver. This situation dramatically increases the risk of heart
disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases. By keeping belly fat away, black
jack tremendously promotes general cardiovascular health.

The antioxidants in black jack also help keep the cardiovascular system in good health. Studies continue to
show a strong relationship between diets rich in antioxidants and very low rates of cardiovascular diseases
such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol abnormalities, and stroke. Black jack, due to its
abundance of fiber, promotes healthy digestion, stimulates digestive muscle movements and generally
improves the way these muscles work thus preventing acid reflux, bloating, and many other digest disorders.
Other ways include warding off piles or hemorrhoids and acting as a prebiotic by creating a suitable
environment for proper multiplication and function of healthy gut bacteria. These bacteria are essential for
healthy digestion and overall wellbeing.
Black jack has powerful anti-cancer features too. Again, fiber takes on a leading role in countering cancer by
preventing insulin resistance, a condition found to increase the risk of cancer especially hormone-related
cancer like breast and prostate cancer. Besides preventing cancer, antioxidants in black jack are powerful
enough to stop cancer growth and kill cancer cells. With such a potent anti-cancer profile black jack is an
excellent food choice for the prevention and treatment of breast, prostate, colon, and any type of cancer.

There are so many more benefits associated with black jack. The anti-inflammatory powers of this vegetable
also offer protection against cognitive decline. This means that eating black jack can prevent memory loss
related to age and chronic diseases such as diabetes. Black jack is also believed to fight off bacterial and
fungal infections. It is a highly nutritious vegetable with benefits that are too many to list.
Health Benefits of Black jack (July 2016)
By:Asunta Simoloka and Prof Rashid Bhikha
In not more than 100 words, write the health benefits of black jack.
The summary has been started for you.
Black jack has a wide range of health benefits. These include ………………………………………………………

Passage 2. Summary (20 Marks)

Read the following passage carefully and then answer the question that follows;
1. Carbonated drinks have flooded the market. These are effervescent drinks that release carbon
dioxide under conditions of normal atmospheric pressure. Carbonation may occur naturally in
spring water that has absorbed carbon dioxide at high pressures underground. It can also be a by-
product of fermentation, such as beer and some wines.
2. Many curative properties have been attributed to effervescent waters, which aid digestion and calm
nerves. Carbonated drinks have high acidity level. This creates an imbalance in the body in that it
leads to acidosis. Too much acid also creates a problem of digestion in the system. All carbonated
drinks are beneficial to the body because a large proportion of them is water, which is greatly
needed by those people who rarely take it in its pure form. On the other hand, Carbonated drinks

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 have carbonic acid that inhabits the use of calcium in the body, thereby adversely affecting bone
formation. This gives rise to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Such drinks,
therefore, are not ideal for children and women after menopause. Consuming carbonated drinks in
excess forces the body to harbor carbon dioxide, which can cause more distension (swell out by
pressure from within) of the stomach and more acid reflux.
3. Some carbonated drinks contain sugar and this helps to supplement the body with glucose, which is
responsible for energy. In the grand scheme of all the complexities regarding carbonated drinks, it
is very clear that people are stuck with them, as they will always be readily available on the market at
affordable prices.
4. The biggest challenge that we have is that people are not being given the correct information
concerning the content of carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks, just like others, result in loss of
appetite if taken shortly before meals. Artificial carbonation was first introduced in 1767 by Joseph
Priestley and was commercialized in 1807 by Benjamin Silliman, a Yale University Chemistry
Professor, who bottled and sold carbonated water. After 1830, sweetened and flavoured carbonated
drinks became popular and the trend evolved.
5. Today, heavily sweetened carbonated drinks and sodas are among the most popular beverages in
the world. In the last two decades, the introduction of diet drinks containing artificial sweeteners
has increased sales of carbonated beverages. Some carbonated drinks contain caffeine, which
causes addiction. In this regard, when carbonated drinks are not taken by people used to them,
unexplained tiredness and headache result.
6. It is stressed that people should opt for pure fruit juices. Pure juices may be expensive but you do
not need to buy them all the time. You may instead, just buy oranges, guavas and mangoes. Then
squeeze out the juice from these fruits, and give it to a child as opposed to buying carbonated
drinks. Experts say one

can or bottle of a carbonated drink has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55
milligrams of caffeine and is loaded with artificial food colours and sulphites. Carbonated drinks
that are caffeinated lead to jitters, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, vitamin and mineral depletion and
breast lumps. The sugar added to carbonated drinks increases insulin levels, which can lead to
diabetes and excessive weight gain.
QUESTION
According to the passage, what are the negative effects of the consumption of carbonated drinks by human
beings? Use not more than 140 words. Excess words will be cancelled. The summary has been started for
you.

ANSWERS

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 Structure
Comparison
1. The older Chisanga grows, the more beautiful she becomes.
2. The more risks taken in business, the higher the rate of success.
3. The higher you go, the cooler it becomes
4. Women’s clothes are not as expensive as men’s.
5. Matthews is the best guitarist in the band.
6. My mother is taller than I am.
7. Of the two, Kusekesha is more charming than Kuseka.
8. Secondhand clothes are getting more and more expensive.
9. No pupil in 12T2 is as clever as Chileshe.
10. This is the worst injury he has suffered.
Time
1. After finishing his homework, he went to bed.
2. While cleaning the storeroom, he discovered the hidden books.
3. Before answering your question, I must study the matter more carefully.
4. Having completed my assignment, I went to watch a soccer match.
5. No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.
6. No sooner had I eaten than I started feeling hungry again.
7. As soon as Mr Kapenda was appointed Principal, he made sweeping changes to the institution.
8. As soon as Mrs. Nyendwa noticed that the boy was unwell, she assisted him.
9. No sooner had the referee blown the final whistle than the celebrations began.
10. Having accidentally broken his tooth, the comedian hurriedly left the stage.

Contrast
1. Despite having a disadvantaged background, she became a prominent person in society.
2. In spite of Mulimba being sick for the most part of his final year, he managed to get distinctions.
3. Apart from Mr. Mwale being a scientist, he has also written many popular novels.
4. Instead of just waiting for handouts, young men must make themselves useful.
5. Disappointed (though/as) I was, I could not show it.
6. In addition to eating the food that was in the pot, the thief stole the bag of mealie meal.
7. No matter how hard I tried, I could not solve the problem.
8. Dull though Josephat is, he managed to pass the examination.
9. Angry (though/as) the head teacher was, he did not slap the boys.
10. Patrick is an efficient prefect, nevertheless, he is disliked by everyone.

Reason
1. Operating illegally, the shop has been closed down by the Kitwe City Council.
2. Now that you have finished the exercise, you may read your library books.
3. Seeing that it was time for the examinations, Mary decided to focus on her studies.
4. Since I have achieved all I set out to do, I am now ready to leave.
5. Being unfamiliar with the town, I asked to be escorted.
6. As of his unruly behaviour in court, he was cited for contempt of court.
7. On account of passing the exam, his father bought him a laptop computer.
8. For her uniform was wet, she could not go to school.
9. Living in the driest part of the country, the farmers were seriously affected by the drought.
10. John simply crawled to the nearest clinic because he was unable to walk.

Direct and Indirect Speech

1. “Can I submit my assignment tomorrow?” Christopher asked Mr. Zulu
2. He said that he had left his jacket there the previous day/ day before.
3. The teacher said to me, “I want you to tell me the truth or I will slap you.”

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 4. Mwila said that she must get something to eat or she would faint/ Mwila said she had to get
something to eat or she would faint.
5. The man asked his son whether/if he had the article on examination malpractice in the previous
day’s newspaper.
6. The farmer told his workers that they could start planting as soon as it rained.
7. The singer urged the government to castrate all child abusers.
8. The farmer shouted excitedly, “All the harvest has been gathered!”
9. The tailor said that the clothes might be ready the following day.
10. The chairman asked whether they should meet after the meeting.

Prepositions
1. from 2. through 3. along 4. over 5. at 6. of 7. besides 8. of
9. since 10. for 11. without 12. on 13. at 14. past 15. with
16. in 17. of 18. in 19. at 20.except.

Relative Clauses
Cloze Text
1. who 2. who 3. that/which 4. which 5. which 6. that/who
6. that/who 7. which 8. who 9. which 10. Whom
Sentence Transformations
1. The men who/that tried to break into the shop have been arrested.
2. The man who owns the garage is a friend of ours.
3. We must write to the contractor on whom they depend.
4. I am trying to remember the name of the hotel at which we usually stop.
I am trying to remember the name of the hotel that we usually stop at.
5. That’s player whose leg I accidentally kicked.
6. The tourist was urged to come back to Zambia, whose people are friendly.
7. Mr. Zulu, at whom some people laughed, has finally completed his Grade 12 despite being over 30
years.
8. This house, which is still in immaculate condition, was built over 30 years ago.
9. I will introduce you to Peter, whom some people regard as our best forward.
10. There is a price beyond which I cannot go.
There is a price that I cannot go beyond.
Summary
Passage 1
• Prevention and treatment of diabetes
• regulating blood sugar
• beneficial to the cardiovascular system which relates to the heart and blood vessels
• The fiber abundantly present in black jack tremendously boosts heart health
• minimises belly fat
• The antioxidants in black jack also help keep the cardiovascular system in good health.
• promotes healthy digestion
• stimulates digestive muscle movements
• generally improves the way these muscles work
• prevention of acid reflux,
• bloating, and many other digest disorders.
• warding off piles or hemorrhoids
• and acting as a prebiotic
• Black jack has powerful anti-cancer features too
• antioxidants in black jack are powerful enough to stop cancer growth
• and kill cancer cells.

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 • prevention and treatment of breast, prostate, colon, and any type of cancer
• The anti-inflammatory powers of this vegetable also offer protection against cognitive decline.
• Can prevent memory loss related to age and chronic diseases such as diabetes
• believed to fight off bacterial and fungal infections.
Passage 2
1. The high acidity level in carbonated drinks creates an imbalance in the body
2. As it leads to acidosis.
3. Too much acid creates a digestion problem in the system.
4. Carbonated drinks have carbonic acid that inhibits the use of calcium in the body.
5. Thereby adversely affecting bone formation.
6. This causes osteoporosis (softening of the teeth and bones).
7. Consuming carbonated drinks excessively forces the body to harbour carbon dioxide resulting in more
distension of the stomach.
8. And more acid reflux.
9. Carbonated drinks result in loss of appetite
10. If taken shortly before meals.
11. Some carbonated drinks, contain caffeine, which causes addiction.
12. When carbonated drinks are not taken by addicts (people used to them) un explained tiredness.
13. And headaches result.
14. Carbonated drinks that are caffeinated lead to jitters,
15. Insomnia
16. Irregular heart beat.
17. Vitamin and mineral depletion
18. And breast lumps
19. The sugar added to carbonated drinks increases insulin levels, which can cause diabetes.
20. And excessive weight gain.
PROSE SUMMARY
The consumption of carbonated drinks by human beings has a number of negative effects, the high acidity
level in carbonated drinks creates an imbalance in the body as it leads to acidosis. Too much acid creates a
digestion problem in the system. Carbonated drinks have carbonic acid that inhibits the use of calcium in
the body, thereby adversely affecting bone formation. This causes osteoporosis (softening of the teeth and
the bones).Consuming carbonated drinks excessively forces the body to harbor carbon dioxide resulting in
more distention of the stomach and more acid reflux. Carbonated drinks before meals. Some carbonated
drinks contain caffeine which causes addition. When carbonated drinks are not taken by people used to
them, unexplained tiredness and headaches result. Carbonated drinks that are caffeinated lead to jitters,
Insomnia, irregular heartbeat, vitamin and mineral depletion and breast lumps. The sugar added to
carbonated drinks increases insulin levels, which can cause diabetes and excessive weight gain.

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