GONZAGA JESUIT COLLEGE

FIRST TERM LESSON NOTE

2024/2025 ACADEMIC SESSION

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
JSS 3
WEEK 1
A. SPOKEN ENGLISH: STRESS
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
 Define Stress
 Define a Syllable
 Identify words with different syllables
 State the two major types of stress
 Practise Stress satisfactorily

Stress is the emphasis placed on a particular syllable, or a word in the course of reading or pronunciation.
When a word is pronounced, some part of it is heard to be louder than the other part(s). This means that
some part is said with greater energy than the other parts. When this happens, it means a force has been
used to pronounce that part that is louder.

A Syllable is the smallest pronounceable unit of a word. Words are formed from the combination of
sound units. Every word has a set of sounds produced together as a unit. A word with one syllable is
called a monosyllabic word; a word with two syllables is called a disyllabic word, while a word with
three or more syllables is called a polysyllabic word.

Examples
Words with one syllable: Monosyllabic words
 sit
 eat
 pen
 book
 write
 school
 talk
 hen
 cup
 car
 drive
 swim
 bag
 cap
 bed, etc.

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Words with two syllables: Disyllabic words

i. pillar pi-llar
ii. gather ga-ther
iii. ladder la-dder
iv. detain de-tain
v. doughnut dough-nut
vi. fiction fic-tion
vii. alone a-lone
viii. woman wo-man
ix. travel tra-vel
x. laughter laugh-ter
xi. palace pa-lace
xii. compute com-pute

Words with three Syllables: Polysyllabic words

i. guarantee gua-ran-tee
ii. excursion ex-cur-sion
iii. expertise ex-per-tise
iv. saboteur sa-bo-teur
v. demarcate de-mar-cate
vi. benefit be-ne-fit
vii. deduction de-duc-tion
viii. advantage ad-van-tage
ix. decision de-ci-sion
x. happiness ha-ppi-ness
xi. Jubilate ju-bi-late
xii. syllable sy-lla-ble

Words with four Syllables: Polysyllabic words

i. communicate com-mu-ni-cate
ii. manufacture ma-nu-fac-ture
iii. photography pho-to-gra-phy
iv. Jubilation ju-bi-la-tion
v. mobility mo-bi-li-ty
vi. retribution re-tri-bu-tion
vii. education e-du-ca-tion
viii. comprehension com-pre-hen-sion
ix. bewilderment be-wil-der-ment
x. understatement un-der-state-ment
xi. intellectual in-tel-lec-tual
xii. introduction in-tro-duc-tion

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Words with five Syllables: polysyllabic words
i. misunderstanding mis-un-der-stand-ing
ii. mobilization mo-bi-li-za-tion
iii. modification mo-di-fi-ca-tion
iv. denomination de-no-mi-na-tion
v. participation par-ti-ci-pa-tion
vi. evangelism e-van-ge-li-sm
vii. possibility pos-si-bi-li-ty
viii. investigation in-ves-ti-ga-tion
ix. manipulation ma-ni-pu-la-tion
x. sentimentally Sen-ti-ment-tal-ly

Words with six syllables: Polysyllabic words

i. misappropriation Mis-ap-pro-pri-a-tion
ii. impossibility Im-pos-si-bi-li-ty
iii. misrepresentation Mis-rep-re-sen-ta-tion
iv. inviolability In-vio-la-bi-li-ty
v. mudosoperandi Mo-dus-o-pe-ran-di

Types of Stress
1. Word Stress: This is the emphasis, or the primary stress placed on a given syllable in a word.
The syllable that receives then primary stress is written in capital letters.
Examples
1. eduCAtion
2. YESterday
3. imPORtant
4. MIStake
5. ocCAsion
6. LANguage
7. NERvous
8. aBOUT
9. techNOlogy
10. poliTIcian

Exercise: Essential English: page 338-339

2. Emphatic stress: This is the emphasis placed on a given word in a sentence. The word that
receives the emphatic stress is written in capital letters.
Examples
i. My mother’s FRIEND hates pets.
ii. Helen scrubs the floor every SATURDAY.
iii. The corrupt officer ACCEPTED the bribe.
iv. The PASSENGER boat docked at Banjul.
v. The manager SACKED the typist.

Exercise: New Concept English Language Book 2: page 187-188

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B. GRAMMAR: PARTS OF SPEECH (Revision)
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
 Define each part of speech
 State examples of each part of speech
 Use them in sentences

Every word used in a sentence has its grammatical function. Each of these words is named and belongs
to a particular part of speech or word class. There are eight parts of speech in English language:
1. Nouns
2. Pronouns
3. Verbs
4. Adverbs
5. Adjectives
6. Conjunctions
7. Prepositions
8. Interjections

NOUN
A noun is a name of a person, an animal, a place, a thing or an idea.
Place --- Okija, New York, Anambra, Lagos, Abuja, etc.
Person --- Alexander, Vivian, Jason, Charles, Michael, etc.
Animal --- lion, elephant, leopard, goat, pig, etc.
Thing --- pen, bag, table, board, bottle, etc.
Idea/concept --- freedom, peace, joy, happiness, beauty, truth, etc.

Examples:
i. My mother works in a school.
ii. I will travel to Dubai on Wednesday.
iii. The pen is mightier than the sword.
iv. The birds flew over the trees.
v. Everyone likes peace.

PRONOUN
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or noun phrase to avoid unnecessary repetition.
Pronouns includes the following: I, you, we, they, he, she, it, me, us, them, him, her, this, those, etc.

ADJECTIVE
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. Examples: big, happy, green,
young, fun, crazy, three, white, round, etc.
Examples:
1. Mr. Smith is a tall man.
2. Mrs. Cecilia is a beautiful woman.
3. My room is always neat.
4. Behold a short giant!

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 VERB
A verb is an action word or a state of being. Examples: eat, dance, swim, talking, jumping, write, run,
etc.

Examples:
i. The students eat five times a day.
ii. Helen is dancing.
iii. Jonah swims like fish.
iv. The teacher is talking to the female students.
v. Mrs. Amanda writes well.

ADVERB
An adverb is a word that describes or modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. It tells how,
where, when, how often or to what extent an action is performed. E.g. hurriedly, twice a day, tomorrow,
immediately, very, yesterday, etc.

Examples:
1. The police responded immediately.
2. The man is walking sluggishly.
3. The dentist would be here tomorrow.
4. Martina travels to Abuja twice a week.
5. The guests arrived yesterday.

PREPOSITION
A preposition shows the location of a noun or a pronoun. E.g., at, on, in, from, between, under, across,
behind, etc.

Examples:
i. I left my keys on the table.
ii. She jumped over the fence.
iii. The book belongs to Anthony.
iv. The baby is behind the car.
v. The thieves were arrested under the bridge.

CONJUNCTION
A conjunction is a word that links words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. E.g., and, or, but, because,
so, yet, unless, since, if, neither-nor, either-or, not only-but, etc.

Examples:
a. I was hot and exhausted but I finished the marathon.
b. You can either have tea or rice for breakfast.
c. Neither Sunday nor his twin brother attended the party.
d. Mr. John could not go out because it was raining.
e. Not only English language, but Mathematics is compulsory.

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 INTERJECTION
An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses a strong feeling or emotion.

Examples:
1. Wow! He wrote swiftly.
2. Ouch! That hurts.
3. Alas! The storm is over.
4. Congratulation! You made it.
5. Oh! You are also here.

(New Concept English: Page 8-10)

C. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH SEA/WATER

TRANSPORTATION
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Identify new words associated with the water transportation
2. State their meanings
3. Use them correctly in sentences and structured passages

VOCABULARY: Water/Sea Transportation

Vocabulary is any word that one knows and can make use of in the right context and at the right time.
Water transportation is the movement of people by boat, ship, barge or sailboat across ocean, sea,
lake, canal, or river or through other modes of water transportation from one place to another.

WORD MEANING

Paddle To paddle a canoe across a stretch of water.

Speedboat A speedboat is nothing but a motorboat or powerboat which travels faster
powered by engines. Some speedboat is inboard by engines and are flat and
longer in size, specially designed for boat racing and waterbed scorching above
the water body.
Cargo ships They transport goods from one port to another.
Dock An enclosed area in the port where ships load and unload.
Ship The ship is a kind of very large-sized boat, like a large buoyant watercraft. It is
used in the transportation of passengers and goods too
Boat A boat is a plank of wood-made small type of watercraft used to work or travel
over water bodies, protected coastal areas, or offshore environments.it can either
be propelled manually or by motor engine
Ferry A ferry is either a boat or a ship that is primarily used to carry passengers,
vehicles or cargo across the water body. It works like a water taxi which stops
at various points to carry or drop passengers from place to place.
Cruise ship Cruise ships are big passenger ships that are used for outings and vacations.
These cruise ships stop at several ports to carry passengers or travelers who
travel to enjoy or have pleasure.

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 Yacht A yacht is a medium large- sized recreational ship or boat used for racing,
entertainment or cruising purposes. It is a Dutch origin vessel, a lightweight and
fast sailing boat used by the Dutch navy to capture sea pirates.
Submarine A submarine is a large boat or ship that is packed and designed to operate
underwater while submerged in water bodies. It is mostly used for navy
operation and war purposes, along with periscope to view outside.
Steamboat Steamboat are boats of old times that are watercraft propelled by steam and a
narrow- shallow- draft paddle wheels is rotated by the steam pressure and rotates
the turbine blades to propel the boat. These boats were found in the era of the
19th century.
Hovercraft The hovercraft was developed in the middle of the 19th century to transport cars
and other things from the water routes. It has big air propellers at the base of the
craft to pull forward by pushing the air back.
Seaplane An aircraft that flies high in the air but doesn’t have wheels to take off or land
on land. It floats on the water and is a powered fixed-wing craft that takes off
and lands on water’s surface by floating. it is also called FLYING BOAT and
FLOATING PLANES by its structure.
Houseboat A houseboat is more of a floating house. It is specifically built for permanent
residence in water.
Sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is
smaller than a sailing ship.
Canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and
open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the
direction of travel and using paddles.
Windsurfer A narrow board with a sail attached to it that you hold, standing up, while the
wind blows you along the surface of a sea or lake.
Raft boat A flat floating structure for travelling across water, often made of pieces of wood
tied roughly together and moved along with a paddle.
Battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large
caliber guns.

D. LITERATURE: FOLKTALES – African and Non-Africa Folktales

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:
i. Define a folktale
ii. State features of folktales
iii. State the functions of folktales
iv. Read and analyze folktales

A folktale is a fictional story that is orally passed from one generation to another. It is part of the
oral tradition of a given people.

Features of Folktales
i. Didactic: Folktales teach moral lessons to both children and adults. The story of the cunny
tortoise; The story of how the elephant lost its tusk; How the tortoise got a cracked shell, etc. are
examples of folktales.

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 ii. Entertainment: In both African and non-African societies, folktales serve as means of
entertainment.
iii. Magical: Folktales can be exciting in strange ways. The characters in folktales could do things
that seem impossible in real life.

(Reading Specimen Folktales - New Concept English: Page 42-45.)

WEEK 2
A. SPEECH WORK: SUPRA-SEGMENTAL: INTONATION
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
i. Define Suprasegmental,
ii. Identify the uses of Suprasegmentals
iii. Identify variety of Suprasegmentals
iv. Define Intonation
v. State the types of Intonation
vi. Identify the uses of each in sentences

1. In speech, suprasegmental refers to a phonological property of more than one sound segment.
Also called nonsegmental, the term suprasegmental, which was coined by American
structuralists in the 1940s, is used to refer to functions that are "over" vowels and consonants.
Suprasegmental information applies to several different linguistic phenomena (including pitch,
duration, and loudness). Suprasegmentals are often regarded as the "musical" aspects of speech.
2. How We Use Suprasegmentals

"The effect of suprasegmentals is easy to illustrate. In talking to a cat, a dog or a baby, you may adopt a
particular set of suprasegmentals. Often, when doing this, people adopt a different voice quality, with
high pitch register, and protrude their lips and adopt a tongue posture where the tongue body is high and
front in the mouth, making the speech sound 'softer.'"
"Suprasegmentals are important for marking all kinds of meanings, in particular speakers' attitudes or
stances to what they are saying (or the person they are saying it to), and in marking out how
one utterance relates to another (e.g. a continuation or a disjunction). Both the forms and functions of
suprasegmentals are less tangible than those of consonants and vowels, and they often do not form
discrete categories."

Common Suprasegmental Features

"Vowels and consonants are considered as small segments of speech, which together form a syllable and
make the utterance. Specific features that are superimposed on the utterance of the speech are known as
supra-segmental features. Common supra-segmental features are the stress, tone, and duration in the
syllable or word for a continuous speech sequence. Sometimes even harmony and nasalization are also

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included under this category. Supra-segmental or prosodic features are often used in the context of
speech to make it more meaningful and effective. Without supra-segmental features superimposed on
the segmental features, a continuous speech can also convey meaning but often loses the effectiveness
of the message being conv

3. Varieties of Suprasegmentals

"A very obvious suprasegmental is intonation since an intonation pattern by definition extends over a
whole utterance or a sizable piece of an utterance. ... Less obvious is stress, but not only is stress a
property of a whole syllable but the stress level of a syllable can only be determined by comparing it
with neighboring syllables which have greater or lesser degrees of stress."
"The American structuralists also treated juncture phenomena as suprasegmental. Differences in
juncture are the reason that night rate does not sound like nitrate, or why choose like white shoes, and
why the consonants in the middle of pen-knife and lamp-post are the way they are. Since these items
contain essentially the same sequences of segments, the junctural differences have to be described in
terms of different juncture placement within sequences of segments."
"In most of these cases, the phonetic realization of the suprasegmental actually extends over more than
one segment, but the key point is that, in all of them, the description of the suprasegmental must involve
reference to more than one segment.
Intonation patterns in English

Intonation in phonetics, is the melodic pattern of an utterance. It conveys differences of expressive

meaning (e.g., surprise, anger, or delight), and it can also serve a grammatical function.

Intonation is primarily a matter of variation in the pitch of the voice. In such languages as English, it is
often accompanied by stress and rhythm to produce meaning. (Tone is also a form of pitch modulation,
but the term describes the use of pitch to differentiate words and grammatical expressions.

In many languages, including English, intonation distinguishes one type of phrase or sentence from
another. The different intonations a person can use to say, “The cup of water is over there” demonstrate
this grammatical function: when a person begins with a medium pitch and ends with a lower one (falling
intonation), this sentence is a simple assertion, but when a person uses a rising intonation (high final
pitch), it is a question.

Falling Intonation

Falling intonation is when the words in a sentence gradually fall in tone (or musical note) almost in a
stepwise manner.

Here is something that might come as a surprise… most of the time English speakers actually use a
falling intonation pattern, why you ask? Because falling intonation communicates to the listener a very
specific message (depending on how dramatic your intonation drops!).

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 Functions of Falling Intonation

 Statements or comments
 WH questions like ‘where are you going?’
 Low energy emotions such as boredom, disinterest

If you are familiar with what I mean by word stress you will understand that stressed words (important
words or short phrases) in a sentence are the exception to the falling tone applied to the rest of the words
in the above sentences. That’s because one of the ways English speakers mark the importance of a
stressed word is with a sudden rise in tone. For example the word ‘outside’ in the following sentence:

‘I want to eat outside this evening’

Functions of Rising Intonation

Rising intonation is often overused by both none native English speakers as well as native speakers (and
most people don’t realise they are doing it!). In fact this is called ‘high rising terminal’ and has been on
the increase especially in Australia. Using rising intonation incorrectly can indicate you are unsure of
yourself, in a heightened emotional state, or wanting the listener to clarify what you are saying. Many
non-native speakers have been taught to use rising intonation when asking any kind of question but this
is not correct as English speakers only use rising tone for questions with a yes/no answer! The rising
tone intonation pattern is only used for:

 Questions with a yes/no answer

 Requests for clarification (indicates uncertainty)
 High energy emotions e.g. happiness/anger/shock

Functions of Mixed Intonation

Mixed intonation in English sentences serve several functions including:

 Offering a choice of two (high to low intonation) e.g. black or white?

 Listing items (gradually rise then fall on the last word) e.g. milk, bread, butter and cheese

Details: New Concept English: Page 213-216

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 B. CONCORD
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
i. Define Concord
ii. State the rules for Concord
iii. State the exceptions for some of the rules
iv. Apply them correctly in sentences
Concord is the agreement between the subject and the verb, and between a pronoun and its antecedent.
Rules for Concord
1. When the subject is singular, it takes a singular verb, and when the subject is plural, it takes a
plural verb.
Examples:
a. Sagasta goes to school every day.
b. The students go to school every day.
c. Cynthia walks slowly.
d. Some ladies walk slowly.
e. The guest has arrived.
f. Some guests have arrived.
2. When two or more singular subjects are connected by and, a plural verb is used.
Examples:
a. Mr. Stephen and his wife attend mass every Sunday.
b. Cecilia and Henrietta attend Mass every Sunday.
c. The man and his son do things in common.
d. Whitney and Stephanie eat five times a day.
Exceptions for Rule 2
i. When the two singular subjects connected by and refer to the same person or thing, a
singular verb follows:
Examples:
a. My brother and confidant is hardworking.
b. My uncle and mentor shares the same opinion on political issues
c. Rice and stew is good for dinner.
ii. When indefinite pronouns every and each are used with two singular subjects connected by
and, a singular verb follows. This means each of the subjects is regarded as an individual
entity.
Examples:
a. Each window and door is securely locked after Mass.

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 b. Every teacher and student has a role to play in this year’s end of session party.
3. When two or more singular subjects are joined by neither-nor, either-or, not only-but, a singular
verb is used.
Examples:
a. Neither Jonah nor Jimmy qualifies for the award.
b. Either the teacher or the vice principal Academics gives out the certificates.
c. Not Jonson but Greg was responsible for the theft.
Exception to rule 3
If one of the subjects is plural, the rule of proximity is applied. In other words, the last subject that
precedes the verb determines the number (singular or plural) of the verb used.
Examples:
a. Neither the governor nor his commissioners have a sense of patriotism.
b. Not the players, but the coach was responsible for the poor performance of the team.
4. When a singular subject is connected to other subjects (whether singular or plural) by as well
as, including, with, together with, along with, in addition to, etc., a singular verb is used.
Examples:
a. The king together with his chiefs encourages the youths.
b. English Language as well as Mathematics is compulsory.
c. Mr. Dominic, together with other employees attends the board meeting today.
d. Sam, along with his friends was here last term.
e. My car, including its spare parts is very strong.
5. When indefinite pronouns like nobody, anybody, someone, somebody, no one, none,
everybody, one, etc. are subjects in a sentence, a singular verb is used.
Examples:
a. Nobody cares about the plight of the oppressed.
b. No one accepts responsibility for the high level of corruption in the country.
c. Everyone does what pleases the boss.
d. None of the Jesuits was at the chapel last Sunday.
6. In a complex sentence, the antecedent of the relative pronoun, that acts as the subject of the
subordinate clause determines the verb.

Examples:
a. The retired military officer is one of the past leaders, who are embodiment of corruption.
Note: Who is the subject of the subordinate relative clause - who are embodiment of corruption. The
antecedent of who, leaders is plural, hence the plural verb are.

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 b. One of the clothes which were purchased abroad is already torn. (Clothes is the antecedent of
which)
c. Mary is one of the students who perform well in class.
Note: Mary is a singular subject that goes with the singular verb is; while students is a plural subject
that goes with the plural verb perform. Students is the antecedent of who.
Exercise: New Concept English page 210.
d. This car is one of the cars that were in the garage.
Note: This car is a singular subject that goes with the singular verb is; while cars is the antecedent of
that, and it is plural. This is why the plural verb were is used in the sentence.

C. DESCRIPTIVE AND NARRATIVE ESSAYS

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
i. Define Descriptive essay
ii. State the qualities of Descriptive essays
iii. Read and specimen descriptive essays
iv. Write good descriptive essays
v. Define narrative essay
vi. State the features of narrative essay
vii. Read and evaluate specimen narrative essays
viii. Write good narrative essays

11. A descriptive essay is a composition that paints a vivid picture, so that the reader can visualize
what is being described. A descriptive essay must be rich in details, use well-chosen diction and
correctly punctuated sentences. Something is best described when it is likened to another thing.
The figures of speech mostly used here are simile and metaphor. A descriptive essay appeals to
the five senses.
Olfactory (the sense of smell)

….As I entered the house, I could not breathe. My stomach began to swell
immediately as I perceived the odour of putrified cloth, soaked for days, in a
dirty and decayed bucket.

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 Visual (the sense of sight)
As the opulent overdressed young man quietly pulled up, a skeletal body
wrapped in dirty, smelly, tattered clothes, staggered on his mosquito legs.
He twisted his vulture-like neck towards the packed expensive light-green v-
boot Mercedes car, and fixed hollow deeply-set eyes on its owner.

Auditory (the sense of hearing)

While I was climbing a tree, I heard a very loud and thunder-like sound. The
awful noise was like that of a tornado or earthquake. It sounded in such a
manner that someone in the United States of America could hear it.
Surprisingly, we discovered it was a bomb blast.

Tactile (the sense of touch/feeling)

On beholding the scene of the fatal accident, I saw a pregnant woman

whose womb was pierced by the broken door of the car. Her womb was torn
like a tattered cloth and the foetus was forced out of the womb. The metal
door of the car cut both the mother and the foetus into shreds.

Palatile (sense of taste)

One needs to eat Onugbu soup of the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria. The
soup is so delicious that whenever people are eating it, they may not know
when the flight they have paid for would take off. It is indeed very delicious.

In all the examples above, it is evident that the writer has painted a vivid picture, so that the reader
can visualize, feel, or experience the same thing in the same way. This is the primary aim of every
descriptive essay.

12. Qualities of descriptive essays

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 o The language is always embellished using adjectives.
o The writer uses an appropriate diction/vocabulary.
o The writer makes use of comparison and contrast.
o The writer’s description must appear real (factual).
o There must be unity and coherence.
o The sentences are well-structured, well punctuated and unambiguous.
Specimen Descriptive essays: New Concept English page 56 and 122. Essential English: page 181-182
Descriptive essays study questions
1. Describe a fatal accident you witnessed recently.
2. Write a descriptive essay entitled: “Gonzaga Jesuit College, Okija”.
3. Write a descriptive essay entitled: “My bosom friend”.
4. Describe the best shopping mall you have ever visited.
5. Write a descriptive essay entitled: “My Dream Car”.

13. A narrative essay is a piece of composition that tells a story. It is a vivid account of an imaginary
or factual experience.
14. Elements of narrative essay
vi. Content
a. Narrate events that are believable, credible and possible. Make sure your story has some
elements of realism.
b. Narrate the events in relevant details, in order to give your examiner an insight into the
events you are narrating.
c. You should be concerned with the event, the characters and the setting of the story.
vii. Organization
a. Write your narrative essay in in a lively manner by opening your essay with an interesting
paragraph, and ensure you end it with an equally interesting concluding paragraph.
b. Your paragraphs should be well developed and properly linked, using transitional
devices.
c. You will be awarded good marks if you present the events in your story in a chronological
order. That is, in the order the incidents occur one after another.
viii. Expression
a. You are expected to use a language that that is chatty.
b. You are at liberty to use a variety of sentences; that is, simple, compound, complex, and
compound-complex sentences.
c. Past tense is the standard tense to use while writing narrative essays. You are therefore
expected to adopt the past tense while writing your narrative essays.
d. Your language should have a quality of first-hand experience and reflect your awareness
of the presence of your audience(the examiner)
Specimen narrative essays: New Concept English: page 41, 61, 135 and 204-205. Essential English:
page 175-179

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Narrative essay study questions
4. Write a story to illustrate the saying: “It pays to make hay while the sun shines”.
5. Write a story entitled : “Indeed, it was the biggest lesson of my life”
6. Write a narrative essay, suitable for publication in a national daily entitled: “The dangers of
examination malpractice”.
7. Write a story entitled: “A good name is better than silver and gold”.
8. Write a story entitled: “My journey to Gonzaga Jesuit College, Okija”.

D. COMPREHENSION: Reading for Critical Evaluation

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

i. Define Comprehension
ii. State the approaches to comprehension
iii. Read selected passages carefully
iv. State correct answers to questions
v. Identify new words and state their contextual meaning.

Comprehension is the process of reading, understanding, and explaining what is written in a given
passage, a poem or a piece of dialogue.

The essence of comprehension is to test or evaluate students’ understanding of a particular story.

Therefore, in every comprehension exercise, there is always a story to be read.

Approaches to Comprehension

a. Read the passage carefully: in order to understand the content of a story, the reader must pay
close attention while reading. Therefore, a thorough reading of a passage enhances a better
understanding.
b. Identify the thematic preoccupation of the passage: the thematic preoccupation of a story is the
central message of a story. It is mandatory for a reader to identify what a passage is about.
c. Write your answers in simple and correct sentences: in writing answers to comprehension
questions, such answers should be simple, smart, and directly stated. However, there are answers
that are written in just a single word, such as synonyms, literary devices, etc.
d. Avoid ambiguous answers: ambiguous answers are answers that are ‘vague’ and open to multiple
interpretations; such answers should be avoided.

16
 e. Avoid mindless lifting: mindless lifting entails copying verbatim from the passage. You are
expected to paraphrase your answers, or write in your own expressions, within the context of the
passage.
f. Ensure your answers are free of the errors of grammar: in English studies, errors such as wrong
spelling of words, non-application or wrong application of punctuation marks, wrong or non-use
of capital letters where necessary. All words must be spelt correctly; punctuation marks must be
applied correctly; and capital letters must be used where necessary.
g. Replace words with their most appropriate synonyms: in stating the synonyms of selected words
from the passage, make sure you state the most appropriate synonyms; such synonyms must
match perfectly, in class and context.

Comprehension practice: “Transport warning signs on our roads” – New Concept English: 4-5; “Life
history of a Mosquito” – New Concept English: 18-19.

WEEK 3
A. SPEECH WORK: REVISION OF VOWEL SOUNDS
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
i. Define a vowel sound
ii. Define monophthongs
iii. Articulate monophthongs correctly
iv. Identify monophthongs in words
v. Define diphthongs
vi. Articulate diphthongs correctly
vii. Identify diphthongs in words correctly
viii. Transcribe words correctly

1. A vowel is a speech sound, produced without an obstruction in the vowel cords.

2. A Monophthong is a pure vowel sound, which has a single auditory occurrence.
3. There are twelve Monophthongs in English language.

The Monophthongs are listed below with examples of words where they occur.

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Examples of Monopthongs in English

Monophtongs Example Pronunciation

Pronounced in the front part of the vocal

tract, with the tongue half-closed to the roof
[ɪ] lip /lɪp/
of the mouth and the lips in
a spread position.

Articulated in the front part of the vocal tract,

[i:] sheep /ʃiːp/ with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth
and the lips in a spread position.

Produced in the back part of the vocal tract,

with the tongue close to the back of the roof
[ʊ] cook /kʊk/
of the mouth and the lips in
a rounded position.

Articulated in the back part of the vocal tract,

[u:] fool /fuːl/ with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth
and the lips in a rounded position.

Produced in the central part of the vocal

[e] ten /ten/ tract, with the tongue close to the roof of the
mouth and the lips in a rounded position.

Pronounced in the central part of the vocal

[ɜ:] girl /gɜːl/ tract, with the tongue partly opened and the
lips in an unrounded position.

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Examples of Monopthongs in English

Articulated in the central part of the vocal

[ə] among /əˈmʌŋ/
tract, with the lips partly opened.

Articulated in the back part of the vocal tract,

[ɔ:] cord /kɔːd/ with the tongue partly opened and the lips in
a rounded position.

Pronounced in the back part of the vocal

tract, with the tongue completely open and
[ɑ:] bard /bɑːd/
low in the mouth, and the lips in
a spread position.

Produced in the back part of the vocal tract,

[ɒ] fog /fɒg/ with the tongue open and low in the mouth,
and in a rounded position.

Pronounced in the back part of the vocal

[ʌ] nut /nʌt/ tract, with the tongue half-open and the lips
in an unrounded position.

Articulated in the front part of the vocal tract,

[æ] man /mæn/ with the tongue half-open and the lips in
a spread position.

A diphthong is a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound
begins as one vowel and moves towards another (as in coin, loud, and side). Often contrasted
with monophthong, triphthong.

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/aɪ/ This diphthong creates sounds similar to "eye" and most often occurs with letter combinations that
include /i/, /igh/, and /y. Examples: crime, like, lime

/eɪ/ This diphthong creates sounds similar to “great” and is most often used with letter combinations that
include /ey/, /ay/, /ai/ and /a/. Examples: break, rain, weight

/əʊ/ This diphthong creates sounds similar to “boat” and most often occurs with letter combinations that
include /ow/, /oa/ and /o/. Examples: slow, moan, though

/aʊ/ This diphthong creates sounds similar to “ow!” and most often occurs with letter combinations that
include /ou/ and /ow/. Examples: brown, hound, now

/eə/ This diphthong creates sounds similar to “air” and most often occurs with letter combinations that
include /ai/, /a/, and /ea/. Examples: lair, stair, bear

/ɪə/ This diphthong creates sounds similar to “ear” and most often occurs with letter combinations that
include /ee/, /ie/ and /ea/. Examples: beer, near, pier

/ɔɪ/ This creates sounds similar to “boy” and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /oy/
and /oi/. Examples: oil, toy, coil

/ʊə/This diphthong creates sounds similar to “sure” and most occurs with letter combinations that
include /oo/, /ou/, /u/, and /ue/. Examples: lure, pure, poor

Exercise: New Concept English page 4, 18, and 72.

B. GRAMMAR: HOMOGRAPHS
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Define Homographs
 State some homographs
 Identify their meanings in sentences
 Apply them correctly in sentences
1. What is a Homograph?

In English, homographs are words with the same spelling but having more than one meaning. A
homograph is a word that shares the same spelling with another word, but has a different meaning.
Broadly speaking, there are hundreds of potential homographs in English language. Some authorities
however define a homograph more narrowly as also having a different pronunciation and having a
different origin. This narrower definition of homograph eliminates most words that may be considered
homographs because, either the pronunciation is the same or the word origin is the same. Therefore,
Homophones are words that are pronounced the same, but with different meanings, spelling, and origin.
Homonyms are words that are spelt the same, but with different meanings.

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Examples of some homographs include:

C. COMPREHENSION PRACTICE: SKIMMING

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be to:
i. Define Skimming
ii. Define Comprehension
iii. Identify the importance of skimming
iv. Practice skimming satisfactorily.

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 1. Skimming in comprehension practice refers to cursory reading, skipping the details of a given
passage, poem or play.
2. Comprehension is the process of reading, understanding, and explaining what is written in a
given passage, poem or a play.
3. The primary importance of skimming is that, it helps the reader identify quickly what a piece of
story, poem or play is about; before getting the details. It helps the reader compose an overview
of what has been read.
4. Skimming practice: New Concept English: “Family planning” page 33-34; “Science and
technology” page 50-51; “Corruption, Nigeria’s major enemy” page 87-88.

D. Mythologies: African and Non-African

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Define a mythology
 Read and evaluate African mythologies
 Read and evaluate Non-African mythologies
 State moral lessons from these mythologies

6. Mythology (from the Greek mythos for story-of-the-people, and logos for word or speech; so the
spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a
culture known as myths or the collection of such stories which deal with various aspects of the
human condition: good and evil; the meaning of suffering; human origins; the origin of place-
names, animals, cultural values, and traditions; the meaning of life and death; the afterlife; and
celestial stories of the gods or a god.

Some Interesting African Myths.

1. The Serer Creation Myth
Like in every creation myth in Africa, the Serer of Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia have theirs. The

account is linked to the first trees created by Roog. According to the Serer myth, the creation of the earth

began from a swamp. Roog existed by itself before the world came into existence.

2. The Eye of Ra, the Sun God

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Ra is the sun god and king of the gods who live on earth. Every day he moves across the sky and is more

powerful at noon. He gets weak towards evening. His journey explains how life on earth is sustained.

Ra destroys other gods that defy him with the help of gods like Thoth and Horus the Elder.

His eye acts independently of him and he sends the eye. Once, the eye goddess has a misunderstanding

with Ra and runs away from him but he sends for her. Her absence reduced his power.

3. Nyami Nyamin, the River God

Nyami Nyami Depiction(Image source)

Nyami Nyamin is one of the fiercest gods. The river god resides in the river Zambezi and is an important

god among the Tonga people. His legendary powers make this god fearsome. Said to be dragonlike with

a snake body and a fish head, it has vast powers. While it does not allow itself to be seen, it is alleged

that the water turns red each time he passes.

In recent times, Nyami Nyamin resisted the construction of the Kariba dam along the Zambezi.

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When construction began, the god sent a flood that stalled the work. Lives were lost as well as valuables,

while the entire village was swept away in a flood that lasted days. It took five years before the dam was

completed.

Today, tremors are felt around the area. Locals claim it is Nyami Nyami trying to get to his wife who

was separated from him by the dam walls.

The people still hope for Nyaminyamin to help them reclaim their land with a mighty flood that will

sweep off the dam.

4. Myth of Osiris and the First Egyptian Mummy

Osiris is one of the powerful Egyptian gods who once ruled Egypt in a long line of succession alongside

his wife Isis. His reign was cut short when his brother, Set killed him. In love, Isis resurrected his body

and conceived their son Horus posthumously.

Osiris is the first Egyptian mummy. He was resurrected with the help of the other gods and goddesses.

Anubis, the god of embalming, and Thoth, god of magic and healing joined the effort.

While Set tries to destroy Osiris’s body, Isis and her friends do everything within their power to prevent

his body from decay.

After the restoration of Osiris’s body, she conceived Horujs the heir and rival of Set. Egyptians believed

that like Osiris, they could have an afterlife. This gives rise to the deification of Osiris as an afterlife

god.

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 5. Kalunga Line

Kalunga Line (Image)

This myth makes a sharp divide between the world of the dead and the living marked by bodies of water.

The kalunga line is located under the Atlantic Ocean and the dead reenter through this line to the world

of the living.

Kalunga referrers to the land of death as well as the god that protects the border between the two worlds.

6. The Mythical Am-Pidong Crater Lake

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Am-Pidong Crater Lake and an Olive Tree in the Background
Located in Ampang west of Mangu local government of Plateau state in Nigeria. This natural Crater

Lake was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption. It is confirmed that this lake has never dried up.

The mythical powers of the Am-Pidong Crater Lake have been handed from generation to generation.

There is an olive tree located close to the lake but no one can pluck its fruits without seeking permission.

To get access one must throw in the first seven fruits plucked before climbing down the tree. Other

mythical stories claim water from the lake even when fetched cannot be turned into another container.

Interestingly, the water from this Crater Lake does not flow out to any channel.

7. The Abiku Myth

This myth is a spirit that causes children to die before their time. A child will die before the age of twelve

and return multiple times.

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The mother’s grieve does not concern the spirit. They live in trees like the Iroko, baobab, and silk cotton.

Looking at these trees, they are huge. This myth is very common among Yoruba people.

8. Ogbanje Myth
Among the Igbo’s Ogbanje is another myth that is well-rooted in family history and the birth of children.

The Ogbanje is a spirit that takes children back. These children are reborn only to die again.

Stubborn children were also referred to as Ogbanje. Other sources have linked the Ogbanje myth to

diseases like SID and sickle cell which were not known before.

9. Mami Water
This marine deity is linked to bodies of water and is common among riverine peoples. The phenomenon

is common in different parts of Africa including the diaspora.

Mostly seen as feminine, she mostly has a human upper body and a serpent or fish hind. Though she

sometimes traps swimmers, those that survive become wealthy and attractive. Other Mami Wata’s trap

sailors and never allow them to return.

Some interesting Non-African Myths

Ancient Greek mythology is full of classic stories which have become part of Western literature and
culture; these stories have even given us some well-known words and phrases commonly used in
English, and in other languages. Below are 12 of the greatest and best-known tales from the world of
Greek mythology, from curious women to brave men, people who overreached themselves and people
whose greed got the better of them.

1. Pandora’s Box

Everyone knows about the myth of Pandora’s Box – except it wasn’t a box at all, but a jar, as we reveal
in our discussion of this classic story.

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Pandora was the first woman in Greek mythology, and Hesiod tells us that her curiosity led her to take
the lid off the jar (not box) containing all of the world’s ills, unleashing them upon the world in the
process.

2. Prometheus

Another important ‘origin-story’ from Greek myth, the tale of Prometheus – whose name literally means
‘forethought’ in some interpretations – is well-known because it explains how mankind came into
possession of fire, thus enabling man to form civilisation as we know it.

Prometheus, a Titan or god, stole fire from his fellow gods and gave it to humanity, and for this act he
was punished by Zeus: chained to a rock and then subjected to the agonising ordeal of having his liver
pecked out by an eagle. His liver would grow back every night, so Prometheus would have to endure
the same fate every day for eternity. Ouch.

3. Persephone and Hades

As well as explaining where man came from and how we came to create civilization, the Greeks also
used their myths to explain the origins of natural phenomena, such as the seasons. Why do we have
summer and winter?

For the ancient Greeks, it was thanks to Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Persephone was
abducted by Hades, god of the Underworld, and taken away with him; because she was connected to
vegetation, Persephone’s absence from the land led to the failure of crops, and everyone began to starve.

Hades was told by Zeus to return Persephone to Demeter above-ground, but (thanks to Hades’ trick
which involved, effectively, drugging Persephone with some pomegranate seeds), eventually a
compromise was reached, whereby Persephone would spend the winter months in Hades and the rest of
the year with Demeter. And this explains the origins of the seasons.

4. Theseus and the Minotaur

In the vast Labyrinth on the island of Crete, built by the cunning Daedalus for King Minos, there dwelt
the Minotaur: a man with the head and tail of a bull.

Minos demanded seven Athenian men and seven Athenian maidens be given to the Minotaur to be
devoured on a regular basis (some accounts say every seven years, while others state this was an annual
treat for the Minotaur). This mythic story, by the way, inspired Suzanne Collins’s idea of ‘tributes’
in The Hunger Games.

Anyway, Theseus was a brave Athenian man who, with the help of Ariadne (who gave him a ball of
thread so he could find his way back out of the Labyrinth), went into the Cretan maze and slew the
Minotaur. Unfortunately, after Ariadne had helped him to accomplish his task, his abandoned her … but
that’s another story.

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 5. Daedalus and Icarus

The story of Icarus is one of the most famous tales from Greek myth. Icarus was the son of Daedalus,
the craftsman who built the Labyrinth from the Minotaur story recounted above. Ever the inventor,
Daedalus fashioned some wings out of feathers and wax, for him and his son to use to fly their way off
the island of Crete.

However, Icarus got carried away and flew too close to the sun, which melted the wax in his wings. He
fell to his death, drowning in the Aegean. Now, Icarus’ name is a byword for one of the Greeks’ most
favourite themes: hubris, or overreaching oneself.

6. Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa

Perseus’ defeat of Medusa, one of the Gorgons, is well-known. Famously, to look upon snake-haired
Medusa (the snakes were her punishment for being vain and proud of her hair) was enough to turn the
viewer to stone, so Perseus cunningly used a mirrored shield to approach Medusa in her cave so that he
could cut her head off without looking directly at her.

7. Orpheus and Eurydice

One of the great tragic love stories from Greek mythology, the tale of the musician Orpheus and his
lover Eurydice features the Underworld. But as with the tale of Echo and Narcissus (see below), this is
a doomed love story made more famous through Roman writers (Ovid, Virgil) than Greek originals.

The lyrist Orpheus fell in love with the beautiful Eurydice, only for her to die shortly after; Orpheus
made the journey into Hades, the Underworld, to try to bring his beloved back.

His wish was granted – but on the condition that he mustn’t look back at Eurydice as she followed him
out of Hades, until they were both safely back in the land of the living. Orpheus couldn’t resist one quick
glance … and Eurydice was lost to him forever.

New Concept English: page 81-83

Exercise

1. Paraphrase one African myth and one non-African myth of your choice.

2. Identify the moral lessons in each of the stories you have paraphrased.

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WEEK 4
A. SPEECH WORK: THE CONSONANTS /b/, /d/, /p/, /t/
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
a. Define consonant sound
b. Articulate the given consonant sounds correctly
c. Identify them in context
d. Transcribe words correctly

A consonant sound is a speech sound produced with an obstruction in the vocal cords.

1. The sound /b/: It is a sound from the Consonant Pair’s group and it is called the Voiced bilabial stop.
This means that both lips of the mouth are used. The /b/ sound is made through the mouth and it is
voiced, hence, the vocal cords tend to vibrate when produced. This sound is made by building up air
pressure by stopping airflow and then releasing it. In this case, you use both your lips to create the stop
and then release it.
The sound /b/ can be observed in the following;
a. b bat, but, job, about, before, tube, describe.
b. bb rubber, bubble, pebble, crabby, hobby.

NOTE: The /b/ sound is silent in the following words; comb, tomb, lamb, thumb, debt, plumber, doubt,
etc.

2. The sound /d/: To produce this sound, the airflow is blocked and the tongue is raised against the area
behind the top teeth. The sound /d/ is also a voiced sound just like the /b/ sound.
The sound /b/ can be observed in the following;
a. d blamed, dam, develop, friend.
b. dd middle, sudden, riddle, daddy.
c. ed crowded, secluded, scolded, claimed.

3. The sound /p/: This sound is made through the mouth and it is voiceless, which means the vocal cord
does not vibrate when produced. The lips are pressed together. The air in the mouth pops out suddenly
with force.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. p play, company, program, potato, people, up.
b. pp happen, appear, happy, oppose, appease.
c. ph shepherd,

NOTE: The /p/ sound is silent in the following words; phrase, phone, paragraph, psalm, psychology,
triumph, etc.

4. The sound /t/: To produce this sound, the front of the tongue is pressed hard behind the roof of the
teeth. There is no activity taking place in the voice box. The air in the mouth is released suddenly with
force and the sound is faint. The /t/ sound is an unvoiced or a voiceless consonant sound.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. t tap, shirt, title, state, sat, tree, beetle.
b. tt bottle, latter, little, kettle, better, cutting.

30
c. ed jumped, backed, forced, worked, posted.
d. th thyme, Thames, Anthony, Esther, Thompson.
e. ght light, height, weight, fright

NOTE: The /t/ sound is silent in the following words; fasten, listen, castle, soften, Christmas, mortgage,
etc.
5. The /k/ sound: To produce this sound, the tongue is raised and pressed firmly against the back of the
mouth. The air just behind the point of contact is released suddenly with force. The consonant /k/ is
faint, like a whisper and it is an unvoiced or a voiceless consonant sound.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. k kettle, skirt, bike, kite, Kyle, sky, poke, king.
b. c create, scepter, spectrum, economical, scuff, rustic, act.
c. cc hiccup, account, according, tobacco, soccer, occupation.
d. ck back, buckle, suck, truck, knickers, pluck.
e. ch chemical, chemistry, psychology, school, Christian.
f. q/qu queen, quay, queue, physique, technique, turquoise, plaque.
g. x anxious, extra, exodus, excel.

NOTE: The /k/ sound is silent in the following words; know, knife, knee, knight, knob, etc.

6. The /g/ sound: To produce this sound, the back of the tongue is raised firmly against the back of the
mouth as in the case of the /k/ sound. The air from the lungs is released suddenly with a force and the
sound is heard loud and clear. The sound produced is a voiced consonant.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. g gun, mango, goal, eager, drug, agree, gag, grade.
b. gg biggest, suggest, plugged, stagger, reggae, draggy, debugging.
c. gh ghost, ghastly, aghast, ghetto, spaghetti, ghoulish.
d. gu disguise, league, plague, gluey, colleague, guilt, guess, guide.

NOTE: The /g/ sound is silent in the following words; gnat, sign, foreign, gnome align, laughter,
weight, cough, delight, etc.

7. The /f/ sound: To produce this sound, the upper teeth are pressed against the lower lip. There is no
activity going on in the voice box. The air from the lungs is forced through the little opening between
the teeth and the lower lip. The sound produced is faint. The /f/ sound is an unvoiced or a voiceless
consonant.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. f features, after, ferry, before, surf, left, fantasy, fake.
b. ff offer, coffee, office, affair, off, difficult, effective, different.
c. ph philosophy, phone, phrase, physics, phone, phoenix, orphan, trophy.
d. gh enough, laugh, tough, cough, rough, trough.

8. The /v/ sound: To produce this sound, the upper teeth and lower lip remain in the same position just
like in the case of sound /f/. but an activity takes place in the voice box. The air forced out through the
opening between the teeth and the lower lip. The sound produced is heard clearly, hence it is a voiced
consonant. It is like the sound of a moving areophane.

31
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. v love, vote, twelve, van, violin, violence, Venza, village, value, review, discover.
b. ph Stephen.

9. The sound /Ө/: To produce this sound, the tip of the tongue is made to touch the back of the upper
teeth and is almost sticking out between the lower and upper teeth. The air in the mouth is pressed out
through the little opening between the tip of the tongue and the upper teeth. There is no activity going
on in the voice box. This means that the sound is unvoiced or voiceless.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. th think, thirst, thank, moth, through, mouth, throw, bath, cloth, etc.

10. The sound /ð/: To produce this sound, the tongue is in the same position with that of sound /Ө/, but
air flows from the lungs. There is an activity going on in the voice box. The /ð/ sound is a voiced
consonant. It sounds like the humming of bees.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. th them, they, father, northern, there, weather, the, brother, bathe, clothe, etc.

11. The sound /s/: To produce this sound, the tip of the tongue is raised to the roof of the upper teeth,
but there is a little opening between them. The air from the lungs escapes through the little opening.
There is no activity going on in the voice box. Therefore, the /s/ sound has no voice. It is heard like the
hissing of a snake ssssss….
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. s/se sit, so, soup, simple, last, socks, size, just, slimy.
b. sc scent, ascend, descend, science, scene, muscle, crescent.
c. x(=ks) axis, experience, extent, explain express.
d. ss class, possess, excess, grass, impress, mass, unless.
e. c/ce grace, fence, pace, defiance, city, dice, rice.

12. The sound /z/: To produce this sound, the tongue remains close to the upper teeth just like the /s/
sound. An activity takes place in the voice box causing the sound to be heard. It is voiced sound. As the
air from the lungs escapes, you can clearly hear a buzz sound zzzzzz….
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. z zip, zebra, zoom, zeal, prize, seize, cozy, quartz.
b. s/se lose, raise, pays, phase, these, things, confuse, isn’t, design.
c. x exact, exist, exempt, examine, Xerox, xylophone, example.
d. zz fizzle, fizzle, puzzle, buzz, jazz, nuzzle, puzzle, razz.
e. ss scissors, dessert, possess, dissolve, brassiere, hussar.

12. The sound /ʃ/: To produce this sound, the tip of the tongue is raised towards the root/ridge of the
front teeth. The sides of the tongue touch the upper teeth. There is a little opening between the tongue
and the teeth. The air from the mouth passes through this opening. No activity takes place in the voice
box, hence, the sound /ʃ/ is an unvoiced consonant. When there is a lot of noise in a place of meeting,
we sometimes use /ʃ/ to make the people keep quiet: shshshsh…
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. sh shape, shrewd, shadow, shoal, bushes, push, toothbrush.

32
b. ch chef, machine, Chevy, Chevron, chic, chandelier, Chicago, childish.
c. si/ssi mission, tension, mansion, passion, tissue, commission.
d. sci luscious, conscience, conscious, lascivious, omniscient.
e. ce ocean, crustacean.
f. ti mention, addition, patient, education, nation, substantial, essential.
g. sch schedule, schwa, Schweppes, Schneider, schnapps.
h. x anxious, complexion.
i. su sugar, sure, surrealistic.
j. ci social, commercial, specialist.

14. The sound /ʒ/: To produce this sound, the tongue remains in the position just like sound /ʃ/, but this
time around the air from the lungs is used. There is an activity going on the voice box. The /ʒ/ sound is
a voiced consonant.
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. su casual, measure, usually, closure, leisure, pleasure, treasure.
b. g genre, arbitrage, beige, camouflage, collage, corsage, entourage.
c. zu azure, seizure.
d. ge/gi beige, regime, prestige, privilege, garage,
e. si aversion, pervasion, occasion, television, invasion, cohesion, diversion, Asia.

15. The sound /ʧ/: To produce this sound, the front of the tongue is raised to touch the roof of the mouth.
The air that comes out from the mouth is pressed out with force. There is no activity going on in the
voice box, hence, the sound is voiceless.
The /ʧ/ can be observed in the following words;
a. ti question, suggestion, suggestion, exhaustion.
b. tch watch, patch, catch, wretched, unhitch.
c. ch chop, chart, church, charge, approach, much, lunch, research.
d. tu future, nurture, nature, spiritual, structure, feature, culture.

NOTE: Others are; concerto, righteous, cello, Czech, cappuccino.

16. The sound /ʤ/: To produce this sound, the tongue is in the same position as in the case of /ʧ/, but
there is an activity taking place in the voice box. The air from the lungs is pressed out. The second
produced is heard clearly; it is a voiced consonant.
The /ʤ/ sound can be observed in the following words;
a. g gin, giant, gist, gentle, genius, marge, legend, gin, large, lunge.
b. j jean, jeez, Jew, juice, judgement, jump, junks, jaw, reject, Japan.
c. dj adjective, adjacent, adjunct.
d. dg lodge, fridge, ridge, bridge, purge, ledger, gadget, budge.
e. d graduate, grandeur, soldier, cordial
f. gg exaggerate, suggest, digest, veggie, baggy, nugget, dogging.

17. The sound /h/: To articulate this sound, the air is expelled from the lungs with great pressure, which
produces great friction throughout the vocal tract. The front of the tongue is usually slightly raised
towards the hard palate as the air is made to escape through the opening created between the front of the

33
tongue and the hard palate. The sound is realized in two ways-at the initial (beginning) and medial
(middle) positions.
The sound can be observed in the following words:
a. h had, hello, heel, helicopter, humour, history, uphill, abhor, homogenous.
b. wh who, whole, whom, whose.

NOTE: The /h/ sound is silent in the following words; hour, honour, honest, heir, heiress, honourable,
etc. while the /h/ is not pronounced in the following; exhume, exhaust, vehicle, exhibit, white, whether,
whale, etc.

18. The sound /w/: To produce this sound, the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. There
is a vibration of the vocal cords and as such, is referred to as a voiced sound. The sound is realized in
two ways-at the initial (beginning) and medial (middle) positions.

The sound can be observed in the following words;

Initial position middle position
whether quiet
whale acquire
wheel request
white quite
why twice
when awaken
whisper question
whatever quick
whip quit
warrant equal

NOTE: The /w/ sound can also be found in Chihuahua, once, choir, suite, one, etc. and silent in the
following words; playwright, wrath, sword, wrinkle, wrestle, awry, wrapper, answer, two, wrong, etc.

19. The sound /ι/: This sound is realized when a partial closure occurs as the tip of the tongue makes
contact with the center of the upper teeth ridge and air is allowed to escaped through one or both sides
of the tongue. It usually referred to as a ‘lateral sound’. When /ι/ occurs before a vowel or the sound /j/,
it is called the clear /ι/ while it is called a dark /ι/ when it occurs after a vowel or consonant. The sound
is realized in two ways-at the initial (beginning), medial (middle) and final (end) positions.

Examples
Initial Middle Final
learn milk email
loose island detail
launch family quarrel
lucky silver pearl
lantern problem call
letter pile control
label miles double
lambast collar people

34
NOTE: The /ι/ sound is not pronounced in the following words; balm, calm, calf, yolk, psalm, half,
would, colonel, should, folk, salmon, etc.

20. The sound /r/: To pronounce this sound, the tip of the tongue is raised towards the teeth ridge, but
it does not quite touch it as there is a little space is left. The air from the lungs passes over the tongue.
The /r/ sound can occur at the beginning of a word (real, rose, rich, etc.), and in the middle (arrest, area,
etc.).
The sound can be observed in the following words;
a. r right, rapper, ring, ruddy, ring, rocket, pirate, camera.
b. rr mirror, correct, torrent, tomorrow, borrow, worry, surrender.
c. wr write, dowry, wretch, wrestle, cowry, wreck, unwrap.
d. rh rhetorical, rhyme, rhythm, rhesus, rhombus, rheumatic.

NOTE: The /r/ sound is silent in the following words; fork, where, father, iron, better, sir, air, calf, etc.

21. The sound /j/: To articulate this sound, the tongue is raised high towards the roof of the mouth, but
a bit higher than that of sound /i:/. The lips are generally neutral or spread, but may be rounded if the
sound occurs before a rounded vowel sound. The sound is regularly spelt in ‘y’, ‘u’, ‘ui’, ‘ew’, ‘eau’
words. The sound is realized in two ways-at the initial (beginning) and medial (middle) positions.
Examples
Initial position medial position
yolk new
yellow crew
yesterday cruise
you feud
yield human
yoghurt onion
yard computer
usual argue
uniform view

22. The sound /m/: To produce this sound, the lower and upper lips are firm closed. There is no
activity going on in the voice box, hence, the air from the lungs passes through the nose. This is the
reason /m is called a nasal consonant sound. In written English, the /m/ is always spelt with letter m,
but in a few words, it is spelt m where the b element is silent.
The /m/ is spelt in the following ways;
a. m melody, machine, membrane, mail, merit, male, animal, claim, intimate.
b. mm commerce, summer, common, hammer, dummy, committee.
c. mb limb, climb, bomb, timber, tomb, bomber, crumb, lamb, comb.
d. mn hymn, condemn, damn, autumn, column, solemn,
e. me some, quarrelsome, dame, come, tame, time, monochrome.

23. The sound /n/: To produce this sound, the mouth is open, but the front of the tongue is placed firmly
on both teeth ridge to block the air from the lungs. There is no activity taking place in the voice box, as
the air from the lungs passes out through the nose. The /n/ sound is also a nasal sound. In written

35
English, /n/ is mostly spelt with letter n, but in few words, it is spelt with kn where the k element is said
to be silent.
The /n/ is spelt in the following ways;
a. n name, natural, neutral, nitrogen, nascent, any, coin, lawn, clown, banana, rainy.
b. nn beginning, innate, banner, dinner, bunny, annoy, sinner, announce, stunning.
c. kn knowledge, know, kneel, knickers, knee, knife, knock, knob, knight.
d. pn pneumatic, pneumonia.
e. gn gnat, gnome, gnaw, gnash, gnarl, cologne, align, champagne.
f. wn own, dawn, drown, down, brown.

24. The sound /ɳ/: To produce this sound, the lower and upper lips are firmly closed as the air from the
lungs passes out through the nose. This is why the /ɳ/ sound is called a nasal sound also. In written
English, /ɳ/ is always spelt with letter ng, nk, ne, nx and nq as highlighted below;
a. ng sing, singlet, finger, rang, tongue, sung, bang, wing, throng, single.
b. nk sank, wink, monkey, donkey, rank, skunk, thank, bank, sunk, ankle.
c. nx anxious, jinx, anxious, larynx.
d. nq tranquil, conquer, tranquilizer.

B. GRAMMAR: VERBS: Lexical and Auxiliary,

Regular and Irregular Verbs
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:
 Define a verb
 Define lexical and auxiliary verbs; regular and irregular verbs
 Distinguish between the verbs
 Identify them in sentences

Verbs are the words that express actions, which nouns and pronouns perform in sentences. Verbs also
express conditions or states of being of nouns and pronouns. Verbs are compulsory elements in
sentences.

Types of Verbs
a. Main or Lexical verbs
b. Auxiliary or Helping verbs

Main verbs, also called lexical verbs are verbs that can stand-alone, express actions and state of being
in sentences.
Main verbs are underlined in the following sentences;
1. The boy kicked the ball.
2. The dress looks beautiful.
3. We go to church every Sunday.
4. I am driving to the beach.
5. My brother danced yesterday.

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The following are some examples of main verbs:
write Drink
sit Buy
walk bring
read Put
identify Cut
state shake
compose send
sleep Run
eat swim
purchase consume
plant yield
freeze argue
manage complete
wait disturb
eliminate organize
invite enjoy
play underline

Auxiliary verbs on the other hand; also called ‘helping verbs’ are verbs that adds functional or
grammatical meaning to the clause it occurs, so as to express tense, aspect, modality, voice and
emphasis.
Auxiliary verbs are further grouped into; primary auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliary verbs.
Primary Auxiliary Verbs: The primary auxiliary verbs are ‘to be’, ‘to do’ and ‘to have’. When they
function in a sentence, they give additional information about the tense and aspect of the verb phrase.
Note: The forms of the verbs are;
‘to be’ (are, am, is, was and were)
‘to do’ (do, did, done)
‘to have’ (have, has, had)

Examples
a. I am baking a cake for my little brother, Bryan.
b. James has gone to the gym.
c. My little brother is allergic to cigarette smoke.
d. The kids are playing in the courtyard.
e. I have been assigned the dinning prefect.

Regular Verbs (also called weak verbs): These verbs have a defined method of forming their past
forms. Their past forms are formed by adding “ed”. “t”or “d” to their present forms. E.g.

37
 Present tense Past tense
work worked
burn burnt
dance danced
eat ate
jump jumped
dry dried
explain explained
apply applied
peel peeled
seek sought

Irregular Verbs (also called strong verbs): These verbs have no special or defined process of forming
the past forms. They form their past forms by altering some vowels in the present forms of the words.
E.g.

Present tense Past tense

drink drank
fly flew
sing sang
undergo underwent
teach taught
hear heard
swim swam
choose chose
do did

There is a group of irregular verbs that does not undergo any change when their past forms are formed.
They simply remain the same whether in the present form or past form. Examples:

Present tense Past tense

cut cut
split split
hit hit
spread spread
put put
cast cast
burst burst
let let

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: Verbs may be used with an object or without an object. Verbs that
always require a direct object are known as transitive verbs (that is, the action moves from the subject
to the object).
In contrast, verbs that occur without a direct object are known as intransitive verbs.

38
Examples of Transitive Verbs
i. Sophia is eating some bananas.
ii. The cleaner swept the class thoroughly.
iii. The young chef chopped some onions.
iv. Richard picked some money yesterday.
v. I drove my car this morning.

Examples of Intransitive Verbs

i. It rained heavily.
ii. The baby sleeps regularly.
iii. The bell rings at noon.
iv. Tina is dancing.
v. Anthony is walking.

(Reading Specimen Transitive and Intransitive verbs- New Concept English for Junior Secondary
School Book 3, Page 156-159)

C. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH MARRIAGE AND

LOVE.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
h. Identify new words associated with the marriage
i. State their meanings
j. Use them correctly in sentences and structured passage.

VOCABULARY: Marriage and Love.

Marriage is the state of being united to a person as spouse in a legal, consensual, and contractual
relationship recognized and sanctioned by and dissolvable only by law. While love is to feel a strong
liking for or take great pleasure in someone.
Some words associated with Marriage and love include:

WORDS MEANING
Marriage It means to become a husband and wife.
Wedding It is a ceremony which starts the marriage.
Bride The woman who is getting married.
Groom The man who is getting married.
Best man The special friend of the groom.
Bridesmaids They are the special friends of the bride. Usually, bridesmaids have to wear
the same dresses and matching shoes.
Maid of She is the head of the bridesmaids who is responsible for keeping things
honour organized, helps the bride get dressed and stay calm on the day of her wedding.
A maid of honour usually plans brides HEN PARTY.
Hen party A party for the bride-to-be and her female friends.

39
 Stag night A party for the groom-to-be and his friends.
Reception Reception is a party after the wedding for all the guest.
Honeymoon A holiday for the bride and groom after the wedding. Quite often the
newlyweds chose an exotic destination for their honeymoon.
Newlywed A recently married person.
Wedding This is the day on which people celebrate the day they got married.
anniversary
Proposal A man makes a proposal to his girlfriend and gives her an engagement ring.
Breakup To end a relationship if the marriage is unsuccessful.

Divorce If they couple legally ends their marriage, the get divorced.
Union The act of making or becoming a single unit.
Annulment The act of abrogating; an official or legal cancellation of marriage.
Exogamy A marriage to a person belonging to a tribe or group other than your own as
required by custom or law.
Consummation The completion of marriage by sexual intercourse.
Courtship The act of seeking the affections of a woman, usually with the hope of
marriage.
Couple A pair of who are married to each other.
Bigamy The offense of marrying someone while you have a living spouse from whom
no valid divorce has occurred or the state of having two spouses at the same
time.
Levirate A custom in ancient Hebrew where a man is obliged to marry his brother’s
widow.
Monogamy The practice or state of having only one spouse at a time.
Misogamy Hatred for marriage.
Betroth The act of giving out someone hand in marriage
Dearest A beloved person; used as terms of endearment.
Amity The act of friendship and cordiality.
Affection A positive feeling of liking.
Adoration The act of admiring strongly.
Admirer Someone who esteems or respects or approves.
Ardor A feeling of great warmth and intensity.

D. COMPOSITION: REVISION OF LETTER WRITING

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
i. Define letter writing
ii. State the types of letters
iii. Identify the various types of letters

Letter writing is an act of communicating a piece of information, feelings, ideas or opinions to someone,
who is absent or resides in a distance. A well-written letter contains full details of the issue one writes,
in order to achieve a particular purpose.

40
Types of Letters
There are three (3) major types of letters, with different features, methods and styles. They include:
1. Informal letter
2. Formal letter
3. Semi-formal letter

Informal letter

An informal letter is a private letter, written to friends/acquaintances, relations and loved ones. An
informal letter is usually intimate and has a tone of familiarity, which shows a close relationship between
the writer and the recipient.

Features of an Informal letter

An Informal letter has the following features:
 Address of the Writer and Date: This is written at the top right-hand corner of the page. It must
be well punctuated. Every word in the address must begin with a capital letter. Do not use only
capital letters in writing your address. The date, which is written at the end of the address, must
be written correctly.

Gonzaga Jesuit College,

1 Obijackson Boulevard,
Okija,
Anambra State.
15th September, 2024.

 Greeting/Salutation: This is usually "Dear" plus the first name of the receiver. E.g., Dear
Stephen, Dear Emeka, Dear Dad, Dear Catherine, Dear uncle Kola, etc. Informal letters must
reflect the cordial relationship between the writer and the person to whom he/she is writing.

 The Body/Content of the letter: An Informal letter should contain full details of what one is
writing. The language of an Informal letter is chatty and informal. It is conversational and simple
in style. The writer writes as if he/she is in a physical conversation with the recipient. In writing
an Informal letter, ensure your answer (composition) truly answers the question. You must write
up to the required length. Do not write an appreciably short essay. Scantly written essays score
weak marks.

e. Complimentary close: "Yours sincerely" is the most appropriate complimentary close for an
Informal letter. 'Yours' starts with a capital letter, while 'sincerely' is only written in small
letters.

41
 f. First name of the Writer: You are expected to write your first name only, below the
complimentary close. Example:
Yours sincerely,
Greg.

(Reading Specimen Informal letters: New Concept English Book 3, Page 67-69, 108-110.
Practice)
Assignment: Write a letter to a relative abroad, describing to him or her some happy events that have
taken place in the family.

Formal letter

A formal letter is an official letter, written to someone who is in an official position for a particular
purpose.

The categories of formal letters include:

i. Letters of application and their replies
ii. Letters on business/promotion letter
iii. Letters of complaint
iv. Formal invitations
v. Letters of Recommendation
vi. Letters to the principal of a school
vii. Letters of inquiry
viii. Letters to government ministries and agencies, etc.

Features of a Formal Letter

iii. Address of the writer and date: This is written at the top right-hand side.
iv. Designation and full address of the receiver: This is written at the left-hand side, just below
the date on the Writer's address.
v. Salutation/greeting: ‘Dear Sir or Dear Madam’; This comes immediately after the receiver's
address.
vi. The title of the letter: This is written just below the salutation and should be straight to the point.
vii. The body/content of the letter: This depends on the topic you are given; but a formal letter
should be impersonal and discuss nothing but facts about what you are writing. The tone of
familiarity or intimacy is totally out of place. Go straight to the purpose of writing and avoid
irrelevant details.
viii. Complimentary close: The acceptable complimentary close for a formal letter is 'Yours
faithfully'. The 'Yours' begins with a capital 'Y', while the 'faithfully' is written in small letters.
ix. The Signature of the Writer: The Writer's signature is compulsory for a formal letter. This is
signed at the right-hand part of the letter, after the body of the letter.
x. The Writer's full name: The Writer's full name is written immediately after the Writer's
signature.

Assignment: Imagine you are suffering from a severe fever, write a letter to the principal of your
school, requesting to go home for treatment.

42
WEEK 5
A. GRAMMAR: ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
 Define active and passive voices
 Change verbs from one voice form to another
 State examples of active and passive voice
 Use them correctly in sentences.

Active Verb/Voice: A verb is said to be in the active voice when the noun or pronoun, which is the
subject, performs the action.

NOTE: The performer of the action is called the subject while the receiver of the action is called the
object.

Examples
1. Our Dad has bought a new car.
2. The hunter killed a lion yesterday.
3. The teacher is teaching the students.
4. The boys are playing football.
5. Kelvin sold a pet last year.
6. The cattle are eating the grass.

Passive Voice: A verb is used in the passive voice when the receiver of the action (object) occupies the
position of the subject. Here the attention shifts from the subject to the object.

NOTE: While changing from active to passive voice, the tense of the active verb changes;
Examples
1. A new car has been bought by our dad.
2. A lion was killed by the hunter yesterday.
3. The students are being taught by the teacher.
4. Football is being played by the boys.
5. A pet was sold by Kelvin last year.
6. The grass are being eaten by the cattle.

Using the active voice conveys a strong, clear tone while the passive voice is subtler and weaker.
To make the passive, the simple present and past forms are changed to the past participle forms:

Simple Simple Past

Present Past participle
Call Called called
Buy Bought Bought
Sing Sang Sung
Drive Drove driven
Forgive forgave forgiven
Sink Sank Sunk

43
Active and passive voice Exercises: (Reading Specimen Active and passive voice: New Concept
English Page 170-173.
Practice)

B. LITERATURE: READING AND DISCUSSION OF A RECOMMENDED POEM

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
 Read and understand the poem
 Identify the thematic preoccupation of the poem
 Identify other poetic devices in the poem
 Answer questions on the poem correctly

“The Determined Miner” -by Ajepe Olusegun

I toiled in the mine day and night
Digging with all my might
With a vivid vision of a day
Gold would come my way.
Laden with clusters of crusts
My digger into it I thrust
With a vivid vision of a day
Gold would come my way.

Sweat like river flowed

The mine with grit I burrowed
With a vivid vision of a day
Gold would come my way
In tears, hunger and thirst
The mine I dug with trust.

With a vivid vision of a day

Gold would come my way
Greatly glorious to behold
The layer of clusters of gold
Thirst quench, hand labour to rest lay

Showers of rain takes the day.

(Would be analyzed in class)
C. COMPOSITION: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
a. Define an argumentative essay

44
 b. State the features of an argumentative essay
c. Write a coherent and detailed argumentative essay

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
An argumentative essay is a piece of composition/debate, for or against a 'controversial motion', aimed
at convincing the audience.
The word debate originates from the Latin word: 'battere'; which means to fight. It is not a physical
fight, but an academic 'tug of war' where two sides challenge each other, as lawyers do in a court of
Law. The side in favour of the motion is called: The Proposition (proposing side) while the party against
is called: The opposition (the opposing side).

Features of an Argumentative Essay

i. The topic: This should be written clearly in capital letters or in small letters, but with each initial letter
capitalized, then neatly underlined.

ii. Introduction: State your name, your school, your class and your position in the debate (whether you
are proposing or opposing).

iii. Definition of Concept or Concepts: In every topic, there is always a concept or some concepts to
be defined. A clear definition of concept or concepts adds aesthetic to your essay. Consider the following
topics:
1. Western Culture should be encouraged in Africa
2. Social Media has done more harm than good to High School Students
3. Education is not as important as Riches

NOTE: The concepts to be defined in the above topics are: Culture, Social Media, Education and Riches
respectively.

iv. The body/Content (Argument for or against the Motion): State and explain cogent, possible and
satisfactory points. In the body of the essay, you are expected to support your views with arguments,
illustrations and good quotations relevant to the topic.

v. Conclusion: Write an interesting concluding remark. In the concluding paragraph, you are expected
to re-affirm your position or point of view and state categorically that your stand is better than that of
your opponent. A Concluding remark could be expressed like this:
"With these points of mine, which I have justified beyond reasonable doubts, I hope you are
convinced that ..." Thank you for listening.

(Specimen Argumentative essay: New Concept English Book 3: Page 95-96)

Essential English: Page 189-190

D. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH LIBRARY AND THE

PRESS

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
i. Identify new words associated with the marriage

45
 ii. State their meanings
iii. Use them correctly in sentences and structured passages

VOCABULARY: Library/Press
A library is a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and
recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or the members of an institution. While the Press
(Media) means news industry of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public
through print media (newspapers, newsmagazines), broadcast news (radio and television) and the
Internet (online newspapers).
Some words associated with Library and the Press include:

WORDS MEANING
Library A building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and
sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or
the members of an institution.
Librarian A person who works professionally in a library providing access to
information.
Sections A library has many sections, Acquisition, technical processing,
circulation, reference, periodicals etc.
Reference The reference section of the library contains information-dense resources,
such as encyclopedia, dictionaries, thesauri, atlases, and reference
handbooks. The reference shelves are separate from the other shelves.
Borrow To take and use something with the intention of returning it.
Periodicals A periodical is anything that comes out periodically. Magazines,
newspapers, and journals are all periodicals. They may come out daily,
weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually, but new issues are released on a
fixed schedule.
Register The register helps to maintain accountability for library materials by
keeping a record of who borrowed what items. It allows the libraries to
track the circulation of materials and ensure their timely return.
Identification The library card or more properly the borrower’s identification card is the
card ticket to a library’s resources, as a registered borrower and provides
information.
Achieve A space which houses historical or public records.
Catalog The tool that lists and allows you to search the entire collection of the
library.
Index Section at the end of the book that list the topics covered in alphabetical
order.
Atlas Collection of maps in the library.
Barcode number The number identification of the book that is scanned for circulation.
Biography The life stories of famous people.
Circulation desk The place where library materials are checked out to be borrowed.

Keyword A searchable word in an online or text that allows you to locate materials.

46
WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH PRESS: New Concept English : Page 102-103

Media All the means of mass communication: newspapers, radio, and television.
Article A piece in the newspaper or magazine based on facts.
Broadcast To transmit a programme on television or radio.
Caption A short description or title accompanying an illustration in a printed text.
Column An item in a newspaper that is always written by the same person or is
always on the same subject.
Columnist A journalist who writes a regular column for a newspaper.
Correspondent Somebody employed by a news organization to provide reports from a
particular place or on a specific subject.
Editor The head of a news establishment who selects the news or articles that
will be printed each day or one who determines which radio or television
programme is to broadcast and in what order.
Editorial Articles written by the editor giving his or her opinion on an issue or event.
Feature An article that is given special prominence in a newspaper.
Front page The first page of the newspaper, usually carrying the most important story
of the day.
Journalist A person who writes articles or news reports for a news organization.
Leader An article expressing the opinion of the editor.
Libel A false or malicious published statement that damages somebody’s
reputation.
Reporter A person who gathers and reports news for a news organization.
Print and A report of a resent event newspapers, radio and television.
electronic media
Slander An act or offence of saying something false that damages somebody’s
reputation.
Editorial board A group of experts, usually at a publication, who dictates the tone and
direct the publications editorial policy will take.
Copyright An exclusive right given to the creator of the creative work to produce the
work, usually for a limited time.

47
WEEK 6

A. Informal letter (Revision)

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be to:

i. Define informal letter

ii. State the features of informal letter

iii. Read and evaluate specimen informal letters

iv. Write very good informal letters

6. An informal letter is a private letter, written to friends, family and loved ones.

7. The features of an informal letter include:

a. The address of the writer and date

b. Salutation

c. The content

d. Complimentary close

e. First name of the writer

8. Reading and analysis of specimen informal letters: New Concept English: page 109-110,
174-175.

Exercises

1. Write a letter to your friend in another school, inviting him/her to your school’s next
Clubs’ Innovation/Exhibition Day.

2. Write a letter to your aunt resident in another country, sharing with her some recent
political developments in Nigeria.

3. Write a letter to your father or mother, requesting for at least three things you want them
to bring for you during the next visiting day; stating the reasons you need the items you
have requested.

48
 4. A friend of yours in another school is planning to indulge in examination malpractice
during the forth-coming Basic School Certificate Examination (BECE). Write to him/her,
discouraging them from this plan, stating the disadvantages of examination malpractice.

B. Grammar: Parts of speech(New Concept English: page 8-10)

There are eight parts of speech in English language. A mastery of these parts of speech is the
foundation to having a mastery of other topics in English language.

The eight parts of speech include:

3. Nouns

4. Pronouns

5. Verbs

6. Adverbs

7. Adjectives

8. Conjunctions

9. Prepositions

10. Interjections

Details in New Concept English: page 8-10.

Exercise

Construct ten simple sentences of your choice, and place all the words used in each of the sentences
according to their class (part of speech)

C. Comprehension: Reading for Summary

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

i. Define Summary

ii. State the qualities of a good summary

iii. Identify the factors responsible for loss of marks in a summary examination

iv. Practise summary effectively

49
 1. Summary is a brief and concise account of a previously long and complex expression.

2. Qualities of a good summary

f. Brevity

g. Conciseness

h. It is not ambiguous

i. It is devoid of the errors of grammar

j. It contains an introductory sentence/preamble

k. It is written in sentences; or compound sentences in some few cases, depending on what the
question demands

3. Factors responsible for loss of marks in a summary examination

e. Mindless lifting

f. Ambiguous answers

g. Grammatical errors

h. Absence or incorrect application of punctuation marks

i. Phrasal answers

j. Absence of a preamble

k. Unnecessary details(extraneous material)

4. Summary practice: New Concept English: page 20-21, 5-6, 33-35, 50-51, and 61-62.

D. Literature: Reading and analysis of recommended poems

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

 Read and understand the selected poems

 Identify the thematic preoccupation of the poems

 Identify other poetic devices

50
 Answer questions on the studied poems correctly

7. “Mechanical Drum” by Jacob Ajaye

The foreign rascals

Develop a means of blocking our ears

Making us believe under

The disguise of supplying

“Let there be light”

When their means of artificial light

Is gone and the return is not certain

The dreadful mechanical talking drum

Nicknamed I pass my neighbor

Rent the air

Both day and night

Day-at abode of livelihood

Night-at face me, face your abode

The improvised talking drum

That voices in million languages

Walking battalions of sleep by night

The baboon that talks in million

Like the parrot

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 The mechanical parrot

The mechanical parrot

Is an indispensable evil

Creating enmity among neighbours

Generating friendly enmity

Where one is capacitated than

The other to purchase it

“I fine pass my neighbour”

Drumming for war among colleagues

Instead of drumming for peace

It’s better you calendorum

Do not create a flame

Where it is absent

(The poem would be analyzed in class)

8. “Wind” by Rahilaj Diji

Thou most powerful one

Invisible yet powerful

More powerful than all visible

Men can your direction tell

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 The tree recognizes your might

Men, animals welcome your coldness

Hating your powers

Tides clap and dance at your command

When you roar

Every being responds

The fearful and sweet one

I adore thee

Thou revealer of all

Seasons

Bringer of all things and nothing

(The poem would be analyzed in class)

WEEK 7
A. COMPREHENSION: READING FOR SUMMARY
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
 Define Summary
 State the elements of a good summary
 Identify the factors responsible for loss of marks in a summary examination
 Practice summary satisfactorily

Summary is a brief and concise account of a previously long and complex piece of writing. The ability
of students to comprehend and report accurately the main points in a passage is tested through summary
practice.
Summary writing is composing a summary of a piece of written material into a one or two paragraph
piece that conveys the main topics and points of the original written material. The original written

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material can be a single chapter from a novel, an article in a magazine, or a short story. The objective is
to carefully read through the content and identify what ideas are being presented.

Elements of a good/ well-written piece of summary

There are 7 main things students must consider in order to write a good summary; these are:
 Brevity: This demands that students must be brief and concise in their answers.
 Relevance: This calls for a candidate’s answer to be relevant to the points mentioned in the
passage. The answers must be derived within the context of the passage.
 Proper coverage of the passage: This demands that students must read the passage carefully and
understand every aspect of the passage.
 Clarity: This means answers should be written in clear and simple sentences.
 Answers are written in sentences: well-written answers for a summary examination are
expressed in simple and concise sentences.
 Use your own expressions: Your ability to use your own expressions in writing your answers is
a good attribute of a good summary. Mindless lifting of answers from the passage would not
score any mark in a summary examination.
 Use of grammatically correct expressions: Your answers should be free of all errors of
grammar, such as wrong spellings, incorrect expressions, wrong or non-application of
punctuation marks, etc.

Factors Responsible for Loss of Marks in a Summary Examination

 Mindless lifting: Mindless lifting means copying verbatim from the passage. This is a serious
offence in a summary examination. Mindless lifting only attracts zero.
 Absence of conciseness and relevance: Inclusion of unnecessary details or extraneous material
leads to deduction of marks.
 Phrasal answers: Answers for summary examinations are written in sentences. When a
candidate writes answers in phrases without a preamble, it leads to loss of good marks.
 Writing two scoring points in one sentence: Where a student writes two scoring points in one
sentence, he/she will score marks for the first one, while the other point will be ignored. Answers
for summary examinations are written in separate and independent sentences.
 Writing more than required number of sentences: You are expected to comply with the
instruction, by writing only the required number of sentences. Where a candidate writes more
than the required number of sentences, the first required number is marked, and the rest treated
as extraneous material or irrelevant details.
 Grammatical/ expression errors: There is a deduction of marks for errors of grammar at each
scoring point.

Summary practice: New Concept English: pages 34, 50, and 62.
Essential English: pages 134
Reading and discussion of text continues.

B. LITERATURE: READING AND DISCUSSION OF RECOMMENDED TEXT (Prose) –

Revision on Somayina by Chigbo Ugwuoke
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to do the following:
 Read and understand the story
 Identify the background of the story

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  Give a satisfactory account of the story
 Identify the thematic preoccupation of the story
 Identify other narrative devices such as: characters/characterization, setting, language, figures of
speech, suspense, flashback, etc.

(Would be discussed in the class)

C. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH THEATRE AND THE

ENVIRONMENT

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:
i. Identify new words associated with the marriage
ii. State their meanings
iii. Use them correctly in sentences and structured passages

VOCABULARY: Theatre and Environment

The word theatre is derived from the Greek word theaomai meaning ‘to see’. Hence the word refers
to an art concerned almost exclusively with live dramatic performance on stage. The theatre can also
be a building, room, or other setting where plays and other dramatic presentations are performed.
Sometimes a theatre can also be a place where films are shown. The purpose of the theatre is to
imitate or represent life in performance for other people to see and enjoy or from which to learn.
While environment is the surroundings or conditions I which a person, animal, or plants lives or
operates. It is a good idea to be conscious of certain things that affects our environment positively or
negatively. It is also important to take care of our environment
The following are some words that are associated with theatre and Environment:

WORDS MEANING
Acid rain An acid deposition also called acid rain, is rain or gases that have been
polluted by high amount of chemicals and acids in the atmosphere.
Drought A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall leading to a shortage of
water.
Conservation Prevention of wasteful use of a resources.
Volcanic eruption A volcanic eruption is when gas and or lava are released from a volcano,
sometimes explosively. Volcanos provides a number of environment
benefits. E.g.: fertile soils, hydrothermal energy, and precious minerals.
Energy The strength and vitality required for sustained physical and mental
activity.
Endangered Species seriously at risk of extinction.
Nuclear waste Radioactive or nuclear waste is a by-product from nuclear reactors, fuel
processing plants, hospitals and research facilities.
Landslide A collapse of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff.
Flood An overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits,
especially over what is normally dry land.
Greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gasses in almost
earth’s atmosphere trap the suns heat.

55
Pollution The presence in or introductions of harmful materials into the
environment.
Ozone layer The ozone layer is a thin part of Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs almost
all of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet light.
Climate The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or a long period.
Typhoon A tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans.
Solar The sun’s rays as a source of energy from which power for domestic or
industrial use may be generated.
Exhaust fumes Exhaust fumes are the gas or steam that is produced when the engine of
a vehicle is running.
Global warming A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere
generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels
of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants.
Carbon monoxide A colourless, odourless toxic flammable gas formed by incomplete
combustion of carbon.
Nuclear reactor A large machine that uses nuclear fuel to produce power.
Tsunami A long, high sea wave caused by an earthquake or other disturbance.
Outbreak A sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease.
Dump A site for depositing rubbish.
Smog A mixture of smoke, gases, chemicals, especially in cities, that makes
the atmosphere difficult to breathe and harmful for health.

Smoke To give off, send forth, or discharge; as of light, heat, or radiation.

Vapor. An indication of some hidden activity.

WORDS RELATED TO THEATRE

Actor A male person who performs a role in a play or film.
Actress A female person who performs a role in a play or film.
Antagonist A person who opposes another character’s goals or desires.
Audience People assembled to watch a play or listen to a speech.
Centre stage The centre of an area used as a stage in drama.
Character The personality or role that an actor or actress recreates.
Climax The point of greatest dramatic tension in a play or film.
Comedy A play that is intentionally amusing or humorous.
Costume They are clothes worn by an actor on stage during a performance.
Denouement The final resolution of the conflict in a play.
Dialogue A conversation between actors and actresses on the stage.
Director The person who supervises the entire process of staging a play or a film.

Downstage The part of the stage area towards the audience.

Dress rehearsals The final rehearsals before the opening night in which a play is
performed.
Make-up Cosmetics and hairstyles that an actor or actress wears on stage to depict
facial features, historical periods or characterizations.

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 Mime A style of performance without words in which actors act out situations
or portray characters using only actions, gestures and facial expressions.
Monologue A long speech by a single character on stage, often speaking his or her
personal thoughts.
Playwright A person who writes plays.
Protagonist The main character in a play.
Rehearsal A practice session in which actors and actresses prepare for public
performance through repetition.
Script The written text of a play.
Stage The area where actors and actresses perform.
Tragedy A serious play with a tragic theme, involving a heroic struggle and the
downfall of the main character.
Casting Selecting the actor who will play each role in the show.
Producer A person who finds financial investors, hires the director and production
staff, sets the budget for a play production.
Curtain call The appearance of performers at the end of a theatrical performance to
acknowledge applause.
Lines The words of a particular role.

Offstage That part of the stage, as the wings, not visible to the audience.
Prompter A person offstage who reminds the actors and actresses of forgotten lines
or cues.
Juvenile An actor who performs youthful roles.
Exit The act of going offstage.
Curtain raiser A short dramatic piece presented before the main play.

D. COMPOSITION: TYPES OF FORMAL LETTER

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to;
 Define formal letter
 State the categories of formal letters
 Identify the various types of formal letters
 Write very good formal letters

Formal letter
A formal letter is an official letter, written to someone who is in an official position for a particular
purpose.

The categories of formal letters include:

 Letters of application and their replies
 Letters on business transactions
 Letters of complaint
 Formal invitations
 Letters of Recommendation
 Letters to the principal of a school
 Letters of inquiry
 Letters to government ministries and agencies, etc.

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(Reading Specimen formal letters: New Concept English Book 3, Page 67-69, 146-148.)
WEEK 8
A. Grammar: Phrases and clauses

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:

 Define a phrase

 State the types of phrases and their functions

 Identify phrases and their functions in sentences

 Define a clause

 State the types of clauses and their functions

 Identify clauses and their functions in sentences

1. A phrase is a group of related words without a finite verb, which forms part of a sentence. It does
not express a complete thought or meaning.

2. Types of phrases include:

 Noun phrase

 Verb phrase

 Adjectival phrase

 Adverbial phrase

 Prepositional phrase

3. They all perform the same grammatical functions as a part of speech.

Details in New Concept English: page 36-39, and 52-55

5. A Clause is a group of related words with a finite verb, forming part of a sentence.

6. A Noun Clause (nominal clause) is a Clause with a noun or pronoun as its major element. A
noun clause is a dependent clause which relies on other parts of the sentence.

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7. Functions of Noun Clause:

a. Subject of the verb

Examples:
 How she passed the examination beats the imagination of the teachers.
Function: Subject of the verb beats.
 His refusal to conduct credible elections triggered the protest.
o Function: Subject of the verb triggered.
 The motion to remove oil subsidy was rejected by the majority.
Function: Subject of the verb rejected.
 Whoever fails to plan is planning to fail.
Function: Subject of the verb planning.

b. Object of the verb.

Examples:
i. He knew that the plan would fail.
Function: Object of the verb knew.
ii. The terrorists did not consider how many people would die.
Function: Object of the verb consider.
iii. The tyrant did not say why he never wanted to leave the seat of power.
Function: Object of the verb say.
iv. We were not told when the examination would start.
Function: Object of the verb told.

c. Object of preposition
Examples:
i. Dominic did not listen to what his parents said.
Function: Object of the preposition to.
ii. The soldiers got wind of what the rebels were planning to do.
Function: Object of the preposition of.
iii. Janet plans to stay with whoever would allow her to squat for the year.
Function: Object of the preposition with.
iv. The desperate man wants to learn about whatever can fetch her money.
Function: Object of the preposition about.
v. They are always grateful for whatever is given to them.
Function: Object of the preposition for.

d. Subject complement
Examples:

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  The good news is that he passed the examination.
Function: Complement of the subject the good news.
 A priest is the governor-elect for Benue state.
Function: Complement of the subject A priest.
 Sr. Pat is the matron of Gonzaga Jesuit College.
Function: Complement of the subject Sr. Pat.
 Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa.
Function: Complement of the subject Nigeria.

e. Object complement
Examples:
 The authority gave the students what is termed award for excellence.
Function: Complement of the object students.
 We explained to our friends how we survived the accident.
Function: Complement of the object friends.
 The criminals murdered their victim that refused to pay the money they requested.
Function: Complement of the object victim.
 The president appointed more ministers to complement his efforts in building the nation.
Function: Complement of the object ministers.

f. In Apposition to a noun
A noun clause is in appositive to a noun when the noun clause and the noun refer to the same thing.
Examples:

i. The news, that she was missing, spread across the village.
-The noun clause ‘that she was missing’ is in appositive to the noun news.

ii. The rumour, that there will be an extra day, is false.

- The noun clause that there will be an extra day is in appositive to the noun ‘rumour’.
iii. Rev. Fr. Amaechi Ugwu, the president of Gonzaga Jesuit College, Okija.
-The noun clause the president of Gonzaga Jesuit College Okija is in appositive to the
noun Fr. Amaechi Ugwu.

iv. Donald Trump, the immediate past president of the United States of America has been
accused of violating some electoral laws.
-The noun clause ‘the immediate past president of the United States of America’ is in
appositive to the noun ‘Donald Trump’.

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a. An adjectival clause, also known as a relative clause is a clause that usually modifies a noun or
pronoun.
b. The function of a relative clause is the same as that of an adjective. It qualifies the noun or
pronoun that precedes it in a sentence. Most relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns
like who, which, whose, whom, and that, etc.
c. Examples:
i. The mandate was given to someone who has the interest of the people at heart.
Function: It qualifies the pronoun someone.
ii. The man whose wallet was stolen is not happy.
Function: It qualifies the noun phrase the man.
iii. The vegetables that people leave uneaten are often the most nutritious.
Function: It qualifies the noun phrase the vegetables.
iv. The book which I like is not in the library.
Function: It qualifies the noun phrase the book.
v. The government has equipped the hospital where renowned doctors work.
Function: It qualifies the noun hospital.

4. An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb. It can modify a verb, an
adjective, or another adverb.
5. Like an adverbial phrase, an adverbial clause performs the function of modifying a verb, an
adjective, or another adverb in the main clause.
6. Types of adverbial clauses include:
a. Adverbial clause of time: this shows the time of an action. It can be introduced by
subordinators such as before, as soon as, whenever, while, since, until, etc.
b. Adverbial clause of place shows where an action takes place.
c. Adverbial clause of condition: this indicates on what condition something will happen. It
is introduced by if, unless, until, only if, etc.
d. Adverbial clause of manner: this explains how an action is or was performed.
e. Adverbial clause of reason: this states the reason for an action.
f. Adverbial clause of degree: this explains the extent to which an action is performed.
g. Adverbial clause of concession: this is introduced by though, although, yet, even if,
nevertheless, etc.
h. Adverbial clause of Frequency: this states how often an action is carried out.
7. Examples/Functions of Adverbial clauses in sentences:

 As soon as the student saw the principal, he took to his heels. The underlined expression is
adverbial clause of time.
Function: It modifies the verb took.
 He spoke eloquently in order to win more support. –The underlined expression is adverbial
clause of reason.
Function: It modifies the adverb eloquently.

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  My students are brilliant so much that they win prizes at all times.
Function: It modifies the adjective brilliant.
 Although he was told the implications of examination malpractice, he brought prepared answers
into the hall. –Adverbial clause of concession.
Function: It modifies the verb brought.
 Benson failed his examination because he did not study hard. Adverbial clause of reason.
Function: It modifies the verb failed.
 Unless you buy me a bottle of coke, I will not accompany you to the market. Adverbial clause
of condition.
Function: It modifies the verb phrase will not accompany you.
 The man remembers his childhood wherever he sees his father’s picture. Adverbial clause of
place.
Function: It modifies the verb remembers.
 Mrs. Dora travels to the United Kingdom every year. Adverbial clause of frequency.
Function: It modifies the verb travels.
The choir sang very well at the concert. Adverbial clause of degree.
Function: It modifies the verb sang.
 The prince walked majestically to his castle. Adverbial clause of manner. Function: It modifies
the verb walked.

1. A prepositional clause is a dependent clause, with a preposition as its dominant element.

2. A prepositional clause performs the same grammatical function as a preposition. It shows the
location of a noun or a pronoun.
3. Examples of prepositional clauses include:
 The girls are playing under the mango tree.
 The boys are dancing in the forest of a thousand Monkeys.
 The tourists are playing golf behind the ultra-modern event Centre.
 Gonzaga Jesuit College is located along Obijackson Boulevard express way.
Exercise: New Concept English: page 106.

B. Literature: Reading and analysis of recommended texts.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:

 Read and understand the selected texts

 Identify the thematic preoccupation of the texts

62
  Identify other narrative devices

 Answer questions on the studied texts correctly

SOMAYINA
Background
Challenges faced by Orphans and vulnerable children in Africa cannot be overlooked. Most Orphans in
Africa succumb to problems such as, hunger/starvation, Diseases, insecurity and lack of formal
education among others. Chigbo Ugwuoke captures this social realism in a thrilling story entitled:
SOMAYINA.
PLOT ACCOUNT
Obinna,Somayina's father dies when a beam falls on him,in the course of helping to build a house;
leaving behind his wife , 'Uzoma' and their little son 'Somanyina'. Uzoma is greatly traumatized by the
sudden death of her husband. With grief and fright she catches a violent fever and dies,a few months
after her husband is buried.
With the tragic exit of the toddler's biological parents,his aunt ,Ginika takes him in and caters for him
like her own son; since his grandparents, Clement ( paternal grandfather) and Egonna( paternal
grandmother),as well as Monica( step grandmother) do not have the will to nurse him.
When Somayina is roughly seven years old,Ginika returns him to Egonna, because she desires to relocate
to Port Harcourt where she has been employed. Egonna is not happy seeing her grandson Somayina
return,and orders Ginika to take him away. Somayina on the other hand is excited to be reunited with
his grandmother whom everyone in the village fears, including his grandfather, Clement who now has
a separate home with his second wife,Monica. Somayina's demonstration of love and care for his
grandmother awakens Egonna's love for her grandson, Somayina.
Somayina feels at home and is happy with the natural and serene environment. He finds happiness with
his grandmother, Lamido: an eleven year old Fulani boy from 'Umm Bororo tribe', informally adopted
by Monica and Clement. The Son of a herdsman, who died of a poisonous snake bite. Lamido looks
after Egonna's goats. Somayina also has an affection for two of the goats: 'Sempe' (the one with white
patches) and 'Supepe' (the brown one), as well as the 'Cheke leke Birds' he watches and together with
Lamido sings for every day, with great admiration. Somayina also loves flowers,most especially 'the
birds of paradise', 'Calla Lily' and 'Campanula'. While his stay with his grandmother lasts, Somayina
brokers peace between his grandparents (reconciles them). He offers to help mend the leaking roof of
his grandfather's house. With the help of Egonna, Somayina hires a carpenter to mend the leaking
roof,while they supervise.
Ginika returns after two years and takes Somayina to Port Harcourt,where he lives with Gozie
Osiesego,a prince crippled at birth. Gozie enjoys Somayina's company and treats him like his sibling.
Despite Uncle Spike's (the housekeeper) ill-treatment of Somayina,both Chief Osisiego(Gozie's father:
a wealthy man)and his mother: Lady Osisiego show love to Somayina,who proves a worthy companion
to Gozie their son. Uncle Spike continues to taunt Somayina who refuses to fit into City Life. Somayina

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is depressed and sickly as a result of his being homesick. He starts sleepwalking and everyone in Chief
Osisiego's household thinks a ghost has been harassing them. They are all afraid (most especially Uncle
Spike). Chief Osisiego visits home and in the company of his friend and family doctor, Dr. Ini-Obong
keeps vigil in order to see the ghost. They eventually discover that, it is Somayina who has been
sleepwalking in trance. It is also discovered that Somayina has not been eating. The only solution to
Somayina's problem is his return to his home in Udokomma. Samayina eventually returns home to his
grandparents amidst much happiness.
Setting
Somayina is a post-colonial story, with both Rural and Urban settings. Major events in the story take
place in Udokamma, South-East Nigeria and Eagle Island in Port Harcourt, South-South Nigeria.
Narrative Viewpoint
The author tells the story from the third person viewpoint. All the events in the story, including the
thoughts of the characters and their actions are captured using the Omniscient narrative technique.
Themes
Theme is the central message of a story or a poem. The thematic preoccupation of Somayina includes:
6. The importance of Western education

The importance of Western education cannot be overlooked. Ginika desires that Somayina acquires
Western education. Despite her inability to sponsor Somayina in school,due to her financial
challenge,she gets help for him through chief Osisiego's philanthropy by acquiring education under chief
Osisiego's sponsorship. Knowing the importance of Western education,chief Osisiego does not only
provide education for his son Gozie,but for the two orphans , Somayina and Lamido.
Mr. Simon Eze,the councillor of Udokamma ward also offers to give Somayina scholarship. At the end
of the story,Lamido who previously regards reading as a complex exercise, is not only able to read,but
he writes an interesting letter to his foster parents. This justifies the importance of Western education.
7. The Beauty of Nature

The story captures the beauty of nature, as it dwells on the appreciation of natural elements such as, a
serene environment, the hills ,the beautiful vegetation as well as the wild creatures such as the 'Cheke
leke birds'. Somayina loves the natural environment of his hometown Udokamma.
8. There is no place like home

The assertion: "There is no place like home" is affirmed in the story. Somayina refuses to fit into City
Life, when he enjoys the privilege to live in Chief Osisiego's beautiful mansion on Eagle Island in Port
Harcourt. Despite the luxury and the comfort he enjoys, he does not feel at home. He is depressed
because, he is homesick. The moment he returns home to his grandmother, he gets well immediately
and becomes the smart and cheerful boy he has always been.

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 9. High level of Poverty in Africa

Poverty is felt in most households in Africa. The theme of Poverty manifests in the following instances:
Firstly, Somayina only eats a few pieces of sliced Okpa for breakfast (page 2). Having walked a long
distance,he complains he is "very hungry"(page 2),yet Ginika could not get some food for him to eat,
obviously because there is no food. This is an indicator of poverty. Secondly, Ginika could not take
Somayina to a school for admission, due to lack of money. Thirdly, Mr. Simon Eze is conscience driven
to help pay Somayina's school fees because, he knows his family cannot afford to do so due to poverty.
10. The Love for One's parents

Children are saddled with the responsibility of appreciating their parents, through a demonstration of
genuine love for them. Somayina demonstrates love for his grandparents: Egonna and Clement. When
Egonna is not pleased to have him return at first, Somayina appreciates her. This demonstration of love
eventually reignites Egonna's love for her grandson. Somayina also mends the leaking roof of his
grandfather's house. Somayina also reconciles his grandparents. Lamido also demonstrates love for his
foster parents: Clement and Egonna.
11. Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the act of rendering help or providing for those in need, without expecting anything in
return. The philanthropists in the story are: Chief Osisiego and Mr. Simon Eze. Chief Osisiego takes
Somayina in, as well as Lamido as his own children and provides all their needs, including a high quality
Western education. Mr. Simon Eze on the other hand is genuinely concerned about Somayina's future,
by meeting with Egonna and requesting to help sponsor his education.
12. The Plight of Orphans in Africa

Orphans in Africa have succumbed to many challenges such as: homelessness, hunger/starvation,
diseases, insecurity, etc. They are usually vulnerable. The Orphans in the story: Somayina and Lamido
suffer some of these challenges before they enjoy Chief Osisiego's philanthropy.
13. High level of Unemployment

Unemployment is one of the major challenges in Africa, which appears not to be properly addressed by
African leaders. Due to unemployment, Uncle Spike, a holder of a Master's degree works as a
housekeeper. Uncle Spike laments as he says:
"No one appreciates my qualifications here. If not for the accident in my nation's job history, would I be
here licking boots?"(Page 81).
14. The need for Reconciliation

One of the moral lessons contained in the story is "Reconciliation". Egonna and Clement consider
themselves enemies and broke up. For a long time, they see and treat each other as worst of enemies.
Egonna presumes Clement is under a curse and when he suddenly becomes blind, Egonna confirms her
suspicion. However, their grandson, Somayina reconciles them, and they are back together as a couple.

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 15. Belief in Self

Belief in Self/Self-assurance is an important factor, which determines one's success in whatever one
does. Somayina believes in himself despite the challenges he encounters. His perseverance leads him to
his dream.
16. God's blessings cannot be stopped

The text captures this theme where Uncle Spike takes his frustration on Somayina, a harmless and
innocent boy. Uncle Spike detests everything about Somayina, including his name. He insists Somayina
must answer "Jerome", describing it as ' a more classical name'(page 50-51). Uncle Spike further gives
a negative and false account of Somayina's behaviour to Chief Osisiego.
"Oh,Chief,we have been terribly disappointed".
"How do you mean?" asked Chief Osisiego.
"I am afraid Chief,the child I brought is the wrong one. He is a great mistake"(Page 75).
Uncle Spike rudely does everything humanly possible to give Chief a wrong impression of Somayina,
in order to prevent Chief from accepting Somayina. However, Uncle Spike fails, as both Chief Osisiego
and Lady Osisiego find out that Somayina is a very good boy,who proves a worthy companion to their
son,Gozie. Uncle Spike could not prevent the almighty God from blessing Somayina through Chief
Osisiego.
Characters/Characterization
1. Somayina

He is the central (main/chief) character of the story. All the events in the story revolve round Somayina.
He is the little orphan, whose parents die while he is still a toddler. He demonstrates love and care
towards his grandparents. He enjoys love from his aunt, Ginika who takes care of him as her own son.
Somayina also enjoys Chief Osisiego's philanthropy due to his intelligence, smartness and obedience,
as well as dedication to duty as Gozie's companion.
2. Egonna

She is Somayina's paternal grandmother and Clement's first wife, who gives birth to Obinna (Somayina's
father). Egonna is sixty five (65) years old. Everyone is afraid of Egonna whom they regard as weird,
but Somayina likes her unkempt hair, bushy grey eyebrows and overgrown nails. She loves her grandson
Somayina and guards him jealously.
3. Ginika

Ginika is Somayina's aunt, who takes Somayina in and nurses him when his parents died. She is a twenty
six year old lady who is passionate about Somayina's welfare. She works with a guest house in
Udokamma, but has been offered a better job by some oil contractors from Port Harcourt, who lodge in
the guest house where she works, in appreciation for how well she took care of them. Ginika is a

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kindhearted lady, who believes in her dreams, as well as those of others and works towards
accomplishing those dreams.
4. Chief Osisiego

He is a wealthy businessman; a relative of Ginika's employer who has a beautiful mansion on Eagle
Island, a little neighbourhood that lies between the Diobu River and the Mgbodohia River. He is a
philanthropist. He treats Somayina and Lamido as his biological children. He sponsors them in school,
without expecting anything in return. Despite his misfortunes of losing his wife to the cold hands of
death and having a physically challenged son, he does not transfer his rage on others, but shows love,
care and kindness to everyone around him, including his domestic employees.
5. Uncle Spike

Uncle Spike is the housekeeper of Chief Osisiego's house. He has been looking after Gozie Osisiego
since his mother's death. He calls himself the household manager, because he has a Master's degree in
management and carries himself as such. Uncle Spike hates Somayina and makes his stay at Chief
Osisiego's house extremely miserable. He is proud and always uses high-sounding words.
6. Lamido

He is an eleven-year old Fulani boy, informally adopted by Clement and Monica. The Son of a herdsman
who died of a poisonous Snakebite. Clement and Monica adopt Lamido for two reasons: Firstly, on
Charity: he is homeless. Secondly, they have no children. Lamido is the Shepherd boy who takes care
of Egonna's goats and Sheep.
7. Gozie Osisiego

He is chief Osisiego's only son. Born a prince and crippled at birth. He is a well behaved boy, who
cherishes and appreciates Somayina's company and treats him as his own sibling. Gozie is not
traumatized despite the loss of his mother, his physical disability, nor his father's absence. He is a
cheerful boy, who is optimistic about a better future.
8. Mr. Simon Eze

Simon Eze is a politician. He is the councillor of Udokamma council ward. He is addressed as "Angel
Simon" by Egonna, because he is genuinely concerned about Somayina's future. He is also a
philanthropist, who volunteers to help pay Somayina's school fees. He represents the few Nigerian
politicians,who have the interest of the electorate at heart.
9. Lady Osisiego

She is Chief Osisiego's mother and Gozie's paternal grandmother. Lady Osisiego is a kind woman who
treats Somayina as her own son. She encourages Somayina to keep studying hard and persuades him to
learn how to read. Lady Osisiego also gives Somayina an interesting story book, which has the story of
Afam, a biblical Allusion, the parable of the prodigal son.

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 10. Dr. Ini-Obong

Dr. Ini-Obong is Chief Osisiego's friend and family physician. He stays awake with Chief Osisiego to
see the ghost that has been visiting Chief Osisiego's home. He is an honest man who gives a positive
account of Somayina.
11. Clement

Clement is Somayina's paternal grandfather and Egonna's and Monica's husband. Egonna believes he is
under a Curse. He becomes blind shortly after Obinna is buried.
12. Monica

Monica is Clement's second wife and Somayina's step grandmother.

13. Uzoma

Uzoma is Somayina's biological mother. She is traumatized when her husband dies. She catches a
serious fever and dies shortly after her husband, Obinna is buried.
14. Obinna

Obinna is Somayina's biological father. He dies after a beam falls on him, while helping to build a house.
15. Mr. Aloysius

He is Gozie's lesson teacher.

16. Saraki

Saraki is the head manservant of Chief Osisiego's house. He is Lamido's cousin. He has similar features
with Lamido, such as:Sparkling brown eyes, Sparkling white teeth, A pointed nose, A pointed Chin,
Dark tattoos on the forehead that looks like "X-M-X", a mark of Fulanis from 'Umm Bororo tribe'.
17. Ekaite

She is the Chief Cook of Chief Osisiego's house.

18. Shehu

He is Lamido's grandfather.
19. The Clergyman

A priest who hosts Egonna and Somayina at the Rectory and treats them to a wonderful reception.
20. The Hawker

The boy who lends Somayina some money in the streets.

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 21. The Carpenter

He is hired by Somayina and Egonna to mend the leaking roof of Clement's house.
Other Narrative Devices used in the story
a. Language

The language (Diction) is simple and can be easily understood. Apart from Uncle Spike, who uses high-
sounding words to proclaim his academic status and to boost his ego, every other character in the story
uses simple, everyday words, which are not difficult to comprehend.
b. Allusion

There is a biblical allusion in the story. The story of 'Afam', read by Somayina from the story book lady
Osisiego gave him, is same as the parable of 'the prodigal son' (page 117). This allusion is 'a story within
a story', which also contributes to the development of the plot.
c. Plot

Plot is the sequence of events in a story. The plot of the story is 'linear'. The author presents the events
in the story in a chronological order.
d. Dialogue

The plot of the story is developed through series of Dialogue. The characters interact with one another
and express their feelings through Dialogue; this makes the story more realistic.
e. Songs

The song for the 'Cheke leke birds' (In Igbo) adds a poetic flavour to the storyline (page 22- 23).

STIGMA (PROSE), BY SAMSON SHOBAYO

Plot Account

Mrs Ajayi sits on the Couch in her living room peeling some oranges,then labour starts. She calls Tinuke,
her younger sister, who drives her to the hospital. Mrs Okechukwu a trader is attending to a customer at
her stall in the market,when her labour too starts, almost at the same time as Mrs Ajayi. Her fellow
female traders immediately get a taxi,which takes her to the hospital. The two women meet at the
maternity ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and are taken to the Labour room
immediately. Three hours later,the women are delivered of a baby girl each, about the same time. Mrs
Ajayi gives birth to her third and first female Child: Tiwa, while Mrs Okechukwu gives birth to her
second female Child: Nkiru.

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The girls,now twenty-one years old are undergraduates of the same University, having attended the same
primary and secondary schools. Tiwa is full of life and adventurous,while Nkiru is modest and reserved.
While Tiwa would always crave for an outing with her boyfriend: Chuks,who has a car on campus,
Nkiru would prefer to read her books. The girls (Tiwa and Nkiru) stay in the same hostel on the
University campus,and are seen as twin sisters by other students. while one Lanre,a handsome,smart and
serious minded student admires Nkiru and desires to approach her,so they could become friends,Tiwa
arranges a relationship between Ola(Chuks' friend) and Nkiru. Tiwa hates Lanre and does all she can to
keep him away from Nkiru.
"Nkiru walked past Lanre and as she walked towards Tiwa,Lanre said aloud: 'the name is Lanre'.
'Like we care',Tiwa said furiously from where she stood.
'Huh!', Nkiru exclaimed.
'Huh!' What? The guy irritates me', Tiwa said (page 8)
Chuks and Tiwa are compatible. They love to party; unlike Nkiru who is not willing to party,but has to
'tag along' to please Tiwa. Tiwa becomes trendier and keeps up with Vogue,as Chuks always supports
with extra cash to indulge in her whims. Meanwhile,Lanre eventually meets with Nkiru at the Cafeteria
where they went at separate times. They are both excited to meet each other and Lanre tells her he has
something very important to tell her the next time they meet. They exchange pleasantries and Nkiru
leaves for her lectures.
"As Nkiru walked back to the lecture hall,she wondered what Lanre's intentions might be towards her.
He seemed like a nice guy,but she had already accepted to date Ola. 'Well,there is nothing wrong in
having him as a platonic friend",she thought ( page 13).
Tiwa suggests they visit a salon and have their noses pierced. While Tiwa is excited piercing her nose,
Nkiru on the other hand is not.
"Tiwa, what is the craze with this nose piercing thing? I am not really keen on piercing my nose". "Yes,
you are,girl. It's the Vogue," Tiwa replied (page 15) Tiwa convinces Nkiru and both go to a hair dressing
saloon where they pierce their noses. The lady who pierces the nose forgets to sterilize the niddle and
pierces Tiwa’s nose and infects her with HIV.
Sometime later, Nkiru and Tiwa go for voluntary HIV counselling and test, where Tiwa’s result which
turns out positive is exchanged with that of Nkiru, who is negative, by the medical personnel. Nkiru is
traumatized, but confides in her friend Tiwa by revealing her status to her, only to be betrayed by Tiwa,
who tells her boyfriend - Chuks and the news spread on campus like wild fire.
Nkiru heads home to break the sad news, but is only encouraged by her father - Mr. Okechukwu and her
younger brother - Kelechi; while her mother and elder sister condemn her for living a wayward life and
eventually contracting HIV. On campus, everyone avoids Nkiru, except her one and true friend- Lanre,
who proves a worthy companion. Lanre's mother - Mrs Onabanjo also accepts Nkiru as a daughter
despite her status. Nkiru is deeply encouraged by these angels in her life.

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A twist of fate beckons as Nkiru's follow up test at a private laboratory shows her rising CD4 count, and
eventual confirmation of her HIV negative status. Meanwhile, Tiwa suddenly becomes sick and is
confirmed to be the one who is HIV positive. Nkiru's relationship with Lanre becomes stronger each
day that passes. She later becomes an HIV counsellor; but never gets to reconcile with her mother.
(More on the analysis in class)

THE CLOCK – BY NGOZI CHIMA-UZOSIKE

Plot Account
The people of Akamu are gathred in wait of Mama Nwankwo – the great storyteller, who never shows
up. They become worried, and the community sends a search party to find her. Mama sneaks to her
son’s house in Owelle. She expresses regrets of past actions; so she is psychologically traumatized. She
is bothered by her aborted dream of becoming a medical doctor and her discontinuation of her school
due to the death of her husband. Dr. Nkechi Obinna attends to Mama at St. Monica’s hospital, Owelle.
They are both old girls of Akamu Community Secondary School (ACSSS).
Mama sends a message through Prophet Isaac to her bosom friend Mgbafor and the people of Akamu.
She anxiously awaits their visit, not knowing the message did not get to them immediately. When
Mgbafor and the three representatives from Akamu visit her, she receives them with a cold shoulder.
When Mama’s health blossoms, she sends a word to Akamu to inform Eze Nwagu and the villagers of
her homecoming.
Mama returns to Akamu and is treated to a befitting reception. Mama Nwankwo presents an extensive
speech, which focuses on the unfair treatment of women in Akamu community. Later, Mama and
Mgbafor travel to reunite with three other old friends on Dr. Nkechi’s invitation. They seize the
opportunity to visit ACSS and address the students.
Mama Nwankwo gains the title of woman leader (Ochikoba Umanwanyi of Akamu land), with Mgbafor
as her secretary. Mama and Mgbafor transform Akamu rapidly. Through their influence, the government
creates Akamu Local Government, with Akamu as its headquarters. Many developmental projects are
commissioned. Mama speaks on the topic: “The Clock”. She distributes some luxury watches to the
women and advises them to observe the ticking moment hand; with emphasis on the importance of time
in achieving one’s set goals. She finally remarks in a personal meditation that: “Time and the flight of
it recreates and changes all things”.
Setting
In terms of time, the story is set in the pre-colonial times and runs into the colonial times. In terms of
location, major events in the story take place in Akamu community and a few events take place in
Owelle – the state capital city of Ummu state. Akamu has high regards for virtues. Everyone born and
bred in Akamu is made early in life to cultivate the cardinal virtues of purity, honesty, courage, and
diligence. Their girls are known for their good conduct and marital submission. There is no girl in
Akamu, irrespective of facial or physical comeliness who remains a spinster at the age of twenty-five.
They are always on anxious demand by suitors from far and near. They are like hot cakes that please

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the appetite. In their marital homes, their husbands address them as ogoli Mali obi dia - the good wife
who understands what pleases her husband.
(There would be more on the analysis in class)

C. Vocabulary Development: Words Associated with Emotions and Fishing

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:
 State words associated with emotions
 Identify words associated with Fishing
 State the meanings of these words
 Use them correctly in sentences and structured passages

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Exercise: New Concept English: page 129-130

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WORD MEANING

ROD A fishing rod is a necessary item for fishing, as

it is with it that the fish is finally caught.

Ichthyology The systematic study of fishes is known as

ichthyology.

Angler An angler is a fisher who fishes employing the

angling approach. Angling is a technique of
fishing that uses a fish hook as an “angle.”

Kayak fishing Fishing from a kayak is characterized as kayak

fishing. In recent decades, this has grown
increasingly widespread

Bobber A bobber is a miniature float made of cork that

is used for fishing.

Fishing line It’s a durable plastic piece of string that’s

designed to capture fish using a fishing rod. In
most cases, the fishing line is as robust as and
comparable to thread.

Attractor An attractor is a bait or ground bait ingredient

applied with the bait or blended with it. Sweet
or spicy flavor attractors are conceivable.
Brasem is a good supplement for drawing
bream up to the surface.

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Reel A fishing reel is a revolving reel used to coil
and stow a fishing line coupled to a fishing rod.
It is firmly attached to the rod’s arm and is used
to throw and return the fishing line when
utilized with a rod.

Inshore fishing Inshore fishing specifically refers to fishing

from a boat near the shoreline.

Jigging Jigging is a standard method of fishing that

incorporates the utilization of a specialized
type of lure identified as a jig. The most
commonly used element for this lure is rubber,
but it could also be customized with other
substances like feathers.

Lure In general terms, a fishing lure is intended to

entice fish and attract them to you through the
use of a synthetic object that imitates insects,
tiny fish, or animals. It’s analogous to trapping
and dragging in the catch while lure fishing.

Consequently, it’s imperative that these lures

are developed to be as appealing and
convincing as conceivable to make them work.

Bait A bait is anything that might be hung on the

hook to tempt and catch fish.

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Net A fishing net is a net that can be used to catch
fish. Mesh is generally manufactured by
threading a relatively narrow thread in fishing
nets. Keep-nets are typically referred to by this
term.

Back-cast Back-cast is when you cast your hook in the

reverse direction of where you want the fly to
move. It is the backward equivalent of the
forward casting, which operates to curve the
fly rod and establishes the particular situations
for the forward cast and presentation of the fly.

Breaking Strength The breaking strength of a line is the threshold

at which it snaps. This is commonly expressed
as the “pound test” of the line and is quantified
in pounds.

Tackle box A fishing tackle box is a storage solution for

the fishing tackle of an angler. Sinkers, metal
hooks, leader lines, swivels, synthetic lures,
bait to lure, additives, and other instruments
like pliers, a scale, and a knife are instances of
this. In a nutshell, it’s a vessel that holds your
tackle and carries it to the fishing destination.

Ice Fishing When winter freezes the lakes beneath the ice,
ice fishing is carried out. It is essentially the
process of practicing fishing through an ice
hole.

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Fluorocarbon Fluorocarbon is a variety of fishing line that is
frequently undetectable beneath the surface of
the water.

HOOK A hook is a bent (U-shaped) piece of sturdy

metal with one end hardened and linked to a
fishing line. It could be deployed to catch fish
utilizing barbed or barbless hooks.

Barb Hook Barb is a prominent thorn carved into the hook

immediately behind the apex. It’s used to
prevent bait or a fishing line from slipping off
the hook.

In both traditional and fly angling, barbed hooks

are the baseline traditional and the standard

Barbless Hook The pointy barb is missing from these hooks.

Barbless hooks are generally implemented by
anglers who practice catch and release or are
concerned about environmental issues and the
preservation of marine species.

Fang Hook A fang hook is made up of two hooks that have

been welded or curled together to form a
continuous piece.

Canoe A canoe is a compact, lightweight watercraft

that is paddled.

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 Baitfish Any fish that is the predominant easy prey of a
bigger fish is referred to as a baitfish.

Cocktail When you use two or more sorts of bait on the

hook at the very same moment, it’s called a
cocktail.

Waders Waders are waterproof boots used by anglers

to keep themselves completely dry.

End tackle The hook and lead deployed at the terminal of

the primary fishing line are known as end
tackle.

Fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling practice that

incorporates catching fish with a lightweight
bait termed an artificial fly.

Exercise: New Concept English: page 89-90

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 D. Idiomatic Expressions and their meanings/Direct and Reported Speech/British and
American spellings
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:
 Define Idiomatic expressions
 Identify some idioms and their meanings
 Use idioms in sentences correctly
 Change direct speech to reported speech correctly
 Change reported speech to direct speech correctly
 Identify the contrast between British spelling and American spelling
An Idiomatic expression is a figurative expression, whose meaning cannot be deduced directly from the
words used, but through a careful evaluation and application of a common sense of judgment.

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80
English Idioms about People

This part of our English idiom list of sayings and expressions famous in English used to describe or
characterize people, from their emotions to their personalities. Whether you want to describe someone
as happy, strong, or eager, use one of the popular English phrases and expressions below.

 To be on cloud nine – To be extremely happy

 One-trick pony – A person with only one talent or area of expertise
 Wouldn’t hurt a fly – A person that is inoffensive and harmless
 Like a fish out of the water – Very uncomfortable
 Fit as a fiddle – Very healthy and strong
 To have your head in the clouds – To be daydreaming and/or lacking concentration
 To be under the weather – To feel sick
 To be as right as rain – To feel healthy or well again
 Eager beaver – A person who is enthusiastic and wanting to do something very much
 Teacher’s pet – A person who is considered the teacher’s favorite. This can be used in a positive
or negative way depending on the context
 Gold digger – A person who is pursuing a relationship with another for the sole purpose of
benefiting from their wealth
 Party pooper – Someone who tends to suck the fun out of situations by either not participating
or adding negativity


English Idioms about Relationships

 Like two peas in a pod – Two people who are always together
 To give someone the cold shoulder – To intentionally ignore someone
 To cut somebody some slack – To stop being so critical of them
 To give someone the benefit of the doubt – To justify or excuse someone’s actions, and not
assume malice
 To let someone off the hook – To not hold someone responsible for something he/she has done
wrong
 To rain on someone’s parade – To ruin one’s plans or temper one’s excitement
 To get off on the wrong foot – To make a bad first impression with someone
 To keep someone at arm’s distance – To keep your distance and not get too involved with
someone
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  To rub someone the wrong way – To irritate or get on someone’s nerves
 To bend over backward for someone – To go out of your way to do something for them
 To burn a bridge – To ruin a relationship to the point that it cannot be repaired

English Idioms about Communication

 To break the ice – To get the conversation going

 To let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret
 To spill the beans – To reveal a secret
 To beat around the bush – To avoid talking about what is important
 To pull someone’s leg – To say something that is not true as a way of joking
 To get wind of something – To hear a rumor about something
 To wrap your head around something – To understand something complicated
 A penny for your thoughts – Tell me what you are thinking
 To play the devil’s advocate – To argue against an idea for the sake of debate
 To see which way the wind is blowing – To try to discover information about a situation before
taking action
 To hear something straight from the horse’s mouth – To hear from someone who personally
observed a certain event
 The elephant in the room – An obvious problem that people do not want to talk about
 Comparing apples to oranges – Comparing two things that cannot be compared
 To get your wires crossed – To misunderstand another person particularly because you thought
that they were talking about one thing when they were actually talking about another thing
 To be left in the dark – When someone doesn’t receive all the appropriate information that tells
the whole story
 To go around in circles – When you repeat the same things over again in a conversation without
coming to a conclusion or resolution

English Idioms about Scenarios

 A blessing in disguise – A good thing that seemed bad at first

 The best of both worlds – Benefiting from two different opportunities at once
 A perfect storm – The worst possible situation

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  To be on thin ice – To be in a risky situation
 A snowball effect – A situation that becomes more serious and potentially dangerous over time
 When it rains it pours – Everything is going wrong at once
 To get out of hand – To lose control in a situation
 To get a taste of your own medicine – To be treated the way you’ve treated others
 To throw caution to the wind – To do something without worrying about the risk
 To bite the bullet – To force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult
 Barking up the wrong tree – To pursue the wrong course of action
 To go down in flames – To fail miserably at something
 Best thing since sliced bread – To praise something for being especially great
 Safe bet – Something that is sure to succeed
 In full swing – Something that is currently in process and moving efficiently along
 Up in the air – Something that is uncertain or still undecided

English Idioms about Time

 Hold your horses – Wait a moment; slow down

 To do something at the drop of a hat – To do something at once, without any delay
 Once in a blue moon – Rarely
 To takes a rain check – To postpone a plan
 To have bigger fish to fry – To have more important things to do with your time
 To miss the boat – To miss an opportunity
 Call it a day – It’s time to stop working on something
 Round-the-clock – Something that is ongoing for 24-hours a day
 Kill time – To do something for the sake of passing the time while you’re waiting for another
thing to occur
 Time flies – To express that time passes quickly
 Better late than never – It’s better to do something late than not doing it at all
 At the eleventh hour – When you complete something at the very last minute before it’s too late
 Third time’s a charm – To describe that the first two times did not work, but it will work on
your third try

Miscellaneous Idioms in English

 It’s raining cats and dogs – It’s raining very hard

 A dime a dozen – Something is very common, or of no particular value

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  By the skin of one’s teeth – Narrowly or barely escaping a disaster
 Come rain or shine – No matter the circumstances, something will get done
 It costs an arm and a leg – It’s very expensive
 It went to the dogs – Something is no longer as good as it was in the past
 To run like the wind – To run very fast
 Go on a wild goose chase – Go on a futile search or pursuit
 A cloud on the horizon – Something that threatens to cause problems in the future
 Hit the nail on the head – To do something exactly right
 Piece of cake – An especially easy task
 Steal one’s thunder – To take credit for someone else’s work or achievements
 Through thick and thin – To experience both the good and bad times

Direct speech and Reported Speech

Direct speech is when you report someone’s speech exactly as they were spoken.

Reported Speech is when you report someone’s words through a paraphrase.

Examples of direct and reported speech include:

 Direct speech: Would you like to swim today? Reported speech: He asked me if I would like
to swim today.

 Direct speech: I love the Tony story, she said. Reported speech: She said she loved the Tony
story.

 Direct speech: I am busy at the moment, the man said. Reported speech: The man said he was
busy at the time.

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9 Spelling Differences between British and American English
1) -ae- v –e-

Many words that come from Ancient Greek have an –ae– in British English but only –e- in US English.
Most of these words are scientific, medical, or technical words.

British American

Aeon Eon

aesthetic esthetic

anaemia anemia

anaesthesia anesthesia

gynaecologist gynecologist

Paediatrician pediatrician
2) Doubled consonants

Sometimes British spelling requires a doubled consonant, for example in the past participle of certain
verbs, where American spelling omits it. In other places, it is US English that has the doubled consonant;
in certain verbal infinitives, or to preserve the root word of certain adjectives.

British American

Appal appall

carburettor carburetor

counsellor counselor

dishevelled disheveled

Distil distill

Enroll enroll

Fulfil fufill

instalment installment

Instil instill

Skilful skillful

woollen woollen
3) -ence v –ense

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Many nouns that end in –ence in British English end in –ense in the US. UK English only uses –ense for
the corresponding verb; for example, you can license someone to do something, after which they hold
a licence to do it.

British American

Defence defense

licence(noun) license

Offence offense

Pretence pretense
4) Final –e

On both sides of the Atlantic, English is famous for the “silent” –e at the end of many words. Where
both American and British English have this, in words such as name, make, or have, it comes from an
Old English inflection. But many final –e spellings come from French loanwords,where often the
consonant before the final –e is doubled. American English tends to omit these in accordance with Noah
Webster’s spelling reforms.

British American

Annexe annex

glycerine glycerin

gramme gram

grille(noun) grill

programme program

Tonne ton
The words axe (UK) and ax (US) follow this pattern, though the word comes from Germanic (not
French) roots. The word judgement (UK) and judgment (US) can also be taken as an example of this if
we discard the suffix –ment.

5) -oe- v –e-

Like –ae- above, British English preserves the –oe- digraph in words derived from the Classical
languages, while US English has simplified it to –e-.

British American

diarrhoea diarrhea

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gonorrhoea gonorrhea

manoeuvre maneuver
6) -our v –or

This is one of the more famous spelling differences between British and American English, and comes
from French influence. Nearly all of these words originally come from Latin, and had the plain –
or ending.

British American

Arbour arbor

Ardour arbor

Armour armor

behaviour behavior

British American

candour candor

clamour clamor

Colour color

demeanour demeanor

endeavour endeavor

Favour favor

Flavor flavor

harbour habor

Honour honor

humour humor

Labour labor

neighbour neighbor

Odour odor

Parlour parlor

rancour rancor

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Rigour rigor

rumour rumor

saviour savior

Savour savor

splendour splendor

tumour tumor

Valour valor

Vigour vigor
7) -re v –er

Like –our, the –re spelling originally comes from French. In the United States it was replaced with –
er to better reflect American pronunciation.

British American

Caliber caliber

Centre center

Fibre fiber

Litre liter

Lustre luster

meagre meager

Metre meter

Sabre saber

Scepter scepter

sepulchre sepulcher

sombre somber

Theatre theater
8)
-ize v –ise and -yse v –yze

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 One of the most famous spelling differences isn’t really a difference at all. It’s a common misconception
that in the the US you must use spellings like civilize (which is true) but in the UK you must use spellings
like civilise (which is not true). In fact, both the –ize and –ise spellings are valid in the UK. Many British
people use –ise spellings exclusively, but this is a convention, not a rule. You cannot use –ise spellings
in the US.

By contrast, the –yze ending in words like analyze and paralyze is only acceptable in US English. In the
UK you must use analyse and paralyse.

9) Other Simplifications

Many American spellings do owe their existence to Noah Webster’s spelling reforms, which sought to
simplify spelling and bring it closer to common American pronunciation.

British American

Aeroplane airplane

Artefact artifact

British American

cheque(banking) check

Chequerboard checkerboard

Chequered checkered

Cosy cozy

Doughnut donut

Draught draft

Gaol jail

Grey gray

Jewellery jewelry

kerb(noun) curb

Plough plow

Skeptical skeptical

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ABRIDGED ANALYSIS ON THE
TWELVE POEMS FOR THE 2025 BASIC
EDUCATION CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATION
1. “The determined miner”
“The Determined Miner” by Ajepe Olusegun is a lyrical
poem of twenty lines broken into five quatrains. Each
quatrain has end-line rhyme which gives the poem a musical
effect. The poem centres on determination and
perseverance. In the poem, the miner sweats day and night
in the course of gold mining. The persona believes that,
despite the difficulty he encounters, he would definitely
reap his blessings; as each of the stanzas has a refrain:
“Gold would come my way”.
The thematic preoccupation of the poem include: Hard
work, Determination, the reward for determination and hard
work, nothing good comes easily. Other poetic devices
employed in the poem include: Simile, Alliteration,
Hyperbole, Run-on lines (enjambment), Repetition,
Metaphor, and Biblical Allusion – the poem is major
allusion to the Bible passage that states: “Weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm
30: 5). The tone of the poem is that of determination and
defiance; while the mood conveys hope.

2. “death”
“Death” by Oiwona Andrew is a didactic poem of twelve
stanzas. It is a sermon on the inevitability of death. The
poem depicts death as a necessary end for life on earth. The
thematic preoccupation of the poem include: The
inevitability of death, Death as a messenger from God ,
Death as a necessary end, The mortality of man, Death as a
Leveller, Death as no respecter of persons, and Death as a
means of divine transition. Other poetic devices used in the
poem include: Apostrophe, Paradox, Alliteration, Symbols,

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Euphemism, Personification, etc. The Mood of the poem is
that of sadness/gloom, while the tone is factual.

3. “the nation’s paradox”

“The Nation’s Paradox” by Abdullateef Ishowo is a concise
poem of twelve lines on the state of affairs in contemporary
Nigeria. The poet disillusioned, decries the idleness in all
sectors and the ineptitude of workers, as well as lack of
adequate empowerment of the people by the government.
The thematic preoccupation of the poem include: Greed and
corruption, Poverty in the face of plenty, Ineptitude in
Nigeria, Lackadaisical attitude towards one’s duty and
disillusionment. Other poetic devices used in the poem
include: Paradox, Repetition, Antithesis and Alliteration.
The tone of the poem is serious, while the mood is that of
disappointment and deep sadness.

4. “wind”
“Wind” by Rahila J. Diji is a direct address to the wind. It is
an ode to the wind, which portrays the invisible power of
the wind. We often see the dust and sometimes hear the
massive movement of the wind. However, we cannot see the
wind. The persona meditates on the power and effect of the
wind. The poem is written in fifteen lines divided into three
unequal stanzas. There is no regular rhyme scheme. The
tone of the poem is that of adulation (praise) of the power of
the wind, while the mood is that of fear.

5. “lokoja”
“Lokoja” by Niyi Osundare is a poem of sixteen lines
comprising of eight couplets. It is a free verse which places
Lokoja in the spotlight. The town where the two largest
rivers in Nigeria meet. It is called the confluence town. The
thematic preoccupation of the poem include: Unity in
diversity, Love, Abundant Human and Natural resources,
the beauty of nature, and the beauty of a nation. The Tone
of the poem is romantic and affectionate, while the mood
conveys happiness.

6. “united we stand”
“United we stand” by E.E. Sanyaolu is a free verse of eleven
lines written in three stanzas. The poem presents the unity

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and love which exist among Nigerians in the diaspora, and
calls for the same unity of purpose back home in Nigeria. The
thematic preoccupation of the poem cuts across
Tribalism/Sectionalism, Call for unity, and unity in diversity.
The tone is satirical, while the mood is peaceful and unifying.
Other poetic devices used in the poem include:
Personification, Rhetorical question, Metaphor,
Enjambment, and Metonymy.

7. “moonlight”
“Moonlight” by Segun Adekoya and Bisi Adegboyega is a
free verse written in thirty-five lines comprising of six
stanzas. It is a poem that dwells on nature and the beauty of
nature. The period of moonlight is associated with
relaxation and a playful atmosphere. The poets use words
sparingly, depicting the playful mood. This period is also
associated with tales by moonlight, which teach children
moral lessons. The thematic preoccupation of the poem
include: The beauty of nature, Moonlight, and Tales by
Moonlight. Other poetic devices include: Simile, Metaphor,
Personification, Hyperbole, and Repetition. The dominant
poetic device is ‘personification’. The tone of the poem is
laudatory, while the mood is ecstatic.

8. “DIVERSITY”
“Diversity” by Chigbo Ugwuoke is a poem of sixteen lines
written in a single stanza. The poem condemns racial
segregation. The persona highlights how peaceful and
amazing the world would be if the entire human race unites
as one. It is a clarion call to end racism and recognize one
another as citizens of the world. The thematic preoccupation
of the poem include: Racial segregation, the need for unity
in diversity, the negative consequence of disunity,
everything in the world has a purpose. Other poetic devices
used in the poem include: Enjambment, Rhetorical question,
Personification, and Alliteration. The tone of the poem is
satirical, while the mood conveys hope.

9. “the mirror”
“The Mirror” by Angus C. Obinna is a poem of thirty-one
lines, written in six stanzas. The poem talks about life in
general. It talks about the actions of humans and how it can

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be perceived as good or bad. The human conscience is
likened to a mirror which never fails to tell the truth, the
same way a mirror shows the true reflection of whatever is
placed before it. The poem centres on: the power of
conscience, hypocrisy, Tarnished image, and the beauty of
nature. Other poetic devices used in the poem include:
Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Enjambment, Repetition,
etc. The tone is perceptive, while the mood is that of
musing and rumination.

10. “modernity”
“Modernity” by G. O. Kayode is a free verse of twenty-
seven lines, written in eight stanzas. The poem addresses the
issue of alienation and modernity as seen in western
education. The poem laments the negative effect of
westernization on the African cultural heritage such as, the
mode of dressing, language, and the general way of life. The
poem centres on the death of African culture, a clash of
cultures, and the dominance of western culture. Other poetic
devices include: Personification, Rhetorical question,
Enjambment, and Repetition. The tone is one of resentment,
while the mood is reflective.

11. “mechanical drum”

“Mechanical Drum” by Jacob Ajaye is a free verse of thirty
lines written in a single stanza. The poem captures the
problem of erratic power supply in Nigeria, which has led to
the purchase of generators by people (I pass my neighbour)
which the poet fondly calls ‘Mechanical drum’. This
constitutes a nuisance in the neighbourhood as it causes
noise pollution. The thematic preoccupation of the poem
include: Social inequality, Negative effect of technology,
the consequence of erratic power supply, and the need for
peaceful coexistence in the neighbourhood. Other poetic
devices used in the poem include: Biblical Allusion,
Enjambment, Simile, Personification, Metaphor, Oxymoron,
Onomatopoeia, and Apostrophe. The tone of the poem is
sarcastic, while the mood conveys suffering.

12. “nightmare”

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“Nightmare” by N. E. Okechukwu is a poem of six stanzas.
The most prominent poetic device used in this poem is end-
line rhyme. This makes the poem a lyrical poem. The poem
presents the relationship between dream and reality, the
rivalry in the entertainment industry, as well as the
wickedness of man. Other poetic devices used in the poem
include: Simile, Metaphor, Rhetorical question,
Onomatopoeia, etc. The tone of the poem is serious, while
the mood is that of bewilderment.

HARMONIZED TOPICS
FOR JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL THREE
REVISION FOR BECE

S/N TOPIC SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. COMPREHENSION The students should be able to:
a. Reading for main ideas.  Read selected passages carefully.
b. Reading for critical evaluation.  Identify the thematic preoccupation.
c. Reading to grasp meanings of words in  State the meanings of selected words
various contexts. used in the passage.
d. Reading to answer specific questions.  Paraphrase passages correctly.
e. Reading to understand the writer’s mood  Summarize the main ideas in the
and purpose. passage.
f. Reading for maximum retention and  State answers with reference to read
recall. passages.
g. Reading for speed.  Read with the desired speed.
h. Reading for description.  Identify in passages elements of
i. Reading to follow directions in written descriptive composition.
communication.  Identify repeated ideas in selected
j. Reading to identify the repetition of the passages.
same idea.  State/Identify correct answers to
comprehension questions.
2. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT The students should be able to:
a. The Home  State words associated with the home.
b. The school  State words associated with the school.
c. Religions  State words associated with religions.
d. The market  State words associated with the market.
e. Health and healthcare  Identify words associated with health.
f. Education  State words associated with education.
g. Government and Administration  Identify words associated with govt.
h. Youth empowerment and restiveness  Identify words associated with youths.
i. Drug Abuse, trafficking and adulteration  Identify words associated with drugs.
j. Fundamental Human Rights  State words associated with rights.
k. Population and Family Life  Identify words associated with life.

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 l. Consumer Protection Education  Identify words associated with CPE.
m. Sexually Transmitted Diseases  Identify words associated with STDs.
n. Peace education  Identify words associated with PE.
o. Gender Issues  State words associated with GI.
p. National Values  Identify words associated with NV.
q. Road Safety Issues  State words associated with RS.
r. Environmental Issues  Identify words associated with EI.
s. Air Transportation  State words associated with AT.
t. Animal Husbandry  Identify words associated with AH.
u. Journalism  State words associated with Journalism.
v. Library  Identify words associated with Library.
w. Law and Order  State words associated with Law.
x. Fishing  Identify words associated with Fishing.
y. Sports  State words associated with Sports.
z. Feelings  Identify words associated with Feelings.

3. GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY The Students should be able to:

a. Parts of Speech  Identify the class of words in sentences.
b. Phrases  Identify the type of Phrase used.
c. Clauses  Identify the type of Clause used.
d. Tenses  Identify the correct form of Verbs.
e. Active and Passive voices  Identify active and passive sentences.
f. Concord  Identify accurate expressions.
g. Punctuation  Apply punctuation marks correctly.
h. Spelling  Spell words correctly.
i. Direct and Indirect Speech/Reported  Identify Direct and Reported Speeches.
j. Question tags  Apply the correct tag to questions.
k. Homograph and Homophones  Identify in context.
l. Synonyms and Antonyms  State and identify in context.
m. Idiomatic expressions  Identify the correct meanings of Idioms.
n. The Sentence  State the parts of a sentence.
 State the elements of a sentence.
 State types of sentences according to
function.
 Identify types of sentences according to
o. Affixation structure.
 Define affixation
 State the two types of affixes
 Define prefix
 State examples of prefixes
 Define Suffix
 State examples of suffixes
4. SUPRA-SEGMENTAL FEATURES The Students should be able to:
a. Intonation  State the types of Intonation.

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  State the uses.
 Identify the correct patterns in
sentences.
5. SPOKEN ENGLISH The Students should be able to:
a. Vowel sounds  Identify vowel sounds in given words.
b. Consonant sounds  Identify consonant sounds in words.
c. Stress  Identify primary stress in words.
 Identify emphatic stress in sentences.
6. CONTINUOUS WRITING The Students should be able to:
a. Narrative essay  Write very good narrative essays.
b. Descriptive essay  Write very good descriptive essays.
c. Argumentative essay  Write very good argumentative essays.
d. Expository essay  Write very good expository essays.
7. LETTER WRITING The Students should be able to:
a. Informal letter  Write very good Informal letters.
b. Semi-formal letter  Write very good Semi-formal letters.
c. Formal letter  Write very good Formal letters.
8. LITERATURE-IN-ENGLISH
A. GENRES OF LITERATURE The Students should be able to:
a. Prose  Define prose and state the types.
b. Poetry  Define poetry and state the types.
c. Drama  Define drama and state the types.
B. LITERARY TERMS AND THEIR The Students should be able to:
MEANINGS.  Define literature
a. Literature  State the functions of literature
b. Actor  Define an actor
c. Actress  Define an actress
d. Protagonist  Define a protagonist
e. Antagonist  Define an antagonist
f. Hero  Define a hero
g. Heroine  Define a heroine
h. Villain  Define a villain
i. Theme  Define theme
j. Plot  Define plot
k. Setting  Define setting
l. Dialogue  Define dialogue
m. Prologue  Define prologue
n. Epilogue  Define epilogue
o. Aside  Define Aside
p. Monologue  Define monologue
q. Fable  Define a fable
r. Folktale  Define a folktale
s. Myths  Define Mythology
t. Legends  Define legend
u. Fairytales  Define a fairytale
v. Proverbs  Define a proverb

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 w. Folksongs  Define a folksong
x. Suspense  Define Allusion
y. Allegory  Define Allegory
z. Anecdote  Define Anecdote
C. FIGURES OF SPEECH The Students should be able to:
a. Simile  Define and identify in context.
b. Metaphor  Define and identify in context.
c. Hyperbole  Define and identify in context.
d. Paradox  Define and identify in context.
e. Synecdoche  Define and identify in context.
f. Euphemism  Define and identify in context.
g. Personification  Define and identify in context.
h. Apostrophe  Define and identify in context.
i. Assonance  Define and identify in context.
j. Alliteration  Define and identify in context.
k. Onomatopoeia  Define and identify in context.
l. Innuendo  Define and identify in context.
m. Litotes  Define and identify in context.
n. Irony  Define and identify in context.
o. Sarcasm  Define and identify in context.
p. Epigram  Define and identify in context.
q. Antithesis  Define and identify in context.
r. Metonymy  Define and identify in context.
s. Rhetorical question  Define and identify in context.
t. Allusion  Define and identify in context.
u. Oxymoron  Define and identify in context.

D. WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH PROSE The Students should be able to:

a. Fiction  Define and identify works of fiction.
b. Non-fiction  State examples of Non-fiction.
c. Author  Define an Author
d. Biography  Define Biography
e. Autobiography  Define Autobiography
f. Narrative viewpoint  State examples of narrative viewpoints
g. First person narration  Identify first narrative viewpoint
h. Third Person/Omniscient narration  Identify the Omniscient narration
i. Epistolary narration  Define epistolary narration
j. Stream of Consciousness narration  Identify Stream of Consciousness
k. Suspense  Define Suspense
l. Flashback  Define Flashback
m. Diction  State the meaning of diction
n. Sentences  Identify topic sentences
o. Paragraphs  State the number of paragraphs used
p. Chapters  Identify the number of chapters used
q. Short stories  Define a short story
r. Novella/Novelettes  Define a Novelette

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 s. Novel  State examples of novels
t. Memoir  Define a Memoir
u. Novelist  State examples of novelists
v. Ghost writer  Define a Ghost writer
E. WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH POETRY The Students should be able to:
a. Lines  Identify lines in poems
b. Stanza  State the number of stanzas used
c. Canto  Define a canto
d. Free verse  State the meaning of Free verse
e. Rhyme  Identify Rhymes in poems
f. Rhythm  Define Rhythm
g. Metre  Define Metre
h. Enjambment/run-on-line  Identify enjambment in poems
i. Persona  State the meaning of persona
j. Elegy/Dirge  Define Elegy/Dirge
k. Sonnet  State the meaning of a Sonnet
l. Couplet  Define a Couplet
m. Quatrain  Define a Quatrain
n. Sestet  State the meaning of Sestet
o. Octave  Define an Octave
p. Pastoral poem  State the meaning of Pastoral poem
q. Ballad  Define a Ballad
r. Lullaby  State the meaning of Lullaby
s. Romantic poem  Define Romantic Poem
t. Ode  State the meaning of an Ode
u. Epic  Define an Epic
v. Lyrical poem/Lyric  State the meaning of Lyrical poem
w. Narrative poem  State examples of narrative poems
x. Epitaph  Define an Epitaph
y. Descriptive poem  State examples of descriptive poems
z. Dramatic poem  State the feature of dramatic poem
F. WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH DRAMA The Students should be able to:
a. Stage  Define and identify in context.
b. Flat character  Define and identify in context.
c. Round character  Define and identify in context.
d. Theatre  Define and identify in context.
e. Costume  Define and identify in context.
f. Makeup  Define and identify in context.
g. Characters  Define and identify in context.
h. Characterization  Define and identify in context.
i. Cast  Define and identify in context.
j. Conflict  Define and identify in context.
k. Climax  Define and identify in context.
l. Dénouement/Resolution  Define and identify in context.
m. Playwright  Define and identify in context.
n. Props  Define and identify in context.

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 o. Play Director  Define and identify in context.
p. Performance  Define and identify in context.
q. Theme  Define and identify in context.
r. Plot  Define and identify in context.
s. Setting  Define and identify in context.
t. Dialogue  Define and identify in context.

G. RECOMMENDED TEXTS
PROSE
TITLE AUTHOR
1. Somayina: The Little Smart Orphan Chigbo Ugwuoke
2. Stigma Samson O. Shobayo
3. The Clock Ngozi Chima-Uzosike
DRAMA
1. Addiction Nicole Bertram
2. The Thinking Head Akeem Ajibade
3. Sacrilege Adetutu Adeyeye
POETRY
1. Death Oiwona Andrew
2. United We Stand E.E. Sanyaolu
3. Moonlight SegunAdekoya and Bisi Olugboyega
4. Modernity G.O. Kayode
5. The Mirror Augus Obinna Chukwu
6. Nightmare N.E. Okechukwu
7. The Nation’s Paradox Abdullateef Isowo
8. Diversity Chigbo Ugwuoke
9. Lokoja Niyi Osundare
10. Wind Rahilal Diji
11. The Determined Miner Ajepe Olusegun
12. Mechanical Drum Jacob Ajaye
The Students should be able to:
o Read and understand the texts.
o State the thematic preoccupation.
o Identify the characters.
o Identify the setting
o Identify other narrative devices.
o Read and understand the poems.
o State the themes.
o Identify the Mood/Tone
o Identify other poetic devices.
o Answer questions on both the texts and
the poems correctly.

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REFERENCES

1. Latilot, A and Beckley, A.T. Essential English Language. Lagos: Tonad , 2020

2. Ademola-Adeoye, et al. New Concept English. Lagos: Learn Africa, 2022

3. Uyanne, Christiana. Excellence in Literature-in-English. Ibadan: Fountain Books,

2022

4. All recommended texts and Poems for the 2024-2027 (NECO)Basic Education
Certificate Examination (BECE)

5. Internet materials on African and Non-African Mythology

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