BECE 2016 English Language Past Question and Answers
Answer all questions in this section.
Each question is followed by four options lettered A to D. Find the correct answer for each question.
From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.
1. He is ………poor that he cannot pay his bills.
Solution: "So...that" is used to show a result or consequence.
2. You will be late ………you hurry.
Solution: "Unless" means "if not," indicating a condition to avoid being late.
3. Aminu has been absent from class ………..one month.
Solution: "For" is used with durations (e.g., one month).
4. Many people have been invited, but ………..will be employed.
Solution: "Few" emphasizes a small number (negative connotation).
5. The teacher told the girl he had received ………of the two exercises.
Solution: "Neither" is used for two items to mean "not one or the other."
6. My father has bought a ………car.
Solution: Correct adjective order: age ("brand new") → purpose ("private").
7. Mama is never ………..ready for anything.
Solution: "Ever" emphasizes "never" in negative constructions.
8. Akua was ………..that she won four prizes.
Solution: Correct structure: "so + adjective + a/an + noun."
9. Before he entered the classroom, we ………the chalkboard.
Solution: Past perfect ("had cleaned") shows an action completed before another past action.
10. I have forgotten all ………my friend told me.
Solution: "That" introduces a defining relative clause.
From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.
11. The supervisor will ask the ………to come and repair the pipe in the bathroom.
Solution: A "plumber" is the professional who repairs pipes and plumbing systems.
12. The stone fell into the river with a loud ……….
Solution: The sound of an object hitting water is called a "splash."
13. Aggie got ………mark for French in the examination.
Solution: "The worst" is the superlative form used for comparing more than two things.
14. We won the school debating contest, ………we?
Solution: The question tag for a positive statement ("won") in past simple is "didn’t."
15. Kwame looks very handsome, ………..?
Solution: "Looks" is a present simple verb, so the tag uses "doesn’t he."
16. Nana Yaa was suffering ………..measles.
Solution: The correct preposition with "suffering" for illnesses is "from."
17. The suspect was charged ………..pickpocketing.
Solution: The correct collocation is "charged with a crime."
Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.
18. One essential item for making local soap is soda ash.
Solution: "Essential" means absolutely necessary, synonymous with "important."
19. Pupils are to read the instructions carefully.
Solution: "Instructions" are official directions, matching "directives."
20. The dog saw its image in the water.
Solution: An "image" in water is a "reflection."
21. We shall have the final rehearsal for the play tonight.
Solution: "Rehearsal" is a practice session before a performance.
22. My mother is skilled in domestic affairs.
Solution: "Domestic" refers to home-related matters ("household").
In each of the following sentences a group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined group of words.
23. Akweley was taken aback on seeing a stranger in her room.
Solution: "Taken aback" means shocked or surprised.
24. The employees saw eye to eye with their manager.
Solution: "Saw eye to eye" means to agree fully.
25. The priest was in high spirits during the sermon.
Solution: "In high spirits" means happy or cheerful.
26. The opponents decided to bury the hatchet.
Solution: "Bury the hatchet" means to end a conflict.
27. The headmaster took the students’ version of the theft with a pinch of salt.
Solution: "With a pinch of salt" means to be skeptical.
From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence.
28. The judge acquitted four of the accused but ………the rest.
Solution: The opposite of "acquitted" (freed) is "convicted" (found guilty).
29. It pays to be courteous rather than being ………..
Solution: The opposite of "courteous" is "rude."
30. Drivers who do not drive with care are sometimes charged with ………..
Solution: The opposite of "care" is "recklessness."
31. King David was the heir to the throne while the brother was the ………..
Solution: An "heir" inherits legally; a "usurper" takes power illegally.
32. The secretary intentionally hid the documents but the clerk ………burnt them.
Solution: The opposite of "intentionally" is "mistakenly" (by accident).
From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that correctly answers each question or completes the sentence.
33. A poem of six lines is called a/an ………..
Solution: A six-line poem is a "sextet."
Read the following extract below and answer Questions 34 to 38.
The sudden change in the weather frightened Araba. The bright orange colour of the sunset sky had quickly turned dull as the grey clouds gathered, rumbling, dark and angry. The booming voice of thunder was intimidating. Lightning flashed shards of light from his formidable torch. Araba was a cornered rat. How would she get home if the worst happened?
34. The sudden change in the weather frightened Araba.
Solution: The description creates a "frightening" atmosphere.
35. The state of the weather is emphasized by the word ………..
Solution: "Angry" personifies the clouds, intensifying the mood.
36. ‘Lightning flashed …light from ……torch.’ is an example of ………..
Solution: Lightning is given human traits ("torch"), showing "personification."
37. What is being referred to by the question, ‘How would she ………happened?’
Solution: Araba fears the "imminent rain" implied by the storm.
38. The extract is ………..
Solution: The rhythmic, figurative language suggests "poetry."
39. One special feature of prose is the ………..
Solution: Prose is organized into "paragraphs," unlike poetry (stanzas).
40. The work of the novelist is in ……….
Solution: Novels are written in "prose."