BECE 1998 English Language Past Questions and Answers

Paper 1: Objectives

Section A: COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

1. The full form of 'if no one else did' will be, 'if no one ......'
   1. A. jumped.
   2. B. looked.
   3. C. was afraid.
   4. D. praised him.
   Answer: D
2. I began to fend for myself means the speaker ......
   1. A. defended himself.
   2. B. protected his family.
   3. C. looked after himself.
   4. D. looked for yams.
   Answer: C
3. Being hard-hearted is to ......
   1. A. have no kind feeling.
   2. B. be solid.
   3. C. refuse to smile.
   4. D. be wild.
   Answer: A
4. Nwakibie refused to give yams to some young men because they were ......
   1. A. lazy.
   2. B. stingy.
   3. C. unable to shoot well.
   4. D. unable to trust him.
   Answer: A
5. According to the passage one can say that Okwonkwo is ......
   1. A. a determined hardworking young farmer.
   2. B. always praising himself.
   3. C. very stingy with yams.
   4. D. always sucking his mother's breast.
   Answer: A

Passage 2

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

6. What made the writer wake up?
   1. A. The noise made by his father.
   2. B. The shouting of people in the house.
   3. C. His father's jumping out of bed.
   4. D. His father crashing into the pillar.
   Answer: B
7. The father was holding his forehead because he ......
   1. A. ran.
   2. B. lay on his back.
   3. C. did not put on the light.
   4. D. hit his head against the pillar.
   Answer: D
8. Which of the following statements, according to the passage, is not true?
   1. A. Mother retired as a nursing sister.
   2. B. Mother used Daddy's towel.
   3. C. Mother used iodine and ice-cubes.
   4. D. Mother applied warm water.
   Answer: D
9. How did the tenant die?
   1. A. He was a pathetic scene.
   2. B. He was killed by armed robbers.
   3. C. He was merciless.
   4. D. He had resisted armed robbers.
   Answer: B
10. 'Pathetic' in the passage means
    1. A. sad.
    2. B. strange.
    3. C. mighty.
    4. D. merciless.
    Answer: A

Section B

Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one which is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in each sentence

Answers and solutions for questions 11 to 40 are free in the BECE Past Questions app, with timed practice and offline study.

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11. We were advised to make our handwriting legible.
    1. A. crooked.
    2. B. clear.
    3. C. straight.
    4. D. smooth.
12. Our supporters planned to jubilate after the match.
    1. A. embrace the supporters.
    2. B. reward the players.
    3. C. rejoice.
    4. D. feast.
13. Bullying has been banned in this school.
    1. A. encouraged.
    2. B. forbidden.
    3. C. discussed.
    4. D. introduced.
14. The penalty for stealing is dismissal from school.
    1. A. trouble.
    2. B. cause.
    3. C. foul.
    4. D. punishment.
15. The talking ceased as soon as the teacher appeared.
    1. A. changed over.
    2. B. dragged on.
    3. C. stopped.
    4. D. increased.

Section C

In each of the following sentences a word or group of words has been underlined. Choose from the alternatives lettered A to D the one that best explains the underlined word or group of words.

16. It will serve her right if she does not meet her friends at the airport. This means that ......
    1. A. she will have what she likes.
    2. B. it will be too much for her.
    3. C. she will have what she deserves.
    4. D. it will be her right to travel.
17. Mr. Mensah appears to be an honest worker, but he leads a double life. This means that he ......
    1. A. comes to work early.
    2. B. works harder than everybody.
    3. C. leads a bad private life.
    4. D. has two different jobs.
18. My uncle visits me once in a blue moon. This means that he visits ......
    1. A. at the end of the month.
    2. B. rarely.
    3. C. during the night.
    4. D. daily.
19. Academically the Science Class is second to none in the school. This means that the class ......
    1. A. always takes the second position.
    2. B. does not do very well.
    3. C. is the best.
    4. D. is the second largest.
20. If we had sent him to the hospital earlier he wouldn't have died. This means that we ......
    1. A. sent him to the hospital.
    2. B. didn't send him to the hospital at all.
    3. C. sent him to the hospital late.
    4. D. were told to send him to the hospital.

Section D

From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word underlined in each sentence.

21. The prefect was punished for being dishonest.
    1. A. rough.
    2. B. respect.
    3. C. sincere.
    4. D. tactful.
22. Our teachers always advised us to be humble.
    1. A. arrogant.
    2. B. gentle.
    3. C. hardworking.
    4. D. wicked.
23. Our headmaster has purchased a lot of books for the library.
    1. A. selected.
    2. B. collected.
    3. C. sold.
    4. D. lent.
24. The meat I had was tough.
    1. A. big.
    2. B. soft.
    3. C. slippery.
    4. D. rough.
25. Vegetation is scanty in desert countries.
    1. A. green.
    2. B. dry.
    3. C. little.
    4. D. dense.

Section E

From the alternatives lettered A to D, choose the one which most suitably completes each sentence.

26. Anto should ...... his teeth before eating.
    1. A. have cleaned.
    2. B. has cleaned.
    3. C. cleaned.
    4. D. cleans.
27. Mr Tawiah regularly ...... late in the night.
    1. A. eat.
    2. B. eats.
    3. C. eaten.
    4. D. eating.
28. Can you make ...... Issaka in the crowd?
    1. A. of.
    2. B. up.
    3. C. out.
    4. D. away.
29. The earlier we ...... the work, the better.
    1. A. have done.
    2. B. do.
    3. C. did.
    4. D. had done.
30. You will pass this examination, ......?
    1. A. don't you.
    2. B. have you.
    3. C. may you.
    4. D. won't you.
31. He showed me the car ...... knocked him down.
    1. A. who.
    2. B. which.
    3. C. whom.
    4. D. what.
32. The man is a good friend of ......
    1. A. my.
    2. B. me.
    3. C. myself.
    4. D. mine.
33. The national team is preparing ...... their next match.
    1. A. with.
    2. B. by.
    3. C. on.
    4. D. for.
34. Look carefully around for those books; they must be ...... in this room.
    1. A. somehow.
    2. B. everywhere.
    3. C. somewhere.
    4. D. anywhere.
35. Find out who is the ...... of the two boys.
    1. A. most tall.
    2. B. taller.
    3. C. more tall.
    4. D. tallest.
36. ...... boys are very happy with the toys.
    1. A. they.
    2. B. those.
    3. C. this.
    4. D. that.
37. Julie wants to visit a relative of ......
    1. A. hers.
    2. B. herself.
    3. C. themselves.
    4. D. ourselves.
38. The visitors don't know Krokrobite, ......?
    1. A. is it.
    2. B. haven't they.
    3. C. do they.
    4. D. isn't it.
39. Was it not your sister who ...... this hole yesterday?
    1. A. has dug.
    2. B. have dug.
    3. C. dig.
    4. D. dug.
40. I can't hear her; I wish she ...... louder.
    1. A. was speaking.
    2. B. would speak.
    3. C. had spoken.
    4. D. might speak.

Paper 2: Theory

1. Write a letter to your friend telling him what you do to remain healthy.
2. As the Games Prefect of your school, write a letter to the Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association complaining about the uncooperative attitude of the school authorities towards sports.
3. Describe a recent celebration in your family.
4. Write a story that ends with 'Never will I do that again'.

Worked solutions to the theory questions are free in the app.

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