WAEC English Language 2021 Theory Past Questions

Model answer

Model outline (informal letter format — sender's address, date, salutation, body, complimentary close): Open by referencing your friend's recent news/achievement, then introduce the excursion (e.g. to a historic city). Describe specific lessons learnt (e.g. precolonial and colonial history, the effects of colonial looting of artefacts, the importance of preserving culture and history). Reflect on how the experience changed your perspective (e.g. developing a new interest in history). Close with a friendly, reflective question to your friend and a warm sign-off.

Model answer

Model outline (article/opinion piece): Introduce the issue — indiscipline is increasing alongside youth over-population, manifesting as crime, decadence, disregard for laws and elders, and risky behaviours. Discuss causes: lack of delayed gratification/desire for quick wealth influenced by social media; negative peer influence; poor parental guidance and lack of alternative structures (mentorship, training centres) for youths without close supervision. Conclude with a call to action: parents, teachers, community leaders, and authorities must together enforce firm, consistent measures and promote proper social conduct/discipline.

Model answer

Model outline (formal letter — sender's address, date, recipient's title/address, salutation 'Dear Sir/Madam', subject heading, body, complimentary close): State the purpose — rising malaria cases despite medical facilities. Describe the root causes observed (poor sanitation, stagnant water/mosquito breeding sites, insufficient insecticide-treated nets). Suggest at least three solutions: (1) providing long-lasting insecticidal nets, (2) indoor residual spraying with insecticides, (3) providing rapid diagnostic tests and effective antimalarial drugs to local clinics. Close by expressing confidence the Minister will act, then thank them.

Model answer

Model outline (speech): Open with an expression of gratitude and surprise/honour at being selected. Explain the significance of the scholarship for indigent but brilliant students, easing the financial burden of quality education on families. Detail specific benefits: monthly stipends, educative materials, other allowances (transportation, research), removal of financial distraction so beneficiaries can focus on their studies. Mention accountability requirements (e.g. maintaining good grades to continue receiving the scholarship). Close by thanking the organisation on behalf of all awardees and the audience.

Model answer

Model outline (narrative): Introduce a character who faced a major setback or delay early in life (e.g. a woman who left school early due to poverty/family hardship). Narrate the struggles and interruptions to their ambition (poverty, forced early responsibilities, giving up a dream career). Show a turning point later in life where they resolve to pursue their original goal despite their age or circumstances (e.g. returning to school and completing a degree at 70). End the story with the reflection/moral, concluding explicitly with the statement: 'Better late than never.'

Model answer

This establishes the writer's relationship to Funke, referenced in the passage as former secondary school classmates who are now reconnecting years later.

Model answer

Funke was very intelligent, her parents could afford to sponsor her into any assumedly better/more prestigious profession, and she had an appearance befitting an office executive rather than a farmer.

Model answer

The writer and his classmates viewed professions like newscasting, medicine, engineering, and accounting as inherently 'noble', looking down on farming — a bias the passage later reveals to be misguided given Funke's eventual success as a farmer.

Model answer

(i) She studied Agriculture in the university. (ii) A loan she obtained from a bank boosted her farming business.

Model answer

She won the award for the most successful farmer in the country, and became an employer of about three hundred workers.

Model answer

It suggests that the writer no longer looks down on Funke's decision (which he and others once mocked), realising that the farmer, Funke, now achieves more success than even he, a newscaster — OR, alternatively, it suggests the writer has come to realise Funke's much-mocked choice was ultimately a better decision than his own choice of becoming a newscaster.

Model answer

Simile.

Model answer

(i) It is a noun clause. (ii) It functions as the complement of the subject.

Model answer

(i) relax — rest, ease. (ii) shocked — surprised, amazed, stunned. (iii) confident — bold, assertive. (iv) refunded — paid back, repaid. (v) reveals — discloses, unveils. (vi) struggling — trying, striving, grappling.

Model answer

(i) Diseases, which destroy many farm crops, affect the availability of food. (ii) The high cost of transporting harvested produce contributes to their scarcity. (iii) Lack of storage and preservative facilities causes a larger part of the produce to perish.

Model answer

(i) Governments should promote mechanization in farming. (ii) Government should make provision for storage facilities. (iii) Government needs to sensitize farmers on how to practice modern farming.