2022 WAEC (WASSCE) English Language Theory Past Questions

NOTE: The essay section of this paper is scored under the following aspects:

Answer one question only from this section.

All questions carry equal marks. Your answer should not be less than 450 words.

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

1. Write a letter to your friend in another school telling him or her about your future career and how it will be beneficial to your country.

2: The National Scholarship Secretariat is organizing an essay competition on the topic: The menace of fake drugs in the societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and... More, Write your entry.

3. As a former senior prefect, write a letter to the principal of your school on the occasion of its 60th-anniversary celebration, congratulating him and offering three suggestions for the improvement of the school.

4. As a former senior prefect, write a letter to the principal of your school on the occasion of its 60th-anniversary celebration, congratulating him and offering three suggestions for the improvement of the school.

5. Write a story which illustrates the saying: Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

You are advised to spend about 30 minutes on this section.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

Alani was the seventh child of his family. When he was growing up, there was scarcely enough to go round. His mother was a petty trader while her father worked as a clerk in one of the ministries. But Alani was an intelligent child and performed brilliantly at school. This endeared him to his teachers. He represented the school at all competitions and won many laurels. While he was in Basic Six, he won a scholarship to study at any school of his choice to university level. The future was indeed bright for him. However, having to constantly struggle with his siblings for the little sustenance provided by their parents turned him into an aggressive child.

After graduation, Alani got a job with a reputable accounting firm. He travelled far and wide and was trained extensively. He rose through the ranks and became one of the top executives. After a while, he decided to establish his own firm. His firm flourished because of his hard work, dedication and the huge amount of money and time he invested in the venture. After just a few years, the firm became a household name.

However, things took a bad turn. Alani’s success went to his head. He became pompous. He would get angry at the slightest provocation. He refused to take the advice of his employees, considering them all beneath him. Even when his workers had good suggestions for improvement, he would not listen. Often times, he would treat even his clients shabbily. He began to lose clients one by one and his profits dwindled. His firm was on the rocks and he started to blame his employees for the downturn in his business. He became suspicious of every move made and action taken by his workers. Soon, Alani became a bitter man. He lost the respect of his workers because he often quarrelled with them.

However, Alani’s secretary, who was his pioneer staff, did not give up on him. She tried to talk to him and refused to resign when other members of staff were putting in their letters. When five of his workers resigned on the same day that decided it! He realized that he just had to turn his life around. He went for counselling and began to turn over a new leaf. It was during one of the counselling sessions that he met a business mogul. They got talking and the man was impressed with Alani’s knowledge and expertise. They formed a partnership and Alani’s business began to grow again. Alani had learnt a useful lesson: those who are endowed with success should nurture it with humility.

a. What endeared Alani to his teacher? 

b. Mention two factors that accounted for Alani’s success in business.

c. Why did Alani’s business almost collapse?

d. What was ironical in Alani’s blaming his employees for the downturn in his business?

e. What incident made Alani have a rethink?

f. …on the rocks.

What is the meaning of this expression?

g. …who was his pioneer staff…

(i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?

(ii) What is its function?

h. For each of the following words, find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as it is used in the passage:

(i) Laurels
(ii) Sustenance
(iii) Reputable
(iv) Venture
(v) Pompous
(vi) Dwindled

You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this section.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

Armed robbery is one of the most condemnable crimes in contemporary society. People have been maimed or killed for their money or belongings in the past, but never robbery with violence been experienced on such a large scale as observed recently. Armed robbery is typically motivated by the desire to obtain money and valuables. However, some armed robbers engage in the crime with the intention of boosting their status. Whatever the motivation, the act is inhumane and can result in injury and sometimes the death of the victims.

It is rather unfortunate that in almost all modern societies there are always groups of unemployed young people. Some are unemployable because they have little or no education and lack skills. What is even worse, these young people are often unprepared for and unwilling to do any manual work to earn an honest living. They tend to blame society for their plight and retaliate by indulging in acts of crime and lawlessness. They grab money and valuable properties of their victims to enable them to survive in a society which seems to ignore them. To reduce the instances of armed robbery, parents should do their best to nurture their children in the right way because charity begins at home. They should instill good values in them and should not hesitate to correct them early in life when they bring home something that does not belong to them.

The rich, on the other hand, who are mostly the target of armed robbers, provide another cause. Some show off their wealth ostentatiously, live flamboyantly, go about in flashy and sophisticated cars, hop from one exotic island to another on holidays, and brag about all their escapades on social media much to the annoyance and envy of the unemployed youth. To bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots, the government should provide the basic necessities for its citizens. Social services should be made available to those without jobs. The provision of such amenities to cater for the entire populace would help to improve the living conditions of the unemployed and underemployed. The adequate provision of infrastructure would ensure that every individual has access to the basic comforts of life.

The breakdown of traditional systems, resulting in the loss of moral and spiritual values, has made wealth the only thing of value in the eyes of the youth. The ostentatious display of ill-gotten wealth is applauded and the society hardly questions its source. Many young people therefore engage in all manner of nefarious activities including armed robbery to make money in order to enjoy the delights and comforts of modern life and above all, be celebrated by their society. Law enforcement authorities can further reduce the spate of armed robberies by monitoring places known for high incidence of the crime. Constant and intrusive patrols of crime-prone areas can deter potential offenders.

(a) In three sentences, one for each, summarize the factors that make some youths go into armed robbery.

(b) In three sentences, one for each, summarize how armed robbery can be reduced.