Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
VOCABULARY:
The following is a list of all the words from WL1 to WL 10 with meaning in brief as well as a
sentence for reference on its usage.
Inquisitive wanting to know The inquisitive young man peeped through the window to see
who was arguing in the street.
Erroneous false The policeman soon found that the mans information was erroneous.
Sanction approve Who sanctioned that budget? asked the board member.
Evacuate leave The bomb scare caused us to evacuate the building.
Deft skilful The deft painter had again produced a masterpiece.
Abhor hate I abhor liars and cheaters.
Ambiguous unclear The plot of the movie remained quite ambiguous even after the first
hour.
Gratitude thanks She showed her gratitude by preparing this feast for us.
Interrogate to ask questions I was interrogated by Detective Haley.
Versatile having many uses This particular model of SUV is very versatile.
Incentive a motivating factor What incentive does this new job offer?
Copious a large amount Copious amounts of blood were all over the floor at the butchers
shop.
Garrulous talkative She was kept out of the club because of her garrulous nature.
Solace comfort The sentencing of the murderer to death provided some solace to the victims
mother.
Impartial not taking sides The referee was impartial for the entire match.
Perennial occurring again and again/seasonal The perennial dry season usually begins in
March.
Succumb to give in The bandit eventually succumbed to a gunshot wound and died.
Robust strong and sturdy The robust slave seemed to be able to lift twice as much cargo.
Gesticulate to express with movement The policeman gesticulated to stop with his hands.
Eminent standing out above others The eminent Prime Ministers speech was the best.
Censure to rebuke The irresponsible journalist was censured for his inconsiderate article.
Multifarious varied Multifarious noises were heard while passing the farm.
Nefarious extremely wicked The nefarious terrorist was ready to attack even the children.
Ambivalent uncertain/debatable Henry remained ambivalent about our decision.
Succulent tasty/juicy Thomas mouth dropped when he saw the succulent mangoes on the
tree.
Authentic genuine Are those authentic Gucci jeans?
Opulent rich Donald Trumps hotel is surely one of the most opulent in America.
Coerce to force He was coerced into signing a confession.
Pertinacious stubborn The pertinacious boy went into the cave against the advice of his
father.
Erudite scholarly The erudite professor gave a brilliant description of the volcano.
Affable friendly The affable dog licked the strangers foot.
Conspicuous noticeable Around Carnival, many women sport conspicuous colors in their
hair.
Savory tasty/wholesome The savory shrimp made for a fantastic appetizer.
Palisade fence Leaning on the palisade is not allowed.
Mien dignified conduct La Toyas mien was the key to her promotion at work.
Endeavour to try/effort All our endeavours to stop the riot was in vain.
Grotesque very ugly The Hunchback of Notre Dame had a grotesque figure.
Beseech to beg I beseech you to stop smoking marijuana.
Melancholy very sad His melancholy expression depressed his friends.
Inexplicable without an explanation It inexplicable why anyone should want to kill such an
affable man.
Desipient foolish Only a desipient person would want to buy that mask.
Other conjunctions such as: hence, therefore, although, because, since, though, if, moreover,
however, besides, consequently are examples of what are called SUBORDINATING: introduces
subordinate clauses and connects them with the main clause. The following examples show the
use of subordinating conjunctions.
People who live in glass houses don't like children to play catch in front of their houses.
Although I work hard, I'm still broke.
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THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
We also looked at the way in which adjectives and adverbs should be used.
Shape
Age
beautiful
old
an
expensive
antiqu
e
four
gorgeous
her
our
those
that
red
short
black
old
square
dilapidated little
Materia Qualifie
Noun
l
r
Italian
touring
Colo
r
longstemme
d
big
Origin
car
silver
mirror
silk
roses
hair
sheepdo
g
English
wooden hat
hunting
boxes
cabin
enormou
s
several
some
young
delicious
America
n
basketba
players
ll
Thai
food
Manner
Beth swims
to keep in
shape.
Dad walks
impatiently
into town
to get a
newspaper.
in her room
Tashonda naps
Place
Frequency
Time
Purpose
2. Anaphora
A rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses.
Examples:
"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend
our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the
landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender."
(Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940)
"It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of
immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely
patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds;
the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for
him, too."
(Barack Obama, "The Audacity of Hope," July 27, 2004)
3. Simile
A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two fundamentally dissimilar
things that have certain qualities in common.
Examples:
4. Metaphor
A figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that
actually have something in common. Therefore instead of using a preposition, a verb such as is
is required. There are 13 metaphor classes.
Examples:
5. Personification
A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities
or abilities.
Examples:
"The operation is over. On the table, the knife lies spent, on its side, the bloody meal
smear-dried upon its flanks. The knife rests."
(Richard Selzer, "The Knife")
6. Onomatopoeia
The formation or use of words (such as hiss or murmur) that imitate the sounds associated with
the objects or actions they refer to.
Examples:
Pow! Bang! Snip!
SENTENCES
Sentence structure
The parts of a sentence are the subject, verb, object, complement and adverbial. A statement
begins with the subject and the verb. In the any tense, a verb must agree in number with its
subject. That, of course, is the basic principle of subject-verb agreement. In order to find out if
your subject and verb agree, you need to be able to identify the subject of your sentence. Most
likely, your verb will agree with the first noun to the left of the verb. Occasionally, a sentence
has the subject after the verb instead of before it.
For example:
Over the hills lies a big oak tree.
If subjects are joined by and, they are considered plural:
Tom and Jane are going home.
If subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the closer subject:
Either the actors or the director is at fault.
Subjects: actors, director
Verb: is
Verb: are
Indefinite pronouns (someone, somebody, each, either one, everyone, or anyone) are considered
singular and need singular verbs although they convey plural meaning:
Anyone who wants to pursue higher education has to pass entrance exams
There are five main structures which we can use to make a simple statement.
1 SUBJECT VERB
My arms are aching.
2 SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
Independent Clauses
An independent clause is also known as a primary, main, and principal clause. An
independent clause has a subject and verb, with the ability to stand alone as a sentence.
Charles went to dinner after he changed clothes.
Charles went to dinner.
The independent clause is a short sentence. It is the primary clause because it contains the simple
subject and simple predicate of the full sentence. It can be accepted therefore, that an
independent clause is a simple sentence.
Dependent Clauses
Adjective Clauses
An adjective clause acts as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. Use an adjective clause
when an adjective or two will not suffice. Often, the relative pronouns who, whose, whom, which,
and that attach adjective clauses to their antecedents.
The writer who wins the award must deliver an acceptance speech.
Adverb Clauses
An adverb clause (not adverbial) acts as an adverb and indicates the time, manner, or degree
of an action. Adverb clauses often begin with subordinate conjunctions.
He bought the house once he saw the roof-top greenhouse.
Noun Clauses
A noun clause is a clause acting as a noun, sometimes as the subject of a sentence. If you can
replace the clause with it, you have identified a noun clause.
How he thinks is a mystery to me.
It is a mystery to me.
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is a sentence formed by two or more independent clauses. Use a comma
to separate long independent clauses joined by pure conjunctions. Place the comma before the
conjunction.
Wendy plans to attend college, but she needs to earn better grades.
Am I going crazy, or do I just need good night's sleep?
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is formed with one independent clause and one dependent
I am going to the house because I want to see her.
Compound-Complex Sentence
Finally these sentences are formed with at least 2 independent clauses and 1 dependent clause.
Tom is at home and his sister is at work however they will both be attending the party later this
evening.
CXC ENGLISH PAPER2: Consists of 4 sections and takes 2 & Hours
Section one (1): Summary writing
This section is made up of one compulsory question. In this section, you have to write a
summary of a given passage or report. (There is no choice here, you have to answer the only
question in this section.)
You will be given a passage or report and asked to write a summary of it.
The paper 2 directions state that in this section you must write in "continuous prose", that is, you
must write using paragraphs. You MUST NOT write using note form. Also, after the allotted
number of words, anything you write will not be assessed.
Section two (2): Reading comprehension
This section consists of two compulsory short answer reading comprehension questions. (Again
there is no choice here, you have to answer both of the questions in this section).
Each question is made up of a reading passage and 7-8 questions on the passage. You must
answer all the questions on each reading passage.
Section three (3): Short story writing
This section is made up of three questions. They include two short story essays - one with a
picture and one without - and a descriptive essay.(You must choose one question to answer).
The paper 2 exam states that your answer in this section should be approximately
400-450 words in length and you must write in standard english, although you may use dialect
in conversations.
The writers purpose and theme i.e. the general idea that the passage is meant to convey.
Main ideas and supporting details. These are the bits of information that are most relevant to the
writers theme.
The literary devices; similes, metaphors, personification, adverbs etc. are the ways he paints the
picture for the reader.
Draw conclusions i.e. make an educated guess or read between the lines. Not everything will be
obvious and so you will have to sometimes come up with an answer that the writer wanted you to
think about.
Words used in context - as such explain the meaning of a word he uses in the passage.
The Title This helps the reader anticipate what the story is about.
Setting This involves how well you set up a background i.e. the time, place, and mood
of the story. Your descriptive ability will be under scrutiny.
Voice Whether or not you are speaking in 1st or 3rd person. Voice must be maintained
throughout the piece.
Character This concerns how well you describe and develop each person in the story.
Plot The body and development of the story.
Themes The central idea around which the story is based. These include something like
Greed or Hatred or Love. Also it could be around a moral Never Judge a book by its
cover or The race is not for the swift. In lieu of a moral it could also center on conflict
development which is a situational scene like Cause and Effect or Problem and Solution.
Climax This is the high point of the story where you build the readers anticipation to
the outcome of your story.
Conclusion This is where you summarize what you learnt or what happened to the
character.
3. Persuasive Writing
This part of Paper 2 will test your ability to reason and how much factual information you know
about a certain topic. Popular topics include: Domestic Violence, Adoption, Abortion, Gender,
School Administration, Corporal and Capital Punishment and Parenting. Here the exam is
looking for your knowledge about everyday social topics and how you would support your
opinion or refute another.
The persuasive passage should have:
A thesis statement A statement which tells the reader your opinion immediately.
Reasons in logical order from strongest to weakest and most times 3 will suffice.
Reasons should not be mixed up but separated. This is best achieved by the use of
paragraphs.
Facts or even personal experiences to validate your opinion.
A topic sentence for each idea. This sentence tells the reader about what aspect of
argument you are about to bring to the fore.
A conclusion which sums up your ideas and ultimately why you fell the way you do
about the topic.
4. Summary Writing
Each of the details in the paragraph expands, or gives more information about, the main idea.
These details are also called the paragraph's development. Ideas in a paragraph must be
developed logically. This means that the writer must use details that the reader can expect to read
about after reading the main idea sentence. In summary writing you are required to pick out the
most important information from each sentence in the paragraph. A summary essay should be
organized so that others can understand the source and evaluate your comprehension of it.The
following format works well:
a. The introduction (usually one paragraph)-1. Contains a one-sentence thesis statement that sums up the main point of the source.
This thesis statement is not your main point; it is the main point of your source.
Usually, though, you have to write this statement rather than quote it from the source
text. It is a one-sentence summary of the entire text that your essay summarizes.
2. Also introduces the text to be summarized:
(i) Gives the title of the source (following the citation guidelines of whatever style
sheet you are using);
(ii) Provides the name of the author of the source;
(ii) Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the author of
the source or about the text to be summarized.
The introduction should not offer your own opinions or evaluation of the text you are
summarizing.
b. The body of a summary essay (one or more paragraphs):
This paraphrases and condenses the original piece. In your summary, be sure that you-1. Include important data but omit minor points;
2. Include one or more of the authors examples or illustrations (these will bring your
summary to life);
3. Do not include your own ideas, illustrations, metaphors, or interpretations. Look
upon yourself as a summarizing machine; you are simply repeating what the source
text says, in fewer words and in your own words. But the fact that you are using
your own words does not mean that you are including your own ideas.
c. There is customarily no conclusion to a summary essay.
When you have summarized the source text, your summary essay is finished. Do not add your own
concluding paragraph
that none of the other senses is more subtle in its suggestions or more reminiscent of a certain
time.
The purpose of a flower's fragrance is thought to be that of an attractant to nectar-feeding
insects. Not all perfumes are found in the flowers, however. Scents may also be found in roots,
bark, gum or oils, leaves, stalks and sometimes in the seeds.
Generally, fragrant flowers are lightly colored or white. Although brilliantly colored flowers
are not usually fragrant, there are exceptions. Flowers that are thick in texture, such as citrus,
magnolia and gardenia, are often the most distinctive and intense in scent.
Summary passage:
Adding sweet-smelling flowers to a garden is something many gardeners may skip. One can
become too caught up in visual flower aspects such as color or composition. Yet adding
beautiful smelling flowers just as important for those gardeners who are looking to have an allaround "memorable" flower display. Most aromatic flowers are mainly white; yet, some more
colorful plants may hide their lovely smell in less obvious places, like in their roots, stems, and
leaves.
Short Story Example: CXC 2001 Award winning essay by Vanessa Chee of St Joseph's
Convent. Write a story based on the picture
As my bare feet trudged through the sludge of human and animal waste, a terrible stench
permeated the air. The putrid stench of garbage, feces, and dead animals clung even to my
clothes; the stench of poverty and despair went deep inside me, wrapping around my lungs so
that I could barely breathe.
I took a good long look at the pathetic shack I had called home for all of my sixteen years on this
wretched earth. Broken bricks of concrete lay on the ground with no real purpose. Perhaps they
had been bought with no real purpose. Perhaps they had been bought with the real intention of
one day building a home; now they remained as simply bricks, the cruel symbol of a broken
dream, a foundation that was never built.
The shack was wooden; the sinews and tired etchings of the wood told a story of their own. The
galvanized door screeched and swung with the wind - my welcome home. Jagged edges of wood
were everywhere, protruding out above the galvanized door, projecting out and above the four
square holes that were supposed to be windows. Even the light that streamed in seemed reluctant
to enter. The beams of sunlight were not rays of hope; they were merely citizens under the law of
physics which governed them, demanding that they illuminate the damp dirt that formed the
floor of my home. The light only drew attention to the deep darkness that lay everywhere.
I closed my eyes and stifled a scream. I was barren even of tears to shed. I did not want to live
here. Surely God had created me for a purpose other than to enjoy the destitution of poverty or
appreciate the squalor that surrounded me. I had to believe that God was good, that He was on
my side. I had no one else. My father would be returning soon. Every day I prayed that he would
never return. God never seemed to hear my prayers.
Would he be returning with another man? Another ogling lusting buffoon who would try to touch
me ... who would start ripping at the little cloth I wore? Would he flash the money and bring rum
as payment to my father? That was the moment I made my decision. Contemplating another
night of fighting and screaming and running, yet another night of knowing the weight of my
father's blows; contemplating that made me decide to leave. The only thing that had held me
back was the single promise I had made to my dying mother - to take care of him to make sure
that my father and my brother did not starve.
I went to the corner of the shack where the angel of my life, my four year old brother, lay
sleeping. I gently touched his shoulders. He awakened instantly. "Nathan", I said, "wake up.
We're leaving." His unquestioning response indicated that he knew my meaning. We packed our
few things and left. I washed him as best as I could with the river water that lay nearby. I then
cleaned myself, wiping away the surface dirt and donning my only other item of clothing, a
simple black dress.
Together we walked, with bare feet, along the gravel of the road that led to life. I held my
brother's hand and smiled. I wondered what he was thinking. His tiny hand squeezed mine
tightly. "It's okay, Edwina," he whispered quietly. "I trust you."
CXC 2007 short story question: Write a short story in which you use the words, "The
phone rang once and stopped. It rang again. This was it now."
CXC award winning answer by Grace-Ann Collins of Ardenne High School, Jamaica:
Beads of sweat slowly trickled down my face, the numbing feeling of guilt stealthily
creeping up my spine. I sat in my western looking living room on the cowboy patterned sofa,
shaking from head to toe. The dingy brown, the room had been painted, it seemed nauseating at
this moment or was it the fact that the walls of the room seemed to be closing in on me.
"I wish they would," I thought.
My mind drifted to two hours earlier that day in my classroom. Life seemed less complex then.
"Come on Susan! There is no one here. Why can't you just this once kiss me?"
My boyfriend Zack pleaded desperately with me getting more agitated with each second
that was added to his wait. My eyes admiringly drank him in from head to toe. "What was wrong
with me?" I thought. Zack was expertly molded in every way possible and yet still I found it so
hard to indulge in anything with him physically, because of fear of being caught.
His caramel brown skin seemed to seep all over him. He was tall, with full, luscious pink lips,
breath-taking glassy black eyes, and curly dark hair. The desire in his eyes drew me in, like a
fisherman reeling in his catch.
"Zack, you know physical contact at school is forbidden, and my parents have a lot to do with
my not doing anything with you. If I was caught I could not bear to face their anger and
disappointment."
"I know Susan, but we've been together for three months. I'm sure this one time wouldn't hurt,
and I promise we won't get caught."
I looked up at him questioningly, praying for the Lord to restore my sense of judgment, as I was
on the verge of surrendering to him. As though sensing my wavering in thought, Zack leaned
over unto my chair and placed his nose directly on mine. The scent of flower scented soap softly
caressed my nostrils mixed with the baby powder smell it seemed of his youthful perfection. My
heart hammered against my ribcage, almost arresting the air which tried in vain to enter my body.
I leaned in towards him, and shakily pressed my lips against his.
"What are you doing?!!" A loud, accusing male voice came crashing between Zack and me. I
froze. "Susan James and Zachary Elliott?!! This is totally unbelievable!" the voice continued. I
turned reluctantly to face a tall, dark man, clad in a grey suit with a repulsive tie, staring angrily
at me. It was Mr Forbes, our school Principal.
"I was .......," I started to say. I was however interrupted by Mr. Forbes. "Head home now, the two
of you, and wait for me to call your parents."
The phone rang once and stopped. It rang again. This was it now.
Like an alarm clock, all my nerves spiraled my body into an unhealthy vibration. My mind was
jogged back to reality. I could taste the breakfast I had eaten that morning re-entering my mouth.
"Susan!!"
"Huh!!" I replied completely out of touch with everything. "Answer the phone!!" my mother
bellowed from the kitchen. My stomach, rotated 360 degrees, and knotted into a terrible bow.
The phone kept ringing. "Susan! Susan!..... Susan!"
My mind seemed to be playing tricks on me. The voice which kept calling my name seemed to
be transforming into that of a male's. A hand tenderly rested on my shoulder and gently shook it.
"Susan, are you OK?" I turned to look at my enquirer, and to my surprise I was staring right into
Zack's face. The school bell was ringing uncontrollably. "Susan, I just asked you if you'd kiss
me, and you totally zoned out for about five minutes. Aren't you going to answer me?"
"Oh.... I don't think we should do that just yet. I have a funny feeling about the outcome.
"But Susan, we've been ...." he started. "I know, but I'm not ready," I interrupted. "OK, I respect
that" he replied, "I'll wait" quite to my surprise. I hadn't expected this response.
We got up from our desks and walked towards the door. "Huuuhhh!!" I was finally able to
breathe. "Thank God it was just a daydream", I thought.