BECE 2019 English Language Past Questions

PART I

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

1. One of the bulls .... from the herd.
A. have been strayed
B. has been strayed
C. have strayed
D. has strayed

2. I saw the dog .... out of the house.
A. run
B. is running
C. ran
D. was running

3. Habib goes to school .... train
A. by
B. on
C. with
D. in

4. This phone is not mine; it is ....
A. mine uncle’s
B. my uncle’s
C. my uncles
D. mine uncle

5. Their sister wore a .... dress to the party.
A. silk blue beautiful
B. beautiful blue silk
C. blue beautiful silk
D. beautiful silk blue

6. I wish I .... my friend next week.
A. can visit
B. am visiting
C. shall visit
D. could visit

7. Aba took .... her mother to many ways.
A. after
B. up
C. on
D. by

8. That girl is allergic .... dust.
A. with
B. to
C. against
D. about

9. My brother, with his children, .... travelling to Salaga next week.
A. is
B. are
C. was
D. were

10. It is high time we .... for the meeting.
A. left
B. leave
C. have to leave
D. will leave

11. The accused person refused to appear before the .... panel.
A. five-man’s
B. five-man
C. five-men
D. five-men’s

12. The stories her children told her made her ....
A. to laugh
B. laughing
C. laughed
D. laugh

13. They have not bought .... of the two prescribed books.
A. neither
B. either
C. none
D. all

14. The boy found the assignment .... to do
A. much too difficult
B. difficult too much
C. too much difficult
D. much too difficult

15. The oxen lay on the bare floor, ....?
A. didn’t they.
B. don’t they.
C. didn’t it.
D. isn’t it.

SECTION B

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

16. The officials made a sudden visit to the school
A. an usual
B. a strange
C. a quick
D. an unexpected

17. Some of the students grumbled about the assignment
A. questioned
B. talked
C. complained
D. bothered

18. It is impolite to talk loudly in the presence of the elderly.
A. incorrect
B. improper
C. unwise
D. rude

19. She is fond of talking about trivial matters.
A. unpleasant
B. unimportant
C. unexciting
D. unacceptable

20. This curious child likes to ask a lot of questions.
A. pompous
B. intelligent
C. talkative
D. inquisitive

SECTION C

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.

21. Araba’s visit was a bolt from the blue. This means that the was
A. a most welcome one
B. short
C. a complete surprise
D. timely

22. My uncle loves to cast his bread upon the waters.
A. behaves strangely
B. feeds his fish with bread
C. is wasteful
D. loves to help people

23. When he lost his job, Yaro was left to sink or swim.
A. was depressed
B. shouted for help
C. had to find another job
D. had to survive on his own

24. I was informed at the eleventh hour about his decision to leave.
A. immediately
B. at eleven o’clock
C. in good time
D. very late

25. John had to eat his words when our team won the match.
A. became very much surprised
B. admitted he was wrong
C. denied all that he had said
D. lost appetite

SECTION D

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

26. The girl intentionally tore her dress.
A. carelessly
B. accidentally
C. willingly
D. foolishly

27. We initiated several projects last year.
A. funded
B. completed
C. executed
D. organised

28. Most of the rules were observed.
A. violated
B. cancelled
C. lessened
D. excluded

29. The results will be released very soon.
A. withheld
B. confirmed
C. withdrawn
D. cancelled

30. No one enjoyed the old man’s humourless stories.
A. funny
B. peculiar
C. familiar
D. cheerful