KCSE 2017 English Paper 1 with Marking Scheme

1. Imagine that you are a former drug addict who has recovered after spending three months in a rehabilitation centre. You have been invited to a youth forum to talk about ways of preventing drug and substance abuse among the youth.
   
   Write down the speech you would deliver during the occasion. Students, the County Director of Education, teachers and some school principals will attend. (20 marks)
2. Read the passage below and fill in each blank space with an appropriate word.  (10 marks)
   A rich vocabulary can only be acquired through wide reading, and can only be (a)....... in the mind through (b)....... extensive reading. Dictionaries are useful up to a point. They give information where needed. (c) ................. the exact flavour of a word can only (d) ................. familiar with repeated encounters of (e) ..................in different contexts. It is (f) ...................... remembering that we acquire (g)..................all our active vocabulary without the help of a dictionary at all. (h)................... in the acquisition of vocabulary, the course book and the dictionary are mere (i) ................ in a more natural process founded chiefly ..............leisure-time reading.
   
   Adapted from: Practical English; A Comprehensive Secondary Course, Teachers' Book by P. A. Ogundipe and P. S. Tregidgo, London: WPS, 1968.
3.  
   1. Read the Song below, and answer the questions that follow:   (30 marks)
      
      Maize has a market
      Sorghum has a market
      Maize has a market
      What about my children?
      My children's market is the graveyard
      What about my children?
      My children's market is the graveyard
      You are a backbiter
      You are a witch
      You are a gossip
      My children
      You will kill them because of jealousy
      My children
      You will kill them because of jealousy.
      
      Adapted from Magomoro: Portrait of an African Village (1987) Landeg White, Cambridge I Iniversity Press, 1987
      1. With an illustration in each case, identify any three features that contribute to the oral nature of the song.(6 marks)
      2. Briefly explain why the word "You" should be stressed while performing the song (2 marks)
   2. Identify a sound feature in each of the short forms given below.  (6 marks)
      1. Challenger: It can be cracked, It can be made.
                          It can be told, It can be played.
                          What is it?
         Respondent: A joke
         ...............................................................................................
      2. A good wife and health are man's best wealth.
         ...............................................................................................
      3. Ken can can a can of curled Kales.
         ................................................................................................
   3. Group the following words according to the pronunciation of the underlined letters  (4 marks)
      guide        fluid       juice     cruise      biscuit
      anguish    built        quite    suitable   equipment
      guilt
   4. For each of the following words underline the part that is stressed.   (5 marks)
      Mis. use
      Pro se.cute
      dis.like
      a.buse
      a.gree.ment
   5. You have just attended a public meeting where various speakers were sensitizing people on the problem of cheating in national examinations. A news reporter who was covering the function decides to interview you.
      Fill in the gaps in the conversation so that it flows naturally.
      Reporter: Hello, what is your name and what do you do?
      You: ............................... (1 mark)
      Reporter:.............................(1 mark)
      You: I found the talk both enlightening and useful.
      Reporter: What is the most outstanding thing that you have learnt today?
      You:.............................. (2 marks)
      Reporter: ................................... (1 mark)
      You: I would like to tell them that .....................................(1 mark)
      Reporter: ...................... (1 mark)

MARKING SCHEME

1. Expect a speech if not deduct (4 marks)
   Organization (3 marks)
   • A speech is very similar to an essay; it should have an introduction, body and conclusion.
   • The introduction should grab the audience's attention and state the focus of the speech/ disclosure of topic.
   • Body-Expect points with supporting details. 
   • The conclusion should let the audience know that the speech is over/give the audience something to think about or call the attention to act.
     
     Acknowledgements - In expected order.
     Content - The issues to be highlighted.
     Style - features of spoken language, regular direct address to the audience, use of first person point of view.
     
     Language and mechanics of writing    (8 marks)
     Generic Marking Scheme for Paper 1 - Language Use
   • Group D (01-02 Marks)
     Candidate does not communicate and their language ability is so minimal that the examiner has to guess what they intended to write.
     • Poor use of expressions 
     • Poor use of punctuation marks 
     • Hardly any correct sentences 
     • Spelling errors 
     • Broken usage must be identified.
   • Group C (03 - 04 Marks)
     • Construction errors, the candidate is hampered
     • Lack of confidence in language use
     • Very simple sentences 
     • All manner of grammatical errors 
     • Mother tongue interference 
     • Poor organization of ideas
     • The flow is jerky, misused prepositions and idioms, digresses a lot
   • Group B (05 - 06 Marks)
     • Communicates fluently, with ease of expression
     • Well-constructed sentences
     • Good use of vocabulary
     • Some errors
     • Items of merit, individual words
   • Group A (07-08 Marks) 
     • Ease of expression with no errors of punctuation, spelling and grammar 
     • Good planning/organization of ideas (flow of ideas) 
     • Clever use of vocabulary and maturity in language use/style 
     • Definite spark and unusual style 
     • Originality of ideas
       
       BODY/CONTENT: (8 marks); broken down into:
     • Experience (E) 2: the students must demonstrate that he/she has been a drug addict and now reformed. (2 marks) 
     • Three ways of preventing: 3x2; (6 marks)
       LANGUAGE: (8 marks)
       FORMAT: (6 marks)
2.  
   1. retained
   2. continued/sustained
   3. But 
   4. become 
   5. it
   6. worth 
   7. almost/nearly
   8. Thus
   9. aids/tools/resources
   10. on
3.  
   1.  
      1. Conversational features/direct address e.g. "You"
         • Repetition: "what about my children?"
         • Alliteration (maize, market, my market)
         • Direct translation: maize has a market
         • Consonance: will/kill; what/about
         • Rhyme: will/kill
           (2 x 3 marks, 1 for identification, Ifor illustration)
           N/B: mark the first three, draw a line.
      2.  
         • It calls attention to the perpetration of the evil deeds of the one to blame for the death of the persona's children.
         • Because of its accusatory nature.
         • Source of the problems of the persona
           (Any 1 point 2 marks each)
   2.  
      1. Onomatopoeia-cracked
      2. Rhyme-health and wealth
      3. Alliteration k sound
         Consonance: ken/can
         Assonance: can/curdled
         (2 x 3 marks, 1 mark for identification, 1 mark for illustration)
   3. guide        anguish          juice            biscuit
      quite        equipment       cruise          built
                                           suitable        guilt
      (1 x 4 = 4 marks)
   4. mis.use
      pro.se.cute
      dis.like
      a.buse
      a.gree.ment
      (1 x 5 = 5 marks)
      N/B: do not accept stress markers
   5. Sample answer
      YOU:                I am MungaloMwaniki, and I am a student at Kenyatta University.  (1 mark)
      REPORTER :      How did you find the talk about cheating in national examinations?   (1 mark)
      YOU:                That a student who cheats in exams obtains grades that do not reflect his/her ability.                                       Consequently, many students cannot make it in the courses they are admitted to.   (2 marks)
      REPORTER :      I see. What would you like to tell your fellow students then?    (1 mark)
      YOU:                I would like to tell them that cheating in exams ultimately does not help anyone. They should                            avoid it and work hard.    (1 mark)
      REPORTER:       Thank you for your insightful responses, Mungalo.   (1 mark)
                              (Appreciate the interviewee)
      Expect any other relevant/reasonable responses. (Yes/No answers do not score)