I85PREP
⌘ K
Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level English Language study materials
Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level English Language study resources

Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level English Language practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level English Language understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1English Language

In the sentence 'The teacher gave the students a difficult assignment', which word is the indirect object?

  1. assignment
  2. difficult
  3. teacher
  4. students Correct answer.

Explanation

A verb such as 'gave' can take two objects. The direct object is what is given ('assignment'), and the indirect object is the person who receives it ('students').

Question 2English Language

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'Neither the prefect nor the monitors ______ willing to attend the meeting'?

  1. is
  2. were Correct answer.
  3. has been
  4. was

Explanation

With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. The nearest subject here is 'monitors', which is plural, so the plural verb 'were' is required.

Question 3English Language

In the word 'unbelievable', what is the function of the morpheme 'un-'?

  1. It is a free root carrying the main meaning.
  2. It changes the word from a noun to a verb.
  3. It is an inflectional suffix marking tense.
  4. It is a derivational prefix that reverses meaning. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Un-' is a bound prefix added to 'believable' to create a new word with the opposite sense. Because it forms a new lexical item rather than marking grammatical features, it is derivational.

Question 4English Language

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly according to standard written English?

  1. The girl's uniforms were neatly ironed before assembly.
  2. The girls uniforms' were neatly ironed before assembly.
  3. The girls' uniforms were neatly ironed before assembly. Correct answer.
  4. The girls's uniforms were neatly ironed before assembly.

Explanation

When a plural noun already ends in -s, the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe after the s. 'Girls'' therefore correctly shows that the uniforms belong to several girls.

Question 5English Language

A formal letter to the Divisional Officer should most appropriately close with which salutation?

  1. Cheers, mate
  2. Yours faithfully Correct answer.
  3. Love and kisses
  4. See you soon

Explanation

Formal correspondence addressed to an unnamed official conventionally ends with 'Yours faithfully' in British-influenced usage. The register must remain polite and impersonal throughout.

Question 6English Language

In the sentence 'If I had studied harder, I would have passed the examination', what does the verb form express?

  1. An unfulfilled condition in the past Correct answer.
  2. A command about future study habits
  3. A factual statement about past achievement
  4. A polite request for permission

Explanation

The pattern 'if + past perfect, would have + past participle' is the third conditional. It describes a condition in the past that did not happen, together with its imagined result.

Question 7English Language

Which word is an antonym of 'frugal' as used in 'a frugal farmer'?

  1. Prudent
  2. Thrifty
  3. Economical
  4. Extravagant Correct answer.

Explanation

'Frugal' means sparing or economical with money and resources. Its opposite is 'extravagant', which means spending excessively.

Question 8English Language

Identify the figure of speech in 'The wind whispered through the palm trees'.

  1. Hyperbole
  2. Onomatopoeia
  3. Personification Correct answer.
  4. Simile

Explanation

Personification gives human qualities to non-human things. Whispering is a human action attributed here to the wind, which is why the line is personified.

Question 9English Language

Choose the option that best replaces the underlined part: 'The committee has not yet reached a decision, and the members are still debating.'

  1. has not reached a decision yet already
  2. has not reached any decision yet Correct answer.
  3. has not reached no decision
  4. have not yet reached a decision

Explanation

Standard English avoids double negatives and redundant adverbs. 'Has not reached any decision yet' keeps the singular collective verb and uses 'any' correctly after a negative.

Question 10English Language

What is the main function of a topic sentence in a paragraph?

  1. To provide statistical evidence supporting the conclusion
  2. To introduce the controlling idea that the rest of the paragraph develops Correct answer.
  3. To link the paragraph to the writer's biography
  4. To summarise all preceding paragraphs of the essay

Explanation

A topic sentence states the central idea of a paragraph and signals what the supporting sentences will discuss. It usually appears at or near the beginning of the paragraph.

Question 11English Language

In the word 'photograph', where does the primary stress fall in standard British pronunciation?

  1. Equally on all syllables
  2. On the first syllable Correct answer.
  3. On the second syllable
  4. On the final syllable

Explanation

The noun 'photograph' is stressed on the first syllable: PHO-to-graph. Related forms shift stress, as in pho-TO-gra-pher and pho-to-GRAPH-ic.

Question 12English Language

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

  1. Walking to school, the pupils were soaked by rain.
  2. The pupils walking to school were soaked by rain.
  3. Walking to school, the rain soaked the pupils. Correct answer.
  4. As they walked to school, the pupils were soaked by rain.

Explanation

A dangling modifier occurs when the introductory participle has no logical subject in the main clause. In option 0 the rain appears to be walking to school, which is absurd.

Question 13English Language

In reported speech, 'She said, "I will visit Buea tomorrow"' becomes:

  1. She said that she would visit Buea the following day. Correct answer.
  2. She said that I would visit Buea the next day.
  3. She said that she will visit Buea tomorrow.
  4. She said she visits Buea tomorrow.

Explanation

When the reporting verb is in the past, 'will' shifts to 'would' and 'tomorrow' shifts to 'the following day'. The pronoun 'I' also changes to 'she' to reflect the original speaker.

Question 14English Language

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'She is the girl ______ father teaches us Biology'?

  1. who
  2. which
  3. whom
  4. whose Correct answer.

Explanation

The relative pronoun must show possession of 'father'. 'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun used for people and things alike.

Question 15English Language

Which of these sentences uses the semicolon correctly?

  1. The rain stopped; and we continued the journey.
  2. The rain stopped; because we continued the journey.
  3. The rain stopped; however we continued.
  4. The rain stopped; we continued the journey. Correct answer.

Explanation

A semicolon can join two independent clauses that are closely related without a conjunction. Both 'The rain stopped' and 'we continued the journey' can stand alone.

Question 16English Language

What is the effect of the repetition of 'never' in 'Never again, never again will I trust him'?

  1. It changes the sentence into a question.
  2. It introduces a comparison between two people.
  3. It weakens the speaker's resolve.
  4. It creates emphasis and emotional intensity. Correct answer.

Explanation

Repetition is a rhetorical device that reinforces meaning and heightens emotion. Repeating 'never again' stresses the speaker's firm determination.

Question 17English Language

Which word is spelt correctly?

  1. Recieve
  2. Accommodation Correct answer.
  3. Neccessary
  4. Occurence

Explanation

'Accommodation' is spelt with double c and double m. It is a commonly misspelt word in formal writing.

Question 18English Language

In the sentence 'The boy kicked the ball into the net', what is the grammatical function of 'into the net'?

  1. A prepositional phrase acting as subject
  2. An adverbial phrase of place Correct answer.
  3. A noun phrase acting as object
  4. An adjectival phrase modifying 'boy'

Explanation

'Into the net' is a prepositional phrase functioning adverbially to tell us where the ball went. It modifies the verb 'kicked' by supplying direction.

Question 19English Language

Which option best expresses the sentence in the passive voice: 'The mechanic repaired the engine yesterday'?

  1. The mechanic was repaired by the engine yesterday.
  2. The engine has been repairing yesterday.
  3. The engine repaired the mechanic yesterday.
  4. The engine was repaired by the mechanic yesterday. Correct answer.

Explanation

To form the passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject and the verb becomes 'be + past participle'. The agent is optionally introduced with 'by'.

Question 20English Language

Which sentence is written in the most appropriate register for a school magazine article?

  1. The principal announced that examinations would begin on Monday. Correct answer.
  2. The principal was like, yeah, exams Monday, whatever.
  3. The principal done said exams start Monday, innit.
  4. The principal, he don come talk say we go start exam Monday.

Explanation

A school magazine article calls for standard, formal written English. Option 1 uses complete grammar and neutral vocabulary appropriate to that audience.

Question 21English Language

What is the meaning of the idiom 'to bury the hatchet'?

  1. To hide evidence of a crime
  2. To make peace after a quarrel Correct answer.
  3. To abandon an important project
  4. To prepare for a long journey

Explanation

The idiom 'to bury the hatchet' means to end a conflict and become friendly again. It comes from a traditional practice of setting aside weapons after a dispute.

Question 22English Language

In the sentence 'Hardly had the bell rung when the pupils rushed out', why is 'had' placed before 'the bell'?

  1. 'Hardly' is a conjunction that demands a following verb.
  2. Negative adverbs at the start of a clause trigger inversion of subject and auxiliary. Correct answer.
  3. The sentence is a direct question requiring inversion.
  4. The past perfect tense always places the auxiliary first.

Explanation

When a negative or restrictive adverb such as 'hardly', 'never' or 'scarcely' begins a clause, the subject and auxiliary are inverted. Thus 'hardly had the bell rung' rather than 'hardly the bell had rung'.

Question 23English Language

Which pair of words are homophones?

  1. Peace and piece Correct answer.
  2. Loose and lose
  3. Advice and advise
  4. Bought and brought

Explanation

Homophones sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning. 'Peace' and 'piece' are both pronounced the same way.

Question 24English Language

Read the sentence: 'The old fisherman, his net torn and his boat leaking, refused to abandon the sea.' Which statement best describes the effect of the participial phrase 'his net torn and his boat leaking'?

  1. It introduces a new character into the narrative.
  2. It supplies background detail that highlights the fisherman's stubbornness. Correct answer.
  3. It contradicts the refusal mentioned later.
  4. It states the main action of the sentence.

Explanation

The absolute participial phrase adds descriptive circumstance without forming the main verb. By stressing the fisherman's poor equipment, it throws his refusal into sharper relief.

Question 25English Language

Which option corrects the faulty parallelism in 'She likes swimming, to dance and reading novels'?

  1. She likes swimming, dancing and reading novels. Correct answer.
  2. She likes to swimming, dancing and read novels.
  3. She likes swim, dance and reading novels.
  4. She likes swimming, to dance and to reading novels.

Explanation

Items in a list joined by 'and' should share the same grammatical form. Using three gerunds, 'swimming, dancing and reading', restores parallel structure.

Question 26English Language

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'Neither the teacher nor the pupils ______ arrived for the debate'?

  1. was
  2. is
  3. have Correct answer.
  4. has

Explanation

With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which here is the plural 'pupils', so the plural form 'have' is required. The singular forms would only be correct if the nearer subject were singular.

Question 27English Language

In the sentence 'The headmaster, together with the teachers, ______ attending the ceremony', which verb form is correct?

  1. have been
  2. were
  3. is Correct answer.
  4. are

Explanation

The phrase 'together with the teachers' is parenthetical and does not change the number of the subject 'headmaster'. The true subject is singular, so the singular verb 'is' is used.

Question 28English Language

Which option best describes the function of the word 'although' in 'Although it rained heavily, the match continued'?

  1. It introduces a clause that gives the result of the main clause
  2. It introduces a clause that states the cause of the main clause
  3. It joins two clauses of equal grammatical weight
  4. It introduces a clause that contrasts with the main clause Correct answer.

Explanation

'Although' is a subordinating conjunction of concession: it signals that the information in its clause is surprising or contrary to the main clause. The main clause still happened despite the obstacle.

Question 29English Language

In the sentence 'She spoke to the candidates kindly', what is the grammatical function of 'kindly'?

  1. A preposition introducing a phrase
  2. An adverb modifying the verb 'spoke' Correct answer.
  3. A noun acting as object of 'to'
  4. An adjective modifying 'candidates'

Explanation

'Kindly' describes how the speaking was done, so it modifies the verb 'spoke' and functions as an adverb of manner. It does not describe the candidates or act as a noun.

Question 30English Language

Which option correctly rewrites 'The teacher made the pupils write the essay again' in the passive voice?

  1. The pupils made to write the essay again by the teacher.
  2. The pupils were made write the essay again by the teacher.
  3. The pupils were made to write the essay again by the teacher. Correct answer.
  4. The pupils have made to write the essay again by the teacher.

Explanation

Verbs of causation such as 'make' take a bare infinitive in the active voice but require 'to' in the passive: 'were made to write'. The passive also needs the auxiliary 'were' with the past participle 'made'.

Question 31English Language

Which option best explains why 'the' is used in 'The lion is a dangerous animal'?

  1. It refers to a particular lion already mentioned
  2. It is used because 'lion' begins with a consonant sound
  3. It is required before every countable noun in English
  4. It represents the whole class of lions Correct answer.

Explanation

The definite article with a singular countable noun can make a generic statement about an entire class, as in 'The lion is a dangerous animal'. It does not point to one specific animal in this sentence.

Question 32English Language

Which sentence uses the present perfect tense appropriately?

  1. I have visit Limbe three times.
  2. I have visited Limbe three times since 2019. Correct answer.
  3. I have visited Limbe last year.
  4. I visited Limbe since 2019.

Explanation

The present perfect links a past action to the present and is used with time expressions such as 'since' and 'three times'. It cannot normally be combined with a finished past time like 'last year'.

Question 33English Language

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'By the time we arrived, the film ______'?

  1. had already started Correct answer.
  2. was already start
  3. already started
  4. has already started

Explanation

The past perfect 'had started' shows that one past action was completed before another past action ('arrived'). It establishes the correct sequence of events in the past.

Question 34English Language

Which option best identifies the type of clause underlined in 'The pupils who won the quiz were given prizes'?

  1. A non-defining relative clause
  2. An adverbial clause of time
  3. A defining relative clause Correct answer.
  4. A noun clause acting as subject

Explanation

The clause 'who won the quiz' identifies which pupils received prizes, so it is a defining relative clause and is not set off by commas. A non-defining clause would add extra information about an already identified group.

Question 35English Language

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'If it ______ tomorrow, the sports day will be postponed'?

  1. would rain
  2. rains Correct answer.
  3. rained
  4. will rain

Explanation

In a first conditional, the if-clause uses the present simple and the main clause uses 'will'. The present tense 'rains' is therefore correct after 'if'.

Question 36English Language

Which option best explains the difference between 'He stopped to smoke' and 'He stopped smoking'?

  1. The first means he paused in order to smoke; the second means he gave up smoking Correct answer.
  2. The first is past tense; the second is present tense
  3. Both sentences mean exactly the same thing
  4. The first is informal; the second is formal

Explanation

After 'stop', a to-infinitive expresses purpose, so 'stopped to smoke' means he paused in order to smoke. A gerund expresses the activity that ended, so 'stopped smoking' means he quit the habit.

Question 37English Language

Which option best replaces the underlined part: 'The new road was built quickly, and it was also built cheaply'?

  1. quickly and cheap
  2. quickly and cheaply Correct answer.
  3. quick and cheap
  4. quick and cheaply

Explanation

The adverbs 'quickly' and 'cheaply' both modify the verb 'was built', so they must be parallel in form. Using one adverb and one adjective breaks that parallelism.

Question 38English Language

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

  1. He nearly lost all his money at the market.
  2. Covered in mud, the farmer washed the dog. Correct answer.
  3. She wore a red dress to the party.
  4. Walking along the beach, the children found a shell.

Explanation

In the last sentence, 'covered in mud' seems grammatically to describe 'the farmer', though it is the dog that was muddy. The modifier is misplaced because it is separated from the word it should describe.

Question 39English Language

Which option best explains the effect of the short sentence 'Silence.' in a narrative paragraph?

  1. It signals a change from past to future time
  2. It shows that the writer has made a grammatical error
  3. It introduces a list of items to follow
  4. It creates emphasis by abruptly interrupting the flow Correct answer.

Explanation

A one-word sentence is a deliberate stylistic device that draws attention and creates a dramatic pause. It heightens tension or emphasis by breaking the rhythm of longer sentences.

Question 40English Language

In the word 'environment', which syllable carries the primary stress in standard British pronunciation?

  1. First syllable: EN-
  2. Third syllable: -ron-
  3. Second syllable: -vi- Correct answer.
  4. Fourth syllable: -ment

Explanation

'Environment' is stressed on the second syllable: en-VI-ron-ment. The remaining syllables are unstressed and the final syllable is very weak.

Question 41English Language

Which option shows the correct plural form of 'criterion'?

  1. criterions
  2. criterion
  3. criteria Correct answer.
  4. criterias

Explanation

'Criterion' is a Greek-derived noun whose plural is 'criteria', formed by changing '-on' to '-a'. Words like 'phenomenon' follow the same pattern.

Question 42English Language

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'The two brothers helped ______ with the harvest'?

  1. themselves
  2. one another
  3. each other Correct answer.
  4. themself

Explanation

'Each other' is traditionally used for two people, while 'one another' is used for more than two. Since the subject is 'the two brothers', 'each other' is the more precise choice.

Question 43English Language

Which option best explains the difference in meaning between 'a few pupils' and 'few pupils'?

  1. 'A few pupils' means some pupils; 'few pupils' emphasises that the number is small Correct answer.
  2. Both always mean the same number of pupils
  3. 'Few pupils' means many pupils; 'a few pupils' means hardly any
  4. 'A few pupils' is plural; 'few pupils' is singular

Explanation

With count nouns, 'a few' has a positive sense meaning 'some', while bare 'few' has a negative sense stressing scarcity. The article changes the attitude conveyed, not the grammatical number.

Question 44English Language

Which option best explains the use of the apostrophe in 'the girls' hostel'?

  1. It marks a contraction of 'girl is'
  2. It shows that the hostel belongs to more than one girl Correct answer.
  3. It marks an omitted letter in a plural noun
  4. It is used to form the plural of 'girl'

Explanation

The apostrophe after the final 's' shows possession by a plural noun ending in -s, so the hostel belongs to several girls. A singular owner would be written 'the girl's hostel'.

Question 45English Language

Which option uses the comma correctly?

  1. My uncle who, lives in Bamenda is a teacher.
  2. My uncle who lives in Bamenda, is a teacher.
  3. My uncle, who lives in Bamenda, is a teacher. Correct answer.
  4. My uncle who lives in Bamenda is a teacher.

Explanation

A non-defining relative clause giving extra information about an already identified person is enclosed in commas on both sides. Here the clause merely adds detail about 'my uncle', so both commas are needed.

Question 46English Language

Which option best explains the meaning of the prefix in 'misunderstand'?

  1. It means 'wrongly' or 'badly' Correct answer.
  2. It means 'again'
  3. It means 'against the law'
  4. It means 'before'

Explanation

The prefix 'mis-' conveys the idea of wrongness or error, so 'misunderstand' means to understand incorrectly. Other examples include 'misplace' and 'misjudge'.

Question 47English Language

Which option best describes the register of the sentence 'Kindly submit your forms before the close of business on Friday'?

  1. Poetic and figurative
  2. Informal and conversational
  3. Colloquial and humorous
  4. Formal and official Correct answer.

Explanation

The use of 'kindly', the polite imperative and the phrase 'close of business' mark this as formal, official language. Such wording suits notices and administrative communication.

Question 48English Language

Which option best explains the function of the sentence 'In conclusion, therefore, the school should provide more library books' within a passage?

  1. It signals a summary and restates the writer's position Correct answer.
  2. It provides a definition of a key term
  3. It introduces a new argument not previously discussed
  4. It gives an example supporting an earlier point

Explanation

Signals such as 'in conclusion' and 'therefore' mark the closing stage of an argument, where the writer summarises and reaffirms the main position. They do not introduce fresh evidence or definitions.

Question 49English Language

Which option best explains why 'The cake was eaten by the children' is preferred to 'The children ate the cake' in a report on a missing cake?

  1. The passive avoids naming the doer of the action
  2. The passive places focus on the cake, which is the topic of the report Correct answer.
  3. The passive is always more formal than the active
  4. The passive shows that the action happened in the past

Explanation

The passive allows the writer to begin with the element that matters most in context, here the cake. Since the doer is still named in the by-phrase, the choice is about emphasis rather than hiding responsibility.

Question 50English Language

Which option best explains the meaning of the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag'?

  1. To waste an opportunity
  2. To reveal a secret accidentally Correct answer.
  3. To start a quarrel
  4. To escape from a difficult situation

Explanation

The idiom means to disclose information that was meant to be kept secret, usually by mistake. It is not about escaping danger or wasting chances.