GABECE cheat sheet

Parts of speech: noun (person, place, thing, idea), pronoun (replaces a noun), verb (action or state), adjective (modifies a noun), adverb (modifies verb, adjective or adverb), preposition (shows relation), conjunction (joins), interjection (exclamation).

Sentence types by function: declarative (statement), interrogative (question), imperative (command or request), exclamatory (strong feeling).

Tense rules: simple present for habits and general truths; present continuous for actions in progress; simple past for completed actions with a definite past time; present perfect (has/have + past participle) for past actions with present relevance and no stated past time.

Subject-verb agreement: singular subject takes singular verb; compound subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb; 'each', 'every', 'either', 'neither', 'everyone' take singular verbs.

Direct speech to indirect speech: change pronouns to match the reporter, backshift the tense one step (present to past, past to past perfect), and change time and place words (now to then, today to that day, here to there).

Active to passive: move the object to subject position, use the correct form of 'be' plus past participle, and add 'by' plus the agent only when it matters.

Punctuation: full stop ends a statement; question mark ends a direct question; comma separates items in a list and marks off non-defining clauses; apostrophe shows possession or omission; capital letters begin sentences and proper nouns.

Figures of speech: simile compares using 'like' or 'as'; metaphor states one thing is another; personification gives human qualities to non-human things; alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds; hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration.

Comprehension strategy: identify the main idea, distinguish stated fact from inference, and use context clues (definition, example, contrast, cause-effect) to work out unfamiliar vocabulary.

Order of operations (BODMAS/PEMDAS): brackets, orders (powers and roots), division and multiplication left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.

Fractions: a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd; a/b ÷ c/d = a/b × d/c; to compare fractions, convert to a common denominator.

Percentages: percentage change = (change ÷ original) × 100; simple interest I = PRT/100; profit or loss percent is calculated on the cost price.

Algebra: expand a(b + c) = ab + ac; factorise by taking out the HCF; solve linear equations by performing the same operation on both sides; (a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b².

Area and perimeter: rectangle A = lb, P = 2(l + b); triangle A = ½bh; circle A = πr², C = 2πr; trapezium A = ½(a + b)h.

Volume: cuboid V = lbh; cylinder V = πr²h; total surface area of a cuboid = 2(lb + lh + bh).

Pythagoras' theorem: in a right-angled triangle, a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse; the converse identifies a right angle.

Statistics: mean = sum of values ÷ number of values; median is the middle value of ordered data; mode is the most frequent value; range = highest − lowest.

Angles: angles on a straight line sum to 180°; angles at a point sum to 360°; angles in a triangle sum to 180°; vertically opposite angles are equal; alternate angles between parallel lines are equal.

Cell structure: plant cells have a cellulose cell wall, chloroplasts and a large vacuole; animal cells lack a cell wall and chloroplasts; both have a nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane.

Photosynthesis: carbon dioxide + water → (light energy, chlorophyll) → glucose + oxygen; occurs in chloroplasts; respiration is the reverse energy-releasing process.

States of matter: solids have fixed shape and volume; liquids have fixed volume but take the shape of the container; gases fill any container; changes of state are melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, sublimation.

Mixtures and separation: filtration separates insoluble solid from liquid; evaporation recovers a dissolved solid; distillation separates liquids by boiling point; chromatography separates dissolved colours.

Acids and bases: acids turn blue litmus red and have pH below 7; bases turn red litmus blue and have pH above 7; neutralisation (acid + base) gives a salt and water.

Electricity: current is measured in amperes, voltage in volts, resistance in ohms; series circuits share one path (current same, voltage divides); parallel circuits provide separate paths.

Human body systems: digestive system breaks food down and absorbs nutrients; circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients; respiratory system exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide in the alveoli.

Ecosystem terms: producer makes its own food, consumer feeds on others, decomposer breaks down dead matter, habitat is where an organism lives, food chain shows energy flow.

Ghana became independent on 6 March 1957 and a republic on 1 July 1960; Kwame Nkrumah was the first Prime Minister and first President.

Ghana's regions: the country is divided into regions for local administration, each headed by a Regional Minister; districts are the basic unit of local government.

The 1992 Constitution is the supreme law of Ghana; it establishes the executive (President), legislature (Parliament) and judiciary (courts) with separation of powers.

Arms of government: the President is Head of State and Government; Parliament makes laws; the judiciary interprets laws and is independent.

Citizenship in Ghana is acquired by birth, by descent, by registration or by naturalisation, as set out in the Constitution.

The AU (African Union) promotes continental unity; ECOWAS promotes West African economic integration; the UN promotes international peace and cooperation.

Map reading: a scale shows the relationship between map distance and ground distance; a key explains symbols; contour lines join points of equal height; north is conventionally at the top.

Human rights and responsibilities: rights such as life, education and free speech carry corresponding duties to respect the rights of others and obey the law.

The three major religions studied in Ghana are Christianity, Islam and Traditional Religion; each teaches honesty, respect for elders, kindness and care for neighbours.

Christianity: the Bible is the sacred scripture; Jesus Christ is central; the Ten Commandments guide moral conduct; love of God and neighbour summarises the law.

Islam: the Qur'an is the sacred scripture; the Five Pillars are Shahada (declaration of faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

Traditional Ghanaian religion: belief in a Supreme Being, veneration of ancestors as intermediaries, and the role of traditional priests and festivals in community life.

Moral values: honesty, integrity, humility, chastity, patience, forgiveness and communal sharing are taught across the religions and reinforced by proverbs.

Golden Rule: treat others as you wish to be treated; it appears in similar form in Christianity, Islam and traditional ethics.

Religious festivals in Ghana include Christmas and Easter (Christian), Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Muslim), and traditional festivals such as Homowo, Aboakyere and Damba.

Moral decision-making: consider the intention, the act itself and its consequences; respect for human dignity and the law guides choices.

Ghanaian languages studied include Akan (Twi and Fante), Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, Gonja, Kasem and Dagaare; each has its own orthography and tone system.

Akan noun classes: prefixes mark singular and plural, e.g. ɔ- becomes n- in many human nouns (ɔbarima, mmarima); the nasal prefix often marks plurality.

Tone is phonemic in Ghanaian languages: a change of pitch can change meaning, so high and low tones must be marked and read accurately.

Proverbs (Akan: mmɛbusɛm) carry moral lessons and are used in formal speech; elders use them to advise, correct and praise.

Folktales (Ananse stories) use animal characters to teach wisdom, patience and the consequences of greed and trickery.

Rites of passage include outdooring (naming ceremony), puberty rites such as Dipo, marriage, and funeral rites; each marks a change of status in the community.

Kente weaving, adinkra symbols, stool carving and pottery are traditional crafts; each adinkra symbol carries a specific proverb and meaning.

Respect registers: use of titles, greetings by time of day, and right-hand giving and receiving are important norms of courtesy in many Ghanaian cultures.

Design process: identify the problem, research, generate ideas, select the best idea, make a prototype, test and evaluate, then modify.

Technical drawing: use a sharp pencil, draw construction lines lightly, keep dimensions to scale, and include a title block, front view, plan and side view in orthographic projection.

Materials: wood is a natural material from trees; metals are conductors and can be ferrous (contain iron) or non-ferrous; plastics are synthetic and can be thermosetting or thermoplastic.

Joining methods: nails and screws for wood, glue for permanent joints, welding and riveting for metal, stitching and hemming for textiles.

Food and nutrition: a balanced diet supplies carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre; deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy, of iron anaemia, of protein kwashiorkor.

Food hygiene: wash hands, keep raw and cooked foods separate, cook food thoroughly, store perishables cold, and cover food to prevent contamination.

Textiles: natural fibres include cotton, silk and wool; synthetic fibres include nylon and polyester; warp threads run lengthwise and weft threads run across.

Safety in the workshop: wear protective clothing, keep tools sharp and stored properly, and never use a tool for a purpose it was not designed for.

Computer parts: input devices (keyboard, mouse, scanner), processing unit (CPU), output devices (monitor, printer, speaker) and storage (hard disk, flash drive, SSD).

Hardware is the physical equipment; software is the set of instructions; system software includes the operating system, while application software performs user tasks.

Memory: RAM is volatile working memory cleared when power is off; ROM is non-volatile and holds startup instructions; storage is measured in bytes, KB, MB, GB and TB.

File management: a folder organises files; a file has a name and an extension that shows its type, e.g. .docx for a document, .xlsx for a spreadsheet, .jpg for an image.

Word processing: use bold, italic and underline for emphasis; a table organises data in rows and columns; save work frequently and use 'Save As' to keep a copy.

Spreadsheets: a cell is the intersection of a row and column; a formula begins with '='; SUM, AVERAGE, MAX and MIN perform common calculations.

Internet and email: a URL identifies a web address; email needs a recipient address, subject and message; never share passwords and log out on shared computers.

Computer security: use strong passwords, keep antivirus updated, avoid opening suspicious attachments, and back up important files.

Definite articles: le (masculine), la (feminine), l' (before a vowel or silent h), les (plural); indefinite articles: un (masculine), une (feminine), des (plural).

Present tense of regular -er verbs: drop -er and add -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent (parler: je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent).

Key irregular verbs: être (je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont); avoir (j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont); aller (je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont).

Negation: place ne before the verb and pas after it - Je ne parle pas français; with a vowel, ne becomes n'.

Passé composé: auxiliary avoir or être in the present plus past participle; most verbs use avoir, movement verbs such as aller and venir use être and the participle agrees with the subject.

Adjective agreement: adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun - un petit garçon, une petite fille, des petits garçons; most feminine forms add -e.

Numbers and time: un, deux, trois … vingt; soixante-dix (70), quatre-vingts (80), quatre-vingt-dix (90); Quelle heure est-il? Il est trois heures.

Question forms: inversion (Parles-tu français?), est-ce que (Est-ce que tu parles français?), or rising intonation (Tu parles français?).

Elements of art: line, shape, form, colour, texture, space and value; principles of design include balance, contrast, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, unity and movement.

Colour theory: primary colours are red, yellow and blue; mixing two primaries gives a secondary colour (orange, green, violet); complementary colours sit opposite on the colour wheel.

Drawing and painting: use light construction lines, observe proportion, and build tone gradually from light to dark; hatching and cross-hatching create shading.

Modelling and carving: clay must be wedged to remove air bubbles, kept damp while working, and dried slowly before firing to prevent cracking.

Performing arts: a drama or dance piece needs a plot or theme, characters, movement, music and an audience; rehearsal and stage discipline improve performance.

Career technology: careers include carpentry, tailoring, catering, plumbing, electrical work, graphic design and ICT; technical and vocational skills are valued pathways.

Entrepreneurship: identify a need, plan the product or service, cost materials and labour, set a price that covers cost and gives profit, then market to customers.

Music basics: rhythm is the pattern of sounds in time; melody is a sequence of pitches; tempo is speed; dynamics is loudness; traditional Ghanaian instruments include the kpanlogo drum, atenteben and gonje.

Elements of art: line, shape, form, colour, texture, space and value; principles of design include balance, contrast, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, unity and movement.

Colour theory: primary colours are red, yellow and blue; mixing two primaries gives a secondary colour (orange, green, violet); complementary colours sit opposite on the colour wheel.

Drawing and painting: use light construction lines, observe proportion, and build tone gradually from light to dark; hatching and cross-hatching create shading.

Modelling and carving: clay must be wedged to remove air bubbles, kept damp while working, and dried slowly before firing to prevent cracking.

Performing arts: a drama or dance piece needs a plot or theme, characters, movement, music and an audience; rehearsal and stage discipline improve performance.

Career technology: careers include carpentry, tailoring, catering, plumbing, electrical work, graphic design and ICT; technical and vocational skills are valued pathways.

Entrepreneurship: identify a need, plan the product or service, cost materials and labour, set a price that covers cost and gives profit, then market to customers.

Music basics: rhythm is the pattern of sounds in time; melody is a sequence of pitches; tempo is speed; dynamics is loudness; traditional Ghanaian instruments include the kpanlogo drum, atenteben and gonje.