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GABECE practice questions

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Question 1English Language

In the sentence 'The head teacher praised the pupils because they had cleaned the compound,' which word is the subordinating conjunction?

  1. they
  2. because Correct answer.
  3. praised
  4. compound

Explanation

A subordinating conjunction joins a dependent clause to a main clause and signals the relationship between them. In this sentence 'because' introduces the reason clause 'because they had cleaned the compound', so it is the subordinating conjunction.

Question 2English Language

Choose the option in which the apostrophe is used correctly for possession.

  1. The girls uniforms' were ironed last night.
  2. The girls' uniforms were ironed last night. Correct answer.
  3. The girl's uniforms were ironed last night by all of them.
  4. The girls's uniforms were ironed last night.

Explanation

For a plural noun ending in -s, the possessive is formed by adding only an apostrophe after the final s. 'Girls'' therefore correctly shows that the uniforms belong to more than one girl.

Question 3English Language

Which sentence uses the article correctly?

  1. She is honest a woman who keeps her promises.
  2. She is the honest woman who keeps her promises always.
  3. She is an honest woman who keeps her promises. Correct answer.
  4. She is a honest woman who keeps her promises.

Explanation

The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound that begins the next word, not on the letter. 'Honest' begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent, so 'an honest woman' is correct.

Question 4English Language

What is the plural form of 'child' as used in standard written English?

  1. children Correct answer.
  2. childs
  3. childes
  4. childrens

Explanation

'Child' is an irregular noun that forms its plural by changing the vowel and adding -en, giving 'children'. This plural is already complete, so no extra -s is added.

Question 5English Language

In 'Musa runs faster than his brother,' what part of speech is 'faster'?

  1. preposition
  2. adverb Correct answer.
  3. adjective
  4. noun

Explanation

'Faster' modifies the verb 'runs', telling how Musa runs, so it functions as an adverb. Adjectives modify nouns, but here no noun is being described by the word.

Question 6English Language

Which sentence is written in the simple future tense?

  1. The pupils sat the examination last week.
  2. The pupils will sit the examination next week. Correct answer.
  3. The pupils have sat the examination already.
  4. The pupils are sitting the examination now.

Explanation

The simple future is formed with 'will' (or 'shall') plus the base verb, as in 'will sit'. It expresses an action expected to happen after the moment of speaking.

Question 7English Language

Which word in 'Quickly, the tired farmer carried the heavy basket home' is an adverb?

  1. tired
  2. basket
  3. Quickly Correct answer.
  4. heavy

Explanation

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb, and many end in -ly. 'Quickly' tells how the farmer carried the basket, so it modifies the verb 'carried'.

Question 8English Language

Which option gives the correct comparative and superlative forms of 'good'?

  1. better, best Correct answer.
  2. gooder, goodest
  3. more good, most good
  4. best, better

Explanation

'Good' is an irregular adjective whose comparative is 'better' and superlative is 'best'. These forms are not built by adding -er and -est or by using 'more' and 'most'.

Question 9English Language

In 'The teacher gave the class a short test,' which option correctly identifies the indirect object?

  1. the class Correct answer.
  2. gave
  3. the teacher
  4. a short test

Explanation

The indirect object is the person or thing that receives the direct object, usually answering 'to whom?' or 'for whom?'. The test is given to the class, so 'the class' is the indirect object and 'a short test' is the direct object.

Question 10English Language

Choose the sentence that correctly uses the present perfect tense.

  1. She has finished her homework already. Correct answer.
  2. She is finishing her homework yesterday.
  3. She finish her homework already.
  4. She finished her homework already tomorrow.

Explanation

The present perfect is formed with 'has' or 'have' plus the past participle, and it connects a past action to the present. 'Has finished' follows this pattern and correctly agrees with the singular subject 'she'.

Question 11English Language

Which sentence contains a direct speech punctuation error?

  1. "Where are you going?" asked Amina.
  2. The teacher said, "Bring your books."
  3. "Sit down," said the monitor.
  4. "I am ready" she said quietly. Correct answer.

Explanation

When direct speech is followed by a reporting clause, a comma or other appropriate punctuation must separate the quoted words from the reporting clause. In option 3 the closing quotation mark is not preceded by any punctuation before 'she said'.

Question 12English Language

Which sentence uses the passive voice?

  1. The caretaker locked the gate at dusk.
  2. The gate was locked by the caretaker at dusk. Correct answer.
  3. The caretaker will lock the gate at dusk.
  4. The caretaker is locking the gate at dusk.

Explanation

In the passive voice the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb is formed with a form of 'be' plus the past participle. 'The gate was locked by the caretaker' follows this pattern.

Question 13English Language

In 'Although it rained heavily, the match continued,' what is the function of the clause 'Although it rained heavily'?

  1. It is a phrase without a verb.
  2. It is the main clause of the sentence.
  3. It is a subordinate clause showing contrast. Correct answer.
  4. It is a compound predicate.

Explanation

'Although' is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a dependent clause expressing contrast with the main clause. The clause has its own subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Question 14English Language

Which sentence correctly uses 'its' or 'it's'?

  1. Its raining heavily outside today.
  2. Its a long way to the river.
  3. The dog wagged it's tail happily.
  4. The school has changed its timetable. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Its' is the possessive form meaning 'belonging to it', while 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. Only option 2 uses the possessive correctly before the noun 'timetable'.

Question 15English Language

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: 'Neither the prefect nor the monitors ______ arrived yet.'

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

Explanation

With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it. The nearer subject is the plural 'monitors', so the plural verb 'have' is required.

Question 16English Language

Which sentence uses a colon correctly?

  1. She: bought three items bread milk and sugar.
  2. She bought: three items bread, milk and sugar.
  3. She bought three items: bread, milk and sugar. Correct answer.
  4. She bought three items, bread, milk and sugar: at the shop.

Explanation

A colon introduces a list, an explanation or a quotation after a complete clause. In option 1 the clause 'She bought three items' is complete and the colon correctly introduces the list that follows.

Question 17English Language

What is the meaning of the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag'?

  1. To reveal a secret accidentally Correct answer.
  2. To escape from a difficult situation
  3. To waste an opportunity carelessly
  4. To release an animal by mistake

Explanation

An idiom carries a figurative meaning different from the literal words. 'To let the cat out of the bag' means to disclose a secret, usually without intending to do so.

Question 18English Language

Which word is the best synonym for 'diligent' in 'a diligent pupil'?

  1. hardworking Correct answer.
  2. careless
  3. talkative
  4. lazy

Explanation

Synonyms are words with closely similar meanings. 'Diligent' describes someone who works steadily and carefully, so 'hardworking' is the closest match.

Question 19English Language

Identify the figure of speech in 'The wind whispered through the tall grass.'

  1. alliteration
  2. personification Correct answer.
  3. hyperbole
  4. simile

Explanation

Personification gives human qualities to something non-human. Whispering is a human action, so describing the wind as whispering attributes a human ability to a natural force.

Question 20English Language

Choose the sentence in which the pronoun reference is clear.

  1. When Amina met Fatou, she smiled warmly.
  2. When Amina met Fatou, Amina smiled warmly. Correct answer.
  3. Amina met Fatou and she smiled warmly at her.
  4. She met her and she smiled warmly.

Explanation

A pronoun should refer clearly to one identifiable noun. Repeating 'Amina' removes the ambiguity that arises when two people of the same gender are mentioned and 'she' could refer to either.

Question 21English Language

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

  1. Binta saw a snake while walking to school.
  2. While Binta was walking to school, she saw a snake.
  3. Walking to school, Binta saw a snake.
  4. Walking to school, a snake was seen by Binta. Correct answer.

Explanation

A dangling modifier has no logical word in the main clause for it to describe. In option 2 the opening phrase 'Walking to school' seems to describe 'a snake', which is absurd, so the modifier dangles.

Question 22English Language

Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'fewer' and 'less'.

  1. There are fewer pupils in the hall today than yesterday. Correct answer.
  2. There are less pupils in the hall today than yesterday.
  3. There are fewer water in the jar than before.
  4. There are less chairs and fewer noise in the room.

Explanation

'Fewer' is used with plural countable nouns such as 'pupils', while 'less' is used with uncountable nouns such as 'water' or 'noise'. Option 1 correctly pairs 'fewer' with the countable noun 'pupils'.

Question 23English Language

Read: 'The village had no clinic. Villagers walked twelve kilometres to the next town whenever illness struck.' Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Walking twelve kilometres is good exercise.
  2. The next town had no hospital at all.
  3. Villagers faced serious hardship because health care was far away. Correct answer.
  4. The village clinic was very busy.

Explanation

The main idea is the central point that the details support. Both sentences together show that the absence of a local clinic forced villagers to travel long distances when sick, which is a hardship.

Question 24English Language

Which sentence is correctly written in reported speech, given the direct statement 'I will come tomorrow,' said Lamin?

  1. Lamin said that he would come the next day. Correct answer.
  2. Lamin said that I would come the following day.
  3. Lamin said that he will come tomorrow.
  4. Lamin says that he would came the next day.

Explanation

In reported speech after a past reporting verb, 'will' changes to 'would', the pronoun shifts to match the speaker, and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day' or 'the following day'. Only option 1 applies all three changes correctly.

Question 25English Language

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

  1. Because 'hardly' is a negative adverb at the start, which triggers inversion. Correct answer.
  2. Because the sentence is a question needing a helping verb first.
  3. Because 'the bell' is an object that must follow the verb.
  4. Because the past perfect always places 'had' before its subject.

Explanation

When a negative or restrictive adverb such as 'hardly', 'scarcely' or 'never' opens a clause, standard English requires subject-verb inversion with the auxiliary. That is why 'had' comes before 'the bell'.

Question 26English Language

In the sentence 'The head prefect, together with the class monitors, plans the assembly programme,' which option correctly identifies the grammatical subject?

  1. the class monitors
  2. The head prefect, together with the class monitors
  3. the assembly programme
  4. The head prefect Correct answer.

Explanation

The grammatical subject is the noun phrase that determines the number of the verb. Phrases introduced by 'together with', 'along with', and 'as well as' are parenthetical and do not change the subject, so 'The head prefect' is the subject and takes the singular verb 'plans'. The monitors are mentioned only as an accompanying phrase.

Question 27English Language

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: 'If the school ______ the new library earlier, pupils would have had more study space last term.'

  1. built
  2. has built
  3. would build
  4. had built Correct answer.

Explanation

This is a third conditional sentence, which describes an unreal past situation. The if-clause takes the past perfect ('had built') and the main clause takes 'would have' plus a past participle ('would have had'). The time marker 'last term' confirms the reference is to the past.

Question 28English Language

Read the sentence: 'The committee, which met on Monday, has not yet released its report.' Which option best describes the function of the clause 'which met on Monday'?

  1. It is a defining relative clause that identifies which committee is meant.
  2. It is a noun clause acting as the object of 'released'.
  3. It is a non-defining relative clause that adds extra information about the committee. Correct answer.
  4. It is an adverbial clause of time modifying 'has not released'.

Explanation

The clause is set off by commas and begins with 'which', so it is a non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause. It supplies additional information about 'the committee' but is not needed to identify it. Removing it would leave the sentence's basic meaning intact.

Question 29English Language

Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?

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

Explanation

A semicolon can join two independent clauses that are closely related and not already joined by a coordinating conjunction. In option 0, both 'The rain stopped' and 'the pupils continued their journey' are independent clauses, and the semicolon correctly links them without a conjunction.

Question 30English Language

In the sentence 'Hardly had the pupils entered the hall when the power went off,' why is 'had' placed before 'the pupils'?

  1. Because 'hardly' is a conjunction that requires the verb to come first.
  2. Because the negative adverb 'hardly' at the start triggers inversion of subject and auxiliary. Correct answer.
  3. Because the sentence is in the passive voice and the auxiliary must precede the subject.
  4. Because 'had' is needed to form a question in indirect speech.

Explanation

When a sentence begins with a negative or restrictive adverb such as 'hardly', 'scarcely', or 'never', standard English requires inversion of the subject and auxiliary verb. Thus 'the pupils had entered' becomes 'had the pupils entered'. The inversion is a formal stylistic rule, not a question form.

Question 31Mathematics

A trader buys a bag of rice for D150 and sells it for D180. What is the percentage profit?

  1. 25%
  2. 30%
  3. 20% Correct answer.
  4. 16.7%

Explanation

Profit is D180 − D150 = D30. Percentage profit is always calculated on the cost price, so (30 ÷ 150) × 100 = 20%. Dividing by the selling price instead would give a different and incorrect figure.

Question 32Mathematics

Simplify the expression 3(2x − 4) + 5x.

  1. 11x − 12 Correct answer.
  2. 6x − 7
  3. 6x − 12
  4. 11x + 12

Explanation

Expand the bracket first: 3 × 2x = 6x and 3 × (−4) = −12, giving 6x − 12. Then collect like terms: 6x + 5x = 11x, so the result is 11x − 12.

Question 33Mathematics

What is the value of the digit 7 in the number 4 372 058?

  1. 7 ten-thousands Correct answer.
  2. 7 hundreds
  3. 7 thousands
  4. 7 hundred-thousands

Explanation

Reading place values from the right, the digits are 8 ones, 5 tens, 0 hundreds, 2 thousands, 7 ten-thousands, 3 hundred-thousands and 4 millions. The 7 therefore stands for 7 ten-thousands, that is 70 000.

Question 34Mathematics

A triangle has two angles measuring 48° and 67°. What is the size of the third angle?

  1. 65° Correct answer.
  2. 115°
  3. 55°
  4. 75°

Explanation

The angles of any triangle add up to 180°. The two given angles total 48° + 67° = 115°, so the third angle is 180° − 115° = 65°.

Question 35Mathematics

Which of these numbers is a prime number?

  1. 33
  2. 29 Correct answer.
  3. 21
  4. 27

Explanation

A prime number has exactly two factors, 1 and itself. The number 29 is not divisible by 2, 3 or 5, and no factor below its square root divides it, so it is prime.

Question 36Mathematics

Convert 0.375 to a fraction in its simplest form.

  1. 37/100
  2. 3/4
  3. 3/5
  4. 3/8 Correct answer.

Explanation

Write 0.375 as 375/1000 and divide both parts by 125, the highest common factor. This gives 3/8, which cannot be reduced further.

Question 37Mathematics

What is the mean of the numbers 12, 15, 9, 18 and 16?

  1. 70
  2. 15
  3. 12
  4. 14 Correct answer.

Explanation

The mean is the total divided by the count. The numbers add to 70 and there are five of them, so 70 ÷ 5 = 14.

Question 38Mathematics

A rectangle measures 12 cm by 5 cm. What is the length of its diagonal?

  1. 7 cm
  2. 17 cm
  3. 60 cm
  4. 13 cm Correct answer.

Explanation

The diagonal of a rectangle is the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle with the sides as legs. By Pythagoras, 12² + 5² = 144 + 25 = 169, and the square root of 169 is 13 cm.

Question 39Mathematics

A car travels 240 km in 3 hours. At the same average speed, how far will it travel in 5 hours?

  1. 300 km
  2. 400 km Correct answer.
  3. 480 km
  4. 360 km

Explanation

The average speed is 240 ÷ 3 = 80 km/h. In 5 hours the car covers 80 × 5 = 400 km. This is a direct proportion problem solved through the unit rate.

Question 40Mathematics

Solve the equation 5x − 7 = 3x + 9.

  1. x = 16
  2. x = 8 Correct answer.
  3. x = 2
  4. x = 1

Explanation

Subtract 3x from both sides to get 2x − 7 = 9, then add 7 to both sides to get 2x = 16. Dividing by 2 gives x = 8. Checking: 5(8) − 7 = 33 and 3(8) + 9 = 33.

Question 41Mathematics

The angles of a quadrilateral are in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3 : 4. What is the size of the largest angle?

  1. 120°
  2. 36°
  3. 72°
  4. 144° Correct answer.

Explanation

The angles of a quadrilateral add to 360°. The ratio has 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 parts, so one part is 360° ÷ 10 = 36°. The largest angle is 4 parts, that is 4 × 36° = 144°.

Question 42Mathematics

A sum of D2 000 is invested at 5% simple interest per year. What is the total amount after 3 years?

  1. D2 150
  2. D2 100
  3. D2 300 Correct answer.
  4. D2 500

Explanation

Simple interest is I = P × R × T ÷ 100 = 2000 × 5 × 3 ÷ 100 = D300. Adding the interest to the principal gives 2000 + 300 = D2 300.

Question 43Mathematics

Factorise x² − 9 completely.

  1. (x − 3)²
  2. (x − 3)(x + 3) Correct answer.
  3. (x − 9)(x + 1)
  4. (x + 3)²

Explanation

The expression is a difference of two squares, since x² − 9 = x² − 3². The standard factorisation a² − b² = (a − b)(a + b) gives (x − 3)(x + 3). Expanding confirms x² − 9.

Question 44Mathematics

A fair die is rolled once. What is the probability of getting a number greater than 4?

  1. 1/2
  2. 1/6
  3. 1/3 Correct answer.
  4. 2/3

Explanation

The die has six equally likely outcomes. The numbers greater than 4 are 5 and 6, so there are two favourable outcomes. The probability is 2/6, which simplifies to 1/3.

Question 45Mathematics

The circumference of a circle is 44 cm. Taking π = 22/7, what is its radius?

  1. 11 cm
  2. 7 cm Correct answer.
  3. 22 cm
  4. 14 cm

Explanation

The formula C = 2πr can be rearranged to r = C ÷ (2π). Substituting gives r = 44 ÷ (2 × 22/7) = 44 × 7 ÷ 44 = 7 cm.

Question 46Mathematics

Make x the subject of the formula y = (3x + 5)/2.

  1. x = (2y + 5)/3
  2. x = 2y − 5
  3. x = (y − 5)/3
  4. x = (2y − 5)/3 Correct answer.

Explanation

Multiply both sides by 2 to get 2y = 3x + 5. Subtract 5 to get 2y − 5 = 3x, then divide both sides by 3, giving x = (2y − 5)/3.

Question 47Mathematics

A shop reduces the price of a radio from D250 to D200. What is the percentage decrease?

  1. 50%
  2. 5%
  3. 25%
  4. 20% Correct answer.

Explanation

The decrease is 250 − 200 = D50. Percentage decrease is calculated on the original price, so (50 ÷ 250) × 100 = 20%.

Question 48Mathematics

The interior angle of a regular polygon is 150°. How many sides does the polygon have?

  1. 15
  2. 8
  3. 10
  4. 12 Correct answer.

Explanation

The exterior angle is 180° − 150° = 30°. Since exterior angles of any polygon add to 360°, the number of sides is 360 ÷ 30 = 12.

Question 49Mathematics

Write 0.000 042 in standard form.

  1. 4.2 × 10⁻⁴
  2. 4.2 × 10⁻⁵ Correct answer.
  3. 42 × 10⁻⁶
  4. 4.2 × 10⁵

Explanation

In standard form the first number lies between 1 and 10, so we write 4.2. The decimal point has moved five places to the right, so the power of ten is −5, giving 4.2 × 10⁻⁵.

Question 50Mathematics

Two similar triangles have corresponding sides in the ratio 2 : 5. If the area of the smaller triangle is 12 cm², what is the area of the larger triangle?

  1. 150 cm²
  2. 30 cm²
  3. 60 cm²
  4. 75 cm² Correct answer.

Explanation

For similar figures, areas are in the ratio of the squares of the corresponding lengths, so the area ratio is 2² : 5² = 4 : 25. The larger area is 12 × 25 ÷ 4 = 75 cm².