The English Language is one of the core subjects in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in most English-speaking countries.
The Lexis and Structure section of the BECE English Language paper is one of the most challenging sections that students often face.
However, with the right strategies, students can overcome this challenge and excel in their BECE English Language paper.
Here are some steps on how to solve English Language BECE Lexis and Structure questions, with sample questions and answers.
- Understand the Terminologies
The first step in solving Lexis and Structure questions is to understand the terminologies used in the questions. The terminologies include parts of speech, sentence structures, verb forms, tenses, and so on. You need to be familiar with these terms and know their definitions and usage.
Sample question: Identify the adverb in the sentence below. The child was playing quietly with her toy.
Answer: The adverb in the sentence is “quietly.”
- Identify the Parts of Speech
After understanding the terminologies, the next step is to identify the parts of speech used in the sentence. These include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions.
Sample question: Identify the noun phrase in the sentence below. The beautiful girl in the red dress is my sister.
Answer: The noun phrase in the sentence is “the beautiful girl in the red dress.”
- Analyze Sentence Structure
The third step is to analyze the sentence structure. This involves identifying the subject, verb, and object in the sentence. You also need to identify the complement and modifiers in the sentence.
Sample question: Identify the subject and object in the sentence below. The teacher gave the students a lot of homework.
Answer: The subject in the sentence is “the teacher,” and the object is “a lot of homework.”
- Identify the Tense
The fourth step is to identify the tense used in the sentence. This involves identifying whether the sentence is in the present, past, or future tense.
Sample question: Identify the tense in the sentence below. I will go to school tomorrow.
Answer: The tense in the sentence is future tense.
- Identify the Mood
The fifth step is to identify the mood used in the sentence. This involves identifying whether the sentence is in the indicative, imperative, or subjunctive mood.
Sample question: Identify the mood in the sentence below. If I were you, I would not do that.
Answer: The mood in the sentence is subjunctive mood.
- Identify the Voice
The sixth step is to identify the voice used in the sentence. This involves identifying whether the sentence is in the active or passive voice.
Sample question: Identify the voice in the sentence below. The dog bit the boy.
Answer: The voice in the sentence is active voice.
- Practice with Past Questions
The final step is to practice with past questions. You can get past questions online or from your teacher. Practicing with past questions will help you familiarize yourself with the types of questions that appear in the BECE English Language paper.
Sample question: Choose the correct option to fill in the blank in the sentence below.
The students _____________ their homework before going to bed.
A. did B. do C. have done D. had done
Answer: A. did
In conclusion, the Lexis and Structure section of the BECE English Language paper can be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can overcome this challenge and excel in your BECE English Language paper.
Understanding the terminologies, identifying the parts of speech, analyzing sentence structure, identifying the tense, mood, and voice, and practicing with past questions are some of the steps you can take to improve your performance in the Lexis.
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