Basic Education Certificate Examination · English Language

Composition and Expressive Writing

35 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 35 questions

  1. In formal letter writing, what is the standard complimentary close when addressing an unknown official as 'Dear Sir'?
  2. When writing a formal letter to a known individual addressed as 'Dear Mr Mensah', the correct complimentary close is:
  3. Which part of an informal friendly letter is typically omitted compared to a formal business letter?
  4. In good summary writing, which of the following practices must be strictly avoided by the candidate?
  5. What is the primary function of a transitional word or phrase such as 'furthermore' or 'consequently' in an essay?
  6. The idiom 'to burn the midnight oil' means:
  7. If someone is described as 'a green horn' in a particular trade or profession, it means they are:
  8. The idiom 'to beat about the bush' means:
  9. When someone says 'it is raining cats and dogs', they mean that the rain is:
  10. What does the idiom 'to turn over a new leaf' mean?
  11. The idiom 'a bone of contention' refers to:
  12. To describe an unexpected and miraculous piece of good luck as a 'bolt from the blue' means that the event was:
  13. The phrase 'to wash one's dirty linen in public' means:
  14. If a student 'takes something with a pinch of salt', it means that they:
  15. What does the idiom 'to hit the nail on the head' mean?
  16. Which of the following word pairs are homophones (words that sound identical but differ in spelling and meaning)?
  17. Which of the following word pairs are homographs (words spelled identically but carrying different meanings)?
  18. What is the antonym of the word 'BENEVOLENT' in the context of human character?
  19. What is the synonym of the word 'TRANQUIL' in describing a rural landscape?
  20. Which prefix can be added to the base word 'RESPONSIBLE' to form its exact opposite meaning?
  21. Which suffix can be attached to the root noun 'DANGER' to convert it into an attributive adjective?
  22. Identify the option with the correct spelling for a place to stay or live:
  23. Select the word that is correctly spelled regarding a special benefit or right:
  24. Which of the following words is correctly spelt regarding a feeling of self-consciousness:
  25. What is the antonym of the word 'OPAQUE' when describing a physical material?
  26. What is the synonym of the word 'OBSTINATE' when describing a stubborn individual?
  27. The idiom 'to cry over spilt milk' advises that one should:
  28. When a speaker states that a matter is 'at the eleventh hour', they mean that it happened:
  29. To describe an achievement as 'a feather in one's cap' means that it is:
  30. The expression 'to call a spade a spade' means:
  31. What is the primary purpose of writing an outline before drafting an essay?
  32. Which punctuation mark is strictly used to separate independent clauses in a compound sentence without a conjunction?
  33. Which of the following sentences illustrates the correct use of an apostrophe showing possession?
  34. What is the grammatical error in 'Running quickly down the steep street, the school bag fell from his shoulder'?
  35. Which of the following represents an example of a rhetorical question in speech?

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