NAME: ______________________________________________

MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

ENGLISH PAPER I
(70 MARKS)
Time allowed: 1 hr 45 min
Instructions:
1. This paper contains 7 printed
pages. Please check.
2. The paper has two sections A
and B.
Section A is multiple choice.
Answer all questions by
encircling the letter representing Question Tick Do not write
the right answer. Number questions in these
Section B is composition. Answer 1 to 13 if columns
only one question in the space answered
provided on the question pages. 1-30
3. Write your Name on all pages
31
4. In the table provided on this
page, tick against the question
32
number you have answered.
5. At the end of the examination Total
hand in your paper to the
invigilator.

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NAME: ______________________________________________

SECTION A
Answer all questions in this section by encircling the letter representing the right
answer to each question.
In each of the following questions A. Away
choose the words (A, B, C or D) B. Down
that best complete(s) each of the C. Off
sentence. D. Up
7. She came _______ the pen she
1. She has never been to Mulanje
had been looking for behind the
mountain, ____________?
desk.
A. Has she
A. About
B. Hasn’t she
B. By
C. Have she
C. Across
D. Haven’t she
D. Over
2. You had a difficult time,
8. Giving the job to his nephew
________?
was a clear case of _______.
A. Didn’t you
A. Nepotism
B. Hadn’t you
B. Favouritism
C. Did you
C. Patriotism
D. Had you
D. Tribalism
3. There was a good turn ______ at
9. He has been sick for a few days
the match.
but his health is still _______
A. On
rapidly.
B. Up
A. Decomposing
C. Off
B. Regressing
D. Down
C. Aggravating
4. He ran _____ a dog as he was
D. Deteriorating
driving to work.
10. He _____ one million kwacha to
A. Across
his eldest daughter when she
B. Into
came of age.
C. Out of
A. Entrusted
D. Over
B. Invested
5. Victor is going to set _____ a
C. Bestowed
shop in town.
D. Gifted
A. In
11. If I ______ you, I would
B. Up
apologise to the head teacher.
C. Off
A. Was
D. On
B. Had been
6. We had only gone two
C. Was to be
kilometres when the car broke
D. Were
_____.
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NAME: ______________________________________________

12. It would be better if you ___ C. Hang in

there yourself. D. Hang on
A. Had gone
In questions 19 – 22 choose the
B. Would go
answer (A, B, C or D) that best
C. Will have gone
describes the underlined part of
D. Went
speech.
13. I thought I _________ let down
by my sister. 19. As we advanced our enemies run
A. Were away.
B. Was A. Conjunction
C. Had been B. Preposition
D. Was being C. Adverb
14. Chisomo was ______ to respect D. Interjection
other people. 20. She offered to foot the bill at
A. Brought down the restaurant.
B. Brought forward A. Noun
C. Brought up B. Verb
D. Brought for C. Adverb
15. You can always ______ Joseph in D. Adjective
situation like this. 21. Hardworking pays.
A. Count on A. Verb
B. Count down B. Adjective
C. Count for C. Gerund
D. Count out D. Noun
16. They had to ______ the old 22. I have understanding parents.
building to build a new shopping A. Adjective
centre. B. Noun
A. Pull off C. Verb
B. Pull out D. Adverb
C. Pull in
In question 23 – 26 choose the
D. Pull down
order of adjective (A, B, C or D)
17. She _______ early in the morning
that best completes the
and continued her journey.
sentences.
A. Check up
B. Check in 23. The chief has a _________
C. Checked out house.
D. Check off A. Modern magnificent big block
18. She was annoying that I just B. Big magnificent modern block
_______ C. Modern block magnificent big
A. Hang out D. Magnificent big modern block
B. Hang up

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NAME: ______________________________________________

24. She has brought _______ C. Adverb clause modifying verb

utensils. “seems”
A. Some traditional expensive D. Adjective clause qualifying
cooking “it”
B. Some expensive traditional 28. The boy managing the office
cooking is the university graduate.
C. Some cooking expensive A. Adjective clause qualifying
traditional noun “boy”
D. Traditional some expensive B. Noun clause in apposition to
cooking. noun “boy”
25. I love that ________ car that C. Gerund phrase subject of verb
always parked at the end of the “is”
street. D. Adjective phrase qualifying
A. Marvellous big old green “boy”
antique 29. Mary was walking in the
B. Antique marvellous old green garden when I saw her.
C. Marvellous old big green A. Adverb clause modifying “was
antique walking”
D. Old marvellous big green B. Noun phrase object of
antique “walking”
26. I bought a ______ skirt. C. Noun clause Object of
A. Big silk black fashionable “walking”
B. Fashionable long black silk D. Adverb phrase modifying
C. Fashionable black long silk “was walking”
D. Long black fashionable silk. 30. The match played at Bingu
Stadium ended happily.
In question 27 – 30 choose the A. Gerund phrase, subject of
option (A, B, C or D) that best verb “ended”
describes any given function of B. Adjective clause qualifying
the underlined phrase or clause. noun “match”
27. It seems that the exams will C. Participle phrase qualifying
be out soon. noun “match”
A. Noun clause, compliment of D. Noun phrase subject of verb
“seems” “ended”
B. Noun clause object of
“seems”

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 NAME: ______________________________________________

SECTION B: COMPOSITION (40 MARKS)

Instructions:
1. Answer one question only.
2. Spend the first 10 minutes reading all questions and planning your answer to
the question chosen. Planning may include writing rough notes in your answer
book.
3. Marks will be awarded for layout, language and content. Candidates will be
penalised for committing mechanical errors and writing answers that are short
and/or off point.
4. You are expected to write between 350 and 500 words on the lined answer
sheets.

31. Imagine your school campus is surrounded by a brick fence. This brick fence has
fallen down. Write a report to a member of parliament of your area on the issue.

OR

32. Write an original short story indicating “a kind deed”

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END OF THE PAPER

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