2026 WAEC GCE MOCK EXAMINATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 3 (TEST OF ORALS)
A Practice Paper Prepared for Independent Study
This paper is an original practice examination prepared for revision purposes only. It follows the general structure of the WAEC GCE English Language 3 (Test of Orals) syllabus but is not an actual past question paper and does not claim to predict or reproduce any WAEC examination. Questions have been independently composed to help candidates practise the skills the paper tests: recognition of vowel and consonant sounds, word stress, rhymes and emphatic stress.
Total Marks: 90 (Objective: 60 marks, Essay: 30 marks)
Instructions: Answer ALL questions in Section A and ALL questions in Section B.
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SECTION A: OBJECTIVE TEST (60 MARKS)
PART I: VOWEL SOUNDS
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word in which the underlined part has the same sound as the underlined part in the key word.
1. Key word: SEAT
A. bread
B. great
C. team
D. steak
2. Key word: CUP
A. sun
B. put
C. push
D. full
3. Key word: BIRD
A. mind
B. fire
C. first
D. wind
4. Key word: CAT
A. car
B. man
C. cake
D. calm
5. Key word: BOOT
A. book
B. wood
C. food
D. good
6. Key word: COIN
A. rain
B. join
C. moon
D. corn
7. Key word: HOUSE
A. soup
B. touch
C. cloud
D. group
8. Key word: PEN
A. mean
B. bee
C. men
D. feel
9. Key word: HOT
A. note
B. love
C. lot
D. move
10. Key word: FEAR
A. bear
B. dear
C. learn
D. heart
11. Key word: CARE
A. car
B. far
C. dare
D. war
12. Key word: PURE
A. cut
B. put
C. fur
D. sure
13. Key word: TOY
A. bow
B. cow
C. boy
D. now
14. Key word: ABOUT
A. apple
B. ant
C. arm
D. above
15. Key word: SIT
A. site
B. fine
C. fit
D. wise
PART II: CONSONANT SOUNDS
16. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. this
B. thin
C. think
D. throw
17. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. chorus
B. chair
C. cheese
D. church
18. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. sun
B. sugar
C. sea
D. soap
19. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. bags
B. cats
C. books
D. maps
20. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. teacher
B. character
C. change
D. child
21. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. king
B. know
C. kick
D. keep
22. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. wine
B. write
C. window
D. work
23. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. give
B. gem
C. gate
D. good
24. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. cat
B. cell
C. cup
D. cot
25. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. garden
B. gym
C. get
D. ghost
26. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. night
B. laugh
C. light
D. right
27. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. result
B. vision
C. pleasure
D. treasure
28. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. house
B. honest
C. hour
D. heir
29. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. finger
B. singer
C. hanger
D. longing
30. Which word has a different underlined consonant sound from the rest?
A. pen
B. psalm
C. cup
D. spin
PART III: WORD STRESS
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that is stressed on the same syllable as the key word.
31. Key word: SISTER
A. return
B. begin
C. window
D. today
32. Key word: ARRIVE
A. dinner
B. correct
C. teacher
D. paper
33. Key word: HAPPY
A. before
B. handsome
C. mistake
D. today
34. Key word: MACHINE
A. table
B. chicken
C. police
D. window
35. Key word: SOFA
A. return
B. paper
C. begin
D. correct
36. Key word: HOTEL
A. garden
B. hammer
C. cassette
D. kitchen
37. Key word: WINDOW
A. mistake
B. pencil
C. between
D. today
38. Key word: TEACHER
A. mother
B. between
C. remove
D. begin
39. Key word: BEGIN
A. student
B. children
C. event
D. garden
40. Key word: TABLE
A. delay
B. mountain
C. control
D. depend
PART IV: RHYMES
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that rhymes with the key word.
41. Key word: CAKE
A. lick
B. lake
C. lack
D. lock
42. Key word: NIGHT
A. sight
B. neat
C. nine
D. next
43. Key word: CHAIR
A. cheer
B. share
C. char
D. cheap
44. Key word: GOAT
A. good
B. gone
C. boat
D. gate
45. Key word: MOUSE
A. music
B. house
C. most
D. mass
46. Key word: RAIN
A. run
B. ran
C. train
D. ruin
47. Key word: SIGHT
A. sit
B. light
C. seat
D. set
48. Key word: COOL
A. cold
B. call
C. pool
D. coal
49. Key word: FACE
A. fast
B. place
C. fuss
D. fizz
50. Key word: KING
A. kind
B. sink
C. sang
D. sing
PART V: EMPHATIC STRESS
Each sentence below is followed by a bracketed statement showing the meaning intended. From the options lettered A to D, choose the sentence in which the capitalised word correctly carries the stress needed to convey that meaning.
51. Bola gave Ade a book. (Meaning: It was Bola, and no one else, who gave the book.)
A. BOLA gave Ade a book.
B. Bola GAVE Ade a book.
C. Bola gave ADE a book.
D. Bola gave Ade a BOOK.
52. Bola gave Ade a book. (Meaning: Bola did not lend the book, she gave it outright.)
A. BOLA gave Ade a book.
B. Bola GAVE Ade a book.
C. Bola gave ADE a book.
D. Bola gave Ade a BOOK.
53. Bola gave Ade a book. (Meaning: It was Ade, and no one else, who received the book.)
A. BOLA gave Ade a book.
B. Bola GAVE Ade a book.
C. Bola gave ADE a book.
D. Bola gave Ade a BOOK.
54. Bola gave Ade a book. (Meaning: It was a book, and not any other item, that was given.)
A. BOLA gave Ade a book.
B. Bola GAVE Ade a book.
C. Bola gave ADE a book.
D. Bola gave Ade a BOOK.
55. The girl is reading a novel. (Meaning: It is a girl, not a boy, who is reading.)
A. The GIRL is reading a novel.
B. The girl IS reading a novel.
C. The girl is READING a novel.
D. The girl is reading a NOVEL.
56. The girl is reading a novel. (Meaning: She really is reading, contrary to what was doubted.)
A. The GIRL is reading a novel.
B. The girl IS reading a novel.
C. The girl is READING a novel.
D. The girl is reading a NOVEL.
57. The girl is reading a novel. (Meaning: It is a novel, not a magazine, that she is reading.)
A. The GIRL is reading a novel.
B. The girl IS reading a novel.
C. The girl is READING a novel.
D. The girl is reading a NOVEL.
58. We shall travel to Kano tomorrow. (Meaning: It is Kano, not Lagos, that is the destination.)
A. We shall TRAVEL to Kano tomorrow.
B. We shall travel to KANO tomorrow.
C. We shall travel to Kano TOMORROW.
D. WE shall travel to Kano tomorrow.
59. We shall travel to Kano tomorrow. (Meaning: It is tomorrow, not today, that the journey holds.)
A. We shall TRAVEL to Kano tomorrow.
B. We shall travel to KANO tomorrow.
C. We shall travel to Kano TOMORROW.
D. WE shall travel to Kano tomorrow.
60. We shall travel to Kano tomorrow. (Meaning: It is we, and not they, who will travel.)
A. We shall TRAVEL to Kano tomorrow.
B. We shall travel to KANO tomorrow.
C. We shall travel to Kano TOMORROW.
D. WE shall travel to Kano tomorrow.
SECTION B: ESSAY / STRUCTURED QUESTIONS (30 MARKS)
Answer ALL six questions. Each question carries 5 marks.
1. Explain, with two examples each, the difference between primary stress and secondary stress in English words.
2. Distinguish between monophthongs (pure vowels) and diphthongs. Give three examples of each.
3. Using the sentence “She sold her car,” write out three different versions of the sentence to show how a shift in emphatic stress can change the meaning conveyed.
4. Explain the term intonation, and describe, with examples, the difference between rising intonation and falling intonation.
5. Identify and explain four consonant sounds that are commonly mispronounced by Nigerian speakers of English, stating the correct pronunciation of each.
6. Explain the term rhyme as used in spoken and written English, and state two functions it serves in poetry or speech.
MARKING GUIDE
Section A: Objective Answers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| C | A | C | B | C | B | C | C | C | B |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| C | D | C | D | C | A | A | B | A | B |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| B | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | B |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| C | B | B | C | B | C | B | A | C | B |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| B | A | B | C | B | C | B | C | B | D |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| A | B | C | D | A | B | D | B | C | D |
Section B: Essay Guide (Expected Points)
1. Primary stress falls with the greatest force on one syllable of a word (e.g. inFORmation, phoTOGraphy); secondary stress is a lighter, weaker stress that falls on another syllable of the same word (e.g. INforMAtion, PHOtoGRAphy). Award marks for a clear definition of each and one correct example of each.
2. Monophthongs are single, pure vowel sounds that do not glide from one sound to another during production (e.g. the vowel sounds in seat, cup, hot). Diphthongs are vowel sounds made up of two vowel sounds gliding together within the same syllable (e.g. the vowel sounds in coin, house, toy). Award marks for correct definitions and three valid examples of each.
3. Accept any three of: SHE sold her car (emphasising that she, not someone else, sold it); She SOLD her car (emphasising that she sold it rather than, say, gave it away); She sold HER car (emphasising that it was her own car and not another person’s); She sold her CAR (emphasising that it was the car, not another possession, that was sold). Award marks for correct capitalisation of the stressed word and an accurate explanation of the resulting meaning.
4. Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice (pitch pattern) in speech. Rising intonation, where the pitch goes up, is typically used in yes/no questions and to show incompleteness (e.g. Are you coming? with pitch rising at the end). Falling intonation, where the pitch goes down, is typically used in statements, commands and wh-questions to show completeness or certainty (e.g. I am coming. with pitch falling at the end). Award marks for correct definitions and one example of each.
5. Accept any four commonly confused pairs, such as: /θ/ as in think often replaced with /t/ or /s/; /ð/ as in this often replaced with /d/ or /z/; /v/ as in van often replaced with /f/; /ʒ/ as in vision often replaced with /ʃ/; /æ/ as in cat often replaced with /a/ or /e/. Award marks for identifying the sound, giving an example word, and stating the correct pronunciation.
6. Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds, usually at the end of words or lines of verse. Functions include: it creates musicality and rhythm in speech or poetry; it aids memorisation and recall; it can create emphasis or humour; it links ideas across lines. Award marks for a correct definition and any two valid functions.
syllabus coverage and following examination rubrics.
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