4 high-yield, syllabus-aligned questions on Oral English, covering 12 individually creditable mark points. Each one shows the answer that scores full marks under our guide, which phrase earns which mark, and a common incomplete answer — so you can see the difference rather than guess at it.
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Every question and solution is reviewed by examiners versed in WAEC and JAMB, each with more than thirty years of experience.
Mark allocations are TopMarks’ own, written against the published syllabus and Chief Examiners’ reports. They are a guide to how these answers are usually credited, not an official marking scheme.
Explain3 marks
Explain what is meant by a diphthong and give two examples.
TopMarks model answer
A diphthong is a vowel sound during the production of which the tongue glides from one vowel position to another within the same syllable, so that the quality of the sound changes as it is produced. The vowel in the word “boy” is a diphthong, and so is the vowel in the word “house”. English has eight diphthongs.
Suggested marking guide
1The tongue glides from one vowel position to another
2The glide occurs within a single syllable
3Two valid examples given
Why it scores
The clause “within the same syllable” is what makes a diphthong one sound rather than two. Without it the definition also describes two separate vowels said one after another, which is not a diphthong — and that is precisely the distinction the examiner is testing.
A common incomplete answer
“A diphthong is a double vowel sound.”
What it costs: All three marks. “Double vowel sound” describes the spelling rather than the sound, says nothing about the glide or the single syllable, and no examples are given.
Key ideas to include: diphthong, glide, vowel position, syllable, pure vowel.
State3 marks
State how a voiced consonant differs from a voiceless consonant, describe a test that shows the difference, and give one example of each.
TopMarks model answer
In producing a voiced consonant the vocal cords vibrate, whereas in a voiceless consonant they do not vibrate. The difference can be tested by placing a finger on the throat while producing the sound, or by covering the ears; a vibration is felt or heard for a voiced sound only. The sound at the beginning of “bat” is voiced, while the sound at the beginning of “pat” is voiceless; the two are otherwise produced in exactly the same way.
Suggested marking guide
1The vocal cords vibrate or do not vibrate
2A practical test described
3One example of each
Why it scores
Voicing is the feature that DISTINGUISHES several pairs of English consonants — /b/ and /p/, /d/ and /t/, /v/ and /f/, /z/ and /s/. Learning the pairs rather than the individual sounds halves the work, and it lets you answer any question of this type by finding the partner sound.
A common incomplete answer
“Voiced consonants make the vocal cords vibrate.”
What it costs: Two marks of three. The vibration is credited, but no test is described and no examples are given, which were two thirds of the question.
Explain what is meant by word stress and state why it matters in spoken English.
TopMarks model answer
Word stress is the greater force, length and pitch given to one syllable of a word compared with the others, so that it stands out; in “important” the stress falls on the second syllable. Stress matters because it can change the part of speech and the meaning of a word: “PREsent” with the stress on the first syllable is a noun, while “preSENT” with the stress on the second is a verb. Wrongly placed stress can also make a word difficult for a listener to recognise.
Suggested marking guide
1Greater prominence given to one syllable
2Stress can change the part of speech or the meaning
3Wrong stress makes a word hard to recognise
Why it scores
The noun-verb pattern is worth memorising because it is regular and it is examined constantly: in two-syllable words that are both nouns and verbs, the noun usually takes the stress on the FIRST syllable and the verb on the SECOND. REcord and reCORD, CONtract and conTRACT, INcrease and inCREASE.
A common incomplete answer
“Word stress is when one syllable of a word is said more strongly than the others.”
What it costs: Two marks of three. The definition is credited, but the question also asked WHY stress matters, and neither the change of part of speech nor the effect on intelligibility is mentioned.
Key ideas to include: word stress, syllable, prominence, noun-verb stress shift, intelligibility.
State3 marks
State the difference between intonation and stress, and name the two main intonation patterns in English.
TopMarks model answer
Stress is the prominence given to a particular syllable within a word, or to a particular word within an utterance, while intonation is the rise and fall of the pitch of the voice across a whole utterance. The two main intonation patterns are the falling tune, used for statements, commands and wh-questions, and the rising tune, used for yes-or-no questions and for expressions of politeness or uncertainty.
Suggested marking guide
1Stress is prominence on a syllable or word
2Intonation is the rise and fall of pitch over an utterance
3The two tunes named
Why it scores
Stress operates on a SYLLABLE; intonation operates on a whole utterance. Keeping the two levels apart is what earns the first two marks. For the third, learn which tune goes with which sentence type — falling for statements, commands and wh-questions, rising for yes-or-no questions — because that is what the paper actually tests.
A common incomplete answer
“Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice when speaking.”
What it costs: Two marks of three. The rise and fall is credited loosely, but stress is never defined, the word “pitch” is missing, and the two tunes are not named.
Reading a full-mark answer is the first half. Writing one under time is the other. A free account opens exam-standard practice in English Language with the full solution on every question.