Mechanics of Writing

8 Grade 10 English questions on Mechanics of Writing, with worked marking schemes. 8 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   In which of the following sentences is the apostrophe used correctly?

   A. The cooperative sold it's entire stock of fertiliser before the rains began.

   B. The farmer's in Kirinyaga picked their coffee berries early this season.

   C. It's a pity that the coffee factory lost its licence last year.

   D. Its' the best macadamia crop that the county has recorded in ten years.

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   3 marks

   In each of the sentences below, identify the wrongly spelt or wrongly used word and write it correctly.

   (a) The county goverment has built a new market at Kagio.

   (b) The principle announced that the trip to the tea factory had been postponed.

   (c) We recieved the visitors at the school gate.

   (3 marks)

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3. Question 3

   4 marks

   Distinguish between the use of the colon and the use of the semicolon in a sentence. Give one example of each.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark per point, maximum 4: 1. A colon introduces what follows: a list, an explanation, or a quotation (it points forward). 2. Accept any correct example, e.g. The shop stocks three cereals: maize, millet and sorghum. 3. A semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses that could each stand as a sentence (it balances two equal parts); it also separates items in a list that already contains commas. 4. Accept any correct example, e.g. The borehole broke down last week; the whole village now fetches water from the river. Examples must actually illustrate the rule stated; a wrong example earns no mark.

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   Which of the following sentences shows correct punctuation of direct speech?

   A. "Carry the maize to the store," said the matron, "before the rain starts."

   B. "Carry the maize to the store." said the matron, "before the rain starts."

   C. "carry the maize to the store," Said the matron, "before the rain starts."

   D. "Carry the maize to the store", said the matron "Before the rain starts."

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   3 marks

   Rewrite the following sentence, adding the necessary capital letters and punctuation marks: on saturday the agriculture club bought three kinds of seedlings mangoes avocados and pawpaws

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Expected version: On Saturday, the agriculture club bought three kinds of seedlings: mangoes, avocados and pawpaws. Award 1 mark per point, maximum 3: 1. Capital O in On and capital S in Saturday (both needed for the mark). 2. Colon (a dash is acceptable) after seedlings to introduce the list. 3. Comma separating the items of the list (mangoes, avocados) plus a full stop at the end. A version written without the comma after Saturday is equally acceptable and must not be penalised.

6. Question 6

   2 marks

   Explain the difference in meaning between the sentence "The learner's books were marked" and the sentence "The learners' books were marked".

   (2 marks)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   A learner writes: "The board of management will advice the principal on the purchase of a new school bus." The word advice is wrongly used in this sentence because

   A. advice is the informal spelling and advise is the formal spelling of the same word.

   B. advice must always be followed by the preposition on.

   C. the form advices is needed because the subject, board of management, is plural.

   D. the sentence calls for the verb advise, whereas advice is a noun.

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   Which of the following sentences is correctly punctuated?

   A. The rains failed in Kitui; the sorghum crop, still did well.

   B. The rains failed in Kitui; the sorghum crop still did well.

   C. The rains failed in Kitui the sorghum crop still did well.

   D. The rains failed in Kitui, the sorghum crop still did well.

   (1 mark)

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