Paragraphing Skills

8 Grade 10 English questions on Paragraphing Skills, with worked marking schemes. 8 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   A learner is writing a paragraph with these supporting details: boreholes have been sunk in three villages; a water kiosk now sells water cheaply; women no longer walk five kilometres to the river. Which sentence would serve best as the topic sentence of that paragraph?

   A. Boreholes are drilled using machines hired from the county government.

   B. Water is life, as everybody in the world already knows.

   C. The new water project has eased daily life in Mutomo village.

   D. Many parts of Kenya suffer serious water shortages in the dry season.

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   A paragraph begins: "There are three reasons why our school should plant indigenous trees instead of eucalyptus." Which is the most suitable way of developing this paragraph?

   A. Narrating the history of the school compound since it was fenced.

   B. Describing in detail the appearance of the school gate and hedge.

   C. Presenting and explaining each of the three reasons in turn.

   D. Comparing the school with a school in a neighbouring county.

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   Read the paragraph below. (i) The school feeding programme has improved attendance in our school. (ii) Learners who used to go home at lunchtime now stay for the afternoon lessons. (iii) Our football team was beaten by a neighbouring school last term. (iv) Teachers report that fewer learners doze during the last two lessons. Which sentence destroys the unity of the paragraph?

   A. Sentence (ii)

   B. Sentence (iii)

   C. Sentence (i)

   D. Sentence (iv)

   (1 mark)

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4. Question 4

   4 marks

   Suggest four ways in which a writer can achieve coherence within a paragraph.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark per point, maximum 4: 1. Use transitional words and phrases such as however, therefore, in addition, finally, to signal the relationship between sentences. 2. Arrange the ideas in a deliberate order - chronological, spatial, or from the least to the most important point. 3. Repeat key words, or use pronouns and synonyms that refer back to what has already been said, so that each sentence links to the one before it. 4. Use parallel grammatical structures for ideas of equal weight. 5. Keep one consistent point of view and tense throughout the paragraph. Accept any four; a point merely named counts, but a vague answer such as "write well" earns nothing.

5. Question 5

   1 mark

   Choose the connector that best fills the blank space: "Maize prices fell sharply immediately after the harvest. ______, many farmers in Trans Nzoia stored their grain and sold it three months later."

   A. On the other hand

   B. For example

   C. Therefore

   D. In addition

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   6 marks

   Outline three qualities of a well-written paragraph and explain briefly how each quality helps the reader.

   (6 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark for naming the quality and 1 mark for the explanation, for any three of the following (maximum 6): 1. Unity - every sentence develops the one idea announced in the topic sentence, so the reader is not distracted by material that belongs elsewhere. 2. Coherence - ideas are linked and arranged in a logical order, so the reader moves smoothly from one sentence to the next. 3. Adequate development - the main idea is supported with enough details, examples or reasons, so the reader is convinced rather than left with a bare claim. 4. A clear topic sentence - it announces the controlling idea early, so the reader knows at once what the paragraph is about. 5. Variety in sentence length and structure - the writing does not fall into a monotonous pattern, so the reader's attention is held. A named quality with no explanation scores 1 mark only.

7. Question 7

   3 marks

   Account for the need to divide a long piece of continuous writing into paragraphs.

   (3 marks)

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8. Question 8

   2 marks

   Distinguish between a topic sentence and a clincher sentence in a paragraph.

   (2 marks)

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