Sentence Fluency

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

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which one of the following sentences uses parallel structure correctly?

   A. The club members spent Saturday clearing the drainage, to plant seedlings and painting the fence.

   B. The club members spent Saturday clearing the drainage, planting seedlings and painting the fence.

   C. The club members spent Saturday clearing the drainage, planted seedlings and they painted the fence.

   D. The club members spent Saturday to clear the drainage, planting seedlings and painted the fence.

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   Choose the connector that joins the two ideas most appropriately: "The county built a modern fish market at Dunga beach. ___, few traders have moved into it."

   A. For instance

   B. Moreover

   C. However

   D. Therefore

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   "Wanjiku switched on the radio. She wanted to hear the weather forecast." Which revision combines the two sentences most fluently?

   A. Wanjiku switched on the radio to hear the weather forecast.

   B. Switching on the radio, the weather forecast was wanted by Wanjiku.

   C. Wanjiku switched on the radio and she wanted and she hoped to hear the weather forecast.

   D. Wanjiku switched on the radio, she wanted to hear the weather forecast.

   (1 mark)

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4. Question 4

   4 marks

   Rewrite each of the following sentences, removing the wordiness while keeping the meaning.

   (i) Due to the fact that the matatu was already full, Amina waited for the next one.

   (ii) In my own personal opinion, the school farm should be expanded.

   (iii) The chairperson repeated the announcement again for a second time.

   (iv) At this point in time, the dam is completely full to capacity.

   (4 marks)

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5. Question 5

   3 marks

   (a) Combine each pair of sentences below into one fluent sentence.

   (i) Otieno reached the fish landing beach. The boats had already gone out.

   (ii) The borehole was drilled last year. It now serves four villages.

   (b) State the technique you have used in (ii).

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) 1 mark for each acceptable combination that reads as one smooth sentence and keeps the meaning: (i) e.g. 'By the time Otieno reached the fish landing beach, the boats had already gone out.' (1 mark) (ii) e.g. 'The borehole, which was drilled last year, now serves four villages.' (1 mark) No mark where the two sentences are joined by a comma alone. (b) 1 mark: subordination using a relative clause ('which was drilled last year') to reduce one sentence to a modifier within the other. Accept 'relative clause' or 'embedding'.

6. Question 6

   1 mark

   Which one of the following sentences expresses the idea most economically, without wordiness?

   A. The rains came late and because of this reason the farmers in Kitui planted in December.

   B. Because the rains came late, the farmers in Kitui planted in December.

   C. The rains, they came late, and so the farmers in Kitui planted in December.

   D. Due to the fact that the rains came late, the farmers in Kitui planted in December.

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   2 marks

   Read the sentence below. "The rain started at noon, the pitch became too muddy for the match to continue."

   (a) Rewrite the sentence correctly.

   (b) Explain how the original punctuation spoils the fluency of the writing.

   (2 marks)

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8. Question 8

   4 marks

   Outline four ways in which a writer can vary sentences in a composition in order to improve its fluency.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark each for any four of the following, provided the way is described and not merely listed as a term: - Vary sentence length, placing a short sentence among longer ones for emphasis. - Vary sentence openings, beginning sometimes with a phrase or a subordinate clause instead of always with the subject. - Combine short, choppy sentences using conjunctions, relative clauses or participial phrases. - Use transition words and phrases such as 'however', 'meanwhile' and 'as a result' to signal how ideas connect. - Use parallel structure in lists and paired ideas so the pattern carries the reader forward. - Mix simple, compound and complex sentence types rather than repeating one type. - Remove wordiness and needless repetition so each sentence moves the writing on. Maximum 4 marks.

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