Non-Fiction
17 Grade 10 Literature in English questions on Non-Fiction, with worked marking schemes. 17 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
4 marksState four features of non-fiction prose. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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4 marksOutline four structural parts that may be found in a published autobiography. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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1 markIn her personal journal, Amina writes: 'My heart was a drum all through the interview.' Which stylistic device has she used?
A. oxymoron
B. simile
C. euphemism
D. metaphor
(1 mark)
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4 marksExplain two ways in which reading non-fiction prose benefits a Senior School learner. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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7 marksRead the original piece of literary journalism below and answer the questions that follow. At 4 a.m., the fish market at Dunga Beach in Kisumu is already awake. Lanterns sway on the boats like tired fireflies as fishermen haul in nets that, ten years ago, would have been heavy with tilapia. 'Today we are lucky if we get twenty fish,' says Mzee Ouma, 52, squeezing water from his net. Behind him, a carpet of water hyacinth stretches towards the horizon, choking the bay. County officials have promised a new harvesting machine 'soon'. Mzee Ouma has heard that word before.
(a) State the subject matter of the piece. (1 mark)
(b) Identify two features of literary journalism in the piece, illustrating each. (4 marks)
(c) Explain the effect of the final sentence. (2 marks)
(7 marks)
Marking scheme
(a) 1 mark: The decline in fish catches and the struggling livelihoods of fishermen at Dunga Beach (Lake Victoria), caused by the spread of water hyacinth and delayed government action. (b) Any two features, 1 mark for the feature and 1 mark for the illustration (2 x 2 = 4 marks): - Scene-setting/vivid description: 'At 4 a.m., the fish market at Dunga Beach ... is already awake'. - Use of literary devices: simile 'like tired fireflies'; metaphor 'a carpet of water hyacinth'; personification 'the fish market ... is already awake'. - Direct quotation of a real person's voice: 'Today we are lucky if we get twenty fish'. - A real person presented as a character, with identifying detail: Mzee Ouma, 52, squeezing water from his net. - Factual details of place, time and figures: Dunga Beach, Kisumu; 4 a.m.; ten years ago; twenty fish. - Contrast between past and present: nets that 'would have been heavy with tilapia'. - Implied stance/irony by the writer: the promised machine 'soon'. (c) Any two of the following, 1 mark each (2 marks): - It creates irony/scepticism, suggesting the officials' promise will not be kept. - It reveals the community's distrust caused by repeated broken promises. - It ends the piece on an emphatic, memorable note that invites the reader to reflect. - It subtly criticises official neglect without the writer stating an opinion directly.
Question 6
1 markAfter reading the autobiography of a Kenyan who rose from a street family to become a surgeon, a learner says, 'If he could study under a street lamp, I can study without excuses.' What is the learner doing?
A. identifying the structure of the autobiography
B. summarising the plot of the autobiography
C. analysing the writer's use of imagery
D. relating a value in the text to real life
(1 mark)
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1 markAutobiographers often write with hindsight, judging past events from the present. Which sentence from a learner's life story best shows hindsight?
A. The farmers in our village grow maize and beans.
B. Looking back now, I see that the failure saved me.
C. She told me that she would visit us next Christmas.
D. The bus to Eldoret leaves the stage at six o'clock.
(1 mark)
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5 marksThe following are descriptions of five texts.
(i) A Grade 10 learner's private daily record of thoughts and feelings.
(ii) A retired headteacher from Kitui writes the story of her own life.
(iii) A journalist writes the life story of a Kenyan Olympic champion.
(iv) A magazine feature tells the true story of a Budalang'i flood survivor using scenes and dialogue.
(v) A speech delivered by the student council president on Madaraka Day. Draw a table with two columns headed 'Text' and 'Category of non-fiction', and classify each text. (5 marks)
(5 marks)
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4 marksOutline four steps you would follow when writing a section of your own life story. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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6 marksOn your way to school last week, you narrowly escaped being knocked down by a speeding motorcycle at a busy crossing. Write a personal journal entry of about 150 words recording the experience and what you learnt about road safety. (6 marks)
(6 marks)
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1 markWhich of the following texts is an example of non-fiction prose?
A. An account of a real trip to Lamu
B. A novel set in a Nairobi estate
C. A fable about the hare and the hyena
D. A play about a land dispute in Kisii
(1 mark)
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1 markWhich of the following is the main reason a person keeps a personal journal?
A. To reflect on one's own experiences
B. To persuade readers to buy a product
C. To report national events to the public
D. To record minutes of a club meeting
(1 mark)
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4 marksExplain two ways in which literary journalism promotes positive values in Kenyan society. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
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6 marksRead the original personal journal entry below and answer the questions that follow. Monday, 12 January 2026 Today I reported to Senior School in Nyeri. The dormitory smells of new mattresses and someone else's fear. I told myself I would not cry when Mum left, and I didn't - not until the matron called lights out. I keep thinking about Mr Ochieng's words at the gate: 'Grade 10 is a new road; walk it with your own feet.' Tomorrow we confirm our subject combinations. I am scared I'll choose wrong.
(a) Describe the content of the entry. (2 marks)
(b) Identify two stylistic devices used in the entry, illustrating each. (4 marks)
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
(a) Any two of the following, 1 mark each (2 marks): - The writer describes their first day of reporting to Senior School in Nyeri. - The writer expresses their emotions: homesickness, holding back tears until lights out. - The writer recalls the advice given by Mr Ochieng at the gate. - The writer reveals anxiety about confirming subject combinations the next day. (b) Any two devices, 1 mark for the device and 1 mark for the illustration (2 x 2 = 4 marks): - Metaphor: 'Grade 10 is a new road'. - Sensory imagery (smell): 'smells of new mattresses'. - Synaesthesia / figurative imagery (an emotion given a smell): 'smells of ... someone else's fear'. - Direct quotation/dialogue: Mr Ochieng's words at the gate. - Use of the dash for an afterthought/emphasis: 'and I didn't - not until the matron called lights out'. - Short sentence for emphasis: 'I am scared I'll choose wrong.' - Informal/conversational language and contractions: 'didn't', 'I'll', 'Mum'. - First-person point of view: 'I told myself...'.
Question 15
4 marksExplain two ways in which the history and culture of a writer's community may influence the content of a Kenyan autobiography. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any two of the following, well explained, 2 marks each (2 x 2 = 4 marks): - Historical events such as the colonial period, the struggle for independence or political changes after independence shape the experiences the writer narrates (e.g. detention, displacement, schooling opportunities). - Cultural practices such as initiation, naming ceremonies, marriage customs or burial rites are recorded as key life events. - Community values (e.g. respect for elders, communal living, hospitality) shape the writer's outlook and the lessons drawn. - Gender roles in the community influence the challenges described, e.g. limited education for girls. - Proverbs, sayings and words from the writer's mother tongue enrich the language of the autobiography. - Religious beliefs and traditions influence the writer's choices and reflections. - The economic life of the community (e.g. pastoralism, farming, fishing) forms the background of childhood experiences. (Award 1 mark for the point and 1 mark for its explanation.)
Question 16
6 marksRead the extract from an original autobiography below and answer the questions that follow. I was born in 1968 in a village on the slopes of Mount Elgon, the fourth of nine children. My father believed that a girl's education ended where her cooking began, so I learnt my letters by candlelight from my brother's exercise books. When I passed the Certificate of Primary Education, my father refused to pay my fees. It was my mother who sold her only cow. Years later, when I took my oath as the first woman magistrate from our location, I looked for her face in the courtroom. She had walked thirty kilometres to be there.
(a) Identify two themes in the extract. (2 marks)
(b) Explain one value depicted in the extract, with an illustration. (2 marks)
(c) Relate the value you have explained in (b) to the life of a Kenyan learner today. (2 marks)
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
(a) Any two of the following, 1 mark each (2 marks): - Education / the value of education. - Gender discrimination / inequality in access to education. - Parental love and sacrifice. - Determination/perseverance. - Success/achievement through effort. (b) 1 mark for the value and 1 mark for the illustration (2 marks). Any one of: - Determination/resilience: she learnt to read by candlelight from her brother's books despite her father's opposition. - Sacrifice/selflessness: her mother sold her only cow to pay the fees. - Love/devotion: the mother walked thirty kilometres to witness her daughter's swearing-in. - Hard work: she rose to become the first woman magistrate from her location. - Gratitude: she looked for her mother's face in the courtroom. (c) 2 marks for a relevant real-life application of the value given in (b), e.g.: - Determination: a learner from a needy background should keep studying despite challenges such as lack of fees, distance to school or discouragement, and seek bursaries and scholarships. - Sacrifice/love: learners should appreciate the sacrifices of parents and guardians by working hard and behaving responsibly. (1 mark for a general link; 2 marks for a clear, specific application.)
Question 17
1 markWhich of the following sentences would most likely open a piece of literary (narrative) journalism rather than a straight news report?
A. Police have confirmed that three people died in the floods.
B. The county budget was passed on Tuesday by thirty votes.
C. Mama Akinyi still sleeps with her shoes on, ready to run.
D. Rainfall in the region rose by forty per cent this year.
(1 mark)
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