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English Language — JAMB Syllabus
Below are the topics and areas you are expected to study for English Language in the UTME examination. Questions will be drawn from these topics.
Section A: Comprehension / Summary
1
Passage Types
Topics / Contents
- Description
- Narration
- Exposition
- Argumentation / Persuasion
Objectives — Candidates should be able to:
- i.Identify main points and topic sentences in passages
- j.Determine implied meaning from passages
- k.Identify the grammatical functions of words, phrases, clauses and figurative/idiomatic expressions
- l.Deduce or infer the writer's intentions including mood, attitude to the subject matter and opinion
2
Comprehension Skills
Topics / Contents
- Comprehension of the whole or part of each passage
- Comprehension of words, phrases, clauses, sentences, figures of speech and idioms as used in passages
- Coherence and logical reasoning (deductions, inferences, etc.)
- Synthesis of ideas from the passages (combining distinct pieces of information to form a complete whole)
Objectives — Candidates should be able to:
- i.Identify main points/topic sentences in passages
- j.Determine implied meaning
- k.Identify the grammatical functions of words, phrases, clauses and figurative/idiomatic expressions
- l.Deduce or infer the writer's intentions including mood, attitude to the subject matter and opinion
3
Exam Structure — Section A
Topics / Contents
- 1 Comprehension passage — 5 questions
- 1 Cloze passage — 10 questions
- 1 Reading text (The Lekki Headmaster by Kabir Alabi Garba) — 10 questions
Section B: Lexis and Structure
1
Vocabulary
Topics / Contents
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Homonyms
- Ordinary usage, figurative usage and idiomatic usage
- Idioms (formal idioms expressed in standard British English)
Objectives — Candidates should be able to:
- i.Identify words and expressions in their ordinary, figurative and idiomatic contexts
- j.Determine similar and opposite meaning of words
2
Grammar and Structure
Topics / Contents
- Clause and sentence patterns
- Word classes and their functions
- Mood, tense, aspect, number
- Agreement / Concord
- Degree (positive, comparative and superlative)
- Question tags
- Punctuation and spelling
Objectives — Candidates should be able to:
- i.Differentiate between correct and incorrect punctuation and spelling
- j.Identify various grammatical patterns in use
- k.Interpret information conveyed in sentences
3
Exam Structure — Section B
Topics / Contents
- Sentence interpretation — 5 questions
- Antonyms — 5 questions
- Synonyms — 5 questions
- Sentence completion — 10 questions
Section C: Oral Forms
1
Vowels and Consonants
Topics / Contents
- Vowels: monophthongs (pure vowels)
- Vowels: diphthongs (gliding vowels)
- Consonants (including clusters)
- Rhymes (including homophones)
Objectives — Candidates should be able to:
- i.Make distinctions between vowel types (monophthongs and diphthongs)
- j.Differentiate between consonant types including clusters
- k.Identify correct accentuation in individual words and connected speech
2
Stress and Intonation
Topics / Contents
- Word stress — monosyllabic words
- Word stress — polysyllabic words
- Intonation patterns
- Emphatic stress (placement of normal stress on words for the purpose of emphasis)
Objectives — Candidates should be able to:
- i.Identify correct word stress in monosyllabic and polysyllabic words
- j.Identify emphatic stress and intonation patterns in utterances
- k.Identify correct accentuation in connected speech
3
Exam Structure — Section C
Topics / Contents
- Oral Forms questions — 10 questions
- Total examination questions: 60