GHANA CHRISTIAN INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
2023 – 2024 Academic Year
Benchmark Test
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
YEAR 9
DURATION: 25 minutes
NAME: _____________________________________________________________
CLASS: ____
STUDENT’S ID: ________________
INSTRUCTIONS
Answer ALL questions.
Look at the short story and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.
Preparation
Circle True or False for these sentences.
1. You should divide your story into clear paragraphs. True False
2. In English, we normally write stories using present tenses. True False
It's a good idea to use direct speech ('Go away!') to make your story more
3. True False interesting.
4. When characters in the story speak, you should use inverted commas ('......').
True False
5. You shouldn't use humour in a story. True False
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6. The reader of your story will enjoy a surprising or funny ending. True
False
Check your understanding: multiple choice
Circle the best word to complete these sentences.
1. When Dimitri woke up he felt annoyed with his friend / tired and a bit
anxious .
2. He thought he was unprepared / well prepared for the exam.
3. Dimitri realised he didn't have his wallet when he was on the bus / in the
exam .
4. His friend Lucas lent him some money / bought him lunch .
5. Lucas thought the exam was easy / difficult .
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6. If you want to say something is easy in English, you can say it is 'a piece of
cake / bread ’.
Check your writing: matching – tenses
Match the example sentence with the purpose (and tense).
Example sentences Purposes and tenses
The sun was shining and the birds were a completed action before a time in the past (Past
1 …….. a.
singing. perfect)
something that started and continued until a time
2 …….. I was having a shower when she called. b.
in the past (Past perfect continuous)
3 …….. I saw that film last week. c. setting the scene (Past continuous)
I had been waiting for nearly an hour when a finished action at a specific time in the past (Past
4 …….. d.
he finally arrived. simple)
an action that was in progress when there was an
5 …….. She had seen that boy somewhere before. e. interruption (Past continuous and past simple)
Check your writing: gap fill – tenses
Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verb in brackets. Write one, two or three
words.
1. We decided to stop and rest our legs as we _______________ (walk) all day.
2. After breakfast, Tim _______________ (go) down to the garden to get some
fresh air.
3. I tried to open the door but someone _______________ (lock) it from the
inside.
4. I _______________ (travel) in Italy when I first met her.
5. It _______________ (rain) softly and people were starting to put up their
umbrellas.
6. He looked again at the open door and the old, half-broken steps. His mother
_______________
(warn) him not to go near that house, but it fascinated him.
7. ‘Come in out of the rain!’ Dad said. While we _______________ (get) dry and
chatting about the evening's events, Dad made hot chocolate.
8. She was really excited about the race. She _______________ (train) for
weeks, and she knew she was ready.
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2.4 Underline one adjective in the sentence below.
The wise elders withdrew to the big tree.
2.5 Circle the subject and underline the predicate in the following
sentence.
The maskini lived a simple life.
2.6 Underline the gerund in the following sentence.
Everybody enjoys smelling wonderful wafts of fragrant chicken.
2.7 Join the two simple sentences using the conjunction written within
brackets.
The people of the village approved the court’s decision. The people of the village felt
justice had been done. (because)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
If the sentence, “The elders are intelligent.” is an example of a statement, what type of
sentence is “Get away from my window!”? _______________________________
sentence
Rewrite the following sentence in the future continuous tense.
The tajiri ordered his servants to seize the maskini.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
List the adverbs found in the sentence below.
Yesterday, the court met outside the village where the urgent case would be decided on
its merits.
a) Adverb of place ____________________________________
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b) Adverb of time______________________________________
Complete the following sentence by filling in the missing prepositions.
Village animals roam around in the village ________ search ____________ food.
Write the correct form of the underlined adjective in the following sentence.
The tajiri’s pigs are much big than the maskini’s goat.
____________________________
Rewrite the following sentence in the active voice.
The porridge was eaten by the maskini.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence.
Use no more than three words.
Write only the missing words.
Example: This summer I spent my holiday in Corsica.
This summer I went on holiday to Corsica.
The island of Corsica lies in the Mediterranean near the island of Sardinia.
Corsica is a Mediterranean island ………………………… lies near the island of
Sardinia.
There are many beautiful beaches and mountains in Corsica.
Corsica ……………………… many beautiful beaches and mountains.
You can have diving lessons there.
You can learn ………………………… dive there.
Corsican cooking is different from cooking in other parts of Europe.
Corsican cooking is not ………………………… as cooking in other parts of Europe.
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I really enjoyed my holiday so I’ll return to Corsica soon.
I’ll return to Corsica soon ………………………… I really enjoyed my holiday.
PART B
In your English class, you have been talking about learning. Your teacher has asked you to
write this essay:
Young people learn more from their families than from school.
Write your essay in 100 – 120 words in an appropriate style below.
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