WAEC English Language Syllabus 2024/2025 (For Ghana Students) -

The WAEC English Language Syllabus for Ghana students is now out nd the reason for the release is to help students prepare well for their WAEC examination.

In this post, you are going to see the full detailed syllabus which will include the topics and subtopics. You can take this syllabus as your Area of Concentration, add it together with your textbook and other materials you have and you will smile during your exam.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) English Language syllabus for Ghanaian students is comprehensive, aiming to develop and assess various aspects of the English language, including comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills. This syllabus is designed to prepare students for effective communication and critical thinking in English. Here is an in-depth overview of the syllabus:

Table of Contents

Objectives

The WAEC English Language examination aims to:

Assess students’ understanding of both the spoken and written forms of English.
Evaluate students’ ability to comprehend and interpret texts.
Test students’ proficiency in grammar and vocabulary.
Measure students’ ability to communicate effectively in English.
Assess students’ writing skills, including creativity, coherence, and accuracy.

Exam Structure

The English Language exam consists of three papers:

Paper 1: Objective Test

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Content: Multiple-choice questions covering comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and lexis and structure.

Paper 2: Essay and Comprehension

Duration: 2 hours

Section A: Essay (Composition)

Students choose one topic from a set of given topics and write an essay of about 450 words.
Essay types include:
Narrative
Descriptive
Argumentative
Expository
Letter writing (formal and informal)

Section B: Comprehension

Students answer questions based on a given passage.
Questions test understanding of the passage, including main ideas, details, and inferred meanings.

Paper 3: Oral English

Duration: 45 minutes
Content: Testing listening and speaking skills through various tasks, such as:
Reading aloud
Conversation/dialogue
Discussion

Detailed Syllabus Content

Grammar

Parts of Speech: Understanding the functions and correct usage of different parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Nouns: Common, proper, collective, abstract
Pronouns: Personal, possessive, reflexive, relative, demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite
Adjectives: Descriptive, quantitative, demonstrative, possessive, interrogative, distributive
Verbs: Transitive, intransitive, linking, auxiliary, modal
Adverbs: Manner, time, place, frequency, degree
Prepositions: Simple, compound, phrase
Conjunctions: Coordinating, subordinating, correlative
Interjections: Expressing emotions or sudden bursts of feelings

Sentence Structure: Types of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory), clauses (main and subordinate), and phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, prepositional).

Simple Sentences: One independent clause
Compound Sentences: Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction
Complex Sentences: One independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
Compound-Complex Sentences: Two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses

Tenses: Usage and formation of various tenses, including past, present, and future tenses, and their perfect, continuous, and perfect continuous forms.

Present Tense: Simple present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous
Past Tense: Simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous
Future Tense: Simple future, future continuous, future perfect, future perfect continuous

Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensuring that subjects and verbs agree in number (singular/plural) and person.

Singular Subjects: Take singular verbs (e.g., “He runs.”)
Plural Subjects: Take plural verbs (e.g., “They run.”)
Indefinite Pronouns: Agreement with verbs (e.g., “Everyone is here.”)

Active and Passive Voice: Understanding and converting sentences from active to passive voice and vice versa.

Active Voice: Subject performs the action (e.g., “The cat chased the mouse.”)
Passive Voice: Subject receives the action (e.g., “The mouse was chased by the cat.”)

Direct and Indirect Speech: Converting sentences from direct speech to indirect (reported) speech and vice versa.

Direct Speech: Quoting exact words (e.g., “He said, ‘I am coming.'”)
Indirect Speech: Reporting what someone said (e.g., “He said that he was coming.”)

Punctuation and Capitalization: Correct usage of punctuation marks (periods, commas, colons, semicolons, quotation marks, etc.) and capitalization rules.

Periods: End declarative sentences
Commas: Separate items in a list, clauses, or phrases
Colons: Introduce lists or explanations
Semicolons: Link closely related independent clauses
Quotation Marks: Enclose direct speech or quotations
Capitalization: Proper nouns, beginning of sentences, titles

Vocabulary

Synonyms and Antonyms: Words with similar or opposite meanings.

Synonyms: Happy (joyful), sad (unhappy)
Antonyms: Hot (cold), big (small)

Homophones and Homonyms: Words that sound the same but have different meanings or spellings.

Homophones: Their (belonging to them), there (in that place)
Homonyms: Lead (to guide), lead (a metal)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs: Common expressions and multi-word verbs.

Idioms: “Break the ice” (to start a conversation)
Phrasal Verbs: “Give up” (to quit)

Word Formation: Understanding prefixes, suffixes, and root words to form new words.

Prefixes: Un-, re-, pre-
Suffixes: -tion, -ment, -ness
Root Words: Basic words to which prefixes and suffixes are added

Contextual Meanings: Determining the meaning of words based on their context within a sentence or passage.

Comprehension

Understanding and Interpreting Passages: Reading and comprehending texts, identifying main ideas, and summarizing content.

Main Ideas: Central concepts or messages of a passage
Supporting Details: Facts or examples that support the main idea

Identifying Main Ideas and Supporting Details: Distinguishing between key points and supplementary information.

Main Idea: “The main reason for climate change is human activity.”
Supporting Detail: “Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases.”

Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions: Reading between the lines to understand implicit meanings and predict outcomes.

Inference: “If she left the lights on, she might be home.”
Conclusion: “Given the evidence, it is likely that he is guilty.”

Vocabulary in Context: Using surrounding words to deduce the meanings of unfamiliar terms.

Context Clues: “The austere man frowned at the frivolous behavior.”

Writing Skills

Essay Writing: Developing coherent and structured essays with clear introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.

Narrative Essays: Telling a story with a clear sequence of events
Descriptive Essays: Creating vivid images using detailed descriptions
Argumentative Essays: Presenting and defending a position on an issue
Expository Essays: Explaining a concept or process
Letter Writing: Formal and informal letters with appropriate formats

Summary Writing: Condensing texts into concise summaries, capturing essential points without unnecessary details.

Summary: Briefly restating the main points of a passage

Report Writing: Writing factual and structured reports on various topics or events.

Report: Organized presentation of information on a specific subject

Preparation Tips

Read Widely: Engage in extensive reading to improve comprehension skills and vocabulary. Reading a variety of materials, such as novels, newspapers, and academic texts, helps expose students to different writing styles and terminologies.
Practice Writing: Regularly write essays and summaries to develop writing skills. Students should practice different types of essays and receive feedback to improve their writing techniques.
Study Grammar: Consistently practice grammar exercises to enhance accuracy. Understanding and applying grammar rules is crucial for writing clear and correct sentences.
Practice Past Papers: Solve past exam questions to get familiar with the exam format and time management. Reviewing previous papers helps students understand the types of questions asked and the marking scheme.
Improve Listening and Speaking Skills: Practice listening to spoken English (e.g., through audiobooks, news) and engage in conversations to improve oral skills. Participating in discussions and presentations can also enhance speaking abilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WAEC hard?

Students will always assume WAEC is very difficult but it doesn’t mean it can’t be passed, with good concentration, you can pass with flying colours.

Can i register more than 9 subjects for WAEC?

No, you can not

Conclusion

The WAEC English Language syllabus for Ghanaian students is designed to develop comprehensive language skills, including grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. By adhering to the syllabus and following effective preparation strategies, students can achieve proficiency in English and perform well in their examinations. For the most accurate and detailed syllabus, students should consult the official WAEC website or you can always check ExamDon for the latest update.