ENGLISH LANGUAGE POST UTME SYLLABUS
This is complete Post UTME Syllabus in Use of English for candidates who are writing post utme exam this
year in various universities. So, if you are preparing for post utme exam, it’s important that you follow this
syllabus while you are reading. Try as much as possible to cover it with text books and post utme past
questions.
GNS !01
Use of English 1, GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURE
1. The Sentence: Definitions using various criteria semantic, structure and orthography, with many
examples of sentence.
2. Structural Classification of Sentence: simple sentence, complex sentence, compound sentence,
compound complex sentence, multiple-complex sentence.
3. Functional Classification of Sentence, namely: Statements, commands, questions and
exclamations.
4. Basic simple sentence and various sentence parts
Explication of basic simple sentences
Sentence part e.g., subject, verb, direct object, indirect object, and subject complement and object
complement.
5. Elements on the grammatical rank scale: sentence, clause, phrase/group, word and morpheme.
6. Formation of non-simple sentences, i.e. variants of the basic simple sentence, formed through the
process of movement, deletion and insertion. e.g. negative sentence, passive sentence, polar
question, wh – question etc.
7. Formation of Non-simple sentences combination of simple sentences or main clauses to form
larger sentences e.g. compound sentence, complex sentence, compound complex sentence,
multiple-sentence and multiple-complex sentence.
8. Structural types of clauses
Noun clause
Adjectival clause
Adverbial clause
Word Formation, Collocation and The English Dictionary
1. The nature of Language
2. Vocabulary Development
3. World formation Processes
4. Clipping
5. Blending
6. Acronym
7. Borrowing
8. conversion
Word Types
Simple, complex, compounds
1. Morphemes
2. Lexical Morphemes
3. Grammatical Morphemes
4. Idioms
Collection
1. Fixed
2. Non-fixed
The Dictionary
1. Types
2. Functions
3. Merits
4. Demerits
The Study of Meaning in English
1. What is Meaning
Not easily definable; a simple term
Ambiguous, vague, polysemous
2. Types of Meaning
3. Linguistic Meaning, Phonological, Orthographic, Morphological, Syntactic, Lexical
4. Contextual Meaning
Verbal, Cultural, Situational, Stylistic:
Meaning defined by theme/subject matter
Meaning defined by tenor
Meaning defined by mode
1. Concepts of Meaning
References, Sense, Componential Analysis,
Concept, Denotative and Connotative
Meaning, Cognitive, Interpersonal, Textual
Meaning, Ambiguity v. Vagueness,
Nominalism v. Realism.
1. Common Error
2. Introduction: Reasons for common errors in students’ writing
3. Common Spelling Error
Wrong association of spelling with pronunciation.
Spelling mistakes attributable to poor pronunciation.
Words commonly misspelt
Unnecessary duplication of letters
Writing compound words as separate words
British and American spellings
Some spelling rules
3. Errors in choice of Lexical Items
Words with similar sounds but different spellings and meanings
Words with same spellings but different meanings
Confusion in the use of verbs and nouns
Errors in the choice and ordering of adjectives
Errors in plural formation
Errors in the use of prepositions
4. Common Errors in Grammar
Common errors in the use of nouns
Common errors in the use of verbs
Common errors in the use of adverbs and adjectives
Common errors in the use of pronouns
Common errors in the use of tense
Common of tenses in conditional sentence
GNS 102
INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION AND ESSAY WRITING
1. Essay/composition
2. Report Writing
3. The Narrative Report
(i) Topic, audience, situation
(ii) Features of narration
(iii) Emphasis on fact
(iv) Accuracy of information: persons, time, place
1. The Project Report (based on empirical data)
(i) Choosing a topic,
(ii) Developing site of data collection;
(iii) Data collection
(iv) Data collection
(v) Data analysis
2. Speech Writing
The topic, audience and situation
The contact: direct communication with audience
3. Letter Writing
Form(s)
Formal letter, also called business letter (to business establishments, government, institution etc.);
Informal letter, also called friendly or personal letter (to parents, relations, friends etc.
Features
Presentation, in case of a formal letter opening and closure, introduction and body of letter; use of
language is formal.
Presentation, in case of informal letter introduction, body, conclusion and language not as in case
of a formal letter.
Topics in narrative, descriptive and expository types of composition form the content bases for
letter writing: can be narrative, descriptive or expository depending upon topic and purpose of
writing.
1. Comprehension and Summary
2. Reading
3. Efficient reading,
4. Academic reading,
5. Learner centered reading difficulties,
6. Text-centered reading difficulties.
7. Mental Processes during Reading
8. Flexibility in reading,
9. Determining reading speed,
10. SO3R strategy
11. Comprehension
12. Identifying the main ideas,
13. Topic Sentence,
14. Identifying supportive details.
15. Techniques Authors use to Develop Main Ideas
16. Definition, b. Repetition, c. Examples and Illustrations, d. Justification.
17. Summarization Skills
18. Definition, b. Application
19. Formation of Answers to Examination Question
a). Introduction is Essay/ Composition
1. Description of a composed text
(i) Unity of theme
(ii) Coherence
(iii) Cohesion
2. Features of Composed text
(i) Focus
(ii) Organization
(iii) Support and elaboration
(iv) Style
(v) Conventions
3. Writing a text
(i) Purpose of writing
(ii) Choosing a topic
(iii) Developing an outline
(iv) Paragraph development
(v) Identifying characteristics of target audience
4. Types of Essay/Composition
(a) Narrative Essay
(i) Form(s)
Relating personal or imaginative experience;
Giving a historical account of a person, place, event etc.,
Narrating a story to support a position
(proverb, philosophical view)
(ii) Features
Narration usually involves;
(i) Setting (place, time),
(ii) Characters (people, actors) (iii) Actions, (iv) Use of flashback, (v) Tense usage usually past tense.
(b) Descriptive Essay
(i) Form(s)
Painting in words of persons, objects, scenes, event etc.
(ii) Features
Emphasis more on showing rather than telling:
There is always one dominant impression
Selection of details to support dominant impression
Reliance on concrete sensory details to Support points.
(c) Expository Essay
(i) Form(s)
Presentation, explanation or expounding of ideas, theories, beliefs;
Presentation of a proposal on an issue, topic;
Presentation of an analysis of something, event, issue;
Presentation of commentary on an issue;
Writing of an editorial
Comparing and contrasting two things or event
(ii) Features
Support ideas ordered logically and linked clearly;
Use of a thesis (focus/controlling idea to establish control of content;
Ideas receive adequate support to make them clear;
Skilled use of language.
(d) Argumentative Essay
(i) Form(s)
Arguments on both sides of an issue (open)
Arguments on one side of an issue (closed)
(ii) Features
Logical presentation of ideas, viewpoints etc;
Providing sufficient information to support or rebut a position,
Careful selection of what to present;
Anticipating counter arguments;
GNS 103
THE CONCEPT OF NIGERIA ENGLISH AT THE LEVELS OF PHONOLOGY LEXIS AND
SYNTAX
1. Revision of First Semester course (GNS 101).
2. The English Verbal Group
3. Tense, aspect and modality
4. Concord in the English language
5. The English nominal group
6. The Adverbial Group
7. Sentence Connection in English
8. Revision
The Sound Pattern of English
1. The Vocal Organs
2. The Segmental Sounds: Consonants, Vowels
3. The English Syllable
4. Word and Sentence Stress
5. Intonation in English
Punctuation in English
Use of capital letters, the full stop, the comma, the semi-colon, the colon, the inverted comma, the question
mark, the dash and the hyphen.
