Ministry of Education

and Sports

HOME-STUDY
LEARNING
I OR
N

4
S E

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Au gu s t 2020
Published 2020

This material has been developed as a home-study intervention for schools during the
lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to support continuity of learning.

Therefore, this material is restricted from being reproduced for any commercial gains.

National Curriculum Development Centre

P.O. Box 7002,
Kampala- Uganda
www.ncdc.go.ug
 SELF-STUDY LEARNING

FOREWORD

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, government of Uganda

closed all schools and other educational institutions to minimize the
spread of the coronavirus. This has affected more than 36,314 primary
schools, 3129 secondary schools, 430,778 teachers and 12,777,390
learners.

The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent closure of all has had drastically
impacted on learning especially curriculum coverage, loss of interest in
education and learner readiness in case schools open. This could result in
massive rates of learner dropouts due to unwanted pregnancies and lack
of school fees among others.

To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the education system in

Uganda, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) constituted a
Sector Response Taskforce (SRT) to strengthen the sector’s preparedness
and response measures. The SRT and National Curriculum Development
Centre developed print home-study materials, radio and television scripts
for some selected subjects for all learners from Pre-Primary to Advanced
Level. The materials will enhance continued learning and learning for
progression during this period of the lockdown, and will still be relevant
when schools resume.

The materials focused on critical competences in all subjects in the

curricula to enable the learners to achieve without the teachers’
guidance. Therefore effort should be made for all learners to access and
use these materials during the lockdown. Similarly, teachers are advised
to get these materials in order to plan appropriately for further learning
when schools resume, while parents/guardians need to ensure that their
children access copies of these materials and use them appropriately.
I recognise the effort of National Curriculum Development Centre in
responding to this emergency through appropriate guidance and the
timely development of these home study materials. I recommend them for
use by all learners during the lockdown.

Alex Kakooza
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Education and Sports

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) would like to express its

appreciation to all those who worked tirelessly towards the production of
home–study materials for Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary Levels of
Education during the COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda.

The Centre appreciates the contribution from all those who guided
the development of these materials to make sure they are of quality;
Development partners - SESIL, Save the Children and UNICEF; all the
Panel members of the various subjects; sister institutions - UNEB and DES
for their valuable contributions.

NCDC takes the responsibility for any shortcomings that might be

identified in this publication and welcomes suggestions for improvement.
The comments and suggestions may be communicated to NCDC through
P.O. Box 7002 Kampala or email [email protected] or by visiting our
website at http://ncdc.go.ug/node/13.

Grace K. Baguma
Director,
National Curriculum Development Centre

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ABOUT THIS BOOKLET

Dear learner, you are welcome to this home-study package. This content
focuses on critical competences in the syllabus.

The content is organised into lesson units. Each unit has lesson activities,
summary notes and assessment activities. Some lessons have projects
that you need to carry out at home during this period. You are free to use
other reference materials to get more information for specific topics.

Seek guidance from people at home who are knowledgeable to clarify in

case of a challenge. The knowledge you can acquire from this content can
be supplemented with other learning options that may be offered on radio,
television, newspaper learning programmes. More learning materials can
also be accessed by visiting our website at www.ncdc.go.ug or
ncdc-go-ug.digital/. You can access the website using an internet enabled
computer or mobile phone.

We encourage you to present your work to your class teacher when

schools resume so that your teacher is able to know what you learned
during the time you have been away from school. This will form part of
your assessment. Your teacher will also assess the assignments you will
have done and do corrections where you might not have done it right.

The content has been developed with full awareness of the home learning
environment without direct supervision of the teacher. The methods,
examples and activities used in the materials have been carefully selected
to facilitate continuity of learning.

You are therefore in charge of your own learning. You need to give
yourself favourable time for learning. This material can as well be used
beyond the home-study situation. Keep it for reference anytime.

Develop your learning timetable to ca ter for continuity of learning and

other responsibilities given to you at home.

Enjoy learning

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Term 2

TOPIC: Choosing a Career

LESSON 1: Types of Questions

Learning Outcome
By the end of this lesson you should be able to use different types of
questions to get information about career choices.

Introduction
A question is a type of clause or sentence which has an information gap
that needs to be filled. There are many types of questions in English
language. We have the general or ‘yes or no’ questions, the ‘WH’
questions, indirect questions, appended questions, tag/tail questions,
negative questions, free response and multiple choice questions.
The ‘yes or no’ questions relate to the whole sentence and not to a
separate element of it. These kinds of questions should be answered the
same way they have been asked. If the question begins with a form of the
verb ‘to be’- am, is, are, then the answers should follow like this, ‘Yes, I
am, he is, they are or No, I am not/ he isn’t, they aren’t’.
The ‘WH’ questions begin with who, what, where, when, why, how. They
are used to ask for information.
An indirect question is a question embedded inside a statement. (i.e.,
a declarative sentence) or another question (i.e., an interrogative
sentence).
Tag questions (or question tags) turn a statement into a question.
They are used to check or confirm that you have understood something
correctly. Usually if the main clause is positive, the question tag is
negative and if the main clause is negative, it is positive.
An indirect question is used to ask for information in a polite way.
A negative question is a question that contains the word ‘not’ or a
negative verb contraction like didn’t (did not) hadn’t (had not).
Appended questions are those that are added to a statement or question.
Statement questions are used to get information from others. This is
done by moving a helping verb, moving the being verb, or adding the
doing verb.

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Below are examples for each type of questions.

• Yes/no: This is for questions such as: Do you like teaching?

• WH: This is used for questions such as: What profession do you like best?
• Tag questions such as: She likes teaching, doesn’t she? / He does
not like teaching, does he?
• Appended questions for example: Teaching is a good profession;
don’t you think so?
• Indirect questions such as: The boy would like to know what it
takes to become a doctor.
• Negative questions such as: Don’t you think that you may need to
change your profession when you get married? Or doesn’t she
know that she is the nurse on duty today?
• Statement question for example. Have the teachers treated us
kindly ?

Activity 1: Language Practice: Questions

Match the question types on the left with the example questions on the
right.

1 Information (or WH-) a. What other languages can you

question speak?
2 Yes/no question (the b. You are a Kiswahili speaker, ar-
answer is yes or no) en’t you?
3 Negative question c. Do you live in the city?
4 Tag question (there d. Would you mind telling me your
is a ‘tag at the end of date of birth?
it)
5 Statement question e. Haven’t you ever used a comput-
(it doesn’t look like a er?
question)
6 Indirect question f. Tell me about your interests.
(very polite)
7 An instruction (not g. You’ve got six passes at ‘CSE’
really a question) level?
8 Appended question Teaching is a noble profession, don’t
you think so?

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Activity 2.
Imagine that your careers’ master would like to know more information about
your career choice. Use the types of questions we have identified above to
formulate questions that he or she might ask you.

For example:

Appended question: Education is very important to our lives, don’t you think so?

Using the type of questions, you have learned so far, formulate questions that
would give you the following answers.
1 (a) I like the idea of working with people.
2. (a) I am a practical person. I need to work with my hands.
3. (a) I am interested in making money. That is the most important thing.
4 (a) I am prepared to travel away from home for my work if necessary.
Follow up Activity
From the answers you have given above, what do they say about the kind of
career that would suit you well?

LESSON 2

Activity 1

Read and enjoy the following article about choosing a career.

Choosing a Career

One of the key aspects of choosing the best career is by thinking about yourself.
Many people in your life can tell you what you should do, or what they think
you’d be good at, but the only person who truly knows which career is best, is
yourself.
Start by thinking about your passions and what you’re interested in. If you have
a love for writing, a career in construction, for example, may not be the best
fit. Instead, you’d look at more creative fields such as journalism, copywriting
or even creative writing. Knowing and discovering what you enjoy and feel
passionate about will give you a strong start to discovering a career path for
you.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will make in

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life.  It’s about so much more than deciding what you will do to make a living. To
start with, think about the amount of time we spend at work. We are on the job
approximately 71% of every year. Over our lifetimes, this comes to roughly 31½
years out of the 45 years most of us spend working, from the beginning of our
careers until retirement. The importance of selecting a career with which we
are satisfied cannot be overemphasized.
While some people are lucky enough to just know what they want to do and
end up in satisfying careers without giving it much thought, most of us are not.
Many people don’t put enough effort into choosing occupations, or pick them
for the wrong reasons. Maybe they choose careers that seem secure or pay well.
They then end up unhappy. The best way to make sure that doesn’t happen to
you is to make a well-thought out decision.
There are four steps you can take to plan for your Career:
Knowing Yourself; Skills, likes/dislikes and values
Finding out; exploring what is out there
Making decisions; comparing options
Taking action; working towards your goals
Career planning is an ongoing process that can help you manage your learning
and development. You can use the four-step planning process whether you are
at school, at college, an adult returning to education or adding on skills, an
adult changing job or career.
Career planning is the continuous process of: thinking about your interests,
values, skills and preferences; exploring the life, work and learning options
available to you; ensuring that your work fits with your personal circumstances;
continuously fine-tuning your work and learning plans to help you manage the
changes in your life and the world of work. You can revisit and make use of this
process all the way through your career.
Begin by thinking about where you are now, where you want to be and how
you’re going to get there.
Once you have thought about where you are now and where you want to be, you
can work on getting to know your skills, interests and values.
Begin by asking yourself the following questions: Where am I now? Where do I
want to be? What do I want out of a job or career? What do I like to do? What
are my strengths? What is important to me?
At the end of this step you will have a clearer idea of your work or learning goal
and your individual preferences. You can use this information about yourself
as your personal ‘wish list’ against which you can compare all the information
you gather in Step 2: Finding out.  Your personal preferences are very useful for

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helping you choose your best option at this point in time, which you can do in
Step 3: Making decisions.
Step 2: Finding out
This step is about exploring the occupations and learning areas that interest
you. Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences you can
research the specific skills and qualifications required for those occupations.
Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself how do my skills and
interests match up with these occupations? Where are the gaps? What options
do I have to gain these skills or qualify for these occupations? What skills
do I need? Where is the work? At the end of this step you will have a list of
preferred occupations and/or learning options.
Step 3: Making decisions
This step involves comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and
thinking about what suits you best at this point in time.  Ask yourself: What
are my best work/training options? How do they match with my skills, interests
and values? How do they fit with the current labour market? How do they fit
with my current situation and responsibilities? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each option? What will help and what will hinder me? What
can I do about it? At the end of this step you will have narrowed down your
options and have more of an idea of what you need to do next to help you
achieve your goals.
Step 4: Taking action
Here you plan the steps you need to take to put your plan into action.
Use all you have learnt about your skills, interests and values together with
the information you have gathered about the world of work to create your
plan. Begin by asking yourself: What actions/steps will help me achieve my
work, training and career goals? Where can I get help? Who will support me?

At the end of this step you will have:

a plan to help you explore your options further (e.g. work experience, work
shadowing or more research); or a plan which sets out the steps to help you
achieve your next learning or work. Decide which step is relevant for you right
now and start from there.
(Adapted from: https://brainly.in/question/6171123)

Activity 2

Using the information in the above article, formulate 2 yes/no questions, 2 WH

questions, 2 tag questions, 2 appended questions, and two indirect questions
about choosing a career.

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Activity 3

In not more than 100 words, write a summary of what it takes to choose a
career.

Follow up activity

A well-known and well-liked person (invent a name) has just died. Write ten
questions you would ask about his (or her) career. These questions should
include something about his/her family background, education and old age.

LESSON 3: Reading Comprehension

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you should be able to skim and scan the following
passages and identify relevant information about possible career opportunities.

Introduction
Skimming and scanning are key reading skills that will help you locate key
information in the passage. They are very key skills that will help you in
summary writing.

Activity 1
Read and enjoy the following passage.

Mkami: Entrepreneur

I always thought I would work for someone else, I never imagined that I would
be the boss! But that is how things have turned out for me. I left school with
quite a good Certificate of Secondary Education and as I had done well in
maths, I managed to get a job in the accounts department of a tourist hotel. I
did this for about four years.
Meanwhile my cousin Jimmy, who didn’t go to secondary school, had trained
as a carpenter. He got a grant from SIDO; that is the Small-Scale Industries
Development Organisation, to set up a workshop and started employing a
few untrained workers, who he trained up. Jimmy came to the hotel one day
and saw that they had a very poor selection of crafts for sale to guests. He
suggested asking the hotel if we could take over the tourists shop. He would
provide the goods and I would run the shop. We managed to get a loan from an
investment bank to set up the shop. The bank also gave us a lot of advice and
helped us put together a business plan. Eventually it was agreed that we would
pay rent to the hotel and a percentage of the earnings. That was ten years ago.
Since then I have done some courses in running a business and that has helped
us to expand. We now have a chain of 20 tourist shops in different hotels. The

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workshop still supplies a lot of our goods but I also travel around the country to
find other suppliers. We have come a long way, and I think the reason for this
is that we have asked for advice from the people who know, and we listen to our
customers. Tourists want to see a good variety of high quality crafts and that’s
what we give them. Running a business is hard work and at the beginning you
can’t expect to make any money for yourself; all the profit goes into building up
the business. So you have to have a cool head and be prepared to take risks. We
employ 40 people now and have made reasonable livings for our own families,
so I am satisfied. I am married and I’ve got one daughter. I haven’t had time to
have another!
Asha: Office manager
I am the office manager in a company which publishes education books.
What is an office manager? Well, it’s difficult to say exactly. I usually
tell people that I’m the one who keeps the company going! Most of the
work that is done here lands on my desk at some time or other. For
example, invoicing, either sending out invoices or paying them, they
come to me first. I am also responsible for receiving and passing on
the book orders to our warehouse and then checking that they have
been sent and also for sending out samples. If any problems come up,
the director relies on me to sort them out. I have to supervise all the
administrative staff: the receptionists and the secretaries. If we need to
recruit staff, I have to deal with job adverts and the application process.
There are other things as well, but I hope I’ve given you some idea of the
variety of things I do.
The job is never done! When I leave the office every day, there is always
a pile of things waiting for the next day. Obviously, the job requires
good organizational skills and you have got to be able to deal with the
employees kindly but firmly. It is very stressful at times but I have
learnt to be calm in a crisis and polite to our customers even when they
are being unreasonable. On the other hand, the salary is fair for the type
of work I do and have little time to feel bored!
I left school with the Certificate of Secondary Education and then did
a degree in Business Administration for three years. After graduating.
I got a job in a small office where I had to do more or less all the
administrative work and that was good preparation for this job, which
I have been doing for three years. I am not married but I’m engaged
and hope to get married soon. I will definitely continue my job when I
am married. In my free time I like emailing my friends and surfing the
Internet.
(Extracted from: English in Use book 4)

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Activity 2

The careers mentioned above represent many other career opportunities

you may choose to pursue. What possible career opportunities do the
above passages reveal to you?

Activity 3

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the two jobs
talked about in the above passages?

Activity 4

Identify some good advice in these texts for young people like you about
how to succeed as an employee or in your own business.

Follow up activity

Which of these three jobs would you:

(a) Most like to have? (b) least like to have?
Give reasons for your choice.

LESSON 4: Adjectives

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you should be able to use adjectives in composition
writing.

Introduction

Adjectives are describing words. They are used to describe nouns or pronouns.
Adjectives give us additional information about things, places, people, qualities
or ideas. Adjectives may come immediately before the noun they describe or
they may come after the verb and therefore be detached from the noun or
pronoun they are describing.

For example:

The teaching profession is sought after by many compassionate people.

Other kinds of adjectives

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Demonstrative adjectives
These define which thing or things, person or persons, is/are being spoken or
written about. They include: this, that, these and those.

For example:

That doctor is the best in Mulago Hospital.

• This business plan has to bring in a lot of money.
• These midwives are the best in this country.
• Those charming marketeers can make you buy anything on this planet.

(a) Possessive adjectives

These indicate ownership.

For example:
• I love my teaching profession.
• Your kind of profession is what we all crave for.
• The nursing aid prides in her work.
• Her ambition to become an astronaut knew no bounds.
• Our promises to our clients are made to be kept.
• Their Professional conduct touches everybody in the hospital.
•
(b) Interrogative adjectives
These ask questions such as, which, whose, or what questions.

For example:
• Which profession is revered most by the youth?
• Whose business plan is that?
• What kind of profession allows such behaviour?

Activity 1

Use the examples given in each category to create own sentences related to
choosing a career.

Activity 2

Describe a career you would like to pursue in future using the above types of
adjectives.

LESSON 5: Using adverbs of degree

Adverbs are usually, but not always, attached to verbs and give additional
information about them. They qualify the meaning of verbs, for example, by
showing how an action is carried out. Adverbs of degree however tell us about
the degree to which an action was performed or a feeling was experienced.

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For example:

• The performance of the orchestra was much improved.

• I was so angry.
• He was very late.

Activity 1

Pick out the adverbs of degree in these headlines:

a) ‘I am so disgusted with my performance in class,’ says Mary.
b) ‘We played very badly,’ admits the Manager.
c) ‘The country must do much better,’ states the Minister.

TOPIC: Applying for a Job

LESSON 1: Reading for Meaning

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you should be able to understand job requirements
from newspapers.

Introduction

Activity: Read and enjoy the passage below.

What do employees expect?
What do employers expect from a school leaver? The answer to this
question is not easy, but in general employers seem to look for a number
of qualities in job applicants.
In the first place, employers like would-be employees to know their own
minds. They like applicants to be decisive - to have a clear idea of what
they want to do in life, as well as realistic notions of what is involved
in achieving their goals. Thus, applicants who are career-conscious
definitely stand a better chance than those who are indecisive.
Clearly, applicants can only show this quality if they have done some
homework before the interview, to find out something about the
organization they are applying to join, and to understand the kinds of
opportunity that might open up. They should also find out if possible
about the history, aims, and the problems of the organization; its
products, if any; its training programmes; the long-term job prospects.
Showing evidence of your interest in the organization will impress the
interviewer.
However, this does not mean that the applicant should try to appear a
‘know-all’ at the interview. Far from it! While employers expect certain

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minimum academic achievements in their would-be employees, they are

far more interested in whether the applicant is ready, willing and able
to learn, often from fellow-workers who may, on paper, be far less well-
qualified.
This last point is crucial. A new employee must have respect for
those already employed in the organization, even if the latter are less
qualified. There are plenty of older employees around, who, when
young, did not have the same educational opportunities as the present
generation. There can be no feature for those new employees who look
down on any of their colleagues or senior officers on these grounds.
On the other hand, employees do like their young workers to be
reasonably ambitious. Organisations depend a great deal for their
growth and prosperity on the willingness of their younger employers to
improve themselves, and a spirit of friendly competition is usually highly
desirable, provided it is carried on in a reasonable way.
However, ambition is not the same thing as greed. Many young people,
when they first get a job, think that the world is at their feet. In their
desire to impress their friends and relatives, they often bite off more
than they can chew in terms of financial obligations. It is easier to apply
for a car or motor-cycle loan than to make sure you have enough money
left every month to pay off your debt. Employers lay great stress on new
employees having a realistic judgment of their income, so that they can
budget properly in their personal affairs.
One last point is worth mentioning: it pays to dress conventionally and
smartly. It would be foolish to throw away your chance of a job, or of
promotion once in the job, merely because of your clothes.
(Extracted from: English in use, Book 4 by Longman publishers)

Activity 2

Outline the job requirements mentioned in the passage.

Activity 3

(i) Which of the suggestions given in the text do you agree with and
which do you disagree with?
(ii) Do you think you will be able to follow this advice when you apply for
or start a job? Why or why not.

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LESSON 2: Composition Writing: Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you should be able to write a CV.
When you apply for a job, the would-be employer would like to know who
you are and how qualified you are. He is also interested in your skills,
hobbies and interests. This is all captured in the CV. A CV provides your
personal information, educational background, working experience and
any other useful information that may help you secure employment,
scholarship or admission to an institution of learning.

Study the CV below.

Curriculum Vitae
Personal data

Name: Stanislaus Mugeche Omangi

Address: P.O. Box 30094-00600 Munge’tho

Telephone 0624-764318
number:

Email: Curriculum vitae

smugeche”muge’etho.com

Date of bir 31 st May 1980

th:

Sex: Male

Marital sta- Single

tus:

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Nationality: Kenyan

Education

1998-2000: Kenya Polytechnic Certificate in Hospitality Graduate

with Distinction

1994-1997: Mbariki Secondary school.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (attained B
grade overall.
Subject: English, Mathematics, Kiswahili, Biology,
Chemistry, History, Geography, French, Home Science.

1986-1993: Jacaranda Primary School.

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education
(attained 500 out of 700 marks)
Work experi- Sarufi Hotel Reception
ence
Duties: Booking guests, responding to guests’ queries,
2001-To receiving guests
date.
Interests
• Tennis, travelling, swimming
• Member of the Rotary Club of Kenya

References
1. Mr Tom Chesina
• Managing Director
• Sarufu Hotel
• PO Box 9248-0100
• Sarufi
•
2. Ms Jane Armarode
• Principal
• Mbariki Secondary School
• PO Box 236-0040
• Mbaraki

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(Extracted from: Head Start Secondary English Form 4 by Oxford

publishers)
A CV has information about the following:

Personal data:
Name, address, date of birth, nationality, marital status and sex

Education:
Name of the school(s) or other institutions of learning attended and
qualifications attained

Work experience:
Name of the organization (s), position(s) held, duties and responsibilities
and duration.

Interests:
Hobbies, community service and anything about you that may help you be
favourably considered for the job, scholarship or admission.

References:
Names and positions of people who know you and can recommend
you. These could be your teachers, former employers or even religious
leaders. However, note that you cannot give the names of your parents
or relatives as your references.

Activity 1
Compose your own CV using the above structure for a teaching job
vacancy in a school in your community.

Activity 2

Study the following job advertisements and decide which one is the most
suitable for Farida and why.

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VACANCY
Urgently required
Busy international trading company
Male and female security staff for requires a junior registry assistant
city centre office building. for general office work. Ability to use
Contact: a computer and foreign language an
advantage.
The personnel Manager,
Write to: The Manager, Ocean Trad-
Securico, P.O, Box 35, Dar es Salaam. ing Ltd, P.O. Box 12, Dar es Salam.

WE ARE RECRUITNG.
A junior reporter for our newspaper
Please write with a full CV to The Editor, The Daily
News, P.O. Box 51 Dar es Salaam.

Activity 3
Select one other advert from the three above and create a CV that matches it.

LESSON 3: Composition Writing: Letter of Application

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you should be able to write a letter of application in
response to a job advertisement.

Introduction
Letters of application are written when applying for a job, a training course,
a college or a university. It is important to create an impression with this
letter as this will help decide whether or not you are called for interview and/
or accepted for a job or course. When you apply for a job, you have to ‘sell’
yourselfso every aspect of the letter is important:

• Neat writing and appearance

• Clean paper
• Good use of English and correct spelling
• All the necessary information, but not too long
• Polite in tone
• A formal layout and style

When writing a letter of application, you should follow these steps:

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 Begin the letter by referring to the advertisement and the name of the
newspaper/website/other where you saw it.
 Give the necessary information about yourself: age, schools attended,
examinations passed, subjects taken, languages spoken as well as any other
useful information such as relevant experience, posts of responsibility
inside or outside school.
 If possible say why you think you may be suitable for this post.
 Furthermore, you should include the names of two referees who are willing
to answer questions about you. These should be responsible and respected
people who are not related to you.

Useful Language

Opening paragraphs
• With reference to your advertisement in ‘The Standard’ dated 23rd
January for the post of………, I wish to……………………..
• I am writing with regard to the vacancy of ……………………as advertised in
the ‘The standard’ of………………….
• I am a sixteen-year old student ………………….
• It was with interest that I read your advertisement for …………………….

Middle Paragraphs
• I, therefore, feel that I am suitable for the post………………
• I passed my KCPE with 55 points and at present I am studying ……………
• I have had some experience in this field………….
• I have held the following posts of responsibility since I have been at
school……..

Ending paragraphs
• I am available for interview ……………….
• I will be available to take up employment from………….
• I look forward to hearing from you.

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Sample Question
Wanted

A school- leaver for the post of

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Applicants should be KSCE leavers with an interest in clerical work, with a

pleasant manner and most importantly a willingness to learn.

Applications in own handwriting should be sent to:

The Manager of Personal Services

Karani Incorporated

Box 3215

Kisumu

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Sample response

St John’s school,
P.O. Box 89264
Machakos
Manager of Personal Services,
Karani Incorporated
Box 3215
Kisumu

Dear sir,
Re: Application for the Post of Office Assistant
It was with interest that I read your advertisement seeking a KSCE
school-leaver for the post of Office Assistant in your firm. I am due to take
my KSCE examination this November after which I will be seeking employ-
ment.
Among the subjects I am studying for the examination are Typing and
Office Practice. These have been of particular use to me in my position as
secretary of Debating Society. I enjoy these subjects and wish to continue
to use these practical skills when I leave school.
As Head Girl I have to deal with both staff and students and I believe
I do this politely, pleasantly, and effectively.
My interest and willingness to learn has not just been confined to my
KSCE subjects. I am also a member of the young Farmers’ Club and of the
school sports team. Recently, I began to teach myself shorthand.
I, therefore, feel that I am well suited to the vacant post of Office As-
sistant in your firm. I will be available for interview after the eighteenth of
next month.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully, Miss Jane Mutua

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Adapted from: KCSE REVISION ENGLISH

Activity 1
Use one of the following adverts to write an application letter.

LOOKING FOR A CAREER? Urgently required.

National Airlines has vacancies General office assistant. Good
for technical and non-technical English and Kiswahili needed.
ground staff and cabin crew.
Apply with full details of your- Write to: Mrs K. Wanambwa,
self to the Chief Personnel Offi- Cross Border Trading, P.O.
cer, P.O. Box 96, Dar es Salaam. Box 12, Jinja.

Kitchen assistant needed in lively

Urgently required. restaurant in city centre. No pre-
vious cooking experience required.
General office assistant. Suit school leaver. Apply: The Man-
Good English and Kiswahili ager, Half Moon Restaurant, and
needed. Box 34, Kampala.
Write to: Mrs K. Wanambwa,
Cross Border Trading, P.O.
Box 12, Jinja.

Adapted from: (English in Use, Book 3 Longman publishers)

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TERM 3

TOPIC: Globalisation

LESSON 1: Comprehension

Learning Outcome
By the end of this lesson you should be able to understand oral and written
texts on globalisation.

Introduction
Globalisation is often used to describe large companies which are present
in many countries around the world buying goods from local farmers,
manufacturing them in factories, or selling them to the local people.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) globalisation is the increased
interconnectedness and interdependence of people’s and countries. It is
generally understood to include two inter-related elements: the opening of
international borders to increasingly fast flows of goods, services, finance,
people and ideas; and the changes in institutions and policies at national and
international levels that facilitate or promote such flows. In other words,
globalization isn’t just about business. It also involves travel, tourism,
migration, culture, language and political ideas.
(Adapted from: https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-
globalization-definition-benefits-effects-examples/)

Activity 1

Read and enjoy the following passage.

For John, Ramini, Liv and Rukuba and the staff at the Four Palm Hotel,
globalization may be a good thing. But there is another side of the story. The
big multi-national company that manufactures John’s jeans has operations
in many other countries. It is so powerful that it can put pressure on the
governments of some of these countries, particularly less developed countries,
to make them do what it wants. For example, the governments may be forced
to allow the company to open factories where it wants them even if the sites
are environmentally unsuitable. The factories may then produce chemicals
which pollute the air and water. Although they provide jobs for the local people,
they are often poorly paid and have no hope of promotion in the company.
The opening of the factory may lead to the closure of a locally owned factory
which can’t compete. Then, when it no longer suites the company to be in that
country, it can simply close down its operation and move on to another place.
The profits from the company go back to its headquarters in another country:
usually in the USA, Europe or China. So how much benefit does it really bring
the less developed countries?

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With people moving around the world more easily, a global culture is
emerging and local traditions are disappearing. Baseball caps, T-shirts and
jeans are now global fashion. There is also global music, global films and so
no. This global culture promotes ideas and values which are often at odds
with those of traditional societies; for example young people may start to
copy the behaviour of their peers in American films by speaking to elders less
respectfully, or refusing to conform to local marriage customs. This can lead to
conflict between the generations with in families. Another factor is that world
languages, particularly English, have a dominant role and are seen as more
progressive, while local languages may die out.
Of course, from the earliest times people have travelled from one part of
the globe to another. What is different nowadays is the amount of contact
people have with other countries through air travel, satellite TV and internet
communications. We are part of the global village: even people living in villages
in Africa may have an opinion on a speech by the President of the United States,
just a few hours after it has been made. Globalisation, whether we like it or
not, is probably here to stay. We must therefore learn to live with it. In Africa
especially it is up to all of us to try to make it a force for good and to limit its
negative impact as much as possible.

Activity 2

Re- read the passage and answer the following questions.

1. What power does a large multi-national company have over

governments?
2. What negative aspects of global culture are mentioned?
3. In your view has globalisation always been a feature of human life ?

TOPIC: Grammar

LESSON 1: Transitive, Intransitive and Reflexive Verbs

Learning Outcome
By the end of this lesson you should be able to understand transitive,
intransitive and reflexive verbs.

Introduction
A transitive verb is a verb that requires an object to receive the action. The
following are some of the examples of transitive verbs: “address,” “borrow,”
“bring,” “discuss,” “raise,” “offer,” “pay,” “write,” “promise,” and “have.”

Example: The artist sketched the model.

The verb ‘sketched’ requires an object, ‘model’ to make sense.

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An intransitive verb does not take an object. We do not use an object

immediately after an intransitive verb. For example, you cannot say ‘The
students arrived Kampala. The correct sentence should be, ‘The students
arrived at the Diplomat’s residence in Kampala. The following are some
examples of intransitive verbs; “deteriorate,” “vote,” “sit,” “increase,” “laugh,”
“originate,” “fluctuate,”
Reflexive verbs are verbs that reflect an action that is done by the agent to
itself. In other words, reflective verbs are transitive verbs whose subject
and object always refer to the same person or thing, so the object is always
a reflexive pronoun. For example, ‘to enjoy yourself’. They essentially use
reflexive pronouns such as “-self” or “-selves.”

Activity 1

Find the verb in the following sentences and tell whether it is transitive
and intransitive
1. My brother visited me yesterday.
2. Tom’s father teaches boys.
3. Julius grows flowers in boxes.
4. The blood donor donates frequently.
5. The supervisor issued several orders at the same time.

Activity 2

Identify reflective verbs in the following sentences.

1. I enjoyed myself last summer
2. They purchased a new car for themselves
3. We encourage ourselves to read something new every day.
4. Tony took a weekend holiday to be by himself.
Practice Activities

Activity 1
Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
She went on walking down though other roads seemed to crisscross, and after
a time she became conscious of clanking and rattling noises on her right. Of
course, the railway. This was one thing she was sure of. After some time, she
found someone who knew her language to direct her to the station. There she
could sit down safely and maybe get a drink of water and from there she would
know her way.
About two o’clock in the afternoon she reached the station, her
feet fumbling on the pavement by that time, drank some water from the tap in
her cupped hands and curled herself in a corner of the waiting hall. Perhaps she
slept or perhaps she didn’t but to move seemed impossible. She shrank herself
even smaller inside her wrapper, took off her shoes and carefully sat on them,

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then slipped from full consciousness. A couple of men tried to speak to her but
they were answered only by a frightened stare and she fell back into a confusion
dream.
When she was jolted quite awake by someone banging petrol cans
one after another on the floor she knew at once that it was time to move. She
must get home before Martin came from work. She had not learnt the town
capacity for moving from one place to the next without returning home. Looking
at the sky - thank God the sky is the same everywhere, that is why it has the
name as heaven - she realized it must be about four o’clock. She set off on the
right road but was soon entangled with crowds of little khaki-clad boys coming
out of school. Round the corner another school was discharging, great tall
girls in blue tunics with yellow, gauzy scarves like butterflies, boys with yellow
turbans. They were so pretty and so happy-looking, compared with the bitterly
hungry faces of the black children that she could not help pausing to watch.
She came nearly to the market and then hesitated. This was where she had
begun to feel so bad only two days before and she remembered why and choked
at the memory. By the time she had reviewed her experience of the baby, the
house and the hospital, she had lost her longer recollection and took the wrong
turning. Crossing the road by placing herself behind a large woman who looked
at home and following on her heels, she found herself isolated by traffic on the
station side of that seemingly endless road that followed the railway landhies.
People were pouring down the road on foot or by bicycle, the first
section of that interminable crowd flowing out of shops and offices. This in
itself made her think, though she recognized no landmarks that she was on the
right lines, going towards where people lived. The landhies consisted of good
block houses with water taps outside, all with letters and numbers: they were
stoutly fenced from the road and each gate guarded by a railway policeman.
She walked on and on, recognizing nothing but fearful of crossing against the
current of men walking. Round a corner came a kaloleni and she thought for a
moment they must be European houses, so new and neat, till she saw the faces
of people going in and out, many of them Lous. Most of them kikuyu people, had
she known how to recognize them - only those with the yellowish skin and high
cheekbones were easy to tell, but the powers that be always seemed to know-
were going on to a place called Bahati, ‘Good Luck’. Funny name for a ghetto,
but then she still did not know what that meant. Kaloleni with the football
stadium, then she still did not know what that meant. Kaloleni with the football
stadium, then Makongeni and Mbotela, then the big new church, set like a small
town church at the edge, just before the bush began. But of course they knew-
one hoped they knew-that soon the houses would grow further and further
on and the church be where it belonged, in the middle of the city. If they had
known that, how could they have borne to change it for the old St Stephen’s
which had given way to LEGGO and later parliament, but gave way only inch
by inch, refusing to fall down, while week after week the blasting alarmed the

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faint- hearted and enlivened the bearers of wild rumours. Martin had seen it
and told her about it.
She knew for certain now that she was on the wrong road. She was
afraid to go on and almost too tired to turn back and she determined to consult
the first Luo with a kindly face. By good fortune the first person she met at the
gate of Makongeni Estate was an elderly lady who could only be Luo, tall, long-
skirted, carrying a bible sticking out of the top of a plastic shopping bag.
‘Excuse me,’ said Paulina shyly, ‘but I am a stranger here and I am
looking for the house of Martin Were from Siaya, Can you direct me?’
‘Were?’ said the lady thoughtfully. ‘I do not know one from Siaya.
Does he work on the railway? And how is he related to you?’

From Coming to Birth by Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye,

East African Educational Publishers.
Explain what has just happened before this extract.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

………………………………………………………………………………… (2 marks)

About how long did Paulina stay at the railway station?

……………………………………………………………………………………. (1 mark)

When else had Paulina been to the same railway station?

………………………………………………………………………… (1 mark)

What makes Paulina take the wrong turn as she walks from the railway
station?

………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………… (2 marks)

‘That was one thing she was sure of,’ (Rewrite beginning: She was…)

…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………….. (1 mark)

In about 70 words, summarize what Paulina encounters from the time she
leaves the railway station to the time she asks for direction.

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…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………… (4 marks)

Explain what Paulina goes through before she gets to her husband’s house.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………… (4 marks)
What does the extract reveal about Paulina?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………… (3 marks)

What aspects of the politics of the time come out in this extract?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………… (2 marks)

Does he work on the railway? (Rewrite as a statement)

………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………… (1 mark)

Identify and explain one metaphor from the extract.

………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………… (2 marks)

What happens after this extract?

………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………. (2 marks)

Activity 2

Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each.
Do not change the meaning of the original sentence.
•

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 ENGLISH LANGUAGE | SENIOR FOUR

(i) A line of riot police was behind the protesting students. (Rewrite starting
with the italicised phrase)
(ii) Nzilani did not realise it was four o clock. She got out of bed. (Rewrite as
one beginning: Not realizing…)
(iii) My father would not allow us to swim in the river under any circumstances.
(Begin: I never…)
(iv) I always loved poetry. (Begin: I never….)
(v) The exhibition was opened by the Prime Minister. (Begin: The Prime
Minister…)
(vi) ‘The sun rises in the east,’ the teacher told the students. (Rewrite the
sentence in report speech)
(vii) The man has arrived. His wife is the chief guest of honour. (Combine into
one sentence using ‘whose’)
(viii) If you believe in yourself, other people will believe in you. (Join into one
sentence starting: Unless……….)
(ix) I would rather visit the needy than watch a movie during Easter holidays.
(Begin: I prefer…..)
(x) She is a great lawyer. She is also a celebrated author of literary books.
(Join into one sentence beginning: Not only….)

Activity 3
Write the following sentences using the correct word from the alternatives
given.

(i) The teacher told the pupils to………………. their homework regularly if they
wanted to………………..progress. (make, do)
(ii) If you are not careful, you will………………your riches. (loose, lose)
(iii) She has been………………..in bed all morning. (lying, laying)
(iv) The train………………..Nairobi at three in the morning. (arrived, reached)
(v) The servant………………the table. (lay, laid, lain, lied)
(vi) Our teacher always…………….smart clothes. (wears, puts on)
(vii) She ………………more than she could return. (lent, borrowed)
(viii) His father was……………in the war and could no longer work. (injured,
hurt, wounded)
(ix) We……………. that school in football last week. (won, beat)
(x) After lunch I will……………….down for half an hour. (lie, lay).

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Activity 4
Reported Speech

Report the following questions.

1. I asked the mechanic, ‘Will it take long to repair the car?’

2. She asked Musa, ‘Have you seen my husband?’
3. ‘Did you know I had been appointed headmistress of the junior school?’
Ritah asked her friend.
4. ‘Will you contribute to college building fund if I do?’ Mary asked me.
5. ‘Where have you been for the last three months?’ The minister asked his
secretary.
6. My father asked, ‘When do you expect to hear the result of your
examination?’
7. ‘Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed,’ my father advised.
8. ‘Don’t leave the door open,’ she warned me.
9. ‘You should stop smoking,’ the doctor advised my brother.
10.‘I can do the washing up,’ I offered.

Activity 5
Conditional Clauses without ‘if’

Rephrase the following using ‘unless’

1. If you don’t wear your coat, you will catch a cold.

2. We shall play tennis tomorrow if it doesn’t rain.
3. He won’t receive the letter tomorrow if you don’t post it today.
4. If I don’t get a pay rise at work, I will start looking for another job.
5. Your cough won’t get better if you don’t stop smoking.

For items 6-10, make new sentences using the verbs in brackets.
6. If you don’t drive carefully, you will have an accident. (or else)

7. If you don’t stop making that noise, I will hit you. (and)

8. I will buy that car if it is not too expensive. (as long as)

9. He won’t forgive you unless you say you are sorry. (provided)

10. Provided you tell the truth, everything will be alright. (as long as)

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National Curriculum
Development Centre,
P.O. Box 7002,
Kampala.

www.ncdc.go.ug