Practice neco english_language 2021 Past Questions

Question 1 View Details

In the word "seat", which vowel phoneme is used? Provide its IPA symbol.

A. \/ɪ\/

B. \/aɪ\/

Correct C. /iː/

D. \/eɪ\/

Correct Answer: C

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Question 2 View Details

Identify the pair of words that share the same vowel sound: (a) beat - bit, (b) cot - caught, (c) pool - pull, (d) seat - see.

A. (b) cot - caught

B. (c) pool - pull

C. (a) beat - bit

Correct D. (d) seat - see

Correct Answer: D

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Question 3 View Details

What is the place of articulation for the initial consonant in the word "ship"?

A. alveolar

B. palatal

Correct C. postalveolar

D. velar

Correct Answer: C

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Question 4 View Details

For the phrase "Economic development", indicate the primary stressed syllable in each word and give the full IPA transcription with stress markers.

Correct A. Primary stress on "nom" in economic and "vel" in development; IPA: /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk dɪˈvɛləpmənt/

B. Primary stress on "e" in economic and "ment" in development; IPA: \/ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk dɪˈvɛləpˈmənt\/

C. Primary stress on "nom" in economic and "de" in development; IPA: \/ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈdɪvɛləpmənt\/

D. Primary stress on "e" in economic and "de" in development; IPA: \/ˈiːkəˌnɒmɪk dɪˈvɛləpmənt\/

Correct Answer: A

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Question 5 View Details

Read the two sentences: (a) "She finished the work." (b) "She finished the work?" Identify the intonation contour (rising, falling, or fall‑rise) for each sentence and explain the reason based on its communicative function.

A. (a) rising intonation; (b) falling intonation

B. (a) falling intonation; (b) fall‑rise intonation

Correct C. (a) falling intonation; (b) rising intonation

D. (a) fall‑rise intonation; (b) falling intonation

Correct Answer: C

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Question 6 View Details

In the speech excerpt: \"Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome you to this remarkable celebration of our nation's progress.\", how many of the highlighted words (Ladies, gentlemen, delighted, welcome, remarkable, celebration, nation's, progress) have primary stress on the first syllable?

A. 6

B. 4

Correct C. 5

D. 7

Correct Answer: C

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Question 7 View Details

Transcribe the following sentence into IPA, indicating primary stress with a preceding ˈ before the stressed syllable: \"The quarterly sales increased by twelve percent compared to the previous quarter.\"

A. /ðɪ ˈkwɔːrtəli ˈseɪlz ɪnˈkriːst baɪ ˈtwɛlv pɚˈsɛnt kəmˈpɛrd tu ðə ˈpriviəs ˈkwɔːrtər/

Correct B. /ðə ˈkwɔːrtəli ˈseɪlz ɪnˈkriːst baɪ ˈtwɛlv pərˈsɛnt kəmˈpɛrd tu ðə ˈpriviəs ˈkwɔːrtər/

C. /ðə kwɔːrˈtəli ˈseɪlz ɪnˈkriːst baɪ ˈtwɛlv pərˈsɛnt kəmˈpɛrd tu ðə ˈpriviəs ˈkwɔːrtər/

D. /ðə kwɔːrtəli ˈseɪlz ɪnˈkriːst baɪ ˈtwɛlv pərˈsɛnt kəmˈpɛrd tu ðə ˈpriviəs ˈkwɔːrtər/

Correct Answer: B

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Question 8 View Details

Read the passage: \"During the voyage, the ship sailed past the quiet shore, while the sheep grazed on the green meadow. The captain noted the swift current and the crew's morale remained high.\" Identify the pair of words that illustrate the vowel contrast /ɪ/ versus /iː/.

A. pin and pine

B. sit and seat

C. bit and beet

Correct D. ship and sheep

Correct Answer: D

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Question 9 View Details

Complete the sentence with the appropriate verb that has primary stress on the second syllable: \"The manager will ___ the report before the meeting.\" (The verb means to examine carefully.)

Correct A. reVIEW

B. reLATE

C. reCOVER

D. reMIND

Correct Answer: A

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Question 10 View Details

Read the passage: \"Every day, the children would play in the bright garden, chasing butterflies and singing songs that echo through the air. Their laughter filled the day with joy, and they would say, 'We love this day!\" Identify the two words in the passage that rhyme and contain the vowel sound /eɪ/.

Correct A. day and say

B. rain and pain

C. play and stay

D. bay and may

Correct Answer: A

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Question 11 View Details

Consider the words "beat" and "bit". Identify which vowel sound is longer, and give the phonetic transcription of the word with the longer vowel, indicating primary stress.

A. \/ˈbæt\/

Correct B. /ˈbiːt/

C. \/ˈbɪt\/

D. \/ˈbeɪt\/

Correct Answer: B

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Question 12 View Details

The words "fan", "van", and "fat" are spoken. Identify the pair that share the same place of articulation but differ in voicing, and write the phonetic symbol for the voiceless consonant of that pair.

A. \/v\/

B. \/θ\/

C. \/p\/

Correct D. /f/

Correct Answer: D

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Question 13 View Details

Four words are given: "candle", "handle", "candy", and "handy". Which two words rhyme and have primary stress on the first syllable? Provide their phonetic transcriptions, indicating primary stress.

Correct A. /ˈkændəl/ and /ˈhændəl/

B. \/ˈkændi\/ and \/ˈhændi\/

C. \/kændˈəl\/ and \/hændˈəl\/

D. \/ˈkændəl\/ and \/ˈhændi\/

Correct Answer: A

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Question 14 View Details

The sentence "You finished the work?" is spoken as a yes‑no question. State the intonation pattern used (rising or falling) and indicate the appropriate label.

A. level

B. rising-falling

Correct C. rising

D. falling

Correct Answer: C

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Question 15 View Details

Four base verbs are given: "inform", "celebrate", "communicate", and "operate". Each forms a noun by adding the suffix -ation (e.g., "information"). Identify the derived noun that does NOT have primary stress on the third syllable, and state the syllable number on which its primary stress falls.

A. operation, stress on the 5th syllable

B. information, stress on the 2nd syllable

C. celebration, stress on the 4th syllable

Correct D. communication, stress on the 4th syllable

Correct Answer: D

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Question 16 View Details

A speaker says the following three sentences in a conversation: 1. "Did you finish the report?" 2. "You finished the report." 3. "You finished the report?" For each sentence, state the most appropriate intonation pattern (rising, falling, or rise‑fall) and justify why that pattern matches the speaker's intended meaning.

A. 1. rising; 2. rise‑fall; 3. falling

B. 1. falling; 2. rising; 3. rising

Correct C. 1. rising; 2. falling; 3. rise‑fall

D. 1. rise‑fall; 2. falling; 3. rising

Correct Answer: C

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Question 17 View Details

In the word "information", identify the primary word stress and explain how misplacing the stress could affect intelligibility in an oral presentation.

A. Primary stress on the third syllable (in-for-**MA**-tion). Misplaced stress can cause listeners to misinterpret the word entirely.

Correct B. Primary stress on the second syllable (in-**FOR**-ma-tion). Misplaced stress disrupts rhythm and can hinder intelligibility.

C. Primary stress on the fourth syllable (in-for-ma-**TION**). Misplaced stress leads to a slight pause but generally preserves meaning.

D. Primary stress on the first syllable (**IN**-for-ma-tion). Misplaced stress makes the word sound unnatural but does not affect intelligibility.

Correct Answer: B

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Question 18 View Details

The words "ship" and "sheep" form a minimal pair. Provide the IPA symbols for the stressed vowels in each word and describe the tongue height and length differences between them.

A. ship: \/ʃɪp\/ → vowel \/ɪ\/ (near‑close, short); sheep: \/ʃiːp\/ → vowel \/iː\/ (close, long). Both vowels have the same height and length.

B. ship: \/ʃɪp\/ → vowel \/ɪ\/ (near‑close, short); sheep: \/ʃiːp\/ → vowel \/iː\/ (close, long). The \/ɪ\/ is higher and longer than \/iː\/.

C. ship: \/ʃɪp\/ → vowel \/ɪ\/ (near‑close, short); sheep: \/ʃiːp\/ → vowel \/iː\/ (close, short). The \/ɪ\/ is lower but the same length as \/iː\/.

Correct D. ship: /ʃɪp/ → vowel /ɪ/ (near‑close, short); sheep: /ʃiːp/ → vowel /iː/ (close, long). The /ɪ/ is lower and shorter than the higher, longer /iː/.

Correct Answer: D

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Question 19 View Details

The word "record" can be a noun or a verb. Indicate the stress pattern for each lexical category and explain how the stress shift changes the word's part of speech.

Correct A. Noun: stress on first syllable (**RE**‑cord). Verb: stress on second syllable (re‑**CORD**). The stress shift signals the change from noun to verb.

B. Noun: stress on first syllable (**RE**‑cord). Verb: stress on second syllable (re‑**CORD**). The stress shift indicates a change in meaning, not part of speech.

C. Noun: stress on first syllable (**RE**‑cord). Verb: stress on first syllable (**RE**‑cord). The stress pattern is the same for both categories.

D. Noun: stress on second syllable (re‑**CORD**). Verb: stress on first syllable (**RE**‑cord). The stress shift does not affect part of speech.

Correct Answer: A

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Question 20 View Details

The synonyms "big" and "large" differ in pronunciation. Identify the vowel sound in each word using IPA and state whether each vowel is short or long.

A. big: \/bɪg\/ → vowel \/iː\/ (short); large: \/lɑːdʒ\/ → vowel \/ɑː\/ (long).

B. big: \/bɪg\/ → vowel \/ɪ\/ (short); large: \/lɑːdʒ\/ → vowel \/æ\/ (long).

C. big: \/bɪg\/ → vowel \/ɪ\/ (long); large: \/lɑːdʒ\/ → vowel \/ɑː\/ (short).

Correct D. big: /bɪg/ → vowel /ɪ/ (short); large: /lɑːdʒ/ → vowel /ɑː/ (long).

Correct Answer: D

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Question 21 View Details

Read the word "information" as it would appear in an expository essay. Identify the vowel sound in the stressed syllable and write its IPA symbol.

A. /ʌ/

B. /eɪ/

C. /ɪ/

Correct D. /æ/

Correct Answer: D

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Question 22 View Details

Listen to the phrase "She sells seashells by the seashore" and indicate which two consonant sounds contrast the most in the words "sells" and "seashells". Provide the IPA symbols for both sounds.

A. \/s\/ and \/θ\/

Correct B. /s/ and /ʃ/

C. \/s\/ and \/tʃ\/

D. \/z\/ and \/ʃ\/

Correct Answer: B

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Question 23 View Details

Explain how the vowel reduction in the informal phrase "gonna" (as in "I'm gonna go") changes the register compared to the formal "going to". State the reduced vowel symbol and describe its effect on formality.

A. \/eɪ\/ (diphthong), which makes the expression informal

B. \/ɪ\/ (short i), which makes the expression informal

C. \/ɒ\/ (short o), which makes the expression formal

Correct D. /ə/ (schwa), which makes the expression informal

Correct Answer: D

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Question 24 View Details

Read the sentence "The wind whispered through the trees" aloud. Describe the intonation pattern (rising, falling, or fall‑rise) on the word "whispered" and explain how it contributes to the creative mood of the sentence.

Correct A. Falling intonation; it creates a gentle, reflective mood

B. Falling intonation; it creates an urgent, tense mood

C. Fall‑rise intonation; it creates a gentle, reflective mood

D. Rising intonation; it creates a gentle, reflective mood

Correct Answer: A

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Question 25 View Details

In the passage, the word "development" appears. State the primary stress location and give the IPA transcription of the stressed vowel.

Correct A. Stress on the second syllable; vowel /ɛ/

B. Stress on the third syllable; vowel \/ɛ\/

C. Stress on the second syllable; vowel \/ɪ\/

D. Stress on the first syllable; vowel \/ɛ\/

Correct Answer: A

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neco 2021 english_language | Oral

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

Detailed Essay Solution & Marking Scheme Available

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