Question: You recently established a small business during the holidays to support your family. Write a letter to your close friend who lives in another town, describing how you set up the enterprise and discussing at least two challenges you have encountered while managing it.

15 Church Street,
Owerri, Imo State.
14th August, 2024.

Dear Tunde,

How are you doing over there in Ibadan? I hope you and your family are in good health. It have been a long time since we last saw each other during the inter-school competition. I am writing this letter to share some interesting news with you about what I am doing in this long holiday to assist my family.

As you know that things are very hard in the country right now, I decided to establish a small business instead of just staying idle at home. I started a small poultry and egg supply business behind our compound. First of all, I used the small savings I kept from my pocket money and my mother also supported me with some capital. Then, I bought some woods and wire mesh to build a simple cage with the help of a local carpenter. After preparing the pen, I went to the market to buy twenty day-old broilers and five crates of eggs for reselling. I also bought their feeds and medicines. It was not easy to set it up, but my brother helped me to clean the place and arrange everything properly.

However, running this enterprise has not been smooth at all. I have encountered some serious challenges since I started managing it. The first major problem is the unstable electricity in our area. The chicks need constant light and warmth from electric bulbs, especially in the night when everywhere is cold. Because NEPA does not give us light regularly, I had to be spending extra money to buy kerosene for lantern and charcoal to keep the birds warm. This extra cost is eating into my small profit.

Another big challenge is the stubborn customers who always want to buy goods on credit. Some neighbours and shop owners will buy my eggs and promise to pay at the end of the week, but when the time reach to collect the money, they will start giving excuses. Some of them will even avoid me when they see me coming. Because of this bad habit, it is very hard for me to get cash to restock more feeds and fresh eggs on time.

Apart from that, the price of poultry feed is increasing every week in the market. Whenever I go to buy a bag of starter mash, the sellers will tell me a new high price and this make planning very difficult for me. But even with all these difficulties, I am still trying my best because the profit is helping my parents to buy food items and pay some minor bills in the house.

I will stop here for now. Please extend my warm regards to your parents and your little sister. Write back to me soon and tell me how you are spending your own holiday.

Yours sincerely,
Emeka

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 15/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 7.5/10
Total: 40.5/50
Feedback: A strong and engaging letter thoroughly detailing the business setup and challenges. The tone and format perfectly suit an informal communication with a friend. Occasional mechanical issues exist; review subject-verb agreements and noun countability to further refine the writing.
Priorities: Ensure verbs agree with singular subjects.; Correctly use uncountable nouns like 'wood'.


Question: As the president of your school's Information Technology Club, write a speech you will deliver to your fellow students during the annual Science and Technology Week, highlighting the causes of excessive smartphone usage among teenagers and its effects on their academic performance.

The Principal, Vice Principals, distinguished teachers, and my fellow students. Good morning to you all. My name is Emmanuel Okafor, the President of the Information Technology Club of our great school. I am very happy to stand before you today during this annual Science and Technology Week to talk about a very important topic which is affecting many of us. I want to highlight the causes of excessive smartphone usage among teenagers and its effects on their academic performance.

Today, smartphones are everywhere and almost every student want to hold one. However, the way many teenagers use their phones have become too much. One major cause of excessive smartphone usage is social media platforms. Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp are designed to keep us scrolling for many hours without stopping. Teenagers want to see the latest trends, chat with friends, and post pictures. Another cause is peer pressure. When a student sees that all his friends are always online or playing online games like Free Fire, he will also want to join them so that he will not feel left out among his peers. Also, lack of parental supervision in many homes make teenagers to press their phones late into the night without anybody stopping them.

Furthermore, this excessive use of smartphone has serious effects on our academic performance. The first effect is distraction during study time. When a student is doing homework and the phone is beside him, every notification that enter will make him lose focus. Instead of reading his books, he will start replying messages or watching short videos. This makes students not to finish their assignments on time or do them poorly.

Another bad effect is sleep deprivation. Many students press their phones till two or three o'clock in the midnight. Because they did not sleep well, they will be sleeping in the classroom when the teacher is teaching important lessons. If you are sleeping in class, there is no way you can understand what the subject teacher is explaining. This always lead to failure during terminal examinations and test. Also, excessive smartphone use makes students lazy to do research with their textbooks because they rely only on copy and paste from the internet without truly learning the topic.

In conclusion, smartphones are good technology tools that can help us in our education if we use them well. But when we abuse it, our academic performance will suffer greatly. I advise all my fellow students to manage their screen time wisely and focus more on their books. Let us put our studies first before our phones so that we can make our parents and school proud. Thank you all for listening to my speech and God bless you.

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 8/10
Expression: 14/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 7.0/10
Total: 38.0/50
Feedback: This excellent speech fulfills all requirements with clear address, causes, effects, and constructive advice. Organisation is logical. Expression is effective, though subject-verb agreement needs refinement.
Priorities: Ensure verbs agree with singular subjects.; Use correct plural forms.


Question: Your elder brother has just completed his vocational training programme and wants to establish a small-scale business in your hometown. Write a letter to him suggesting at least three viable business ideas he could pursue, explaining why each would be profitable in the area.

Comprehensive High School,
P.M.B. 1022,
Iwo,
Osun State.
14th October, 2024.

Dear Brother Dele,

I was very happy when I received your letter last week. Everybody at home was rejoicing to hear that you have successfully completed your vocational training programme. We are truly proud of your hard work and patience. In your letter, you mentioned that you want to return to our hometown to establish a small-scale business. I think this is a very good decision, and I have some viable business ideas that will bring good profit for you here.

Firstly, I will suggest that you start a motorcycle and tricycle spare parts shop combined with minor repair services. As you know, commercial motorcycles, which we call okada, and tricycles are the main means of transportation in our town now. Many of these riders complain everyday that they have to travel all the way to the city just to buy quality spare parts like tyres, tubes, and engine oil. If you set up this business along the major junction near the garage, these riders will patronize you daily, and you will make a lot of money without struggling too much.

Secondly, another business idea that will be very profitable is an electrical installation and phone repair shop. Since you have general vocational technical knowledge, this will be very easy for you. Currently, almost everybody in our community has one or two mobile phones, but there is no reliable technician around to repair spoiled screen or replace weak batteries. People always wait until market days to take their devices to the neighboring town. Beside that, new houses are being built rapidly in the extension areas, so many landlords will employ you to do house wiring and fix their faulty electrical appliances.

Thirdly, you can also consider opening a modern barbing and grooming salon. Most of the salons we have in town are very old-fashioned and they do not have alternative power supply. If you can rent a small shop, paint it nicely, and buy a small generator with clippers, young people will prefer coming to your place. You can even add the sale of hair creams, perfumes, and shaving powders to it. Secondary school students, teachers, and civil servants want to look neat everyday, so you will surely have steady customers throughout the week.

Our hometown is developing fast, and anyone who brings quality services now will definitely succeed. Please think carefully about these three options and choose the one that matches your capital and interest best. I am confident that whichever one you pick will prosper.

Mother and our little sister send their warm regards to you. They cannot wait to see you back home. Please extend my greetings to your friends over there. I hope to hear from you soon.

Your loving brother,
Segun

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 17/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 8.5/10
Total: 43.5/50
Feedback: Your letter successfully proposes three specific, highly relevant business ideas and justifies their profitability. The tone is perfectly suited for a sibling. Focus on correcting minor slips with compound adverbs and plural noun forms to further enhance your excellent expression.
Priorities: Distinguish between 'everyday' and 'every day'.; Use 'Besides' rather than 'Beside' as a transitional linking phrase.; Ensure plural nouns are used for general objects (e.g., 'spoiled screens').


Question: You are the lead speaker in an inter-school debate on the motion: Inadequate practical skills training is the major reason for high youth unemployment today. Write your speech arguing either for or against the motion, highlighting the key challenges and proposing effective solutions.

Mr Chairman, Panel of Judges, Accurate Timekeeper, Co-debaters, and distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Good day to you all. My name is Emmanuel Okafor, the lead speaker representing Community Secondary School. I stand firmly before you today to support the motion which states that inadequate practical skills training is the major reason for high youth unemployment today.

To start with, our educational system in Nigeria today is focusing too much on theoretical aspect of learning instead of practical skills. Many students will spend four to five years in the university memorising textbooks and definitions just to pass examinations. When they graduate and enter the labour market, they cannot perform simple practical duties in companies. How can a graduate of computer science not know how to repair a computer or write a simple software code? This situation make employers to reject them because these youths does not possess the needed technical skills.

Secondly, the lack of modern workshop equipments and technical laboratories in our schools is another major challenge. Most of our technical colleges and secondary schools have outdated machines that were bought many years ago, or they have no equipment at all. Therefore, students only learn the practicals on the blackboard through drawings. When these youths goes for job interviews, they fail the technical tests immediately because they have never touch the real machines. Inadequate practical skills training is therefore causing them to remain jobless for many years.

Thirdly, there is a total lack of collaboration between our schools and industries. Many companies are searching for workers with specific vocational skills like welding, plumbing, graphic design, and electrical installations. But our schools keep producing graduates with general certificates without any handy skill. Because of this, youths cannot even establish their own small businesses to earn money. They all depend on white-collar jobs that are not available.

Mr Chairman and my audience, this problem can be solved if government take the right steps. Firstly, the government should review the school curriculum to include compulsory vocational and practical training for all students. Also, government must supply modern equipments and tools to all secondary schools and polytechnics so that students will be doing real practicals regularly.

Furthermore, the private sector and big companies should partner with schools to provide apprenticeship programmes and industrial trainings for students before they graduate. Also, soft loans and starter packs should be given to trained youths to start their own businesses easily without looking for government jobs.

In conclusion, if our youths are well trained with practical skills, they will become employable and self-reliant, and youth unemployment will reduce drastically in our country. With these few points of mine, I believe I have convinced you that inadequate practical skills training is indeed the major reason for high youth unemployment today. Thank you very much.

Content: 8/10
Organisation: 8/10
Expression: 12/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 6.0/10
Total: 34.0/50
Feedback: An excellent debate speech with formal conventions, clear arguments, and feasible solutions. The essay effectively links inadequate training to unemployment. Expression is good but hindered by recurrent subject-verb agreement issues and pluralisation of uncountable nouns.
Priorities: Ensure strict subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'these youths do', 'situation makes').; Avoid pluralising uncountable nouns like 'equipment' and 'training'.; Use correct verb tenses after auxiliary verbs (e.g., 'have never touched').


Question: Your school management recently introduced a mandatory annual inter-house cultural carnival to replace the traditional annual inter-house athletics competition. Write an article for publication in your school magazine examining the advantages and disadvantages of this change, and suggesting how both events might be accommodated.

THE REPLACEMENT OF INTER-HOUSE SPORTS WITH CULTURAL CARNIVAL: MATTERS ARISING

By Ibrahim Emmanuel, SS3B

Recently, the school management announced a major change in our school calender. The annual inter-house athletics competition which we normally look forward to every year has been replaced with a mandatory annual inter-house cultural carnival. This decision have caused serious discussions among students, teachers and even parents. As a student who love our school activities, I feel it is necessary to examine the good side and bad side of this new policy and suggest the way forward.

To begin with, the introduction of the cultural carnival has some clear advantages. Firstly, it helps to promote our rich cultural heritage. Many students in our school nowadays do not know much about their native traditions, dances, food and dressing because of modern life. The carnival gives houses the opportunity to showcase different ethnic groups like Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and others. It will also help students to learn how to live together in unity despite cultural differences. Another advantage is that it helps to discover new talents. Students that are good in traditional music, drama, dancing and cooking local dishes will be able to shine. This will encourage creativity among students who are not good in running or jumping.

However, replacing the inter-house athletics competition completely has serious disadvantages. In the first place, sports is very important for physical fitness and healthy living. Doing sports helps students to exercise their body and reduce stress from academic work. By canceling the sports competition, the school is denying many student athletes the chance to show their sporting skills. Some of our talented runners and footballers who want to represent the state or become professional athletes in future will lose a vital platform. In addition, the excitement and healthy rivalry that sports competition brings to the houses cannot be easily replaced. Many students are not happy because they have already started training on the field before the sudden announcement was made.

Furthermore, both events are very important for our all-round development, so the school management should find a way to accomodate the two programmes instead of canceling one for another. Firstly, the school can dedicate different terms for the two events. For example, the inter-house sports can take place in the first term while the cultural carnival will be held in the second term. Another solution is that the school can organize both events alternatively every year. That means we can do sports this year and do cultural carnival next year. Also, the school authority can merge the two events into a one-week festival where two days will be for athletics and one day for cultural carnival.

In conclusion, the cultural carnival is a welcome idea that brings cultural awareness and creativity, but sports should not be completely neglected because of its physical benefits. I hope the principal and management will consider these suggestions so that all students can benefit from both sports and culture.

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 15/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 8.0/10
Total: 41.0/50
Feedback: This is a very good article. It addresses all prompt requirements clearly, presents well-structured arguments regarding both events, and offers constructive suggestions. Expression is generally engaging and formal. Only minor subject-verb agreement and spelling errors prevent a higher mark.
Priorities: Check subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'decision has' instead of 'decision have').; Review the spelling of common words like 'calendar' and 'accommodate'.


Question: As your country seeks to boost food production, there is an ongoing debate between adopting large-scale mechanized farming and supporting traditional smallholder agriculture. Write an article for publication in a national newspaper examining the merits and drawbacks of both approaches, and suggest how both can be integrated to ensure national food security.

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MECHANIZED FARMING OR SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE?
By Chinedu Okafor, Lagos State.

In our country today, the issue of food production is one of the biggest challenge facing the government and citizens. Prices of food items in the market are rising everyday and many families cannot afford three square meals. Because of this, there is an ongoing debate whether we should focus on large-scale mechanized farming or support our traditional smallholder agriculture to feed the nation.

Large-scale mechanized farming has many merits that can help the country. Firstly, it makes use of modern machineries like tractors, planters and harvesters which makes farm work very fast and easy. It can cultivate very large hectares of land within few days. This lead to high yields of crops like maize, rice and cassava to feed the growing population. However, mechanized farming has its own drawbacks. It requires huge capital investment to purchase machines, fuel and chemical fertilizers which many people cannot afford. Also, heavy machines can damage the soil structure and cause deforestation which affect the environment badly. Furthermore, it reduce rural employment because machines replace human labour.

On the other hand, traditional smallholder agriculture has been the backbone of our food supply for decades. One major advantage is that it is cheap and easy to practice since it relies on simple tools like hoes and cutlasses. It also provide employment for millions of rural dwellers and preserve our traditional farming methods. Smallholder farming is also environmental friendly because it does not use excessive chemicals. Despite these advantages, smallholder farming has serious drawbacks. The yield is usually very low because farmers depend on rainfall instead of irrigation. It is also very tedious and tiresome, which make the youths to run away from agriculture to the cities in search of white collar jobs.

To ensure total food security in Nigeria, we cannot depend on only one method. The government should find a way to integrate both approaches together. Firstly, smallholder farmers can be organised into cooperative societies so that they can access tractors and modern inputs at cheaper rates. The government and private companies should provide subsidized machines for these groups. Secondly, large commercial farms can adopt the out-grower scheme where they train small farmers, give them quality seeds and buy their harvests at good prices. Also, research institutes should produce simple and affordable machines that are suitable for small farms.

In conclusion, both mechanized farming and smallholder agriculture have their advantages and disadvantages. If our country can combine the speed of modern technology with the widespread participation of our local farmers, Nigeria will be able to produce enough food for all its citizens and even export to other countries.

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 15/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 5.0/10
Total: 38.0/50
Feedback: This well-structured article comprehensively addresses the prompt. However, consistent subject-verb agreement errors reduced the accuracy score.
Priorities: Check subject-verb agreement thoroughly.; Ensure correct noun forms are used.


Question: The Federal Ministry of Agriculture is organizing a nationwide essay competition on the topic: Post-Harvest Food Loss in Nigeria: Underlying Causes and Socio-Economic Consequences. Write your entry for the competition.

POST-HARVEST FOOD LOSS IN NIGERIA: UNDERLYING CAUSES AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES

Agriculture remains the bedrock of Nigeria's rural economy and a primary source of livelihood for millions of its citizens. Despite the vast arable land and diverse climatic conditions that support the cultivation of cereals, roots, tubers, and vegetables, the country continually grapples with persistent food deficits. A significant portion of this agricultural paradox is attributable to post-harvest food loss—the measurable reduction in the quality and quantity of agricultural produce between the point of harvest and the final consumer. Addressing this challenge requires an objective examination of its systemic causes and its profound socio-economic ramifications on the nation.

A primary catalyst of post-harvest food wastage in Nigeria is the acute deficit in modern storage infrastructure. Across major agrarian hubs in the North and Middle Belt, smallholder farmers rely heavily on traditional, rudimentary storage methods such as open-air cribs, earthen granaries, and unventilated sheds. These structures provide minimal protection against humid tropical weather, rodent infestations, and weevils. For highly perishable produce like tomatoes, citrus fruits, and leafy vegetables, the absence of functional cold-chain systems creates severe losses, forcing farmers to dispose of unsold goods at nominal prices or watch them rot within days of harvesting.

Closely tied to inadequate storage is the poor state of rural transportation networks. A substantial percentage of agricultural output originates in remote hinterlands where feeder roads are either unpaved or severely degraded. During the peak harvest season, which often coincides with heavy rains, these transit routes become impassable, stranding heavy-duty trucks loaded with delicate commodities. Delays on transit corridors not only accelerate biological decay through heat accumulation and poor air circulation but also expose produce to physical bruising and contamination from rough handling and unsuitable packaging, such as tightly packed raffia baskets.

Furthermore, the lack of localized agro-processing facilities perpetuates this wastage. Rather than converting excess seasonal yields into shelf-stable commodities—such as processing fresh tomatoes into paste, drying cassava into high-grade flour, or canning seasonal fruits—farmers are compelled to flood local markets with raw produce simultaneously. This seasonal glut overwhelms immediate consumer demand and, in the absence of value-addition industries situated close to farming communities, massive volumes of wholesome food are discarded.

The socio-economic consequences of these losses are catastrophic for rural households and the broader macroeconomy. For smallholder farmers, post-harvest losses represent direct financial decimation. Having invested substantial capital into inputs such as fertilizers, certified seeds, and manual labour, the inability to monetize the full harvest traps these producers in persistent debt cycles, dampening their incentive to expand production in subsequent seasons.

On a national scale, this produce depletion exacerbates food insecurity and accelerates food inflation. As aggregate market supplies dwindle rapidly after the harvest period, urban consumers encounter exorbitant commodity prices, thereby diminishing real household incomes and widening nutritional deficits. Moreover, the loss of agricultural output weakens the sector's potential contribution to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and limits non-oil export earnings, compelling the government to expend scarce foreign exchange reserves on importing staple foods that could otherwise be produced abundantly at home.

In conclusion, post-harvest food loss in Nigeria is not merely a technical agricultural challenge, but a profound economic bottleneck driven by infrastructural deficits, transport bottlenecks, and negligible agro-processing capacity. Mitigating these systemic failures through public and private investments in rural road networks, decentralized cold storage facilities, and cottage processing industries is imperative. Only by preserving the fruits of agricultural labour can Nigeria secure domestic food sovereignty, protect farmer prosperity, and achieve sustainable economic growth.

Content: 10/10
Organisation: 10/10
Expression: 20/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 10.0/10
Total: 50.0/50
Feedback: This is an outstanding expository entry. The causes and socio-economic consequences are thoroughly analysed with well-developed supporting arguments, sophisticated vocabulary, exemplary paragraph structure, and flawless mechanical accuracy throughout.
Priorities: Maintain this exceptional standard of analytical depth and syntactic precision.


Question: Your elder brother has written to inform you that his newly established poultry and crop farm is facing severe operational setbacks and he is contemplating shutting it down. Write a reply to him highlighting at least two major problems he is likely facing and suggesting at least two practical measures he can take to revive the business.

Government Secondary School,
P.M.B. 1024,
Akure,
Ondo State.
14th May, 2024.

Dear Brother Segun,

I received your letter yesterday with mixed feelings. While I was happy to hear from you after a long time, I felt deeply saddened by the news about your newly established poultry and crop farm. It really pained me to learn that you are already thinking of closing down the business because of heavy challenges. Please, do not give up easily because every new business usually pass through hard times before it becomes successful.

From my understanding of agribusiness in Nigeria today, I can identify two major problems that are likely causing these serious setbacks for you. The first major problem is the skyrocketing cost of poultry feed and farm inputs like fertilizers and quality seeds. Due to current inflation, commercial feeds have become so expensive that many farmers spend all their working capital on feeding the birds without making any tangible profit. The second problem is likely disease outbreak and pest attack on your crops and livestock. When birds are infected with diseases like Newcastle or when pests invade maize crops, mortality rate increases drastically, leading to massive financial loss.

However, brother, you should not shut down the farm when there are practical solutions you can apply to revive it. Firstly, you should consider producing your own feed locally instead of relying solely on expensive commercial brands. You can formulate quality feeds by mixing local ingredients like maize offal, soya beans, and bone meal, which will drastically reduce your operational cost. Also, adopting integrated farming where poultry droppings are used as organic manure for your crops will save you money that would have been spent on chemical fertilizers.

Secondly, you need to improve your farm management and biosecurity measures. You should consult a qualified veterinary doctor to establish a strict vaccination schedule for the birds, and also use proper pesticides for the crops before pests destroy them. In addition to this, you can join a local farmers cooperative society. Being a member of a cooperative will help you secure soft loans, buy inputs at subsidized rates, and easily connect with big buyers in the city markets who will purchase your farm produce directly.

I strongly believe that if you implement these strategies, your farm will bounce back within a few months and start generating good profits. Please take heart and remain courageous, knowing that failure is only a stepping stone to great success. Everybody at home is praying for you and we are confident that you will overcome this temporary trial.

Extend my warm greetings to your friends around you. I hope to read good news from you very soon.

Your loving brother,

Emeka

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 16/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 9.5/10
Total: 43.5/50
Feedback: This is a well-crafted letter that addresses all elements of the prompt. Your empathetic tone is well-balanced with realistic business advice tailored to agricultural challenges in Nigeria. Paragraphing is clear and logical, and the informal layout is complete.
Priorities: Ensure subject-verb agreement is maintained.


Question: Your school recently took part in a regional Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Exhibition. As the President of the Young Entrepreneurs Club, write a comprehensive report on the event to the Principal, detailing the activities undertaken, highlighting your school's major achievements, and recommending ways to improve future participation.

REPORT ON THE REGIONAL YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SKILLS EXHIBITION

To: The Principal, Government Secondary School
From: The President, Young Entrepreneurs Club
Date: 14th November, 2023

I wish to write this comprehensive report to inform you about how our school went for the regional youth entrepreneurship and skills exhibition that took place last week Friday at the city hall. It was a very big program where many schools gathered together to show their talents in business and handwork.

ACTIVITIES AT THE EXHIBITION
During the program, there was many activities that was organized by the ministry of commerce. Firstly, all the schools were given a booth to display their products. Our club displayed liquid soaps, bead bags and also organic fertilizer that we made in our school garden. Many people came to our stand to look at what we produced and they even bought some of it. Secondly, there was a business pitch contest. In this contest, one student from each school will stand in front of the judges to explain their business ideas. Master Emeka Chukwu represented our school and he talk about how to recycle pure water nylon into floor tiles. After that, there was a workshop where a guest speaker came to teach us about how to keep financial record and how to manage small business so that it will not collapse.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SCHOOL
Our school really tried in the exhibition and we made our school proud. In the business pitch competition, our school won the second position out of twenty schools that participated in the region. The judges praised Emeka because of his brilliant idea and they gave him a plaque and certificate of merit. Also, our club sold almost all the liquid soap and bead bags that we brought to the venue. We made a lot of profit from the sales which will enter the club account. Many teachers from other school commended our discipline and hard work.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE PARTICIPATION
Although we succeeded, but there are some things we need to improve before next year exhibition. Firstly, the school management should provide enough funds for our club on time. Because the money was delayed, we could not buy all the raw materials early enough and this made us to rush the work. Secondly, the school should buy a standard banner with our school name clearly printed because our stand was looking too simple compared to other schools stand.

Furthermore, the club need more practical equipments in the school workshop so that we can practice everyday. If we have better equipments, we can produce high quality items that will take first position next year.

In conclusion, the exhibition was very educative and interesting for all of us. I believe if this recommendations are implemented, our school will perform better in future events. Thank you sir for your continuous support.

Yours faithfully,

Tunde Bakare
President, Young Entrepreneurs Club

Content: 8/10
Organisation: 8/10
Expression: 12/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 5.5/10
Total: 33.5/50
Feedback: The report effectively meets all task requirements with appropriate formatting and structure. However, there are notable grammatical errors, including subject-verb disagreement, incorrect pluralization, and missing possessives, which slightly hinder expression.
Priorities: Ensure consistent subject-verb agreement.; Do not pluralize uncountable nouns like 'equipment'.; Avoid redundant conjunctions like using 'although' and 'but' together.


Question: Describe the scene and atmosphere at your school's annual inter-house sports competition, capturing the sights, sounds, and emotions of the day, and ending with the sentence: As the final whistle blew, the field erupted into a sea of singing, dancing, and unrestrained joy.

The annual inter-house sports competition of our school is always a day that everyone look forward to with great joy. On that bright Friday morning, the school field was transformed completely into a very colorful arena. Banners of different colours were flying everywhere in the field. The four houses which are Red House, Blue House, Green House and Yellow House had decorated their canopies with colourful ribbons and balloons. Students were seen moving up and down wearing their house sportswear, looking very bright and energetic for the big competition.

The atmosphere became lively as invited guests and parents started arriving at the venue. The school brass band was playing melodious tunes that made the whole place vibrant. First of all, the march past began with each house matching proudly before the principal and the dignitaries. The Red House members marched with serious energy while the Blue House students were singing loudly with confidence. Spectators were clapping their hands and shouting to encourage their favourite houses. The noise from the crowd and the sound of the drums created a very loud environment.

Soon, the main track and field events commenced on the tracks. There was one hundred metres race, two hundred metres, sack race, and high jump. During the boys one hundred metres senior race, the tension was very high in the air. The runners lined up at the starting line waiting for the sound of the gun. When the starter pistol was shot, the runners dashed forward like an arrow. Spectators stood on their feet shouting at the top of their voices. Some students were blowing their whistles while others were beating empty drums to cheer their runners. It was very interesting to see how every house wanted to carry the first position.

As the afternoon was progressing, the weather became hot but nobody was ready to leave the field. The food vendors were selling cold drinks and meat pie, and students were rushing to buy because of thirst. The most interesting event of the day was the four by one hundred metres invitation relay race. Different schools that were invited came out to compete with our school team. When our anchor leg runner took the baton, the whole field became scattered with loud screams. People were running alongside the track to urge him on because the race was very close.

Finally, it was time for the tug of war which was the last competition between the teachers and the senior students. The struggle was very tough and everybody was laughing and shouting around the rope. The strength of the students overpowered the teachers and they pulled them across the line, causing plenty laughter everywhere. Everyone was just waiting for the final result to be announced by the master of ceremony. As the final whistle blew, the field erupted into a sea of singing, dancing, and unrestrained joy.

Content: 8/10
Organisation: 8/10
Expression: 12/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 8.0/10
Total: 36.0/50
Feedback: This is a well-structured and vivid description capturing the excitement of the sports competition with sensory details like colourful banners and brass music. The mandatory concluding sentence is correctly placed. To improve, elevate your vocabulary by replacing repetitive modifiers and carefully check subject-verb agreement and punctuation.
Priorities: Ensure subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'everyone looks').; Use apostrophes and hyphens accurately for possession and compound adjectives.; Vary vocabulary to avoid overusing simple modifiers.


Question: Write a story illustrating how a young person's stubborn refusal to heed a parent's warning led to serious trouble, ending with the sentence: 'I finally realized that parental advice is given out of love, not malice.'

THE BITTER LESSON OF DISOBEDIENCE

There is a common saying that what an elder sees sitting down, a young person cannot see even if he climbs an iroko tree. When I was in senior secondary school, I always thought that my mother was too strict and she was just trying to stop me from enjoying my youth. That mentality almost cost me my life during the long vacation last year.

It all started when my neighbourhood friends, Tunde and Segun, came to inform me about a grand pool party happening in an abandoned resort at the outskirt of town. They told me that all the big boys and fine girls in our area would be there. I was very eager to attend because I did not want to feel left out. When I informed my mother about it, she immediately refused. She looked at me with serious eyes and warned me sternly, saying, "Michael, you must not go near that place because bad boys gather there and the pool is deep and dangerous." She advised me to stay at home and read my books instead of following bad friends.

Instead of listening to her advice, I became very angry. In my mind, I thought she just hated seeing me happy. So on the day of the party, as soon as my mother left the house to sell her goods in the market, I dressed up in my best clothes and sneaked out through the back gate to meet my friends. Tunde and Segun hailed me when they saw me, and we all took a commercial bus down to the resort.

When we arrived at the venue, the loud music and the crowd made me forget all my mother's warnings. There was plenty of food and drinks, and people were dancing near the big swimming pool. After some time, some boys who were already drunk started arguing over a girl. Before we knew what was happening, serious fight broke out. Broken bottles and stones were flying in the air, and everybody started running helter-skelter for their dear lives.

In the confusion, someone pushed me violently from behind and I fell into the deepest part of the pool. The shock of the cold water entered my lungs because I did not know how to swim very well. I was struggling and shouting for help, but everyone was running away to save themselves. I swallowed a lot of dirty water and I was slowly sinking to the bottom, thinking that my life had ended. Luckily for me, a local security guard who saw my hand splashing in the water jumped in and pulled my heavy body out. I was rushed to a nearby clinic where the doctor spent hours treating me.

When my mother arrived at the clinic, she did not shout or beat me; she only wept bitterly and embraced me tightly. Seeing her tears caused me great pain and shame. I finally realized that parental advice is given out of love, not malice.

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 16/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 9.0/10
Total: 43.0/50
Feedback: This is a well-crafted, engaging narrative that fulfills all prompt requirements seamlessly, concluding with the exact requested sentence. The story structure is logical and expression is clear with good vocabulary. Minor grammatical slips occurred but did not detract from the whole.
Priorities: Use correct plural noun forms (e.g., 'outskirts').; Include indefinite articles before singular countable nouns ('a serious fight').


Question: A newly built community youth centre was recently opened in your neighbourhood. Write a letter to your friend living in another town, describing the facilities available at the centre and explaining how the youth in your area are benefiting from it.

No 12 Unity Street,
Ibadan Oyo State.
14th May 2024.

Dear John,

How are you doing over there with your family I hope you are all fine like me here. I am writing this letter to tell you about the thing that happen in our area recently. Our community now have one youth center that they build and open it last week Friday.

The place is very big and fine. When you enter inside you will see many facility that they put there for youth. There is one big hall that have table tenis and snoka game for playing. Also they put many computers in one room with air condition but sometime the light use to go off. There is also a small libary that has some books for reading and chair for sitting down. Outside the building there is one basket ball court and football field with goal post. Many sport equipments like jersey, ball, and racket is inside the store room. They even bring sewing machine and hair dressing machine for vocational training so that person can learn hand work.

All the youth in our neighborhood is very happy because of this center. First of all it is keeping youth away from bad thing because before before youth are just roaming on the street and smoking or fighting. But now everybody go to the center to play game. Some boys are now learning computer every day and they now know how to type letter and browse internet. My friend Segun who don't have job is now learning barbing there. Also the students are using the libary to read for WAEC exam because the place is quite than our house. In the evening we use to gather there to watch television and argue about football match. It make us to make new friend and stop staying at home with boredom.

I really wish that you are staying near to me so that you can come and see the center by your self. My mother even tell me that I must go there to learn tailoring but I like computer more than tailoring. The governor and the local government chairman come on the opening day and they share jollof rice and soft drink to all of us that come. The event was very sweet and everyone dance music till night.

My brother also want to go there tomorrow to register for basketball team. If you can visit me during holiday we will go there together every day and enjoy our self. I will stop here for now because it is late and my mother is calling me to go and sleep.

Greet your parents and your small sister for me.

Yours friend,
Tunde

Content: 7/10
Organisation: 6/10
Expression: 8/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 0/10
Total: 21/50
Feedback: You answered all parts of the question well with relevant details. However, your essay contains persistent grammatical errors, incorrect tense usage, and subject-verb agreement problems that heavily reduce your score.
Priorities: Master subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'our community has', 'everybody goes').; Use correct past tense forms when describing past events.; Correct common spelling mistakes such as 'library' and 'snooker'.


Question: Your elder brother has just started a small retail business in another town and is struggling to attract and retain customers. Write a letter to him identifying at least three major challenges he is likely facing and offering practical suggestions on how he can overcome them to make the enterprise profitable.

15 Adebayo Street,
Off Ring Road,
Ibadan, Oyo State.
14th May, 2024.

Dear Brother Chidi,

I hope this letter meets you in good health and high spirits. Everyone at home is doing very well, though mother misses you a lot. She always asks about your welfare and how you are coping in your new town. I was really glad to hear that you have opened your retail shop, but I felt concerned when you told me last week on phone that you are struggling to get enough customers to patronise you.

Starting a new venture in a place where people do not know you is always difficult. However, after thinking about your situation, I have identified three major challenges you are likely facing, and I want to share some practical suggestions that will help you overcome them.

Firstly, one major challenge is poor business publicity. Since you are a newcomer in that town, many residents simply do not know what goods you sell or even where your shop is located. To solve this problem, you need to create awareness immediately. You can print small, attractive handbills and share them around churches, mosques, and busy junctions. In addition, you can use WhatsApp groups and status updates to advertise your goods to people in the neighbourhood. You can also offer small discounts during this period so that people will be encouraged to visit your store.

Secondly, you might be facing stiff competition and ineffective pricing from old traders. The established shopkeepers in that area already have loyal customers, and they may be selling at lower prices because they buy in large quantities. To overcome this challenge, you must carry out a quick market survey to know their prices. Do not try to make huge profits at this initial stage. Instead, sell your goods at slightly lower or competitive prices. When buyers realise that your provisions are cheaper, they will readily leave the old shops and come to you.

Lastly, weak customer relation and lack of variety can make you lose buyers. In a retail business, customers love to be treated with respect and patience, and they also like buying everything in one place. If you do not have good inventory, people will get tired of hearing that an item is finished. You should always welcome your buyers with a warm smile and polite words. Also, take note of items that customers demand frequently and ensure that you restock them on time so that nobody goes away disappointed.

I believe that if you patiently apply these suggestions, your business will grow and become very profitable in no time. Do not lose hope, because every great enterprise started small. Please extend my warm greetings to your neighbours over there. Take good care of yourself and let me know how things improve.

Your loving brother,
Emeka

Content: 10/10
Organisation: 10/10
Expression: 17/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 9.5/10
Total: 46.5/50
Feedback: This is an excellently crafted response. The informal format is strictly adhered to, with a warm opening and closing. Paragraphing is clear, and the three challenges and practical remedies are well articulated with excellent analytical depth. Expression is natural and fluent.
Priorities: Ensure fixed idioms like 'on the phone' include necessary articles.; Use correct plural forms for abstract business nouns like 'customer relations'.


Question: Write an article for publication in a national daily on the rising prevalence of sedentary lifestyles among young people in your country, discussing its major causes and the serious consequences for public health.

THE DANGERS OF SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES AMONG OUR YOUTHS

By Chinedu Okafor

In recent times, it has become very common to see that many young people in Nigeria are no longer engaging in physical activities like before. In the past, children and teenagers could be seen playing football on open fields, running around the streets, and helping with energetic domestic chores. Today, the situation has changed drastically. Most youths now prefer to sit in one place for several hours without doing any exercise, which is leading to a sedentary lifestyle that poses a great threat to our society.

One of the major causes of this growing problem is the addiction to modern technology and smartphones. Many young people now spend the whole day pressing their phones, playing video games, and browsing social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. They are so glued to their screens that they forget to go outside and stretch their bodies. Another important factor is the intense academic pressure faced by students today. With long school hours, extra lessons after school, and heavy homework, students have very little time left for sports. Furthermore, there is a serious lack of recreational facilities in many of our neighbourhoods. Most empty lands have been sold to build houses, leaving no safe field or playground for children to play.

However, this inactive habit has very serious consequences on public health. In the first place, physical inactivity is directly linked to the rapid increase in obesity among youths. When a person consumes a lot of junk foods without burning off the calories through exercise, the body stores excess fat. This condition leads to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and type two diabetes at a very young age, which were previously known as sicknesses for elderly people. Many hospitals are now recording higher cases of these cardiovascular problems among teenagers.

In addition to physical illnesses, a sedentary lifestyle also causes poor mental health. When youths stay indoors all day without interacting physically with their peers, they often experience loneliness and depression. Exercise is known to release chemicals in the brain that improve mood, but without it, young people easily succumb to anxiety and mental stress. Furthermore, sitting down for prolonged periods affects posture and causes chronic back pain and weak muscles, thereby reducing the general productivity of the young generation.

In conclusion, the rising rate of physical inactivity among Nigerian youths is a ticking time bomb that must be addressed immediately. Parents should monitor the screen time of their children and encourage them to do house chores and outdoor games. The government and schools must also provide well equipped playgrounds and promote sports activities. If we take these steps, we can protect the health and future of our young generation.

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 17/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 9.5/10
Total: 44.5/50
Feedback: This is an excellent response with strong content and expression.
Priorities: Use hyphens correctly in compound modifiers preceding nouns.


Question: Describe a vibrant community harvest festival you witnessed in an agricultural town after a long season of drought, ending your description with the sentence: "Looking at the bountiful heaps of produce, everyone knew the land had finally smiled on us again."

Last year in our town called Ilu-Ayo, something very great happen after a very terrible drought that nearly distroy all our hope. The hot sun was beating the ground for many month and there was no single rain. Rivers became dry and all the farm crops died away completely. People were crying because of hunger and poverty was everywhere. But suddenly, the sky change and heavy rain started falling continuous for weeks. That was how the community harvest festival came to pass in our village square with so much excitement.

Early in the morning of the festival day, the whole town square was already full of different activities. The atmosphere was very lively and noisy because people were beating heavy drums and blowing flutes. Women were singing traditional songs with sweet voices to praise the gods of the land. The sounds of children shouting and running up and down made the place to be very joyful. Also, the smell of roasted yam and palm oil with fried fish was everywhere in the air, making every bodys stomach to sweet them. Everybody put on their best colorful clothes like ankara and lace materials to show that the bad days of drought was over.

Furthermore, the farmers started bringing their farm produce inside the arena with big wooden carts and baskets on their head. You can see very big giant tubers of yam that were arranged in long lines. There were yellow maize, big red tomatoes, baskets of pepper and long sugarcanes. The crops were shining bright under the morning sun because they were fresh from the soil. The king of our town, the Kabiyesi, sat on his royal throne with his chiefs around him. He stood up to pour libation on the ground to thank our ancestors for taking away the dry season that brought sorrow to our people.

As the afternoon was approaching, the festival became more interesting and hot. Dancers with beads on their waist entered the center of the square to show their skills. People were clapping their hands and spraying money on the farmers because they suffered too much during the drought. The sun was not harsh like before, instead a cool breeze was blowing gently across the big trees around the arena. There was plenty of food and palm wine for every visitors that came from neighbouring towns to celebrate with us. The laughter of the elders was very loud because they never believed we can survive the hunger.

Truly, the celebration showed that hard times cannot last forever if people have faith and work hard on their farmland. All the suffering of the dry season was totally forgotten as people continued dancing, eating and congratulating one another till night time. Looking at the bountiful heaps of produce, everyone knew the land had finally smiled on us again.

Content: 8/10
Organisation: 8/10
Expression: 13/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 4.5/10
Total: 33.5/50
Feedback: This is a lively essay that effectively paints a vivid picture of the harvest festival and fulfills all prompt requirements. However, expression and mechanical accuracy are hindered by frequent tense inconsistencies, agreement errors, and minor spelling oversights.
Priorities: Maintain consistent past tense throughout narrative descriptions.; Ensure subject-verb and noun agreement.


Question: Your youth development club recently organised a week-long community tree-planting and sanitation campaign to commemorate World Environment Day. As the secretary of the club, write a detailed report for the club's advisory board assessing the execution of the project, highlighting the major achievements and challenges encountered, and ending with the exact words: '...thus leaving a lasting legacy of environmental consciousness in our neighbourhood.'

A REPORT ON THE COMMUNITY TREE-PLANTING AND SANITATION CAMPAIGN COMMEMORATING WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Dynamic Youths Development Club recently embarked on a week-long community tree-planting and sanitation campaign to commemorate this year's World Environment Day. The exercise took place from the 1st of June to the 7th of June, 2024, across various strategic locations in our local community, with our main secretariat serving as the operational base. The main objective of this programme were to combat environmental degradation, improve public health through intensive sanitation, and educate residents on the vital need to preserve our natural ecosystem for future generations.

2.0 KEY ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT
Throughout the seven-day period, several well-coordinated activities was executed by our dedicated members in conjunction with local volunteers. The first two days were devoted to widespread public awareness campaigns, during which our team distributed informative handbills and engaged shop owners and market women in one-on-one dialogues about waste management. On the third and fourth days, attention shifted to the sanitation exercise. Volunteers cleared blocked drainage systems along the major commercial roads, removed illegal dumpsites around the central motor park, and properly bagged tonnes of plastic waste for recycling.

Furthermore, the remaining days were dedicated to the tree-planting initiative. Seedlings of various indigenous and shade-giving trees were distributed and planted in designated public places, including community primary schools, health centres, and along erosion-prone roadsides. Informative signposts were also erected beside the newly planted trees to caution residents against destroying them.

3.0 MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED
The campaign recorded several remarkable successes that deserve special mention. Firstly, the club successfully planted over three hundred and fifty economic and shade trees across four major quarters of the town. This will go a long way in curbing soil erosion and providing clean air. Secondly, the clearing of heavily clogged gutters along Station Road has drastically reduced the risk of flooding, which usually trouble the traders whenever there is a heavy downpour.

Another significant achievement was the high level of community response. Many elders, market executives, and school principals actively cooperated with us by releasing their wards and providing light refreshment for the workers. Most importantly, the campaign fostered a strong sense of unity and collective responsibility among the youths who participated enthusiastically throughout the week.

4.0 NOTABLE CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED
In spite of the overall success of the project, a number of challenges were encountered during the execution phase. A major hurdle was the acute shortage of appropriate working tools, such as wheelbarrows, heavy-duty gloves, shovels, and nose masks. This limitation slowed down the pace of clearing refuse in some swampy areas.

Additionally, the campaign suffered from inadequate funding, which prevented us from hiring tipper lorries to evacuate all the gathered waste promptly. Consequently, some heaps of refuse remained at collection points longer than intended. Unfavourable weather condition also posed a problem, as unexpected heavy rainfall on the fifth day disrupted the planting schedule and forced volunteers to take shelter for several hours. Finally, a few residents displayed apathy and refused to clean the drains in front of their houses until our members intervened.

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
To ensure that future programmes achieve even greater impact, it is recommended that the advisory board assists in securing corporate sponsorships well in advance to solve the problem of funding and equipment. Furthermore, local task forces should be formed to monitor the planted trees regularly.

In conclusion, the week-long campaign was a huge success that reawakened the community to its civic obligations, thus leaving a lasting legacy of environmental consciousness in our neighbourhood.

Yours faithfully,

Emmanuel Bassey
Secretary, Dynamic Youths Development Club
12th June, 2024

Content: 10/10
Organisation: 10/10
Expression: 17/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 8.5/10
Total: 45.5/50
Feedback: Outstanding report that flawlessly addresses the prompt with excellent detail and formal administrative tone. Excellent content and organisation.
Priorities: Ensure strict subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'objective was', 'activities were').


Question: Your school recently hosted a regional Science and Innovation Fair involving several secondary schools. As the President of the Science Club, write a comprehensive report on the event for the School Management Board, highlighting the key achievements of the fair and offering recommendations for future editions.

A REPORT ON SCIENCE AND INOVASHON FAIR IN OUR SKOOL TO THE SKOOL MANGEMENT BROD  I am write this report to say about the science fair that happin in our skool last week. It was on Monday and Friday many skool come to our compound because of science club. As president of science club I standing to see everything. The mangement say make we do it so we do it in skool hall and many student was plenty. Some skool bring motor they make with batteri and some bring fan that blow air. My friend say the inovashon is good but some people did not hear what teacher is talking.  The event start in morning time when all the skool enter the gate. The gate man open gate and they bring their bag. Many car park in field and the field was full with people. The science is very good because people see what we do. Key achievment of the fair is that many student come and they eat rice and drink pure water. Skool give us big cup for the winner. The winner is our skool because we do fan that blow strong air with wire and batteri. People clap hand for us and principal was smile. Another achievment is that other skool say our hall is big but light go off small time. When light go off we use torch light to see the fan and the motor. The boy from other skool crying because his motor spoil on the road before they reach here.  I want to say that the science club we work hard everyday to make this science inovashon fair. We carry table from class to hall and we sweep the floor. Many teacher did not come early so student was running outside. But later they sit down. The inovashon is fine. One boy bring something like plane made of paper and wire it fly small and drop down on principal leg and everybody laugh. That one is key highlight of the science fair because people happy. We also do drama about science doctor who treat sick man with medisin. The drama is good and people give money to the doctor boy.  Recormandashon for the fair for future time. First is that skool must buy big generator so that when nepa take light the fan will still work. Because hall was hot and people was sweating on their face. Second recormandashon is that food was not plenty for all the skool. Many student from other skool did not get rice they only get biscuit and they was angry with science club. Skool mangement must give more moni to science club so we buy plenty rice and minerals for all visitor. Third recormandashon is that police or soldier must come because some boys want to fight outside the hall for pure water. Also we need big table because table was breaking when they put heavy iron for the inovashon.  The science fair is good thing and we want to do it next year again. When we do it next year we will invite governor and commissioner of education to see our fan and motor. I thank the principal for give us chance to do the fair. Science is very important for our country Nigeria to grow big and make aeroplane.  Name: Musa Bala  Post: President of Science Club  Date: 12 march 2024

Content: 4/10
Organisation: 4/10
Expression: 6/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 0/10
Total: 14/50
Feedback: The report includes an overview, achievements, and recommendations. However, the writing is heavily penalized for pervasive grammatical errors, severe spelling mistakes, and colloquial phrasing. A formal report requires standard English vocabulary, appropriate tone, and accurate sentence structures.
Priorities: Master standard English spelling for common words.; Adopt a formal, objective register.; Ensure correct subject-verb agreement and tense.


Question: Indiscriminate dumping of non-biodegradable waste and poor drainage maintenance have caused severe environmental degradation and flooding in your local community. Write a letter to the Commissioner for the Environment in your state, highlighting the adverse effects of this problem on residents and suggesting at least three practical measures the ministry and the community can implement to address the situation.

Community Development Association,
14 Market Road,
Oshodi Local Government Area,
Lagos State.
15th October, 2023.

The Honourable Commissioner,
Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources,
Block 16, The Secretariat, Alausa,
Ikeja, Lagos State.

Dear Sir,

AN APPEAL ON SEVERE FLOODING AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN OUR COMMUNITY

I am writing this letter to you sir on behalf of all the residents of our community to bring to your urgent notice the terrible environmental problems we are facing. The indiscriminate dumping of non-biodegradable waste and poor drainage maintenance has caused serious degradation and flooding in our area recently.

To begin with, our drainage systems are completely blocked because people are dumping nylon, plastic bottles and other solid waste inside the gutters. Whenever heavy rain falls, the water cannot flow properly. This situation has led to terrible flash flooding that destroys our properties. Many houses are submerge during the downpour and people loose their valuable belongings like home appliances and mattresses. Also, the stagnant water in the blocked gutters has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and this is causing severe health problems like malaria and cholera among children and old people in our community. Furthermore, small business owners along the streets cannot open their shops whenever it rains, leading to serious loss of livelihood.

To address this dangerous situation, there are three practical measures that the ministry and our community can implement.

Firstly, the ministry should provide waste collection bins and introduce a proper waste recycling scheme. The government must provide big refuse bins at strategic locations so that residents will stop dumping refuse inside the gutters. If people have a place to dispose their waste properly, the drainage will be free. Also, waste recycling should be encouraged so that people can sell their plastic bottles instead of throwing them away.

Secondly, the ministry and the community need to organize routine drainage clearance. The ministry can assist us by sending evacuation trucks and sanitary workers with modern equipment to desilt the major drainage channels that are already filled with heavy sand and dirt. On our part as the community, our youth leaders can organize weekly environmental sanitation to ensure that every street clean their gutters regularly.

Thirdly, there must be strict enforcement of sanitation bye-laws and public enlightenment campaigns. Many residents do not know the danger of non-biodegradable waste on the environment. The government should use radio and television to educate the people on the danger of dumping dirt. In addition, the ministry should send environmental health officers to arrest and punish any person caught violating sanitation laws.

In conclusion, we are suffering so much from this terrible flooding and dirty environment. I strongly believe that if these suggested measures are carried out by your ministry and the community, our area will become a clean and safe place for everyone to live peacefully.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]

Chukwudi Emmanuel

Content: 9/10
Organisation: 9/10
Expression: 15/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 7.5/10
Total: 40.5/50
Feedback: This is a strong formal letter that fully answers the prompt. The proposed solutions are clear and practical. To reach perfection, ensure careful proofreading for subject-verb agreement and proper word usage.
Priorities: Ensure correct subject-verb agreement with compound subjects.; Use correct verb forms in passive voice structures.; Correctly distinguish between 'loose' and 'lose'.


Question: A prevailing proverb in your community states, "The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people." As the president of the Youth Development Council, write a letter to the Chairman of the National Orientation Agency highlighting three prevailing domestic vices that threaten societal stability, proposing practical remedies for them, and concluding your letter with the exact sentence: "Until our hearths nurture integrity, our nation cannot achieve enduring peace."

Youth Development Council,
P.O. Box 412, Ikeja,
Lagos State.
14th October, 2024.

The Chairman,
National Orientation Agency,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,

DOMESTIC VICES THREATENING SOCIETAL STABILITY AND THEIR REMEDIES

I write this letter to you as the president of the Youth Development Council to bring into your notice some bad things happening in our families. There is a common proverb in our community which states that the ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people. Truly this proverb is saying the real truth because when the home is spoil the whole country will also spoil together.

The first domestic vice that is disturbing our society is domestic violence. In many houses today husbands and wives are always fighting everyday before their children. When parents beat themselves without respect it make the children to also grow with anger. These children will carry this bad habit to the street and start fighting people in the community which cause cultism. To remedy this problem the government and your agency should organise regular marriage seminar for couples to teach them how to live in peace without violence.

Another serious vice is child neglect by parents. Many parents do not care about their children welfare again because they are looking for money day and night. They leave these young ones without proper care and moral training so they begin to follow bad friends outside. Many of these neglected children end up becoming armed robbers and thieves because no body is guiding them at home. The best remedy for this issue is that parents must be strictly advice through radio and television programs to create time for their family and government should punish parents that abandon their little children on the street.

Furthermore, parental dishonesty is also another vice that is destroying our society today. Many parents tell lies in the presence of their children and even teach them how to cheat in exams. When children see their fathers doing corruption and lying about money they will also believe that dishonesty is a good thing in life. The solution to this problem is that community leaders and religious houses must continue to preach the importance of honesty and good character to parents so that they can show good examples to their children.

In conclusion, if we want our country to be good and free from crime we must start the correction from the family level because the home is the foundation of the nation. The National Orientation Agency has a big role to play so that our society can become better place for everyone. Until our hearths nurture integrity, our nation cannot achieve enduring peace.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]

Babatunde Adeleke
President, Youth Development Council

Content: 8/10
Organisation: 8/10
Expression: 11/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 4.5/10
Total: 31.5/50
Feedback: The letter effectively addresses all prompt requirements, integrating the three vices, realistic remedies, and the exact concluding sentence. However, the formal tone is weakened by basic grammatical mistakes and non-standard phrasing like 'doing corruption'. Reviewing basic grammar rules will elevate your expression score.
Priorities: Ensure correct subject-verb agreement throughout the essay (e.g., 'it makes', 'which causes').; Replace awkward phrasing with formal collocations (e.g., 'engaging in corruption').; Distinguish between verbs and nouns (e.g., 'advised' vs. 'advice').


Question: Your elder sibling who recently completed vocational training is undecided between taking up a paid job in an established company and setting up an independent enterprise. Write a letter to them discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both options, and advising them on the best course of action.

No 14 okon street Lagos state Nigeria. 12 october 2023. Dear my brother, How are you doing today in the vilage hope you are fine and mama is also fine too. I am righting this leter to you becos of the work you do in the school of trening that you say you finish now. It is good to do work because work is good for a man to get mony and buy cloth and food to eat every day so that hunger will not kill somebody. In our house today mama was asking me about your helth and how you are going to church and pry to God because only God can bles a man when he is working hard. My brother the compny work is very big and good because when you go to compny they will be giving you mony every month and you will not cry for food or mony for rent. But the compny is also bad because the oga will be shauting on you every day from morning till nite and you will be tierd and you cannot go to sleep or rest with your frends in the town. Sometime the oga will not give you your mony and you will be begging him and crying for your mony and nobody will help you. That is why compny work is not good for a man that want to rest. But if you open your own shop in the market you will be your own oga and nobody will shaut on your hed or tell you to swep the floor. You can seat down in your shop and wach teletion and be drinking cool water when peple come to pay you mony for the work you do for them. But open shop is also having troble because you need planty mony to buy mashin and pay for the rent of the house and if the thif come in the nite they will stel all your things and you will be poor and cry to mama. Many peple in our vilage they open shop and close it because no mony again. Brother you know that last year my frend go to lagos and he did not see any job to do so he was sleeping under the brige and crying every day untill one man take him to church to pray for him. I think that God will bless you if you do well and listen to what mama say. You should try to be good boy and do not fal into bad gang that smoek cigarate and drinck alcohol in the jont because it will distroy your body and your work will spoil. Let me stop here today so that I can go to markit and buy garri for soup. Greet everybody in the house for me. Your broda, Emeka.

Content: 4/10
Organisation: 4/10
Expression: 5/20
Mechanical Accuracy: 0/10
Total: 13/50
Feedback: The letter discusses company work and running a shop but fails to provide a clear, reasoned recommendation. Expression is heavily impeded by persistent, fundamental spelling and grammar errors. Work on basic spelling, punctuation, and layout conventions to communicate effectively.
Priorities: State a clear recommendation between the career options.; Master basic spelling rules and common vocabulary.; Structure sentences properly with accurate grammar and punctuation.