KCSE Past Papers 2021 English Paper 1 (101/1)



(Comprehension, Literary Appreciation and Grammar) Nov. 2021 - 2 hours

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

2021 English Paper 1


1. Imagine you are the student leader in charge of games and clubs activities in your school. There has been a decline in students' participation in these activities. The Principal has appointed you the Chairperson of a Committee to investigate the causes of the problem.


Write the report, giving recommendations on what should be done to address the problem. (20 marks)


2. Read the passage below and fill in each blank space with the most appropriate word. (10 marks)


Knowing how to talk about characters in a story is an important aspect of the study of literature. Can you (a) .................................. out if your friend is in a good mood or a bad mood? (b) .................................. probably can. What your friend says or does (c) reveals his or her character. At their (d) ..................................writers reveal the traits of the characters in their stories in the (e) .................................. way. They describe what the characters do or say. They offer other (f) .................................. about the characters' traits too. Writers also (g) information about a character's motives or reasons (h) saying or doing something. Often in a story (i) .................................. will be a single motive behind the (j) .................. a character does or says.


Adapted from: Great Endeavors. Macmillan, 1986


a) Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.


The Beard


By Proscovia Rwakyaka


In the pulpit he swayed and turned.


leaned forward, backward,


To the right: to the left.


His solemn voice echoed;


Lowly the congregation followed,


‘Do you love your neighbour?’


Meekly they bow at his keen eye


Now examining a grey head


Heaving under her Robs.


His heart leapt assured —


‘Her sins weigh on her!’


So with her he chats outside;


‘Weep not child you are pardoned.’


‘But, sir, your beard conjured up


The spirit of my dear goat!’


from: Poems from East Africa. David Cook and David Rubadiri (Eds.) EAEP, Nairobi


(i) Identify and illustrate two sound features used in the poem.(4 marks)


(ii) Describe how you would say the following lines in the poem.


I. ‘Do you love your neighbour?’(2 marks)


II. ‘But, sir, your beard conjured up The spirit of my dear goat!’(2 marks)


(b) Underline the stressed part of the words in bold in the sentences below. (4 marks)


(i) She is unwell now but I know she will manage.


(ii) We need to register all the students before the end of the day.


(iii) Remember we have an agreement.


(iv) The convict pleaded for leniency.


(c) Imagine that your class is having a talk on career choices. The speaker keeps asking the students to pay attention.


Give six indicators that inform the speaker that his or her listeners are not attentive. (6 marks)


(d) In each set of words given below identify the odd one out according to the pronunciation of the underlined part of the word. (4 marks)


(i) breath, breadth, breathe


(ii) pole poll pool


(iii) four fowl for


(iv) pear pier peer


(e) Read the following conversation between Jane and a trader and answer the questions that follow.


Jane:(Looking at the phones on display)Good Morning


Trader:Which one of them do you want?


Jane:(Surprised) Er, I would like to buy a nice phone.


Trader:All phones on display here are fantastic. Which one of them do you want?


Jane:(Pointing).This one looks great, how much is it?


Trader:Twenty thousand shillings only.


Jane: Goodness, you can't be serious! You are extremely expensive.


Trader:Then find another shop.


Jane:Um, what about a discount, please I am serious about buying a phone.


Trader:(Uninterested) Really?


Jane:(Exiting) I’m sorry to have bothered you.


Trader:(Cursing) Get lost!


(i) Give two illustrations to show that Jane is polite.(2 marks)


(ii) In the dialogue, Jane hesitates to respond two times. Explain one possible reason for the hesitation.(2 marks)


(iii) In your own words, rewrite any two of the responses by the Trader to demonstrate (4 marks)