KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 3 ESSAYS 2021

KCSE 2021 ENGLISH 101/3 EXPECTATIONS. 

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KCSE 2019 ENGLISH PAPER 

Students continue to score low marks in this section. In KCSE 2019, Imaginative composition was the best performed question. Students had problems scoring full marks in question 2 and 3 testing the compulsory and optional set texts.

Most students interpreted the questions as expected. This is proof that most teachers are instructing students properly in line with the demands of the literature questions.

The reason why the results remain dismal is because the students offer less than the examiner demands. As much as most students respond to the questions correctly, they fail to provide adequate textual details to support their answers.

In the recent past, students grappled with the problem of interpreting the questions correctly. This problem has since been solved. All they need to do now is support their correct answers with relevant illustrations from the texts in question.

Most students rely on guidebooks and their teachers’ notes. This results in lack of textual details from the set books. Students must read the set texts as many times as they can. Critical analysis of the text is vital for a student who strives to pass this paper. Teachers ought to oversee the supervised reading of set texts and guide learners on the process of critical analysis. They need to impress upon the students that the devil is in the detail.

Read the text with a view of going beyond the surface value. Connect the dots and come up with judgements (evaluation). Ask yourself: What is the purpose of studying this text? What are the values contained therein? How can they be tested by examiner? 

Compulsory Set Text-Blossoms of the Savannah

Irresponsible decisions can lead to serious consequences. Referring closely to H.R. Ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah, write an essay in support of this statement.

Introduction: Most students have no problems introducing their essays. Simply demonstrate your understanding of the question by capturing both sides of the question-the action and the outcome. The best way to do this is by paraphrasing the question. Students who defined terms or simply rewrote the question scored zero. Those who only captured one side of the question (action or outcome) only scored half the marks for introduction.

Blossom of the Savannah 

The candidate must identify the characters that make irresponsible decisions and show how the characters suffer serious consequences as a result of their rash decisions.

The characters in question include; Ole Kaelo, Mama Milanoi, Oloisudori and Olarinkoi.

NOTE: One character may make more than one irresponsible decision and thus each decision may be treated as a separate point but only if there is sufficient textual evidence that the unwise decision results in bad consequences.  For example, Ole Kaelo makes two careless decisions. One, he gets involved in shady business deals with Oloisudori and he also denies Resian and Taiyo the chance to join Egerton University. These were treated as separate points.

A candidate scores when they identify an unwise decision a character makes. A mere mention of the decision may earn the candidate 1 mark out of the possible 3. In order to score 3/3 marks, the candidate must know;

·        the events happening in the text

·         the characters and the actions they are involved in

·        the outcome of these actions

·        the embedded moral lessons

Character: Ole Kaelo

Action (Irresponsible decision): Ole Kaelo denies his daughter a chance of enrolling at Egerton University.

Outcome (Serious consequence): Ole Kaelo suffers when he loses his daughter when she runs away with the help of Olarinkoi and manages to enroll at Egerton University through the help of Minik ene Nkoitoi.

NB: When giving the outcome, do not simply mention the consequence. Give all necessary details surrounding the outcome. A candidate that simply says “Ole Kaelo loses his daughter” is bound to lose some marks. They must include details on how it happens, when it happens and where it happens.

Consider the phrasing of the question. It has a value statement and an outcome (a punishment/serious consequence). The two sides must come out clearly in the students’ answer, preferably at the topic sentence.  

After identifying the character’s action, the learner must give some background information (events that lead to the situation that triggers the action).

Background: Details on Ole Kaelo’s retrenchment from Agribix limited and his relocation to Nasila.

The question on Blossoms of the Savannah demanded the following details from the candidates; 

• The rash decision
• the risk involved
• confrontation (if any)
• adequate details on the consequence (loss/pain/suffering).
• 
  

HOW TO COME UP WITH POINTS 

1. Which character makes an irresponsible/rash decision? (mention the character and the decision in the first line) 
2. What actions show this irresponsibility? (Give the action(s) and the background)
3. What bad consequences does the character suffer (explain the outcome)
4. Sum up the value statement and outcome in the last sentence. (Link your discussion to the question) 

SAMPLE ESSAY

Irresponsible decisions can lead to serious consequences. Referring closely to H.R. Ole Kulet's Blossoms of the Savannah,write an essay in support of this statement. 

Read the full essay  here

Read Blossoms of the Savannah Essay Questions  here

The candidate was tasked with beefing up his/her answer with relevant specific textual illustrations or examples that explain or prove the validity of their answers in line with question.

Optional Set Texts

The paper has 3 optional questions; the short story, play, and novel. 

Among the optional questions, the short story (‘The President’-Mariatu Kamara) seemed the most accessible to students. Short stories have relatively fewer characters, few themes and simple plots. The question from the play Inheritance by David Mulwa also seemed less demanding. However, most students attempted the question from the novella-The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

The President-Mariatu Kamara

 Write a composition on the evils of war, using illustrations from “The President” by Mariatu Kamara.

This was a straightforward question. It required students to identify the devastating effects of war. The expected responses include: 

• recruitment of child soldiers
• chopping of hands
• separation of families
• disruption of education
• orphans
• loss of life
• refugees due to displacement of people
• physical and psychological torture.

The secret is to provide the textual details to support the answers.

SAMPLE KCSE ESSAY QUESTION 

Write a composition on the effects of war, using illustrations from ‘The President’ by Mariatu Kamara.

 read full essay 

Find Essays on Memories we Lost and other short stories here. 

Recruitment of child soldiers

The candidate must describe how the child soldiers are evil. Some details include; how they ask Kamara to go, they call her back, the other boys point their guns at her, she is asked to choose a punishment, she is asked to choose a hand she wants to lose first, she is dragged back when she tries to run, she pleads for mercy saying they are age mates and that they may be friends. They refuse to kill her. They tell her to show the president what they did to her; and ask him to give her new hands. After the loathsome act, they laugh and give each other high fives. Most of these details must appear for the candidate to score a full mark for this point.

The Play: Inheritance-David Mulwa

INHERITANCE ESSAY QUESTION

Ill-gotten wealth can never bring true happiness. Write a composition in support of this statement drawing examples from Lacuna Kasoo’s life.

This question was fairly well performed. Candidates were expected to show how Lacuna Kasoo acquired wealth through dubious means and go ahead to show how this makes him unhappy.

The candidates are expected to talk about; 

• Kasoo’s ascend to power after killing his father (Acquisition of leadership)
• the loans he borrowed and misused
• the treatment he receives from foreign financiers
• the uprising by his subjects
• the agonising rejection by a 19-year schoolgirl Lulu.

As usual, only detailed points score anything more than 1 mark per point.

INHERITANCE SAMPLE ESSAY 

Ill gotten wealth can never bring true happiness. Write a composition in support of this statement drawing examples from Lacuna Kasoo’s life.

read full essay here

The Novel: The Pearl-John Steinbeck

Desire without limits can be a source of agony both to ourselves and our family members. Using illustrations from the pearl, write an essay in support of the statement.

Almost all the students attempted this question.  It was straightforward. All the answers revolve around Kino and his family. Many characters in the novella display wild desires but Kino’s desire is excessive. He is the only character whose family members suffer due to his excessive ambition.

The question has two sides; Desire and Agony.  The candidate was required to show how Kino’s family suffers as a result of Kino’s desire without limits.

These were the expected responses; 

• the death of Coyotito
• the destruction of Kino’s canoe
• the strained relationship when he attacks Juana
• the loss of Kino’s hut
• physical harm when Kino is attacked
• and the killing (Kino murders a man).

The candidates were expected to talk about Kino’s excessive ambition when he finds the pearl (buying a rifle, a harpoon, marrying Juana in church, buying new clothes and taking Coyotito to school).

The candidate is supposed to illustrate the agony Kino and his family undergo.  The candidate has to talk about the situation e.g. the death of Coyotito or the destruction of Kino’s boat. They must also give the background (events leading to that situation). An ideal paragraph ends with the outcome of Kino’s action (excessive desire). The outcome is the agony-the pain/misery/suffering. Describe how he feels after the situation.

Most students have mastered the art of writing a proper introduction. Here, they were expected to simply show how excessive desire leads to suffering. Whether the introduction is general, contextual, a paraphrase, or an outline it scores full marks but only if both sides of the questions are captured clearly.

Example;

Agony: Death of Coyotito

Character: Kino

Situation: Death of Coyotito. Coyotito is shot dead by a tracker confusing his cry for the cry of a coyote pup.

Background: Kino gets the pearl of the world. He has great dreams/ambitions e.g. education for Coyotito. He tries to sell the pearl for 50,000 pesos. The pearl dealers offer him way less money. This triggers his ambition to sell the pearl at the capital.

Activities/actions: Kino, Juana and Coyotito leave for the north. (Give the details of the long agonizing journey). Describe Coyotito’s death in detail.

Outcome (agony): Kino stands uncertainly after Coyotito’s death. He hears Juana crying, the cry of death. They return to La Paz walking side by side. They seem removed from human experience. They had gone through pain and come out o the other side. They walked through the city as though it were not there. They fail to greet Juan Tomas when he raised his hand in greetings. Juana carried Coyotito as a dead bundle. Kino flings the pearl back into the sea.

Most students stopped at the death of Coyotito and failed to give details on the agony Kino and Juana go through.

HOW TO COME UP WITH POINTS OF INTERPRETATION 

1. Which character has desire without limit?
2. What shows this excessive desire?
3. How does this cause agony/pain to him and his family?
4. Sum up the discussion by exploring the value statement and outcome. 

SAMPLE ESSAY 
Desire without limits can be a source of agony both to ourselves and our family members. Using illustrations from The Pearl write an essay in support of this statement. (20 Marks)

Read the full essay here  

Explore 25+ Essays on The Pearl here

In conclusion,teachers ought to make sure the candidates read all the texts they intent to attempt in KCSE as many times as possible. Utilise the episodic approach to get the full grasp of the text. Know all the details in the text, the characters and their actions, the outcomes of their actions, the events leading to each action. Study the text critically.

The devil is in the detail.

Would you like to learn the magic of the episodic approach in the analysis of A Doll's House? Read more on Episodic approach in analysis of KCSE set books. 

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