The Sunday News
Charles Dube
All learners would like to get good grades. It is a fact that no one goes to school with the intention of performing badly. I have often told learners that at the onset of the tests or examinations all of them are given total marks, that is hundred percent. Individually they start dropping marks as they answer the set questions. In the end passing or failing tests or examinations depends on how many marks did she or he score.
What then makes learners fail to get the intended good grades? They commonly make the following mistakes when preparing for tests or examinations: they manage their time poorly and are easily distracted. At times they start their tests or examinations preparations too late. Some procrastinate when it is time to study. We have learners who want to verify issues at the very last minute before tests or examinations and such cases are associated with panic.
Panicking leads to confusion in answering questions. Some learners panic and fail even to write their names or candidate numbers on the answer scripts. All these come under instructions and one wonders how they can answer questions correctly when instructions have not been understood. In English Language tests or examinations learners ignore instructions that tell them to use their own words when answering questions.
Most fail to explain words as they are used in the context. They lose marks which they could accumulate easily. Other mistakes learners make are deciding which subjects to study or which tasks to work on based on how they feel. If moods determine studies then there is a big problem and nothing moves. Learners should always be positive about the educational tasks ahead of them. They should never allow this habit of studying hard only when they are motivated to dominate them.
Learners should also try to avoid spending too much time studying the subject they like instead of balancing up their time in all the subjects they will sit. They make the mistake of not having a plan of work and they do too few practice questions. Although this sounds colloquial: “Practice makes perfect” it still works even today. Learners need to have a lot of practice in the subjects they are studying. However, this is a bit tricky as learners tend to do too many practice questions while neglecting the notes and textbooks.
Textbooks and notes might have a lot more information which question papers might have missed. The current English Language syllabus demands that learners be conversant in the use of the language hence learners need to learn the various parts of the language so that they are not found wanting in the subject. For example, they should have thorough knowledge of the words commonly confused. These are generally taken for granted but become conspicuous weaknesses in tests and examinations.
It is easy to misuse certain words. Make sure you learn between words which sound the same but with different spellings like: where, were and wear. These three words sound similar but they have very different meanings. Where is used for places and positions. Where is Victoria Falls? Were is the past form of are. If you are not sure about /were/ in a sentence, use “are” instead. If it still makes sense then “were” is probably right.
Affect is the action but effect is the result. Affect is an action which influences something, but an effect is the result of an action. Example of a sentence: Drinking too much alcohol affects your liver. Drinking alcohol is doing something to your liver. Too much alcohol has an effect on your liver. This is talking about the result of drinking too much alcohol. Do not confuse passed with past. Passed with “-ed” is an action — it has to be done by someone or something. Caesar passed many laws. This means Caesar approved lots of laws. Caesar did the passing. The bus passed through the Shashe River. This means the bus passed through the Shashe River.
Adapt, adopt. Adapt is a (verb) to change one’s behaviour or ideas in accordance with a new situation. Adopt is also a (verb) to start using a new, or different way of doing something. Urban dwellers cannot easily adapt to rural life. To improve on their yields, farmers need to adopt new methods of farming.
Beat, bit, bite. Beat is a (verb) to hit, or do better than someone else. Bit is a (noun) a small piece or part of something. Bite is a (verb) to use teeth or break something or make a cut in the skin. We beat them by one goal to nil in a game of soccer. She gave him a bit of fruit when he was thirsty. He threatened to bite his brother if he continued pushing him. Watch out for though, thought, through and thorough. These words look similar so it is easy to write the wrong one and that mistake could cost you if you do.
Your plan is good though it has some drawbacks. Though means however. I thought about the issue. “Thought is the past tense of the verb “to think”. I had a thought . . . or “a thought can be an idea.” “Through means going from one side of something to the other.” The stone went through the window. He is thorough in his work. Thorough means careful or in depth. Be careful when you use these commonly misused words. There are still a lot more words to be considered under this heading.
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