Listening to Extended Texts, Comparing with Adjectives, Describing People and Events, and Summarising News

1. Strategies for Long Listening Texts

2. Note-Taking While Listening

You cannot write every word, so write only key words and phrases. Use abbreviations such as "govt" for government and arrows (→) for "leads to". Leave space to add details later. Organise notes under headings such as "Characters", "Setting" and "Events".

3. Listening Text: The Wise Judge (read aloud by the teacher)

Long ago in a village near Wa, two women came before the chief, both claiming the same goat. "It is mine," said the first woman. "I bought it at the Saturday market." "No, it is mine," said the second. "I raised it from a kid." The elders argued for hours but could not decide.

Finally, the chief's youngest adviser, a quiet man named Bayor, asked for the goat to be brought out. He told the two women to stand at opposite ends of the compound and call the goat by name. The first woman called loudly, but the goat did not move. The second woman called softly, "Asii, come." At once the goat trotted to her side and rubbed its head against her leg.

"The goat knows its owner," said Bayor. The chief smiled and gave the goat to the second woman. The first woman confessed that she had found the goat wandering and wanted to keep it. From that day, Bayor was known as the wisest adviser in the land.

4. Notes on the Story

5. Responding to the Text

After listening, retell the story briefly and say what you think: "I liked how Bayor used a simple test instead of long arguments. It shows that careful thinking solves problems." You may also link it to your life: "When my brothers argue, I try to find a fair solution like Bayor."

1. Degrees of Comparison

2. Forming Comparatives and Superlatives

3. Common Errors

Do not use double comparisons: say "better", not "more better"; "the tallest", not "the most tallest". Use the comparative for two things: "Of the two sisters, Esi is the older", not "the oldest". Use "than" after a comparative, not "from" or "to": "This road is longer than that one."

4. Other Ways of Comparing

We can also compare with "as... as" for equality: "Ama is as clever as her brother." "Not as... as" shows inequality: "The Pra is not as long as the Volta." "Less" and "least" show a smaller degree: "This book is less interesting than the last one."

5. Using Adjectives in Paragraphs

In a paragraph, comparisons help readers understand by relating new ideas to familiar ones: "The harmattan season is cooler and drier than the rainy season. Mornings are the coldest part of the day, and dust makes the sky hazier than usual." Using correct forms makes your writing accurate and convincing.

6. Comparing in a Paragraph

Read this paragraph and notice the comparisons: "Tamale is hotter and drier than Kumasi for most of the year. However, Kumasi receives more rainfall, so its forests are greener. Of all the cities I have visited, Cape Coast is the most beautiful because of its beaches and castle. Still, my hometown is the best place in the world for me, because my family lives there." Each comparison helps the reader understand the places by relating them to one another.

1. Describing a Person

2. Model: My Grandmother

My grandmother, Maame Afua, is a small woman with a big laugh. Her grey hair is always wrapped in a bright head tie, and her hands are rough from years of farming cocoa. She walks slowly now, leaning on a carved walking stick, but her eyes are still sharp. Every evening she sits on a low stool in the compound, telling Ananse stories in a voice that rises and falls like music. She is strict about manners, but when we greet her properly, she rewards us with roasted groundnuts from her apron pocket.

3. Describing an Event

To describe an event, follow the order in which things happen, but focus on vivid details. Include the setting, the people, the main activities and the atmosphere. Use time words and a mix of senses.

4. Model: The Homowo Festival

On the morning of Homowo, the streets of Jamestown were alive with colour. Drummers pounded out rhythms while young men danced in white cloth. The Ga Mantse, seated under a huge umbrella, sprinkled kpokpoi on the ground to honour the ancestors. The sweet smell of palm-nut soup drifted from every home. Children laughed and chanted "Hooo!" as they followed the procession. By evening, tired but happy, families shared meals together, celebrating the end of hunger.

5. Choosing Words That Fit

Choose words that suit the person or event. For a joyful festival, use lively words such as "pounded", "danced" and "chanted". For a calm scene, use gentle words such as "drifted", "whispered" and "glowed". Matching words to mood makes descriptions powerful.

1. Features of a News Report

News reports use the inverted pyramid: the most important facts come first and less important details come later.

2. Reading Passage: News Report

Headline: JHS Pupils Plant 2,000 Trees in Ho

By Yayra Agbeko, Ho

About 500 pupils from five junior high schools in Ho planted 2,000 seedlings on Saturday as part of the national Green Ghana programme.

The exercise, organised by the Ho Municipal Assembly and the Forestry Commission, took place on degraded land near the Ho Teaching Hospital. Pupils planted mahogany, teak, cedar and fruit trees such as mango and orange.

The Municipal Chief Executive told the pupils that trees provide shade, clean air and food, and help to fight climate change. "You are the future of this country. The trees you plant today will benefit your own children," she said.

Each school has been given a section of the land to water and protect. The Assembly promised prizes for the school with the healthiest trees at the end of the year.

3. Summarising the Report

Summary (40 words): About 500 pupils from five JHS in Ho planted 2,000 seedlings on Saturday under the Green Ghana programme. Officials said trees provide shade, clean air and food. Each school will care for its section, and prizes will be awarded.

4. Tips for Summarising News

Start with the lead, because it usually holds the main facts. Leave out quotations unless they contain essential information, and change them into reported speech. Keep numbers and names accurate. Count your words to stay within the limit.