Writing an Article on the Menace of Street Children

Here is a WASSCE past essay question on the menace of street children. You may be familiar with this likely WASSCE English question about the menace of street children in your community.

 I’m going to show you how to prepare in order to produce a killer essay on the menace of school children in your community. Because I want you to obtain a decent grade in your English Language test paper.

Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised to meet a similar question in the 2021 or 2022 WASSCE, JAMB, NECO/SSCE or GCE English composition section.

Below are the steps you need to take to ensure that your article on the menace of street children is nothing but the best.

Step I. Question Analysis

Here are the key words to note in this particular WAEC/WASSCE essay past question.

Article, publication, national, menace, street children, your community

Now, let’s take them one by one and do some explanation. For every likely WASSCE essay question we deal with, we shall be doing the same thing.

ARTICLE

Note that an article is not a letter to the editor. The main formal features of an article are an appropriate title, the body including a good introduction and conclusion, your name, address and designation (e.g. school prefect).

PUBLICATION

It is going to be published; so it is not a speech or a private letter.

NATIONAL

Your audience is all readers in all parts of the country. Your expression must therefore sound formal and your English standard.

MENACE

The issue you are about to discuss is a serious one. It is a problem, a headache so present it as such. Give disturbing descriptions, statistics and examples of this MENACE (problem)

STREET CHILDREN

You are required to focus on children (not adults) who practically live in the street in big towns and cities in particular. So let your mind travel to observe and vividly portray the plight of such children.

YOUR COMMUNITY

The question has clearly restricted you to a certain part of the country where you live e.g. Kaduna, Lagos, Onitsha, Freetown, Monrovia, Banjul, Agona Swedru, Agona West Municipality , Keta , Tema etc. Choose a community and avoid digressing to talk about the whole nation

Step II. Plan your article

All you have to do is to draft a rough outline of your essay. Briefly state the points and features you need to use in the essay.

Find some space on your question paper for this. You may as well do this rough work on your answer sheet right at the top of the first page. (Not the cover page, please.) But make sure you cancel this neatly before submitting your answer script to the invigilator

Want an example? Click on the link below to find how to create a simple plan withing a limited time period in the examination room.

HOW TO PLAN A PERSONAL LETTER IN YOUR EXAMINATION

Step III. Write your article

Now this is the time for action. Make sure you write fast enough to beat the time given to this part of the English Language test paper. All the preliminary work you did above should assist you to easily finish writing your article on the menace of street children in your community.

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