English Language · Lesson 4

Spelling, punctuation & register (vocabulary of fields)

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: vocabulary development (registers), spelling, punctuation in context

WAEC: lexis and structure: spelling of commonly misspelt words; punctuation (full stop, comma, semicolon, colon, apostrophe, quotation marks, question and exclamation marks, hyphen, dash, capital letters); vocabulary of special fields/registers (e.g. agriculture, medicine, law, banking, sports, religion, ICT, politics, journalism); mechanical accuracy in essays

NECO: lexis and structure: spelling of commonly misspelt words; punctuation (full stop, comma, semicolon, colon, apostrophe, quotation marks, question and exclamation marks, hyphen, dash, capital letters); vocabulary of special fields/registers (e.g. agriculture, medicine, law, banking, sports, religion, ICT, politics, journalism); mechanical accuracy in essays

What you will learn

Spell correctly the words most often misspelt in Nigerian examinations.
Apply the main spelling rules (ie/ei, doubling, silent e, y to i, plurals).
Distinguish British from American spelling and use British spelling consistently.
Use every punctuation mark correctly, especially the comma, apostrophe, semicolon and colon.
Identify and correct punctuation errors such as the comma splice.
Recognise vocabulary from the major registers tested in WAEC and JAMB.
Choose the right word in context for a given field.

Key points

Mechanical accuracy (spelling and punctuation) costs or earns marks in every WAEC essay.
ie/ei: i before e except after c (ee sound); exceptions seize, weird, either, neither, leisure.
Double the final consonant when the stress is on the last syllable (occurred, beginning); British doubles l (travelled).
Drop silent e before a vowel suffix (hoping), keep it before a consonant (hopeful); y → i after a consonant (carried).
Learn the misspelt list: accommodation, separate, necessary, embarrass, privilege, definitely, occasion, committee.
Use British spelling consistently: colour, centre, programme, cheque, defence.
Comma: lists, introductions, extra information, direct speech; never join two sentences with a comma alone.
Semicolon joins two related sentences; colon introduces a list or explanation; hyphen joins compound words.
Apostrophe: omission (it’s = it is) or possession (girl’s, girls’, children’s); never in its, hers, theirs.
Registers: medicine, law, banking, agriculture, sports, religion, ICT, politics, press; choose formal register for official writing.

Start here: Why spelling, punctuation and register matter

In WAEC and NECO Paper 2, every essay, letter and summary is marked partly for mechanical accuracy: spelling, punctuation and grammar. Each spelling error, wrong punctuation mark or wrong word costs you marks, often half a mark per error, up to the full allowance. A student with brilliant ideas can lose a distinction this way.

In the objective papers, questions test spelling directly ("Choose the correctly spelt word"), and the lexis section tests registers: words that belong to particular fields. JAMB also tests vocabulary and punctuation in context.

This lesson has three parts:

Spelling: the rules, the exceptions and the words that catch most students.
Punctuation: what each mark does and how to use it.
Registers: the vocabulary of fields such as medicine, law, banking, agriculture, sports, religion, ICT, politics and the press.

Good written English is accurate (correct spelling and punctuation), appropriate (the right register for the reader and topic) and clear.

A simple habit will raise your marks: always leave three to five minutes at the end of Paper 2 to proofread. Read slowly, word by word, looking only for spelling and punctuation mistakes.

💡 Exam tip: when you are unsure how to spell a word in an essay, use a simpler word you can spell. "Ensure" is safer than a misspelt "guarantee".

Try it yourself. Find the three errors: "Their going to the market tomorow, isnt it?"

Show solution

They’re (not Their), tomorrow, and the tag should be aren’t they? (with an apostrophe).

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Practice questions

1. In the register of medicine, a doctor who specialises in children is a

paediatrician
gynaecologist
dermatologist
optician

Show answer

A: paediatrician
Paed- = child.

2. In a court of law, the person who brings a case is the

defendant
accused
jury
plaintiff

Show answer

D: plaintiff
Plaintiff sues; defendant is sued.

3. In football, a player who scores three goals in a match has scored a

penalty
corner
hat-trick
brace

Show answer

C: hat-trick
Brace = two goals; hat-trick = three.

4. Identify the correct spelling.

acomodation
accommodation
acommodation
accomodation

Show answer

B: accommodation
Double c, double m.

5. Pick the correctly spelt option.

necessary
neccessary
necesary
neccesary

Show answer

A: necessary
One c, double s.

Key words

Spelling: The correct order of letters in a word.
Homophone: A word that sounds like another but differs in spelling and meaning, e.g. stationary/stationery.
Punctuation: Marks used in writing to show pauses, separation and meaning.
Apostrophe: The mark ’ used to show possession or a missing letter.
Semicolon: The mark ; joining two closely related independent clauses.
Colon: The mark : introducing a list, explanation or quotation.
Hyphen: A short dash joining words (well-known) or word parts.
Dash: A longer mark – showing a break or adding emphasis.
Register: Vocabulary and style typical of a particular field or situation.
Jargon: Technical words used by people in one profession.
Formal register: Careful, polite language used in official situations.
Informal register: Relaxed, everyday language used with friends.

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