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Grade 12 English entrance exam, 2015 E.C. (2023), natural stream

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in English, as students sat it in 2015 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation. This is the natural stream paper. The other stream sat a different English paper the same year, listed further down.

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  • Natural science stream

    Who sits it

  • 2015 E.C. (2023), natural stream

    Exam year

  • 103 questions with answers

    In this set

Try questions from this paper

Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

a. However, communal living can be a choice to reduce your rent. b. You can do that in two different ways: communally order or individually. c. If you don't have financial worries, you can opt for the individual one. d. That enables you enjoy more freedom with what to do in your own room.

  1. A.b c d a
  2. B.a b c d
  3. C.c d a b
  4. D.d b c a
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A b c d a

Why

The paragraph begins by introducing two possible ways to live (communally or individually) in sentence 'b'. Sentence 'c' and 'd' elaborate on the individual option, and sentence 'a' concludes by contrasting this with the budget-friendly communal alternative.

Question 2

a. However, they may not detect incorrect or misused words. b. They may not also catch other language errors in our writing. c. Our computers are made to alert us when we make spelling mistakes. d. So, we don't have to hesitate to look up anything that we suspect is wrong.

  1. A.b c d a
  2. B.a b c d
  3. C.c a b d
  4. D.d c a b
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C c a b d

Why

Sentence 'c' introduces the topic of computer spellcheckers. Sentence 'a' uses the contrast transition 'However' to show their limitations, 'b' adds another limitation with 'also', and 'd' provides the logical conclusion starting with 'So'.

Question 3

a. A typical example is what happened in the late 1990s. b. Dependence on coffee has thrown a lot of nations into crisis. c. This usually happens when the world commodity price falls. d. Coffee farmers' unions should be set up to resist the problem.

  1. A.d b c a
  2. B.b c d a
  3. C.c d a b
  4. D.a b d c
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B b c d a

Why

Sentence 'b' introduces the main issue of coffee dependence causing crises, which is explained further in 'c' with commodity price drops. Sentence 'd' offers a solution (unions), and 'a' provides a historical example of this context in the late 1990s.

Question 4

a. Most of the rise occurred in the 1990s. b. There is a lot of evidence that the climate is changing. c. In many parts of the world temperatures have risen by 0.7°C. d. However, it is happening faster in some countries than in others.

  1. A.c b d a
  2. B.c d b a
  3. C.a c b d
  4. D.b d c a
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D b d c a

Why

Sentence 'b' introduces the overall topic of climate change. Sentence 'd' contrasts the speed of this change across countries, 'c' provides a specific measurement of the temperature rise, and 'a' specifies when most of this temperature rise occurred.

Question 5

is their students like passing who actually failed in killing have a generation exams.

  1. A.Passing a generation is like killing students who have actually failed in their exams.
  2. B.Passing students who have actually failed in their exams is like killing a generation.
  3. C.Killing a generation is like passing students in their exams who have actually failed.
  4. D.Passing students in their exams is like a generation who have actually failed killing.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B Passing students who have actually failed in their exams is like killing a generation.

Why

Option B is the only grammatically correct and logically coherent sentence, expressing the powerful idea that passing failing students is destructive to an entire generation.

Question 6

be who stories learn there about are to many couldn't how rich people.

  1. A.There are many stories about people who couldn't learn how to be rich.
  2. B.Many rich people are there who couldn't learn about stories.
  3. C.Stories are there about many rich people who couldn't learn how to be.
  4. D.Stories about how many people are there who couldn't learn to be rich.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A There are many stories about people who couldn't learn how to be rich.

Why

Option A correctly arranges the words into a natural and grammatically sound English sentence: 'There are many stories about people who couldn't learn how to be rich.'

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The other English papers of 2015 E.C.

2015 E.C. (2023)

English papers from other years

2018 E.C. (2026)2018 E.C. (2026), round 12018 E.C. (2026), social stream2018 E.C. (2026), version 12018 E.C. (2026), version 22017 E.C. (2025)2017 E.C. (2025), booklet 2142017 E.C. (2025), version 12016 E.C. (2024)2016 E.C. (2024), natural stream2016 E.C. (2024), social stream2016 E.C. model exam2014 E.C. (2022)2014 E.C. (2022), natural stream2013 E.C. (2021)2013 E.C. (2021), version 12011 E.C. (2019)2010 E.C. (2018)2009 E.C. (2017)2008 E.C. (2016)2007 E.C. (2015)2006 E.C. (2014)2005 E.C. (2013)

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Revise English before you sit this paper

The Grade 12 English short notes hold 13 cards. Each one gives the rule, what its symbols stand for and the mistake that costs marks, chapter by chapter from the national textbook.

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Are these the real 2015 E.C. English entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in English that students sat in 2015 E.C. (2023). Our set holds 103 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

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Can I download the English 2015 E.C. paper as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can attempt the paper first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

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