WAEC Hausa 2019
Questions & Answers

Distractor check: Option A or D might be picked by failing to spell out every individual phonetic component in correct orthographic order. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'ƙaramin' in Hausa is broken down by its constituent spelling characters in sequence. Listing each letter precisely provides the correct orthographic representation as ƙ-a-r-a-m-i-n. Common mistake: Omitting the glottal hook or misordering the individual letters of the word.

Distractor check: Option B (sifa) or C (sunan abu) might be chosen by confusing a verb with an adjective or a noun. Reasoning to the answer: In Hausa grammar, a 'verb' describes an action or a state of doing something. The correct term matching this definition of an action word is 'aikatau'. Common mistake: Confusing 'aikatau' (verb) with 'sunan abu' (noun).

Distractor check: Option A (ya yi) or D (zai yi) might be chosen by confusing the past perfect tense with the simple past or future tense. Reasoning to the answer: The past perfect tense in Hausa indicates an action that was completed before another event in the past. The phrase that accurately translates this completed past action is 'ya yi ya kammala'. Common mistake: Selecting the simple past form instead of the complete past perfect construction.

Distractor check: Option A (yankin suna ɗaya) or D (umurtau ɗaya) might be chosen by confusing a compound sentence with a simple clause structure. Reasoning to the answer: A compound sentence in grammar consists of multiple independent clauses linked together. The correct structural description for this is that it contains two or more clauses joined by a conjunction. Common mistake: Confusing compound sentences with simple sentences that contain only one main clause.

Distractor check: Option A (yan leffa) or B (yan hanci) might be chosen by incorrectly classifying the point of articulation for the glottal sound. Reasoning to the answer: The consonant 'h' in Hausa is produced without vocal cord vibration or frictional buzzing in the mouth cavity. Therefore, it is classified phonetically as a voiceless sound, which translates to a 'maras ziza' sound. Common mistake: Assuming all consonants carry vocal cord vibration (ziza).

Distractor check: Option A or B might be chosen by selecting pure vowels or long vowels instead of diphthongs. Reasoning to the answer: Diphthongs in Hausa consist of combinations of vowel sounds gliding together in a single syllable. The recognized diphthong patterns in the language include ay, aw, and oy. Common mistake: Confusing long vowels with true diphthong gliding combinations.

Distractor check: Option B (ba) or C (bâ) might be chosen by misidentifying the specific tone mark on the vowel. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'bà' carries a specific high-to-low or high tone configuration depending on the negation context, but here it is marked explicitly with the high tone indicator. Examining the tone mark reveals that it features a high tone on the vowel 'a' to denote negation. Common mistake: Confusing the high tone diacritic with a low or falling tone mark.

Options like 'farko' or 'goshi' might look like positional terms, but they do not capture the central positioning concept. Infix refers specifically to an element placed inside a word, and although other languages utilize it frequently, Hausa makes very minimal use of this morphological device. Common mistake: Confusing an infix with prefixes or suffixes that attach to the edges of words.

Students might mistakenly lean toward options involving multiple clauses like 'jumla biyu ko fiye' due to confusion over sentence complexity. A simple sentence consists of one single clause and a single predicate, completely free of any embedded subordinate clauses. Common mistake: Assuming a simple sentence can contain multiple independent clauses.

An examinee could easily guess 'sifa' or 'sunan abu' since articles relate closely to nouns and modifiers. However, an article functions specifically as a pointing device or demonstrative element, exemplified by words like 'na', 'wa', 'a', and 'ka' in Hausa which clarify nouns. Common mistake: Treating articles as adjectives rather than noun specifiers or indicators.

One might wrongly select 'soyayya' or 'talauci' assuming a general narrative theme. Ahmadu Bello's literary work 'Juyin Sarauta' focuses centrally on historical warfare and political coups. Common mistake: Mistaking romantic subplots or background struggles for the primary historical conflict of the book.

Given options like 'Sarki' or 'Malam' might appeal to students looking for traditional authority figures in a narrative. In M. Gwaram's play 'Gishiri', it is the Boka who acts as the jealous character that assists the hero. Common mistake: Confusing the hero or ruler with the specific character who holds jealousy and provides aid.

Options such as 'rayuwa mai wahala' or 'rayuwa da kuɗi' could seem plausible for a poem discussing life challenges. The specific poem 'Wakar Ilimi' focuses on the benefits and importance of education in a person's life. Common mistake: Assuming educational poems center strictly on financial wealth rather than intellectual betterment.

A student might choose 'karin magana' or 'tatsuniya' because traditional Hausa literature frequently uses folklore. Barbushe's book 'Wa Zai Auri Bature' is specifically a humorous riddle-based story known as ka-cinci-ka-cinci. Common mistake: Labeling all humorous traditional narratives as general proverbs.

Options like 'wasa na dandali' might tempt those thinking of traditional open-air performances. 'Wasannin Zamani' specifically addresses contemporary sports such as football and other modern recreational activities. Common mistake: Confusing modern institutionalized sports with traditional courtyard games.

One might pick 'yaƙi' or 'noma' thinking of action-oriented or agrarian cultural practices. Within 'Jagoran Nazarin Wakar Rawa', the dance song specifically centers around romance and traditional cultural lifestyle. Common mistake: Associating all traditional rhythmic performance songs with labor rather than courtship.

A test-taker might select 'A da B' if they miss that literary criticism encompasses all listed elements. Basic principles of literary criticism include plot, theme, character, and setting combined. Common mistake: Forgetting that setting and character are just as vital to structural criticism as plot and theme.

Options such as 'ganga' or 'tambura' might look correct because musical instruments accompany performances. 'Rawa' itself denotes the distinct literary genre of poems performed alongside musical instruments. Common mistake: Confusing the musical accompaniment instrument with the actual performance genre name.

It is easy to mistake 'Sarauta' or 'Sarki' for the protagonist because the title involves political power. Juyi is explicitly the hero of the book who strives to attain that leadership position. Common mistake: Confusing the title or goal of the protagonist with the actual name of the hero.

A student might guess 'mutuwa' or 'rashin nasara' if they expect a tragic dramatic arc. At the conclusion of the play 'Gishiri', the hero successfully triumphs over his adversaries. Common mistake: Assuming dramatic plays always end in the defeat of the main character.