# English FAL Grade 10 P1 November Mock Exam 2 2026 QP

> Grade 10 English FAL Paper 1 question paper from the November Mock Exam 2 2026, 12 pages. Read online or get the free PDF download, memo linked when available.

- Page: https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-10-english-fal-2026-november-mock-exam-2-question-paper-paper-1-english/e2a43cfe-acf7-4948-b6a5-491c9d42e3d0
- Updated: 2026-10-29
- Subject: English FAL
- Grade: Grade 10
- Language: English
- Document type: Question paper
- Year: 2026
- Exam period: November Mock Exam 2
- Paper: 1
- Publisher: Hlayiso
- Curriculum: CAPS
- Pages: 12

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## About this document

English Fal · Grade 10 · November Mock Exam 2 · 2026 · English. Question paper, 12 pages. Read online or download the PDF.

Read it free online on the page above; download the PDF from there.

## Matching paper and memo

- [Grade 10 English FAL P1 November 2026 Mock 2 Memo](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-10-english-fal-2026-november-mock-exam-2-memorandum-paper-1-english/3d395382-f453-488c-8a9b-8a61dc149bd3) — Memo · 2026 · Eng

## Document text

Text extracted from the PDF. Layout, diagrams and tables may not survive extraction.

### Page 1

Mock

                              hlayiso mock exams
                              Practice Series:
                              Grade 10 Exam Preparation
                              WWW.HLAYISO.COM

                                   NATIONAL
                              SENIOR CERTIFICATE

                                      GRADE 10

                      ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE P1
                       NOVEMBER EXAMINATION 2026 (MOCK)

MARKS: 80

TIME: 2 hours

                        This question paper consists of 12 pages.

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### Page 2

English First Additional Language/P1        2                             Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                         NSC Mock

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION
1.    This question paper consists of THREE sections:
      SECTION A:       Comprehension          (30)
      SECTION B:       Summary                (10)
      SECTION C:       Language               (40)
2.    Answer ALL the questions.
3.    Read ALL the instructions carefully.
4.    Start EACH section on a NEW page.
5.    Leave a line after each answer.
6.    Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this question
      paper.
7.    For multiple-choice questions, write only the letter (A–D) next to the question number
      in the ANSWER BOOK.
8.    Pay special attention to spelling and sentence construction.
9.    Use the following time frame as a guideline:
      SECTION A:         50 minutes
      SECTION B:         20 minutes
      SECTION C:         50 minutes
10.   Write neatly and legibly.

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### Page 3

English First Additional Language/P1            3                                  Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                             NSC Mock

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

QUESTION 1
Read BOTH TEXT A and TEXT B and answer the set questions.
TEXT A
                              FROM BOTTLE TOPS TO CHAMPION
 1    When Ayanda Sithole was nine years old, she found an old chessboard in a rubbish
      bin behind the church hall in Umlazi, south of Durban. Most of the pieces were
      missing, so she replaced them with bottle tops of different colours. ‘I did not even
      know the rules,’ she laughs. ‘I just knew that the board looked like a little city waiting
      for someone to bring it to life.’                                                             5
 2    Learning the game was not easy. Ayanda’s mother worked long hours as a cleaner in
      town, and Ayanda had to look after her two younger brothers every afternoon. Her
      school had no chess club and no teacher who could play. She borrowed a chess
      book from the community library and studied it at night by candlelight.
 3    One Saturday, she noticed an old man playing chess against himself under a tree              10
      near the taxi rank. His name was Mr Bheki Zulu, a retired mathematics teacher.
      When Ayanda asked him to teach her, he agreed on one condition: she had to show
      him her finished homework before every lesson. ‘Chess is like life,’ he told her. ‘Every
      move has a consequence1 . You must think before you act.’
 4    Within two years, Ayanda was beating her teacher. At the age of twelve, she entered          15
      her first district tournament wearing shoes that she had borrowed from her cousin.
      She lost her first three games and cried all the way home. ‘I wanted to give up,’ she
      admits. ‘But Mr Zulu told me that a loss is a lesson, not a label. The next morning, I
      set up the board again.’
 5    Her hard work paid off. Last year, at the age of fifteen, she won the provincial junior      20
      girls’ championship and was selected to represent South Africa at an international
      youth tournament in Nairobi, Kenya. Her family could not afford the flight, so the
      whole community stepped in. Neighbours held car washes and cake sales, and the
      local taxi association donated R5 000.
 6    Ayanda is now sixteen and in Grade 10, and she has started giving back. Every                25
      Wednesday afternoon, more than forty children crowd into the community hall for the
      Bottle-Top Chess Club. Because the club cannot afford to buy proper chess sets, the
      children make their own boards from cardboard and their own pieces from bottle
      tops, just as Ayanda once did. The principal of the local primary school, Mr Themba
      Ngcobo, says that learners who attend the club concentrate better in class and are           30
      more patient with one another.
 7    Ayanda believes that chess teaches children much more than how to win a game.
      ‘Not every child will become a champion,’ she says, ‘but every child can learn to plan
      ahead, to be patient and to lose with dignity. On the chessboard, the smallest piece,
      the pawn, can become a queen if it keeps moving forward. I believe the same is true          35
      for children from places like Umlazi.’
 8    After school, Ayanda hopes to study engineering. Her other dream is to become a
      grandmaster, the highest title a chess player can earn. ‘She does not play to win,’ says
      Mr Zulu. ‘She plays to learn. That is why she wins.’

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English First Additional Language/P1              4                                Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                               NSC Mock

                                   [Examiner’s own text. The people and the chess club are fictitious.]
GLOSSARY:
consequence1 :        a result or effect of an action

1.1      Refer to paragraph 1.
         1.1.1       Where did Ayanda find the old chessboard?                                     (1)
         1.1.2       ‘the board looked like a little city waiting for someone to bring it to
                     life’ (lines 4–5).
                     Is this statement literal or figurative? Explain your answer.                 (2)
1.2      Refer to paragraph 2.
         State TWO difficulties that Ayanda faced when she was learning to play chess.             (2)
1.3      Refer to paragraph 3.
         1.3.1       Quote a SINGLE word which shows that Mr Zulu no longer works as
                     a teacher.                                                                    (1)
         1.3.2       Why, do you think, did Mr Zulu insist on seeing Ayanda’s finished
                     homework before every lesson?                                                 (2)
1.4      Refer to paragraph 4.
         1.4.1       State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE. Quote a
                     phrase from paragraph 4 to support your answer.
                     Ayanda did very well at her first district tournament.                        (2)
         1.4.2       Explain in your OWN words what Mr Zulu meant when he said that
                     ‘a loss is a lesson, not a label’.                                            (2)
1.5      Refer to paragraph 5.
         1.5.1       Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence:
                     The words ‘the whole community stepped in’ (line 23) mean that the
                     community …
                     A   walked into Ayanda’s home.
                     B   helped when help was needed.
                     C   took control of Ayanda’s career.
                     D   argued about the cost of the flight.                                      (1)
         1.5.2       Mention TWO ways in which the community raised money for
                     Ayanda’s flight.                                                              (2)
1.6      Refer to paragraph 6.
         1.6.1       Why do the children at the Bottle-Top Chess Club make their own
                     chess sets?                                                                   (1)
         1.6.2       According to Mr Ngcobo, how does the chess club benefit learners?
                     State TWO points.                                                             (2)

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English First Additional Language/P1                               5                                 Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                                                NSC Mock

1.7                             Refer to paragraph 7.
                                Explain the comparison that Ayanda makes between the pawn and children
                                from places like Umlazi.                                                             (2)
1.8                             Do you think that chess should be taught at all schools in South Africa?
                                Discuss your view.                                                                   (2)
1.9                             Discuss the suitability of the title, ‘FROM BOTTLE TOPS TO CHAMPION’.                (2)

TEXT B
The bar graph below shows the results of a survey in which 300 Grade 10 learners were asked
how many hours they spend on different activities in an average week after school. The graph
shows the AVERAGE number of hours per learner.
                                      HOW GRADE 10 LEARNERS SPEND THEIR TIME AFTER SCHOOL

                                 16      15
                                 14

       Average hours per week
                                 12

                                 10                     9
                                  8                               7
                                  6
                                                                              4
                                  4
                                                                                            2
                                  2                                                                      1
                                  0
                                        Social     Watching   Homework      Sport       Part-time Board games
                                        media        TV                                   work     (e.g. chess)

                                                                         [Examiner’s own data. The survey is fictitious.]

1.10                            Refer to TEXT B.
                                On which activity do the learners spend the MOST time?                               (1)
1.11                            How many more hours per week does an average learner spend on social
                                media than on homework?                                                              (1)
1.12                            Why has the information been given in the form of a bar graph instead of a
                                paragraph? State TWO points.                                                         (2)
1.13                            Refer to TEXT A and TEXT B.
                                Ayanda says that chess teaches children ‘to plan ahead, to be patient and
                                to lose with dignity’. Do you think that the learners in TEXT B would benefit
                                from joining a club like the Bottle-Top Chess Club? Support your answer with
                                information from BOTH texts.                                                         (2)
                                                                                         TOTAL SECTION A:             30

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English First Additional Language/P1            6                                  Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                             NSC Mock

SECTION B: SUMMARY

QUESTION 2
Many learners study for long hours but do not get the marks that they hope for.
Read the passage (TEXT C) below and list SEVEN tips that can help learners to study
effectively at home.
INSTRUCTIONS
1.    Your summary must be written in point form.
2.    List your SEVEN points in full sentences, using no more than 70 words.
3.    Number your sentences from 1 to 7.
4.    Write only ONE point per sentence.
5.    Use your OWN words as far as possible.
6.    Indicate the total number of words you have used in brackets at the end of your
      summary.
TEXT C
                                   STUDY SMARTER AT HOME
Many learners spend hours with their books open, yet they remember very little when they sit down
to write a test. The problem is usually not how long they study, but how they study. Here are some
tips that can help.
First, choose one place in your home where you always study. It does not have to be a desk in a
quiet bedroom; a corner of the kitchen table can work just as well, as long as it is the same place
every day.
Before you begin, put your cellphone in another room or switch it off. A single message can steal ten
minutes of your study time.
Draw up a study timetable at the start of every week, and give the most time to the subjects that you
find most difficult. My older brother, who is now at university, still keeps his old Grade 12 timetable
on his bedroom wall.
Do not try to study for three hours without a stop. Work for about forty minutes, and then take a short
break to stretch your legs or drink some water.
When you read a section of your textbook, close the book and write down everything that you can
remember. Then check what you have left out.
Another good idea is to explain what you have learnt to someone else, such as a younger brother or
sister. If you can teach it, you understand it.
Use past examination papers to practise answering questions in the time that you will have in the
real examination.
Finally, go to bed at a reasonable time. A learner who studies until two o’clock in the morning will be
too tired to concentrate the next day, so late nights do more harm than good.
                                                                                  [Examiner’s own text]

                                                                        TOTAL SECTION B:            10

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English First Additional Language/P1         7                                           Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                          NSC Mock

SECTION C: LANGUAGE

QUESTION 3: ANALYSING AN ADVERTISEMENT
Study the advertisement (TEXT D) below and answer the set questions.
TEXT D

              YOUR TEXTBOOKS ARE HEAVY.
                  YOUR PHONE IS NOT.

                                                                              ✓ Video lessons for
                                                                              Grades 8–12
                                                                              ✓ Past papers with
                                                                              memos
                                                      SmartPrep
                                                      Maths              ✓
                                                                              ✓ Works offline – no
                                                                              data needed after
                                                      Physical Sc.       ✓    download
                                                                              ✓ Used by over
                                                      English FAL        ✓
                                                                              50 000 South African
                                                      Life Sc.           ✓    learners

                                                      Geography          ✓

                     6 kg                               0 MB data used

                7-DAY FREE TRIAL – then only R39 a month!

         SmartPrep – Learn anywhere. Pass everywhere.
                                                                     Download it from your app store today.

                              [Examiner’s own advertisement. SMARTPREP is a fictitious product.]
The text in the advertisement reads as follows:
   YOUR TEXTBOOKS ARE HEAVY. YOUR PHONE IS NOT.
   SmartPrep: Video lessons for Grades 8–12. Past papers with memos. Works offline – no data
   needed after download. Used by over 50 000 South African learners.
   7-DAY FREE TRIAL – then only R39 a month!
   SmartPrep – Learn anywhere. Pass everywhere. Download it from your app store today.

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### Page 8

English First Additional Language/P1                         8                               Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                                          NSC Mock

3.1          Name the product that is being advertised.                                                          (1)
3.2          Who is the target audience of this advertisement?                                                   (1)
3.3          Refer to the headline, ‘YOUR TEXTBOOKS ARE HEAVY. YOUR PHONE IS
             NOT.’
             Explain the contrast that the advertiser creates in the headline and why it would
             appeal to the reader.                                                                               (2)
3.4          How much will a learner pay for the app in the first week?                                          (1)
3.5          Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence:
             An app that ‘works offline’ can be used …
             A        only when the phone is switched off.
             B        without an internet connection.
             C        only outside the classroom.
             D        for seven days only.                                                                       (1)
3.6          How does the picture of the books and the phone support the message of the
             advertisement?                                                                                      (2)
3.7          Would you sign up for the SmartPrep app? Substantiate your answer.                                  (2)
                                                                                                                [10]

QUESTION 4: ANALYSING A CARTOON
Study the cartoon (TEXT E) below and answer the set questions.
NOTE: In this cartoon, the boy’s name is Sipho. The woman is his mother, whom he calls Ma.
TEXT E
  A PIECE OF CAKE                                                                            by the examiner

       Relax, Ma!      Sipho, your Maths test
                                                                              So … how          Ma, I think I
       It's a piece    is tomorrow! Shouldn't
                                                                             was the cake?      … burnt it.
         of cake.         you be studying?

                                                  Question 1
                                                  … WHAT?!

                                                               MATHS TEST

                                                                                                       23%
      FRAME 1                                   FRAME 2                     FRAME 3

                                                                                      [Examiner’s own cartoon]

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English First Additional Language/P1         9                            Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                          NSC Mock

4.1      Refer to FRAME 1.
         Give ONE visual clue which shows that Sipho is not worried about his test.      (1)
4.2      Explain what Sipho means when he says, ‘It’s a piece of cake.’                  (2)
4.3      Refer to FRAME 2.
         Mention TWO visual clues which show that Sipho is panicking.                    (2)
4.4      Why has the writer used a question mark AND an exclamation mark after the
         word ‘WHAT’?                                                                    (1)
4.5      Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence:
         In FRAME 3, Ma’s folded arms and unsmiling face suggest that she is …
         A    proud of her son.
         B    unimpressed with her son.
         C    confused by the test.
         D    afraid of the teacher.                                                     (1)
4.6      Explain the humour in Ma’s question, ‘So … how was the cake?’                   (2)
4.7      Refer to FRAME 3.
         Give ONE word to describe how Sipho feels in this frame.                       (1)
                                                                                       [10]

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English First Additional Language/P1             10                                Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                              NSC Mock

QUESTION 5: LANGUAGE AND EDITING SKILLS
5.1      Read the passage (TEXT F) below, which has some deliberate errors, and
         answer the set questions.
TEXT F
                           LEARNERS BRING THEIR STREAM BACK TO LIFE
 1    For years, the small stream behind Thuto-Lefa Secondary School in Mamelodi was
      full of plastic bottles, old tyres and broken furniture. Last month, the school’s eco-club
      decided that enough was enough.
 2    Every Saturday morning, twenty learners and two teachers meets at the school gate
      with gloves and bags. They have already removed more than three tonnes of rubish              5
      from the water. The local municipality supplied the rubbish bags. On one Saturday, a
      learner found a tyre in the stream. On some Saturdays, they collected bottles in the
      pouring rain.
 3    The learners plant indigenous trees along the banks. The stream is slowly getting it’s
      natural beauty back. Last week, a family of ducks swim in the stream for the first time      10
      in years.
 4    The club’s leader, Karabo Masilela, said, ‘We are proud of what we have done.’ The
      stream is cleaner now, and the club hopes that other schools will follow its example.

                                       [Examiner’s own text. The school and the people are fictitious.]

         5.1.1       Correct the SINGLE error in EACH of the following sentences.
                     Write down ONLY the question numbers and the words you have
                     corrected.
                     (a)    Every Saturday morning, twenty learners and two teachers
                            meets at the school gate with gloves and bags.                         (1)
                     (b)    They have already removed more than three tonnes of rubish
                            from the water.                                                        (1)
                     (c)    The stream is slowly getting it’s natural beauty back.                 (1)
                     (d)    Last week, a family of ducks swim in the stream for the first time
                            in years.                                                              (1)
         5.1.2       Rewrite the following sentence in reported speech. Begin with:
                     Karabo said …
                     Karabo Masilela said, ‘We are proud of what we have done.’                    (3)
         5.1.3       Rewrite the following sentence in the simple past tense:
                     The learners plant indigenous trees along the banks.                          (1)
         5.1.4       Rewrite the following sentence in the passive voice:
                     The local municipality supplied the rubbish bags.                             (1)
         5.1.5       Rewrite the following sentence in the plural form:
                     A learner found a tyre in the stream.                                         (2)

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English First Additional Language/P1            11                                 Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                             NSC Mock

         5.1.6       Identify the part of speech of EACH of the underlined words in the
                     following sentence:
                     They collected bottles in the pouring rain.                                   (2)
         5.1.7       Complete the following tag question. Write down only the missing
                     words.
                     The stream is cleaner now, …?                                                 (1)

5.2      Read the text messages (TEXT G) below and answer the set questions.
TEXT G
                                          Eco-Club Chat

             Lindi: Hi Musa! Are you coming to the stream
             clean-up on Saturday?
                                        Musa: I'm not sure. Last time it was the most
                                        boring day of my life.
             Lindi: You won't be bored this time! There will
             be music, and lunch is free.
                                        Musa: Free lunch? Count me in! Who is
                                        bringing the food?
             Lindi: Mrs Dube is our science teacher. She
             makes the best vetkoek in Mamelodi. She is
             bringing it.
                                        Musa: Great! See you at 8:00. I hope the
                                        weather is fine.
             Lindi: Me too. Don't forget your gloves!

                                                      [Examiner’s own text. The people are fictitious.]

         5.2.1       Write the contraction won’t in full.                                          (1)
         5.2.2       Give a homophone for the word great.                                          (1)
         5.2.3       Rewrite the following sentence in the negative form:
                     She makes the best vetkoek in Mamelodi.                                       (1)
         5.2.4       Give the noun form of the word bored.                                         (1)

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English First Additional Language/P1            12                         Hlayiso/Mock 2026
                                             NSC Mock

         5.2.5       Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence:
                     When Musa says, ‘Count me in!’, he means that he …
                     A   wants to count the rubbish bags.
                     B   will take part in the clean-up.
                     C   is not sure whether he will come.
                     D   will be the leader of the group.                                (1)
         5.2.6       Combine the following sentences into ONE sentence by using the
                     relative pronoun who:
                     Mrs Dube is our science teacher. She makes the best vetkoek in
                     Mamelodi.                                                           (1)
                                                                                        [20]
                                                                 TOTAL SECTION C:        40
                                                                    GRAND TOTAL:         80

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