# English HL Grade 12 P1 NSC November Mock 2026 Question Paper > Grade 12 English HL Paper 1 question paper from the NSC November Mock Exam 2026, 13 pages. Read online or get the free PDF download, memo linked when available. - Page: https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12-english-hl-2026-nsc-november-mock-exam-question-paper-paper-1-english/74099c0d-2583-4e92-b109-bda69635b3b3 - Updated: 2026-10-29 - Subject: English HL - Grade: Grade 12 - Language: English - Document type: Question paper - Year: 2026 - Exam period: NSC November Mock Exam - Paper: 1 - Publisher: Hlayiso - Curriculum: CAPS - Pages: 13 Breadcrumbs: [Home](https://www.hlayiso.com/) › [Library](https://www.hlayiso.com/library) › [Grade 12](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12) › [English HL](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12/english-hl) › [English HL Grade 12 P1 NSC November Mock 2026 Question Paper](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12-english-hl-2026-nsc-november-mock-exam-question-paper-paper-1-english/74099c0d-2583-4e92-b109-bda69635b3b3) ## About this document English Hl · Grade 12 · NSC November Mock Exam · 2026 · English. Question paper, 13 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 12 English HL P1 November 2026 Mock Memo](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12-english-hl-2026-nsc-november-mock-exam-memorandum-paper-1-english/4cc748e2-5bd4-4c83-a32a-df845554bc7c) — 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 12 NSC Preparation WWW.HLAYISO.COM NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE GRADE 12 ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE P1 MOCK EXAMINATION 2026 MARKS: 70 TIME: 2 hours This question paper consists of 13 pages. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 2 English Home 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 structures and conventions (30) 2. Read ALL the instructions carefully. 3. Answer ALL the questions. 4. Start EACH section on a NEW page. 5. Rule off after each section. 6. Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this question paper. 7. Leave a line after each answer. 8. Pay special attention to spelling and sentence construction. 9. Suggested time allocation: SECTION A: 50 minutes SECTION B: 30 minutes SECTION C: 40 minutes 10. Write neatly and legibly. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 3 English Home Language/P1 3 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock SECTION A: COMPREHENSION QUESTION 1: READING FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING Read TEXT A and TEXT B below and answer the questions set. TEXT A SWIPING AWAY OUR ATTENTION: WHY DEEP READING STILL MATTERS 1 It is 21:47 on a school night in Soweto. Lerato*, seventeen, has a History essay due tomorrow and a textbook open on her bed. Her phone lies face down beside it – for now. Within four minutes it has been turned over, unlocked and scrolled. 'I just wanted to check one message,' she laughs. 'Forty minutes later I was watching a man in Brazil restore an old cooking pot.' 5 2 Lerato's experience is hardly unique. Researchers who study reading increasingly distinguish between two ways of engaging with text. The first, skimming, is the quick, darting reading we do on screens: we hunt for keywords, jump between links and abandon a page the moment it demands effort. The second, deep reading, is slower and more deliberate. It involves following a sustained argument, making 10 inferences, questioning a writer's claims and – crucially – imagining the inner lives of others. Both modes have their place. The problem arises when the first begins to crowd out the second. 3 The brain, after all, was never designed to read. Unlike speech, which children acquire naturally, reading is a cultural invention barely a few thousand years 15 old. Every reader's brain must build its own 'reading circuit' by borrowing regions originally used for recognising faces and objects. Neuroscientists describe this circuit as remarkably plastic1 : it adapts to whatever we ask of it. Feed it a steady diet of headlines, captions and fifteen-second clips, and it becomes very good at skimming – and correspondingly poorer at concentrating. 20 4 Teachers have noticed. 'My learners are brighter than ever,' says Mr Dlamini*, who has taught English in Pietermaritzburg for twenty-two years, 'but when I hand out a novel, I see real panic. Three pages without a picture or a heading feels like a wall to them.' He is careful not to blame the young. 'We adults are no better. I catch myself reading the first paragraph of an article and then jumping straight to 25 the comments.' Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 4 English Home Language/P1 4 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 5 Why should this matter? Deep reading is not merely an academic skill; it is the foundation of empathy. When we lose ourselves in a story, we rehearse, in the safety of our imaginations, what it means to be someone else: a widow in a rural village, a refugee crossing a border, a boy growing up in a world unlike our own. 30 Deep reading also builds what psychologists call cognitive patience2 – the ability to hold a complex idea in our minds long enough to evaluate it. A democracy depends on citizens who can do exactly that. A citizen who reads only headlines is easy prey for propaganda; one who reads deeply is far harder to fool. 6 None of this means that we should throw our phones into the sea. Digital devices 35 have opened up access to information in ways that earlier generations could only dream of. A learner in a village without a library can now download a classic novel for free. The challenge is not to reject the screen, but to become what some educators call 'bi-literate': fluent in both the fast reading of the digital world and the slow, immersive reading of the printed page. 40 7 How might we achieve this? Some schools have introduced 'Drop Everything and Read' periods, in which everyone – learners, teachers and even the principal – reads silently for twenty minutes. Families can create screen-free zones at the dinner table or in bedrooms after a certain hour. Individually, we can practise reading in the way athletes train for their sport: a little more each day, gradually 45 building our endurance. 8 Lerato has begun her own experiment. Her phone now spends the evening in the kitchen, charging beside the kettle. 'The first week was horrible,' she admits. 'I kept reaching for something that wasn't there.' By the third week, she had finished her first novel in two years. 'I forgot I was reading. It was like the words disappeared 50 and I was just inside the story.' 9 That sensation – of forgetting that we are reading at all – is precisely what is at stake. It cannot be scrolled, swiped or downloaded. It must be grown, page by patient page. *not their real names [Examiner's own text] GLOSSARY: 1 plastic: able to change and adapt in response to experience 2 cognitive patience: the ability to sustain mental effort on a demanding task AND Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 5 English Home Language/P1 5 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock TEXT B UPDATE YOUR MIND. No Wi-Fi needed. No battery required. 1 NEW CHAPTER UNLOCKED Join the 30-Day Siyafunda Reading Challenge at your nearest Khula Community Library. Read for 20 minutes a day. Collect a badge for every book. Win book vouchers every week. Every page takes you higher. KHULA LIBRARIES #ReadToRise [Examiner's own poster. Khula Community Libraries is a fictitious organisation.] NOTE: The poster shows a smartphone. On its screen, a row of book spines of increasing height forms a staircase. A young reader, holding an open book, climbs the staircase towards a rising sun. A notification bar at the top of the screen reads '1 NEW CHAPTER UNLOCKED'. The text in the poster reads as follows: UPDATE YOUR MIND. No Wi-Fi needed. No battery required. 1 NEW CHAPTER UNLOCKED Join the 30-Day Siyafunda Reading Challenge at your nearest Khula Community Library. Read for 20 minutes a day. Collect a badge for every book. Win book vouchers every week. Every page takes you higher. #ReadToRise KHULA LIBRARIES Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 6 English Home Language/P1 6 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock QUESTIONS: TEXT A 1.1 Refer to paragraph 1. What does Lerato's experience suggest about the way people use their smartphones? (1) 1.2 Refer to paragraph 2. In your own words, explain the difference between 'skimming' and 'deep reading'. (2) 1.3 Refer to paragraph 3. Explain why the writer describes reading as 'a cultural invention' (line 15). (2) 1.4 Refer to lines 18–20: 'Feed it a steady … poorer at concentrating.' Comment on the appropriateness of the image of 'a steady diet' in these lines. (2) 1.5 Refer to lines 24–26: 'He is careful … to the comments.' Choose the correct answer from the options below. Mr Dlamini's tone in these lines is … A accusatory. B self-critical. (1) C sarcastic. D indifferent. 1.6 Refer to paragraph 5. Critically discuss the writer's claim that deep reading is 'the foundation of empathy' (lines 27–28). (3) 1.7 Refer to lines 33–34: 'A citizen who … harder to fool.' Comment on the effectiveness of the contrast in these lines. (2) 1.8 Refer to paragraph 6. Discuss how this paragraph contributes to the credibility of the writer's argument. (3) 1.9 Refer to lines 44–46: 'Individually, we can … building our endurance.' Critically comment on the appropriateness of the comparison between readers and athletes. (3) 1.10 Refer to paragraphs 8 and 9. Discuss how the writer's diction in these paragraphs reinforces the central message of the article. Include at least TWO examples of diction in your answer. (3) QUESTIONS: TEXT B 1.11 Discuss how the visual image of the book-spine staircase conveys the message of the poster. (3) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 7 English Home Language/P1 7 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 1.12 Refer to the headline: 'UPDATE YOUR MIND.' and the line 'No Wi-Fi needed. No battery required.' Explain why the advertiser has deliberately used the language of technology in a poster that promotes reading. (2) QUESTION: TEXTS A AND B 1.13 Refer to lines 12–13 of TEXT A: 'The problem arises … out the second.' To what extent does TEXT B offer a solution to the problem identified in TEXT A? Justify your response. (3) TOTAL SECTION A: 30 Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 8 English Home Language/P1 8 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock SECTION B: SUMMARY QUESTION 2: SUMMARISING IN YOUR OWN WORDS TEXT C offers advice on reducing food waste in the home. Summarise, in your own words, the practical steps that households can take to waste less food. NOTE: 1. Your summary should include SEVEN points and NOT exceed 90 words. 2. You must write a fluent paragraph. 3. You are NOT required to include a title for the summary. 4. Indicate your word count at the end of your summary. TEXT C FROM FRIDGE TO FORK: HOW TO STOP THROWING FOOD AWAY It is estimated that roughly a third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted. While much of this happens on farms and in transport, a surprising amount is thrown away in our own kitchens. At a time when many South African families struggle to put food on the table, this is a waste we can hardly afford. The good news is that small habits make a big difference. The most effective one begins before you even set foot in a shop: decide what meals you will cook during the week. Families who plan their meals in advance buy only what they need. Before leaving home, check your fridge and cupboards so that you do not buy a third bottle of tomato sauce when two are already waiting at the back of a shelf. Then write a shopping list and stick to it. Supermarkets are designed to tempt us, and those 'buy two, get one free' specials are only a bargain if you actually eat the third item. Once you are home, how you store food matters. Many fruits and vegetables last far longer when they are kept in the fridge at the right temperature, and leftovers stay fresh for days in sealed, airtight containers. When you unpack your shopping, move older items to the front of the fridge and put new ones behind them, so that nothing is forgotten until it grows a coat of mould. Food labels are a common source of confusion. A 'best before' date is about quality, not safety: food is often perfectly good to eat after this date. A 'use by' date, however, should be taken seriously. Understanding the difference saves both money and stomach aches. In the kitchen, cook only as much as your household will eat; it is easier to make a little more tomorrow than to throw away a full pot tonight. Instead of scraping leftovers into the bin, turn them into something new: yesterday's rice can become tomorrow's fried rice, and soft vegetables make an excellent soup. Bread, meat and even ripe bananas can be frozen before they spoil and used later. Finally, some waste is unavoidable. Peels, eggshells and tea leaves need not end up in a landfill, where they release harmful gases. A simple compost heap in the garden turns these scraps into rich soil for growing your own vegetables. Wasting less food is good for your wallet and good for the planet. Best of all, it begins with nothing more complicated than a plan and a pen. [Examiner's own text] TOTAL SECTION B: 10 Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 9 English Home Language/P1 9 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock SECTION C: LANGUAGE STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS QUESTION 3: ANALYSING ADVERTISING Study the advertisement (TEXT D) below and answer the set questions. TEXT D STOP GOING NOWHERE FAST. 07:42 beep beep BUS ONLY MetroMove Every day, thousands of commuters spend hours idling in traffic. MetroMove's dedicated lanes keep you moving while others stand still. Tap on. Sit back. Arrive on time. MetroMove Download the MetroMove app or buy a card at any station. Life in the fast lane. [Examiner's own advertisement. MetroMove is a fictitious company.] NOTE: The advertisement shows a two-lane city road. In the upper lane, a long line of cars is stuck bumper to bumper; a clock shows 07:42 and a speech cloud reads 'beep beep'. In the lower lane, marked BUS ONLY, a MetroMove bus moves freely, with speed lines behind it. The text in the advertisement reads as follows: STOP GOING NOWHERE FAST. Every day, thousands of commuters spend hours idling in traffic. MetroMove's dedicated lanes keep you moving while others stand still. Tap on. Sit back. Arrive on time. MetroMove Life in the fast lane. Download the MetroMove app or buy a card at any station. QUESTIONS: TEXT D 3.1 Explain the paradox in the headline, 'STOP GOING NOWHERE FAST.' (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 10 English Home Language/P1 10 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 3.2 'Tap on. Sit back. Arrive on time.' Identify the mood of the verbs in the above sentences. (1) 3.3 Discuss how the visual elements of the advertisement support its written message. (3) 3.4 Provide a synonym for 'dedicated' as it is used in the advertisement. (1) 3.5 Critically comment on the advertiser's choice of the idiom 'Life in the fast lane' as the slogan for this product. (3) [10] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 11 English Home Language/P1 11 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock QUESTION 4: UNDERSTANDING OTHER ASPECTS OF THE MEDIA Study the cartoon (TEXT E) below and answer the set questions. TEXT E: CARTOON 1 2 WAIT! PAUSE! SHE'S Relax, Gogo. I don't need your old recipe book. GOING TOO FAST! Mm-hm. WHAT DOES I've got a cooking video! 'SAUTÉ' EVEN MEAN?! 3 4 My recipe book has never NOOO! needed charging, my boy. 1% Battery low. Shutting down … [Examiner's own cartoon] CHARACTERS: TEENAGE BOY: Sizwe ELDERLY WOMAN: Gogo, Sizwe's grandmother DESCRIPTION OF THE FRAMES: FRAME 1: Sizwe stands confidently at the stove, pointing to a phone propped up against the wall. Gogo sits on a chair, knitting. FRAME 2: Sizwe throws up his hands in panic. Smoke rises from the pot and drops of sweat fly from his head. FRAME 3: A close-up of the phone screen, which shows an almost empty battery. FRAME 4: Gogo stands calmly at the stove, stirring the pot. Sizwe sits in her chair, holding her knitting. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 12 English Home Language/P1 12 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock QUESTIONS: TEXT E 4.1 Describe Sizwe's attitude towards his grandmother in FRAME 1. (1) 4.2 Refer to FRAME 1. What does Gogo's reply, 'Mm-hm', suggest about her? (2) 4.3 Refer to FRAME 2. Explain how the cartoonist conveys Sizwe's state of mind in this frame. (2) 4.4 Account for the use of the inverted commas and the accent in 'SAUTÉ' (FRAME 2). (2) 4.5 Refer to FRAMES 1 and 4. Critically discuss how the cartoonist uses role reversal and irony to create humour. (3) [10] QUESTION 5: USING LANGUAGE CORRECTLY Read TEXT F, which contains some deliberate errors, and answer the set questions. TEXT F THE TAXI RANK PHILOSOPHER 1 Every morning at half past five, Bra Sipho unfolds his little stall at the entrance of the taxi rank. He sells boiled eggs, sweets, airtime and newspapers, but what most of his customers really comes for is his advice. 2 'Young man, the road of life is full of potholes,' he told me on the morning I first met him. I was nineteen, unemployed and convinced that the world owed me a 5 living. 'Its not the potholes that break your car. It is the speed at which you drive into them.' He gave me a free egg and a lecture I had not asked for. 3 Over the years, Bra Sipho has became a kind of unofficial counsellor to the thousands of commuters who pass through the rank. Students ask him about bursaries; grandmothers ask him about their grandchildren; taxi drivers, who are 10 notoriously impatient, wait quietly while he finishes his sentences. He has never read a book on psychology – he left school in Standard Six – yet he understands people better than anyone I know. 4 Last winter, the city council threatened to remove all informal traders from the rank. Within a day, a petition with over two thousand signatures had appeared on 15 his counter. The council backed down. Bra Sipho simply shrugged. 'You see,' he said, handing me an egg, 'an honest man is never poor.' [Examiner's own text] QUESTIONS: TEXT F 5.1 Provide an antonym for 'informal' (line 14), in context. (1) 5.2 Identify the part of speech of 'Within' in paragraph 4. (1) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 13 English Home Language/P1 13 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 5.3 Correct the error of concord in paragraph 1. (1) 5.4 'Young man, the road of life is full of potholes,' he told me. (Line 4) Rewrite the above sentence in reported speech. Begin with: He told me … (2) 5.5 Correct the punctuation error in paragraph 2. (1) 5.6 'He gave me a free egg and a lecture I had not asked for.' (Line 7) Choose the correct answer from the options below. The above sentence is a … A simple sentence. B compound sentence. (1) C complex sentence. D compound-complex sentence. 5.7 Correct the error of tense in the first sentence of paragraph 3. (1) 5.8 State the function of the dashes in the last sentence of paragraph 3. (1) 5.9 'Students ask him about bursaries' (paragraph 3). Rewrite the above clause in the passive voice. 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