This question is from the novel 'The Last Days at Forcados High school'. Forcado is a nice school. They always…

Analyzing the question

This is a literature-in-English question on The Last Days at Forcados High School by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim. You are asked to identify who said the quoted line and to whom.

Recalling the story

The novel is set in a Nigerian secondary school, and its main characters include Wole, Jimi, Aunty Moni, and Efua. Aunty Moni is the one who welcomes Efua, the new girl, and the quoted lines are the kind a host would say to a newcomer.

Working through it

• "Forcado is a nice school. They always have excellent results." This sounds like someone reassuring a newcomer about a school she is about to join.
• "I told a few people you were coming." The speaker had prepared the way for the newcomer's arrival, which fits an older, established person looking after a new arrival.
• Wole and Jimi are both already pupils at the school, so neither is introducing a newcomer to it. That rules out C and D.
• Efua is the new arrival, so she would not be vouching for the school's results or announcing that she had told people someone was coming. That rules out B.
• Aunty Moni, as the host or guardian figure, fits the speaker's role best.

Caveat

I am working from my recollection of the characters' roles, not a verbatim check of the passage.

Answer: A. Aunty Moni said this to Efua.

Exam tip: For "who said this to whom" questions, ask what each character's role is. The speaker's knowledge and tone (here, reassuring and having prepared things in advance) usually point to the right person, and you can eliminate options where the roles don't fit.