JAMB Use Of English 2011
Questions & Answers

1) Distractor check: Students might mistakenly select literal options like B or C because they see the words 'cotton wool' or 'wool' inside the idiomatic expression. 2) Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'pull the wool over my eyes' is a common English idiom that describes an attempt to trick, fool, or defraud someone. Therefore, when a salesman attempts this, it means he is trying to dupe the customer. 3) Common mistake: Interpreting idioms literally based on individual words like 'wool' rather than understanding their figurative meanings.

Students might mistakenly choose option D because they assume a literal truth is being discussed, or option A by confusing the idiom with actual food. Because the phrase 'taken with a grain of salt' means to view with skepticism, the correct choice is that the story is questionable. Common mistake: Interpreting idiomatic expressions literally rather than figuratively.

Students might select any of the literal choices involving an actual place, river, or bridge named Rubicon because the historical allusion sounds geographic. Since 'crosses the Rubicon' refers to making an irreversible decision, it logically points to being irrevocably committed. Common mistake: Taking historical idioms as literal descriptions of travel or geography.

A student might incorrectly pick option B by confusing a metaphorical expectation with the physical act of incubating eggs. When someone has 'counted her chickens before they were hatched', it means they are assuming success prematurely, which aligns with having assumed that her expectation had already been realized. Common mistake: Confusing literal animal husbandry with metaphorical premature assumptions of success.

A student might be tempted by options A or B due to the association between the word air and being airmailed or airtight. Since the phrase 'in the air' means undecided or unclear, the option stating uncertain is the closest in meaning. Common mistake: Relying on surface-level word associations rather than the idiomatic meaning of an expression.

Students could mistakenly select option C by misinterpreting the physical words heel and fall in a literal slapstick context. The idiom 'head over heels in love' means deeply or intensely in love, which directly translates to Ike is madly in love with Ngozi. Common mistake: Assuming an idiom's meaning stems from a literal physical accident.

A student might pick option A because the word hard can be associated with hardship and difficulty. Given that the proverb 'old customs die hard' means that traditions persist, the correct conclusion is that they tend to last for a long time. Common mistake: Equating the word 'hard' in a proverb with physical difficulty or suffering.

An unwary student might choose option C, thinking a solitary animal lifestyle equates to isolation. Because 'a dog's life' refers to a wretched or miserable existence, living in misery is the closest in meaning. Common mistake: Misinterpreting animal metaphors to mean physical solitude instead of poor quality of life.

A student might select option A or B thinking of discarding or refusing guidance outright. Because 'take to' means to accept or adopt, it fits the context of following advice provided by relations. Common mistake: Confusing phrasal verbs like 'take to' with rejection phrases.

Students frequently fall for option A because they treat furniture and equipment as countable items requiring plural forms. Because 'furniture' and 'equipment' are uncountable nouns, 'all the furniture and equipment' is grammatically correct and fits the context. Common mistake: Treating uncountable nouns like furniture and equipment as plurals with an 's'.

A student might choose options A or B by ignoring the strict English rule governing adjectives. 'Exceedingly beautiful white flowing gowns' follows the standard adjective order of degree, quality, color, and descriptor, making it grammatically coherent. Common mistake: Placing adjectives in random sequence instead of following proper descriptive order.

A student might select option A or C by matching the verb with common prepositions like 'at' or 'after'. 'Enquire into' means to investigate, which fits the context of examining the conditions of child abuse. Common mistake: Using incorrect prepositions with verbs of inquiry.

A candidate might mistakenly choose option A or C by associating political tension with physical relocation. Relations may soon be 'broken' refers to the termination of diplomatic ties, fitting the context of deteriorating relations. Common mistake: Selecting physical verbs instead of the precise idiomatic verb for diplomatic severing.

Students could pick options A, C, or D by guessing similar-sounding glittering or raising visual nouns. 'A glimmer of hope' is the standard idiom for a small sign of optimism, fitting the context of uplifting investors. Common mistake: Substituting standard collocating nouns with pseudo-synonyms.

A student might choose option C or D by confusing the similar sound of extenuating or extinguishing with pest control. 'Exterminating' means to destroy or eliminate pests, fitting the context of dealing with farm insects. Common mistake: Confusing look-alike and sound-alike verbs in vocabulary questions.

A student might mistakenly choose option C by using 'through with' instead of the appropriate phrasal verb. 'Get on with each other' means to have a harmonious relationship, fitting the context of ministers working together. Common mistake: Mixing up 'get on with' and 'get through with' when describing interpersonal dynamics.

A student might select option A or D by misapplying infinitive or participle verb forms in a narrative past context. 'Lost' is the correct past tense verb for a completed action, fitting the context of the match outcome. Common mistake: Using non-finite verb forms where a simple past tense is required.

A candidate might choose option A or D by pairing stand with directional adverbs. 'Stand in for him' means to act as a substitute, fitting the context of temporary replacement. Common mistake: Confusing 'stand in' with 'stand out' or 'stand across'.

A student might incorrectly choose option A or D by treating the collective singular noun 'nation' as a plural subject. Because 'the nation' is singular, 'deserves' is the correct verb form, fitting the context of meriting consultancy services. Common mistake: Failing to match a singular collective subject with a singular verb.

A student might pick option A or B by failing to correctly match the singular subject with the habit structure. Because 'one of the men' is singular, and 'is used to running' means accustomed to the action of running, it correctly fits the context. Common mistake: Assuming the plural noun 'men' dictates the verb form instead of the singular head phrase 'one of'.

A student might select option C or D by focusing on administrative rejection rather than the challenge presented by a problem. 'Defied' means resisted or challenged, fitting the context of lacking an immediate solution to economic problems. Common mistake: Misinterpreting 'defied' as rejected.

A student might choose option A or D by incorrectly inserting prepositions or gerunds after the infinitive verb. 'To enable delegates to discuss' uses the correct infinitive form, fitting the context of the conference’s purpose. Common mistake: Adding unnecessary prepositions like 'about' after the verb discuss.

A student might mistakenly pick option A, C, or D by thinking about general travel expenses or math calculations. 'Depreciation' refers to the reduction in the vehicle’s value, fitting the context of costs involved in ownership. Common mistake: Overlooking specialized economic terms related to asset value loss.

A student might select option C by erroneously utilizing the future tense after a time clause. 'The very moment she realizes' uses the present tense for a future conditional event, fitting the context of an apology. Common mistake: Using a future tense verb inside a time clause instead of the present tense.

A student might choose option A, B, or C by failing to maintain proper sequence of tenses in the subjunctive mood. 'It was time we did away with JAMB' uses the past tense subjunctive after 'it was time,' fitting the context of a suggestion. Common mistake: Mixing present and past tenses in hypothetical time expressions.

A student might select option B or D by dropping necessary prepositions or confusing turn off with turn out. 'Turned off' is the correct passive form, fitting the context of wanting the light to remain on while asleep. Common mistake: Using incorrect phrasal verb particles for electronic devices and switches.

Distractor check: Students might mistakenly select options like 'Accomodation' or 'Acommodation' due to common spelling confusions regarding double consonants. Reasoning to the answer: The correct spelling is 'Accommodation,' which features double 'c' and double 'm' letters, properly fitting the context of applying for housing on campus. Common mistake: Confusing the number of 'c' and 'm' letters required in the spelling.

Distractor check: A student might choose 'Laid' thinking it represents the past tense of a physical position, or 'Lay' by confusing present and past forms. Reasoning to the answer: The expression 'Has lain' is the correct present perfect form of the intransitive verb 'lie,' seamlessly fitting the context of the body remaining in place. Common mistake: Confusing the transitive verb 'lay' with the intransitive verb 'lie'.

Distractor check: Options like 'Write' might look appealing as a base verb, but they ignore the preceding prepositional phrase structure. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'Accustomed to writing' utilizes the gerund form following the phrase 'accustomed to,' fitting the context of speed in writing. Common mistake: Using the base verb form instead of a gerund after 'accustomed to'.

Distractor check: One might erroneously pick 'To wait' because infinitive forms frequently follow verbs in everyday speech. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'Do you mind waiting' requires the gerund form directly following the verb 'mind,' fitting the context of a polite request. Common mistake: Following 'mind' with an infinitive instead of a gerund.

Distractor check: Candidates could easily select 'Waiter' or 'Cashier' since these also represent common hospitality and hotel staff positions. Reasoning to the answer: 'Receptionist' is the appropriate job role specifically tasked with registering guests in a hotel, fitting the context. Common mistake: Selecting a general hotel job instead of the specific role designated for guest registration.

Distractor check: A student might choose 'At, since' by mixing up specific location prepositions and time markers. Reasoning to the answer: The sentence uses 'on' for streets and 'for' for duration, resulting in 'Lived on this street for ten years,' fitting the context. Common mistake: Using 'at' for a street instead of 'on'.

Distractor check: Options like 'More hot' might seem plausible if a student tries to apply multi-syllable comparative rules to a single-syllable adjective. Reasoning to the answer: 'Hotter' is the correct comparative form for a short adjective, fitting the context of comparing two regions. Common mistake: Using 'more' with a single-syllable adjective.

Distractor check: Students may pick 'Was used to travel' by incorrectly blending past continuous structures with habitual markers. Reasoning to the answer: 'Used to travel' accurately indicates a past habit, fitting the context of student days. Common mistake: Mixing up 'used to' with 'be used to'.

Distractor check: Options like 'To be' or 'Would be' might look tempting when expressing future or infinitive desires. Reasoning to the answer: 'I wish I were' correctly uses the subjunctive mood to express a hypothetical situation, fitting the context. Common mistake: Using 'was' or infinitives instead of the subjunctive 'were' after 'I wish'.

Distractor check: Selecting 'See' might happen if a student treats 'looking forward to' as a standard infinitive marker rather than a phrasal verb. Reasoning to the answer: 'Looking forward to seeing' uses the gerund form after 'looking forward to,' fitting the context. Common mistake: Treating 'to' as part of an infinitive rather than a preposition.

Distractor check: A student might mistakenly select 'A little' by forgetting that the sentence implies an entirely negative financial status. Reasoning to the answer: 'Little money' indicates a small amount carrying a negative connotation, fitting the context of financial constraint. Common mistake: Confusing 'little' (negative) with 'a little' (positive).

Distractor check: Options like 'Can't have' or 'Must have' might be selected if the student misreads the probability of the past event. Reasoning to the answer: 'Should have left' indicates a past recommendation or unfulfilled obligation, fitting the context of missing the bus. Common mistake: Using modal verbs of certainty instead of recommendation for past regrets.

Distractor check: Students frequently select 'Than' because it is commonly paired with other comparative structures. Reasoning to the answer: 'Prefer the theatre to the cinema' uses the preposition 'to' for expressing preference, fitting the context. Common mistake: Using 'than' instead of 'to' with the verb 'prefer'.

Distractor check: Choosing 'Am' or 'Was' might happen if the student overlooks the hypothetical nature of the conditional clause. Reasoning to the answer: 'If I were you' uses the subjunctive mood for hypothetical situations, fitting the context of giving advice. Common mistake: Using indicative forms like 'was' in second conditional clauses.

Distractor check: Options like 'Confusion' or 'Fatigue' might be chosen randomly if the student misreads the text's positive assertions. Reasoning to the answer: The passage states that reading 'fuels imagination,' making 'imagination' the correct answer. Common mistake: Overlooking explicit phrasing in the passage text.