JAMB Use Of English 2013
Questions & Answers

A student might mistakenly choose 'lengthy' or 'vague' by misinterpreting the phrasing or confusing conciseness with length or confusion. The phrase 'brief and to the point' describes a concise, focused speech, which is precisely captured by the word 'precise' due to its emphasis on clarity and brevity, unlike judgmental or long options. Common mistake: Confusing brevity with vagueness or length.

An examinee could mistakenly select 'curiosity' or 'preference' by associating a strong reaction with interest or liking. 'Aversion' denotes a strong dislike or reluctance, making 'dislike' the closest synonym, whereas tolerance or preference point toward acceptance or positive feelings. Common mistake: Mistaking an aversion for a form of curiosity or preference.

A test-taker might incorrectly choose 'impressed' or 'convinced' by misreading the negative connotation of being misled. Being 'taken in' means someone was fooled or misled, so 'deceived' properly aligns with being tricked by false promises, distinguishing it from persuasion or employment. Common mistake: Interpreting being fooled as simply being persuaded or convinced.

A student could mistakenly pick 'minor detail' or 'initial cause' by misinterpreting the metaphorical weight of the term. 'Crux' refers to the most essential or important part of an issue, making 'central point' the matching definition, whereas outcomes and minor details misalign with the term's focus. Common mistake: Confusing the core central point of a problem with its initial cause or final outcome.

Learners might mistakenly pick 'slander' or 'bribery' because they are also recognizable legal offenses. 'Perjury' specifically denotes the crime of lying under oath in court, aligning directly with 'lying under oath', unlike defamation or unrelated criminal acts. Common mistake: Grouping all courtroom-related crimes together under the term perjury.

An examinee might choose 'credible' or 'logical' by misinterpreting the negative modifier in the sentence. The phrase 'hard to believe' indicates something that lacks believability, and 'implausible' correctly mirrors this by meaning unlikely to be true, whereas credible and logical suggest reasonableness. Common mistake: Selecting a positive descriptor like logical when the phrase denotes disbelief.

A student could mistakenly select 'editorials' or 'digital content' by associating the term broadly with journalism. 'Newsprint' refers specifically to the paper utilized for printing newspapers, making 'printing paper' the correct equivalent rather than articles or digital media. Common mistake: Confusing the physical paper material with the editorial content printed upon it.

A test-taker might incorrectly choose 'walk energetically' or 'run slowly' by misjudging the physical state described. Being exhausted means they could only 'trudge along', which implies slow, tired walking due to fatigue, perfectly captured by 'walk wearily'. Common mistake: Overlooking the exhaustion context and assuming an energetic movement.

Learners might mistakenly select an option involving brief clapping or the performer standing instead of the audience. A 'standing ovation' indicates that the audience stands up to applaud and show appreciation, meaning 'the audience stood and applauded' accurately reflects the phrase. Common mistake: Confusing who is standing during the ovation event.

An examinee could mistakenly pick 'accurate' or 'detailed' by misinterpreting the idiom's spatial metaphor. Being 'wide of the mark' signifies being off-target or failing to be relevant, making 'irrelevant' the closest semantic match compared to correctness or thoroughness. Common mistake: Assuming 'wide' implies thoroughness or high detail.

A student might incorrectly choose 'explain' or 'correct' by focusing on troubleshooting rather than accountability. To 'answer for' an error means to accept responsibility for it, making 'take responsibility' the most accurate equivalent, as explaining or correcting does not capture bearing the blame. Common mistake: Confusing the act of explaining a mistake with taking formal responsibility for it.

A test-taker might mistakenly select 'criticize' or 'replace' by misreading the supportive nature of the phrase. To 'take the part of' someone means to defend or support them, aligning closely with 'support' in the context of advocacy, unlike criticism or analysis. Common mistake: Misinterpreting advocacy language as a form of critique.

Learners might mistakenly pick 'facial expressions' or 'shouting' by confusing general body language with specific physical gestures. 'Gesticulations' describes expressive hand or arm movements, making 'hand movements' the closest match among the behavioral choices provided. Common mistake: Mixing up facial expressions with hand gestures.

An examinee could mistakenly select an option suggesting causation or assistance instead of contrast. The phrase 'In spite of' functions identically to 'despite', indicating that the game continued regardless of the rain, matching the structure 'Despite the rain, they continued'. Common mistake: Confusing concessive phrases with causal connectors.

A student might mistakenly choose 'strength' or 'patience' by associating career longevity with physical or mental endurance. Her 'zeal for teaching' represents a strong enthusiasm for the job, making 'enthusiasm' the exact match for passion, unlike patience or experience. Common mistake: Confusing professional experience or patience with active enthusiasm.

A test-taker could mistakenly select 'hum' or 'beep' by choosing generic sounds that do not match the intensity of the context. The 'wail' of a siren describes a loud, high-pitched, piercing sound, which is closest to 'screech', whereas hums and beeps fail to capture that high-pitched quality. Common mistake: Choosing soft or short sound descriptors for an intense, continuous noise.

While options like 'physique,' 'weakness,' or 'attitude' might catch your eye because they relate to a person's traits, they fail to capture the figurative meaning. The phrase 'big heart' functions as a metaphor for kindness or generosity. Because of this idiom, a 'generous nature' matches the intended meaning, whereas the other choices completely miss the mark. Common mistake: Confusing figurative idioms with literal physical or psychological traits.

Students might incorrectly lean toward 'studied,' 'examined,' or 'read' since all involve looking at text in some capacity. However, those terms imply thorough, detailed, or comprehensive engagement rather than brevity. A 'quick look' specifically points to a brief glance, which is why 'glanced' is the correct match. Common mistake: Choosing a synonym for reading that is too thorough for a brief action.

A student could mistakenly select 'planning,' 'execution,' or 'review' because these are all standard project stages. Yet, within creative contexts, an 'incubation period' refers specifically to the subconscious processing of ideas rather than administrative milestones. Thus, 'subconscious thinking' captures this cognitive phase accurately while the others represent distinct operational phases. Common mistake: Equating creative phases with standard project management stages.

Options like 'make out' (meaning understand), 'make off' (meaning flee), and 'make over' (meaning transform) could seem tempting due to similar phrasal verb structures. By tracing the context of missed classes and lost time, you need a phrase that denotes compensation. Therefore, 'make up' is the right choice because it means to compensate for something lost. Common mistake: Mixing up phrasal verb particles that drastically change meaning.

Test-takers might be drawn to 'in order,' 'on order,' or 'under order' because they share familiar collocation patterns with the noun. Still, since the sentence explicitly states the machine requires repair, it cannot be functional or purchased. The phrase 'out of order' correctly signifies that a piece of equipment is not working. Common mistake: Selecting a superficially similar prepositional phrase despite contextual contradiction.

One might mistakenly opt for 'apology,' 'agreement,' or 'inquiry' since these are common communication tools in disputes. However, the sentence calls for a general proactive action to resolve a conflict rather than a specific speech act. The expression 'make an effort' delivers this meaning by emphasizing active trying. Common mistake: Confusing a general action idiom with specific communicative nouns.

Students frequently stumble here because verbs like 'speak,' 'say,' and 'talk' relate to verbal communication. Nevertheless, English idiom pairs specific verbs with specific nouns, and neither 'speak,' 'say,' nor 'talk' collocates correctly with 'lies' or 'truth.' The correct pairing relies on the standard collocations 'tell lies' and 'tell the truth.' Common mistake: Interchangeably using generic speech verbs with fixed idiomatic nouns.

One might lean toward 'There was/were' or 'they were' thinking they specify who entered or what was happening. However, because the subject is unspecified and precedes a past tense action ('entered'), the correct impersonal construction is 'It was'. This matches the past tense timeline of the arrival. Common mistake: Failing to match an unspecified subject structure with the appropriate past tense.

An unwary student might pick 'It was,' 'they were,' or 'it will be' by misjudging the number or tense required. The reporting verb is in the past, and the sentence introduces multiple applicants ('over 50 applicants'). Therefore, 'There were' is necessary to indicate the past existence of a plural group. Common mistake: Using singular or future verb forms with a past plural subject.

It is easy to mistakenly select 'Work,' 'worked,' or 'works' by focusing on simple verb conjugations. Yet, the governing verb 'keep' requires a gerund to successfully indicate an ongoing action. Consequently, 'Keep working' is grammatically sound and fits the continuous nature required here. Common mistake: Forgetting that the verb 'keep' is followed by a gerund (-ing form).

One might accidentally choose 'Like,' 'including,' or 'as' because they all relate to drawing comparisons or listing items. But the blank specifically requires a phrase that introduces clear examples (phones and laptops) following devices. The exact phrase suited for introducing examples in this structure is 'Such as'. Common mistake: Confusing comparison words with example-introducing phrases.

Students could mistakenly select 'Like,' 'if,' or 'though' because they create conditional or comparative nuances. The sentence deals with a hypothetical scenario regarding how he acts versus reality. The correct phrase for this counterfactual comparison is 'As if'. Common mistake: Using direct comparison words instead of hypothetical subordinating phrases.

A test-taker might mistakenly select 'Can’t,' 'mustn’t,' or 'won’t' by confusing inability, prohibition, or refusal with necessity. The question asks whether greeting everyone is mandatory, and the reply denies that obligation. Thus, 'Needn’t' is correct because it explicitly means not necessary. Common mistake: Confusing the absence of necessity with direct prohibition ('mustn’t').

One might be tempted to pick 'Visit,' 'visiting,' or 'will visit' due to standard present or future verb formations. However, following the preference expression 'I’d rather,' English grammar requires the past tense to reflect the subjunctive mood. Hence, 'visited him' is the grammatically mandated form. Common mistake: Failing to use the past subjunctive form after 'would rather'.

A student might incorrectly choose an option implying guaranteed wealth, power, or restricted innovation due to misinterpreting broader societal benefits. The text explicitly links education to fostering critical thinking and economic growth. Therefore, 'promotes critical thinking and growth' is the direct takeaway from the passage. Common mistake: Overextending text implications into absolute guarantees of wealth or power.

It is easy to mistakenly think the idiom causes confusion, plans surprises, or avoids responsibility due to guessing from unrelated contextual words. The idiom 'let the cat out of the bag' is a well-known expression specifically denoting the revelation of a secret. Thus, it fits the context where a surprise is accidentally exposed. Common mistake: Guessing idiom meanings based on literal animal imagery rather than established figurative definitions.

One might mistakenly select expansion, product launch, or hiring because they are common business activities. However, 'liquidation' specifically designates the winding down of a company by selling its assets to settle outstanding debts. Common mistake: Confusing business termination terms with corporate growth strategies.

Students might mistakenly pick 'practical,' 'costly,' or 'popular' by confusing synonyms or unrelated attributes with antonyms. Since 'feasible' means possible or doable, its direct logical opposite is 'impossible'. Common mistake: Selecting a related synonym instead of the true antonym.

A test-taker could mistakenly choose 'selfish,' 'modest,' or 'cautious' by misinterpreting the root meaning of the word. 'Magnanimous' defines someone who is noble and big-hearted. Therefore, 'Generous' serves as the closest direct synonym among the choices. Common mistake: Confusing high-level vocabulary meanings with unrelated personality traits.

One might select 'gained,' 'praised,' or 'avoided punishment' by misreading the negative impact of a mistake. The expression 'cost her dearly' indicates that a severe error resulted in significant negative consequences. Consequently, 'Suffered significant consequences' is the accurate interpretation. Common mistake: Interpreting idiomatic cost expressions in a literal financial manner.

Students might incorrectly use 'To,' 'with,' or 'at' because prepositions can be tricky with adjectives. The correct grammatical pairing for establishing accountability regarding an outcome is 'Responsible for'. Common mistake: Pairing the wrong preposition with adjectives of accountability.

One might mistakenly choose a negative tag or an incorrect tense by failing to mirror the main clause. The statement is negative ('hasn’t') and uses the present perfect tense. Therefore, the matching question tag must be positive and use the corresponding auxiliary: 'has she'. Common mistake: Matching the polarity of the tag to the main clause instead of inverting it.

A student might incorrectly retain 'will' or shift to a different tense because they overlook sequence of tenses rules. When the reporting verb ('said') is in the past tense, future auxiliary verbs like 'will' must backshift to 'would'. Thus, 'He said that he would attend' is the proper transformation. Common mistake: Forgetting to backshift modal verbs in reported speech after a past reporting verb.

Test-takers might be misled by 'Called up,' 'called on,' or 'called out' because they share the same base verb. However, the context of an outdoor event being stopped because of bad weather requires the phrasal verb meaning cancellation. 'Called off' correctly means canceled. Common mistake: Mixing up phrasal verb particles associated with the verb 'call'.