JAMB Use Of English 2022
Questions & Answers

Distractor check: Options like Compulsory, Innocent, or Unreliable might catch your eye if you misinterpret 'determined' as relating to innocence or general certainty rather than active effort. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'determined' in this context means resolute or committed. To find the opposite, look for a term that denotes a lack of effort or impact, which describes government efforts that fail to achieve results. This leads directly to 'ineffective'. Common mistake: Choosing a distractor that sounds vaguely negative without checking if it directly contrasts with the concept of resolute action.

Distractor check: Words like Calmly or Furiously might seem plausible if you confuse Florence's emotional state or manner with her level of willingness. Reasoning to the answer: The term 'reluctantly' means unwillingly. Reversing this state requires a word that denotes willingness regarding Florence's action, which points directly to 'eagerly'. Common mistake: Confusing an adverb describing manner or emotion with one describing willingness.

Distractor check: Options like Weakly or Badly might seem fitting if you confuse population density terms with general descriptive adjectives about coastal regions. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'very densely' means heavily populated. To find the antonym describing coastal plains that are thinly populated, we select 'sparsely'. Common mistake: Selecting a general negative adverb instead of the precise antonym for population concentration.

Distractor check: Options like Complainant, Accused, or Prosecution might be chosen because they all relate loosely to legal proceedings and courtrooms. Reasoning to the answer: A 'plaintiff' is specifically defined as the person who brings a case to court. In the context of a court case, the opposite party being sued or defended against is the 'defendant'. Common mistake: Assuming any legal term associated with the trial is an antonym rather than looking for the opposing party role.

Distractor check: Words like Consolidate, Resume, or End might be picked if you confuse stopping an action with restarting or finishing it entirely. Reasoning to the answer: The phrasal verb 'call off' means to cancel or stop an action. The exact opposite action for the demonstrators is to begin or 'start' their action. Common mistake: Choosing 'resume', which implies restarting something already underway, rather than 'start' which means to begin.

Distractor check: Options A, B, or D might look attractive if you take the words literally, such as imagining running quickly or fasting from food. Reasoning to the answer: The idiomatic phrase 'fast friends' refers to close, inseparable companions. Within the context of secondary school relationships, this matches 'friends who are not easily separated from each other'. Common mistake: Interpreting idioms literally instead of recognizing their figurative meanings.

Distractor check: Options like Persistent, Dramatic, or Concentrated might seem fitting since they all describe strong or noticeable efforts. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'concerted' specifically means a collective or joint effort. In the context of combating the epidemic, Option C, 'joint', accurately captures this shared effort. Common mistake: Choosing a word that denotes intensity rather than collective cooperation.

Distractor check: Options B, C, or D might be selected if you assume the idiom refers to general decision-making, navigation, or seeking assistance. Reasoning to the answer: The idiom 'on which side his bread is buttered' refers to knowing one's personal advantage or benefit. In Yahaya's matter, this translates to 'where his interest lies'. Common mistake: Guessing a literal action like traveling or asking for help instead of identifying the reference to personal advantage.

Distractor check: Options A, B, or C might trick you if you interpret the politician's actions literally, such as actually visiting a physical art gallery or obeying people blindly. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'played to the gallery' is an idiom meaning appealing to popular taste for approval. To capture the politician's strategy to win the election, we look for someone who 'went out of his way to appeal to the taste of the people'. Common mistake: Taking theatrical idioms with literal geographical meanings.

Distractor check: Options like Wear, Slide, or Thin out might seem similar in tone regarding a reduction in popularity. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'wane' means to decrease. In the context of the slogan's changing popularity, 'decline' is the closest synonymous word. Common mistake: Selecting a colloquial synonym instead of the most precise direct match.

Distractor check: Options like Deserves, Favors, or Enjoys might be chosen if you misinterpret Emperor Nero's attitude toward Marcus. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'bears watching' means that something requires observation. Fitting this context of Nero's remark, 'needs' is the correct replacement. Common mistake: Confusing a requirement of observation with a personal favor or preference.

Distractor check: Options A, B, or C might look correct if you think the senior member simply dominated speeches or clarified confusing points during debates. Reasoning to the answer: The idiom 'setting the cat among the pigeons' means causing disruption or trouble. For the constituency debates, this corresponds to 'introducing elements of controversy and confusion'. Common mistake: Assuming colorful idioms refer to positive or neutral participation like clarifying issues.

Distractor check: Options A, B, or D might be picked because they all describe intense grief or emotional upset following a tragedy. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'cracked up' means suffered a mental breakdown under extreme pressure. In the context of the man's tragic loss, 'became slightly deranged' fits the psychological breakdown implied. Common mistake: Conflating deep sorrow or heartbreak with a literal mental crack or derangement.

Distractor check: Options A, C, or D might catch your attention if you focus on the boy's temper or the father's specific words rather than the outcome. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'cut no ice' means to have no impact or produce no result. In the context of the rebuke's outcome, it means the words 'had no effect'. Common mistake: Interpreting the idiom as a failure to persuade rather than a total lack of effect.

Distractor check: Options A, C, or D might be chosen if you confuse the temporal meaning of the word with 'currently' or immediate action. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'presently' in standard usage means soon or shortly. Fitting the context of the promise made, 'in a moment' is the correct meaning. Common mistake: Confusing 'presently' (meaning soon) with 'at present' (meaning now).

Distractor check: Options like Dishonor, Disagreement, or Disobedience might seem like logical choices if you focus broadly on bad student behavior. Reasoning to the answer: The phrase 'in defiance of' specifically means acting in direct opposition to authority. This fits the context of students whispering despite the teacher's presence, making Option C correct. Common mistake: Choosing a general negative noun instead of the precise prepositional phrase required by the context.

Distractor check: Options A, B, or C might be selected if you place the adverb before the adjective or mix up word forms. Reasoning to the answer: To properly modify the verb phrase, we need an adverb modifying an adjective, which in turn describes how the evidence was given. 'Completely honestly' uses the correct adverbial modification order to describe giving evidence, making Option D correct. Common mistake: Placing an adjective where an adverb is required to modify another adverb.

Distractor check: Options A, C, or D might be chosen if you pluralize the wrong word or neither word in compound titles. Reasoning to the answer: In compound titles like Auditor General, the primary noun takes the plural form while the modifier follows. Thus, 'Auditors General' is the correct plural form for the title, fitting the context of the conference. Common mistake: Pluralizing the modifying noun instead of the main noun in compound titles.

Distractor check: Options A, C, or D might look plausible if you mix up dance actions with stroking or licking, which make no sense in a traditional dance context. Reasoning to the answer: The sentence describes vigorous traditional dance movements performed by surging crowds. 'Kicked and stamped the grounds' correctly describes these powerful dance steps around the palace. Common mistake: Picking words that describe casual movements rather than vigorous traditional dancing.

Distractor check: Options like Infested, Spoilt, or Diseased might be picked if you think about general damage rather than water purity ruined by a foreign body. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'contaminated' means made impure or polluted. This fits the context of water affected by a dead rabbit, making Option A correct. Common mistake: Selecting 'spoilt' which is too general for water rendered unsafe by biological matter.

Distractor check: Options A, C, or D might be chosen if you confuse standard preference constructions with comparative 'than' structures. Reasoning to the answer: The verb 'prefer' requires the preposition 'to' when comparing two gerunds or nouns, as in 'prefers a horse ride to taking a walk'. This uses the correct structure for comparison, making Option B fit the context. Common mistake: Using 'than' with 'prefer' instead of the correct preposition 'to'.

Distractor check: Options like Climbed, Shot, or Flared might seem tempting if you think of sudden price movements metaphorically. Reasoning to the answer: The word 'risen' is the correct past participle meaning increased, fitting the context of price changes over the last few months. Option C is correct. Common mistake: Using active verbs like 'shot' or 'climbed' instead of the standard economic term 'risen'.

Distractor check: Options A, C, or D might be picked if you drop articles or misremember the exact idiom formula. Reasoning to the answer: The idiom 'put in an appearance' means to show up briefly. This fits the context of demonstrating commitment to the project before leaving, making Option B correct. Common mistake: Forgetting the indefinite article 'an' or changing the preposition inside the idiom.

Distractor check: Options like Press, Smoothen, or Stretch might be selected if you use general fabric care words instead of the standard laundry term. Reasoning to the answer: The correct term for removing wrinkles from garments using heat is to 'iron' their clothes. Option B fits the context of proper clothing care. Common mistake: Using colloquial terms like 'press' instead of the specific action verb 'iron'.

Students might mistakenly choose options like 'Fell down' or 'Fell out' because they are common phrasal verbs, but they do not capture the spatial movement away from a high elevation. When someone drops past the edge of a cliff, the appropriate prepositional pairing is 'off' because it indicates moving away from a surface or height. Therefore, option B correctly conveys falling from a height relative to the cliff. Common mistake: Confusing the directional preposition 'off' with downward movement verbs like 'down'.

Options such as 'Cost these earrings' or 'Do these earrings cost' are tempting due to the direct question format, but the sentence structure is actually an indirect question. Within an indirect statement, the subject must precede the verb rather than following an auxiliary inversion. Option D correctly places 'These earrings' before the verb 'cost' to maintain proper noun-verb sequence. Common mistake: Applying direct question inversion rules inside an indirect statement.

Learners often select 'Since five days' or 'Since five days now' by confusing the starting point of an action with its overall duration. Because 'five days' represents an entire length of time rather than a specific starting moment, the preposition 'for' must be used instead of 'since'. Option D is correct as it accurately fits the context of trying to locate someone over a duration. Common mistake: Using 'since' with a total period of time instead of a precise beginning point.

Options like 'Visit' or 'Be visiting' might seem grammatically natural after a verb, but the phrasal construction 'look forward to' demands a gerund form. Since the preposition 'to' here acts as part of the fixed phrasal verb rather than an infinitive marker, it must be followed by the -ing form. Option A correctly completes this structure to fit the context of the class's anticipation. Common mistake: Treating the 'to' in 'look forward to' as an infinitive marker followed by a base verb.

A student might mistakenly choose 'On time' or 'At one time' because they sound like common idiomatic expressions, but they refer to punctuality or past instances rather than a future outcome. The phrase needed must indicate that an event will happen after a certain period elapses. Option C correctly utilizes 'In time' to mean eventually, fitting the context of a future realization. Common mistake: Mixing up 'in time' (meaning eventually) with 'on time' (meaning punctually).

Options like 'Brought down' or 'Put down' might appear plausible since they relate to physical conditions, but they do not accurately describe the gradual exhausting effect of an illness. When a person's physical strength is slowly depleted by a sickness like fever, the right phrasal verb is 'Worn down'. Option C correctly signifies this state of exhaustion fitting the Inspector's condition. Common mistake: Choosing 'brought down' instead of the more precise phrasal verb indicating persistent exhaustion.

Test-takers frequently gravitate toward options like 'And you neither' or 'Neither do you' because they attempt to mirror the statement's tense without proper auxiliary agreement. Since the original clause involves a future action with 'will not', the corresponding negative response tag must match that future auxiliary. Option D provides the correct negative tag 'Neither will you' for future action. Common mistake: Failing to match the auxiliary verb tense of the main sentence in a negative agreement tag.

Students might opt for 'In' or 'By' because they frequently precede nouns in descriptive phrases, but specific verbs require fixed prepositions to convey their idiomatic meaning. The verb 'draws' when used to mean utilizing background resources pairs exclusively with a specific preposition. Option C is correct because 'draws freely on' means utilizes, fitting the context of character creation. Common mistake: Pairing the verb 'draws' with generic prepositions like 'in' or 'by' instead of 'on'.

Options like 'Had happened recently' or 'Recently happened' might be chosen because they emphasize past actions, but the preceding clause establishes that the events did not happen years ago. To directly contrast with a distant timeframe in the present tense, a simple adjective phrase is required. Option C correctly uses 'Are recent' to refer to the timing of the events fitting the newspaper report. Common mistake: Overcomplicating a simple present state description with past tense markers.

Candidates often select 'By' or 'To' due to familiarity with common prepositional pairings, but the fixed idiom for acting without excessive formality requires a different choice. The expression meaning to be overly formal requires a specific preposition preceding the noun 'ceremony'. Option C correctly completes the idiom 'stand on ceremony' to fit the context of the advice. Common mistake: Substituting the standard preposition in a fixed idiom with a more common word like 'by'.

Words like 'Screaming' or 'Scraping' seem relevant because they denote loud noises, but they do not accurately reflect the specific sound generated by friction on vehicular tires. The high-pitched noise produced by locking brakes is uniquely described by a specialized auditory term. Option B correctly identifies the 'Screeching of brakes' fitting the context of the crash. Common mistake: Using generic noise verbs instead of the specific sound associated with vehicular tires.

Options such as 'Loose' or 'Loss' are frequently confused with the correct word because of spelling and phonetic similarities. The sentence requires a verb meaning to have something taken away from you, whereas 'loose' is an adjective and 'loss' is a noun. Option C provides the correct verb 'Lose' to fit the context of the warning. Common mistake: Confusing the verb 'lose' with the adjective 'loose' or the noun 'loss'.

Students might choose 'Down' or 'Out' because they frequently combine with verbs to indicate failure, but the specific phrasal verb for a plan or arrangement collapsing is unique. When an initiative or strategy breaks down or fails to materialize after being established, a different particle is required. Option D correctly utilizes 'Fell through' to mean failed, fitting the context of the plan's collapse. Common mistake: Using 'fell down' instead of the idiomatic 'fell through' for failed plans.

Options like 'Momentarily' or 'Just like that' are attractive because they denote speed, but they do not capture the exact idiomatic meaning of an impulsive, uncalculated response. When an answer is given without prior thought or preparation, a specific phrasal phrase is idiomatically required. Option C correctly uses 'Came on the spur of the moment' to mean spontaneously, fitting the context of the sudden answer. Common mistake: Selecting single-word adverbs instead of the correct idiomatic phrase.

Candidates often pick 'I and him' or 'He and me' because of conversational habits, but subject positions require specific subjective case pronouns in a particular polite order. When combining two third-person and first-person pronouns as the subject, the second/third person pronoun precedes the first person, and both must be in the nominative case. Option A correctly uses 'He and I' as the subject pronouns. Common mistake: Putting the first-person pronoun first or using objective case pronouns like 'me' in the subject position.

Students might incorrectly pick options like 'Enhanced connectivity' or 'Improved communication' by focusing on the positive aspects of social media mentioned in the text. However, the question specifically asks for one of the negative concerns raised in the passage. Option B correctly identifies 'Privacy issues' as it is explicitly listed as a concern alongside misinformation. Common mistake: Confusing the main benefits of a technology with the specific drawbacks highlighted in the text.