This 2023 WAEC English examination paper tests candidates on advanced sentence completion, idiomatic and figurative interpretations, lexical synonyms, and stress placement. Key recurring areas involve contrasting vocabulary, phrasal interpretations, and phonetic identification of consonant sounds and syllable stress. Approach this practice session by carefully working through each question and studying the rationale behind the correct grammatical and phonetic choices.
Topics in this paper
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The posh cars were "sandwiched" between _________ two ones.
A student might mistakenly choose A, B, or D by missing the contextual contrast between luxurious posh cars and the descriptive quality of the surrounding vehicles. The word rickety denotes something dilapidated or structurally weak, which creates the intended semantic contrast when describing vehicles sandwiching luxurious posh cars. Common mistake: Choosing an adjective that describes appearance rather than structural condition.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. A "trivial" issue often becomes _________ when it is not properly handled.
Options like 'valuable' or 'ordinary' might mistakenly attract attention if a student misinterprets the transformation scale of a minor issue. Since something insignificant carries the opposite nature of being serious, the correct choice is established by recognizing that when a minor problem goes unmanaged, it transforms into a serious matter. Common mistake: Confusing the antonym of insignificant with positive worth rather than gravity or importance.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The rockstar's stellar performance contrasted "sharply" with _________ the showing of the amateur group.
A student might lean toward options such as 'mundane' or 'routine' because they denote ordinary qualities, yet they fail to capture the extreme deficiency required. To create a strong contrast with an outstanding or stellar display by a rockstar, we need a term that signifies very bad quality, which is woeful. Common mistake: Choosing words that simply mean plain instead of selecting a term that actively expresses a negative extreme.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Tolu was "sanctioned" for late coming but his friend was _________.
A student might incorrectly select 'ignored' or 'released' by assuming a general lack of negative attention equates to official leniency. The correct option is pardoned because the sentence contrasts a penalty or punishment with an act of complete forgiveness. Common mistake: Equating administrative neglect with formal absolution.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. While other teachers' support for the action was _________, Victor's was dogged.
A test-taker might consider 'disappointing' or 'declining' because they carry negative connotations compared to doggedness. However, the contrast is built around consistency and firmness versus hesitation, meaning wavering—which signifies being indecisive—perfectly contrasts with dogged determination. Common mistake: Selecting a general negative descriptor instead of the precise antonym for steadfast resolve.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Some people are good at "terminating" other people's projects but are not capable of _________ theirs.
Options like 'executing' or 'organising' could look appealing if one focuses broadly on project management tasks. The correct choice is initiating because the context sets up a direct opposition between ending something (terminating) and starting it. Common mistake: Overlooking the exact directional contrast between concluding an action and kicking it off.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The "precarious" terraces of the stadium have been transformed into _________ a walkway.
Candidates might be drawn to 'narrow' or 'smooth' by picturing physical renovations of a stadium structure. The correct answer is secure because precarious denotes something unsafe, and its direct logical transformation leads to a safe state. Common mistake: Assuming physical remodeling terms describe safety upgrades.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. If one thing "irritates" _________ it might another.
A student might select 'concern' or 'bother' due to their close semantic ties to annoyance. The correct choice is delight because the sentence creates a balancing contrast where an action that annoys one person will conversely please another, matching the meaning of delight. Common mistake: Sticking to synonyms rather than identifying the polarity shift within the comparison.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Jane was "loud" as a teenager but _________ as an adult.
Distractors like 'peaceful' or 'humble' might catch the eye of a student looking for general personality shifts over time. The correct option is reserved because loud specifically implies being noisy or outspoken, making quiet or restrained behavior its true behavioral counterpart. Common mistake: Confusing loudness with general bad behavior rather than vocal extroversion.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Do not always "reprimand" your children; it is good to _________ them at times.
Words like 'advise' or 'pamper' might seem like logical parenting alternatives to being harsh. The correct choice is compliment because reprimand means to scold, and the proper balance to scolding a child is to praise them. Common mistake: Choosing general guidance actions instead of the exact verbal opposite of scolding.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The aggrieved customer staged a "fierce" _________ on the street.
Options such as 'fight' or 'argument' could be selected if one focuses solely on the hostility of an unhappy consumer. The correct answer is protest because an aggrieved customer staging a public demonstration is accurately described as a fierce protest. Common mistake: Confusing general interpersonal conflict with a public political or consumer demonstration.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The accused was brought before the jury for a court _________.
A student might pick 'sitting' or 'proceeding' because they sound like general courtroom activities. The correct option is hearing because a formal presentation of a legal case before a jury is universally termed a court hearing. Common mistake: Using generic courtroom terms instead of the specific legal proceeding name.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. From his _________, one can tell that he is an athlete.
Distractors like 'stature' or 'anatomy' might seem plausible when describing an individual's physical form. The correct choice is physique because it specifically denotes the muscular body structure characteristic of an athletic build. Common mistake: Confusing general body measurements with the specific muscular makeup of a sportsperson.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The death of that journalist is still _________ in a mystery.
Words like 'shadowed' or 'confined' might tempt a reader thinking about secrecy and hidden information. The correct answer is shrouded because the fixed expression 'shrouded in mystery' means enveloped or completely hidden by mysterious circumstances. Common mistake: Translating metaphorical idioms literally using words that share a similar dark connotation.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The defendant was charged with _________ because he caused his neighbour's death.
A candidate might mistakenly choose 'fratricide' or 'patricide' if they misremember the specific victim prefix. The correct choice is homicide because it is defined as the killing of one human by another, whereas fratricide involves a sibling and patricide involves a father. Common mistake: Mixing up the various Latin root prefixes designating family members versus general human targets.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Seeing a young crop _________ from the soil is a rare experience.
Terms like 'creep' or 'project' could catch the eye of someone visualizing plant stems moving outward. The correct option is sprout because it precisely describes a young crop emerging or growing up from the soil. Common mistake: Selecting general movement verbs instead of botanical emergence terms.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Lawyers are still making efforts to interpret the new _________.
A test-taker might consider 'language' or 'system' assuming legal documents use specialized terminology. The correct choice is statute because it specifically refers to a written law that lawyers must analyze and interpret. Common mistake: Confusing the broader legal framework with the specific legislative instrument being interpreted.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The cargo was intercepted on sea by _________.
Options such as 'thieves' or 'robbers' might be chosen loosely for anyone who illegally seizes property. The correct choice is pirates because cargo intercepted specifically at sea is the hallmark of maritime piracy. Common mistake: Failing to associate the specific geographical location of the crime with its specialized criminal title.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. The doctors _________ Bola's grandmother after the heart attack.
Words like 'regenerated' or 'revivified' may appear medically advanced enough to fit an emergency scenario. The correct answer is resuscitated because it means to revive someone from unconsciousness or apparent death, which is the exact medical procedure needed after a heart attack. Common mistake: Using general healing or restoration verbs instead of the precise term for reviving vital signs.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences. Because the couple cannot agree on many things, their relationship is now _________.
Distractors like 'stressed' or 'tensed' might seem appropriate for describing troubled interpersonal bonds. The correct option is strained because a relationship burdened by continuous disagreements is properly described as strained. Common mistake: Choosing temporary emotional states over established descriptive adjectives for difficult relationships.
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