WAEC English 2025
Questions & Answers

A student might mistakenly choose options like excited, uncontrollable, or unreasonable thinking they relate to a strong emotional response caused by receiving bad news. To find the true opposite of agitated, we evaluate its meaning as nervous or upset within Lola's situation; hence, calm fits as it denotes peacefulness. Common mistake: Selecting a high-energy emotional synonym like excited instead of an antonym.

Options like hurdles, temptations, or diversions might seem plausible because they all relate to negative or challenging life experiences. By recognizing that obstacles mean barriers, we can logically deduce that advantages—meaning benefits—serves as the proper antonym for the challenges Olu faced while achieving success despite his parents' poverty. Common mistake: Mistaking synonyms of challenges for opposites.

Distractors such as embarrassing, dishonorable, or extraordinary could appeal to someone focusing generally on negative evaluations or unusual circumstances. Since ignoble means dishonorable, the direct opposite is honorable, denoting respectability, which accurately reflects the nature of the role played by the young man that displeased the president. Common mistake: Confusing a synonym of the underlined word with its antonym.

Students might mistakenly select options like regaining health, recuperating, or relaxing because they closely associate with the literal act of resting after an illness. Since convalescing means recovering, the exact opposite is deteriorating in health, which signifies getting worse and properly fits the sea-side resort context of the sick man's condition. Common mistake: Choosing a synonym instead of an opposite meaning.

A test-taker could mistakenly pick abuse, entreat, or discourage by associating them with negative attitudes or critical behaviors towards examinations. Decry translates to to criticize, meaning the exact opposite is extol, which means to praise, perfectly fitting modern societal attitudes toward tests. Common mistake: Selecting a word with a similar negative tone rather than an opposing action.

Options like half-hearted, fearless, or undaunted might confuse students; fearless and undaunted are actually synonyms rather than antonyms. Because intrepid means fearless, the true opposite is timid, which means fearful and accurately describes the contrast in Ogedebge's character as a fighter for human freedom and dignity. Common mistake: Picking a synonym instead of an antonym due to similar thematic contexts.

Distractors such as negligible, significant, or obscure may look attractive because they relate to measurement or visibility in experimental procedures. Imperceptible means not noticeable, so its direct opposite is obvious, meaning easily noticeable, which matches the context of the speaker's perception of the experimental procedure. Common mistake: Confusing scientific magnitude terms with perceptual opposites.

Options like insolence, rudeness, or arrogance might be chosen because they share the same negative behavioral domain as the target word. Effrontery means bold disrespect, making politeness the correct opposite since it represents courteous behavior that would not annoy a boss. Common mistake: Selecting a synonym instead of an antonym for behavioral traits.

A student might mistakenly select literal interpretations like let the dogs sleep well or let the trouble begin by misinterpreting the idiomatic phrase. Let sleeping dogs lie means to avoid stirring up trouble, making not to look for trouble the closest in meaning to the boss's advice. Common mistake: Taking idiomatic expressions literally instead of figuratively.

Options like improve, complete, or realize might seem plausible as general synonyms for accomplishing tasks or goals. Make good means to carry out, making fulfil the closest in meaning for describing how the headmaster handled his promise to the students. Common mistake: Choosing general completion verbs instead of the precise idiomatic equivalent.

Distractors such as a protection, an enhancement, or an exchange could be chosen if one assumes a general positive utility for business advertisements. Smoke screen means a cover to hide true intentions, which means a camouflage is the closest in meaning regarding the company's activities. Common mistake: Confusing defensive shielding with deceptive camouflage.

Choices like being publicized, uncovered, or unprotected might be incorrectly picked based on literal associations with the physical sky or exposure. Up in the air means not decided, so uncertain is the closest in meaning, fitting the context of unsettled plans. Common mistake: Translating idioms based on physical positioning rather than conceptual meaning.

Options like for want of facts, for lack of opinions, or for insufficient discussions might appeal to students looking for partial lexical matches. Want of evidence means lack of proof, making for lack of proof the closest in meaning when explaining why a legal case was dismissed. Common mistake: Substituting general terms like facts for specific legal evidentiary requirements.

Distractors such as incorrigible, disobedient, or unruly might seem fitting due to their strong descriptive nature regarding personal behavior. Indomitable means unbeatable, so unconquerable is the closest in meaning, fitting the descriptive context of the term. Common mistake: Mixing up moral stubbornness with physical invincibility.

A student might select reveals, proves wrong, or justifies by assuming they align with argumentative discourse and analytical feedback. Underscores means highlights, making emphasizes the closest in meaning to describe how a reaction supports a point being made. Common mistake: Confusing the act of highlighting with proving or justifying.

Options like worthless, valueless, or costly might trick a test-taker who confuses prefixes or conflates high cost with high value. Invaluable means extremely valuable, which means priceless is the closest in meaning in the context of gifts received from visitors. Common mistake: Mistakenly thinking 'invaluable' means lacking value due to the 'in-' prefix.

Distractors such as rascally, selfish, or heady could be chosen if one views Tom's behavior through a general negative lens. Aberrant means deviating from the norm, making abnormal the closest in meaning to describe behavior that successfully attracted attention. Common mistake: Selecting general bad behavior descriptors instead of deviation from a standard.

Students might choose arranged, paraded, or moved because they sound phonetically similar or fit superficial movement contexts in a court setting. Arraigned means brought to court, so brought is the closest in meaning for people impersonating tax-officials facing a Chief Magistrate. Common mistake: Confusing similar-sounding words like 'arranged' with the legal term 'arraigned'.

Options like rudely, faithfully, or respectfully might catch the eye of a student evaluating family communication dynamics. Candidly means openly, making frankly the closest in meaning for how Ngozi spoke to her father about her proposed marriage. Common mistake: Equating honesty with disrespect or rudeness in parental conversations.

Distractors such as prepared, endowed, or mixed could seem relevant when thinking about food preparation and nutritional additives. Fortified means strengthened, making enriched the closest in meaning when describing cereal containing added multivitamins. Common mistake: Choosing general food processing terms over enhancement terminology.