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JAMB Use of English 2016 past questions and answers

18 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.

Question 11

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word or words: He used his savings to bring up his nephew

  1. A.lead
  2. B.accompany
  3. C.feed
  4. D.support
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Answer: D (support)

Explanation

To bring up a child is to raise and support him until he grows up.

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Question 14

Synonyms

Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word or words: I would not like you to do the work piecemeal

  1. A.at meal time
  2. B.bit by bit
  3. C.badly
  4. D.as a masterpiece
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Answer: B (bit by bit)

Explanation

Piecemeal means done a little at a time, bit by bit.

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Question 24

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: I want to ________ this chance to acquaint you with the latest development

  1. A.size
  2. B.seize
  3. C.sieze
  4. D.cease
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Answer: B (seize)

Explanation

To seize a chance is to take it; 'seize' is spelt with 'ei'.

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Question 25

Question Tags

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: Suara needn't come with us ________?

  1. A.does she
  2. B.will she
  3. C.she will
  4. D.need she
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Answer: D (need she)

Explanation

A question tag repeats the helping verb of the statement in the opposite form: 'needn't' takes the tag 'need she?'.

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Question 26

Tenses

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: By the end of this month, ________

  1. A.I will study
  2. B.I will have been studying
  3. C.I am studying
  4. D.I had been studying
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Answer: B (I will have been studying)

Explanation

'By the end of this month' looks ahead to a point in the future, so the future perfect continuous 'I will have been studying' fits.

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Question 27

Verb Forms

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: My mother had ________ the fire wood before it began to rain.

  1. A.split
  2. B.splited
  3. C.splitted
  4. D.splitting
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Answer: A (split)

Explanation

'Split' is the same in the present, past and past participle, so 'had split' is correct.

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Question 28

Vocabulary in Context

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: If you are not careful you would ________ your money

  1. A.loss
  2. B.lose
  3. C.loose
  4. D.lost
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Answer: B (lose)

Explanation

'Lose' is the verb meaning to fail to keep; 'loss' is a noun and 'loose' means not tight.

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Question 29

Tenses

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The clock ________ 12 o'clock two hours ago

  1. A.strikes
  2. B.struck
  3. C.strike
  4. D.striking
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Answer: B (struck)

Explanation

'Two hours ago' refers to a finished past time, so the simple past 'struck' is needed.

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Question 30

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Fill the gap with the most appropriate option: The president said that the country was not out of the ________ yet

  1. A.forest
  2. B.fog
  3. C.water
  4. D.wood
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Answer: D (wood)

Explanation

The idiom is 'out of the wood(s)', meaning out of danger or difficulty.

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Question 37

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word or phrase in italics: It is generally believed that misers are not loved by many

  1. A.spendthrifts
  2. B.spenders
  3. C.hoarders
  4. D.thieves
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Answer: A (spendthrifts)

Explanation

A miser hates spending money; a spendthrift spends money wastefully.

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Question 38

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word or phrase in italics: Politicians and holders of political appointments are generally assumed to be cunning

  1. A.kind
  2. B.straightforward
  3. C.generous
  4. D.shy
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Answer: B (straightforward)

Explanation

Cunning people are crafty and deceitful; straightforward people are honest and direct.

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Question 39

Antonyms

Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word or phrase in italics: The chief was generous in his award of university scholarships

  1. A.noble
  2. B.considerate
  3. C.liberal
  4. D.mean
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Answer: D (mean)

Explanation

Generous means giving freely; mean means unwilling to give.

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Question 52

Comprehension
JAMB 2016 Passage III: Fear and anxiety (cloze)
When a mother is afraid that her child will die when it has only a pimple or a slight headache; we speak of anxiety. But if she is afraid when the child has a serious illness, we call her reaction ________ (46). If someone is afraid whenever he stands on a height or when he has to discuss ________ (47) he knows well, we call his reaction ________ (48); if someone is afraid when he loses his way high up in the mountain during a heavy thunderstorm, we would speak of ________ (49). Thus far, we have a simple and neat distinction between the two, namely, one is a reaction that is proportionate to the danger one has to face whereas the other is ________ (50) reaction to danger, or even a reaction to ________ (51) danger. This distinction has one ________ (52), however, which is that the decision ________ (53) whether the reaction is proportionate depends on the average knowledge existing in the particular ________ (54). But, even if that knowledge proclaims a certain attitude to be unfounded, a neurotic will find no difficulty in giving his action a ________ (55) foundation.

Passage III, gap 52: This distinction has one ________ (52), however,

  1. A.direction
  2. B.meaning
  3. C.flavour
  4. D.flaw
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Answer: D (flaw)

Explanation

'However' signals a weakness in the distinction just described, that is, a flaw.

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Question 55

Comprehension

Passage III, gap 55: a neurotic will find no difficulty in giving his action a ________ (55) foundation.

  1. A.rational
  2. B.reactional
  3. C.proactive
  4. D.radical
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Answer: A (rational)

Explanation

A neurotic can always make up a reasonable-sounding (rational) basis for his fear.

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Question 56

Word Stress

Choose the option that has a different stress pattern from the others.

  1. A.original
  2. B.deplorable
  3. C.ability
  4. D.revolution
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Answer: D (revolution)

Explanation

o-RI-gi-nal, de-PLO-ra-ble and a-BI-li-ty are stressed on the second syllable; re-vo-LU-tion is stressed on the third.

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Question 58

Word Stress

Choose the appropriate stress pattern (the stressed syllable is written in capital letters): melodramatic

  1. A.MElodramatic
  2. B.meLOdramatic
  3. C.meloDRAmatic
  4. D.melodraMAtic
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Answer: D (melodraMAtic)

Explanation

Words ending in -ic are stressed on the syllable just before the ending: me-lo-dra-MA-tic.

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Question 59

Word Stress

Choose the appropriate stress pattern (the stressed syllable is written in capital letters): xenophobia

  1. A.XEnophobia
  2. B.xeNOphobia
  3. C.xenoPHobia
  4. D.xenophoBIA
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Answer: C (xenoPHobia)

Explanation

Words ending in -phobia are stressed on 'pho': xe-no-PHO-bi-a.

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Question 60

Word Stress

Choose the appropriate stress pattern (the stressed syllable is written in capital letters): congratulation

  1. A.congraTUlation
  2. B.congratuLAtion
  3. C.CONgratulation
  4. D.conGRAtulation
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Answer: B (congratuLAtion)

Explanation

Words ending in -tion are stressed on the syllable just before it: con-gra-tu-LA-tion.

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