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JAMB Use of English 2025 past questions and answers

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

Question 13

Comprehension
JAMB 2025 Passage III: Publishing (cloze, gaps 11–20)
Publishing is a fast growing business in Nigeria and there are therefore, many publishing houses all over the country. When ________ (11) is submitted by an author, the publisher sends it to ________ (12) to know if it is actually publishable. This step is important because the publisher wants to make sure that the book catches the ________ (13) when it is eventually published. In a good publishing house, there is ________ (14) section which is concerned with ________ (15) the manuscript and correcting both the spelling and typing errors. After this, the manuscript is ________ (16) in readiness for ________ (17).

The printed ________ (18) are then stored in the warehouse and a few of them may be sent to the author as ________ (19) copies. Since it is not just the aim of the publisher to offset the cost of production but also to make some gains, there is a strong marketing division which promotes sales. A certain percentage of the cover price of the book is paid to the author as ________ (20).

Passage III (choose the most appropriate option for the gap), gap 13: This step is important because the publisher wants to make sure that the book catches the ________ (13) when it is eventually published.

  1. A.market
  2. B.audience
  3. C.students
  4. D.shops
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (audience)

Explanation

A book that 'catches the audience' attracts the readers it is meant for. 'Students' is too narrow and 'shops' are not readers.

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Question 41

Conjunctions

Choose the option that best completes the gap: The reason why he was not offered admission was ________ his results could not be found.

  1. A.that
  2. B.when
  3. C.owing to
  4. D.because
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (that)

Explanation

After 'The reason ... was', standard English uses 'that'; 'the reason ... because' repeats the idea of cause.

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Question 42

Direct and Indirect Speech

Choose the option that best completes the gap: The doctor asked the patient what ________

  1. A.the problem is
  2. B.is your problem
  3. C.the problem was
  4. D.is the problem
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Answer: C (the problem was)

Explanation

In reported speech after a past verb ('asked'), the question becomes a statement in the past: 'what the problem was'.

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Question 43

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option that best completes the gap: It was a free-for-all and the students were blamed for taking the law ________

  1. A.in their own hands
  2. B.into their own hands
  3. C.into their hands
  4. D.in their hands
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Answer: B (into their own hands)

Explanation

The idiom is 'to take the law into one's own hands', meaning to punish someone yourself instead of using the proper authorities.

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Question 44

Pronouns

Choose the option that best completes the gap: My classmate ________ I haven't seen for years, wrote to me last week.

  1. A.whose
  2. B.which
  3. C.that
  4. D.whom
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Answer: D (whom)

Explanation

The pronoun is the object of 'seen' and refers to a person, so 'whom' is correct.

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Question 45

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the option that best completes the gap: How is the new editor ________ on with his work?

  1. A.moving
  2. B.getting
  3. C.pushing
  4. D.going
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (getting)

Explanation

The phrasal verb 'get on with' means to make progress with a task.

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