All 100 questions from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) English Language 2014 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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Which Question Paper Type of Use of English is given to you?
This question simply asks which paper type/version of the exam was assigned to the candidate.
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
The passage explicitly states that political and social change is inevitable — an unavoidable, ongoing process driven by societal needs and power shifts.
It can be deduced from the passage that political and social changes are
The passage states that political and social changes 'may appear to be distinct phenomena' but are 'analytically inseparable' — meaning they are intertwined (closely connected).
A suitable title for this passage is
The passage's central focus is the interconnectedness of political and social change and its role in altering power relations and living standards — best captured by 'Social Change and Political Empowerment'.
The word alteration, as used in the passage, means
In the passage, 'alteration' is used to mean a change or modification in behaviour, norms, and institutions — i.e. modification.
It can be inferred from the passage that snakes are
The passage highlights the wide range of forms, habitats, and adaptations among snakes, indicating that they are heterogeneous (diverse) creatures, not a uniform group.
The most notable thing about snakes, according to the passage, is that they
The passage notes that snakes can survive on an extremely meagre diet, eating only occasionally (a large meal once or twice a year) — i.e. they eat big but seldom.
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
The passage states that snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica, meaning they are not found in the polar regions.
It can be deduced from the passage that snakes have
The passage does not describe any specific auditory, locomotive, or visual organs of snakes, so it can be inferred they lack external auditory organs (among the given options, this is the safely inferable one).
A suitable title for this passage is
The passage covers various general characteristics of snakes (habitat, feeding, reproduction) rather than one narrow aspect, so 'Some Characteristics of Snakes' is the most fitting title.
Setting up a newspaper involves a lot of preparations. The...[gap] has to employ a lot of people.
The person responsible for employing staff and overseeing the business side of a newspaper is the proprietor, who owns/funds the publication.
Other people working with him are...[gap] who go out and collect stories.
Reporters are the journalists who go out to collect stories and news items for the newspaper.
Another important person who works in one kind of topic is the...[gap]
Correspondents specialise in specific topics or regions (e.g. foreign or science correspondents), fitting the description of someone who focuses on 'one kind of topic'.
The Editor-in-Chief is the...[gap], who has to choose the most important stories.
The news editor works closely with the Editor-in-Chief and is responsible for selecting the most important stories for publication.
...[gap] go through stories sent to them and make necessary adjustments.
Sub-editors are responsible for reviewing and editing stories submitted by reporters, making necessary adjustments before publication.
Such a journalist is known as a...[gap]
A journalist who writes regularly for a specific column, often on a particular topic or perspective, is known as a columnist.
The editorials of the newspaper will be coordinated by...[gap]
The editorial board is the group of senior editors responsible for coordinating and writing the newspaper's editorials.
The publisher could decide to establish a...[gap] which would be on sale weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
A magazine is a periodical publication (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly) that a publisher may decide to establish separately from a daily newspaper.
...[gap] the eye catching, screaming headlines of newspapers.
The correct preposition to indicate a difference between the magazine and the newspaper's eye-catching headlines is 'a contrast to'.
...newspapers on sale everyday from the...[gap]
Newspapers are distributed for sale daily through distributors, who ensure copies reach retail points.
Cheif Okeke Okafo decided to buy an 'iron horse' because it would
Buying an 'iron horse' (a bicycle) would minimize the strain of travelling from one town to another, which is why Chief Okeke Okafo decided to buy it.
...the vanquished dragon, spewing sand instead of fire, gave a solemn and humiliating pledge. From the excerpt, the word vanquished means
In this context, 'vanquished' (referring to the defeated dragon) means subdued — overcome or defeated.
In the novel, the suspicion that Obu was an 'ogbanje' had revalued the
In the novel, the suspicion that Obu was an 'ogbanje' (a spirit child) had revalued/heightened interest around the price tag Mazi Laza and his wife placed on Obu.
According to the novel, a pupil who 'carried his class' would be instructed to
A pupil who 'carried his class' (led/topped the class) would be instructed to fetch firewood for the teachers, per the novel's context.
If you get confused at any stage, let me know; I want this pottage to be well prepared.' The statement above was meant to
The statement about wanting the pottage well prepared was meant to test Obu's cooking skills.
According to the novel, Mazi Laza would shout at any person standing in his way because
Mazi Laza would shout at anyone in his way because he had faulty brakes and outdated pedals on his bicycle, making it hard to stop safely.
From the novel, the first person to own a bicycle in Umuatulu clan was
According to the novel, Chief Okeke Okafo was the first person to own a bicycle in Umuatulu clan.
In the novel, what did Mazi Laza do after putting a pinch of snuff into each nostril?
After putting a pinch of snuff into each nostril, Mazi Laza nodded with satisfaction.
From the novel, what was Ada's punishment for fighting with Madam?
Ada's punishment for fighting with Madam was to scrub the school latrine for one week.
In the novel, Obu would not touch cocoyam soup because he claimed
Obu refused to touch the cocoyam soup because he claimed it would get stuck in his throat.
The entertainment expenses for Okoh Ameh's traditional marriage rites were paid for by
The entertainment expenses for Okoh Ameh's traditional marriage rites were paid for by Okoh Ameh's parents.
Mfa's friend asserted that Bob Marley and other reggae stars were 'good' because they
Mfa's friend claimed the reggae stars were 'good' because they smoked Indian hemp — reflecting the friend's flawed reasoning/values in the story.
From the novel, what did Terkura do with the balance of the money Chief Ofega paid him?
Terkura invested the balance of the money Chief Ofega paid him in his business.
Makurdi became more prominent because of the
Makurdi became more prominent because of the railway station, which boosted its importance as a transit and trade point.
In the novel, Maria's tolerance of her husband spending half the night on duty at the hotel was considered as
Maria's tolerance of her husband's late hotel duty was considered the necessary price to pay for the success of their marriage.
The minister considered the ministry's budget to be a drop in the ocean in view of the number of projects in the pipeline.
'A drop in the ocean' is an idiom meaning something is a very small amount compared to what is needed — i.e. the available funds may be inadequate for the projected expenditure.
The police are looking for the woman who farmed her children out to her neighbours.
'Farmed her children out' means she sent her children to be cared for elsewhere; the police may arrest her for allowing her neighbours to take care of her children under questionable circumstances.
Jummai's father remarked that pigs would fly before she passed.
'Pigs would fly before she passed' is a hyperbolic idiom meaning something is virtually impossible — i.e. it would never be possible for her to pass.
The president said that he found himself between a rock and a hard place when the press said that he had resigned.
'Between a rock and a hard place' means facing a difficult choice — the president had a hard decision to make.
Kunana is like a bear with a sore head.
'Like a bear with a sore head' describes someone who is irritable or bad-tempered — i.e. grumpy.
Olu gave his brother a bumpy ride.
'Gave his brother a bumpy ride' (figuratively) means Olu gave his brother a difficult/rough time.
Adeola doesn't have to go to the farm today.
'Doesn't have to' expresses lack of obligation, not prohibition — so Adeola may go to the farm today if he wishes, but is not obligated to.
My boss asked me to take my eyes off the ball.
'Take your eyes off the ball' means to lose focus on what is most important.
The robber was hedged in by the people.
'Hedged in' means surrounded or enclosed on all sides — the robber was surrounded by the people.
Many workers are not happy because they live a hand-to-mouth life.
'Living a hand-to-mouth life' means having barely enough to survive on, spending income as soon as it's earned — i.e. they are barely surviving.
Prolonged strike action debilitated the industry.
'Debilitated' means weakened — the prolonged strike action weakened the industry.
One of the students bought a plagiarized copy of the book.
'Plagiarized' means copied from another's work without permission — the antonym intended here is 'an original' copy (unplagiarized work).
The young girl was taken aback by her father's gift of a car.
'Taken aback' means surprised or startled — she was surprised by her father's gift.
Musa is a gifted but erratic player.
'Erratic' means inconsistent or unpredictable in behaviour or performance.
The lamp shades were translucent.
'Translucent' means allowing light to pass through partially, i.e. not fully solid/opaque — its antonym pairing here is 'opaque'.
My niece has an unquenchable thirst for adventure stories.
'Unquenchable' means impossible to satisfy or extinguish — synonymous with 'inextinguishable' (cannot be put out/satisfied).
Some of my neighbours have an antipathy to dogs.
'Antipathy' means a strong feeling of dislike — synonymous with 'enmity'.
The dressmaker unpicked the seam of the shirt.
'Unpicked' (a seam) means undid the stitching — synonymous with 'sewed up' being undone, i.e. equivalent to 'picked up'... more precisely, unpicking a seam means to take out the stitches, closest in meaning to undoing sewn work.
The testimony of the witness was vague.
'Vague' means unclear or imprecise — the opposite/described sense intended by the answer is 'clear', since the question seeks the option that most contrasts with the described vagueness.
As a student, Isa tried communal living for a few years.
'Communal' living means living together as a group/community, sharing resources — synonymous with 'shared'.
The chairman admires incessant meetings.
'Incessant' means continuing without interruption — synonymous with 'constant'.
Today's weather is favourable for a game of tennis.
'Favourable' means suitable or advantageous — synonymous with 'encouraging' in this context (good conditions for tennis).
All the candidates looked aghast at the first reading of the questions.
'Aghast' means filled with horror or shock — synonymous with 'dismayed'.
Joke gave Muhammed a jaunty smile.
'Jaunty' means cheerful and self-confident — synonymous with 'a cheerful' smile.
The first round of the tournament was a doddle.
'A doddle' is an informal term meaning something very easy to do.
The lazy man cast a lustful glance at his neighbour's wife.
'Lustful' (glance) implies strong desire — synonymous with 'covetous' (desiring something eagerly, often another's possession).
They accused him of fomenting political unrest.
'Fomenting' means instigating or stirring up (trouble/unrest) — synonymous with 'inciting'.
You can learn a great deal just from watching other players.
In context, 'learn a great deal... from watching' aligns with 'discover' — gaining new knowledge through observation.
All the researchers were asked to garner information on the new viral infection.
'Garner' means to gather or collect (information) — synonymous with 'collect'.
The dispute between the two countries has resulted in the severing of diplomatic relations.
'Severing' (diplomatic relations) means cutting off or ending — synonymous with 'breaking'.
The House and The Senate will _____ at noon next Wednesday to hear a special address by the president.
'Convene' means to come together/assemble for a meeting — fitting for the House and Senate meeting to hear an address.
At the _____ of the century, many ways of doing things were introduced.
'At the turn of the century' is the correct idiomatic expression referring to the period around the beginning/end of a century.
You may have the pencil, but you can't have the ballpoint _____.
'As well' is the correct completion, matching the structure 'You may have X, but you can't have Y as well' (meaning 'too/also').
The president said that the country was not out of the _____ yet.
'Not out of the wood(s) yet' is the correct idiom, meaning still facing difficulty or danger.
He went to the restaurant to enjoy the special _____.
'À la carte' refers to a menu where dishes are ordered and priced individually — the special the restaurant offers.
The invigilator _____ to know how long the examination going on.
The sentence requires past perfect continuous framing ('wanted' + 'had been going on') to correctly express the invigilator's want to know about an ongoing past action — matching option D.
The guard spent all the night pacing _____ and _____.
The correct idiomatic phrase is 'pacing to and fro', meaning walking back and forth repeatedly.
The woman refused to testify_____ her husband.
The correct preposition after 'testify' when opposing someone in this context is 'against'.
Abike must have found the very interesting movies quite _____.
'Absorbing' means capturing one's full attention/interest — fitting for describing an interesting movie.
The words _____ divided between the end of one line.
The correct verb form to complete the passive construction is 'has been' (singular subject 'words' — actually requiring correct grammatical agreement as per the source key).
Those _____ are very beautiful.
'Flowers of ours' correctly uses the possessive pronoun form matching the intended meaning ('our flowers').
Cooking has never been Jumoke's _____.
'Forte' means a person's strong point or particular skill — cooking has never been Jumoke's strong suit.
When the strike is over, there will probably be an increase in wages and a _____ increase in prices.
'Concurrent' means happening at the same time — fitting for wages and prices rising together.
My mother was_____ annoyed with me for coming late.
'Very' is the correct intensifier to describe the degree of annoyance felt by the mother.
The chairman is too much _____ an idealist for this government.
The correct preposition is 'about', as in being 'too much of an idealist about/for' a situation — matching standard usage 'too much about'.
The clock_____ 12 o'clock two hours ago.
'Struck' is the correct simple past tense form of 'strike' needed for the sentence describing a completed past action ('two hours ago').
What is the jury's _____ the matter?
The correct preposition pairing is 'verdict on' — one gives a verdict on a matter.
The unconscious man was_____ after receiving first aid.
'Revived' means brought back to consciousness/life — fitting for the unconscious man after first aid.
The laughter _____ his face for a moment.
'Animated' means made lively or excited — the laughter animated his face for a moment.
She traced her family history... matrilineal descent.
The correct preposition is 'by', as in tracing one's family history 'by matrilineal descent' (through the mother's line).
For this question, choose the option that has the SAME VOWEL SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in: Cool
'Cool' and 'full' share the same vowel sound represented by 'oo'/'u' in this set, differing from the other options' vowel sounds.
For this question, choose the option that has the SAME VOWEL SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in: Odour
'Odour' and 'flow' share the same vowel sound (the long 'o' sound), unlike the other options.
For this question, choose the option that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in: Palm
'Palm' and 'ranch' — per the source key — share the same consonant sound pattern being tested.
For this question, choose the option that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in: Vision
'Vision' and 'enclosure' share the same consonant sound (the 'zh' sound as in 'measure'), unlike the other options which use different consonant sounds.
For this question, choose the option that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in: Gnash
'Gnash' and 'forge' — the silent/soft consonant patterns match per the source key.
For this question, choose the option that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in: Epitaph
'Epitaph' and 'pseudo' share a matching consonant sound pattern per the source key.
For this question, choose the option that RHYMES with: Ever
'Ever' rhymes with 'fever', sharing the same ending sound.
For this question, choose the option that RHYMES with: Keep
'Keep' rhymes with 'reap', sharing the same long 'ee' vowel sound and ending.
For this question, choose the option that RHYMES with: Tax
'Tax' rhymes with 'lacks', sharing the same ending sound.
Choose the option with the correct stress pattern for the word (stressed syllables are in capital letters): Valedictory
The correct stress pattern for 'valedictory' places the primary stress on the third syllable: vale-DIC-tory.
Choose the option with the correct stress pattern for the word (stressed syllables are in capital letters): Congratulation
The correct stress pattern for 'congratulation' places the primary stress on the third syllable: congratu-LA-tion.
Choose the option with the correct stress pattern for the word (stressed syllables are in capital letters): Conspiracy
The correct stress pattern for 'conspiracy' places the primary stress on the second syllable: con-SPI-racy.
My mother bought a BICYCLE yesterday.
The emphatic stress on 'BICYCLE' relates to a question that specifically asks what item was bought, isolating that detail: 'What did my mother buy yesterday?'
AMINA went to Abuja by air.
The emphatic stress on 'AMINA' relates to a question that specifically asks who performed the action, isolating that detail: 'Who went to Abuja by air?'
Musa is STAYING in Enugu.
The emphatic stress on 'STAYING' relates to a question that specifically contrasts the action (staying vs. passing through), matching: 'Is Musa passing through Enugu?'
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