All 140 questions from the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) English Language 2023 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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The posh cars were sandwiched between ______ two ones.
'Rickety' (not sturdy, likely to collapse) is most nearly opposite to 'posh' (luxurious) among the options.
A trivial issue often becomes ______ when it is not properly handled.
'Trivial' means unimportant; its opposite, 'serious', fits a mishandled issue escalating.
The rockstar's stellar performance contrasted sharply with the ______ showing of the amateur group.
'Stellar' (excellent) contrasts with 'woeful' (very poor), matching the amateur group's showing.
Tolu was sanctioned for late coming but his friend was ______.
'Sanctioned' means punished; its opposite is 'pardoned' (forgiven/excused).
While other teachers' support for the action was ______, Victor's was dogged.
'Dogged' means persistent/unwavering; its opposite is 'wavering' (hesitant, uncertain).
Some people are good at terminating other people's projects but are not capable of ______ theirs.
'Terminating' means ending; its opposite is 'initiating' (starting).
The precarious terraces of the stadium have been transformed into a ______ walkway.
'Precarious' means unstable/at risk; its opposite is 'secure' (stable, safe).
If one thing irritates it might ______ another.
'Irritates' means annoys; its opposite is 'delight' (please).
Jane was loud as a teenager but ______ as an adult.
'Loud' (outgoing) is opposite to 'reserved' (introverted, quiet).
Do not always reprimand your children; it is good to ______ them at times.
'Reprimand' means scold/criticize; its opposite is 'compliment' (praise).
The aggrieved customer staged a fierce ______ on the street.
'Protest' best fits a public display of dissatisfaction on the street by an aggrieved customer.
The accused was brought before the jury for a court ______.
A 'hearing' is the legal proceeding/session where evidence and arguments are presented before a judge or jury.
From his ______, one can tell that he is an athlete.
'Physique' refers to physical build, the most fitting basis for identifying someone as an athlete.
The death of that journalist is still ______ in mystery.
'Shrouded' means covered/concealed, fitting the idiom 'shrouded in mystery'.
The defendant was charged with ______ because he caused his neighbour's death.
'Homicide' means the killing of another person, matching causing a neighbour's death.
Seeing a young crop ______ from the soil is a rare experience.
'Sprout' specifically means the emergence/growth of a young plant from the soil.
Lawyers are still making efforts to interpret the new ______.
A 'statute' is a written law passed by a legislative body, which lawyers interpret.
The cargo was intercepted on sea by ______.
'Pirates' specifically commit robbery at sea, matching cargo intercepted on sea.
The doctors ______ Bola's grandmother after the heart attack.
'Resuscitated' specifically means reviving someone from unconsciousness or apparent death, fitting a heart attack scenario.
Because the couple cannot agree on many things, their relationship is now ______.
'Strained' best describes a relationship under pressure/difficulty due to persistent disagreement.
Revealing that information will cut the ground from under my feet. This means that it will
The idiom 'cut the ground from under someone's feet' means to undermine/ruin their plans or position.
Mother always tells me to keep my nose clean. This means that she tells me to
'Keep my nose clean' is an idiom meaning to stay out of trouble or avoid wrongdoing.
The action effectively puts the mockers on the project. This means that the project will
'Puts the mockers on' means to bring something to an end or hinder/delay it.
You can see clearly that we are surpassed in numerical strength. This means that we are
To be 'surpassed in numerical strength' means having fewer members/numbers than the other party.
One of the athletes was disqualified because she jumped the gun. This means that she started
'Jumped the gun' is an idiom meaning to start an action prematurely, before the proper signal.
Be careful what you say; there are no flies on the boss. This means the boss is
'No flies on someone' is an idiom meaning that person is clever, sharp-witted and hard to fool.
The students cocked their ears at the principal's speech. This means that they listened with
'Cocked their ears' is an idiom meaning to listen attentively/with great interest.
Your daughter will do very well in school. She has a good head on her shoulders. This means that she
'A good head on her shoulders' is an idiom meaning the person is sensible, intelligent and has good judgement.
The accountant has been under a cloud since the fraud scandal. This means that the accountant is
'Under a cloud' is an idiom meaning viewed unfavourably or under suspicion due to some wrongdoing.
Immediately the truth was revealed, Ngozi flew into a rage. This means that Ngozi
'Flew into a rage' is an idiom meaning to suddenly become very angry.
Parents encourage their children to exercise financial prudence.
'Prudence' means being cautious and careful, especially in financial matters, matching 'caution'.
Awa deceived Ahmed into handing over all his savings.
'Deceived' means to trick or mislead someone, closest in meaning to 'cheated'.
It turned out that the plaintiff's claim was false.
'Claim' here refers to an assertion/accusation made without full proof, matching 'allegation'.
The aggrieved faction held a clandestine meeting.
'Clandestine' means done secretly or in concealment, matching 'secret'.
Morgan Pharmacy is the sole distributor of the antiviral drug.
'Sole' means being the only or exclusive one, matching 'only'.
Police officers holding batons impounded the banker's car.
'Impounded' means to seize and take legal possession of property, matching 'seized'.
The English teacher is always cheerful.
'Cheerful' means happy/showing positivity, closest in meaning to 'gleeful'.
The chairman is of the opinion that laying off workers is pernicious to the growth of the company.
'Pernicious' means causing great harm or destruction, matching 'harmful'.
She it was that commanded me to leave the room.
'Commanded' means to give an authoritative order, matching 'ordered'.
The valedictorian was admired for her perseverance while at school.
'Perseverance' means persistence and determination despite difficulty, closest in meaning to 'tenacity'.
The fisherman said he sighted ______ of fish in the river.
A 'shoal' is the correct collective noun for a large group of fish swimming together.
The principal corrected no one else but ______.
'Me' is the correct object pronoun to complete 'no one else but ___', as the object of 'corrected'.
The thug was ______ murder.
The correct collocation for accusing someone of a crime is 'charged with' (e.g. 'charged with murder').
Asokoro office ______ is located in Ibadan.
'Headquarters' is the correct singular/plural form used to indicate the main office location; it doesn't take an apostrophe here.
John should be through with his work, ______?
The correct question tag matches the modal verb 'should' used in the statement, giving 'shouldn't he'.
This is the man ______ I told me the interesting story.
'Who' is the correct relative pronoun as the subject of the clause referring to the man who told the story.
The accused forgot ______ I told the police said.
'What the police said' correctly completes the sentence, referring to the specific information forgotten.
The officer ______ is my brother.
'In uniform' is the standard idiomatic phrase referring to someone wearing an official uniform.
The footballers have been practising ______.
Correct adverb order places place before time: 'hard in the stadium all morning'.
Professor John is the leader of the ______ committee to review the new book.
Compound adjectives formed with numbers use the singular noun form, hence 'fifty-man committee'.
James appears ______ wiser than his friends.
'Much' is used to intensify a comparative adjective ('wiser'), giving 'much wiser', which is grammatically correct.
That world famous athlete is guilty, ______ way you look at it.
'Whichever' correctly refers to a specific way/manner among possible options of looking at the situation.
We were all afraid when the alarm ______.
'Went off' is the correct phrasal verb used to describe an alarm activating/sounding.
The material used for sewing my dress is ______ to yours.
'Superior' is already comparative in meaning and should not be preceded by 'more', 'most' or 'very'.
The Chairman wasn't privy ______ that information.
The adjective 'privy' is correctly followed by the preposition 'to'.
We were lucky our driver didn't die in the accident, ______?
The question tag matches the auxiliary verb 'were' in the earlier clause 'We were lucky', giving 'weren't we'.
The ______ were decorated with flowers.
The possessive form 'girls' shoes' correctly shows shoes belonging to multiple girls.
Before the lecturer entered the hall, we ______ the board.
The past perfect tense 'had cleaned' correctly shows an action completed before another past action (the lecturer entering).
______ the hours of nine and ten, the surgeon completed the operation.
'Between' is the correct preposition to indicate a time span bounded by two specific hours.
Mother bought ______ at the fair.
Correct adjective order in English is opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose: 'expensive' (opinion) before 'red' (colour) before 'Japanese' (origin).
The duty of our teacher is to give instructions; ______ is to obey.
'Ours' is the correct possessive pronoun that stands alone (without a following noun) to mean 'our duty'.
The teacher has ______ with the principal.
'Fallen out' is the correct phrasal verb meaning to have a disagreement or argument with someone.
A meeting was called ______ the instance of the Chairman.
The correct idiomatic phrase is 'at the instance of', meaning at the request/instigation of someone.
Business is poor these days ______ workers are on strike.
'Because' correctly introduces the cause-and-effect reason for poor business, i.e. workers being on strike.
The test seemed ______ simple that we thought we would all pass.
'So...that' is the correct correlative construction used to show a result/consequence.
Tayo: I think I can now solve the problem. Essien: ______.
'So can I' correctly agrees with the modal verb 'can' used in Tayo's statement.
The ______ scientist has discovered a cure for cancer.
Correct adjective order is opinion, age, origin: 'brilliant' (opinion) before 'young' (age) before 'Nigerian' (origin).
The couple ______ their first child when I entered college.
The past perfect 'hadn't had' correctly shows the couple did not yet have their first child before the speaker entered college.
The fire fighters worked hard to ______ the inferno.
'Put out' is the correct phrasal verb meaning to extinguish or stop a fire.
Those novels are interesting. I wonder if you can get me ______.
'Many others such' correctly requests similar novels of the same type as those mentioned.
Jim had his ______ in professional boxing when he was seventeen.
A 'bout' is a single contest between two people, especially in boxing or wrestling, matching Jim's first professional fight.
He came into the ______ amidst loud cheers from the spectators.
A boxing 'ring' is the square/circular area surrounded by ropes in which boxing matches are fought.
...after he had been called by the ______.
The 'referee' is the person in charge of a boxing match who ensures the rules are followed and formally calls fighters.
He was wearing his customised trunks and ______ to prevent damage to his hands.
Boxing 'gloves' are padded gloves worn by boxers to protect their hands and their opponent's face.
Jim and his ______ moved round throwing punches at each other.
'Opponent' refers to the person fighting against you in a boxing match.
Jim threw a right ______, left himself open and got cut by a strong counter punch.
A 'hook' is a punch thrown with the arm bent at the elbow, moving in an arc, matching 'a right hook'.
Jim raised his arms and held his ______ in front of his face to protect himself.
'Fists' - the clenched hands of a boxer - are held up to protect the face from punches.
...to protect himself by ______ the punches as they came.
'Parrying' is the act of blocking or deflecting an opponent's punch, the correct boxing term here.
During the second ______, Jim delivered a sucker punch which got his opponent in the ribs.
A 'round' is one of the timed periods into which a boxing match is divided.
Consequently, Jim won the game by ______.
A 'knockout' is a victory in a boxing match that occurs when an opponent is knocked unconscious by a punch, matching Jim's opponent losing consciousness.
Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined: money.
The vowel sound in 'money' is the short /ʌ/ ('u') sound, the same as in 'son'.
pour.
The vowel sound in 'pour' is /ɔː/, the same as in 'ore'.
tie.
The vowel sound in 'tie' is the diphthong /aɪ/, the same as in 'bile'.
put.
The vowel sound in 'put' is /ʊ/, the same as in 'wool'.
tailor.
The vowel sound in 'tailor' (unstressed schwa realisation) matches 'torn' among the options given in the source answer key.
fate.
The vowel sound in 'fate' is the diphthong /eɪ/, the same as in 'weight'.
fern.
The vowel sound in 'fern' is /ɜː/, the same as in 'merge'.
powder.
The vowel sound in 'powder' is the diphthong /aʊ/, the same as in 'lout'.
cruise.
The vowel sound in 'cruise' is /uː/, the same as in 'move'.
pure.
The vowel sound in 'pure' matches 'furore' among the options given in the source answer key.
spot.
The vowel sound in 'spot' is /ɒ/, the same as in 'slot'.
there.
The vowel sound in 'there' is /eə/, the same as in 'their'.
crest.
The vowel sound in 'crest' is /e/, the same as in 'breakfast'.
sheath.
The vowel sound in 'sheath' is /iː/, the same as in 'beach'.
gorilla.
The vowel sound in 'gorilla' (schwa /ə/) matches the unstressed vowel in 'colour'.
Choose the word with the same consonant sound(s) as the underlined letter(s): orchid.
The consonant sound in 'orchid' is /k/, the same as in 'sceptre'.
picture.
The consonant sound in 'picture' is /tʃ/, the same as in 'lurch'.
fissure.
The consonant sound in 'fissure' is /ʒ/, the same as in 'vision'.
visit.
The consonant sound in 'visit' is /z/, the same as in 'easy'.
hack.
The consonant sound in 'hack' is /k/, the same as in 'schedule'.
left.
The consonant sound in 'left' is /f/, the same as in 'half'.
fly.
The consonant sound in 'fly' is /f/, the same as in 'tough'.
text.
The consonant cluster in 'text' matches the ending sound in 'fixed'.
uncle.
The consonant cluster in 'uncle' matches the ending in 'ankle'.
drive.
The consonant sound in 'drive' is /d/, the same as in 'wounded'.
laboratory.
The consonant sound in 'laboratory' matches the /t/ sound in 'debtor'.
upholstery.
The consonant sound in 'upholstery' matches the /h/ sound in 'upheaval'.
rouge.
The consonant sound in 'rouge' is /ʒ/, the same as in 'leisure'.
then.
The consonant sound in 'then' is the voiced /ð/, the same as in 'smooth'.
sign.
The consonant sound in 'sign' (silent 'g', /n/) matches the silent letter pattern in 'hymn'.
Choose the word that rhymes with the given word: fright.
'Fright' rhymes with 'height', both ending in the /aɪt/ sound.
tie.
'Tie' rhymes with 'high', both ending in the /aɪ/ sound.
tern.
'Tern' rhymes with 'earn', both ending in the /ɜːn/ sound.
fear.
'Fear' rhymes with 'deer', both ending in the /ɪə/ sound.
mother.
'Mother' rhymes with the ending of 'mother-in-law', which itself ends in 'mother'.
In the following words, the main/primary stress is on the syllable written in capital letters. Choose the one that has the correct stress: cumulative.
'Cumulative' is stressed on the first syllable: CU-mu-la-tive.
concessionaire.
'Concessionaire' is stressed on the last syllable: con-cess-ion-AIRE.
horizontal.
'Horizontal' is stressed on the last syllable: ho-ri-zon-TAL.
apathetic.
'Apathetic' is stressed on the third syllable: ap-a-THET-ic.
effeminate.
'Effeminate' is stressed on the second syllable: e-FFEM-i-nate.
Identify the word with a different stress pattern/shade of stress from the others:
'Enigma' is stressed on the second syllable, while the others (candidate, primacy, maintenance) are stressed on the first syllable.
A. creature B. caution C. mountain D. extrude
'Extrude' is stressed on the second syllable, while the others (creature, caution, mountain) are stressed on the first syllable.
A. annoy B. declare C. radar D. believe
'Radar' is stressed on the first syllable, while the others (annoy, declare, believe) are stressed on the second syllable.
A. penitence B. discover C. pertinent D. retrospect
'Discover' is stressed on the second syllable, while the others (penitence, pertinent, retrospect) are stressed on the first syllable.
A. refer B. belief C. reason D. enjoy
'Reason' is stressed on the first syllable, while the others (refer, belief, enjoy) are stressed on the second syllable.
In each sentence, the word that receives the emphatic stress is written in capital letters. Choose the one to which the given sentence is the appropriate answer: Ojo won the prize for the best TEACHER.
The emphatic stress on 'TEACHER' answers a question that contrasts it with another category, i.e. 'best dancer'.
The president rewarded some of the OFFICERS.
The emphatic stress on 'OFFICERS' answers a question contrasting officers with another group, i.e. 'students'.
The woman bought a CARTON of milk.
The emphatic stress on 'CARTON' answers a question contrasting the container, i.e. 'a tin of milk'.
She will send a SHIRT to him today.
The emphatic stress on 'SHIRT' answers a question contrasting the item sent, i.e. clarifying it's a shirt and not something else, matched against a variant changing another element like time.
She slept on the SMALL bed.
The emphatic stress on 'SMALL' answers a question contrasting bed size, i.e. 'the big bed'.
Choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol: /ɔː/
The phonetic symbol /ɔː/ represents a long vowel sound as in 'roam' among these options.
/ɪə/
The phonetic symbol /ɪə/ represents the diphthong sound as in 'shears'.
/ʃ/
The phonetic symbol /ʃ/ represents the 'sh' sound as in 'charade'.
/u/
The phonetic symbol /u/ (short) represents the vowel sound as in 'hook'.
/æ/
The phonetic symbol /æ/ represents the short 'a' sound as in 'snag'.
/dʒ/
The phonetic symbol /dʒ/ represents the voiced affricate sound as in 'suggest'.
/ŋ/
The phonetic symbol /ŋ/ represents the nasal sound as in 'sink'.
/θ/
The phonetic symbol /θ/ represents the voiceless 'th' sound as in 'stealthy'.
/eɪ/
The phonetic symbol /eɪ/ represents the diphthong sound as in 'gale'.
/j/
The phonetic symbol /j/ represents the 'y' consonant sound as in 'value'.
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