All 140 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) English Language 2024 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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1. Abdul's contribution at the meeting was seen by many as invaluable but the chairman said it was ......
Useless is the direct opposite of invaluable (extremely valuable).
2. The boy may be culpable but his brother is surely ..........
Culpable means guilty; innocent is its direct opposite.
3. Our class teacher used to be rigid in his opinions but he is now ....... of other people's views.
Tolerant (accepting, open-minded) is the opposite of rigid.
4. Some workers were quite affable at the meeting but their leader was rather ........
Antagonistic (hostile) is the opposite of affable (friendly).
5. The driver believed he would be castigated by all the passengers but he was ..........
Commended (praised) is the opposite of castigated (scolded).
6. The manager was eulogized for his speech while his assistant was ......
Criticized is the opposite of eulogized (praised highly).
7. Some people are generous towards strangers, while others are ........ towards them.
Indifferent (uncaring) is the opposite of generous (giving more than expected).
8. The baby who had all long been calm suddenly became ......
Restless (agitated) is the opposite of calm.
9. While Ade is .........., his wife is quite self-effacing.
Self-effacing means modest; conceited (having an inflated sense of self-importance) is its opposite.
10. Bakary is a prudent husband while Musa is ......
Prudent (careful, wise with money) is the opposite of extravagant (spends recklessly).
11. The incumbent chairman won the election by a ...... of twenty votes.
Margin is the correct term for the difference by which an election is won.
12. Since all items on the agenda had been discussed, the meeting was ......
Adjourned means to suspend proceedings to another time or place.
13. The police explained that all the aggrieved persons should seek ...... in the court of law.
Redress means to remedy or set right.
14. Our principle has a large ...... of cows
Herd is the collective term for cows.
15. The first storey building in Nigeria stands as a historic .......
Monument refers to a structure erected to commemorate a person or event.
16. I returned from the vacation refreshed and ....... A. rejuvenated B. revived C. reloaded D. remodeled
Rejuvenated means to feel young and energetic again.
17. She was advised to see a ......... because she had an unusual skin disease
A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in skin conditions.
18. The doctor's ....... was that the patient was suffering from cancer.
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature of an illness.
19. Tom's father gave him a valuable gift as an ...... to make him work harder in school.
Incentive means something that motivates or encourages someone to do something.
20. We have not yet heard the weather ......
Forecast refers specifically to a prediction of future weather conditions.
21. Ojo was cautioned not to jangle the old man's nerve. This means that Ojo was cautioned not to
'Jangle the nerves' means to irritate or annoy someone.
22. Amina was completely swept off her feet the first time she met Gabriel. This means that she
'Swept off her feet' means to fall in love quickly.
23. His response showed that he kept abreast of events in the country. This means that he was
'Kept abreast' means to stay informed.
24. Our school is the last but one on that road. This means that our school is
'Last but one' means the penultimate or second-to-last.
25. The new shopping plaza is easy on the eye. This means that the shopping plaza is
'Easy on the eye' means visually pleasing.
26. That nonchalant attitude of Jonah's attitude ...... amazes me
'Nonchalant' means indifferent or unconcerned, which can be irritating.
27. A good friend is supposed to be with you through thick and thin. This means that a good friend should
'Through thick and thin' means during good and bad times.
28. Willy has been under the weather for some days. This means that Willy has been
'Under the weather' means feeling sick.
29. Taya was beaten at his own game. This means that
'Beaten at one's own game' means defeated using one's own methods/strategies.
30. We never believed that Father would pull through after that fever. This means that we did not believe that he would
'Pull through' means to recover.
31. It was apparent that John damage the desk.
'Apparent' means clearly visible or understood; evident.
32. Some of the merchant's goods were impounded by the customs officers.
'Impounded' means seized and taken into legal custody of.
33. My trust in Abah suddenly began to wane.
'Wane' means to decrease in vigour, power, or extent; become weaker.
34. Some believe it is ominous for the owl to perch on the roof of a house.
'Ominous' means giving the impression that something bad is going to happen; portentous.
35. The new shopping mall is on the fringe of the town.
'Fringe' means the outer, marginal, or extreme part of an area or group.
36. The supervisor spurned the offer of help from the cleaner.
'Spurned' means rejected with disdain or contempt; rebuffed.
37. I have eventually found the book.
'Eventually' means in the end, especially after a long delay or series of problems.
38. It is not good for a child to be unduly inquisitive.
'Inquisitive' means having or showing an interest in learning things; curious.
39. Kofi is rather audacious; he jumps off high fences.
'Audacious' means showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks; daring.
40. The criminal approached the crowd menacingly.
'Menacingly' means in a way that suggests the presence of danger; threateningly.
41. He said that they ....... Painting the house by then.
'Would have finished' indicates a future action completed before a specific time, fitting the reported speech.
42. I will wear my ....... Dress to the dance.
'New blue silk' follows the correct adjective order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose.
43. If I ....... an eagle, I would fly to distant lands.
'Were' is used in the subjunctive mood for hypothetical situations.
44. The teacher needs ...... to write the note on the chalkboard.
'Chalk' is typically an uncountable noun, so 'some chalk' is correct.
45. The man said that he .........
'Had eaten there the previous day' correctly shifts the tense for reported speech.
46. To be healthy we need to eat a ....... diet everyday
'Balanced' diet refers to a diet with all necessary nutrients.
47. I can rustle ......... an omelette - at least
'Rustle up' means to prepare quickly.
48. Banku was ......... unhappy after the fight.
'Very' emphasizes the degree of unhappiness; the other options are not idiomatically correct here.
49. Everything would be ....... cheaper in the sales.
'Considerably' means significantly, suitable for discussing price reductions.
50. The boot of my new car was ......... in the accident.
'Dented' fits the context of car damage best.
51. Parents should create an environment ......... their children can grow.
'In which' is the correct relative pronoun phrase.
52. In spite of their shortcomings, we cannot ....... admire them.
'However' contrasts with the shortcomings mentioned.
53. Amadi's plan ........ at the last moment.
'Fell through' means failed to happen.
54. You think I am hungry, ........?
'Aren't I' is the standard tag question form for the first-person singular in positive statements.
55. Maria ......... tears when she was told that she failed the final examination.
'Broke into tears' means suddenly began to cry.
56. Jide ...... before I arrived.
'Had eaten' is correct past perfect tense.
57. He claimed to be an expert, but he knew next to ....... about it.
'Next to nothing' means almost nothing.
58. ......... the textbooks, he advised his daughter to face her studies.
'Having bought' is the correct participle phrase.
59. Deficiency ...... just one essential vitamin may cause illness.
'Deficiency in' is the correct prepositional phrase.
60. This is the ........ he has submitted his assignment since joining the class.
'Earliest' is the correct superlative form.
61. It is wise to ......... with what one has rather than to borrowing.
'Make do' means to manage with limited resources.
62. The teacher was ........ hasty in meting out punishment.
'Somewhat' means to a moderate extent, fitting the context.
63. Everybody should treat their parents with respect, .........?
'Everybody' is grammatically singular but refers to a group of people; in tag questions the pronoun used reflects the logical plural, hence 'they'; the statement is positive, so the tag is negative: 'shouldn't they'.
64. The experienced clerk found herself at .........
'At a crossroads' is the correct idiomatic expression, meaning a point requiring a significant decision.
65. We are playing ....... the problems of the company.
'Playing down' means minimizing the importance.
66. You ......... have walked home alone so late at night.
'Ought not to' is used to indicate that something is inadvisable, fitting the advice given.
67. Did you notice that the ......... had been removed?
'Price tag' is the correct term for the label indicating the price of an item.
68. One has to be careful of ....... Friends.
'One's' is the correct possessive form to match the subject 'one'.
69. It is mandatory that consumables should have ...... dates.
'Sell-by' date is the term used for the date by which a product should be sold.
70. Don't judge the boy ..... his past.
'By' is the correct preposition used to indicate the criteria for judgment.
71. [Cloze passage – elections] The ..... of the local government chairman would soon elapse. This means there would be an election soon. This will commence with the selection of ..... by registered political parties, who will present their intentions to inform them ...... to public...
'Tenure' refers to the period during which someone holds a particular office, making it the most appropriate term here.
72. [Cloze passage – elections] ...selection of ..... by registered political parties, who will present their intentions...
'Candidates' are people who are nominated to run for a political office.
73. [Cloze passage – elections] ...of their intentions when they assume office. The process of ....... for votes has a timeframe.
'Manifestoes' are public declarations of intentions, motives, or views, especially of a political party or candidate.
74. [Cloze passage – elections] Voting is usually done by universal ......, which means that every citizen above eighteen is ..... to vote.
'Canvassing' refers to soliciting votes from electors.
75. [Cloze passage – elections] ...every citizen above eighteen is ..... to vote provided he/she is duly registered and has a valid vote's card.
(Answer relates to the right to vote; 'suffrage' refers to the right to vote in political elections, the term used for the surrounding clause in the passage.)
76. [Cloze passage – elections] On the day of the election, the voters will go to the polling ...
'Eligible' means qualified to participate or be chosen.
77. [Cloze passage – elections] ...go through the voter's register for ..... before casting their votes for the person of their choice.
'Polling stations' are places where voters cast their ballots.
78. [Cloze passage – elections] The counting of votes will be done by the ......
'Accreditation' refers to the process of verifying and validating eligibility.
79. [Cloze passage – elections] ...under the supervision of party agents.
The 'returning officer' is responsible for overseeing the counting of votes and declaring results.
80. [Cloze passage – elections] At the end of the exercise, the winner will be .....
'Announced' refers to officially declaring the winner.
81. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] Choose the word with the same vowel sound as underlined in: women
The vowel sound /ɪ/ in 'women' /wɪmɪn/ is the same as in 'rid' /rɪd/.
82. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] pearl
The vowel sound /ɜːr/ in 'pearl' is the same as in 'curtain' /kɜːrtən/.
83. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] edit
The vowel sound /e/ in 'edit' is the same as in 'many' /meni/.
84. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] penal
The vowel sound /iː/ in 'penal' /piːnl/ is the same as in 'receipt' /rɪˈsiːt/.
85. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] passage
The vowel sound /æ/ in 'passage' /pæsɪdʒ/ is the same as in 'package' /pækɪdʒ/.
86. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] coarse
The vowel sound /ɔːr/ in 'coarse' /kɔːrs/ is the same as in 'chore' /tʃɔːr/.
87. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] stipend
The vowel sound /aɪ/ in 'stipend' /staɪpend/ is the same as in 'kite' /kaɪt/.
88. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] dumb
The vowel sound in 'dumb' /dʌm/ is treated as matching 'comb' per the answer key.
89. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] wolf
The vowel sound /ʊ/ in 'wolf' /wʊlf/ is the same as in 'wood' /wʊd/.
90. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] manure
The vowel sound /ə/ in 'manure' /mənjʊər/ is the same as in 'again' /əˈgen/.
91. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] host
The vowel sound /oʊ/ in 'host' /hoʊst/ is the same as in 'known' /noʊn/.
92. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] steak
The vowel sound /eɪ/ in 'steak' /steɪk/ is the same as in 'stake' /steɪk/.
93. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] brute
The vowel sound /uː/ in 'brute' /bruːt/ is the same as in 'lose' /luːz/.
94. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] south
The vowel sound /aʊ/ in 'south' /saʊθ/ is the same as in 'drought' /draʊt/.
95. [Test of Oral – Vowel Sounds] ploy
The vowel sound /ɔɪ/ in 'ploy' /plɔɪ/ is the same as in 'noise' /nɔɪz/.
96. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] escape
The 'sc' /sk/ sound in 'escape' /ɪskeɪp/ is the same as in 'school' /skuːl/.
97. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] chute
The 'ch' /ʃ/ sound in 'chute' /ʃuːt/ is the same as in 'sugar' /ʃʊgər/.
98. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] scion
The 'sc' in 'scion' /saɪən/ produces the /s/ sound, similar to 'barks' /bɑːrks/.
99. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] suture
The 'ture' /tʃər/ in 'suture' produces the same 'ch' sound as in 'chalk' /tʃɔːk/.
100. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] whole
The 'wh' /h/ in 'whole' /hoʊl/ produces a silent 'w', similar to 'sword' /sɔːrd/.
101. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] sold
The 'ld' /ld/ in 'sold' produces the same sound as in 'fold' /foʊld/.
102. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] lustre
The 'st' /st/ in 'lustre' /lʌstər/ produces the same sound as in 'straight' /streɪt/.
103. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] helped
The 'ed' in 'helped' produces a 't' sound, similar to 'risked' /rɪskt/.
104. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] viscount
The 'sc' /k/ in 'viscount' /vaɪkaʊnt/ produces the same sound as in 'car' /kɑːr/.
105. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] ankle
The 'n' /ŋ/ sound in 'punctual' /pʌŋktʃuəl/ is similar to the 'n' /ŋ/ sound in 'ankle' /æŋkəl/.
106. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] carry
The 'r' /r/ sound in 'rest' /rest/ is similar to the 'r' /r/ sound in 'carry' /kæri/.
107. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] whose
Per the answer key, the 'wh' sound pattern in 'whose' /huːz/ is matched with option D (note: the explanation text in the source also discusses 'what' as a close case — worth double-checking against the original).
108. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] league
The 'gg' /g/ sound in 'giggle' /gɪgəl/ produces a hard 'g' sound, similar to 'league' /liːg/.
109. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] loser
The 's' /z/ sound in 'peasant' /pezənt/ is similar to the 's' /z/ sound in 'loser' /luːzər/.
110. [Test of Oral – Consonant Sounds] listen
The 'c' in 'indict' /ɪndaɪt/ is silent, similar to the 't' in 'listen' /lɪsən/.
111. [Test of Oral – Rhymes] Choose the word that rhymes with: muscle
'Muscle' rhymes with 'tussle' because they have the same ending sound.
112. [Test of Oral – Rhymes] trouser
'Trouser' rhymes with 'browser' because they have the same ending sound.
113. [Test of Oral – Rhymes] aisle
'Aisle' rhymes with 'isle' because they have the same ending sound.
114. [Test of Oral – Rhymes] potter
'Potter' rhymes with 'rotten' because they have the same ending sound.
115. [Test of Oral – Rhymes] plaque
Per the answer key, 'plaque' rhymes with option D (worth double-checking exact option wording against the original scan, which was partly cut off).
116. [Test of Oral – Stress] Choose the option with the correct stress for: leguminous
The primary stress in 'leguminous' falls on the third syllable.
117. [Test of Oral – Stress] manifesto
The primary stress in 'manifesto' falls on the third syllable.
118. [Test of Oral – Stress] collocation
The primary stress in 'collocation' falls on the last syllable.
119. [Test of Oral – Stress] dependable
The primary stress in 'dependable' falls on the second syllable.
120. [Test of Oral – Stress] embodiment
The primary stress in 'embodiment' falls on the second syllable.
121. [Test of Oral – Odd Stress Pattern] Identify the word with the different stress pattern:
'Couture' has stress on the second syllable, while the other words have stress on the first syllable.
122. [Test of Oral – Odd Stress Pattern]
'Hotel' has stress on the second syllable, while the other words have stress on the first syllable.
123. [Test of Oral – Odd Stress Pattern]
'Harmony' has stress on the first syllable, while the other words have stress on the second syllable.
124. [Test of Oral – Odd Stress Pattern]
'Gainsay' has stress on the second syllable, while the other words have stress on the first syllable.
125. [Test of Oral – Odd Stress Pattern]
'Elephant' has stress on the first syllable, while the other words have stress on the second syllable.
126. [Test of Oral – Emphatic Stress] The United States will host the next FIFA football competition. Choose the question to which this is the appropriate answer.
The emphasis is on 'United States,' indicating that another country might have been considered as the host.
127. [Test of Oral – Emphatic Stress] Bisi's mother ENJOYS cooking.
The emphasis is on 'ENJOYS,' indicating the opposite (hate) is in question.
128. [Test of Oral – Emphatic Stress] We left for MAKURDI yesterday.
The emphasis is on 'MAKURDI,' indicating a different destination (Lagos) is in question.
129. [Test of Oral – Emphatic Stress] Ahmed greeted AKIN at the party.
The emphasis is on 'AKIN,' indicating another person (James) is in question.
130. [Test of Oral – Emphatic Stress] Bimpe was the FIRST to submit the assignment.
The emphasis is on 'FIRST,' indicating the opposite (last) is in question.
131. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] Choose the word that contains the sound represented by the symbol /ʌ/
The /ʌ/ sound is found in the first syllable of 'comfort' /kʌmfərt/.
132. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /aʊ/
The /aʊ/ sound is found in 'howl' /haʊl/.
133. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /v/
The /v/ sound is found in 'of' /ɒv/.
134. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /ə/
The /ə/ sound is found in the first syllable of 'about' /əˈbaʊt/.
135. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /ð/
The /ð/ sound is found in 'these' /ðiːz/.
136. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /j/
The /j/ sound is found in 'few' /fjuː/.
137. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /ɜː/
The /ɜːr/ sound is found in 'herb' /hɜːrb/.
138. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /aɪ/
The /aɪ/ sound is found in the first syllable of 'piety' /paɪəti/.
139. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /iː/
The /iː/ sound is found in the first syllable of 'regal' /riːgəl/.
140. [Test of Oral – Phonetic Symbol] /dʒ/
The /dʒ/ sound is found in 'gender' /dʒendər/.
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