JAMB Use of English 2021 practice collection

24 reviewed questions with answers and explanations.

These adapted questions come from a publisher-labelled 2021 collection. The original UTME sitting and question numbers are unconfirmed. Practice selection: full-paper coverage has not been confirmed.

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Answer 10 distinct reviewed Use of English questions from this 2021 collection in 30 minutes, then see your raw score and explanations. This is a practice selection, not a confirmed complete UTME paper.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) underlined. The matter was considered a private concern of the chairman to handle Target: private.

  1. personal
  2. known
  3. public
  4. open
Answer and explanation

A: personal

Private means personal or concerning an individual. The chairman is handling his own concern, rather than a publicly known or open matter.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) underlined. He was underrated at the preliminary stage of the competition Target: preliminary.

  1. advance
  2. initial
  3. selection
  4. crucial
Answer and explanation

B: initial

Preliminary describes an initial or introductory stage before the main proceedings.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) underlined. The office assistant was dismissed for pilfering Target: pilfering.

  1. fighting
  2. incompetence
  3. stealing
  4. mismanagement
Answer and explanation

C: stealing

Pilfering means stealing, typically small amounts or small items.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) underlined. Barely six months after his father's demise, he has nothing left again of his patrimony Target: patrimony.

  1. inheritance
  2. property
  3. reputation
  4. valuables
Answer and explanation

A: inheritance

Patrimony is property inherited from a father or ancestor. Inheritance is more precise than property generally.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) underlined. His grandfather was one of the few patriotic Nigerians who ever lived. Target: patriotic.

  1. obedient
  2. lover of Nigeria
  3. calculative
  4. careless
Answer and explanation

B: lover of Nigeria

A patriotic person loves and supports their country; here that country is Nigeria.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the most appropriate option nearest in meaning to the word(s) underlined. Many people believed that such an action is unbecoming of a leader Target: unbecoming.

  1. forthcoming
  2. not befitting
  3. unwanted
  4. not necessary
Answer and explanation

B: not befitting

Unbecoming means not appropriate or not befitting someone in the specified position.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined The lady has devised a means of tackling her current challenges. Target: tackling.

  1. attacking
  2. avoiding
  3. handling
  4. suspending
Answer and explanation

B: avoiding

Tackling a challenge means confronting or dealing with it. Avoiding it expresses the opposite response.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined One hundred and forty kilometres per hour is a reasonable speed limit. Target: reasonable.

  1. acceptable
  2. unbelievable
  3. outrageous
  4. detestable
Answer and explanation

C: outrageous

Reasonable means sensible or acceptable in degree; outrageous means excessively unreasonable. The question tests vocabulary, not an endorsement of the stated speed.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined The annual festival attracts dignitaries from both home and abroad. Target: dignitaries.

  1. spectators
  2. celebrities
  3. chieftains
  4. nonentities
Answer and explanation

D: nonentities

Dignitaries are people with high rank or important positions. Nonentities are people regarded as having little importance, the closest opposite here.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined Insecurity has escalated since the present government came into power. Target: escalated.

  1. abated
  2. increased
  3. proliferated
  4. metamorphosed
Answer and explanation

A: abated

Escalated means increased or become more serious. Abated means decreased or become less intense.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined It is embarrassing to accept our mistakes and tender an apology. Target: embarrassing.

  1. acceptable
  2. honourable
  3. detestable
  4. pardonable
Answer and explanation

B: honourable

Embarrassing suggests causing shame or discomfort. Honourable expresses the contrasting idea that acknowledging mistakes is worthy of respect.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined James found the photocopied material invaluable while preparing for the examination Target: invaluable.

  1. Valuable
  2. worthwhile
  3. worthless
  4. important
Answer and explanation

C: worthless

Invaluable means extremely useful or valuable, not lacking value. Worthless expresses the opposite.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option nearly opposite in meaning to the word(s) underlined Mr. Akin's health has greatly degenerated in the last week. Target: degenerated.

  1. improved
  2. deteriorated
  3. expanded
  4. abated
Answer and explanation

A: improved

Degenerated means worsened or declined in condition. Improved is the opposite.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option with the correct spelling from the options lettered A-E

  1. Interprete
  2. Interpret
  3. Inteprete
  4. Interprette
  5. Interrpret
Answer and explanation

B: Interpret

Interpret is the standard spelling; it has one initial in-, the sequence -ter-, and ends in -pret.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option with the correct spelling from the options lettered A-E

  1. Sucesful
  2. Succeful
  3. Successful
  4. Sucessful
  5. Sucessfull
Answer and explanation

C: Successful

Successful is spelled with double c and double s, followed by -ful with one l.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option with the correct spelling from the options lettered A-E

  1. Acommodation
  2. Accomodation
  3. Accormodation
  4. Accommodation
  5. Accomodetion
Answer and explanation

D: Accommodation

Accommodation has two c letters and two m letters. Only option D preserves both doubled consonants and the ending -ation.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

complete the statement from the options lettered A-D The meeting was organised at _______ instance ?

  1. whom
  2. whose's
  3. whose
  4. whom's
Answer and explanation

C: whose

Whose is the possessive question word needed before instance. Whom is an object pronoun; whose has no added apostrophe or s.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

complete the statement from the options lettered A-D Mr. Jude made the meeting _____his poor health

  1. even though
  2. inspite of
  3. in spite of
  4. despite that
Answer and explanation

C: in spite of

In spite of takes the noun phrase his poor health and expresses contrast. Even though takes a clause, and the one-word spelling inspite is nonstandard.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

complete the statement from the options lettered A-D The manager met the ______ who came visiting last week

  1. dark tall good-looking American
  2. good-looking tall dark American
  3. Tall dark American good-looking
  4. American dark tall good-looking
Answer and explanation

B: good-looking tall dark American

The usual adjective sequence here is opinion (good-looking), size (tall), colour or appearance (dark), then nationality (American).

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the letter(s) underlined from the options lettered A-E Head Target: ea.

  1. bead
  2. red
  3. rear
  4. stir
  5. heel
Answer and explanation

B: red

The underlined ea in head represents /e/, also found in red. Bead and heel have /iː/, rear has a different vowel sequence, and stir has /ɜː/ in standard British pronunciation.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the letter(s) underlined from the options lettered A-E Moon Target: oo.

  1. cook
  2. loop
  3. pull
  4. look
  5. double
Answer and explanation

B: loop

Moon and loop both contain /uː/. Cook, pull and look ordinarily have /ʊ/, while double has /ʌ/.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the letter(s) underlined from the options lettered A-E Creep Target: ee.

  1. beep
  2. bring
  3. tread
  4. credit
  5. ship
Answer and explanation

A: beep

Creep and beep both have the long vowel /iː/. Bring and ship have /ɪ/; tread and credit have /e/.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option that has the same consonant sound as the letter(s) underlined from the options lettered A-E Teach Target: T.

  1. deviate
  2. through
  3. wrath
  4. both
  5. listen
Answer and explanation

A: deviate

The initial T in Teach represents /t/, also present in deviate. Through, wrath and both use /θ/, while the written t in listen is silent.

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Practice question

Myschool 2021 collection · Original sitting and question number unconfirmed.

choose the option that has the same consonant sound as the letter(s) underlined from the options lettered A-E Bark Target: B.

  1. climb
  2. tomb
  3. curb
  4. doubt
  5. dumb
Answer and explanation

C: curb

The B in Bark represents /b/, which is also pronounced at the end of curb. The b is silent in climb, tomb, doubt and dumb.

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