JUPEB Use of English
Past Questions
131+ verified Use of English practice questions for JUPEB. Step-by-step worked answers in 5 Nigerian languages.
Use of English topics (10)
Sample Use of English practice questions
1. Synonym of PERSEVERANCE.
- A. Quit
- B. Persistence
- C. Anger
- D. Doubt
Answer: B
2. Antonym of EXPAND.
- A. Grow
- B. Increase
- C. Contract
- D. Inflate
Answer: C
3. Choose the synonym of CANDID.
- A. Dishonest
- B. Frank
- C. Shy
- D. Rude
Answer: B
4. Identify the verb: 'The dog barks loudly.'
- A. dog
- B. barks
- C. loudly
- D. the
Answer: B
5. Choose the correctly spelled word.
- A. Occassion
- B. Occasion
- C. Ocasion
- D. Occasionn
Answer: B
6. Choose the synonym of TERSE.
- A. Wordy
- B. Concise
- C. Rude
- D. Loud
Answer: B
7. Antonym of TRANSPARENT.
- A. Clear
- B. Opaque
- C. Bright
- D. Open
Answer: B
8. The phrase 'bone of contention' means a:
- A. Soup
- B. Cause of dispute
- C. Type of dog
- D. Strong bone
Answer: B
9. Choose the correct: 'One of the boys ___ absent.'
- A. are
- B. is
- C. were
- D. be
Answer: B
10. Choose the option closest in meaning to 'erudite': He gave an ___ lecture.
- A. uninformed
- B. scholarly
- C. humorous
- D. rude
Answer: B
AI Explanation
Erudite = showing great learning; scholarly.
11. Choose the correct sentence:
- A. He don't know the answer.
- B. He doesn't know the answer.
- C. He not know the answer.
- D. He no knowing the answer.
Answer: B
AI Explanation
Third-person singular negative present uses 'doesn't' + base verb.
12. Identify the underlined part of speech: 'The boy ran *swiftly*.'
- A. Noun
- B. Verb
- C. Adjective
- D. Adverb
Answer: D
AI Explanation
'Swiftly' modifies the verb 'ran' — adverb.
13. Choose the option with stress on the third syllable:
- A. DEvelopment
- B. deVELopment
- C. develOPment
- D. developMENT
Answer: B
AI Explanation
'Development' has primary stress on the second syllable: de-VEL-op-ment.
14. Identify the figure of speech in: 'The classroom was a zoo.'
- A. Simile
- B. Metaphor
- C. Personification
- D. Hyperbole
Answer: B
AI Explanation
Direct comparison without 'like' or 'as' — classroom IS a zoo. That's a metaphor.
15. Choose the antonym of 'meticulous':
- A. Careful
- B. Precise
- C. Careless
- D. Detailed
Answer: C
AI Explanation
Meticulous = careful and precise. Its antonym = careless.
16. Complete with the correct article: She is ___ honest person.
- A. a
- B. an
- C. the
- D. no article
Answer: B
AI Explanation
'Honest' begins with a silent 'h' (vowel sound) — use 'an'.
17. Punctuate correctly: 'Where are you going'
- A. Where are you going.
- B. Where are you going!
- C. Where are you going?
- D. Where are you going,
Answer: C
AI Explanation
Direct question ends with a question mark.
18. Choose the word with a silent letter:
- A. Knee
- B. Run
- C. Sun
- D. Bag
Answer: A
AI Explanation
The 'k' in 'knee' is silent.
19. If I ___ you, I would apologise.
- A. am
- B. was
- C. were
- D. be
Answer: C
AI Explanation
Subjunctive 'were' is used for hypothetical situations (second conditional), regardless of subject.
20. Choose the option that best completes the sentence. The lecturer insisted that every student ___ the assignment before the end of the week.
- A. submit
- B. will submit
- C. submitted
- D. submits
Answer: A
AI Explanation
Verbs of demand such as insist, recommend, demand and require are followed by the present subjunctive, which is the base form of the verb with no -s ending. 'Every student submit' is therefore correct. 'Submits' is the common error of applying ordinary singular agreement where the subjunctive is required.
21. Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.
- A. Having finished the examination, the scripts were collected by the invigilator.
- B. Having finished the examination, the invigilator collected the scripts from the candidates.
- C. Having finished the examination, it was time for the invigilator to collect the scripts.
- D. Having finished the examination, the candidates handed their scripts to the invigilator.
Answer: D
AI Explanation
A participial phrase at the start of a sentence must refer to the subject of the main clause. Only the candidates finished the examination, so 'the candidates' must be the subject. The other versions make the invigilator, the scripts or 'it' the one who finished the exam, which is a dangling participle.
22. Choose the option nearest in meaning to the word in quotation marks. The senator's speech was so 'prolix' that half the audience had left before he finished.
- A. brief
- B. incoherent
- C. aggressive
- D. long-winded
Answer: D
AI Explanation
Prolix describes speech or writing that is tediously lengthy and uses far more words than necessary, which is why the audience left. 'Brief' is the direct opposite. 'Incoherent' concerns clarity rather than length, and nothing in the sentence suggests hostility.
23. Choose the option opposite in meaning to the word in quotation marks. The committee's report on the fuel subsidy was unusually 'candid'.
- A. frank
- B. hasty
- C. detailed
- D. evasive
Answer: D
AI Explanation
Candid means open and truthful, so its opposite is evasive, meaning deliberately avoiding a direct answer. 'Frank' is a synonym, not an antonym. 'Detailed' and 'hasty' relate to thoroughness and speed, not honesty.
24. Choose the option that best completes the sentence. Neither the branch manager nor the cashiers ___ aware of the shortfall in the till.
- A. has been
- B. is
- C. were
- D. was
Answer: C
AI Explanation
With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. The nearer subject is 'the cashiers', which is plural, so the plural past form 'were' is required. Candidates who agree the verb with 'manager' choose the singular 'was' and are wrong.
25. Choose the option that best completes the sentence. ___ had the chief invigilator announced the start of the paper than the generator failed.
- A. Scarcely
- B. Barely
- C. No sooner
- D. Hardly
Answer: C
AI Explanation
'Than' in the second clause requires the comparative 'no sooner' in the first. 'Hardly', 'scarcely' and 'barely' are all followed by 'when', not 'than', so each of them produces an ungrammatical pairing with the given sentence.
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