JAMB English Past Questions

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JAMB English Past Questions | Complete Study Pack

Introduction

The JAMB Use of English exam is compulsory for all UTME candidates and carries the highest number of questions. Mastering it requires consistent practice with past questions, understanding the exam structure, and improving speed and accuracy.

This guide provides everything you need to excel, including a full practice test, topic breakdown, and exam‑style questions.

JAMB English Exam Structure

JAMB Use of English is divided into four major sections:

✅ A. Comprehension & Summary

  • Passages
  • Interpretation
  • Summary writing
  • Main ideas & supporting details

✅ B. Lexis & Structure

  • Vocabulary
  • Idioms
  • Synonyms & antonyms
  • Sentence completion
  • Grammar rules

✅ C. Oral English

  • Stress patterns
  • Vowel & consonant sounds
  • Rhymes
  • Emphatic stress

✅ D. JAMB Novel

  • Plot
  • Themes
  • Characters
  • Setting
  • Author’s style

Topic‑by‑Topic Breakdown (Full Syllabus)

This section is designed to help students study strategically.

✅ A. Comprehension Topics

  • Factual passages
  • Narrative passages
  • Argumentative passages
  • Interpretation of meaning
  • Contextual clues
  • Summary writing

✅ B. Grammar Topics

  • Parts of speech
  • Concord (subject‑verb agreement)
  • Tenses
  • Clauses & phrases
  • Sentence structure
  • Punctuation
  • Direct & indirect speech
  • Active & passive voice

✅ C. Vocabulary Topics

  • Word formation
  • Idioms & expressions
  • Synonyms
  • Antonyms
  • Collocations
  • Registers

✅ D. Oral English Topics

  • Vowel sounds
  • Consonant sounds
  • Diphthongs
  • Rhymes
  • Stress
  • Intonation
  • Emphatic stress

✅ E. JAMB Novel Topics

  • Plot summary
  • Themes
  • Character analysis
  • Setting
  • Author’s message
  • Literary devices

Past Question Patterns (What JAMB Repeats Often)

✅ Comprehension

  • Questions about the main idea
  • Meaning of words in context
  • Tone and attitude of the writer

✅ Lexis & Structure

  • Fill-in-the-gap
  • Nearest in meaning
  • Opposite in meaning
  • Correct grammatical structure

✅ Oral English

  • Identify stressed syllables
  • Choose the word with a different vowel sound
  • Emphatic stress

✅ Novel

  • Character traits
  • Plot sequence
  • Themes

FULL 40‑QUESTION JAMB ENGLISH PRACTICE TEST

Below is a complete, exam‑style practice test.

SECTION A: LEXIS & STRUCTURE (1–15)

1. The students were advised to abstain ___ examination malpractice.

  1. from B. on C. with D. at

2. If he ___ earlier, he would have met us.

  1. arrived B. had arrived C. arrives D. arriving

3. The manager objected ___ the proposal.

  1. to B. at C. for D. with

4. The teacher said the boy was as brave as a ___.

  1. lion B. goat C. sheep D. dove

5. Choose the word nearest in meaning to “candid”:

  1. honest B. wicked C. silent D. proud

6. The workers were paid in arrears. “Arrears” means ___.

  1. before time B. after time C. on time D. weekly

7. The meeting was called off. “Called off” means ___.

  1. postponed B. cancelled C. delayed D. shifted

8. The opposite of “scarce” is ___.

  1. few B. plenty C. little D. rare

9. The boy was punished for his negligence.
“Negligence” means ___.

  1. carelessness B. boldness C. laziness D. stubbornness

10. The car is superior ___ mine.

  1. to B. than C. over D. from

11. The man is known for his avarice.
“Avarice” means ___.

  1. greed B. kindness C. humility D. pride

12. The teacher insisted that the work ___ done.

  1. be B. is C. was D. were

13. The girl is the ___ of the two sisters.

  1. tall B. taller C. tallest D. most tall

14. The soldiers ran ___ the enemy.

  1. into B. over C. across D. after

15. The opposite of “hostile” is ___.

  1. friendly B. wicked C. harsh D. cold

SECTION B: ORAL ENGLISH (16–25)

16. Which word has the same vowel sound as “seat”?

  1. sit B. beat C. set D. bit

17. Identify the stressed syllable in “examination.”

  1. ex‑ B. ‑am‑ C. ‑i‑ D. ‑na‑

18. Which word has a different consonant sound?

  1. ship B. chip C. sheep D. cheap

19. Choose the word that rhymes with “fair”:

  1. fear B. bear C. far D. fire

20. Emphatic stress:
“John bought the RED car.”
Which question does this answer?

  1. Did John buy the blue car
  2. Did Peter buy the red car
  3. Did John sell the red car
  4. Did John buy the red car

21. Which word has the odd stress pattern?

  1. teacher B. father C. engineer D. mother

22. Which has the same vowel sound as “book”?

  1. boot B. put C. luck D. look

23. Which word has the /ʃ/ sound?

  1. measure B. ship C. chair D. judge

24. The stressed syllable in “photograph” is ___.

  1. pho‑ B. ‑to‑ C. ‑graph D. none

25. Which word has a different stress pattern?

  1. understand B. entertain C. recommend D. father

SECTION C: COMPREHENSION (26–30)

(Passage omitted but questions follow the JAMB pattern.)

26. The main idea of the passage is ___.

  1. the writer’s opinion
  2. the central argument
  3. the setting
  4. the characters

27. The tone of the writer is ___.

  1. humorous B. sarcastic C. serious D. indifferent

28. The phrase “in the long run” means ___.

  1. eventually B. quickly C. suddenly D. rarely

29. The writer suggests that ___.

  1. people should work harder
  2. the situation can improve
  3. nothing can be done
  4. the government is helpless

30. The expression “a blessing in disguise” means ___.

  1. a hidden advantage
  2. a terrible event
  3. a sudden loss
  4. an obvious blessing

SECTION D: JAMB NOVEL (31–40)

(Generic questions suitable for any JAMB novel.)

31. The protagonist is best described as ___.

  1. timid B. courageous C. wicked D. lazy

32. The major theme of the novel is ___.

  1. betrayal B. love C. corruption D. perseverance

33. The setting of the novel is ___.

  1. rural B. urban C. foreign D. unknown

34. The conflict in the story arises when ___.

  1. the hero meets the villain
  2. a major problem occurs
  3. the story ends
  4. the narrator changes

35. The author uses flashback to ___.

  1. confuse readers
  2. explain past events
  3. introduce new characters
  4. create suspense

36. Which character represents wisdom

  1. the elder B. the child C. the antagonist D. the stranger

37. The climax of the story occurs when ___.

  1. tension is highest
  2. the story begins
  3. characters are introduced
  4. the setting changes

38. The narrator’s point of view is ___.

  1. first person B. second person C. third person D. omniscient

39. The author’s message is mainly about ___.

  1. hope B. fear C. greed D. confusion

40. The ending of the novel can be described as ___.

  1. tragic B. happy C. unresolved D. surprising

ANSWERS TO THE 40 QUESTIONS

1. A
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. A
10. A
11. A
12. A
13. B
14. D
15. A
16. B
17. D
18. A
19. B
20. A
21. C
22. B
23. B
24. A
25. D
26. B
27. C
28. A
29. B
30. A
31. B
32. D
33. A
34. B
35. B
36. A
37. A
38. A
39. A
40. D

Conclusion

This comprehensive JAMB English Past Questions guide gives students everything they need to prepare effectively: a full practice test, topic breakdown, exam structure, and detailed answers. With consistent practice, candidates can significantly improve their UTME scores.

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