Use Of English 2005 Jamb Examination

An opinionated person is someone who holds firmly to their own views and is often unwilling to consider other perspectives. The opposite of being opinionated is being objective, which means being open-minded, unbiased, and basing judgments on facts rather than personal feelings. Such a person evaluates situations rationally without allowing personal opinions to interfere with reasoning.

The word sumptuous means luxurious, splendid, or richly designed, often suggesting great expense or opulence. The opposite of something sumptuous would be simple, meaning plain, modest, or lacking in extravagance. Therefore, 'simple' conveys the absence of luxury or excess.

The word "denouement" refers to the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved. It's the conclusion or resolution.

Let's look at the options: A. audition: A try-out for a role. This is unrelated to the plot structure. B. criticism: The analysis and judgment of a work. This is unrelated to the plot structure. C. introduction: The beginning of a play or story, where characters and setting are introduced and the initial situation is presented. This is the direct opposite of the conclusion/resolution. D. climax: The most intense, exciting, or important point of something; the turning point of a narrative. While the climax precedes the denouement in a story, it is not the opposite in the way that an introduction (beginning) is the opposite of a denouement (end).

Therefore, the opposite of "denouement" (the end/resolution) is "introduction" (the beginning).

The word wary means cautious, careful, or alert to potential danger. The opposite of being wary is being unscared of or fearless — showing no concern or caution about potential risks. Therefore, 'unscared of' correctly conveys the opposite sense of being careful or apprehensive.

The verb acquiesce means to accept or comply passively without protest. Therefore, the opposite of acquiescing is resisting, which means actively opposing or refusing to accept something. 'Resisting' directly contradicts the idea of silent submission or agreement.

The word inexpressible means something too great, overwhelming, or sacred to be described in words. The synonym that closely matches this meaning is ineffable, which also denotes something beyond verbal expression or human comprehension, especially in a spiritual or emotional sense.

The idiom ‘made a pie’ in the context of a business deal implies that something profitable or successful was achieved. Therefore, the expression nearest in meaning is earned a lot of money, indicating financial gain or success from the transaction.

In reported speech, when the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported clause also shifts to the past tense. Therefore, 'my mother asked me if I was tired' is grammatically correct. The present tense 'am' and direct question forms like 'are you tired?' are inappropriate in this structure.

The correct idiomatic expression is with regard to, meaning 'concerning' or 'in reference to'. Other variations such as 'as regard to' and 'in regard of' are grammatically incorrect. Although 'with regards to' is common in informal speech, the singular 'regard' is the grammatically proper form.

The correct order of adjectives in English typically follows this pattern: Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose. Therefore, 'an attractive carved wooden tray' is correct, as 'attractive' (opinion) comes before 'carved' (participle adjective) and 'wooden' (material). The indefinite article 'an' fits naturally with 'attractive'.