Use Of English 2008 Jamb Examination

The expression 'needn't have' implies that an action was performed, but it was not necessary. Therefore, 'He needn't have bought that table' means he did buy it, although there was no need to. The action took place, but it was avoidable or unnecessary. This structure is used to express a past action that turned out to be redundant or pointless.

The expression 'too cold for him to go out' means that the coldness of the weather prevented him from going out. The cold was excessive to the point that he stayed indoors. Hence, it implies he did not go out because the weather was extremely cold and uncomfortable for him.

To 'adjourn' a meeting means to suspend it temporarily with the intention of continuing it later. Therefore, 'He wants the meeting to be adjourned' means he wants the meeting to be postponed or continued on another day. It does not mean the meeting is cancelled permanently but merely paused to resume at a later time.

The phrase 'vociferous few' refers to a small number of people who express their opinions loudly and forcefully. Therefore, the sentence means that his father is among a small group actively and loudly opposing the company's appointment of the manager. The emphasis is on their outspoken objection to the decision.

The sentence describes a rule that was enforced in the school at the time. It means any student who actually spoke in a language other than English was fined ten naira. The focus is on those who committed the act, not those who intended to. Therefore, it refers to those who used another language on the premises and were penalised for it.

The phrase 'vexed issue' means a problem that has been widely discussed and remains controversial or troubling. It does not mean the officer was angry but that the topic itself has caused public annoyance or concern. Therefore, the sentence means that the officer contributed his opinion or remarks to an already much-discussed issue about power outages.

The word 'prevailing' means existing or widespread at a particular time, something dominant or common. Its opposite in meaning is 'uncommon', which denotes something rare or not widespread. Hence, 'uncommon' is the antonym of 'prevailing' in this context.

The word 'nonplussed' means to be confused, bewildered, or unsure of how to react. Its opposite would be 'unpuzzled', meaning not confused or calm in understanding. Therefore, 'unpuzzled' expresses the opposite sense of being nonplussed.

The word 'scrupulous' means very careful, honest, and morally upright. The opposite of being scrupulous would be 'careless', which indicates lack of attention to moral principles or accuracy. Thus, 'careless' best conveys the antonymic meaning in this sentence.

The word 'deplorable' means very bad, unacceptable, or deserving strong condemnation. The opposite would therefore be 'admirable', which means worthy of praise or approval. Hence, 'admirable' expresses the reverse of 'deplorable' in this context.