Use Of English 2020 Jamb Examination

Expenditure - /ɪkˈspen.dɪ.tʃə/
In English phonology, the word 'expenditure' is a four-syllable noun derived from the verb 'expend'. The primary stress remains on the second syllable, which is the root of the word. Stressed as ex-PEN-di-ture, it follows the common pattern where the prefix 'ex-' remains unstressed in favor of the stem. Therefore, the second syllable carries the primary emphasis.

This question tests the rule of grammatical concord (subject-verb agreement). When a singular subject is joined to another noun by phrases such as 'as well as', 'together with', 'along with', or 'in addition to', these phrases are considered parenthetical and do not change the number of the subject. The verb must agree only with the first subject, 'The man', which is singular. Therefore, the singular auxiliary verb 'has' is required to form the present perfect passive 'has been'.

The expression 'many a' is a fixed English idiom that is always followed by a singular countable noun and a singular verb, despite referring to a large number of things or people. In this sentence, the singular noun is 'man' and the singular verb is 'fails' (with the third-person singular suffix -s). Using a plural noun or plural verb with 'many a' is grammatically incorrect in standard English.

This sentence involves a relative clause. The relative pronoun 'that' refers back to its antecedent 'you'. In English concord, 'you' always takes a plural verb form (are) regardless of whether it refers to one person or many. Furthermore, the phrase 'be supposed to' is an idiomatic construction used to express obligation or expectation; it always requires the past participle 'supposed'. Combined, the correct structure is 'you that are supposed'.

This question tests the distinction between the intransitive verb 'lie' (to recline) and the transitive verb 'lay' (to put something down).
The principal parts of 'lie' are: lie (present), lay (past), and lain (past participle).
The principal parts of 'lay' are: lay (present), laid (past), and laid (past participle).
Since the sentence describes the father reclining (intransitive) and uses the auxiliary 'has', we need the past participle of 'lie', which is 'lain'. 'Lied' is the past tense of 'lie' meaning to tell a falsehood.

The verb 'comprise' is a transitive verb meaning 'to consist of' or 'to be composed of'. In active voice usage, it should not be followed by the preposition 'of'. Therefore, 'comprises' is correct because 'This class' is a singular collective noun acting as a single unit. While the phrase 'is comprised of' is common in passive usage, 'comprises of' is considered a grammatical error in formal United Kingdom English.

This sentence requires the past perfect tense to show that one action (the singing) was completed before another action in the past (the arrival). The past perfect is formed using the auxiliary 'had' and the past participle of the main verb. For the irregular verb 'sing', the parts are sing (present), sang (past), and sung (past participle). Thus, 'had sung' is the correct choice to indicate the sequence of events.

This question tests the two different past tense forms of the verb 'hang'. The form 'hung' is used for suspending objects (like a gun on a wall). The form 'hanged' is used specifically for execution by suspending a person by the neck. The sentence describes the soldier suspending an object (hung) and the robber being executed (hanged). The use of the past perfect 'had been hanged' is appropriate to show the robber's execution happened relative to the soldier's action.

This is a spelling-based question. The word 'privilege' comes from the Latin 'privilegium'. The correct spelling is 'privilege', with an 'i' after the 'v' and 'e' after the 'l'. Common misspellings include adding a 'd' (priviledge) or changing the vowels. Remembering the 'i-i-e-e' vowel sequence (p r i v i l e g e) helps in identifying the correct version.

In university register, 'convoke' means to call together or summon an assembly of people for a formal meeting or ceremony, such as a graduation. While 'convocation' is the noun for the ceremony, 'convoke' is the verb often associated with the formal summoning for that event. 'Matriculate' is incorrect here as it refers to the beginning of university (enrolling), not the end.