Use Of English 2022 Jamb Examination

In the word 'national' /ˈnæʃ.nəl/, the letter 't' (within the 'tion' cluster) represents the voiceless palato-alveolar fricative sound /ʃ/. We must find another word containing this /ʃ/ sound.

national - /ˈnæʃ.nəl/
sugar - /ˈʃʊɡ.ə/
raise - /reɪz/
glass - /ɡlɑːs/
tree - /triː/

The word 'sugar' is a classic example in English phonology where the letter 's' is pronounced as /ʃ/. Therefore, the consonant sound in 'sugar' is the same as the one represented by 't' in 'national'.

The underlined letter in 'foot' /fʊt/ represents the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/. Examining the options:

foot - /fʊt/
live - /lɪv/ (voiced /v/)
vegetable - /ˈvedʒ.tə.bl̩/ (voiced /v/)
traffic - /ˈtræf.ɪk/
of - /ɒv/ (voiced /v/)

In 'traffic', the double 'ff' represents the single voiceless /f/ sound. Note that 'of' is a common trap because the 'f' is actually pronounced as a voiced /v/. 'Traffic' is the only option that maintains the voiceless /f/ sound found in 'foot'.

The 'th' in 'mother' /ˈmʌð.ə/ represents the voiced dental fricative /ð/. To find a match, we must distinguish it from the voiceless /θ/ sound.

mother - /ˈmʌð.ə/
think - /θɪŋk/ (voiceless /θ/)
teacher - /ˈtiː.tʃə/
breathe - /briːð/ (voiced /ð/)
watched - /wɒtʃt/

'Breathe' is a verb that ends with the voiced /ð/ sound. This is distinct from the noun 'breath', which ends in the voiceless /θ/. Therefore, 'breathe' is the correct match for the voiced 'th' in 'mother'.

This question requires an analysis of word stress in disyllabic (two-syllable) words. In English, there is a general rule where most two-syllable nouns are stressed on the first syllable, while most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable.

embrace (verb) - /ɪmˈbreɪs/
suspect (verb) - /səˈspekt/
member (noun) - /ˈmem.bə/
project (verb) - /prəˈdʒekt/

As shown in the transcriptions, 'embrace', 'suspect' (when used as a verb), and 'project' (when used as a verb) all carry the primary stress on the second syllable. However, 'member' is a noun and is stressed on the first syllable (MEM-ber). This makes 'member' the only word in the list with a first-syllable stress pattern, while the others follow the second-syllable stress pattern common to many English verbs.

Word stress patterns often depend on the word's origin or grammatical category. In this set:

Hotel - /həʊˈtel/
Esteem - /ɪˈstiːm/
Police - /pəˈliːs/
Table - /ˈteɪ.bl̩/

'Hotel', 'Esteem', and 'Police' are all stressed on the second syllable. 'Table' is a standard two-syllable English noun, and following the general rule for such nouns, the stress falls on the first syllable (TA-ble). Understanding this rule helps in identifying that 'Table' is the only word in this list with primary stress at the beginning.

The target word 'Student' is a disyllabic noun. In English, the stress for 'Student' falls on the first syllable: /ˈstjuː.dənt/ (STU-dent). We need to find an option that shares this 1-0 stress pattern.

Refuse (noun) - /ˈref.juːs/
Propose (verb) - /prəˈpəʊz/
Rebel (verb) - /rɪˈbel/
Superb (adjective) - /suːˈpɜːb/

While 'Propose', 'Rebel' (verb), and 'Superb' are all stressed on the second syllable, 'Refuse' as a noun (meaning waste or garbage) is stressed on the first syllable (REF-use). Therefore, 'Refuse (N)' is the correct match for the stress pattern of 'Student'. Note that if 'Refuse' were a verb, the stress would shift to the second syllable.

This question focuses on emphatic stress, where the capitalised word 'GOLD' represents the specific information being highlighted or corrected. To identify the correct question, we look for one that keeps all other elements of the sentence identical while providing an alternative to the stressed word. Option C asks, 'Is John's watch made of silver?' This allows the statement to act as a correction: 'No, not silver, it is made of GOLD.' Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they question the owner, the object, or the type of jewellery, respectively, which would require the stress to be on different words in the response.

In the statement 'She WORKS at the hospital', the emphasis is on the action (the verb 'works'). Emphatic stress is used to provide an answer to a question that specifically targets that stressed word. The question in Option D, 'What does she do at the hospital?' is the most appropriate because it asks for the action she performs there. The response highlights that she 'WORKS' there, rather than being a patient or a visitor. Option B is incorrect because it asks for the location, which would require the stress to be on 'HOSPITAL'.

The word 'STATED' carries the emphatic stress, which means the focus of the sentence is on the manner or the specific action of communication. To find the right question, we need one that challenges the verb 'stated' while keeping the subject (Aderonke) and the rest of the clause the same. Option A asks, 'Did Aderonke lament she had a right to her privacy?' This allows the speaker to correct the verb by saying she didn't 'lament' it, she 'STATED' it. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they introduce contradictions to the subject, the pronoun, or the object, which do not match the stressed word.

In this military or competitive context, the word 'repulsed' means to be driven back, rebuffed, or defeated in an attack. Its synonyms include words like 'repelled' or 'rejected'. To find the opposite, we look for a word that suggests a positive or welcoming reception rather than a forceful rejection. 'Gratified' means to be given pleasure or satisfaction. While not a direct military antonym, in the context of general interaction, being 'gratified' (satisfied/pleased) stands as the most nearly opposite emotional or situational state compared to being 'repulsed' (driven away/rejected).