How to Pass JAMB Use of English in 2027 | JAMB English Questions and Answers 2026 | JAMB Use of English Syllabus, Tips and Practice Questions | Score High in JAMB 2027 with These English Questions
Introduction: Why Use of English is the Most Critical JAMB Subject
If there is one subject that every JAMB 2026/2027 candidate must get right, it is Use of English. Unlike other subjects where you choose four from a list, Use of English is compulsory for every single student writing JAMB, regardless of course or institution. It counts toward your total score and it is often the difference between those who score 300 and above and those who do not.
JAMB Use of English tests your ability to read, comprehend, and communicate effectively in the English language. Questions are drawn from grammar and usage, vocabulary, oral forms, essay writing structure, and comprehension passages. Many students lose critical marks here not because the content is beyond them, but because they have not prepared systematically.
This guide gives you 50 high-probability questions and expert answers modeled on JAMB syllabus trends, past question patterns, and the direction JAMB has been moving in 2024 and 2025. Study these carefully, understand the reasoning behind each answer, and you will be well positioned to score excellently in JAMB 2026/2027.
JAMB Use of English Syllabus Breakdown
The JAMB Use of English syllabus covers five major areas: (1) Lexis and Structure, which includes vocabulary, grammar, and sentence construction; (2) Oral English and Phonology, covering vowel sounds, consonants, stress, and intonation; (3) Comprehension Passages, where you read and answer questions; (4) Summary Writing Skills; and (5) Register and Usage in context.
JAMB typically draws between 60 to 80 questions from these areas. Lexis and Structure and Comprehension are the heaviest sections. Master these and your score will rise significantly.
Past Question Trends and What JAMB Is Likely to Test in 2026/2027
Looking at JAMB Use of English from 2019 to 2025, a clear pattern emerges. JAMB loves testing figures of speech (especially personification, metaphor, simile, irony, and oxymoron), subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, vocabulary in context (what does this word mean as used in the passage), and comprehension inference questions. Expect at least 5 to 7 idiom-based questions and 4 to 6 questions on oral English. Do not ignore phonology as many students do.
50 Predicted JAMB 2026/2027 Use of English Questions and Answers
Q1. Identify the figure of speech in: ‘The wind howled through the trees.’
Answer: Personification. The wind is given human qualities (howling).
Q2. Which of these is an example of a simile?
Answer: A simile compares two things using ‘like’ or ‘as.’ Example: ‘She ran as fast as the wind.’
Q3. What is the plural of ‘criterion’?
Answer: Criteria.
Q4. Choose the correct sentence: (a) He don’t know. (b) He doesn’t know.
Answer: (b) He doesn’t know. Subject-verb agreement requires ‘doesn’t’ for third-person singular.
Q5. What is a ‘synonym’ for ‘benevolent’?
Answer: Kind, charitable, or generous.
Q6. Identify the type of clause: ‘Although it was raining, she went out.’
Answer: ‘Although it was raining’ is a subordinate (adverbial) clause.
Q7. What does ‘ubiquitous’ mean?
Answer: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
Q8. Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
Answer: ‘If I were you, I would study harder.’ The subjunctive uses ‘were’ regardless of subject.
Q9. What is the antonym of ‘verbose’?
Answer: Concise or terse.
Q10. Fill the gap: ‘Neither the boys nor the girl ___ present.’
Answer: ‘was’ present. When ‘neither…nor’ is used, the verb agrees with the noun closest to it.
Q11. What is a ‘gerund’?
Answer: A verb form ending in ‘-ing’ that functions as a noun. Example: ‘Swimming is healthy.’
Q12. Identify the rhetorical device: ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’
Answer: Antithesis. It contrasts opposing ideas (‘to be’ vs ‘not to be’) in a balanced structure.
Q13. What does ‘proscribe’ mean?
Answer: To forbid or prohibit by law.
Q14. Choose the correct preposition: ‘She is good ___ mathematics.’
Answer: ‘at.’ She is good at mathematics.
Q15. What is the passive voice of: ‘The teacher punished the student’?
Answer: ‘The student was punished by the teacher.’
Q16. Identify the error: ‘One of the students have passed.’
Answer: The error is ‘have.’ It should be ‘has’ because ‘one’ is the subject (singular).
Q17. What figure of speech is: ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’?
Answer: Metaphor. It directly compares the pen (writing/ideas) to the sword (force/violence).
Q18. What is a ‘homophone’?
Answer: Words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. Example: ‘there’ and ‘their.’
Q19. Select the correctly spelled word: accomodate / accommodate / acomodate.
Answer: accommodate (double ‘c’ and double ‘m’).
Q20. What is an ‘oxymoron’?
Answer: A figure of speech combining contradictory terms. Example: ‘deafening silence.’
Q21. Complete the idiom: ‘A bird in hand is worth ___’
Answer: ‘two in the bush.’ It means something certain is more valuable than something uncertain.
Q22. What is the difference between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’?
Answer: ‘Affect’ is usually a verb (to influence); ‘effect’ is usually a noun (a result).
Q23. What tense is: ‘By next year, I will have graduated’?
Answer: Future Perfect Tense.
Q24. Identify the type of sentence: ‘Run!’
Answer: Imperative sentence. It gives a command.
Q25. What does ‘ephemeral’ mean?
Answer: Lasting for a very short time; transitory.
Q26. Choose correctly: ‘He is taller than (I/me).’
Answer: ‘I.’ In formal English, ‘than’ functions as a conjunction, so nominative case ‘I’ is correct.
Q27. What is ‘onomatopoeia’?
Answer: A word that imitates the sound it represents. Examples: buzz, hiss, clang.
Q28. Which is the correct sentence? ‘Lay down.’ or ‘Lie down.’
Answer: ‘Lie down.’ ‘Lie’ means to recline; ‘lay’ requires a direct object (‘Lay the book down’).
Q29. What is the function of a ‘thesis statement’ in an essay?
Answer: It presents the main argument or central point of the essay, usually at the end of the introduction.
Q30. What does ‘ameliorate’ mean?
Answer: To make something bad or unsatisfactory better; to improve.
Q31. Identify the mood: ‘Would you please close the door?’
Answer: Interrogative/Polite imperative. It makes a polite request in question form.
Q32. What is ‘alliteration’?
Answer: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of closely connected words. Example: ‘Peter Piper picked a peck.’
Q33. What is the plural of ‘phenomenon’?
Answer: Phenomena.
Q34. Define ‘syntax’ in grammar.
Answer: Syntax refers to the set of rules that govern how words are arranged to form sentences.
Q35. What is a ‘clause’?
Answer: A group of words containing a subject and a predicate (verb). It may be dependent or independent.
Q36. Identify the error: ‘Between you and I, this is wrong.’
Answer: Error: ‘I.’ It should be ‘me.’ Prepositions like ‘between’ take object pronouns.
Q37. What does ‘garrulous’ mean?
Answer: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
Q38. What is the future continuous tense of ‘write’?
Answer: ‘Will be writing.’ Example: ‘She will be writing the exam tomorrow.’
Q39. Identify the figure of speech: ‘The stars danced in the sky.’
Answer: Personification. Stars are given the human ability to dance.
Q40. What does ‘reticent’ mean?
Answer: Not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily; reserved or quiet.
Q41. Which word correctly completes the sentence: ‘She bought ___ books.’ (less/fewer)
Answer: ‘fewer.’ Use ‘fewer’ for countable nouns; ‘less’ for uncountable nouns.
Q42. What is ‘dramatic irony’?
Answer: When the audience knows something the characters do not.
Q43. What is the meaning of ‘enervate’?
Answer: To weaken or drain of energy or vitality.
Q44. Define ‘ellipsis’ as a punctuation mark.
Answer: Three dots (…) used to indicate omitted words or a trailing off in thought.
Q45. What is the correct form: ‘The jury has/have reached a verdict’?
Answer: Either can be correct. ‘Jury’ is a collective noun. ‘Has’ treats it as a single unit; ‘have’ treats members individually (more common in British English).
Q46. What is ‘assonance’?
Answer: The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: ‘The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.’
Q47. What does ‘ostracize’ mean?
Answer: To exclude someone from a group or society.
Q48. Identify the sentence type: ‘I wanted to go, but it was raining.’
Answer: Compound sentence. Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘but.’
Q49. What is a ‘dangling modifier’?
Answer: A modifier that does not clearly relate to the word it modifies. Example: ‘Running down the hill, my hat flew off.’ (The hat was not running.)
Q50. What is the correct spelling: recieve / receive?
Answer: receive. Remember: ‘i before e except after c.’
CBT Exam Tips for Use of English
Always read comprehension passages twice before answering. In your first read, get the general idea. In your second read, focus on details. For vocabulary questions, use context clues from surrounding sentences. Do not rely on your first instinct for tricky grammar questions. Eliminate clearly wrong options first, then choose from what remains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many questions are in JAMB Use of English?
A: JAMB Use of English typically has 60 questions within the general 100-question English section (which may include comprehension passages). It is compulsory for all candidates.
Q: Which topics appear most in JAMB Use of English?
A: Figures of speech, subject-verb agreement, vocabulary in context, comprehension passages, and oral English phonology appear most frequently in JAMB Use of English.
Q: Can I score 100 in JAMB Use of English?
A: Yes, you can. With thorough preparation using past questions, understanding of grammar rules, and timed practice on the CBT interface, scoring very high in Use of English is very achievable.
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