Past Questions

2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper

2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper

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2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper – Objective (SC)

 SECTION 1

In each of the following sentences, there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence.

  1. The posh cars were sandwiched between two ……………….. ones.
    • A. dented
    • B. rugged
    • C. rickety
    • D. modest
  2. A trivial issue often becomes ………….. when it is not properly handled.
    • A. valuable
    • B. serious
    • C. unbearable
    • D. ordinary
  3. The rockstar’s stellar performance contrasted sharply with the ……….. showing of the amateur group.
    • A. routine
    • B. woeful
    • C. mundane
    • D. awkward
  4. Tolu was sanctioned for late coming but his friend was
    • A. pardoned
    • B. ignored
    • C. exempted
    • D. released
  5. While other teachers’ support for the action was ………, Victor’s was dogged.
    • A. declining
    • B. woeful
    • C. disappointing
    • D. wavering
  6. Some people are good at terminating other people’s projects but are not capable of …………. theirs.
    • A. initiating
    • B. organising
    • C. executing
    • D. designing.
  7. The precarious terraces of the stadium have been transformed into a ………….. walkway.
    • A. durable
    • B. secure
    • C. invigorate
    • D. bother
  8. If one thing irritates you, it might …………… another
    • A. delight
    • B. concern
    • C. invigorate
    • D. bother
  9. Jane was loud as a teenager but ………… as an adult.
    • A. peaceful
    • B. reserved
    • C. humble
    • D. respectful.
  10. Do not always reprimand your children; it is good to …… them at times.
    • A. advise
    • B. forgive
    • C. compliment
    • D. pamper

SECTION 2 (2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper)

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences.

11. The aggrieved customers staged a fierce ………. on the street

    • A. fight
    • B. protest
    • C. argument
    • D. contest

12. The accused was brought before the jury for a court ……..

      • A. sitting
      • B. hearing
      • C. judging
      • D. proceeding

13. From his ………., one can tell that he is an athlete

    • A. physique
    • B. stature
    • C. gait
    • D. anatomy.

14. The death of that journalist is still ……….. in mystery.

    • A. Conveyed
    • B. shadowed
    • C. shrouded
    • D. confined

15. The defendant was charged with ………. because he caused his neighbour’s death.

    • A. fratricide
    • B. patricide
    • C. genocide
    • D. homicide

16. Seeing a young crop ………. from the soil is a rare expereience.

    • A. trail
    • B. sprout
    • C. project
    • d. creep

17. Lawyers are still making efforts to interpret the new …………

    • A. language
    • B. technique
    • C. system
    • D. statue

18. The cargo was intercepted on sea by ………

    • A. pirates
    • B. thieves
    • C. terrorists
    • D. robbers

19. The doctors …………. Bola’s grandmother after the heart attack

    • A. regenerated
    • B. resuscitated
    • C. resurrected
    • D. revivified

20. Because the couple cannot agree on many things, their relationship is now ……..

    • A. stressed
    • B. uneasy
    • C. strained
    • D. tensed

SECTION 3 (2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper)

After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations is given. Choose the interpretation that you consider most appropriate for each sentence.

21. Revealing that information will cut the ground from under my feet. This means that it will

    • A. expose my plans
    • B. ruin my plans
    • C. support my plans
    • D. promote my palns

22. Mother always tells me to keep my nose clean. This means that she tells me to

    • A. stay healthy
    • B. do what pleases me
    • C. stay out of trouble
    • D. be focus

23.  This action effectively puts the mockers on the project. This means that the project will

    • A. take off soon
    • B. not be executed
    • C. be delayed
    • D. not begin well

24. You can see clearly that we are surpassed in numerical strength. This means that we are

    • A. by far stronger than they
    • B. much weaker than they
    • C. more than they are
    • D. fewer than they are

25.  Once of the athletes was disqualified because she jumped the gun. This means that she started

    • A. too soon
    • B. on time
    • C. hurriedly
    • D. without permission

26.  Be careful of what you say; there are no flies on the boss. This means that the boss is

    • A. neat
    • B. gullible
    • C. smart
    • D. strict

27.  The students cocked their ears at the principal’s speech. This means that they listened with

    • A. little interest
    • B. rapt attention
    • C. no understanding
    • D. no interest

28.  Your daughter will do very well in school. She has a good head on her shoulders. This means that she

    • A. is very beautiful
    • B. thinks fast
    • C. is sensible
    • D. is well-behaved and diligent

29.  The accountant has been under a cloud since the fraud scandal. This means that the accountant is

    • A. worried
    • B. under supervision
    • C. unhappy
    • D. under suspicion

30.  Immediately the truth was revealed, Ngozi flew into a rage. This means that Ngozi

    • A. suddenly became very angry
    • B. became sad
    • C. became desperate
    • D. ran away

 

SECTION 4 (2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper)

From the words lettered A to D below each of the following sentences, chose the word or group of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word as it is used in the sentence.

31.  Parents encourage their children to exercise financial prudence.

    • A. caution
    • B. credence
    • C. sincerity
    • D. precision

32.  Awa deceived Ahmed into handing over all his savings

    • A. cooked
    • B. betrayed
    • C. fooled
    • D. cheated

33.  It turned out that the plaintiff’s claim was false.

    • A. surmise
    • B. contention
    • C. allegation
    • D. pronouncement

34.  The aggrieved faction held a clandestine meeting.

    • A. secret
    • B. quiet
    • C. brief
    • D. quick

35.  Morgan Pharmacy is the sole distributor of the antiviral drug..

    • A. creditable
    • B. only
    • C. first
    • D. major

36.  Police officers holding batons impounded the banker’s car.

    • A. damaged
    • B. banned
    • C. seized
    • D. collected

37.  The English teacher is always cheerful.

    • A. satisfied
    • B. zealous
    • C. gleeful
    • D. careful

38.  The Chairman is of the opinion that laying off workers is pernicious to the growth of the company.

    • A. harmful
    • B. irrelevant
    • C. indispensable
    • D. crucial

39.  She it  was that commanded me to leave the room

    • A. encouraged
    • B. persuaded
    • C. ordered
    • D. induced

40.  The valedictorian was admired for her perseverance while at school

    • A. patience
    • B. humility
    • C. enthusiasm
    • D. tenacity

SECTION 5 (2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper)

From the words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the following sentences.

41.  The fisherman said he sighted a …….. of fish in the river

    • A. pack
    • B. swarm
    • C. shoal
    • D. colony

42.  The principal corrected no one else but ………

    • A. I
    • B. me
    • C. she
    • D. myself

43.  The thug was …… murder

    • A. sued with
    • B. charged with
    • C. convicted for
    • D. charged for

44.  Asokoro office …….. is located in Ibadan

    • A. headquarter
    • B. headquarters’
    • C. headquarters
    • D. headquarter’s

45.  John should be through with his work, ………..?

    • A. isn’t it
    • B. shouldn’t he
    • C. can’t he
    • D. didn’t he

46.  This is the man ………… I said told me the interesting story.

    • A. who
    • B. whom
    • C. whose
    • D. which

47.  The accused forgot ……… .

    • A. why the police said
    • B. that the police said
    • C. when the police said
    • D. what the police said

48.  The officer ………. is my brother

    • A. on uniform
    • B. with uniform
    • C. in uniform
    • D. in uniform dress

49.  The footballers have been practicing ………..

    • A. in the stadium hard all morning
    • B. hard in the stadium all morning
    • C. all morning hard in the stadium
    • D. all morning in the stadium hard

50.  Professor John is the leader of the ……… committee to review the new book.

    • A. fifty-man
    • B. fifty-man’s
    • C. fifty-men
    • D. fifty-men’s

51.  James appears ……… wiser than his friends

    • A. move
    • B. most
    • C. much
    • D. much more

52.  That world famous athlete is guilty, ………… way you look at it.

    • A. whichever
    • B. however
    • C. whatever
    • D. ran off

53.  We were all afraid when the alarm ………….

    • A. rang up
    • B. went off
    • C. died off
    • D. ran off

54.  The material used for sewing my dress is ………… to yours

    • A. more superior
    • B. most superior
    • C. superior
    • D. very superior

55. The Chairman wasn’t privy …… that information

    • A. to
    • B. at
    • C. with
    • D. on

56.  We were lucky our driver didn’t die in the accident, ………………?

    • A. isn’t it
    • B. weren’t we
    • C. didn’t we
    • D. did we

57.  The ……… were decorated with flowers.

    • A. girls shoes
    • B. girls’ shoes
    • C. girls’ shoes’
    • D. girls shoes’

58.  Before the lecturer entered the hall, we …… the board

    • A. clean
    • B. have cleaned
    • C. are cleaning
    • D. had cleaned

59.  ……… the hours of nine and ten, the surgeons completed the operation

    • A. before
    • B. between
    • C. in
    • D. upon

60.  Mother bought …………… at the fair.

    • A. an expensive red Japanese car
    • B. a Japanese red expensive car
    • C. an expensive Japanese red car
    • D. a red expensive Japanese car.

61.  The duty of our teacher is to give instructions; ……. is to obey.

    • A. ours
    • B. our’s
    • C. our
    • D. ours’

62.  The teacher has ………….. with the principal

    • A. fallen apart
    • B. fallen off
    • C. fallen out
    • D. fallen down

63.  A meeting was called ………… the instance of the Chairman.

    • A. by
    • B. on
    • C. at
    • D. for

64.  Business is poor these days …………. workers are on strike

    • A. whereas
    • B. so that
    • C. no matter
    • D. because

65. The test seemed ……………… simple that we thought we would all pass.

    • A. so
    • B. very
    • C. too
    • D. over

66.  Tayo: I think I can now solve the problem. Essien: ………….

    • A. Neither can I
    • B. So I can
    • C. So do I
    • D. Either do I

67.  The ………scientist has discovered a cure for cancer.

    • A. young brilliant Nigerian
    • B. Nigerian brilliant young
    • C. young Nigerian brilliant
    • D. brilliant young Nigerian

68.  The couple ………… their first child when I entered college

    • A. were not having
    • B. hadn’t had
    • C. haven’t had
    • D. hasn’t had

69.  The fire fighters worked hard to ………… the inferno

    • A. put off
    • B. put out
    • C. put away
    • D. put by

70.  Those novels are interesting. I wonder if you can get me ………………… .

    • A. others such many
    • B. many such others
    • C. many others such
    • D. such many others

SECTION 6 (2023 WAEC English Language Past Question Paper)

In the following passage, the numbered gaps indicate missing words. Against each number in the list below the passage, four options are given in columns lettered A to D. Choose the word that is the most suitable to fill the numbered gaps in the passage. From the words or group of

Jim had his first — 71 — in professional boxing when he was seventeen and that match has remained indelible in this memory. Before the match, he had gone for a weigh-in along with other boxers. On the D-day, he came into the –72– amidst loud cheers from the spectators after he had been called by the –73–. He was wearing customised trunks and –74– to prevent damage to his hands.

Jim and his — 75– moved round throwing punches at each other. Jim threw a right –76–, left himself open and got cut by a strong counter punch. After this attack from his rival, Jim raised his arms and held his –77– in front of his face to protect himself by –78– the punches as they came.

During the second — 79–, Jim delivered a sucker punch which got his opponent in the ribs leading to loss of consciousness. Consequently, Jim won the game by — 80– .

71. A. bout  B. session  C. entry  D. attempt

72. A state  B. ring      C. podium  D. cage

73. A. starter  B. announcer C. referee D. umpire

74. A. boxing gloves B. kid’s gloves C. brace  D. parachute

75. A. contestant B. fighting partner C. opponent D. sparring partner

76. A. knock B. hook C. kick D. smack

77. A. hands B. fists.  C. elbow D. palms

78. A. parrying B. defending C. dubbing D. dodging

79. A. lap B. round C. leg D. turn

80. A. default  B. unanimity  C. knockout D. luck