Eye opener test of english

Nigerians are some of the world’s most confident users of English as a second language. But their confidence does not eliminate some usage problems and confusion. Sometimes, their usage displays superficial meaning.

Well, here’s an opportunity to put your competence into practice.

The answers are discussed afterwards.(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 2

1. Our newspapers always publish short extracts from new novels to …… your appetite.

(a) wet (b) weight (c) whet

(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 3

2. Our host told us that everybody would have to fend for ……

(a) him or herself. (b) his or her self. (c) himself or herself.


3.That woman must have been a beauty queen in her ……

(a) heyday (b) hay days

(c) hey days(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 5

4. X: When last did you see your dad? Y: Well, I haven’t seen him for ……(a) donkey years (b) donkey’s years (c) donkey year’s



5. I can’t visit him again when his wife is there with him; you know what they say, ………..

(a) once bitten, twice shy (b) once beaten, twice shy (c) one beaten, two’s shy

6. ……….. what this company wants to do is eradicate all honest work.(a) Majorly (b) In the main (c) From all intent and purposes


7. The former chairman did not do a proper ……….. of relevant documents.a) handover b) handing over c) handling over


8. The new road is so smooth you’d think you’re driving on glass. It was ……….. early this morning by the First Lady.a) commissioned b) contractedc) opened



9. Our party is only fighting ……..; we can never win in Lagos State.a) a lost battle b) a losing battle c) a loss battle

10. We were all disqualified; our scores were …….. the mark a) wide of b) wide off c) wide off of



11. I’m not surprised at his conduct; you know, he’s a …….. the old block.

a) chip of b) chip off c) chimp of

12. I have disowned my three sons. I can’t have any …….. under my roof.

a) ruffians b) roughians c) rouffians


13. All my ……….. are in one shady business or another.a) brother-in-laws b)brothers-in-law c) brothers-in-laws


14. The Manager gave all of us ………..a) twenty thousand naira per each person b) twenty-twenty thousand naira eachc) twenty thousand naira each


15. Have you ever ………. for anyone?

a) babysit b) babysittedc) babysat


16. Okay, let’s shake hands and ………..

a) let bygone be bygoneb) let bye-gone be bye-gone

c) let bygones be bygones(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 18

17. ……….. Chief Patrick Jabber the First.

a) My names areb) My name isc) What’s my name is


18. I’m told your husband is the …….. behind the Boko Haram.

(a) brains (b) brain (c) brain box


19. Sir, I think ‘paddle your own canoe’ means ‘……..’

(a) don’t meddle with anyone else’s business

(b) provide what you need by yourself

(c) don’t pokenose(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 21

20. Stop blaming your boss; the reason you were sacked is …….. Think about it, how could you …….. into the MD’s office like that?

(a) not so far-fetched / badge (b) self-evident / barge (c) too apparent / bardge


21. Have you heard? Our friend has …….. to APC.

(a) decamped(b) cross-carpeted(c) defected


22. …….., ……, nobody in this office has ever been dismissed for bad English.

(a) I stand to be corrected / As at today (b) I stand corrected / As of now (c) Correct me if I’m wrong / As of today


23. Brothers and sisters, our God is ……...

(a) ominiscience(b) a reknown god(c) omniscient


24. Darling, have you …….. a little time?

(a) got (b) gotten (c) get


25. Weren’t you …….. some minutes ago?

(a) on casual wear (b) on casuals(c) in casual clothes


26. He confirmed that my wife had not been …….…

(a) sexed before (b) disvirgined (c) deflowered


27. ……….., the goods will be here tomorrow.

(a) Rest assured (b) Be rest assured (c) You can be rest

assured(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 29

28. Waiter : Sir, would you like some coffee?

Guest : ........

(a) No, thanks.(b) I prefer beverage.(c) At all.


29. Kabiru says the carburettor is …..…..

(a) overfloating(b) doing

overfloating(c) flooding


30. I was greatly ........ last night when I saw my wife kissing the gardener.

(a) embarased (b) embarrassed (c) embarassed


31. I hadn’t even ........ the last bottle of beer when my wife came into the pub.

(a) drank(b) dranked(c) drunk


32. ……….. are too large for my face; I need to replace ………..

(a) this frame / it(b) these frames / it(c) these frames / them


33. I promise to repay the loan ........

(a) small small(b) in instalments(c) instalmentally


34. We’re suing the FG for not giving us …….. water.

(a) pottable(b) portable(c) potable


35. The lawyer will need to …… his time if he hopes to catch the witness …....

(a) bid / telling lies (b) bide / lying (c) bead / lyeing


36. Let’s ask that lunatic; she knows …….. of the town.

(a) the ins and outs(b) the nooks and corners

(c) the in and out(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 38

37. The new law will enable Nigerians ……….. to other countries more easily.

(a) travelling (b) travel(c) to travel


38. I visited his office ...... but he wasn’t there.(a) severally (b) numerous times (c) over one time


39. Your hair looks ……..; you need to ………..

(a) unkept / barb it(b) unkempt / have a haircut

(c) unkept / barb(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 41

40. Please type the letter on the company’s ……..

(a) letterheading(b) letterheaded paper(c) letterhead


41. A toast to the Directors for this programme ……..

(a) Hip, Hip, Hip, Hurray!(b) Hip, Hip, Hurray!(c) Hip, Hip, Hip, Hurrah!


42. You’d best stay with your husband and forget that neighbour. As they say, ………..

a) the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know

b) choose the devil you know and not the angel

c) better the devil you know than the devil you don’t


43. If the topic isn’t clear to you, ask the teacher to ……….. on it.

a) expanciate b) expantiate c) expatiate


44. ……….. last week, it was reported that the man fell out of his chair and broke his neck.

(a) Sometimes (b) Sometime (c) Some times



45. Madam, shall I get you some salad or ……… ?

(a) cold slaw (b) coleslaw (c) Cole’s law

46. ………, do you think I should leave my husband and elope with the houseboy?

a) Between I and youb) Between you and Ic) Between you and me


47. ………, I wonder if life in this country is really worth anyone’s while.

a) many a timeb) many a timesc) many at times


48. All you ever do in this office is gossip: ……… did such and such.

a) so and so person b) so so personc) so and so


49. My house is within ……… from here.

a) a stone throwb) a stone’s throwc) stone throw


50. Your wife is so happy. She seems to have life handed to her ........

a) on a silver platter b) on a gold platterc) on a platter of gold


51. No one could finish the food served at the party. In fact, it was........

a) an apologyb) apologyc) an apology for a meal


52. She’s determined to have a car this year ..........

a) by hook or crookb) by hook or by crookc) by hook and crook


53. Thanks a lot; this room will ........

a) do for meb) do well for mec) do me


54. Now she knows she’s ........ than she can chew.

a) bite more b) bitten morec) bitten off more


55. As the teacher ........., if you want to pass the exam, you must read wide.

a) mentioned earlierb) mentioned earlier onc) mentioned earlier before


56. The man won’t resign ........ he’s forced to do so, ........ since he’s the MD’s son-in-law.

a) whereas / henceb) unless / especiallyc) except / more so


57. We’ll be moving house next month, ........

a) God’s willingb) God willingc) by God willing


58. This is the most ......... job I’ve ever had. There’s just no room to enjoy oneself.

a) taxingb) taskingc) tackling


59. Dad says he’ll see you as soon as he’s ..........

a) opportunedb) chancedc) able to


60. Bayo told us that his wife ........ yesterday.

a) put to bedb) bornc) was delivered of a baby


61. The foreman is a .......... He knows nothing about welfare.

a) a cog in the wheel of progress

b) sadistc) wicked


62. Don’t do any business with that handsome guy; he’s a ........

a) dupeb) duperc) con artist


63. Teacher : We say a person was killed in cold blood if ..........?

a) he was killed in his sleepb) his killer was not under any influence

c) the victim was unable to defend himself


64. The .......... for the dead man is this evening.

a) Christian wake-keepb) wake-keepingc) wake


65. She looks so gorgeous in her ......... dress.

a) lemon yellowb) lemon greenc) lemon and green


66. Hello, ..........?

a) may I be on to the CEOb) may I speak with the CEO

c) may I gain access to the CEO?


67. It looks rather primitive to put kola nuts on the ..........

a) centre tableb) central tablec) coffee table


68. None of us can go abroad without a valid ..........

a) international passportb) passportc) travelling passport


69. My neighbour’s husband eloped with the .......... two weeks after the girl was employed.

a) home helpb) house helpc) domestic helper


70. I saw a giant ......... in the room.

a) geckob) wall geckoc) room gecko


71. We’re going to make so much money that N50,000 will look like .........

a) chicken changeb) chicken saucec) chicken feed


72. I usually hang out with friends at the ......... down the street.

a) barber’sb) barbing saloonc) hair-port


73. What’s the meaning of this letter? Tell the secretary to see me ..........

a) at onceb) in a jiffyc) now now


74. This sort of thing cannot happen in this country; not by .........

a) any manner or meansb) any manner and means

c) any manner of means(c) 2015 Prof. Adeleke Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 76

75. Workers complain all the time about the ......... conditions of the factory.

a) straitjacketedb) straightjacketedc) strait-laced


76. I didn’t need to get a lawyer; the police released me on .........

a) personal recognitionb) my own recognitionc) my own recognizance


77. Amina, bring the ......... to dispose of these bits of tissue paper.

a) dustpanb) packing toolc) packer


78. Someone has lost the key and mum is .......... at me.

a) giving me the fingerb) pointing accusing fingersc) pointing an accusing finger


79. Now is the time for the government to evaluate these ..........

a) mushroom private universitiesb) mushrooming private universities

c) private mushroom universities


80. I’m disappointed in you. You ....... so uncaring.

a) didn’t used to beb) didn’t use to bec) weren’t used to being


81. I need someone that can recite all the three stanzas of the National Anthem ..........

a) offhead b) offheartc) by heart



83. Today is Monday. Let’s meet again on Wednesday; that’s ..........

a) two days’ timeb) next tomorrowc) day after tomorrow


84. Her stepfather is only ......... years old.

a) twenty and half b) twenty and the halfc) twenty and a half


85. In any quarrel between a husband and wife, it’s usually ..........

a) six and half a dozenb) six of one and half a dozen of the other

c) six and half a dozen – what’s the difference


86. Shortly after the church ceremony, .......... quickly got into their car and drove off.

a) the coupleb) the two couplec) the couples


87. The company has to increase wages ..........

a) across boardb) across boardsc) across the board


88. The government would not want this kind of bad publicity in the middle of an……….

a) election campaignb) electioneering campaignc) election campaigning


89. .......... being equal, we should have no problem with the equipment.

a) All thingsb) Most thingsc) Many things


90. The UN expects the former leader to explain his country’s foreign policy ..........

a) in detailsb) in detailedc) in detail


91. Sir, the MD would like you to give me ..........

a) a self-written noteb) a written notec) a note


92. She woke up rather late. So, she quickly .......... and ran out of the house.

a) dressed upb) got dressedc) got dressed up


93. The party is trying hard to keep its supporters within the brackets of civility, .........

a) so to sayb) so to talkc) so to speak


94. She has not been ......... with her mother for twenty years.

a) on talking termsb) on chatting termsc) on speaking terms


95. Olamide is a musician with real ..........

a) potentialsb) potentialitiesc) potential


96. The former President ………. and told me about some of the problems he was facing with the people around him.

a) took me into his confidenceb) took me to confidencec) put me into confidence


97. The Principal is rather short tempered; so, .......... whenever you’re with him.

a) be carefulb) take your timec) take time


98. The driver leaned out of the window and shouted at the lady, ………. twice, then drove on.

a) hornedb) pressed the hornc) sounded his horn


99. When my father was in the army, his batman .......... his shoes until the shoes ..........

a) shined / shoneb) shined / shinedc) shone / shone


100. The lady put a.......... in the teacher’s meal to make him fall in love with her.

a) portionb) potionc) concussion


101. My .......... left yesterday, so I have to do all my cleaning myself.

a) housegirl b) housemaidc) house servant


102. The bell had .......... ten times before the janitor heard. The boss simply brought out the register and ......... the man’s name in red.

a) rang / rangb) rung / ringedc) ringed / ringed


103. Don’t run away with your servant; it’s not .......... at all.

a) dignifyingb) dignifiedc) respective


1. – Only Miss Lagos won 50 million naira yesterday.

2. – Miss Lagos won only 50 million naira yesterday.

3. – Miss Lagos won 50 million naira only last week.

A. – But why does everybody think it’s more?

B. – How come she’s broke?

C. – Your sister didn’t even take the form, much less win anything!


1. Even the police asked my father to surrender his shoes.

2. The police asked even my father to surrender his shoes.

3. The police asked my father to surrender even his shoes

A) But that’s an unkind thing to do to an old man.

B) Despite all that you’d lost?

C) And they tell us the police is your friend!


1. Kàkó? That doesn’t sound like an American name.

2. You have an American passport, I see.

3. That’s it, your mum gave birth to you in New York.

A. Kàkó’s parents lived in America some years ago.

B. Kàkó is a Yorùbá name.

C. American names have their own sound pattern.


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Eye opener test of english

Education

lagos state university

adeleke fakoya

b babysitted c babysat

c chimp

main c

commissioned b contracted

losing battle c

heyday b hay days c