EXERCISE YOUR 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 provided in the last slide.

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(c)2014 Professor Adeleke A. Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria

1. Our newspapers always publish short extracts from new novels to …… your appetite.(a) wet (b) weight (c) whet

2. The Managing Director told us that everybody would have to fend for …… (a) him or herself. (b) his or her self. (c) himself or herself.

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3.That woman must have been a beauty queen in her ……(a) heyday (b) hay days (c) hey days

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

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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 government wants to do is eradicate all honest work.(a) Majorly (b) In the main (c) From all intents and purposes

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7. The new road is so smooth you’d think you were driving on glass. It was ……….. yesterday by the First Lady.a) commissioned b) contractedc) opened

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

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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

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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

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13. All my ……….. are in one shady business or another. In fact, one of them is a notorious ……….a) brother-in-laws / dupe b)brothers-in-law / fraudster c) brothers-in-laws / 419

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14. The Manager gave all 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) babysitted c) babysat

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16. Okay, let’s shake hands and ………..a) let bygone be bygoneb) let bye-gone be bye-gonec) let bygones be bygones

17. ……….. Chief Patrick O’bia-bia 1.a) My names areb) My name isc) What’s my name is

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18. I’m told your husband is the …….. (a) brains behind the Boko Haram. (b) brain behind the Boko Haram. (c) brain box behind the Boko Haram.

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

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

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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

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24. Darling, have you …….. a little time? Please bring the ……… to remove this dead mouse. (a) got / dustpan (b) gotten / packer (c) got to spare / pack

25. Didn’t I see you yesterday? Were you not……..(a) on casual wear? (b) on casual wears?(c) in casual wear?

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26. I was happy to find that my wife had not been ………..

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

27. ……….., His Excellency will sign the cheque tomorrow.

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

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28. X: Sir, would you like some coffee?Y: ........(a) Yes, please.(b) Beverage, please.(c) No, please.

29. Kabiru, please check my carburettor; I think it’s ……..(a) overfloating(b) doing overfloating(c) flooding

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30. I was greatly ........ last night when I saw my wife kissing the gardener.(a) embarased (b) embarassed (c) embarrassed

31. I hadn’t even ........ the last bottle of beer when my wife came into the pub.(a) drank(b) dranked(c) drunk

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

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

33. As for the loan, I promise to repay you ........

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

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34. We’re suing the government for not giving us …….. water.(a) pottable(b) portable(c) potable

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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

(c)2014 Professor Adeleke A. Fakoya Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 21

36. Let’s ask the manager; she knows …….. of the ministry. (a) the ins and outs(b) the nooks and corners(c) the in and out

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37. The new law will enable Nigerians ……….. to other countries. Well, the embassy staff might ask you if you’ve ever ……….. in the Atlantic.

(a) travelling / swam (b) travel / swimmed(c) to travel / swum(c)2014 Professor Adeleke A. Fakoya

Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 23

38. My lord, this witness has gone to jail ………... Besides, his hair looks wild; he needs to ……….

(a) severally / barb it (b) numerous times / have a haircut (c) beyond one time / barb

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39. My husband thinks a jeep is ………... and that we should just ………...

(a) bogus / cut our coat according to our size (b) showy / cut our coat according to our cloth (c) too much / cut our cloth according to our coat


40. Before the rain started, I .......... the windows because I didn’t want to get the .......... destroyed.

(a) wind up / letter heading(b) winded up / letterheaded paper

(c) wound up / letterhead26


41. A toast to the organizers of this programme ……… From now on, we should all do our work ………

(a) Hip, Hip, Hip, Hurray! / as best as we can(b) Hip, Hip, Hurray! / as best we can(c) Hip, Hip, Hip, Hurrah! / as best as we should(c)2014 Professor Adeleke A. Fakoya

Dept. of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria 27

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

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43. If it’s not clear, better ask the teacher to ……….. on it. You know, ……….. a) expatriate / to before warn is to before arm b) expantiate / to before warned is to before armed c) expatiate / to be forewarned is to be forearmed

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44. Janet: ……….. last week, my boss – the office bully – fell out of his chair and broke his neck.Rebecca: ………..

(a) Sometimes / Good for him! (b) Sometime / Got what he worked for! (c) Some times / He deserved it!

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45. Let everyone who wants ……… remain ………

(a) cold slaw/upstanding (b) coleslaw/standing (c) Cole’s law/upright

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46. ………, do you think I should leave my husband and marry Chief?

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


47. ………, I wonder if we should have voted for this man. That’s why it’s good to know a politician’s ………

a) many a time/pastb) many atimes/antecedentc) many at times/history

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1. – Only Miss Lagos won 50 million naira last week.

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

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!

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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!

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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 probably lived in America sometime ago.

B. Kàkó is a Yorùbá name.

C. American names have their own sound pattern.

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1. C2. C3. A4. B5. A6. B7. C8. A9. B10.A11.B12.A13.B14.B15.C16.C17.B

18. A19. B20. B21.C22. C23. C24. A25. C26. C27. A28. A29. C30. C31. C32. C33. B34. C

35. B36. A37. C38. B39. B40. C41. B42. C43. C44. B45. B46. C47. A48. 1-C, 2-A, 3-B49. 1-C, 2-A, 3-B50. B

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EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH

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