The director's remark was extremely opposite to the issue being discussed?

Analyze the question

The sentence is: "The director's remark was extremely opposite to the issue being discussed." (The underlined word is presumably "opposite", though the formatting did not show it.) We need the word nearest in meaning to it in this context.

Explain the concept

"Opposite" usually means "contrary" or "facing the other way". Here, though, it is used in the sense of apposite, which means "relevant" or "suitable to the matter at hand". This question tests the confusion between opposite and apposite, a common JAMB lexis trap. The phrase "to the issue being discussed" fits "relevant to", not "contrary to".

Solution

Check each option against the meaning "relevant or fitting to the issue":

• A. appropriate: means suitable and relevant. This matches "apposite".
• B. inconsequential: means unimportant. This is not a match.
• C. emphatic: means forceful or stressed. This does not mean relevant.
• D. adequate: means enough or sufficient. This is about quantity, not relevance.

If "opposite" meant "contrary", the nearest option would be something like "irrelevant", but no such option is given. Of the four, only appropriate fits the sense of a remark being pertinent to the issue.

Answer: The correct option is A. appropriate.

Tip: Learn these pairs, as examiners love them:

• apposite = relevant, appropriate
• opposite = contrary, facing
• apposite ≈ pertinent ≈ apt

When a word is followed by "to the issue/matter/topic", think "relevant".