Choose the option that best complete the gap (s) The students had a .....On Independence Day.

Analyze the question: The sentence is "The students had a _ on Independence Day." We need a noun phrase for the ceremonial event where groups walk in formation past an audience, which is common at Independence Day celebrations in Nigeria.

Explain the concept: This is a question on spelling and word choice (homophones and compound nouns).

• march (verb/noun) means to walk in a steady, organised way, like soldiers or students on parade.
• match means a contest (a football match) or something that goes well with another thing.
• past (as in "march past") is the adverb or preposition meaning "going by".
• pass means to go by or to succeed in an exam.

The fixed expression is "march past". It is a noun meaning a parade in which a group of people marches in formation past a person of honour or a crowd. It is a standard feature of Independence Day and Armed Forces Day events.

Solution:

1. The event is a parade, so the first word must be march, not match. This eliminates B and D.
2. Between "march pass" and "march past", the correct fixed expression is march past, since "past" means "going by". This eliminates A.
3. "The students had a march past on Independence Day" is correct.

Answer: Option C. march past

Tip: Think of soldiers marching past the president. A match is for football, so if you see a parade, use march. Also remember that past is the word for "going by", and pass is usually a verb ("to pass an exam").