LEXIS, STRUCTURE AND ORAL FORMS In each of this question select the option that best explains the information…

Analyze the question The sentence is "You need to brush up on your Spanish." You are asked to pick the option that best explains the meaning, so this tests your knowledge of the phrasal verb "brush up (on)".

Explain the concept "Brush up on" means to refresh or improve knowledge or skill you already have but may have partly forgotten through lack of practice.

• She needs to brush up on her French before the trip.
• He is brushing up on his maths before JAMB.

It has nothing to do with using a physical brush. It is an idiom, so you shouldn't take the words literally.

Step-by-step solution

1. "Spanish" here means the language, not the country or its people.
2. "Brush up on your Spanish" means to improve your Spanish, since you already know some.
3. Check each option: • A. You need to improve your skills. This matches the meaning of "brush up". • B. You need a brush from Spain. This is a literal, silly reading of "brush". • C. You need to learn to play with a Spaniard. This misreads "brush up" as some kind of play or contact. • D. You need to study the history of Spain. This confuses "Spanish" (language) with Spain's history.

Correct answer: A, you need to improve your skills (in Spanish).

Exam tip For idioms and phrasal verbs, never translate word by word. Ask yourself, "What does the whole phrase mean?" Also watch for options that take a literal meaning, like B. These are common distractors in JAMB Lexis and Structure questions.