EDUCATION — In each of the following questions, the main/primary stress is indicated by writing the syllable…

Analyze the question: You are asked to pick the option that shows the correct placement of the primary stress in "education".

Concept: In English, words ending in -tion (and -sion) take the primary stress on the syllable just before the suffix. Examples:

• ex-pec-TA-tion → expectation stress on "TA"
• com-pe-TI-tion
• in-for-MA-tion
• cre-A-tion

Step-by-step solution:

1. Break the word into syllables: e-du-ca-tion (4 syllables).
2. Identify the suffix: -tion.
3. By the rule, stress falls on the syllable immediately before it: ca.
4. Note: the pronunciation is /ˌedjʊˈkeɪʃn/, where the primary stress is on the "keɪ" syllable. The first syllable carries only a secondary stress.

So the correct pattern is e-du-CA-tion.

Checking the options:

• A. E-du-ca-tion: stress on the first syllable (wrong)
• B. e-DU-ca-tion: stress on the second syllable (wrong)
• C. e-du-CA-tion: stress on the third syllable (correct)
• D. e-du-ca-TION: stress on the suffix (wrong, -tion is never stressed in such words)

Answer: C

Exam tip: For words ending in -tion, -sion, -ic, -ical, -ity, remember: "the stress falls just before the ending." Examples: eduCAtion, comMUnity, ecoNOmic. This trick will help you answer many stress questions quickly in JAMB.