JAMB 2020 English Language · Question 10

God opposes the proud and rewards the …

Question

From the list of words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearest opposite in meaning to the underlined word or group of words and that will, at the same time correctly fill in the gap in the sentence.    God opposes the proud and rewards the _________

In the original paper part of this question is underlined. The underline isn't shown here: see the explanation below.

  1. A.poor
  2. B.honest
  3. C.humble
  4. D.faithful

Answer: C. humble

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: This is an opposite-in-meaning (antonym) question. The sentence is "God opposes the proud and rewards the ___." The word proud is the key word, and we need its opposite that also fits the gap logically.

Explain the concept: Proud here means arrogant, haughty, or having an inflated sense of one's own importance. Its antonym is a word describing someone who is modest and has no arrogance.

Solution, step by step:

  1. Meaning of "proud": arrogant, self-important.
  2. Test each option as an opposite: • A. poor: this describes lack of wealth, not attitude. It is not the opposite of proud. • B. honest: this describes truthfulness. It has no link to pride. • C. humble: this means modest and lacking arrogance. It is the direct opposite of proud. • D. faithful: this describes loyalty. It is not related to pride.
  3. Check the sentence: "God opposes the proud and rewards the humble." This is correct and natural. It also echoes the well-known biblical idea (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble").

Answer: C. humble

Tip: In antonym questions, first identify the quality the word describes (here, attitude or character). Then eliminate options that describe a different quality, such as wealth, honesty, or loyalty. Also read the completed sentence aloud to confirm it makes sense. Common pairs worth memorizing: proud ↔ humble, arrogant ↔ modest, generous ↔ stingy.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.

Past questions © the examination body (JAMB/WAEC/NECO). DeeepSolve is not affiliated with them. Rights holders: see /copyright.