My account with the bank is in the red. This means that my account is

Analyze the question The question asks for the meaning of the idiom "in the red" when it is used about a bank account.

Explain the concept "In the red" is a financial idiom. It comes from the old accounting practice of writing debts or negative balances in red ink. Today it means that you owe money, or that your account balance is below zero. Its opposite is "in the black", which means you have a positive balance or are making a profit.

Solution Let's test each option:

• A. heavy: This has nothing to do with money. Eliminate it.
• B. in danger: This sounds like a possible meaning because red suggests warning. But the idiom is about a negative balance, not general danger. Eliminate it.
• C. overdrawn: Being overdrawn means you have withdrawn more money than you have in the account, so the balance is negative. This is exactly what "in the red" means.
• D. written in red ink: This is the literal and historical origin, but it is not the meaning of the idiom as it is used today. Eliminate it.

Answer: C. overdrawn

Tip Remember the pair "in the red = in debt" and "in the black = in profit". JAMB often tests idioms by offering a literal option, like D here, as a distractor. Always choose the figurative meaning when the question is about an idiom.