JAMB 2025 English Language · Question 211

For this question, choose the option nearest in meaning to the word or phrase in italics. Between Achebe and…

Question

For this question, choose the option nearest in meaning to the word or phrase in italics. Between Achebe and Soyinka, it is debatable who is more enigmatic a writer.

A.flamboyant
B.ludicrous
C.inscrutable
D.talented

Answer: C. inscrutable

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The italicized word is enigmatic. We need the option closest in meaning to it in this sentence about writers.

Step 2: Explain the concept Enigmatic comes from "enigma," meaning a riddle or mystery. An enigmatic person or thing is mysterious, puzzling, and difficult to understand or interpret.

Step 3: Test each option

A. flamboyant: showy, colourful, attention-seeking. This is about style and display, not mystery. ✗
B. ludicrous: absurd or laughable. ✗
C. inscrutable: impossible to understand or interpret, mysterious. This matches "enigmatic" very closely. ✓
D. talented: skilled. A writer can be talented without being mysterious, so this misses the meaning. ✗

Step 4: Answer The sentence says it is debatable which of the two writers is more mysterious or hard to figure out.

Exam tip: Link words with the same root idea. Enigma means a puzzle, so think "puzzling, mysterious, unfathomable." Related words include cryptic, obscure, puzzling, inscrutable, and mysterious. Be careful with options like "talented" that sound like praise for a writer but don't match the word's meaning.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.