WAEC 2010 English Language · Question 43

Why are you always jealous … other people?

Question

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences: Why are you always jealous.............other people?

A.of
B.at
C.about
D.with

Answer: A. of

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question We need the correct preposition to follow the adjective "jealous" in the sentence: "Why are you always jealous __ other people?"

Step 2: Explain the concept Some adjectives always go with a specific preposition. This is called a dependent preposition. The adjective jealous is followed by of.

Examples:

She is jealous of her sister's success.
He is jealous of his friends.

(Compare: afraid of, fond of, proud of, capable of, envious of.)

Step 3: Test the options

A. of: "jealous of other people" is correct and idiomatic.
B. at: "jealous at" is not standard English.
C. about: "jealous about" is sometimes used for a situation (e.g., "jealous about the arrangement"), but it is not the standard choice before a person or people.
D. with: "jealous with" is incorrect. People are "angry with" someone, but not "jealous with" them.

Step 4: Answer The sentence reads: Why are you always jealous of other people?

The correct option is A.

Exam tip: Learn adjective and preposition pairs in groups. "Jealous of, envious of, afraid of, fond of, proud of, tired of" all take of. In WASSCE and JAMB lexis and structure questions, these pairings are tested very often.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.