After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations of the sentence is given. Choose the…

Analyze the question: The sentence uses the idiom "can't help + verb-ing." You are asked to choose the interpretation closest to its meaning.

Explain the concept: "Can't help doing something" means you cannot stop yourself from doing it. The action is involuntary or habitual. Examples:

• "I can't help laughing" = I can't stop myself from laughing.
• "She can't help crying" = She cannot stop herself from crying.

Solve step by step:

"Sulayman can't help shouting at the members of his team" means Sulayman cannot stop himself from shouting at them. He lacks the self-control to hold back.

Now check each option:

• A. cannot help them without shouting at them. This treats "help" as "assist." That is a misreading of the idiom. Wrong.
• B. can't help them and can't stop shouting. This again reads "help" as "assist," so the first half is wrong. The sentence says nothing about being unable to assist them. Wrong.
• C. can't control his emotions and keeps shouting. This matches the idiom: he can't restrain himself, so he keeps shouting. Correct.
• D. helps them by cheering them. This also misreads "help" as "assist," and "shouting at" suggests scolding, not cheering. Wrong.

Answer: C

Tip: When you see "can't help + -ing," replace it with "can't stop myself from + -ing." The word "help" there does not mean "assist." WASSCE and JAMB often test this trap by offering options that use the ordinary meaning of "help."