WAEC 2011 English Language · Question 34

The fat old woman looked comical in those trousers.

Question

From the words or group of words lettered A to D, below each of the following sentences, choose the word or group of words that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word as it is used in the sentence. The fat old woman looked comical in those trousers.

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

A.shabby
B.ridiculous
C.strange
D.awkward

Answer: B. ridiculous

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The underlined word is not marked in the text, but from the sentence it is clearly comical. We need the option closest in meaning to it.

Explain the concept: "Comical" means funny or amusing, often in a way that makes people want to laugh. In synonym questions, look for the word that carries the same idea in this particular context, not just a loosely related one.

Solution, option by option:

A. shabby means worn out or untidy. Nothing in the sentence suggests her clothes were old or poorly kept, so this is wrong.
B. ridiculous means absurd or laughable. A woman who looks funny or laughable in trousers fits "comical" very well.
C. strange means unusual. Something can be strange without being funny, so this misses the humour in "comical".
D. awkward means clumsy or uncomfortable. It describes how someone moves or feels, not how funny they look.

Answer: The closest meaning is B. ridiculous. It is the only option that captures the funny, laughable effect that "comical" describes.

Tip: In "nearest in meaning" questions, put each option into the sentence and ask, "Does this keep the same feeling?" Here, "looked ridiculous in those trousers" keeps the humorous tone, while the others change the meaning. Also remember related words: comical, funny, laughable, ridiculous, absurd.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.