WAEC 2012 English Language · Question 78

My father's seventieth birthday … a celebration.

Question

From the words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the following sentences: My father's seventieth birthday...........a celebration.

A.is called for
B.will be called for
C.calls for
D.call for

Answer: C. calls for

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question The sentence is: "My father's seventieth birthday ........... a celebration." We need a verb form that fits the subject and makes sense.

Explain the concept Two things matter here:

Subject-verb agreement: The subject is "birthday," which is singular, so it needs a singular verb (calls, not call).
Voice and meaning: The phrasal verb "call for" means "to require" or "to deserve." It is active here: the birthday requires a celebration. The passive "is called for" would need a different structure and would not take the object "a celebration."

Step-by-step solution

Subject: "My father's seventieth birthday" (singular).
Option A, "is called for": passive, so it cannot be followed by the object "a celebration."
Option B, "will be called for": also passive, with the same problem.
Option C, "calls for": active, singular, and it means "requires." It fits.
Option D, "call for": plural form, so it does not agree with a singular subject.

Complete sentence: My father's seventieth birthday calls for a celebration.

Tip When a sentence has a singular subject and a direct object right after the blank, look for an active verb with -s. Also, don't be distracted by "father's." The real subject is "birthday," not "father."

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