In the sentence below, there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D…

Analyze the question

This is a WASSCE "opposite in meaning plus fill the gap" question. The underlined word was not shown in your text, but we can work it out from the sentence. The sentence says "Only question one is compulsory; therefore, the rest are ....."

Explain the concept

You must pick a word that does two jobs:

1. It is the antonym of the underlined word, which is almost certainly "compulsory".
2. It fits the gap logically and grammatically.

Solution

• "Compulsory" means required or obligatory.
• The sentence says only question one is compulsory, so the rest are not required. The gap needs a word meaning "not required".

Check each option:

• A. easy: This is not the opposite of "compulsory". Being easy says nothing about whether a question is required.
• B. clear: This has no link to "compulsory" and does not fit the logic.
• C. confusing: This is unrelated in meaning and does not fit.
• D. optional: This means "not compulsory", so it is the direct opposite. It also fits perfectly: "Only question one is compulsory; therefore, the rest are optional."

Answer: D. optional

Tip: In "opposite plus fill the gap" questions, read the whole sentence first and work out what the gap must mean. Then match that meaning to the antonym of the underlined word. Common pairs include compulsory ↔ optional, voluntary ↔ mandatory, and temporary ↔ permanent.