WAEC 2014 English Language · Question 7

The man tried to cash in … the boy's ignorance.

Question

From the words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the word or group of words that best completes the sentence. The man tried to cash in ........ the boy's ignorance.

A.by
B.at
C.on
D.with

Answer: C. on

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The sentence needs the correct preposition after the phrasal verb "cash in."

Explain the concept: "Cash in on" is an idiom meaning to take advantage of a situation, usually for personal gain, often unfairly. It is always followed by "on."

Examples:

Some traders cash in on festive seasons by raising prices.
The politician tried to cash in on the people's suffering.

Solution:

A. "cash in by" - not a correct idiom
B. "cash in at" - not a correct idiom
C. "cash in on" - correct idiom meaning to exploit or profit from something
D. "cash in with" - not a correct idiom

The sentence becomes: The man tried to cash in on the boy's ignorance. This means he tried to take advantage of the boy's lack of knowledge for his own benefit.

Tip: Remember that "cash in" pairs with "on" to mean "profit from." Phrasal verbs and idioms like cash in on, look out for, put up with, get away with are tested often in WASSCE, JAMB and NECO, so learn the preposition together with the verb.

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