WAEC 2015 English Language · Question 42

After each of the following sentence, a list of possible interpretations is given. choose the interpretation…

Question

After each of the following sentence, a list of possible interpretations is given. choose the interpretation that you consider most appropriate for each sentence At the last minute, he had cold feet. This means that he

A.suddenly fell ill
B.became nervous
C.lost his imagination
D.reject the offer

Answer: B. became nervous

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence uses an idiom: "had cold feet." We must choose the meaning that best fits it.

Step 2: Explain the concept "To get/have cold feet" is an idiom meaning to suddenly feel nervous, afraid, or hesitant about something you planned to do, such as a wedding, a business deal, or a big decision. It has nothing to do with the temperature of anyone's feet.

Step 3: Work through the options

A. suddenly fell ill: The idiom is about fear or nervousness, not sickness. ✗
B. became nervous: This matches the meaning of the idiom. ✓
C. lost his imagination: This has no connection to the idiom. ✗
D. reject the offer: Someone with cold feet may end up backing out, but the idiom itself describes the fear or doubt, not the decision. Also, "reject" is grammatically wrong here, since the sentence is in the past tense and would need "rejected". ✗

Step 4: Answer "At the last minute, he had cold feet" means that at the last moment he became nervous (afraid or hesitant) about going through with it.

Tip: Many idioms in WASSCE and JAMB English are about feelings. Remember "cold feet = fear or nervousness". Do not take idioms literally. Ask yourself, "What feeling or situation does this phrase describe?"

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.