WAEC 2017 English Language · Question 69

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

Question

In the following sentence, there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word and that will, at the same time, correctly fill the gap in the sentence. I don't know how Yusuf became so proud; his parents have always been ______

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

A.gentle
B.noble
C.humble
D.simple

Answer: C. humble

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question

The question says "underlined word" (here it is "proud"), and you need a word that:

Is opposite in meaning to "proud", and
Fits the gap: "his parents have always been __".

Explain the concept

This is an antonym question with a fill-in-the-gap twist. The opposite of proud (in the sense of arrogant, haughty, thinking too highly of oneself) is humble (modest, not arrogant).

Step-by-step solution

A. gentle: means kind, mild or soft-natured. It is not the direct opposite of proud. Someone can be gentle and still proud.
B. noble: means of high birth or having high moral character. It is closer to a synonym of proud than an opposite.
C. humble: means modest and not arrogant. It is the direct opposite of proud, and "his parents have always been humble" makes perfect sense. The sentence says Yusuf became proud even though his parents were always humble.
D. simple: means plain or uncomplicated. It does not clearly oppose "proud".

Answer

The correct option is C. humble.

Tip

For antonym questions with a gap, test your choice in the sentence. Look for contrast signals such as "I don't know how...", "although" and "but". Here the sentence contrasts Yusuf's pride with his parents' character, so you need the exact opposite of proud: humble. Also remember the common pair proud ↔ humble, as it appears often in WASSCE and JAMB.

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