WAEC 2018 English Language · Question 129

He … be very handsome but i don't like him.

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.  He ______ be very handsome but i don't like him.

  1. A.shall
  2. B.will
  3. C.might
  4. D.can

Answer: C. might

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The sentence is "He __ be very handsome but I don't like him." We need a modal verb that fits the structure "X be ... but I don't like him," which expresses a concession: "Granted, he may be handsome, but..."

Concept: Modal verbs of possibility or concession (may, might, can) are used to admit a point before introducing a contrast with "but."

  • "He may/might be very handsome, but I don't like him" means "It is possible or granted that he is handsome, yet I don't like him."
  • Shall expresses a promise, command, or future with I/we, so it does not fit here.
  • Will can express prediction or habit ("He will be at home by now"), but it does not suit a concessive meaning.
  • Can usually expresses ability or general possibility. "He can be very handsome" would suggest he is sometimes handsome, and it is less natural in this concessive sense.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Identify the structure: [Subject] + [modal] + be + adjective + but + contrasting clause.
  2. The "but" shows a concession, so we need a modal that grants a possibility.
  3. Eliminate shall, because it is wrong for a third-person statement of fact.
  4. Eliminate will, because it signals certainty or prediction and does not concede a point.
  5. Compare might and can. Might fits best because it concedes a possibility ("he might be handsome, though I don't like him").

Answer: C. might

Tip: When you see a modal followed by "...but...", ask whether the speaker is granting a point before contradicting it. If so, may or might is usually the best choice. Remember the pattern: "He may be rich, but he is not happy."

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