WAEC 2022 English Language · Question 23

It is always good to live _____ one's means.

Options

A.within
B.under
C.with
D.through

Answer: A. within

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question The sentence is "It is always good to live _ one's means." We need the preposition that completes a common English idiom.

Explain the concept This is a question on idiomatic expressions (prepositions). The phrase "live within one's means" means to spend only as much money as you earn, without going into debt. Here, "means" refers to your income or financial resources, and "within" shows you are staying inside those limits.

Show the solution Let's test each option:

A. within: "live within one's means" is a correct, standard idiom. ✅
B. under: "live under one's means" is not the standard idiom. It is unnatural here.
C. with: "live with one's means" makes no sense in this context.
D. through: "live through one's means" is incorrect. "Live through" means to survive an experience, such as "live through a war".

Identify the answer The correct option is A. within.

Related idioms to remember

live within one's means: spend only what you can afford
live beyond one's means: spend more than you earn

Tip Think of your means as a fence or boundary. You should stay within it, not go beyond it. In WASSCE and JAMB Use of English, idioms with prepositions are often tested, so learn them as whole phrases.

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