WAEC 2024 English Language · Question 93

Some workers were quite affable at the meeting but their leader was rather …

Question

In each of the following sentences, 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. Some workers were quite affable at the meeting but their leader was rather ______

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

A.guarded
B.caution
C.suspicious
D.antagonistic

Answer: D. antagonistic

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question

The question asks for a word that:

Is opposite in meaning to the underlined word, affable.
Fits the gap grammatically and logically in the sentence.

Explain the concept

Affable means friendly, easy to talk to, and approachable. Its antonyms include unfriendly, hostile, cold, and antagonistic.

The sentence also uses "but", which signals contrast. The workers were affable, but their leader was the opposite: unfriendly or hostile.

Check each option

A. guarded: This means cautious or reserved. It fits the gap grammatically, but it is only partly opposite to "affable". A guarded person can still be friendly, just careful about what they say.
B. caution: This is a noun. The gap needs an adjective after "was rather", so it is grammatically wrong.
C. suspicious: This means distrustful. It fits the gap, but it describes a state of mind rather than being the direct opposite of friendliness.
D. antagonistic: This means hostile and unfriendly. It is a direct opposite of "affable", and it fits the gap grammatically and in meaning.

Answer

The best option is D. antagonistic. It is the closest antonym of "affable", and it fits the sentence: "Some workers were quite affable at the meeting but their leader was rather antagonistic."

Tip

In "opposite and fill the gap" questions, check two things:

Is the part of speech correct? This rules out B, because "caution" is a noun.
Which option is the strongest and most direct opposite? Words like "guarded" and "suspicious" are only loosely related, while "antagonistic" is a true antonym.

Also look for contrast signals such as but, however, and although. They tell you the missing word should oppose the earlier idea.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.