JAMB English 2025 Past Questions & Explanations
Try 20 of 71+ JAMB English 2025 questions as a free quiz — select your answers, submit, and see your score with a full explanation for every one.
- 1.
One of the first things a child notices in birds is
Show explanation
The passage states that one of the first things a child notices about birds is how noisy many kinds of birds are. It specifically mentions that guinea fowls are well known for being noisy. Therefore, Option A (noise) is the correct answer.
- 2.
What makes it easy to identify a species of birds in the wood?
Show explanation
The question addresses identification methods in a woodland setting. The phrase 'with practice' is key—characteristic calls are learned acoustic identifiers that become easier to recognize over time. While beak shape, feeding mode, and feather colour are identifying features, they often vary within species or are difficult to observe in dense woodland. Characteristic calls are distinctive, consistent, and learnable through practice. - 3.
Flocks of finches could easily become separated
Show explanation
Flocks become separated when individual birds disperse to feed on different branches or areas. As birds hunt for insects or seeds on various branches of trees, they naturally spread out and become separated from the main flock. The other options do not logically explain natural separation in flocking behavior. Injury, hunger response, and predator sighting would actually cause birds to stay together for protection. - 4.
The small birds have
Show explanation
The passage states that small birds make a “flying predator call” when they see a bird of prey. This shows that they have a particular type of call used as an alarm to alert other birds in the neighbourhood. Therefore, Option A is correct.
- 5.
When a bird of prey is sighted, a small bird
Show explanation
When a predator is sighted, a small bird's instinctive response is to alert its mates by calling them, enabling collective defense or coordinated escape. This is consistent with the theme of alarm calls discussed in earlier questions. Simply flying away abandons the flock; nest-making is inappropriate during danger; hiding in a nest is not protective for small birds. The logical response is to warn others through alarm calls. - 6.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
No sooner had Tobi left the house _____ it began to rain.
Show explanation
This sentence uses the 'no sooner...than' construction, a standard English idiom expressing that two events happened in quick succession. 'No sooner had X happened than Y happened' is the correct structure. 'Since' is used for time periods, 'that' introduces clauses but not in this context, and 'when' is less formal for this construction. 'Than' is required to complete the idiomatic expression. - 7.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
What goes around _____ around.
Show explanation
This sentence requires subject-verb agreement. 'What' (singular) is the subject; the verb must be singular present tense. 'Comes' (third person singular present) correctly agrees with 'what' and maintains parallel structure with the implied temporal setting. 'Is coming' is unnecessarily complex; 'came' shifts to past tense inconsistently; 'come' is non-conjugated. 'Comes' is the grammatically correct choice. - 8.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
The boy _____ the flute for about thirty minutes.
Show explanation
The phrase 'for about thirty minutes' indicates an action starting in the past and continuing to the present, requiring the present perfect continuous tense. 'Has been playing' (present perfect continuous) correctly expresses this duration. 'Was playing' (past continuous) lacks present relevance; 'has play' is grammatically incorrect (missing 'been'); 'has being playing' is incorrect verb form. 'Has been playing' is the only grammatically correct and contextually appropriate option. - 9.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
Each of the answers _____ correct.
Show explanation
The subject is 'each' (singular), not 'answers' (plural). The distributive pronoun 'each' always takes a singular verb, regardless of the plural noun following it. 'Is' (singular present) correctly agrees with 'each.' 'Have been,' 'were,' and 'are' are all plural forms that incorrectly agree with 'answers' rather than with the singular subject 'each.' The correct answer is 'is.' - 10.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
Each of the reports _____ been carefully reviewed by the committee.
Show explanation
The subject is 'each' (singular), not 'reports' (plural). The distributive pronoun 'each' requires a singular verb. In present perfect construction, the singular subject 'each' requires 'has' (not 'have'). 'Is' is incorrect for this construction (missing 'been'); 'have' and 'are' are plural forms. 'Has' correctly agrees with the singular subject 'each' and completes the present perfect passive construction 'has been reviewed.' - 11.
For this question, choose the option nearest in meaning to the word or phrase in italics.
The scientist made an astonishing discovery in the laboratory.
Show explanation
'Astonishing' means surprising, remarkable, and causing great surprise or wonder. 'Amazing' is a synonym—both express something that causes wonder and surprise. 'Common' and 'ordinary' are antonyms (opposite meanings); 'expected' also contrasts with the surprise factor. 'Amazing' best captures the sense of something remarkable and surprising. - 12.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
The ______ of armed robbery has been on the increase.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'incidence' (D). 'Incidence' refers to the rate, frequency, or occurrence of something (in this case, armed robbery incidents). 'Accident' (B) refers to an unexpected event or mishap. 'Incident' (C) refers to a single occurrence or event. 'Accidence' (A) is a grammatical term referring to inflectional changes in words. The blank requires a noun meaning 'frequency/rate of occurrence,' which is 'incidence.' - 13.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
The doctor ______ him to take his medicine regularly.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'advised' (B). The verb 'advise' (meaning to recommend or give counsel) is spelled with an 's' in the past tense form 'advised.' 'Adviced' (A) is an incorrect spelling of the past tense. 'Advise' (C) is the base form of the verb, which doesn't fit the past tense context required here. 'Advice' (D) is a noun, not a verb, so it cannot be used with 'him' as the object. - 14.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
He was praised for the ______ achievement.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'laudable' (B). 'Laudable' is an adjective meaning 'worthy of praise or admirable.' It comes from the Latin root 'laudare' (to praise). 'Loudable' (A), 'loudeble' (C), and 'loudible' (D) are all incorrect spellings and are not real words. The context of 'praised for the ______ achievement' clearly requires an adjective meaning 'worthy of praise,' which is 'laudable.' - 15.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
It is high time you ______ visiting that friend of yours.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'stopped' (A). The idiom 'It is high time' is followed by the past tense of the verb, not the base form or modal verb. This construction expresses that something should have been done earlier and is now overdue. 'Stopped' uses the simple past tense, which is grammatically correct after 'It is high time.' 'Should stop' (B), 'stop' (C), and 'must stop' (D) are all incorrect because they don't follow the standard construction 'It is high time + past tense.' - 16.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
Put Chioma's meat in ______ pack.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'shiny new red lunch' (C). In English, adjectives follow a specific order: opinion/quality (shiny), age/newness (new), color (red), and purpose/noun adjunct (lunch). The correct order is: shiny (opinion/quality) + new (age) + red (color) + lunch (noun adjunct/purpose). This is the natural and grammatically correct English word order for multiple adjectives. The other options violate this adjective order principle. - 17.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
As trained teachers, Joke teaches ______ better than Jumoke.
Show explanation
The sentence compares how well Joke and Jumoke teach. The correct comparative expression is “far better”, where far is used to strengthen the comparative adjective better.
- 18.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments before the end of ______ week.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'next' (D). The phrase 'before the end of ______ week' refers to a future time frame. 'Next' indicates the week that is coming or following the present moment, which is the appropriate temporal marker. 'Last' (A) refers to a past week, which contradicts the instruction to submit 'before the end.' 'Any' (B) is vague and incorrect. 'These' (C) is a demonstrative pronoun that doesn't fit the context. - 19.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
If I had worked hard, I ______ very high marks in the exam.
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'would have scored' (C). This sentence uses the third conditional (or past counterfactual) structure: 'If + past perfect, would + have + past participle.' Since the condition 'If I had worked hard' is in the past perfect, the consequence must use 'would have scored' to show an unrealized past possibility. 'Would have score' (A) has incorrect grammar (missing 'd'). 'Will score' (B) and 'can score' (D) use present/future tenses, which don't match the past conditional structure. - 20.
In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s).
It had been raining before the party started, ______?
Show explanation
The correct answer is 'hadn't it?' (D). Tag questions must match the tense and auxiliary verb of the main clause. The main clause uses 'had been raining' (past perfect continuous), so the tag question must also use the past perfect auxiliary 'had' with the negative form 'hadn't.' 'Isn't it?' (A) uses present tense, which doesn't match. 'Wasn't it?' (B) uses simple past, which doesn't match the past perfect. 'Hasn't it?' (C) uses present perfect, which is incorrect for this past perfect context.