Opposites (Antonyms) & Consonant Sounds — Past Questions and Answers Explained

This lesson is a past questions practice session covering two commonly tested English Language areas: finding the opposite in meaning (antonyms) of a given word, and identifying consonant sounds in Oral English questions.

Rather than re-teaching the underlying concepts from scratch, this video walks through actual exam-style questions and explains the reasoning behind each correct answer — the kind of applied practice that turns theory into exam-ready skill.

Quick takeaways

• Finding the “opposite in meaning” of an underlined word requires choosing an antonym that fits the sentence’s specific context, not just any generally opposite word.
• Antonym questions often include distractor options that are related in topic but not truly opposite in meaning — read all options carefully before choosing.
• Consonant sound questions typically ask you to identify a word with a different sound from the others, based on pronunciation, not spelling.
• Practicing with real past questions helps you recognize common patterns examiners use, such as pairing tricky homophones or visually similar words with different sounds.
• If you’re unfamiliar with the underlying concepts, review the linked lessons below before working through this practice set for the best results.

How do you approach “opposite in meaning” questions?

These questions typically present a sentence with one word underlined, followed by four or five options, and ask you to choose the option that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word within that specific sentence. The most reliable approach:

1. Read the full sentence first, not just the underlined word in isolation
2. Consider the word’s meaning as used in that specific context, since some words have multiple possible opposites depending on usage
3. Test each option by mentally substituting the opposite meaning back into the sentence, checking that it still makes logical sense

What kinds of traps appear in opposite-in-meaning questions?

Common traps in these questions include:

• Related-but-not-opposite options — words connected to the same topic as the underlined word, but not actually its opposite
• Context-dependent meanings — where a word has more than one possible meaning, and only one specific meaning’s opposite is being tested
• Near-opposites — an option that’s somewhat opposite but not as precisely or strongly opposite as the correct answer

How do you approach consonant sound questions?

Consonant sound questions typically present a group of words and ask you to identify the one with a consonant sound different from the others — testing pronunciation, not spelling. The most reliable approach:

1. Say each word aloud (or sound it out mentally) rather than just reading it visually
2. Focus specifically on the sound of the letter or letter combination being tested, since spelling doesn’t always match pronunciation
3. Watch for words that look similar in spelling but are pronounced differently, which examiners frequently use as the “odd one out”

Why does practicing past questions matter, beyond knowing the theory?

Understanding a concept and being able to apply it quickly under exam conditions are two different skills. Working through real past questions helps you recognize the specific patterns and traps examiners repeatedly use, builds your speed, and reveals any gaps in your understanding that a purely theoretical explanation might not expose. This is why practice sessions like this one are just as valuable as the original concept lessons.

Common mistakes students make with these question types

• Choosing an antonym option that’s generally opposite but doesn’t fit the specific context of the sentence
• Relying on spelling alone for consonant sound questions instead of actually sounding words out
• Rushing through options without reading the full sentence or word group carefully
• Skipping foundational review of the underlying concepts before attempting past questions, leading to guessing rather than reasoned answers

Frequently asked questions

Q: How do you find the opposite in meaning of an underlined word in a sentence? Read the full sentence for context, identify the word’s specific meaning as used there, and choose the option that is most nearly opposite in that exact context, rather than just a generally opposite word.

Q: Why is it important to say words aloud when answering consonant sound questions? Because English spelling doesn’t always match pronunciation, so relying on how a word looks rather than how it sounds can lead to choosing the wrong answer in consonant sound questions.

Q: Are antonym and consonant sound questions tested in the same exam? Antonym (opposite in meaning) questions appear in both JAMB and WAEC English Language, while consonant sound questions are part of Oral English, tested in WAEC, NECO, and GCE, but not in JAMB’s UTME.

Q: Should I learn the theory before practicing past questions like these? Yes — reviewing the underlying concepts first makes practice far more effective, since you’ll understand why an answer is correct rather than just memorizing individual question patterns.

New to these topics? Review synonyms and antonyms in our Lexis and Structure lesson → or revisit the 24 consonant sounds →

This is one topic from our full JAMB & WAEC English Language course — see everything covered →