Use of English: Comprehension, Summary, Grammar and Oral Forms
What the paper tests
The Use of English paper is compulsory for every UTME candidate and carries 60 multiple-choice questions. It tests comprehension, summary, vocabulary, grammar (lexis and structure), oral forms (vowel sounds, stress, intonation) and idioms. It is not a literature paper; passages are informational or argumentative, and answers must be tied to the text.
Core rules
- Comprehension: answer only from the passage. The correct option paraphrases the passage; general knowledge is a distractor.
- Summary: use your own words, keep within the stated sentence limit, and include only the requested points.
- Vocabulary: choose the option closest in meaning in context. Antonym questions ask for the opposite, not a synonym.
- Grammar: concord, tense sequence, pronoun reference, prepositions and phrasal verbs recur.
- Oral forms: know minimal pairs such as /i:/ versus /ɪ/, word stress (PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy) and falling versus rising intonation.
Worked example
Question: “The committee ___ divided over the budget.” Options: has, have, is, was. “Committee” is a collective noun. If members act as one body, use singular “has”; if they are split, use plural “have”. “Divided” signals disagreement among members, so “have” is correct. The trap is applying the singular rule mechanically.
Traps that cost marks
Lifting long phrases in summary; ignoring “EXCEPT” or “NOT”; choosing a synonym that fits outside the passage; confusing “principal/principle”; mis-stressing words such as “development” (deVELopment).