Every year, thousands of candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with the hope of securing admission into tertiary institutions. Among all subjects, Use of English remains the most critical because it is compulsory and cuts across all fields of study.

Over time, it has become clear that the exam is not set at random. The same core areas appear repeatedly, even though the questions may be slightly reworded. This is why understanding the repeated questions in UTME English 2026 goes beyond memorising answers. It requires a proper grasp of the topics from which these questions are drawn.

The official JAMB syllabus consistently emphasises grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and oral English. These are the foundations upon which most questions are built. Below are the major topics candidates should focus on, explained in clear and simple terms with examples.

Concord (Subject-Verb Agreement)

Concord simply means that the verb in a sentence must agree with the subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. However, this can become tricky when words like “either,” “neither,” or “as well as” are used. For example, in the sentence “Neither the boy nor the girls are ready,” the verb “are” agrees with “girls,” which is the closest subject.

Question Tags

Question tags are short questions added to the end of a statement to confirm information. They usually follow a pattern where a positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag. For instance, “She is coming, isn’t she?” shows how the auxiliary verb “is” changes to “isn’t” in the tag.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs, and their meanings are often different from the individual words. They are commonly used in everyday English and frequently appear in UTME. For example, “turn down” does not mean to physically turn something downward, but rather “to reject.”

Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have similar meanings. In UTME, candidates are often asked to choose a word that is closest in meaning to another word in a sentence. For example, “brilliant” can mean “intelligent,” depending on the context in which it is used.

Antonyms

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Questions in this area test vocabulary strength. For example, the opposite of “scarce” is “abundant,” which means something is available in large quantities.

Idiomatic Expressions

Idioms are expressions whose meanings cannot be understood from the individual words. They are figurative rather than literal. For example, “spill the beans” does not involve beans at all, but means to reveal a secret.

Lexis and Structure

This area focuses on the correct use of words in sentences, including grammar and vocabulary. It often tests prepositions, articles, and word choice. For example, “She is good at Mathematics” is correct because “at” is the appropriate preposition used with “good.”

Tenses

Tense shows the time of an action, whether it happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future. JAMB tests whether candidates can use the correct tense in a sentence. For example, “She has finished her work” shows an action that has already been completed.

Active and Passive Voice

In active voice, the subject performs the action, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action. Questions may require candidates to change from one form to another. For example, “The boy kicked the ball” becomes “The ball was kicked by the boy” in passive voice.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech reports the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what was said without quoting directly. Changes often occur in tense and pronouns. For example, “He said, ‘I am tired’” becomes “He said that he was tired.”

Parts of Speech

This refers to the role a word plays in a sentence, such as noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. Understanding this helps in identifying how words function. For instance, in “She ran quickly,” the word “quickly” describes how she ran, making it an adverb.

Stress and Intonation (Oral English)

This aspect focuses on how words are pronounced, especially which syllable is stressed. Wrong stress can change the meaning or make the speech unclear. For example, “photograph” is pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable.

Vowel and Consonant Sounds

This involves the correct pronunciation of sounds using phonetic symbols. Candidates are expected to distinguish between similar sounds. For example, the vowel sound in “ship” is different from that in “sheep.”

Homophones

Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. They can easily confuse candidates. For example, “write” and “right” sound the same but mean different things.

Spelling

Correct spelling is important in English and is directly tested in UTME. Candidates must be familiar with commonly misspelt words. For example, “accommodation” is often misspelt but must be written correctly.

Comprehension Passages

This section tests the ability to understand and interpret written texts. Candidates are required to answer questions based on a given passage, such as identifying the main idea or making inferences.

Cloze Test (Fill in the Gap Passage)

In this section, candidates are given a passage with missing words and asked to fill in the blanks. The correct answers depend on understanding the context and flow of the passage.

Sentence Completion

This involves selecting the correct option to complete a sentence meaningfully and grammatically. It tests both vocabulary and grammar. For example, “He insisted on going” uses the correct preposition.

Conditional Statements

Conditional sentences express situations and their possible outcomes. They often use “if.” For example, “If I were you, I would study harder” shows a hypothetical situation.

Figures of Speech

Figures of speech are creative expressions used to make language more interesting. They include metaphors, similes, and personification. For example, “Time is a thief” compares time to a thief without using “like” or “as.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does JAMB repeat past questions exactly?

JAMB does not usually repeat questions word for word, but it repeats the same concepts and topics regularly.

Which topics are most important in UTME English?

Concord, oral English, comprehension, and lexis and structure are among the most important areas.

How can I improve quickly before the exam?

Focus on understanding these topics, practise past questions daily, and revise weak areas consistently. (Nigerian Tribune)

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