JAMB (ENGLISH) Past Question And Answers

Idiomatic Expressions 

Idioms are expressions whose meanings cannot be understood in their ordinary English expressions. They are proverbial in nature. The following are some incorrect  idiomatic expressions, their correct versions.

Incorrect - You cannot eat your cake and have it.
Correct - You cannot have your cake and eat it.
in its idiomatic context, 'cake' here refers to opportunity or blessing. This idiom means, you can not have things both ways e.g, you can't  use yours savings to buy a car and still have the savings afterwards. 

Incorrect - You are fighting a lost battle
Correct - You are fighting a losing battle
If the battle is described as lot, then one wonders the need to fight again. 'fight' a losing battles means a fight  one is certain to lose.

Incorrect - They only want drag my name into the mud
correct -  They only want to drag my name through the mire
'Mire' is a deep mud. 'Through the mire' means to cause person to be caught in difficulties or make dirty with mud.

Incorrect - A beggar has no choice
Correct - A beggar is no chooser
A beggar has a choice and the choice is begging for alms, but cannot dictate what ALMS will be given to him.

Incorrect - Action speaks louder than voice
Correct - Action speaks louder than words 
'Voice' is the sound produced in word or singing. It is not expressive of a spoken word, hence the correct  expression. This idiom means , what somebody actually dose, means more than they say they will do

Incorrect - What is good for the goose is good for the gander
Correct - What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
'Sauce' means manner or rules of  behavior. 'Good' means something of high quality or an acceptable standard.