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Question 2241Question →

Consider the following formal sentence:

'Each of the newly appointed ambassadors to the United Nations is expected to present ________ credentials to the Secretary-General during the opening assembly.'

Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence in accordance with formal pronoun-antecedent agreement rules?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: his or her

Answer

The correct option is 'his or her'.
The pronoun phrase 'his or her' is correct because the subject antecedent is 'Each', which is a singular indefinite pronoun. In formal standard English tested by JAMB, singular indefinite pronouns require singular possessive pronouns to maintain proper pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent in the main clause
The antecedent is the indefinite pronoun 'Each', modified by the prepositional phrase 'of the newly appointed ambassadors'.
The head of the subject phrase determines agreement, not the plural object of the preposition ('ambassadors').
2
Determine the grammatical number of the antecedent
Indefinite pronouns such as 'each', 'everyone', 'someone', and 'neither' are grammatically singular in standard formal English.
Formal agreement rules mandate that singular antecedents take singular possessive pronouns.
3
Select the possessive pronoun that matches gender and number
'his or her' matches the singular number of 'Each' and appropriately refers to human persons of unspecified gender.
Plural pronouns like 'their' violate formal agreement rules, while 'its' is inappropriate for human subjects.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Estimated Time:50s
Question 2242Question →

Which option best completes the sentence below?

"By the time the rescue team reached the village, the floodwaters _______ several homes."

Show answer & explanation

Answer: had already destroyed

Answer

had already destroyed
The verb phrase 'had already destroyed' correctly uses the past perfect tense. In English grammar, when two past events are mentioned and one occurred before the other, the earlier event must be expressed in the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle). Since the destruction of the homes took place prior to the arrival of the rescue team, 'had already destroyed' is the grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the time frame established by the time clause.
The clause 'By the time the rescue team reached...' sets a past reference point.
Understanding the timeline helps determine the correct aspect of the verb.
2
Determine the sequence of past events.
The destruction of the homes happened before the rescue team's arrival.
An event that takes place prior to another past event requires the past perfect tense (had + past participle).
3
Select the verb phrase that fits the past perfect structure.
'had already destroyed' correctly reflects the completed prior past action.
It maintains accurate temporal sequence and grammatical aspect.

Key Concept

Past Perfect Tense for Sequence of Past Events
Question 2243Question →

In which of the following words is the primary vowel sound identical to the diphthong produced in the word deign?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: chaste

Answer

The word with the identical diphthong sound is 'chaste'.
The word 'deign' contains the diphthong sound /eɪ/ (/deɪn/). The word 'chaste' (/tʃeɪst/) is the only option that contains this exact same /eɪ/ diphthong glide.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Transcribe the target word phonetically to identify its primary vowel sound.
The word 'deign' is phonetically transcribed as /deɪn/, featuring the diphthong sound /eɪ/.
Accurate phonetic identification isolates the diphthong glide needed for matching.
2
Analyze each option's phonetic structure to locate the /eɪ/ diphthong.
'chaste' = /tʃeɪst/ (/eɪ/ diphthong); 'height' = /haɪt/ (/aɪ/ diphthong); 'plaque' = /plæk/ (/æ/ monophthong); 'quay' = /kiː/ (/iː/ monophthong).
Distinguishing pure monophthongs and deceptive spelling patterns isolates the single correct match.
3
Match the target diphthong /eɪ/ with the correct option.
'chaste' matches 'deign' with the /eɪ/ diphthong.
Both words articulate the identical vocalic glide /eɪ/.

Key Concept

Diphthong Sound Matching (/eɪ/)
Question 2244Question →

Which of the following words contains the same diphthong sound as the word spoil?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: rejoice

Answer

The word 'rejoice' contains the same diphthong sound /ɔɪ/ as 'spoil'.
The word 'spoil' contains the diphthong /ɔɪ/. Among the choices, 'rejoice' is pronounced /rɪˈdʒɔɪs/, which contains the exact same /ɔɪ/ diphthong sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target diphthong sound in the word 'spoil'.
The word 'spoil' is transcribed phonetically as /spɔɪl/, containing the diphthong /ɔɪ/.
Determining the exact vowel glide in the stem is necessary for accurate sound matching.
2
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each option.
'rejoice' is /rɪˈdʒɔɪs/ (/ɔɪ/), 'source' is /sɔːs/ (/ɔː/), 'suite' is /swiːt/ (/iː/), and 'porch' is /pɔːtʃ/ (/ɔː/).
Isolating the vowel sound in each word allows for direct comparison with the target sound.
3
Select the option that matches the target diphthong /ɔɪ/.
'rejoice' matches the /ɔɪ/ sound found in 'spoil'.
Both words share the identical vocalic glide from /ɔ/ towards /ɪ/.

Key Concept

Identifying English Diphthongs (/ɔɪ/ sound matching)
Estimated Time:40s
Question 2245Question →

Supply the appropriate preposition to complete the sentence accurately.

Fill in the blanks below

Despite its elaborate structure and lengthy introduction, the researcher's final report was completely bereft verifiable empirical evidence.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

of
The adjective 'bereft' takes the fixed dependent preposition 'of' when indicating that something is entirely lacking or deprived of a quality.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the adjective in the sentence requiring a dependent preposition.
The adjective 'bereft' requires a specific preposition to form a standard grammatical collocation meaning 'deprived of' or 'lacking'.
In standard English grammar and JAMB UTME usage, 'bereft' takes the fixed preposition 'of'.
2
Complete the prepositional phrase.
'bereft of' correctly completes the phrase in this context.
Combining 'bereft' with any other preposition creates an ungrammatical construction.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions with Adjectives
Question 2246Question →

Read the sentence below:
'Neither of the two applicants _____ suitable for the managerial position.'

Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: is

Answer

The correct verb form is 'is'.
The sentence requires a singular present-tense verb to agree with the head subject 'Neither', which is a singular indefinite pronoun. Therefore, 'is' is the grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The subject is the indefinite pronoun 'Neither'.
The phrase 'of the two applicants' is a prepositional modifier and does not function as the head of the subject.
2
Determine the number of the subject 'Neither'.
'Neither' is grammatically singular when referring to one or the other of two items.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'neither', 'either', and 'each' require singular agreement in formal standard English.
3
Select the verb form that agrees with the singular subject.
'is' is chosen.
The singular verb 'is' correctly pairs with the singular subject 'Neither'.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Concord
Question 2247Question →

Read the sentence below and complete it with the grammatically appropriate verb structure. Which form of the verb correctly completes the sentence to express the unfulfilled past condition?

Fill in the blanks below

Had the archived epidemiological records before the rainy season began, the health department would have contained the outbreak much sooner.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

been digitized
The sentence relies on an inverted third conditional pattern where 'Had' precedes the subject 'the archived epidemiological records'. To complete the past perfect passive verb phrase indicating an unfulfilled past event, the correct verb construction requires the auxiliary participle 'been' alongside the past participle 'digitized' (or 'catalogued').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the conditional structure of the sentence.
The sentence opens with an inverted auxiliary verb 'Had' followed by the subject 'the archived epidemiological records', indicating an inverted third conditional clause.
Inverted third conditional clauses invert the auxiliary 'had' with the subject to express a hypothetical, unfulfilled condition in the past.
2
Identify the voice and aspect required for the verb phrase.
The subject ('archived epidemiological records') is passive relative to the action of digitizing, necessitating a past perfect passive construction ('had been digitized').
Because 'Had' is already placed at the start of the clause, the blank must be filled by the passive participle 'been' paired with the past participle 'digitized'.

Key Concept

Inverted Third Conditional with Passive Voice Aspect
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2248Question →

Match each word below with the correct description of its consonant cluster structure.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

Splendid
Angst
Twist
Subtle

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

'Splendid' matches 'Contains an initial three-consonant cluster (/spl/)'; 'Angst' matches 'Contains a final three-consonant cluster (/ŋst/)'; 'Twist' matches 'Contains both an initial two-consonant cluster (/tw/) and a final two-consonant cluster (/st/)'; 'Subtle' matches 'Contains no consonant cluster at the end because the letter 'b' is silent'.
Each word is matched according to its actual spoken consonant sounds: 'Splendid' starts with three spoken consonants (/spl/), 'Angst' ends with three spoken consonants (/ŋst/), 'Twist' features two-consonant clusters at both its start (/tw/) and end (/st/), and 'Subtle' has a silent 'b', meaning no /bt/ cluster exists in speech.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each given word rather than its spelling.
'Splendid' is /splɛndɪd/, 'Angst' is /æŋst/, 'Twist' is /twɪst/, and 'Subtle' is /ˈsʌtl/.
Consonant clusters depend strictly on sequence of spoken consonant phonemes, not orthographic letters.
2
Identify initial and final consonant phoneme sequences for each word.
'Splendid' starts with /spl/ (3 consonants). 'Angst' ends with /ŋst/ (3 consonants). 'Twist' has /tw/ at the start and /st/ at the end. 'Subtle' features a silent letter 'b', leaving only a single /t/ sound before the syllabic /l/.
Phonological awareness isolates silent letters and accurately groups adjacent consonant sounds.
3
Match each word to its corresponding structural description.
All four words are matched to their precise phonological cluster profiles.
Verification confirms exact alignment between phonetic structure and description.

Key Concept

Consonant Clusters and Silent Letters in Phonetics
Question 2249Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct subordinating conjunction that completes the correlative clause structure.

Fill in the blanks below

Scarcely had the minister completed his opening address at the parliamentary summit the opposition members raised points of order regarding procedural irregularities.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct conjunction to introduce the time clause following 'Scarcely had...' is 'when' (or 'before').
When a sentence begins with the restrictive adverb 'Scarcely' (or 'Hardly'), standard English clause structure requires subject-verb inversion in the main clause and the subordinating conjunction 'when' or 'before' to introduce the introducing time clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause structure and initial adverbial element
The sentence begins with the restrictive adverb 'Scarcely' followed by subject-auxiliary inversion ('had the minister completed').
In formal English syntax, fronted negative or restrictive adverbs mandate subject-auxiliary inversion in the main clause.
2
Identify the required correlative conjunction pair
The introductory restrictive word 'Scarcely' forms a correlative pair strictly with 'when' or 'before' to connect the subsequent dependent clause.
Using 'than' is ungrammatical here, as 'than' correlates exclusively with 'No sooner'.

Key Concept

Correlative Conjunctions and Inverted Clause Structures
Question 2250Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the grammatically appropriate adverb of degree in the blank space provided.

Fill in the blanks below

The environmental panel reviewed the impact assessment so meticulously that they could find any ecological flaws in the proposed project.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

hardly (or 'scarcely' / 'barely')
The adverb 'hardly' (or 'scarcely'/'barely') correctly modifies the verb phrase 'could find' to convey that almost no flaws were identified despite thorough inspection.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence and the intended meaning of the modifier.
The sentence indicates that due to meticulous review, finding flaws was almost impossible or occurred only to a minimal degree.
The word 'any' following the blank signals a negative degree adverb meaning 'almost not'.
2
Select the correct negative adverb of degree that collocates with 'could' and 'any'.
Adverbs such as 'hardly', 'scarcely', or 'barely' express the negative degree required without creating a double negative.
'Hardly' acts as a semi-negative modifier meaning 'almost no' or 'almost not' when combined with 'any'.

Key Concept

Adverbs of Degree and Negative Modifiers
Question 2251Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the grammatically correct auxiliary verb form.

Fill in the blanks below

No sooner the magistrate pronounced the verdict than a sudden murmur of astonishment rippled through the courtroom.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct auxiliary verb to complete the sentence is 'had'.
When a sentence begins with the negative correlative conjunction 'No sooner', it demands subject-auxiliary inversion in the past perfect tense. The auxiliary 'had' precedes the subject 'the magistrate' and pairs with the past participle 'pronounced', correctly correlating with 'than' followed by the simple past verb 'rippled'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and adverbial placement.
The sentence begins with the negative correlative adverbial 'No sooner', followed by a subject, a past participle ('pronounced'), and a clause introduced by 'than' in the simple past tense ('rippled').
Placing negative or restrictive adverbials like 'No sooner', 'Hardly', or 'Scarcely' at the front of a sentence requires subject-auxiliary inversion.
2
Select the appropriate tense and auxiliary verb.
The event in the first clause occurred prior to another past event. The past perfect tense construction requires the auxiliary verb 'had' placed before the subject.
The past perfect auxiliary 'had' combines with the past participle 'pronounced' to express the earlier past action in an inverted sentence structure.

Key Concept

Subject-auxiliary inversion with negative adverbials and past perfect tense sequence
Question 2252Question →

Select the option that correctly expresses the passive form of the sentence below:

'The investigative panel should have dispensed with the tedious questioning of the chief witness.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The tedious questioning of the chief witness should have been dispensed with by the investigative panel.

Answer

The tedious questioning of the chief witness should have been dispensed with by the investigative panel.
The sentence correctly converts the active modal perfect verb phrase 'should have dispensed with' to its passive counterpart 'should have been dispensed with' while maintaining the original tense, aspect, and prepositional particle 'with'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical components of the active sentence
Subject = 'The investigative panel', Verb phrase = 'should have dispensed with' (modal perfect + prepositional verb), Direct Object = 'the tedious questioning of the chief witness'.
Establishing the functional elements of the sentence is required before performing voice transformation.
2
Make the active object the subject of the passive sentence and convert the verb phrase
New subject = 'The tedious questioning of the chief witness'; Passive verb = 'should have been dispensed with'.
Modal perfect active forms ('modal + have + past participle') transform into passive by inserting 'been' ('modal + have + been + past participle'). Prepositional particles like 'with' must be retained.
3
Attach the agent prepositional phrase
'by the investigative panel' complete passive structure.
The original active subject becomes the agent preceded by 'by'.

Key Concept

Passive Voice Transformation of Modal Perfect Verbs with Dependent Prepositions
Question 2253Question →

The executive committee noted that the proposed amendment was completely inimical _____ the core principles of the organization. Which preposition correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: to

Answer

The preposition 'to' correctly completes the sentence, making the phrase 'inimical to'.
The adjective 'inimical' (meaning harmful, hostile, or adverse) strictly takes the dependent preposition 'to'. Therefore, the correct phrase is 'inimical to the core principles'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key adjective in the sentence requiring a dependent preposition.
The target word is 'inimical', which means harmful, adverse, or hostile.
Certain adjectives in English mandate specific prepositions to form standard collocations.
2
Determine the standard dependent preposition that pairs with 'inimical'.
'Inimical' strictly governs the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'inimical to progress', 'inimical to freedom').
Using any other preposition violates established grammatical convention and fixed prepositional patterns.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions with Adjectives
Question 2254Question →

Despite several objections raised during the parliamentary session, a comprehensive breakdown of the proposed infrastructural projects, alongside the financial assessments of the regional delegates, _______ submitted to the cabinet yesterday. Which verb form accurately completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: was

Answer

The correct option is 'was' because the singular head noun 'breakdown' governs the verb across intervening plural modifying phrases.
The singular past tense verb 'was' correctly agrees with the singular head noun 'breakdown'. Expressions introduced by prepositional phrases such as 'alongside...' or 'of...' are parenthetical modifiers and do not make the subject plural.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the true head noun of the subject clause
The head noun is 'breakdown', which is singular.
Modifiers following prepositional phrases ('of the proposed infrastructural projects') and additive prepositional expressions ('alongside the financial assessments...') are syntactically non-essential to subject number determination.
2
Evaluate intervening phrases for potential proximity traps
The nouns 'projects', 'assessments', and 'delegates' are plural but function within modifier phrases.
The rule of concord dictates that intervening plural nouns following quasi-conjunctions like 'alongside', 'together with', or 'as well as' do not pluralize a singular subject.
3
Select the verb form matching the singular head noun in the past tense
The singular past tense verb 'was' correctly completes the clause.
The temporal adverb 'yesterday' requires simple past tense singular agreement ('was submitted').

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Modifying Phrases and Quasi-Conjunctions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2255Question →

Which possessive pronoun correctly completes the sentence below while maintaining proper pronoun-antecedent agreement in standard formal English?

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the chief magistrate nor the defense attorneys submitted final briefs before the court adjourned.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

their
When subjects are joined by correlative conjunctions such as 'neither... nor' or 'either... or', the pronoun must agree in person and number with the antecedent closest to it. In this sentence, 'defense attorneys' is plural and is the closer antecedent to the blank, so the plural possessive pronoun 'their' is grammatically required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and identify the compound antecedent joined by a correlative conjunction.
The antecedents are 'the chief magistrate' (singular) and 'the defense attorneys' (plural), connected by 'neither... nor'.
When antecedents are connected by 'neither... nor', the proximity rule of pronoun-antecedent agreement applies.
2
Determine which antecedent is closer to the blank and select the matching pronoun.
The closer antecedent is 'the defense attorneys', which is plural; therefore, the plural possessive pronoun 'their' must be used.
The pronoun must agree in number with the antecedent nearer to it.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Correlative Conjunctions (Proximity Rule)
Question 2256Question →

Pair each word in the left column with the word in the right column that shares the exact same diphthong sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

brooch
scarce
guile
glower

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

'brooch' matches 'sew' (/əʊ/), 'scarce' matches 'heir' (/eə/), 'guile' matches 'scythe' (/aɪ/), and 'glower' matches 'trowel' (/aʊ/).
The correct matches are based on identical diphthong vowel sounds: 'brooch' (/brəʊtʃ/) shares /əʊ/ with 'sew' (/səʊ/); 'scarce' (/skeəs/) shares /eə/ with 'heir' (/eə/); 'guile' (/ɡaɪl/) shares /aɪ/ with 'scythe' (/saɪð/); and 'glower' (/ɡlaʊə/) shares /aʊ/ with 'trowel' (/traʊəl/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic diphthong sound present in each word in the left column.
'brooch' contains /əʊ/, 'scarce' contains /eə/, 'guile' contains /aɪ/, and 'glower' contains /aʊ/.
Phonetic analysis reveals the actual vowel glide regardless of spelling conventions.
2
Determine the vowel sounds of the items in the right column.
'heir' features /eə/, 'sew' features /əʊ/, 'trowel' features /aʊ/, and 'scythe' features /aɪ/.
Orthographic representations like 'ew' in 'sew' or 'ei' in 'heir' obscure their actual diphthong sounds.
3
Match the left items with their right-column equivalents based on shared diphthongs.
'brooch' pairs with 'sew', 'scarce' pairs with 'heir', 'guile' pairs with 'scythe', and 'glower' pairs with 'trowel'.
Matching items are paired by exact phonetic diphthong equivalence.

Key Concept

Diphthongs
Question 2257Question →

Match each word in the left column with the word in the right column that contains the exact same primary diphthong vowel sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

sleigh
brooch
indict
weird

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct pairings match words sharing identical diphthong sounds despite deceptive orthographic spellings: 'sleigh' pairs with 'champagne' (/eɪ/), 'brooch' pairs with 'furlough' (/əʊ/), 'indict' pairs with 'aisle' (/aɪ/), and 'weird' pairs with 'pierce' (/ɪə/).
Each word pair shares an identical diphthong sound despite contrasting spelling patterns: 'sleigh' and 'champagne' both contain /eɪ/; 'brooch' and 'furlough' both contain /əʊ/; 'indict' and 'aisle' both contain /aɪ/; 'weird' and 'pierce' both contain /ɪə/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Transcribe the phonetic vowel sounds for each target word in the left column.
'sleigh' is pronounced with /eɪ/, 'brooch' with /əʊ/, 'indict' with /aɪ/, and 'weird' with /ɪə/.
English spelling frequently masks true phonetic structures through silent letters or non-standard graphemes.
2
Analyze the primary diphthong sounds present in the words in the right column.
'champagne' contains /eɪ/, 'furlough' contains /əʊ/, 'aisle' contains /aɪ/, and 'pierce' contains /ɪə/.
Isolating the stressed vowel nucleus reveals the exact sound identity.
3
Form matches between items from both columns based on identical diphthong categories.
Connect 'sleigh' to 'champagne' (/eɪ/), 'brooch' to 'furlough' (/əʊ/), 'indict' to 'aisle' (/aɪ/), and 'weird' to 'pierce' (/ɪə/).
Aligning equivalent phonetic transcriptions fulfills the matching requirements.

Key Concept

Identification of English diphthongs represented by non-standard or deceptive orthography
Question 2258Question →

Which of the following words contains the same pure vowel sound as the one in *heart*?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: clerk

Answer

The word 'clerk' contains the same pure vowel sound (/ɑː/) as 'heart'.
The target word 'heart' is pronounced /hɑːt/ with the long pure vowel /ɑː/. The word 'clerk' is pronounced /klɑːk/ in British Standard English (RP), which contains the exact same monophthong vowel sound /ɑː/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the monophthong sound in the target word
The word 'heart' is phonetically transcribed as /hɑːt/, which features the long pure vowel /ɑː/.
Determining the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) sound of the target word establishes the phonetic criteria.
2
Analyze the vowel sound of each option
'clerk' is /klɑːk/, 'heard' is /hɜːd/, 'beard' is /bɪəd/, and 'earth' is /ɜːθ/.
Transcribing each option reveals which word matches the /ɑː/ sound.
3
Select the word sharing the target monophthong
'clerk' (/klɑːk/) matches 'heart' (/hɑːt/).
Both words use the /ɑː/ monophthong vowel sound despite their different orthographic spellings.

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)
Question 2259Question →

Fill in the blank with the correct simple present tense form of the verb 'distract' to satisfy the rules of subject-verb concord.

Fill in the blanks below

The noise from the heavy vehicles on the main road the students during their study sessions.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct verb form is 'distracts'.
The grammatical subject of the clause is the singular noun 'noise'. Prepositional phrases placed between the subject and the verb (such as 'from the heavy vehicles') do not alter the number of the subject. Consequently, the singular present tense verb 'distracts' is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main grammatical subject of the sentence.
The subject is the singular noun 'noise'. The plural phrase 'from the heavy vehicles' is an intervening prepositional phrase.
The subject of a sentence is never contained within a prepositional phrase.
2
Choose the verb form that agrees in number with the singular subject.
The third-person singular present tense verb 'distracts' agrees with 'noise'.
A singular subject takes a singular verb ending in '-s' in the simple present tense.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Prepositional Phrases
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2260Question →

A consonant cluster is a sequence of two or more consonant sounds without an intervening vowel. Which of the following words ends with a final consonant cluster consisting of three consonant sounds?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: months

Answer

The word 'months' ends with a three-consonant cluster.
In the phonetic transcription of 'months' (/mʌnθs/), the word ends with three consecutive consonant sounds—the alveolar nasal /n/, the voiceless dental fricative /θ/, and the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/—without any intervening vowel sound. This forms a true three-consonant final cluster.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic transcription of each word to identify spoken consonant sounds rather than spelling letters.
Identify silent letters: 'b' is silent in 'debts' (/dets/), 'plumbs' (/plʌmz/), and 'comb' (/kəʊm/).
Phonetic clusters depend entirely on articulated sounds, not orthography.
2
Count the consecutive consonant sounds at the end of each word.
'months' = /mʌnθs/ -> /n/, /θ/, /s/ (3 sounds); 'debts' = /dets/ -> /t/, /s/ (2 sounds); 'plumbs' = /plʌmz/ -> /m/, /z/ (2 sounds); 'comb' = /kəʊm/ -> /m/ (1 sound).
Determines which word meets the criterion of having a three-consonant final cluster.

Key Concept

Consonant Clusters and Silent Letters
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