Common Errors in WAEC Use of English 2026: How to Avoid Failure in Lexis and Structure

Common Errors in WAEC Use of English 2026: How to Avoid Failure in Lexis and Structure

Are you preparing for the WAEC Use of English 2026 examination? This single subject is often the biggest hurdle for students seeking university admission. While many students focus only on the essay (the Continuous Writing section), the truth is that Lexis and Structure often determine success or failure.

Lexis (Vocabulary) and Structure (Grammar) test your mastery of the rules of the English language. Unfortunately, the WAEC examiners keep seeing the same mistakes year after year. By avoiding these recurring common errors in WAEC English, you can dramatically boost your score and secure the A’s and B’s you deserve in 2026.

This comprehensive guide breaks down the top 5 categories of errors WAEC candidates make. Follow these simple rules to transform your preparation and avoid failure in your WASSCE 2026 examination.

1. Category 1: Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

This is arguably the most tested grammar rule in the WAEC objective section. Subject-verb agreement simply means that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. However, WAEC examiners cleverly disguise the subject with misleading words.

The “Either/Neither” Trap

When you use “either… or” or “neither… nor”, many students try to make the verb agree with both subjects, leading to an error.

• Incorrect Example: Neither John nor his friends is coming to the party.
• Correct Rule: The verb must agree with the nearest subject. In this case, “friends” is plural and is nearest to the verb.
• Correct Answer: Neither John nor his friends are coming to the party.

The Confusion of Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are words that refer to a group of people or things (e.g., *committee, audience, family, team*).

• Rule: In standard WAEC English, treat collective nouns as singular when the group is acting as a single unit.
• Singular Example: The committee has decided to postpone the meeting.
• Exception: Use a plural verb only if you want to emphasize the individual members acting separately (e.g., The staff are arguing over their duties). Stick to the singular verb unless the context clearly demands otherwise.

Using Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns like everyone, somebody, no one, each, everybody, and anyone always take a singular verb, even if they seem to refer to a group.

• Incorrect Example: Everyone in the class have submitted their assignment.
• Correct Answer: Everyone in the class has submitted their assignment.

2. Category 2: Misuse of Tenses and Verbs

Getting the tense right is essential for clear communication. WAEC tests this frequently, often confusing candidates with irregular verbs and misused past participles.

Confusing Past Simple and Past Participle

This error happens with irregular verbs (e.g., go, see, eat, break). The Past Participle (e.g., gone, seen, eaten, broken) can never stand alone; it must be used with an auxiliary verb like has, have, had, is, was, were.

• Error Example: She has went to the market. (Incorrect)
• Past Simple (Correct): She went to the market yesterday.
• Past Participle (Correct): She has gone to the market now.

Dangling or Misplaced Modifiers

A dangling modifier is a descriptive phrase that doesn’t clearly or logically refer to a word in the sentence. It makes the sentence sound illogical.

• Error Example: While running down the road, the car hit me.
• The Problem: This sentence structure suggests that “the car” was the one running down the road.
• Correct Answer: While I was running down the road, the car hit me. OR The car hit me while I was running down the road.

3. Category 3: Wrong Choice of Prepositions (Lexis)

In the Lexis section, WAEC loves to test your knowledge of collocation. Collocation refers to the natural pairing of words. Certain verbs and adjectives are always followed by specific prepositions. Using the wrong one is a guaranteed error.

Verbs and Adjectives Followed by Fixed Prepositions

You must memorize these pairs, as there is often no logical rule; it’s simply convention.

The Phrasal Verb Conundrum

Phrasal verbs combine a verb (e.g., look, put, take) with a preposition or adverb (e.g., up, out, off, down). Changing the small word completely changes the meaning. You must know the difference!

• Look up: Search for information. (e.g., Look up the meaning in the dictionary.)
• Look up to: Respect. (e.g., I look up to my father.)
• Look down on: Treat someone as inferior. (e.g., Do not look down on the junior students.)
• Put off: Postpone. (e.g., The meeting was put off.)

4. Category 4: Redundancy and Wordiness

Good English is concise English. Redundancy (also called Pleonasm) is the unnecessary repetition of an idea. WAEC often presents a sentence with two words that mean the same thing, and your task is to identify the extra word.

Pleonasm: Unnecessary Repetition

Avoid these common redundant phrases in your WAEC Use of English 2026 exam and continuous writing:

• Retreat Back: Retreat already means to go back. Use retreat or go back, but never both.
• Free Gift: A gift is already free. Use gift or free item.
• Completely Finished: Finished implies completion. Use finished or completely done.
• Join Together: Join implies being together. Use join or put together.
• Major Breakthrough: A breakthrough is already major. Use breakthrough.

The Problem of Wordy Phrases

WAEC tests your ability to choose the shortest, most efficient way to express an idea.

5. Category 5: Malapropism and Confused Words (Lexis)

A malapropism is the use of an incorrect word that sounds similar to the correct word. This error shows a lack of precise vocabulary knowledge, which is critical for Lexis and Structure success.

Homophones and Near-Homophones

Master the difference between these frequently confused words:

• Affect vs. Effect:
  • Affect is usually a verb (to influence): The rain will affect the exam schedule.
  • Effect is usually a noun (the result): The medicine had a positive effect.
• Principle vs. Principal:
  • Principle is a rule or standard: He lives by strong moral principles.
  • Principal is the head of a school or the main amount of money: The school principal gave a speech.
• Advice vs. Advise:
  • Advice is the noun (counsel): He gave me good advice.
  • Advise is the verb (to recommend): I advise you to study hard.
• Compliment vs. Complement:
  • Compliment is praise: She gave me a compliment on my outfit.
  • Complement means to complete or go well with: The jacket complements the trousers.

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Your 3-Step Success Plan for WAEC 2026

Avoiding failure in WAEC Use of English 2026 requires consistent, targeted effort. Use these three steps to finalize your preparation:

1. Practice Collocation Daily: Spend 15 minutes every morning learning 5 new words and the specific prepositions that must follow them (e.g., indebted to, indifferent to, abstained from).
2. Drill on Concord: Isolate Subject-Verb Agreement questions from past WAEC papers. Always look for the true subject of the sentence before choosing your verb. This will sharpen your Lexis and Structure skills quickly.
3. Read Reputable English Sources: Read widely from reliable sources like quality newspapers and well-edited textbooks. Your brain needs exposure to correctly written, standard English to intuitively spot the errors WAEC introduces.

By focusing your energy on mastering these five categories of common errors in WAEC Use of English, you move beyond simply guessing and gain the confidence needed to pass your WASSCE 2026 with flying colours. Start practicing today!

Mr Kk

Kolade Kayode, known as Mr. KK, I am a Nigerian education blogger and founder of MasterWAEC.com. Passionate about student success, I simplifies WAEC exam preparation with accurate tips and resources to help students excel.