BASICS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE -MCQ’S – 1

1. A simile compares two things using
   A. only “is”
   B. “like” or “as”
   C. rhyme
   D. contrast
2. The person who tells the story is the
   A. poet
   B. narrator
   C. reader
   D. editor
3. A ballad is usually
   A. very long and serious
   B. a narrative poem
   C. written in prose
   D. without rhythm
4. A biography is the story of
   A. the writer’s life
   B. a fictional hero
   C. another person’s life
   D. a myth
5. Romantic poetry mainly focuses on
   A. machines
   B. logic
   C. nature and emotions
   D. science
6. A poem with fourteen lines is called a
   A. ballad
   B. ode
   C. sonnet
   D. epic
7. The turning point of a story is called the
   A. exposition
   B. climax
   C. resolution
   D. introduction
8. Literature mainly refers to
   A. scientific writing
   B. written works of art
   C. spoken language only
   D. technical manuals
9. A critic mainly
   A. writes poems
   B. judges and analyses literature
   C. publishes books
   D. performs plays
10. The language used by a writer is called
    A. plot
    B. diction
    C. theme
    D. setting
11. Drama is meant to be
    A. read silently
    B. memorised
    C. performed on stage
    D. written in prose only
12. A stanza in poetry is similar to a
    A. sentence
    B. paragraph
    C. chapter
    D. page
13. The emotional atmosphere of a literary work is its
    A. mood
    B. plot
    C. theme
    D. structure
14. A novel is a
    A. short poem
    B. long fictional prose narrative
    C. speech
    D. play
15. The sequence of events in a story is known as
    A. theme
    B. tone
    C. plot
    D. mood
16. A soliloquy is a
    A. dialogue between two characters
    B. speech by a character alone
    C. group discussion
    D. chorus song
17. An epic is usually a
    A. short lyric poem
    B. long narrative poem
    C. short story
    D. speech
18. Prose is written in
    A. rhyme
    B. metre
    C. paragraphs
    D. stanzas
19. Victorian literature belongs to the
    A. 16th century
    B. 17th century
    C. 18th century
    D. 19th century
20. A fable usually teaches a
    A. joke
    B. history lesson
    C. moral lesson
    D. scientific fact
21. A metaphor compares two things
    A. directly
    B. using “like”
    C. indirectly only
    D. humorously
22. The writer’s attitude towards the subject is called
    A. tone
    B. plot
    C. theme
    D. setting
23. The main character of a story is the
    A. antagonist
    B. protagonist
    C. narrator
    D. foil
24. Oral literature was originally
    A. written
    B. printed
    C. spoken
    D. recorded
25. Mythology mainly deals with
    A. real history
    B. scientific facts
    C. gods and supernatural stories
    D. modern politics
26. An autobiography is the story of
    A. someone else’s life
    B. a fictional character
    C. one’s own life
    D. a historical event
27. Comedy is a type of drama that aims to
    A. frighten
    B. teach history
    C. amuse and entertain
    D. confuse
28. Allegory is a story with
    A. no meaning
    B. hidden moral or symbolic meaning
    C. historical facts only
    D. comic scenes
29. A lyric poem expresses
    A. a long story
    B. personal feelings and emotions
    C. historical events
    D. social laws
30. A play divided into major sections has
    A. stanzas
    B. chapters
    C. acts
    D. paragraphs
31. Poetry, drama, and prose are
    A. figures of speech
    B. literary forms
    C. writing tools
    D. languages
32. A chorus in Greek drama usually
    A. fights characters
    B. comments on events
    C. writes letters
    D. tells jokes
33. A short story is usually
    A. very long
    B. focused on one event
    C. written in verse
    D. historical
34. An essay is a
    A. dramatic text
    B. poetic form
    C. short piece of writing on a subject
    D. novel
35. A character who opposes the hero is called
    A. protagonist
    B. narrator
    C. antagonist
    D. hero
36. Irony is when
    A. words mean exactly what they say
    B. the opposite of what is expected happens
    C. a story ends happily
    D. language is simple
37. A prologue appears
    A. at the beginning
    B. at the end
    C. after the climax
    D. before the conclusion
38. A monologue is a
    A. short poem
    B. speech by one person
    C. conversation
    D. song
39. Tragedy is a type of drama that usually ends
    A. happily
    B. humorously
    C. sadly
    D. suddenly
40. The time and place of a story form its
    A. theme
    B. setting
    C. plot
    D. climax
41. A story passed orally from generation to generation is called
    A. myth
    B. legend
    C. folklore
    D. epic
42. The study of literature is called
    A. linguistics
    B. philology
    C. literary criticism
    D. grammar
43. Metaphor and simile are
    A. themes
    B. genres
    C. figures of speech
    D. plots
44. William Shakespeare is famous mainly for his
    A. essays
    B. novels
    C. plays and sonnets
    D. short stories
45. An epilogue appears
    A. at the beginning
    B. in the middle
    C. at the end
    D. before the title
46. The ending of a story is called
    A. climax
    B. conflict
    C. resolution
    D. exposition
47. The central idea of a literary work is called
    A. plot
    B. theme
    C. setting
    D. character
48. The person who writes a poem is called a
    A. novelist
    B. dramatist
    C. poet
    D. editor
49. Literary genres help readers understand
    A. the writer’s age
    B. the type of text
    C. spelling rules
    D. grammar only
50. Literature helps readers mainly to
    A. memorise facts
    B. develop imagination and understanding
    C. learn grammar rules only
    D. practise calculations

Answer Key

1. B
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. C
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. B
11. C
12. B
13. A
14. B
15. C
16. B
17. B
18. C
19. D
20. C
21. A
22. A
23. B
24. C
25. C
26. C
27. C
28. B
29. B
30. C
31. B
32. B
33. B
34. C
35. C
36. B
37. A
38. B
39. C
40. B
41. C
42. C
43. C
44. C
45. C
46. C
47. B
48. C
49. B
50. B

Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan

Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.