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Literature JAMB Questions and Answers 2027

Henry Divine WAEC, NECO, JAMB Questions and Answers Leave a comment

UTME / 2027 JAMB Literature-in-English Examination

Time Allowed: 40 Minutes | 40 Questions

1. A figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared using words such as “like” or “as” is called a:




Correct Answer: B. Simile

Explanation/Tip: A simile draws a direct comparison using “like” or “as” (e.g., “He is as brave as a lion”), whereas a metaphor makes an implied comparison without those words.

2. The dramatic device whereby a character speaks their inner thoughts aloud alone on stage, unheard by other characters, is known as a:




Correct Answer: C. Soliloquy

Explanation/Tip: A soliloquy reveals a character’s true thoughts and motivations directly to the audience while they are alone on stage (unlike an aside, which is spoken to the audience while other characters are present).

3. The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words in poetry is called:




Correct Answer: C. Alliteration

Explanation/Tip: Alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds (e.g., “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”), whereas assonance repeats vowel sounds.

4. In a narrative work, the turning point or peak of emotional intensity in the plot is referred to as the:




Correct Answer: B. Climax

Explanation/Tip: The climax is the highest point of tension or conflict in a story, following the rising action and preceding the falling action.

5. A poem consisting of fourteen lines, typically written in iambic pentameter with a strict rhyme scheme, is a:




Correct Answer: C. Sonnet

Explanation/Tip: Sonnets are 14-line lyric poems, most famously divided into Shakespearean (English) and Petrarchan (Italian) structures.

6. A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms or opposite ideas (e.g., “deafening silence” or “jumbo shrimp”) is an:




Correct Answer: B. Oxymoron

Explanation/Tip: An oxymoron places two contradictory words side-by-side for rhetorical effect, differing slightly from a paradox, which is a broader self-contradictory statement.

7. The attitude of a writer or narrator towards the subject matter or audience in a literary piece is known as:




Correct Answer: B. Tone

Explanation/Tip: Tone reflects the author’s emotional stance (e.g., sarcastic, solemn, humorous, critical), whereas mood describes the feeling created in the reader.

8. In tragedy, the fatal flaw or error in judgment that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero is called:




Correct Answer: B. Hamartia

Explanation/Tip: Hamartia is the tragic error or flaw (often excessive pride or hubris) that triggers the reversal of fortune in a tragic hero.

9. The use of words that imitate, resemble, or suggest the sound of what they describe (e.g., “buzz”, “hiss”, “murmur”) is:




Correct Answer: B. Onomatopoeia

Explanation/Tip: Onomatopoeic words sound acoustically like the objects or actions they represent, enhancing auditory imagery in poetry and prose.

10. A narrative that carries a second deeper symbolic meaning beneath its literal surface, often representing moral or political truths, is an:




Correct Answer: B. Allegory

Explanation/Tip: An allegory (such as George Orwell’s *Animal Farm*) uses characters and plot elements as symbols to convey abstract moral or political messages.

11. The purging or release of strong emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy is known as:




Correct Answer: B. Catharsis

Explanation/Tip: Aristotle defined catharsis as the emotional cleansing or purgation experienced by spectators watching a theatrical tragedy.

12. A type of irony where a speaker says one thing but means the exact opposite, or where the literal meaning contrasts with the intended meaning, is:




Correct Answer: C. Verbal irony

Explanation/Tip: Verbal irony occurs when words express something contrary to truth or someone says the opposite of what they really feel (often used in sarcasm).

13. A literary work that mocks human foolishness, vice, or societal corruption through humor, irony, or ridicule is a:




Correct Answer: B. Satire

Explanation/Tip: Satire uses sharp wit, irony, and caricature to expose and criticize societal flaws, political corruption, and human folly.

14. The unrhymed verse written in iambic pentameter, commonly used in English poetic drama and epics, is called:




Correct Answer: B. Blank verse

Explanation/Tip: Blank verse consists of unrhymed lines in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line with alternating unstressed/stressed beats), famously used by Shakespeare and Milton.

15. A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (e.g., “all hands on deck” where hands represent workers) is:




Correct Answer: B. Synecdoche

Explanation/Tip: Synecdoche uses a specific part to stand for the whole, or vice versa (e.g., calling a car “wheels”), whereas metonymy substitutes an associated object (e.g., “the crown” for royalty).

16. The running over of a sentence or grammatical clause from one poetic line to the next without terminal punctuation is called:




Correct Answer: B. Enjambment

Explanation/Tip: Enjambment creates a sense of continuous momentum in poetry, contrasting with end-stopped lines which conclude with punctuation.

17. A play with a light, amusing tone and a happy ending, designed primarily to entertain the audience, is a:




Correct Answer: B. Comedy

Explanation/Tip: In literary terms, comedy is a dramatic work characterized by lighthearted humor, witty dialogue, and a resolution that restores social harmony.

18. A figure of speech involving an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally (e.g., “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”) is:




Correct Answer: B. Hyperbole

Explanation/Tip: Hyperbole is deliberate overstatement used for emphasis, dramatic effect, or humor.

19. The narrative technique that presents a character’s continuous flow of thoughts, memories, and sensory impressions without conventional formatting is:




Correct Answer: B. Stream of consciousness

Explanation/Tip: Stream of consciousness mimics the chaotic, unstructured internal workings of human thought.

20. A formal, elevated lyric poem written to praise or commemorate a person, object, or abstract concept is an:




Correct Answer: B. Ode

Explanation/Tip: An ode is a serious, dignified lyric poem of praise (e.g., John Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn”), whereas an elegy is a poem of mourning.

21. In Chinua Achebe’s *Things Fall Apart*, the tragic hero Okonkwo’s downfall is largely catalyzed by his fear of appearing:




Correct Answer: B. Weak, cowardly, or feminine like his father Unoka

Explanation/Tip: Okonkwo’s obsessive pursuit of masculine strength and fear of failure drive his harshness and tragic actions throughout the novel.

22. A pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry, often indicated by punctuation, is termed a:




Correct Answer: A. Caesura

Explanation/Tip: A caesura creates a natural rhythmic pause within a poetic line, adding dramatic emphasis.

23. A character who provides a striking contrast to another character, thereby highlighting their traits (e.g., brave vs. cowardly), is a:




Correct Answer: B. Foil

Explanation/Tip: A literary foil contrasts with the main character to accentuate specific personality qualities or moral stances.

24. In William Shakespeare’s *Macbeth*, the prophecy that Macbeth will become king is initially delivered by:




Correct Answer: B. The Three Witches (Weird Sisters)

Explanation/Tip: The prophecies of the witches spark Macbeth’s tragic ambition, aided by Lady Macbeth’s relentless prodding.

25. The central underlying message or recurring abstract idea explored in a literary work is its:




Correct Answer: B. Theme

Explanation/Tip: Theme is the fundamental moral, philosophical, or universal message conveyed by the story (e.g., ambition, betrayal, love, corruption).

26. A poem written to mourn the death of a specific person or lament general human mortality is an:




Correct Answer: B. Elegy

Explanation/Tip: An elegy expresses grief and reflection upon death, maintaining a solemn and melancholic tone.

27. In Wole Soyinka’s play *The Lion and the Jewel*, Baroka (the Bale of Ilujinle) uses cunning and traditional wiles to defeat Lakunle in winning the hand of:




Correct Answer: B. Sidi (The Jewel)

Explanation/Tip: Sidi, the village beauty, is courted by both the modern school teacher Lakunle and the traditional village chief Baroka.

28. A figure of speech in which human qualities, emotions, or intentions are attributed to inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas is:




Correct Answer: A. Personification

Explanation/Tip: Personification breathes human life into non-human entities (e.g., “The angry wind howled through the night”).

29. In drama, situational irony occurs most clearly when:




Correct Answer: B. An action produces an outcome opposite to what was intended or expected

Explanation/Tip: Situational irony involves a sharp incongruity between expected results and actual developments in a plot.

30. The choice and use of words and phrasing by a writer in prose or poetry is termed:




Correct Answer: B. Diction

Explanation/Tip: Diction refers to vocabulary style (formal, informal, colloquial, or archaic), whereas syntax refers to sentence structure and word order.

31. In George Orwell’s *Animal Farm*, the pig who represents Leon Trotsky and is eventually driven out by Napoleon’s dogs is:




Correct Answer: B. Snowball

Explanation/Tip: Snowball is the idealistic pig leader driven into exile by the tyrannical Napoleon (representing Joseph Stalin) in this political allegory.

32. A narrative poem set to music or song, typically recounting a dramatic or tragic traditional story, is a:




Correct Answer: B. Ballad

Explanation/Tip: Ballads are narrative poems structured in four-line stanzas (quatrains) with a rhythmic ABCB or ABAB rhyme scheme, often telling folk tales.

33. In William Shakespeare’s *Julius Caesar*, Mark Antony’s funeral speech beginning with “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears” is a masterclass in:




Correct Answer: B. Rhetorical persuasion and irony

Explanation/Tip: Antony uses verbal irony and passionate rhetoric to repeatedly call Brutus “an honorable man” while effectively inciting the Roman mob against the conspirators.

34. A figure of speech consisting of an address to an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object as if present is:




Correct Answer: A. Apostrophe

Explanation/Tip: An apostrophe is a direct rhetorical address to something non-human or absent (e.g., “O Death, where is thy sting?”).

35. In literature, the antagonist is best defined as:




Correct Answer: B. The character or force opposing the protagonist

Explanation/Tip: The antagonist creates the central conflict that the protagonist must confront.

36. A long narrative poem recounting the heroic deeds, adventures, and legendary history of a national hero or culture is an:




Correct Answer: A. Epic

Explanation/Tip: Epics (such as Homer’s *Iliad* or Milton’s *Paradise Lost*) are monumental narrative poems featuring superhuman heroes and grand national themes.

37. The mingling of comic elements and scenes within a serious tragedy to relieve dramatic tension is known as:




Correct Answer: B. Comic relief

Explanation/Tip: Comic relief (such as the drunken Porter scene in *Macbeth*) provides brief humor that heightens the subsequent tragic impact.

38. A figure of speech that uses deliberate understatement, often expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary (e.g., “not bad” meaning “very good”), is:




Correct Answer: B. Litotes

Explanation/Tip: Litotes is a form of understatement where a positive point is emphasized through double negation.

39. In plot structure, the final resolution or untangling of the intricate plot complications at the end of a narrative is called the:




Correct Answer: B. Denouement

Explanation/Tip: The denouement (derived from French meaning “to untie”) is the conclusion where loose ends are tied up after the climax.

40. A literary device in which an author hints at upcoming events or developments later in the storyline is:




Correct Answer: B. Foreshadowing

Explanation/Tip: Foreshadowing builds suspense by planting subtle clues or warnings about future plot twists.



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About Henry Divine

Henry Divine is a passionate educator and seasoned blogger with a strong commitment to providing valuable insights and resources to the education community.With over 6 years of experience in the field, Henry's articles are well-researched, authoritative, and tailored to meet the needs of teachers, students, and parents alike.Through his blog, Henry aims to empower readers with practical tips, innovative strategies, and evidence-based practices to foster lifelong learning and academic success.Follow Henry for the latest updates and expert advice on all things education.

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