GCSE English Literature Quiz

Two sets of twelve questions on literary terms, form and structure, and essay technique. They are about methods, so they work for any set text. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere. For more, see the glossary and the revision guide.

Set 1: Literary terms

1.1 Which term describes a comparison that uses "like" or "as"? A. Metaphor B. Simile C. Personification D. Hyperbole

1.2 A poet writes "Grey sea sulked against the wall." Which technique is this? A. Onomatopoeia B. Alliteration C. Irony D. Personification

1.3 What does connotation mean? A. A line's rhythm B. Order of events C. A word's dictionary meaning D. Ideas and feelings a word suggests

1.4 In a play, a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage. This is a: A. Refrain B. Dialogue C. Soliloquy D. Stage direction

1.5 Audience members know a secret that a character does not. This is: A. Dramatic irony B. Sarcasm C. Hyperbole D. Assonance

1.6 Which is an example of an oxymoron? A. A cruel kindness B. A hundred years of rain C. A soft whisper D. A bitter wind

1.7 Repeating the same word at the start of successive sentences is called: A. Enjambment B. Metre C. Anaphora D. Caesura

1.8 What is a volta in a sonnet? A. A line of ten syllables B. A rhyming couplet C. A turn in thought or argument D. Final stanza

1.9 Rain falls heavily as a character receives bad news. Which term fits best? A. Pathetic fallacy B. Understatement C. Dialect D. Paradox

1.10 Which phrase is hyperbole? A. "I've been waiting for ages and ages and ages." B. "A clock ticked." C. "It was like a dream." D. "I'm a little tired."

1.11 An unreliable narrator is one whose: A. Voice is never heard B. Name is not given C. Account the reader may doubt D. Story is told in the present tense

1.12 "Sizzle" and "crunch" are examples of: A. Foil B. Onomatopoeia C. Allegory D. Euphemism

Answer the questions, then check your answers.

Set 2: Form, structure and essay technique

2.1 A sentence runs over the end of a poetic line with no pause. This is: A. Enjambment B. End-stopping C. Caesura D. Rhyme

2.2 What does a short, abrupt sentence after several long ones most often do? A. Create emphasis or a sudden shift B. Change the genre C. Show the writer made an error D. Slow the text to a stop for no reason

2.3 Which is the strongest opening to an analytical paragraph? A. A list of every technique in the extract B. A biography of the writer C. A summary of the full plot so far D. A clear point that answers the question, supported by a short quotation

2.4 What is the main job of the word "because" in analysis? A. It replaces quotations B. It makes sentences longer C. It links an observation to an explanation D. It shows the text is a play

2.5 Comparing two poems well means: A. Writing about one poem, then the other B. Moving between them point by point, on ideas and methods C. Finding only similarities D. Quoting more from the longer poem

2.6 Which use of context is most effective? A. A link that explains a choice the writer made B. A date in the first sentence C. Context left out entirely D. A paragraph of history before the analysis

2.7 Two lines rhyme and sit side by side. This is called: A. A volta B. A refrain C. A quatrain D. A couplet

2.8 A story begins at its ending and moves back in time. This is a decision about: A. Simile B. Structure C. Diction D. Alliteration

2.9 When writing about a novel extract, how should you use the rest of the text? A. Ignore it B. Link back to it where it deepens your point C. Retell it D. Quote at length from it

2.10 Which quotation choice is usually most useful in a closed-book exam? A. Short, flexible phrases you can analyse closely B. Only the first line of each chapter C. Any quotation, even if misremembered D. A whole paragraph

2.11 Which sentence is analysis, not description? A. It is night in this scene. B. There is a door on the left. C. A character walks into the room. D. Slunk suggests the character wants to avoid being noticed.

2.12 An unseen poem has an unfamiliar word. What is a sensible response? A. Write only about the title B. Stop and leave the question C. Use the surrounding lines to make a reasoned guess and move on D. Invent a meaning and ignore context

Answer the questions, then check your answers.

Part of the GCSE English Literature revision set: the revision guide, glossary of key terms and comparison of the three exam boards.

GCSE English Literature quiz

Set 1: Literary terms

Set 2: Form, structure and essay technique

Sources

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