SSCE (WASSCE and NECO) Literature-In-English (2026 – 2030) – Set 7 – Questions with Answers and Explanations

Literary Appreciation (30 Questions ONLY)

A major division in a play is known as _______

A. act.
B. interjection.
C. interlude.
D. plot.
E. scene.

The story of a person's life written by another person is ______

A. autobiography.
B. biography.
C. fiction.
D. memoir.
E. non-fiction.

Which of the following elements is common to all forms of literature?

A. Action
B. Chorus
C. Language
D. Narrator
E. Plot

The list of actors and actresses in a play is referred to as _____

A. artistes.
B. cast.
C. characters.
D. crew.
E. personae.

Pick the odd item out of the following:

A. Chapter
B. Plot
C. Setting
D. Stanza
E. Theme

Conversational engagement of characters in a work of art is called ______

A. dialogue.
B. epilogue.
C. monologue.
D. travelogue.
E. triad.

A sub-division in a drama work is called ______

A. act.
B. chorus.
C. interlude.
D. montage.
E. scene.

A narrative work in which animals exhibit human traits is a/an ______

A. allegory.
B. fable.
C. non-fiction.
D. parody.
E. zoological art.

A "typed" character in a performance is called _______ character.

A. flat
B. foil
C. main
D. minor
E. round

A literary element that creates a mental picture of a situation is a/an _______.

A. flash forward.
B. flashback.
C. foreshadowing.
D. imagery.
E. suspense.

Conflict in a literary work builds up as a result of _______.

A. anti-climax.
B. climax.
C. falling action.
D. rising action.
E. suspense.

Time and place in a literary work is known as _______.

A. arena.
B. background.
C. environment.
D. locale.
E. setting.

The sequential arrangement of events in a story is _______.

A. characterization.
B. diction.
C. plot.
D. setting.
E. subject matter.

A character's state of mind is called _______.

A. bathos.
B. catharsis.
C. emotion.
D. mood.
E. tone.

A literary device in which a character says one thing but means the opposite is called _______.

A. irony.
B. litotes.
C. metaphor.
D. paradox.
E. sarcasm

A verse technique that uses first person singular pronoun is called _______.

A. poet laureate.
B. poet persona.
C. poetic justice.
D. poetic liberty.
E. poetic licence.

A work of art whose characters present a far deeper meaning than the ordinary is called a/an ______

A. allegory.
B. caricature.
C. fable.
D. farce.
E. satire.

The technique by which readers' curiosity is sustained is _____

A. bathos.
B. climax.
C. denouement.
D. suspense.
E. tension.

A literary style that allows readers to view the thoughts and feelings of characters without authorial intrusion has used _______ method.

A. autobiographical
B. epistolary
C. mixed point of view
D. omniscient
E. second-person

A literary work that treats human shortcomings is called _______

A. allegory.
B. burlesque.
C. fable.
D. flashback.
E. satire.

Pick the odd item out of the following:

A. Euphemism
B. Hyperbole
C. Irony
D. Oxymoron
E. Rhythm

A play on words is called _____

A. antithesis.
B. litotes.
C. oxymoron.
D. pun.
E. synecdoche.

The following are literary forms except ______

A. allegory.
B. epic.
C. epitaph.
D. satire.
E. simile.

"Tunde's long and vigorous speech was followed by a deafening silence" illustrates the use of _____

A. litotes.
B. metaphor.
C. oxymoron.
D. paradox.
E. simile.

The use of facial expressions and gestures in a play is called _____

A. aside.
B. choreography.
C. mime.
D. pantomime.
E. soliloquy.

'Our leaders are the devil' exemplifies the use of _____

A. alliteration.
B. hyperbole.
C. metaphor.
D. personification.
E. simile.

Two rhyming lines in a poem is called ______

A. couplet.
B. octave.
C. quartet.
D. sextet.
E. triplet.

Unseen Prose

Read the passage and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

"Agnes sighed. 'Not at all, Bendu. I think maybe you've just grown enough to see things from a different angle. It's harder to forgive than to punish. In some cases it's wiser too, and better for everyone in the long run.' 'It would be easier if he had changed from his old ways,' Bendu argued. 'You know, some people were forced into violence and did what they had to do to survive. Others are just plain evil in their hearts and act the same in war or peace.' 'True, but who's to say which category someone falls into?' Agnes wanted to know. 'It's not always clear. Do we just punish everybody who hurt someone? Do we even punish the people who were only trying to protect themselves?'"

Questions

What central thematic debate is presented in this passage?

A) Whether war is ever justified
B) Whether punishment or forgiveness is the better response to harm
C) Whether Agnes is a good counselor
D) Whether Bendu should continue working at Peace in Practice

Agnes's statement "It's harder to forgive than to punish" suggests that:

A) Punishment requires more effort
B) Forgiveness requires greater moral strength
C) Punishment is always the wrong choice
D) Forgiveness is a sign of weakness

Bendu's argument that "some people were forced into violence" and "others are just plain evil in their hearts" reflects which literary technique?

A) Foreshadowing
B) Irony
C) Characterization through dialogue
D) Symbolism

Agnes's question "Do we even punish the people who were only trying to protect themselves?" is an example of:

A) A rhetorical question
B) A metaphor
C) A simile
D) An understatement

The phrase "who's to say which category someone falls into?" suggests that:

A) It is easy to identify evil people
B) Human motives are complex and difficult to judge
C) Agnes believes all perpetrators are evil
D) Bendu has all the answers

Unseen Poetry

Read the poem and answer the questions (5 Questions ONLY)

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

Questions

The central paradox in the poem’s opening simile is that the woman’s beauty is compared to:

A) A bright, sunny morning
B) A starry and cloudless night
C) A gentle, flowing river
D) A vividly colored rainbow

The phrase "gaudy day" (Line 6) is used to convey that:

A) The day is decorated with beautiful flowers
B) The day is excessively bright and lacking subtlety
C) The day is filled with joyful celebrations
D) The day is dull and gloomy

The word "raven" (Line 9) is used to describe the woman's hair. This is a literary device known as: ______

A) Simile
B) Metaphor
C) Personification
D) Epithet

In the lines "Where thoughts serenely sweet express, / How pure, how dear their dwelling-place" (Lines 11-12), the "dwelling-place" refers to the woman's:

A) House or home
B) Heart and mind
C) Hair and eyes
D) Clothes and jewels