Class 9–10 English: Literary terms practice questions

Practise literary terms for Classes 9 and 10. Try the 10-question quiz below and see each answer explained straight away, then read all 24 questions with answers underneath. Free, no sign-up.

Question 1 of 10 · Literary terms

What do we call a collection of poems or writings by different authors?

All literary terms questions with answers

Which meaning fits the word "fable"?
1. A. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
2. B. A short story with a moral, often with animals as characters ✓
3. C. A long poem about the deeds of a hero
4. D. The story of a person's life written by that person
Answer: A short story with a moral, often with animals as characters. The word for a short story with a moral, often with animals as characters is "fable".
What do we call writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults?
1. A. fable
2. B. satire ✓
3. C. epic
4. D. sonnet
Answer: satire. The word for writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults is "satire".
Which meaning fits the word "soliloquy"?
1. A. A long fictional story written in prose
2. B. A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage ✓
3. C. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
4. D. The story of a person's life written by that person
Answer: A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage. The word for a speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage is "soliloquy".
Which meaning fits the word "haiku"?
1. A. A Japanese poem of three short lines ✓
2. B. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
3. C. The story of a person's life written by someone else
4. D. A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage
Answer: A Japanese poem of three short lines. The word for a Japanese poem of three short lines is "haiku".
What do we call a long fictional story written in prose?
1. A. novel ✓
2. B. anthology
3. C. autobiography
4. D. satire
Answer: novel. The word for a long fictional story written in prose is "novel".
Which meaning fits the word "elegy"?
1. A. A long poem about the deeds of a hero
2. B. A poem of sadness, often for someone who has died ✓
3. C. Writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults
4. D. A short saying that expresses a well-known truth
Answer: A poem of sadness, often for someone who has died. The word for a poem of sadness, often for someone who has died is "elegy".
What do we call a poem of sadness, often for someone who has died?
1. A. biography
2. B. elegy ✓
3. C. haiku
4. D. autobiography
Answer: elegy. The word for a poem of sadness, often for someone who has died is "elegy".
What do we call the story of a person's life written by that person?
1. A. soliloquy
2. B. fable
3. C. autobiography ✓
4. D. epic
Answer: autobiography. The word for the story of a person's life written by that person is "autobiography".
Which meaning fits the word "satire"?
1. A. A long fictional story written in prose
2. B. Writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults ✓
3. C. A short saying that expresses a well-known truth
4. D. A poem of fourteen lines
Answer: Writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults. The word for writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults is "satire".
Which meaning fits the word "proverb"?
1. A. A short story with a moral, often with animals as characters
2. B. A short saying that expresses a well-known truth ✓
3. C. A long fictional story written in prose
4. D. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
Answer: A short saying that expresses a well-known truth. The word for a short saying that expresses a well-known truth is "proverb".
Which meaning fits the word "biography"?
1. A. The story of a person's life written by someone else ✓
2. B. A poem of fourteen lines
3. C. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
4. D. A long fictional story written in prose
Answer: The story of a person's life written by someone else. The word for the story of a person's life written by someone else is "biography".
What do we call the story of a person's life written by someone else?
1. A. epic
2. B. sonnet
3. C. biography ✓
4. D. novel
Answer: biography. The word for the story of a person's life written by someone else is "biography".
What do we call a poem of fourteen lines?
1. A. epic
2. B. biography
3. C. sonnet ✓
4. D. proverb
Answer: sonnet. The word for a poem of fourteen lines is "sonnet".
Which meaning fits the word "epic"?
1. A. A long poem about the deeds of a hero ✓
2. B. The story of a person's life written by someone else
3. C. A poem of sadness, often for someone who has died
4. D. Writing that uses humour to expose and criticise people's faults
Answer: A long poem about the deeds of a hero. The word for a long poem about the deeds of a hero is "epic".
What do we call a short saying that expresses a well-known truth?
1. A. biography
2. B. proverb ✓
3. C. satire
4. D. haiku
Answer: proverb. The word for a short saying that expresses a well-known truth is "proverb".
What do we call a short story with a moral, often with animals as characters?
1. A. satire
2. B. soliloquy
3. C. haiku
4. D. fable ✓
Answer: fable. The word for a short story with a moral, often with animals as characters is "fable".
What do we call a Japanese poem of three short lines?
1. A. haiku ✓
2. B. fable
3. C. epic
4. D. autobiography
Answer: haiku. The word for a Japanese poem of three short lines is "haiku".
What do we call a collection of poems or writings by different authors?
1. A. biography
2. B. fable
3. C. novel
4. D. anthology ✓
Answer: anthology. The word for a collection of poems or writings by different authors is "anthology".
Which meaning fits the word "autobiography"?
1. A. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
2. B. A long poem about the deeds of a hero
3. C. The story of a person's life written by that person ✓
4. D. A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage
Answer: The story of a person's life written by that person. The word for the story of a person's life written by that person is "autobiography".
Which meaning fits the word "sonnet"?
1. A. A poem of fourteen lines ✓
2. B. The story of a person's life written by that person
3. C. A long poem about the deeds of a hero
4. D. A collection of poems or writings by different authors
Answer: A poem of fourteen lines. The word for a poem of fourteen lines is "sonnet".
What do we call a speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage?
1. A. soliloquy ✓
2. B. autobiography
3. C. satire
4. D. fable
Answer: soliloquy. The word for a speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage is "soliloquy".
What do we call a long poem about the deeds of a hero?
1. A. elegy
2. B. epic ✓
3. C. autobiography
4. D. soliloquy
Answer: epic. The word for a long poem about the deeds of a hero is "epic".
Which meaning fits the word "anthology"?
1. A. A poem of fourteen lines
2. B. The story of a person's life written by someone else
3. C. A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage
4. D. A collection of poems or writings by different authors ✓
Answer: A collection of poems or writings by different authors. The word for a collection of poems or writings by different authors is "anthology".
Which meaning fits the word "novel"?
1. A. A poem of sadness, often for someone who has died
2. B. A long fictional story written in prose ✓
3. C. The story of a person's life written by that person
4. D. A Japanese poem of three short lines
Answer: A long fictional story written in prose. The word for a long fictional story written in prose is "novel".

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Grammar Figures of speech Vocabulary Phrasal verbs Easily confused words Spelling Antonyms Correct sentence

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