Literary Elements
Techniques
Grammar
Vocabulary
Literature Trivia
100
Which literary device does a writer use when he/she tells a personal story to paint a picture or prove a point? a. Anaphora b. Anecdote c. Antithesis d. Aphorism
What is an anecdote?
100
How many lines does a sonnet have? a. 7 b. 14 c. 21 d. 5, 7, 5
b. 14 There are 3 forms of sonnet: Shakespeare, Petrarchan and Italian.
100
What is the superlative of the word "proud"? a. proud b. proudest c. most proud d. most proudest
b. proudest Some words only need -est tacked on to the end to maximize them (smartest, prettiest, loudest, clumsiest).
100
What is a labyrinth? a. an underwater habitat b. a type of medicine c. a type of maze d. both b and c
c. a type of maze (or complication)
100
The Bronte sisters were classic English writers, authoring some of the most famous works of all time. What were the sisters' first names? a. Charlotte and Elizabeth b. Charlotte and Emily c. Charlotte and Victoria d. Charlotte and Sarah
Who are Charlotte and Emily? (Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816, and is famous for writing Jane Eyre. Emily Bronte, born in 1818, wrote Wuthering Heights).
200
What is a cacophony? a. Sweet, pleasing words b. Written sound effects (BOOM!....CREAK!) c. Harsh, disturbing words d. An allusion to music
c. Harsh, disturbing words. When a writer uses cacophony, it is usually to convey something negative. EX) A foul, rancid smell, one that reminded me of curdled milk and mud, violated my nostrils as I drove passed the black, brackish swamp on Route 24.
200
Which of the following sentences does NOT have a prepositional phrase? a. Jenny played her best basketball game this weekend. b. Tommy wears a lot of cologne after gym class. c. Pete really is the man of my dreams. d. Kim was not allowed to leave class until the bell rang.
a. Jenny played her best basketball game this weekend.
200
Which sentence is the most grammatically sound? a. If a person wants to go to the library, they must ask their study hall teacher first. b. If a person wants to go to the library they must ask their study hall teacher first. c. If a person wants to go to the library, he must ask his study hall teacher first. c. If a person wants to go to the library he must ask his study hall teacher first.
c. If a person wants to go to the library, he must ask his study hall teacher first. You must include a comma after an introductory phrase. You also have to make sure that subjects match (singular or plural) in both parts of the sentence.
200
Sage isn't just an herb or a color, but is also another word for __________. a. bitterness b. happiness c. wisdom d. nobility
c. wisdom, that is gained through experience. You can use it as an adjective and describe someone, but it can also be a noun, so someone can be a "sage". Sagacious is from "The Black Cat", also meaning wise and mentally keen.
200
Who wrote Catcher in the Rye? a. L.R Lansbury b. J.R.R Tolkien c. J.D Salinger d. J.S Allegra
Who is J.D Salinger? They say that Catcher in Rye is a good book for any confused teenager or young adult, as the story deals with a young man who is kicked out of college, spends the weekend in NYC, and must figure out his next move in life.
300
What is the original Greek name for a tragic flaw?
What is a hubris?
300
Parenthetical insertion deals with extra information, information that further explains or adds detail to the sentence (This is also called an appositive). Correctly use parenthetical insertion in the following sentence (There are two): David who is a surgeon often works on patients who have a heart murmur which is a condition of irregular heartbeat and are in critical need.
David, who is a surgeon, often works on patients who have a heart murmur, which is a condition of irregular heartbeat, and are in critical need. So "who is a surgeon" and "which is a condition of irregular heartbeat" are the parenthetical insertions.
300
Which of these IS grammatically correct? a. He will just wait for it. b. While Ben writes his paper. c. Because she isn't here. d. Since Ellen left last spring.
a. He will just wait for it. All the other sentences are dependent clauses, they cannot stand by themselves. They are sentence fragments.
300
When Maria looks into the mirror, she feels antiquated. What does antiquated mean? a. beautiful b. vibrant c. haggard d. old
d. old Think of an antique!
300
Which two novels did F. Scott Fitzgerald write? a. A Clockwork Orange and Lord of the Flies b. Lord of the Flies and Grapes of Wrath c. Old Man and the Sea and The Great Gatsby d. The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night
What is The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night?
400
A character who contrasts against another character is a __________? a. Foil b. Juxtapose c. Antagonist d. Nemesis
What is a foil?
400
Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly? a. Fred likes to work quickly, neatly, and with no distractions. b. This weekend I plan to do the following: run, work, study, and sleep. c. Jill waited for hours, pondering the possibilities. d. His motivation was low, so working was out of the question.
b. This weekend I plan to do the following: run, work, study, and sleep.
400
Which sentence uses the semicolon correctly? a. I wonder if Sarah went to bed; really can't call her, though. b. Greg has a great smile; white, bright, straight and big teeth. c. Allie's family got a new dog; we are going to go see it soon. d. My letter will probably come today; maybe tomorrow.
c. Allie's family got a new dog; we are going to go see it soon. A semicolon can only join together two complete, independent sentences. They must stand alone when broken apart.
400
If something is very beautiful or visually pleasing, it has a sense of __________. a. Eloquence b. Iniquity c. Fragrance d. Aesthetic
d. Aesthetic
400
Alexandre Dumas wrote The Three Musketeers, whose names were Porthos, Athos and Aramis. They had a great friend, however; what was his name? a. Modigliani b. L'isieux c. Jean-Pierre d. D'artagnan
Who is D'artagnan?
500
Using a softer version of the truth, like "Well, my grandmother recently passed away" instead of, "Yeah, that old hag finally died" is considered a __________? a. Connotation b. Inversion c. Paradox d. Euphemism
What is a euphemism?
500
Which type of poetry uses iambic pentameter and does not rhyme? a. Free verse b. Blank verse c. Sonnet d. Haiku
b. Blank verse
500
Three of these sentences are not acceptable for a formal essay. Which one is? a. Larry hasn't been the beach in a very long time. b. You can almost feel the sarcasm in his voice. c. Hannah promised to never fall off the bandwagon. d. I think that inflation is terrible for this economy.
c. Hannah promised to never fall off the bandwagon.
500
What are you acting like when you are being impetuous? a. forceful or hasty b. stubborn or ignorant c. kind or complimentary d. sophisticated or classy
a. forceful and hasty Someone who is impetuous is also likely to be violent or impulsive.
500
Ernest Hemingway is considered one of the greatest writers ever to live. His vast experiences gave him the wisdom to write his great works. What WASN'T one of these experiences? a. Hunting snow tigers in the Himalayas b. Fighting in World War I c. Going on safari to Mt. Kilimanjaro d. Watching and studying bullfighting in Spain
a. Hunting snow tigers in the Himalayas. Fighting in WWI was the basis for A Farewell to Arms, his African safaris were the inspiration for The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and his passion for bullfighting was one of the focal points for The Sun Also Rises.
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