NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
Section A: Objective Questions (1–50)
Instruction: Choose the correct option A–D that best answers each question.
Literary Appreciation and Genres (1–10)
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Literature is best defined as —
A. history written in books
B. written records of scientific experiments
C. creative writing that reflects human experiences
D. a record of past events
Answer: C -
A story that teaches a moral lesson using animals as characters is called —
A. legend
B. fable
C. parable
D. epic
Answer: B -
The major difference between drama and prose is that drama is —
A. written in verses
B. acted on stage
C. read silently
D. told by a narrator
Answer: B -
A literary work that ridicules human vices using humour is called —
A. allegory
B. elegy
C. satire
D. comedy
Answer: C -
The main divisions of literature are —
A. prose, poem, and speech
B. poetry, drama, and prose
C. novel, drama, and essay
D. fiction, nonfiction, and folklore
Answer: B -
A poem of fourteen lines is known as a —
A. limerick
B. lyric
C. ode
D. sonnet
Answer: D -
A character who changes over the course of a story is called —
A. a static character
B. a round character
C. a protagonist
D. an antagonist
Answer: B -
An aside in drama is —
A. a dialogue between two characters
B. a comment meant for the audience and not other characters
C. a chorus singing at the background
D. a flashback scene
Answer: B -
A narrative that contains several stories within a main story is called —
A. picaresque
B. frame story
C. folk tale
D. saga
Answer: B -
In poetry, “enjambment” refers to —
A. rhyming at the end of a line
B. repetition of lines
C. running over of a line into another
D. a stanza break
Answer: C
NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
African Prose and Drama (11–20)
-
In Second Class Citizen, Adah’s greatest desire is to —
A. own a house
B. return to Nigeria
C. become a writer
D. be a doctor
Answer: C -
In The Lion and the Jewel, Lakunle refuses to pay the bride price because he —
A. is poor
B. sees it as uncivilized
C. hates Sidi
D. wants a foreign wife
Answer: B -
The central theme of Faceless by Amma Darko is —
A. education of the girl child
B. family reunion
C. plight of street children
D. traditional marriage
Answer: C -
In Unexpected Joy at Dawn, the border closure between Ghana and Nigeria symbolizes —
A. unity
B. poverty
C. conflict
D. xenophobia
Answer: D -
In The Lion and the Jewel, the character of Baroka can be described as —
A. lazy
B. timid
C. cunning
D. foolish
Answer: C -
In Second Class Citizen, Adah experiences —
A. love and protection
B. abuse and discrimination
C. business success
D. academic excellence
Answer: B -
The major conflict in Faceless arises from —
A. the struggle for power
B. street violence and rape
C. political corruption
D. food scarcity
Answer: B -
Sidi in The Lion and the Jewel is best described as —
A. religious
B. conservative
C. proud and vain
D. rebellious
Answer: C -
In Unexpected Joy at Dawn, Mama Orojo symbolizes —
A. disobedience
B. tolerance and peace
C. fear and secrecy
D. political power
Answer: B -
The narrative style in Faceless is —
A. omniscient narrator
B. first-person narration
C. dialogue only
D. monologue
Answer: A
NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
Non-African Prose and Drama (21–30)
-
In Romeo and Juliet, the feud between the Montagues and Capulets leads to —
A. peace in Verona
B. a political crisis
C. Romeo and Juliet’s death
D. the marriage of Romeo and Rosaline
Answer: C -
The major theme in She Stoops to Conquer is —
A. jealousy
B. marriage and deception
C. adventure
D. crime
Answer: B -
The character of Juliet is —
A. cowardly
B. obedient
C. brave and determined
D. proud
Answer: C -
In Romeo and Juliet, the turning point is —
A. the party at Capulet’s house
B. Mercutio’s death
C. Juliet’s first kiss
D. Romeo’s exile
Answer: B -
She Stoops to Conquer is a —
A. tragedy
B. romantic epic
C. comedy of manners
D. historical play
Answer: C -
In She Stoops to Conquer, Mr. Hardcastle’s house is mistaken for —
A. a palace
B. a hotel
C. a school
D. a church
Answer: B -
The main conflict in Romeo and Juliet is —
A. love vs hate
B. family feud
C. wealth vs poverty
D. male vs female
Answer: A -
The servant Peter’s inability to read leads to —
A. Romeo meeting Juliet
B. Juliet marrying Paris
C. Romeo fighting Tybalt
D. Mercutio’s death
Answer: A -
In She Stoops to Conquer, Tony Lumpkin’s prank —
A. reveals his secret love
B. drives the plot forward
C. ruins the marriage
D. starts a war
Answer: B -
In Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence’s plan fails because —
A. he is dishonest
B. Romeo does not receive the letter
C. Juliet wakes too early
D. Tybalt is alive
Answer: B
NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
Poetry and Literary Devices (31–50)
-
A poem that mourns the death of someone is called —
A. ode
B. lyric
C. elegy
D. ballad
Answer: C -
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry is called —
A. rhyme
B. rhythm
C. metre
D. stanza
Answer: C -
“The wind whispered through the trees” is an example of —
A. metaphor
B. personification
C. hyperbole
D. simile
Answer: B -
A direct comparison using “as” or “like” is called —
A. simile
B. metaphor
C. alliteration
D. irony
Answer: A -
“Time is a thief” is an example of —
A. simile
B. metaphor
C. personification
D. paradox
Answer: B -
The use of identical ending sounds in lines of poetry is called —
A. rhythm
B. rhyme
C. alliteration
D. onomatopoeia
Answer: B -
The theme of the poem “The School Boy” by William Blake is —
A. joy of learning
B. hatred for nature
C. oppression in education
D. science and technology
Answer: C -
The poet’s attitude in a poem is referred to as —
A. tone
B. mood
C. theme
D. message
Answer: A -
A narrative poem that tells a heroic story is called —
A. ballad
B. ode
C. epic
D. limerick
Answer: C -
A five-line humorous poem with a fixed pattern is called a —
A. ballad
B. limerick
C. haiku
D. lyric
Answer: B -
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words is —
A. rhyme
B. assonance
C. consonance
D. alliteration
Answer: D -
A poem that praises someone or something is an —
A. elegy
B. epic
C. ode
D. limerick
Answer: C -
The feeling or atmosphere created in a poem is —
A. tone
B. theme
C. mood
D. form
Answer: C -
Irony is —
A. saying the opposite of what is meant
B. comparing two similar things
C. exaggerating facts
D. using rhyme
Answer: A -
“The child is the father of the man” is an example of —
A. irony
B. paradox
C. climax
D. litotes
Answer: B -
What device is used in “Bang! The door slammed shut”?
A. assonance
B. onomatopoeia
C. personification
D. allusion
Answer: B -
A long narrative poem about a hero is —
A. sonnet
B. ode
C. epic
D. ballad
Answer: C -
The central idea in a literary work is called —
A. setting
B. theme
C. plot
D. mood
Answer: B -
“He’s a lion in battle” is an example of —
A. simile
B. metaphor
C. irony
D. repetition
Answer: B -
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is —
A. ABBAABBA CDECDE
B. AABBCCDD
C. ABABCDCDEFEFGG
D. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP
Answer: C
NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
Section B: Theory (Essay Questions)
Instructions: Answer four (4) questions in all:
-
One question from African Drama or African Prose
-
One question from Non-African Drama or Prose
-
One question from African Poetry
-
One question from Non-African Poetry
All questions carry equal marks. Support your answers with relevant textual evidence.
PART I: African Prose
Question 1:
Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta
Discuss the challenges Adah faces as a Nigerian woman living in Britain. How do these challenges shape her identity and determination?
Question 2:
Faceless by Amma Darko
Examine the role of the media in Faceless. How does the media contribute to uncovering the truth about the street girls and societal neglect?
Question 3:
Unexpected Joy at Dawn by Alex Agyei-Agyiri
Discuss the theme of identity crisis in Unexpected Joy at Dawn, highlighting the experiences of Nii and Mama Orojo.
NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
PART II: Non-African Prose
Question 4:
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
How does the narrator’s journey represent the search for identity in a racially divided society?
Question 5:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Explore the theme of marriage in Pride and Prejudice. How do class, pride, and love affect the choices of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy?
PART III: African Drama
Question 6:
The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka
Compare and contrast the characters of Lakunle and Baroka. How do their views on tradition and modernity affect their actions?
Question 7:
The Blood of a Stranger by Dele Charley
How is the theme of exploitation presented in The Blood of a Stranger? Focus on the roles of Whitehead and Maligu.
PART IV: Non-African Drama
Question 8:
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Examine how fate and impulsive decisions lead to the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet.
Question 9:
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
How does mistaken identity contribute to the humor and resolution of the play?
PART V: African Poetry
Question 10:
Vanity by Birago Diop
Analyze the central theme of Vanity and the poet’s warning to modern Africans about forgetting their heritage.
Question 11:
Ambush by Gbemisola Adeoti
Discuss the use of imagery in Ambush and how it conveys the dangers that threaten national development.
NECO Literature in English 2025/2026 Objective Questions and Answers
PART VI: Non-African Poetry
Question 12:
The School Boy by William Blake
Discuss the poet’s attitude towards formal education in The School Boy.
Question 13:
The Pulley by George Herbert
Analyze how the poet explores man’s relationship with God in The Pulley.
Optional Thematic Essay (General Literary Essay — if prescribed)
Question 14:
Write a comparative essay on the treatment of women in Faceless and Second Class Citizen. What insights do the authors offer about gender and societal expectations?