7 Tips On How To Answer Literature Exams Questions

Tips on how to answer English in Literature Exams questions. The Seven (7) steps listed below narrows down coherently how students suppose to attempt Literature Waec, Neco, GCE, Jamb Plus other school quizes on literature in English language

The 7 Tips On How To Answer Literature Exams Questions

 (i) Make sure you understand what is required in the question. 

• For example, when some students see a question like "Discuss the devices used in.... ", some do write on the subject matter instead of writing on the techniques used in such a literary work. Devices is the same as literary techniques or style. 

(ii) Avoid irrelevances such as writing on the life history of the poet, the novelist or the playwright. 

It is not important, for it is not going to fetch you any mark. Rather, it wastes your time.

(iii) Try to be conversant with the plays, the novels and the poems in the syllabus.

 This will aid you in echoing. What is meant by echoeing is that a student must use extracts from a play or a poem to support his or her answer.

• Echoe does not always mean the usage of many lines, a single word can also be used as an echoe. Note that without echoes, you can never score good marks.

(iv) Try to reason well when you are asked an indirect question on a text or a poem.

•  For example, one might come across a question like 'Discuss the theme of anxiety in 'Boy on a Swing' by Oswald Mtshali, I know many students would be confused after seeing a question of this nature. Do not panic. If you reason well, you will be able to deduct what is needed from the way the question is framed. The simple answer to the question is that the boy in the poem is anxious of the future as the apartheid system has created some problems and wants in him. 

(v) Note that it is the points you make that will determine your marks. The more the points you make, the higher your marks. If you are asked to write on a character in a play, give as many points as possible to enhance your marks. This can be seen in the way character and characterization in the various texts are treated in this work.


 (vi) One of the mistakes students make is that when they are asked a question that is made up of two parts, they usually answer one part of the question and neglecting the other part.

• For example, in a question like 'Discuss the character of kambili and her contribution to the plot of Adichie's purple Hibiscus, many students would tend to discuss only the character of kambili and neglecting her role in the play. Note that if you do this, you are going to lose some marks for not answering the other part as each part of a question has its own allotted marks.

With the help of above tips literature students should be able to boast of good grades in literature subject after exam. However, learning, extensive reading of Literary appreciations, theme, plots, literature genres and all terms used in literatures should be mastered before the exams date to avoid tension which is the major enemy of geniuos student.