UGC-NET English June 2024 (Cancelled Exam Question Paper)

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Due to the cancellation of the June 2024 UGC-NET examination, we anticipated that the cut-off would be similar to December 2023. Students can review the question paper below and compare their answers with the expected cut-off we have provided.

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Expected UGC-NET English June 2024 Cut-off (Out of 300 Marks)

UGC-NET English Literature PYQs – Interactive Quiz

Q.1 Which among the following writers once remarked that “I awoke one morning and found myself famous”?

1)Charles Lamb
2)P.B. Shelley
3)Lord Byron
4)John Keats

💡 Explanation: Lord Byron famously said this after the overnight success of the first two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage published in 1812. The poem made him a literary celebrity in London almost instantly.

Q.2 Which of the following definitions of linguistic terms are correct?

A. Orthoepy is the study of correct grammar in conformity with established regional patterns.
B. Philology is the study of phonemes and other characteristics of the systems of speech sounds in individual languages.
C. Synchronic study pertains to the study of language at a specific historical point.
D. Diachronic study pertains to historical dimensions of language i.e., linguistic change over the period of time.
E. Phonology is the study of language in its cultural and social contexts.

1)A and B only
2)B and E only
3)C and D only
4)A and E only

💡 Explanation: Synchronic linguistics studies a language at a particular point in time (C is correct). Diachronic linguistics studies language change over time (D is correct). Orthoepy actually concerns correct pronunciation (not grammar), Philology is the study of language in written historical sources (not phonemes), and Phonology deals with sound systems (not cultural contexts).

Q.3 What is the correct chronological order of the works of John Milton?

A. Paradise Lost
B. Paradise Regained
C. Lycidas
D. Comus
E. L’Allegro

1)E, D, C, A, B
2)C, D, B, A, E
3)A, B, E, C, D
4)C, E, A, B, D

💡 Explanation: The correct chronological order is: L’Allegro (1631), Comus (1634), Lycidas (1637), Paradise Lost (1667), Paradise Regained (1671). Note: The answer key gives “Comus, Lycidas, L’Allegro, PL, PR” but the actual publication chronology supports option (1) E, D, C, A, B.

Q.4 Patrick White, the Australian novelist, was a recipient of which of the following prizes?

A. Australian of the Year (1973)
B. Pulitzer Prize
C. Booker Prize
D. Nobel Prize in Literature (1973)
E. Perkins Prize in Narrative

1)A and B only
2)A and D only
3)A and E only
4)B and C only

💡 Explanation: Patrick White won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973 for his epic and psychological narrative art. He was also named Australian of the Year in 1973. He never won the Pulitzer (an American award) or the Booker Prize.

Q.5 What is the correct chronological sequence of famous dramatists in order of their birth?

A. William Congreve
B. John Dryden
C. William Wycherley
D. George Bernard Shaw
E. John Millington Synge

1)B, C, A, D, E
2)A, C, B, E, D
3)C, B, A, D, E
4)E, B, C, A, D

💡 Explanation: Birth years: John Dryden (1631), William Wycherley (1641), William Congreve (1670), George Bernard Shaw (1856), J.M. Synge (1871). So the correct order is B, C, A, D, E.

Q.6 What is the full-form of APA?

1)Psychological Association of America
2)American Psychological Association
3)Association of America for Psychology
4)Association of Psychology for America

💡 Explanation: APA stands for American Psychological Association, founded in 1892. It is widely known in academia for the APA citation style used in social sciences, psychology, education, and related fields.

Q.7 What is the correct sequence of various periods of English Literature?

A. Caroline Age
B. Jacobean Age
C. Restoration Age
D. Commonwealth Period
E. Augustan Age

1)D, B, A, E, C
2)A, E, B, C, D
3)B, A, D, C, E
4)E, C, A, D, B

💡 Explanation: The chronological order is: Jacobean Age (1603–1625), Caroline Age (1625–1649), Commonwealth Period (1649–1660), Restoration Age (1660–1700), Augustan Age (1700–1750). Hence B, A, D, C, E.

Q.8 Which of the following works were edited by gay activists, writers or artists?

A. Are We not Men? by Philip Brian Harper
B. Charisma by Erica Edward
C. Extravagant Abjection by Dariek Scott
D. Signifying Monkey: A Theory of Afro-American Criticism by Henry Louis Gates
E. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination by Toni Morrison

1)B, C, D only
2)A, B, C only
3)A, D, E only
4)E, C, D only

💡 Explanation: Philip Brian Harper, Erica Edwards, and Dariek Scott are known as openly gay/queer scholars and activists in Black Studies. Henry Louis Gates and Toni Morrison, while major literary figures, are not specifically identified as gay activists or artists.

Q.9 What is the correct chronological sequence of the following books of D.H. Lawrence?

A. Lady Chatterley’s Lover
B. Sons and Lovers
C. The Rainbow
D. The White Peacock
E. The Plumed Serpent

1)A, B, D, C, E
2)D, B, C, E, A
3)B, D, E, C, A
4)E, A, B, C, D

💡 Explanation: Publication order: The White Peacock (1911), Sons and Lovers (1913), The Rainbow (1915), The Plumed Serpent (1926), Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928). Hence D, B, C, E, A.

Q.10 Literature review provides:

1)Citation details
2)Discussion of works already researched in a relevant subject area
3)A list of primary sources
4)Provides hypothesis of the research undertaken

💡 Explanation: A literature review is a comprehensive survey and discussion of previously published research in a particular subject area. It synthesizes existing scholarship, identifies gaps, and establishes context for new research — it is not merely a citation list or hypothesis statement.

Q.11 P.B. Shelley’s Adonais laments the death of:

1)John Keats
2)Mary Shelley
3)Robert Byron
4)Leigh Hunt

💡 Explanation: Adonais (1821) is a pastoral elegy written by P.B. Shelley to mourn the death of John Keats, who died of tuberculosis in Rome in February 1821 at the age of 25. The title is derived from Adonis, the figure from Greek mythology.

Q.12 Who coined the term “Phallogocentric”?

1)Luce Irigaray
2)Jacques Derrida
3)Jacques Lacan
4)Sigmund Freud

💡 Explanation: Jacques Derrida coined the term “phallogocentrism” by combining “phallocentrism” (Lacan’s emphasis on the phallus as a master signifier) with “logocentrism” (the privileging of speech/reason in Western metaphysics). The term critiques the male-centred bias embedded in Western philosophical thought.

Q.13 Identify the text from which the following lines have been taken:

“Therefore compare we the poet with the historian and with the moral philosopher; and if he go beyond them both, no other skill can match him.”

1)Preface to Shakespeare
2)An Essay on Man
3)An Essay on Criticism
4)Defense of Poesie

💡 Explanation: These lines are from Sir Philip Sidney’s Defense of Poesie (also known as An Apology for Poetry, 1595). Sidney argues that poetry is superior to both history and philosophy because it combines the moral teaching of philosophy with the concrete examples of history.

Q.14 Match List I with List II:

List I – Term/Concept

A. Objectivism

B. Pathetic Fallacy

C. Sprung Rhythm

D. Structures of Feeling

List II – Invented/Coined by

I. John Ruskin

II. G.M. Hopkins

III. William Carlos Williams

IV. Raymond Williams

1)A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III
2)A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
3)A-IV, B-II, C-III, D-I
4)A-III, B-I, C-II, D-IV

💡 Explanation: Objectivism was a poetic movement led by William Carlos Williams (III). Pathetic Fallacy was coined by John Ruskin (I) in Modern Painters (1856). Sprung Rhythm was developed by G.M. Hopkins (II). Structures of Feeling is a concept from Raymond Williams (IV) in Marxism and Literature (1977).

Q.15 The poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is a tribute to:

1)Abraham Lincoln
2)Emily Dickinson
3)George Washington
4)Walt Whitman’s brother

💡 Explanation: Walt Whitman wrote “O Captain! My Captain!” (1865) as an elegy mourning the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The “Captain” metaphor represents Lincoln steering the “ship of state” through the Civil War.

Q.16 Match List I with List II:

List I – Text

A. Kena, Isa, Katha and Mundaka Upanishads (1830s)

B. Ramayana (1870–75)

C. Mahabharata (7 vols, 1895)

D. The Bhagvat Geeta (1785)

List II – Translated by

I. Ralph T.H. Griffith

II. Manmatha Nath Dutt

III. Charles Wilkins

IV. Ram Mohan Roy

1)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
2)A-IV, B-I, C-II, D-III
3)A-IV, B-II, C-III, D-I
4)A-I, B-IV, C-II, D-III

💡 Explanation: Ram Mohan Roy translated the Upanishads in the 1830s (A-IV). Ralph T.H. Griffith translated the Ramayana (B-I). Manmatha Nath Dutt translated the Mahabharata (C-II). Charles Wilkins produced the first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita in 1785 (D-III).

Q.17 Match List I with List II:

List I – Text

A. Coolie

B. The Serpent and the Rope

C. Waiting for the Mahatma

D. Shadow from Ladakh

List II – Character

I. Satyajit

II. Munoo

III. Ramaswamy

IV. Sriram

1)A-II, B-IV, C-III, D-I
2)A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
3)A-IV, B-I, C-III, D-II
4)A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I

💡 Explanation: Munoo is the protagonist of Mulk Raj Anand’s Coolie (A-II). Ramaswamy is the main character in Raja Rao’s The Serpent and the Rope (B-III). Sriram is the protagonist of R.K. Narayan’s Waiting for the Mahatma (C-IV). Satyajit is a character in Bhabani Bhattacharya’s Shadow from Ladakh (D-I).

Q.18 Who among the following was not a leading figure of New Criticism?

1)John Crowe Ransom
2)Allen Tate
3)I.A. Richards
4)Cleanth Brooks

💡 Explanation: I.A. Richards is associated with the Cambridge School of practical criticism, not American New Criticism. John Crowe Ransom (who coined the term “New Criticism”), Allen Tate, and Cleanth Brooks were all central figures of the New Critical movement based in the American South.

Q.19 Match List I with List II:

List I – Poem

A. To His Coy Mistress

B. The Scholar Gypsy

C. Still I Rise

D. If

List II – Poet

I. Rudyard Kipling

II. Andrew Marvell

III. Matthew Arnold

IV. Maya Angelou

1)A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I
2)A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III
3)A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I
4)A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II

💡 Explanation: “To His Coy Mistress” is a famous carpe diem poem by Andrew Marvell (A-II). “The Scholar Gypsy” is by Matthew Arnold (B-III). “Still I Rise” is by Maya Angelou (C-IV). “If—” is by Rudyard Kipling (D-I).

Q.20 What is the correct sequence of five stages of action in order of occurrence as described by Dhananjaya in Dasarupa?

A. Praaptyaashaa (Prospect of success)
B. Aarambh (Beginning)
C. Niyataapti (Certainty of success)
D. Yatna (Effort)
E. Phalaagama (Attainment of the result)

1)A, B, D, C, E
2)D, A, B, E, C
3)C, D, A, B, E
4)B, D, A, C, E

💡 Explanation: According to Dhananjaya’s Dasarupa, the five stages (Avastha) of dramatic action are: Beginning (Aarambh), Effort (Yatna), Prospect of Success (Praaptyaashaa), Certainty of Success (Niyataapti), and Attainment of Result (Phalaagama). Hence B, D, A, C, E.

Q.21 Who among the following was not associated with the Movement Poetry?

1)Charles Kingsley
2)Donald Davie
3)Elizabeth Jennings
4)John Wain

💡 Explanation: Charles Kingsley (1819–1875) was a Victorian-era novelist and clergyman, not associated with the 1950s Movement poetry. The Movement poets included Philip Larkin, Donald Davie, Elizabeth Jennings, John Wain, Kingsley Amis, and Thom Gunn, who favoured clarity and restraint over Romantic excess.

Q.22 Which of the following writers pioneered the Australian Aboriginal Movement?

A. David Malouf
B. Jack Davis
C. Oodgeroo Noonucal
D. Kevin Gilbert
E. Judith Wright

1)A, B, E only
2)B, C, D only
3)E, D, A only
4)A, B, D only

💡 Explanation: Jack Davis, Oodgeroo Noonucal (formerly Kath Walker), and Kevin Gilbert were pioneering Aboriginal Australian writers and activists. David Malouf is of Lebanese-English heritage, and Judith Wright, while a supporter of Aboriginal rights, was not Aboriginal herself.

Q.23 Which of the following statements are correct about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s “Annihilation of Caste”?

A. It is an undelivered speech written in 1936.
B. It focuses on the need to create a society where individuals are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their caste.
C. There will be outcastes even if the caste system is completely destroyed.
D. Ideal society will always have a strong caste system even if it is based on liberty, equality and fraternity.
E. This is a fictitious novel.

1)A and B only
2)B and E only
3)E and D only
4)C and A only

💡 Explanation: “Annihilation of Caste” was indeed an undelivered speech prepared in 1936 by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal conference, which was cancelled. It powerfully argues for the complete destruction of the caste system and advocates for a society based on dignity, equality, and fraternity. It is not a novel, and Ambedkar argued against caste — not for its preservation.

Q.24 Which of the following popular Indian words have been incorporated in Oxford Dictionary in the recent past?

A. Chai
B. Bhaijaan
C. Jugaad
D. Kamaal
E. Namaste

1)A, B, D only
2)A, C, E only
3)B, C, D only
4)C, D, E only

💡 Explanation: Words like Chai, Jugaad, and Namaste have been officially included in the Oxford English Dictionary. “Bhaijaan” and “Kamaal” have not been formally added to the OED.

Q.25 Which among the following does not fall in the category of Morality Plays?

1)The Castell of Perseverance
2)Mind, Will and Understanding
3)Mankind
4)The City Heiress

💡 Explanation: The City Heiress (1682) is a Restoration comedy by Aphra Behn, not a medieval morality play. The Castell of Perseverance (c. 1425), Mind, Will and Understanding (c. 1460), and Mankind (c. 1470) are all classic examples of medieval morality plays featuring allegorical characters representing virtues and vices.

Q.26 The term ‘negritude’, coined by Aimé Césaire, was appreciated as well as criticised by critics and thinkers. Select the correct responses that this term received.

A. Senghor considered this term to be derogatory.
B. Léon Damas didn’t participate in the négritude movement.
C. Creole writers attacked this term for its monolithic look.
D. Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka considered ‘négritude’ as an unhealthy fetishism of the ‘native’ state.
E. Frantz Fanon was extremely critical of the term ‘négritude’ and never used it.

1)A and B only
2)B and C only
3)E and D only
4)C and D only

💡 Explanation: Creole writers like Patrick Chamoiseau and Raphaël Confiant criticized négritude for presenting a monolithic Black identity (C is correct). Wole Soyinka famously critiqued négritude, stating that a tiger does not proclaim its “tigritude” (D is correct). Senghor actually championed négritude (A is wrong), Damas was a co-founder (B is wrong), and Fanon did engage with the concept (E is wrong).

Q.27 From the following writers, who are known for Magic Realism?

A. R.K. Narayan
B. Salman Rushdie
C. V.S. Naipaul
D. Gabriel Garcia Márquez
E. Mulk Raj Anand

1)A and B only
2)B and C only
3)B and D only
4)D and E only

💡 Explanation: Gabriel García Márquez is considered the master of magic realism, with One Hundred Years of Solitude being the genre’s landmark novel. Salman Rushdie’s works like Midnight’s Children also prominently employ magic realist techniques. R.K. Narayan and Mulk Raj Anand are social realists, and V.S. Naipaul is a postcolonial realist writer.

Q.28 Arrange the following American poets in order of their birth:

A. Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
B. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
C. Robert Frost (1874–1963)
D. Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
E. Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

1)B, D, E, A, C
2)C, B, A, E, D
3)A, E, B, D, C
4)D, C, B, A, E

💡 Explanation: By birth year: Emerson (1803), Thoreau (1817), Whitman (1819), Dickinson (1830), Frost (1874). Hence B, D, E, A, C.

Q.29 Who among the following was not associated with the Yale School?

1)Harold Bloom
2)Terry Eagleton
3)Paul de Man
4)Jacques Derrida

💡 Explanation: Terry Eagleton is a British Marxist literary critic associated with Oxford and cultural materialism, not the Yale School. The Yale School of deconstruction included Harold Bloom, Paul de Man, J. Hillis Miller, Geoffrey Hartman, and Jacques Derrida (as a visiting figure).

Q.30 What is the correct chronological sequence of the following Indian writers in order of their birth?

A. Manohar Malgonkar
B. Mulk Raj Anand
C. Toru Dutt
D. Khushwant Singh
E. Michael Madhusudan Dutt

1)B, C, E, D, A
2)A, C, D, E, B
3)E, C, B, A, D
4)D, B, C, E, A

💡 Explanation: Birth years: Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824), Toru Dutt (1856), Mulk Raj Anand (1905), Manohar Malgonkar (1913), Khushwant Singh (1915). Hence E, C, B, A, D.

Q.31 Match List I with List II:

List I – Concept/Term

A. Chora

B. Carnivalization

C. Contrapuntal Reading

D. Écriture Féminine

List II – Developed/Coined by

I. Hélène Cixous

II. Julia Kristeva

III. Mikhail Bakhtin

IV. Edward W. Said

1)A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I
2)A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I
3)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
4)A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV

💡 Explanation: Chora is a concept developed by Julia Kristeva (A-II) in Revolution in Poetic Language. Carnivalization comes from Mikhail Bakhtin (B-III). Contrapuntal Reading is Edward Said’s method from Culture and Imperialism (C-IV). Écriture Féminine was theorized by Hélène Cixous (D-I).

Q.32 Who among the following were associated with Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?

1)Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais
2)Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Leigh Hunt
3)John Everett Millais and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
4)Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Leigh Hunt

💡 Explanation: The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded in 1848 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a Victorian poet not part of the PRB, and Leigh Hunt belonged to an earlier generation of Romantic writers.

Q.33 Who among the following African writers observed that “O my body, make of me always a man who questions”?

1)Chinua Achebe
2)Frantz Fanon
3)Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
4)Toni Morrison

💡 Explanation: This line appears at the end of Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks (1952). It is a prayer-like closing statement reflecting Fanon’s desire to remain a perpetual questioner rather than being confined by racial categories and colonial ideology.

Q.34 The line — “He who works for sweetness and light united, works to make reason and the will of God prevail” — occurs in:

1)Raymond Williams’ Culture and Society
2)Julia Kristeva’s Revolution in Poetic Language
3)Matthew Arnold’s Culture and Anarchy
4)Sigmund Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents

💡 Explanation: This famous line is from Matthew Arnold’s Culture and Anarchy (1869). Arnold borrowed the phrase “sweetness and light” from Jonathan Swift’s The Battle of the Books and used it to define the ideal pursuit of culture — combining beauty (sweetness) and intelligence (light).

Q.35 Match List I with List II:

List I – Author

I. Vikram Chandra

II. Ruskin Bond

III. Deepa Annapara

IV. Satyajit Ray

List II – Book

A. The Complete Adventures of Feluda

B. The Perfect Murder

C. Sacred Games

D. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

1)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
2)A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
3)A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
4)A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I

💡 Explanation: The Complete Adventures of Feluda is by Satyajit Ray (A-IV). The Perfect Murder is by Ruskin Bond (B-II, actually by H.R.F. Keating, but as per the question). Sacred Games is by Vikram Chandra (C-I). Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is by Deepa Annapara (D-III).

Q.36 Which articles of Indian Constitution pertain to the provisions relating to the Official Language of the Union?

A. 342
B. 343
C. 344
D. 345
E. 346

1)C and D only
2)D and E only
3)B and C only
4)A and B only

💡 Explanation: Article 343 declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union. Article 344 provides for the constitution of a Commission and a Committee of Parliament on official language. Articles 345–346 deal with the official language of states, not the Union specifically.

Q.37 Which out of the following will allow you to avoid plagiarism?

1)Using paraphrases or quotes by other sources in your name.
2)Not using a plagiarism checker software before submitting the assignment.
3)Giving credit to the original author in an in-text citation and in the list of works cited.
4)Not keeping a proper documentation of references used.

💡 Explanation: The most effective way to avoid plagiarism is to properly cite all sources through in-text citations and a works cited/references list. This gives credit to the original author and clearly distinguishes your ideas from borrowed ones.

Q.38 Match List I with List II:

List I – Term/Concept

A. Third Space

B. Weltliteratur

C. Post-Impressionism

D. Simulacra

List II – Invented/Coined by

I. Jean Baudrillard

II. Goethe

III. Homi Bhabha

IV. Roger Fry

1)A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I
2)A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
3)A-II, B-IV, C-III, D-I
4)A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV

💡 Explanation: Third Space is Homi Bhabha’s concept from The Location of Culture (A-III). Weltliteratur (World Literature) was coined by Goethe (B-II). Post-Impressionism was named by Roger Fry (C-IV). Simulacra is a key concept in Jean Baudrillard’s philosophy (D-I).

Q.39 Which of the following writers remarked that “You are your best thing”?

1)Toni Morrison in Beloved (1987)
2)George Eliot in The Mill on the Floss (1860)
3)Arundhati Roy in The God of Small Things (1997)
4)Emily Brontë in Wuthering Heights (1847)

💡 Explanation: In Beloved (1987), Paul D says to Sethe: “You your best thing, Sethe. You are.” This is one of the most powerful affirmations in the novel, emphasizing self-worth after the dehumanization of slavery.

Q.40 Who among the following was not associated with Cockney School of Poetry?

1)John Keats
2)P.B. Shelley
3)Leigh Hunt
4)William Blake

💡 Explanation: “Cockney School of Poetry” was a derisive label coined by John Gibson Lockhart in Blackwood’s Magazine to mock Leigh Hunt, John Keats, and their circle. P.B. Shelley was also associated with this group. William Blake (1757–1827) belonged to an earlier period and was never part of this circle.

Q.41 Which is the latest edition of Chicago Manual of Style?

1)18th edition
2)16th edition
3)17th edition
4)15th edition

💡 Explanation: As per the answer key, the 17th edition (published in 2017) is marked as correct. Note: The 18th edition was released in September 2024, so depending on when the question was set, the answer may vary. The NTA answer key marks option (3) as correct.

Q.42 What is the correct chronological sequence of the following Dalit Women Writers in order of their birth?

A. Urmila Pawar
B. Bama
C. Meena Kandasamy
D. Gogu Shyamala
E. Kumud Pawde

1)E, A, B, C, D
2)E, A, B, D, C
3)C, D, B, A, E
4)E, A, C, B, D

💡 Explanation: Birth years: Kumud Pawde (1938), Urmila Pawar (1945), Bama (1958), Gogu Shyamala (1969), Meena Kandasamy (1984). Hence E, A, B, D, C.

Q.43 Which among the following chapters is the distinct feature of the latest edition of MLA Handbook?

1)Mechanics of Prose
2)Principles of Inclusive Language
3)Documenting Sources: An Overview
4)Formatting your Research Project

💡 Explanation: The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook (2021) introduced a new chapter on “Principles of Inclusive Language,” making it a distinctive addition to this edition. This reflects growing awareness of how language choices affect representation and equity in academic writing.

Q.44 Barbara Smith, in her essay “Toward a Black Feminist Criticism”, raises concerns for:

A. Only Black women
B. Black lesbian women
C. Black women in the White world only
D. Black lesbian women amongst Black women vis-a-vis the White women
E. Black and White women, both together, as they have universal concerns

1)B and D only
2)C and D only
3)B and E only
4)A and C only

💡 Explanation: Barbara Smith’s groundbreaking 1977 essay specifically addresses the invisibility and marginalization of Black lesbian women in literary criticism. She argues for a criticism that recognizes the intersecting oppressions of race, gender, and sexuality, particularly focusing on Black lesbian experience within both Black and white feminist contexts.

Q.45 Arrange the following literary movements in chronological order of their emergence:

A. Imagism
B. Impressionism
C. Absurdism
D. Futurism
E. Pre-Raphaelitism

1)A, C, D, E, B
2)B, D, C, E, A
3)D, A, B, C, E
4)E, B, D, A, C

💡 Explanation: Pre-Raphaelitism (1848), Impressionism (1870s), Futurism (1909), Imagism (1912), Absurdism (1950s). Hence E, B, D, A, C.

Q.46 Choose the correct statements with regard to the binary pair Langue and Parole introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure:

A. Langue is translated as speech and parole as language.
B. Langue is the internal structure of a language; not language itself.
C. Parole is the event of language.
D. Parole and language are a set of vocabulary only.
E. There is no distinction between Parole and Langue.

1)A and C only
2)A and E only
3)C and B only
4)A and D only

💡 Explanation: In Saussure’s linguistics, Langue refers to the underlying system or structure of a language (B is correct), while Parole refers to the actual individual utterance or speech event (C is correct). A is wrong because Langue means “language” (the system) and Parole means “speech” (individual use), not the reverse. D and E are incorrect descriptions.

Q.47 Who among the following observed that “Nothing can please many, and please long, but representations of general nature”?

1)Philip Sidney
2)Samuel Johnson
3)S.T. Coleridge
4)William Wordsworth

💡 Explanation: This famous statement comes from Samuel Johnson’s Preface to Shakespeare (1765). Johnson argued that Shakespeare’s enduring greatness lies in his portrayal of universal human nature rather than depicting particular individuals or customs.

Q.48 Which day is celebrated as International Mother Language Day?

1)February 21
2)September 14
3)September 23
4)March 8

💡 Explanation: International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21, declared by UNESCO in 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. The date commemorates the 1952 Bengali Language Movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), where students were killed protesting for their right to speak Bengali.

Q.49 What is the correct chronological sequence of periods of American Literature?

A. Early National Period (1775–1828)
B. Revolutionary Age (1765–1790)
C. Naturalistic Period (1900–1914)
D. Romantic Period in America / Age of Transcendentalism (1828–1865)
E. Realistic Period (1865–1900)

1)C, D, A, B, E
2)B, A, D, E, C
3)E, B, C, D, A
4)A, C, B, E, D

💡 Explanation: The chronological order is: Revolutionary Age (1765–1790), Early National Period (1775–1828), Romantic/Transcendentalist Period (1828–1865), Realistic Period (1865–1900), Naturalistic Period (1900–1914). Hence B, A, D, E, C.

Q.50 Which among the following is not a type of meaning in a poem as defined by I.A. Richards in Practical Criticism?

1)Feeling
2)Form
3)Tone
4)Intention

💡 Explanation: In Practical Criticism (1929), I.A. Richards identifies four types of meaning: Sense (plain meaning), Feeling (the author’s attitude toward the subject), Tone (the author’s attitude toward the audience), and Intention (the author’s purpose). “Form” is not one of these four types.

Q.51 Match List I with List II:

List I – Dramatist

A. Martin Esslin

B. Bertolt Brecht

C. Antonin Artaud

D. August Strindberg

List II – Theatrical Form/Technique

I. The Theatre of Cruelty

II. Dream Play

III. Estrangement-effect

IV. The Theatre of the Absurd

1)A-I, B-III, C-III, D-IV
2)A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
3)A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
4)A-I, B-IV, C-III, D-II

💡 Explanation: Martin Esslin coined the term “Theatre of the Absurd” (A-IV). Bertolt Brecht developed the Verfremdungseffekt or Estrangement-effect (B-III). Antonin Artaud created the concept of Theatre of Cruelty (C-I). August Strindberg wrote A Dream Play (D-II), pioneering expressionist drama.

Q.52 Match the following:

List I – Work

A. Dhvanyaloka

B. Kavyadarsa

C. Vakyapadiya

D. Dasarupa

List II – Author

I. Dandin

II. Dhananjay

III. Anandvardhana

IV. Bhartrhari

1)A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
2)A-III, B-II, C-I, D-IV
3)A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
4)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV

💡 Explanation: Dhvanyaloka (on the theory of Dhvani/suggestion) is by Anandvardhana (A-III). Kavyadarsa (Mirror of Poetry) is by Dandin (B-I). Vakyapadiya (on philosophy of language) is by Bhartrhari (C-IV). Dasarupa (on ten forms of drama) is by Dhananjay (D-II).

Q.53 Identify the author who stated the following lines:

“There is, first, the literature of knowledge; and, secondly, the literature of power. The function of the first is to teach; the function of the second is to move: the first is a rudder, the second an oar or a sail.”

1)Alexander Pope
2)Thomas de Quincey
3)Samuel Johnson
4)Philip Sidney

💡 Explanation: This famous distinction between “the literature of knowledge” and “the literature of power” comes from Thomas de Quincey’s essay “The Poetry of Pope” (1848), also found in his “Letters to a Young Man.” De Quincey argued that true literature moves and transforms the reader, not merely informs.

Q.54 Choose the correct chronological sequence in which the following works were published:

A. Vicar of Wakefield (1766)
B. Life of Johnson (1791)
C. Johnson’s Dictionary (1755)
D. Lives of the Poets (1779–1781)
E. The Life of Nelson (1813)

1)A, E, B, C, D
2)C, A, D, B, E
3)B, A, E, C, D
4)C, B, A, E, D

💡 Explanation: Chronological order: Johnson’s Dictionary (1755), Vicar of Wakefield by Goldsmith (1766), Lives of the Poets by Johnson (1779–81), Life of Johnson by Boswell (1791), The Life of Nelson by Southey (1813). Hence C, A, D, B, E.

Q.55 Out of the following, which bibliographical entry follows the style prescribed in MLA Handbook (9th edition)?

1)Habib, M.A.R. Modern Literary Criticism and Theory: A History. Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
2)M.A.R, Habib. Modern Literary Criticism and Theory: A History. New Delhi, Blackwell Publishing: 2008
3)(2008) Habib, M.A.R. Modern Literary Criticism and Theory: A History. New Delhi: Blackwell Publishing
4)(2008) M.A.R. Habib. Modern Literary Criticism and Theory: A History. New Delhi, Blackwell Publishing.

💡 Explanation: MLA 9th edition format is: Last Name, First Name/Initials. Title. Publisher, Year. Option (1) correctly follows this: surname first, italicized title, publisher, and year. MLA does not place the year at the beginning (that’s APA style) and does not require city of publication since the 8th edition.

Q.56 Match List I with List II:

List I – Term

A. Anaphoric word

B. Morpheme

C. Antecedent

D. Periphrasis

List II – Definition

I. A unit of language that cannot be analysed into smaller units

II. Refers back to a word or phrase previously used in a text/conversation

III. Use of two or more words to express a meaning which could otherwise be expressed in a single word

IV. A word or phrase that is referred back to by a pronoun or other proform

1)A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
2)A-IV, B-II, C-III, D-I
3)A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
4)A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II

💡 Explanation: An anaphoric word refers back to something previously mentioned (A-II). A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of language (B-I). An antecedent is the word/phrase a pronoun refers back to (C-IV). Periphrasis is using multiple words where fewer would suffice, e.g., “give a lecture” instead of “lecture” (D-III).

Q.57 Which of the following works is not written by Chinua Achebe?

1)Arrow of God
2)No Longer at Ease
3)An Image of Africa
4)Weep Not, Child

💡 Explanation: Weep Not, Child (1964) was written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, not Chinua Achebe. It was the first English-language novel published by an East African writer. Achebe wrote Arrow of God (1964), No Longer at Ease (1960), and the essay An Image of Africa (1977).

Q.58 Under whose presidency was PEN (an international association of poets, playwrights, editors, essayists and novelists) founded by Mrs. Dawson-Scott in 1921?

1)John Galsworthy
2)T.S. Eliot
3)W.B. Yeats
4)Ezra Pound

💡 Explanation: PEN International was founded in London in 1921 by Catherine Amy Dawson-Scott, with John Galsworthy as its first president. Galsworthy, who later won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1932), led the organization in its mission to promote literature and defend freedom of expression.

Q.59 Who among the following used ‘untranslatableness’ in his famous work?

1)William Wordsworth in the Preface to Lyrical Ballads
2)Philip Sidney in Defense of Poesie
3)S.T. Coleridge in Biographia Literaria
4)Matthew Arnold in The Study of Poetry

💡 Explanation: S.T. Coleridge used the concept of “untranslatableness” in Biographia Literaria (1817) to describe one of the qualities of great poetry — that the best poetry resists being paraphrased or translated into other words without losing its essential meaning and beauty.

Q.60 Arrange the following films on disability concerns in the order of their year of release:

A. Paa (2009)
B. Khamoshi (1996)
C. Iqbal (2005)
D. Margarita with a Straw (2015)
E. Fanaa (2006)

1)A, B, C, D, E
2)E, D, C, B, A
3)B, C, E, A, D
4)B, C, A, E, D

💡 Explanation: Chronological order by release: Khamoshi (1996, deafness), Iqbal (2005, hearing/speech disability), Fanaa (2006, blindness), Paa (2009, progeria), Margarita with a Straw (2015, cerebral palsy). Hence B, C, E, A, D.

Q.61 Chronologically arrange the following texts in order of publication:

A. Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963)
B. Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949)
C. Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929)
D. Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch (1970)
E. Adrienne Rich’s Of Woman Born (1976)

1)A, B, C, D, E
2)C, B, A, D, E
3)D, C, B, A, E
4)B, C, A, D, E

💡 Explanation: Chronological order: Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929), Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949), Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963), Greer’s The Female Eunuch (1970), Rich’s Of Woman Born (1976). Hence C, B, A, D, E.

Q.62 Match List I with List II:

List I – Original Name

A. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

B. Mary Ann Evans

C. Eric Arthur Blair

D. Samuel Langhorne Clemens

List II – Pen Name

I. George Eliot

II. Mark Twain

III. George Orwell

IV. Lewis Carroll

1)A-IV, B-I, C-III, D-II
2)A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I
3)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
4)A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV

💡 Explanation: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote as Lewis Carroll (A-IV). Mary Ann Evans used the pen name George Eliot (B-I) to be taken seriously as a female author. Eric Arthur Blair wrote as George Orwell (C-III). Samuel Langhorne Clemens is better known as Mark Twain (D-II).

Q.63 What is the correct sequence of the following novels of Amitav Ghosh in order of their year of publication?

A. The Hungry Tide (2004)
B. The Shadow Lines (1988)
C. The Sea of Poppies (2008)
D. The Calcutta Chromosome (1995)
E. The Circle of Reason (1986)

1)B, E, D, C, A
2)E, B, D, A, C
3)A, E, D, B, C
4)D, C, A, B, E

💡 Explanation: Amitav Ghosh’s novels in order: The Circle of Reason (1986), The Shadow Lines (1988), The Calcutta Chromosome (1995), The Hungry Tide (2004), The Sea of Poppies (2008). Hence E, B, D, A, C.

Q.64 The poetic line “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” appears in:

1)S.T. Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
2)Alfred Tennyson’s In Memoriam A.H.H.
3)Shakespeare’s “Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds”
4)Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach”

💡 Explanation: This is one of the most famous lines in English poetry, from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850), Canto 27. The poem is an elegy written over 17 years mourning the death of his close friend Arthur Henry Hallam.

Q.65 What is the correct chronological sequence of the novels of Bhabani Bhattacharya in order of their publication?

A. A Goddess Named Gold (1960)
B. Music for Mohini (1952)
C. Shadow from Ladakh (1966)
D. So Many Hungers (1947)
E. He Who Rides a Tiger (1954)

1)D, B, E, A, C
2)A, D, C, B, E
3)E, C, D, B, A
4)B, A, C, E, D

💡 Explanation: Bhabani Bhattacharya’s novels in publication order: So Many Hungers (1947), Music for Mohini (1952), He Who Rides a Tiger (1954), A Goddess Named Gold (1960), Shadow from Ladakh (1966). Hence D, B, E, A, C.

Q.66 Who among the following refers to Byron’s works as “monstrous combinations of horrors and mockery, lewdness and impiety”?

1)Charles Lamb
2)Robert Southey
3)Mary Shelley
4)Leigh Hunt

💡 Explanation: Robert Southey, the Poet Laureate, attacked Byron’s works (particularly Don Juan) in his preface to A Vision of Judgement (1821), calling them immoral. Byron famously retaliated with his satirical The Vision of Judgment (1822) mocking Southey.

Q.67 Which of the following statements is not true about Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea?

1)It was first published in 1966.
2)It takes its theme and main character from the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
3)Action of the novel takes place in South Africa.
4)Name of Antoinette’s mother is Annette.

💡 Explanation: Wide Sargasso Sea is set in Jamaica and Dominica in the Caribbean, not South Africa. It is a postcolonial prequel to Jane Eyre, telling the story of Antoinette Cosway (the “madwoman in the attic” Bertha Mason). It was published in 1966, and Antoinette’s mother is indeed named Annette.

Q.68 “The Two Nations” is the subtitle of:

1)Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities
2)Benjamin Disraeli’s Sybil
3)Anthony Trollope’s The Warden
4)Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island

💡 Explanation: Sybil, or The Two Nations (1845) by Benjamin Disraeli (who later became Prime Minister) is a social novel that highlighted the vast divide between the rich and poor in Victorian England — the “two nations” living side by side without understanding each other.

Q.69 Which among the following is not a work of Samuel Johnson?

1)The Rambler
2)The Idler
3)The Journal to Stella
4)The Pernicious Effects of Revery

💡 Explanation: The Journal to Stella is a series of letters written by Jonathan Swift to Esther Johnson (Stella) between 1710 and 1713, not by Samuel Johnson. The Rambler (1750–52), The Idler (1758–60), and other periodical essays are Johnson’s works.

Q.70 Which of the following statements are correct regarding Dalit Panthers Movement?

A. Dalit Panthers movement was influenced by the Black Panthers Movement.
B. Dalit Panthers is a social organisation that was founded by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
C. Dalit Panthers movement was led by Raja Dhale, Namdeo Dhasal and JV Pawar.
D. Jyotiba Phule participated actively in Dalit Panthers Movement.
E. Dalit Panthers movement was rooted in the Little Magazine Movement.

1)A, C, D only
2)A, B, C only
3)A, C, E only
4)A, D, E only

💡 Explanation: The Dalit Panthers were founded in 1972 in Maharashtra (not by Ambedkar, who died in 1956), inspired by the Black Panthers of America (A correct). It was led by Raja Dhale, Namdeo Dhasal, and JV Pawar (C correct). The movement was closely linked to the Little Magazine Movement in Marathi literature (E correct). Jyotiba Phule (1827–1890) lived long before the movement.

Q.71 Which of the following books was edited by gay activists and artists Joseph Beam and Essex Hemphill?

1)Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men (1991)
2)No Tea, No Shade: New Writings in Black Queer Studies (2016)
3)Race Men (2000)
4)Manning the Race (2004)

💡 Explanation: Brother to Brother (1991) was originally conceived and edited by Joseph Beam; after his death in 1988, Essex Hemphill completed the anthology. It is a landmark collection of writing by Black gay men and became a foundational text in Black queer studies.

Q.72 What is the correct chronological sequence of the following works in order of their publication?

A. Arun Joshi’s The Foreigner (1958)
B. Ved Mehta’s Face to Face (1957)
C. Khushwant Singh’s I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale (1968)
D. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas’s Inqilab (1958)
E. G.V. Desani’s All About H. Hatterr (1948)

1)B, D, A, C, E
2)D, B, C, A, E
3)E, D, B, C, A
4)A, C, D, E, B

⚠️ This question was dropped by NTA. Marks given to all.

Q.73 Annotated Bibliography provides:

1)A list of all the works cited/referred to in the research.
2)Only those works that are cited in the research.
3)A brief summary stating importance of the works cited/referred to in the research.
4)A 250-worded abstract.

💡 Explanation: As per the answer key, option (1) is correct. An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents, each followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph (the annotation). It provides a comprehensive overview of all works consulted in research.

Q.74 What is the correct chronological sequence of British poets in order of their birth?

A. Andrew Marvell (1621–1678)
B. John Milton (1608–1674)
C. John Donne (1572–1631)
D. Richard Lovelace (1618–1657)
E. Thomas Carew (1595–1640)

1)C, E, B, D, A
2)D, B, C, A, E
3)B, C, D, E, A
4)A, D, E, C, B

💡 Explanation: By birth year: John Donne (1572), Thomas Carew (1595), John Milton (1608), Richard Lovelace (1618), Andrew Marvell (1621). Hence C, E, B, D, A.

Q.75 What is the correct sequence of the following plays of Girish Karnad in order of their year of publication?

A. Hayavadana (1971)
B. Nagamandala (1988)
C. Tughlaq (1964)
D. Yayati (1961)
E. Bali, The Sacrifice (1980)

1)D, A, E, B, C
2)C, D, A, E, B
3)D, C, A, E, B
4)C, A, D, E, B

💡 Explanation: Girish Karnad’s plays in order: Yayati (1961), Tughlaq (1964), Hayavadana (1971), Bali, The Sacrifice (1980), Nagamandala (1988). Hence D, C, A, E, B.

Q.76 A brief reference in the text that indicates the source of the idea or quotation consulted from another source is:

1)In-text citation
2)Section heading
3)Hypothetical statement
4)Objective

💡 Explanation: An in-text citation is a brief reference placed within the body of a text (usually in parentheses) that identifies the source of information. It directs the reader to the full citation in the bibliography or works cited page. Common formats include MLA (author, page) and APA (author, year).

Q.77 Which of the following texts deals with the theme of creolisation?

1)My Son’s Story
2)Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence
3)Things Fall Apart
4)Wide Sargasso Sea

💡 Explanation: Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) is set in the Caribbean and deeply engages with the theme of creolisation — the mixing and blending of European and Caribbean cultures, identities, and languages. The protagonist Antoinette is a white Creole caught between colonial and indigenous worlds.

Q.78 Who among the following was not a proponent of Oxford Movement?

1)John Henry Newman
2)Richard Hurrell Froude
3)Edward Bouverie Pusey
4)Charles Kingsley

💡 Explanation: Charles Kingsley was actually an opponent of the Oxford Movement (Tractarianism). He was an Anglican clergyman who advocated for Christian Socialism and famously clashed with John Henry Newman. Newman, Froude, and Pusey were the three principal leaders of the Oxford Movement (1833–1845).

Q.79 In the 1985 essay “Three Women’s Texts and a Critique of Imperialism”, Gayatri Spivak shows the development of the white liberal feminist subject. Which are the texts referred to in the title?

A. The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
B. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
C. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
D. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
E. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

1)A, B and D only
2)C, D and A only
3)A, B and C only
4)E, B and D only

💡 Explanation: Gayatri Spivak’s landmark essay analyses three texts: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. She critiques how Western feminist individualism is constructed through the erasure of colonial subjects, particularly in Jane Eyre.

Q.80 Who among the following was not associated with Cambridge School of Critics?

1)F.R. Leavis
2)Q.D. Leavis
3)William Empson
4)Kenneth Burke

💡 Explanation: Kenneth Burke was an American literary and rhetorical theorist, not associated with the Cambridge School. The Cambridge School of criticism centred on I.A. Richards and included F.R. Leavis, Q.D. Leavis, and William Empson, all based at Cambridge University in England.

Q.81 Match List I with List II:

List I – Author

A. Richard Hoggart

B. Ashis Nandy

C. Raymond Williams

D. E.P. Thompson

List II – Text

I. The Secret Politics of Our Desires

II. The Making of the English Working Class

III. The Uses of Literacy

IV. The Long Revolution

1)A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
2)A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
3)A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I
4)A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III

💡 Explanation: Richard Hoggart wrote The Uses of Literacy (1957) (A-III). Ashis Nandy edited The Secret Politics of Our Desires (B-I). Raymond Williams wrote The Long Revolution (1961) (C-IV). E.P. Thompson wrote The Making of the English Working Class (1963) (D-II). These are all foundational texts of Cultural Studies.

Q.82 Match List I with List II:

List I – Term

A. Apodosis

B. Protasis

C. Collocation

D. Copular verb

List II – Definition

I. Clause expressing the condition

II. Clause expressing the consequence

III. Links the subject of a sentence with a complement

IV. A pair or group of words that are habitually juxtaposed

1)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
2)A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I
3)A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
4)A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III

💡 Explanation: Apodosis is the main clause (consequence) in a conditional sentence (A-II). Protasis is the subordinate clause expressing the condition (B-I). Collocation refers to words that frequently co-occur, like “strong tea” or “heavy rain” (C-IV). A copular verb (like “is,” “seems”) links the subject to a complement (D-III).

Q.83 Which of the following magazines aimed at depicting concerns of girls who embraced the tenets of girl culture/girlhood?

A. Sassy (US feminist magazine, first issue 1988)
B. Bust
C. Bitch
D. Ophelia Speaks
E. Colonize This!

1)A, B and D only
2)A, E and D only
3)A, B and C only
4)B, C and D only

💡 Explanation: Sassy, Bust, and Bitch are feminist magazines that addressed girl culture and third-wave feminism. Ophelia Speaks is a book (not a magazine) by Sara Shandler, and Colonize This! is an anthology of writings by young women of colour — both are books, not magazines.

Q.84 Which work of John Keats is dedicated to Thomas Chatterton?

1)Lamia
2)Endymion
3)Hyperion
4)Ode on a Grecian Urn

💡 Explanation: Keats dedicated Endymion (1818) to the memory of Thomas Chatterton, the brilliant young poet who died tragically at the age of 17 in 1770. Keats admired Chatterton’s genius and saw him as the purest embodiment of the poetic spirit.

Q.85 Name the British poet who wrote Sohrab and Rustum:

1)Mary Shelley
2)Edward Fitzgerald
3)Matthew Arnold
4)Alfred Tennyson

💡 Explanation: Sohrab and Rustum (1853) is a narrative poem by Matthew Arnold, based on an episode from Ferdowsi’s Persian epic Shahnameh. It tells the tragic story of the warrior Rustum who unknowingly kills his own son Sohrab in battle.

Q.86 Match List I with List II:

List I – Term

A. Aporia

B. Énoncé

C. Encomium

D. Hagiography

List II – Definition

I. Technical term in structuralist theory that implies ‘utterance’

II. Formal eulogy in prose or verse to glorify people, objects or ideas

III. The writing or study of the lives of the saints

IV. A term used in deconstruction to indicate conflict between rhetoric and thought

1)A-I, B-IV, C-III, D-II
2)A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
3)A-IV, B-I, C-II, D-III
4)A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV

💡 Explanation: Aporia is used in deconstruction (especially by Derrida) to indicate an irresolvable internal contradiction (A-IV). Énoncé is a structuralist term for ‘utterance’ or ‘statement’ (B-I). Encomium is a formal speech of praise (C-II). Hagiography is the writing of saints’ lives (D-III).

Q.87 Match List I with List II:

List I – Work

A. Language as Paradox

B. Against Interpretation

C. Realism and the Contemporary Novel

D. Politics and the English Language

List II – Writer

I. Raymond Williams

II. Cleanth Brooks

III. George Orwell

IV. Susan Sontag

1)A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
2)A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
3)A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
4)A-IV, B-I, C-II, D-III

💡 Explanation: “The Language of Paradox” is by Cleanth Brooks from The Well Wrought Urn (A-II). “Against Interpretation” is Susan Sontag’s famous essay (B-IV). “Realism and the Contemporary Novel” is by Raymond Williams (C-I). “Politics and the English Language” (1946) is by George Orwell (D-III).

Q.88 Arrange the following literary theories/movements in chronological order of their emergence:

A. Cultural Studies
B. Postmodernism
C. Feminism
D. Surrealism
E. Reception Theory

1)A, C, B, D, E
2)C, D, A, B, E
3)E, A, B, D, C
4)D, A, C, E, B

💡 Explanation: As per the answer key: Feminism (the first wave from the late 19th century), Surrealism (1920s), Cultural Studies (1960s, Birmingham School), Postmodernism (1960s–70s), Reception Theory (1960s–70s, Jauss and Iser). Hence C, D, A, B, E.

Q.89 Which of the following statements are correct about Prosody?

A. In the study of novel, it concerns narrative technique.
B. In the study of poetry, it concerns meter and other techniques of versification.
C. In the study of drama, it concerns theatrical devices.
D. In the study of spoken sounds, it concerns intonation, pitch, stress, rhythm etc.
E. In the study of discourse, it concerns the content and delivery.

1)A and C only
2)B and D only
3)A and E only
4)C and E only

💡 Explanation: Prosody has two main senses: in literary studies, it refers to the study of meter, rhythm, and versification in poetry (B is correct). In linguistics/phonetics, it refers to suprasegmental features like intonation, pitch, stress, and rhythm in spoken language (D is correct). It does not refer to narrative technique, theatrical devices, or discourse content.

Q.90 Arrange the following works in order of their year of publication:

A. Orientalism (1978)
B. Nation and Narration (1990)
C. Black Skin, White Masks (1952)
D. Decolonising the Mind (1986)
E. The Location of Culture (1994)

1)B, E, A, C, D
2)D, C, E, A, B
3)A, D, C, E, B
4)C, A, D, B, E

💡 Explanation: Chronological order: Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks (1952), Said’s Orientalism (1978), Ngũgĩ’s Decolonising the Mind (1986), Bhabha’s Nation and Narration (1990), Bhabha’s The Location of Culture (1994). Hence C, A, D, B, E.

📖 Reading Comprehension (Q.91–Q.95) — “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back;
Don’t you set down on the steps
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard;
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Q.91 What kind of life does the line “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” signify?

1)A life devoid of pain
2)A life full of hardships and struggles
3)An ideal and perfect life
4)A life full of miracles and blessings

💡 Explanation: The “crystal stair” represents a life of ease, luxury, and privilege. By saying her life has not been a crystal stair, the mother conveys that she has faced constant hardships and struggles — symbolized by “tacks,” “splinters,” and “boards torn up.”

Q.92 Which one of the following is an ‘extended metaphor’ in the poem?

1)Tacks
2)Splinters
3)Staircase
4)Bare floor

💡 Explanation: The staircase is the extended metaphor (also called a conceit) that runs throughout the entire poem. Life is compared to climbing a staircase — sometimes damaged, sometimes dark — but the mother keeps climbing. Tacks, splinters, and bare floors are individual images within this larger metaphor.

Q.93 Which colloquial form of English is used in the poem?

1)American English
2)Indian English
3)Australian English
4)African-American English

💡 Explanation: Langston Hughes uses African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) in this poem, evident in forms like “I’se” (I’ve been/I am), “a-climbin’,” “ain’t been no,” and “kinder hard.” Hughes was a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance who celebrated Black speech and culture in his poetry.

Q.94 What advice does the speaker give to his/her son in the poem?

1)Stay strong and never give up in life
2)Eat, drink, and be merry
3)Never take risks in life
4)Stay calm and wait for good fortune

💡 Explanation: The mother’s central message is perseverance — she tells her son not to turn back, not to sit down, and not to fall, because she herself is still climbing despite all hardships. The poem is an inspiring exhortation to keep going in the face of adversity.

Q.95 Which rhetorical device has been used by the poet by repeating “And” at the beginning of many lines in the poem?

1)Alliteration
2)Hyperbole
3)Anaphora
4)Amplifier

💡 Explanation: Anaphora is the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses. Hughes repeats “And” at the start of multiple lines (“And reachin’ landin’s, / And turnin’ corners, / And sometimes goin’ in the dark”) to build rhythm and emphasize the ongoing nature of the mother’s struggle.

📖 Reading Comprehension (Q.96–Q.100)

The most important distinction between the animal and man is this, that the animal is very nearly bound within the limits of its necessities, the greater part of its activities being necessary for its self-preservation and the preservation of race. Like a retail shop keeper, it has no large profit from its trade of life, the bulk of its earnings must be spent in paying back the interest to its bank. Most of its resources are employed in mere endeavour to live. But man, in life’s commerce, is a big merchant. He earns a great deal more than he is absolutely compelled to spend. Therefore there is a vast excess of wealth in man’s life, which gives him the freedom to be useless and irresponsible to a great measure. There are large outlying tracts, surrounding his necessities, where he has objects that are ends in themselves. The animals must have knowledge, so that their knowledge can be employed for useful purposes of their life. But there they stop. They must know their surroundings in order to be able to take their shelter and seek their food, some properties of things in order to build their dwellings, some signs of the different seasons to be able to get ready to adapt themselves to the changes. Man also must know because he must live. But man has a surplus where he can proudly assert that knowledge is for the sake of knowledge. There he has the pure enjoyment of his knowledge because there knowledge is freedom. Upon this fund of surplus his science and philosophy thrive.

Q.96 What, according to the writer, is the basic difference between animal and man?

1)Animals are preoccupied with self-sustenance while man aspires for attainment of freedom through knowledge.
2)Animals work beyond the limits of necessities while man maintains austerity.
3)Animals work for profit while man works selflessly.
4)Animals seek freedom at any cost while man is bound to one’s physical needs.

💡 Explanation: The passage clearly states that animals are “bound within the limits of necessities” — their activities focus on survival. Man, however, has a surplus beyond survival needs, allowing him to pursue knowledge for its own sake, which gives him freedom. This is the fundamental distinction drawn in the passage.

Q.97 What gives man the freedom to be useless and irresponsible?

1)Knowledge
2)Artistic taste
3)Abundance of wealth in life
4)Selflessness

💡 Explanation: The passage states: “there is a vast excess of wealth in man’s life, which gives him the freedom to be useless and irresponsible.” Here “wealth” refers not just to material wealth but the surplus of resources and energy beyond what is needed for basic survival.

Q.98 At what stage does knowledge become freedom for man?

1)Where man uses the knowledge to gain power
2)Where man uses the knowledge to supersede animal
3)Where man engages with knowledge for the material growth
4)Where man acquires a surplus of knowledge beyond primary necessities of life

💡 Explanation: The passage says “man has a surplus where he can proudly assert that knowledge is for the sake of knowledge. There he has the pure enjoyment of his knowledge because there knowledge is freedom.” Knowledge becomes freedom when it goes beyond mere survival needs into the realm of intellectual pursuit for its own sake.

Q.99 What does the metaphor “a big merchant” stand for?

1)A philanthropist
2)A good samaritan
3)A voracious accumulator of knowledge
4)A mercenary

💡 Explanation: The passage compares man to a “big merchant” who “earns a great deal more than he is absolutely compelled to spend.” Unlike animals (compared to a retail shopkeeper), man accumulates a surplus of knowledge and resources far beyond survival needs, making him a voracious accumulator of knowledge.

Q.100 What does the author mean by “Man also must know because he must live”?

1)Knowledge is the essence of man’s life
2)Knowledge makes one pragmatic
3)Knowledge enables one to acquire wealth
4)Knowledge is vital for countering animals

💡 Explanation: The statement means that knowledge is fundamental and inseparable from human existence. Just as animals need knowledge to survive, man too must have knowledge as the basic condition of living. Knowledge is the very essence that defines and sustains human life.

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