Prose questions ask how a story is told, not only what happens. Point of view, a character's choice, and the narrator's distance are the usual doors in.
The idea
First person narration uses "I". The reader knows what that person knows, and no more, unless the person is reporting gossip. Third person can stay close to one character or move among several. The choice limits the information. A question about point of view is asking about that limit, not for a plot summary. Name the narrator and one thing the narrator cannot see, if the passage supports it.
A character point needs an action or a line of speech, then an inference. "She is brave" is the inference. The evidence is what she does when she is afraid. Theme is the idea the narrative keeps testing, such as loyalty or ambition. It is not the sequence of events. Set novels change. Do not use this page as a list of this year's books. Use the method on the book named for your paper. The paragraph below is original.
What earns the marks
Evidence before adjective. A character sketch that is only adjectives scores the adjectives poorly. Point of view must be tied to a pronoun or to what is hidden. If you are writing on a set text, a moment from the book beats a general description of the author. Misremembering a plot point and building an argument on it loses the point. If you are unsure of a detail, choose a moment you can stand behind.
Practice questions
These are practice questions in the style of the paper, with a model answer and a mark scheme. They are not a promise of what your paper will ask.
1Question 1
3 marks
This paragraph was written for practice.
I waited by the gate until the lamps came on. Ama had said she would bring the key. I told myself she had been kept back at the shop, because the other explanation was that she had changed her mind, and I did not want to look at that one yet.
(a) What is the point of view? (1 mark)
(b) What does the narrator refuse to consider, and how do you know? (2 marks)
Model answer
(a) First person.
(b) That Ama has changed her mind. The narrator says that is the other explanation, and that they do not want to look at it yet.
Mark scheme
First person, or narration by "I"1 mark
That Ama may have changed her mind1 mark
The narrator names it and turns away from it1 mark
2Question 2
2 marks
In one sentence, distinguish plot from theme. (2 marks)
Model answer
Plot is what happens, in order. Theme is the idea those events explore.
Mark scheme
Plot is the sequence of events1 mark
Theme is the underlying idea or concern1 mark
3Question 3
2 marks
Why is a character answer that gives only adjectives, such as "kind and brave", incomplete? (2 marks)
Model answer
The adjectives are claims. Without an action or a line from the text, the marker cannot see the evidence, and the claim is unsupported.
Mark scheme
Adjectives are claims, not evidence1 mark
The text must supply an action, speech or choice1 mark
Practise Literature in English with Anna
More questions on this topic are inside GLearn, marked as you answer, with the reason written out. The first ones need no account.
It is who tells the story and how much that person can know. A first person narrator says "I" and cannot reliably report what they never saw. A third person narrator may know more than any one character. Say which you have, and what it hides or reveals.
How do I support a point about a character?+
Cite something the character does or says, then say what it shows. "She waited in the rain" can support patience or devotion. "She is good" cannot stand alone. The set text in your exam is the source. Do not rely on a film version. All WASSCE Literature in English past questions