Back in high school, you either loved English class or you hated it. Class periods were spent reading The Great Gatsby, diagramming sentences, or writing essays. They were a mix of linguistics and pop culture; after all, you probably weren’t reading Shakespeare on your own. Or maybe you were, you are on this page after all. How will you fair with our English trivia questions and answers?
Whether you loved it or hated it, how much of what you learned do you still remember? Can you confidently recite the differences between lie and lay? Can you tell me what a gerund is? Do you remember what object symbolizes power in Lord of the Flies? If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these questions, you’re probably also the sort of person who does Mad Libs for fun and earned an endless supply of personal pan pizzas in elementary school.
While no one is giving you free personal pan pizzas for completing your reading list anymore, you can still earn a little rush of dopamine from answering these English trivia questions. Want more? Try our Grammar or Spelling trivia.
What is the name of the monster in the epic poem ‘Beowulf’?
Minotaur
Grendel
Barghest
Gytrash
The dark streets of Victorian London in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ most echo which theme?
Contentment
Immorality
Morality
Fulfilment
Which of the words in this sentence is the verb? She looked out of the window onto the beach.
She
Looked
Beach
Window
What would a reader expect from a novel set during World War Two?
A Piece of Science Fiction
A Moving Story
A Joyful Tale
An Amusing Story
Which is the correct use of an apostrophe for omission?
She Doesn’t Have a Coat
She Doesnt’ Have a Coat
She Doesn’ Have a Coat
She Does Not Have a Coat
Which type of word is love?
Abstract Noun
Adjective
Noun
Verb
Which literary figure’s home is this in Haworth, Yorkshire?
Jane Austen
Christina Rossetti
George Elliot
Charlotte Bronte
Complete the following sentence ‘ … touch the hot pan!’
Don’t
Don’t
Dont’
Donnt
Complete the sentence: You’re not that good at singing, … yourself!
Get Out
Get Over
Get Rid Of
Get Lost
Identify the subject in the following ‘active voice’ sentence. A while ago, a little girl took her sheep up a hill.
Sheep
Girl
Hill
Ago
Who wrote ‘The Great Gatsby’?
Ernest Hemingway
J. Scott Fitzgerald
John Steinbeck
F. Scott Fitzgerald
What is the name of the main character in ‘The Worst Witch’?
Mildred Hubble
Milly Hubble
Martha Hubble
Matilda Hubble
Which street does W.H. Auden include in his poem ‘As I Walked Out One Evening’ ?
Regent’s Street
Bristol Street
Carnaby Street
Baker Street
Which aspect of setting is most often used as pathetic fallacy?
The Season
The Location
The Weather
The Time of Day
What in the adverb in the sentence? She laughed loudly at her sister’s joke.
Sister’s
Loudly
Laughed
Joke
What does Rapunzel let down from the tower?
Ladder
Rope
Her Dress
Her Hair
Which children’s author is this who wrote ‘Matilda’ and ‘The BFG’?
Ronald McDonald
Enid Blyton
J.K Rowling
Roald Dahl
Which poem did Emily Dickinson not write?
My Life Had Stood a Ball and Chain
My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun
Because I could not stop for Death
Wild Nights – Wild Nights!
Which of these is a demonstrative adjective?
I Need a Glass of Water
Give me a Glass of Water
Give me that Glass of Water
I want a Glass of Water
Which of these is a synonym for fast?
Leisurely
Swift
Languid
Sedate
Which word contains a suffix?
Grass
Flowers
Gardening
Garden
Which of the following word is an alternative for ‘walk’?
Strut
Muse
Ponder
Decide
Which of the words in the adverb? Unfortunately, she wasn’t going to make the train.
Train
Make
She
Unfortunately
Which is the correct use of an apostrophe for possession?
Zoe’ Toothbrush
Zoes Toothbrush
Zoes’ Toothbrush
Zoe’s Toothbrush
Which sentence has the correct punctuation?
I had so much fun!
Will you play with me!
What is your name!
Where is the ball!
What is the name of the main character in Jules Verne’s novel who travelled around the work in 80 days?
James Forster of London
Clement Parr of London
Phileas Fogg of London
Phileas Gerrard of London
Which one of these words is an homonym?
Microphone
Singer
Guitar
Band
Who wrote ‘The Iliad’?
Ovid
Plato
Homer
Virgil
Complete the sentence: If … a man on the moon, why can’t the trains run on time?
We Are Landing
We Had Landed
They Were Able to Land
They Had Landed
Which word contains a prefix?
Do up
Undone
Done
Do
Which pig is based on Joseph Stalin in ‘Animal Farm’?
Snowball
Napoleon
Boxer
Old Major
Complete the following sentence ‘The beach in the evening was a heavenly…’.
Cite
Cight
Sight
Site
What is the complete title of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’?
Frankenstein; or the Modern Satan
Frankenstein; or the Ancient Prometheus
Frankenstein; or the Modern Genius
Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus
Who is the current Poet Laureate of England as of 2020?
Simon Armitage
Ted Hughes
Carol Ann Duffy
Joyce Carol Oates
Which of these is an example of an intensifier?
It’s Hot on Safari
I Found it Hot on Safari
It’s Extremely on Safari
I Don’t Like Going on Safari
Which one of these is an example of a portmanteau?
Car
Hotel
Motel
Motorway
Complete the sentence: Remind me again, what … tea tonight?
You Want To Have For
Did You Want For
Do You Want
Do You Like For
Who wrote ‘A Clockwork Orange’?
Anthony Burgess
Joseph Heller
Stanley Kubrick
Malcolm McDowell
Change this sentence to be in the second person. We got given an ice cream today for our good behaviour.
You got given an ice cream today for your good behaviour
They got given an ice cream today for our good behaviour
They got given an ice cream today for their good behaviour
You got given an ice cream today for our good behaviour
Which city is ‘Romeo and Juliet’ set in?
Florence
Rome
Verona
Athens
Which word is in the past tense?
Walked
Walking
Run
Walk
Which of these is an example of a quantifiers?
The People at the Concert were Having Fun
The Concert was Packed and Lively
There were a lot of People at the Concert
The Concert was Packed
Which century was John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ written in?
16th
17th
18th
15th
What is the name of Don Quixote’s horse?
Giovanni
Piero
Rocinante
Matilda
Which of these is not an example of a compound sentence?
It was Raining so we Stayed Inside
It was Raining, we Stayed Inside
It was Raining but we went Outside
It was Raining and we Stayed Inside
Which of these is not a synonym for clever?
Intelligent
Smart
Accurate
Wise
Change this sentence to be in the second person. She needs to open the letter.
They need to open the letter
She needs to open the letter
We need to open the letter
You need to open the letter
Which of the words in this sentence is the verb? He listened very carefully to everything.
Very
Carefully
Listened
Everything
How many syllables are in the word blueberry?
2
3
1
6
Who’s porridge and bed does Goldilocks’ like best?
Mummy Bear
Baby Bear
Daddy Bear
Grandma Bear
Which of the following includes a silent letter?
Pencil
Write
Diary
Book
Which of these is not a synonym for happy?
Cheerful
Chipper
Virtuous
Joyful
Which of the following sentences contains a modal verb?
We should go horse riding
We are going horse-riding
We need to go horse-riding
We went horse-riding
Which of these is an example of a rhetorical question?
Who Wouldn’t Want to be a Millionaire?
Is he a Millionaire?
I Wouldn’t Want to be a Millionaire
Who is a Millionaire?
Which Victorian author is this who wrote ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Emma’?
Anne Bronte
Jane Austen
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Emily Bronte
What is the name of the prince in ‘Cinderella’?
Prince Lovely
Prince Handsome
Prince Kind
Prince Charming
What is the purpose of a film review?
For the film critic to convey their opinion and perused the reader to watch the film
For the film critic to convey their opinion and reveal the ending of the film
For the film critic to convey their opinion and highlight key parts of the film
For the film critic to give a positive opinion and the film
Which Charles Dickens’ book about an orphan does this picture depict?
Great Expectations
Oliver Twist
David Copperfield
Hard Times
Who wrote the poem ‘A Poison Tree’?
Lord Byron
William Wordsworth
William Blake
John Keats
Mr Rochester finally marries who in Charlotte Bronte’s novel?
Jane Dashwood
Jane Austen
Jane Eyre
Catherine Earnshaw
Which John Spyri novel is about a girl who lives in the Alps?
Mia
Heidi
Layla
Emilie
Which of the words in this sentence is the adjective? I have a really good idea of what to paint.
Really
Paint
Good
Idea
Who wrote the poem ‘To a Skylark’?
Percy Shelley
William Wordsworth
John Keats
Lord Byron
What in the adverb in the sentence? Although she tried hard, she did not score a goal.
Tried
Goal
Although
Hard
What was George Orwell’s name at birth?
Eric Blair
Timothy Owen
Timothy Blair
Eric Mayer
Which of these is an example of onomatopoeia?
Fur
Tail
Cat
Meow
Which word is the article in the following sentence? Martha went to the florist to get a bouquet of flowers.
Florist
Martha
A
Bouquet
Which of Shakespeare’s play is set in Venice?
Hamlet
The Merchant of Venice
Romeo and Juliet
Macbeth
Which one of these is an idiom?
He was a Record on Repeat
You should put this on record
Just for the Record
He was like a Record on Repeat
Which of these is an example of pathetic fallacy?
The Weather is Dark Outside
The Weather is Miserable Outside
The Weather is Very Windy
The Weather is Very Rainy
Complete the title of the children’s book by Lewis Caroll, ‘Alice’s Adventures in…’.
The Looking Glass
The Rabbit Hole
Oz
Wonderland
What is a main theme of ‘Lord of the Flies’, a book about a group of school boys stranded on an island?
Gaining New Skills
Love
Loss of Innocence
Death
Which word is the article in the following sentence? Maria bought a cat for her birthday.
Cat
Birthday
Maria
A
Which of these is an example of linking words? Finally they arrived at the house after a slow journey.
Arrived
Finally
House
They
In which country is ‘Macbeth’ set?
Ireland
England
Scotland
Wales
Which of these is a metaphor?
She was like Sunshine
She made him feel like Sunshine
She was a Bright as Sunshine
She was Sunshine
Complete the title of the children’s book by E. B. White, ‘… Web’.
Elliot’s
Anne’s
Max’s
Charlotte’s
Who wrote the poem ‘Ode to a Nightingale’?
William Wordsworth
William Blake
John Keats
Lord Byron
Who wrote the poem ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’?
John Keats
Lord Byron
William Wordsworth
William Blake
From which Shakespeare comes the line ‘To be or not to be’?
Macbeth
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Richard III
Which of the words in this sentence is the adjective? Playing with the kitten made her so happy.
Happy
Her
Playing
Kitten
Which of the words in this sentence is the verb? Suddenly, she fell from the roof.
Roof
Suddenly
Fell
She
Who wrote the poem ‘War Photographer’?
Simon Armitage
Carol Ann Duffy
Ted Hughes
Caryl Churchill
If you were describing an upbeat birthday party, which word would be most effective to use?
Creepy
Bubbly
Soothing
Sweet
What is Macbeth’s original title in the play?
Thane of Glackle
Thane of Glamis
Thane of Cawdor
Thane of Caldon
Which of these is a simile?
She Wanted to be Brave Lion
She had a Brave Lion
She was Brave as a Lion
She was a Brave Lion
How many syllables are in the word vase?
3
2
1
4
What is the name of the doctor who can speak to animals in a novel by Hugh Lofting?
Doctor Dosmall
Doctor Domuch
Doctor Dobig
Doctor Dolittle
How many syllables are in the word speaker?
1
3
4
2
What in the adverb in the sentence? The doctor spoke softly while the nurse unwound the bandage carelessly.
Carelessly
Nurse
Spoke
Softly
Complete the following sentence ‘ … is only one type of cereal she eats’.
Theres
Theres’
There’s
They’re
Complete the title of the children’s book by Roald Dahl, ‘…and the Giant Peach’.
Tom
James
Harry
Oliver
How many syllables are in the word heavily?
2
6
4
3
What is the name of the horse who narrates the novel by Anna Sewell?
Pink Beauty
Green Beauty
Black Beauty
Red Beauty
Which word is the article in the following sentence? Sophia loves going swimming in the sea.
Swimming
Sophia
Sea
The
What is the name of the lion in ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’?
Aslan
Simba
Leo
Cecil
Who wrote the lyric poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’?
Lord Byron
William Wordsworth
John Keats
William Blake
What is the name of the main horse in Michael Morpurgo ‘War Horse’?
James
Joey
John
Jack
What animal does Little Red Riding Hood find in her grandma’s bed?
Bear
Lion
Dog
Wolf
How many syllables are in the word absolutely?
5
3
4
2
Which of the words in this sentence is the noun? Summer was very nice and hot.
Was
Hot
Very
Summer
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
