Mark your progress
Not startedYour choice is saved on this device, so you can pick up where you left off.
Contents & notes: what this topic covers
Under GENERAL LITERARY TERMS, the JAMB Literature in English syllabus expects you to study:
- 4. GENERAL LITERARY TERMS AND PRINCIPLES a. Literary terms: foreshadowing, suspense, theatre, monologue, dialogue, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, figures of speech, satire, stream of consciousness, synecdoche, metonymy, etc, in addition to those listed above under the different genres.
Study notes & guidance
Study GENERAL LITERARY TERMS using a recommended Literature in English textbook that follows the JAMB syllabus. Work through the contents listed above one by one, make brief notes in your own words, and then practise as many questions on this topic as you can — in Literature in English, understanding and steady practice matter far more than memorising. Use the objectives below as a checklist: if you can do each one confidently, you have mastered this topic.
Objectives — candidates should be able to
After studying GENERAL LITERARY TERMS, you should be able to:
- A.i. identify literary terms that are specific to drama, prose and poetry; a.ii. identify areas of overlap in all the genres e.g. verse in drama and poetry, narration in all the genres.
These objectives are from the official JAMB syllabus. Use them as a checklist — if you can do each one confidently, you have mastered this topic.
Source: official JAMB UTME Literature in English syllabus (IBASS, jamb.gov.ng). Reproduced for study use. Last checked: 17 Sept 2026. Always confirm the current syllabus on the official portal.