Grade 10 literature in english – Fiction: The Novel from Kenya Quiz

1. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, together with his students, ____ reading a new Kenyan novel.

is
have
were
are
Explanation:

The main subject is 'Ngugi wa Thiong'o' (singular). Phrases like 'together with his students' do not change the number of the subject, so the singular verb 'is' is correct.

2. I read ____ novel from Kenya last week.

a
an
the
Explanation:

Use 'a' before a consonant sound for an unspecified single countable noun: 'a novel'. 'An' is for vowel sounds; 'the' would imply a specific novel already known.

3. By the time the class discussed the ending, the teacher ____ the novel twice.

had read
read
reads
was reading
Explanation:

Past perfect ('had read') is used for an action completed before another past action ('the class discussed').

4. The author said, 'I will publish a new book next year.' → The author said that he ____ a new book the following year.

will publish
published
had published
would publish
Explanation:

In reported speech, 'will' backshifts to 'would' when the reporting verb is in the past ('said').

5. The novel ____ won the award is set in Nairobi.

whose
whom
which
who
Explanation:

A novel is a thing, not a person, so the relative pronoun 'which' (or 'that') is correct for referring to it.

6. The River and the Source, ____ was written by a Kenyan author, explores family life.

where
which
who
that
Explanation:

A non-restrictive (extra) clause set off by commas should use 'which' for things; 'who' is for people.

7. They translated the Kenyan novel into Swahili. → The Kenyan novel ____ into Swahili.

is translated
were translated
was translated
has translated
Explanation:

The active past ('They translated') becomes past passive: 'was translated' (singular 'novel' needs singular past auxiliary).

8. Many students enjoy ____ Kenyan novels in literature class.

to read
having read
read
reading
Explanation:

'Enjoy' is followed by a gerund (verb + -ing): 'enjoy reading'.

9. If she ____ more Kenyan novels, her understanding would improve.

reads
will read
read
had read
Explanation:

This is a second conditional (unreal present): the past tense 'read' (pronounced /red/) is used after 'if' to show a hypothetical.

10. When reading a Kenyan novel, one should note its themes because ____ help explain the context.

their
it
they
them
Explanation:

The pronoun must agree in number with 'themes' (plural), so 'they' is the correct subject pronoun.

11. _____ Kenyan novels have been published this year.

Little
Many
Much
Less
Explanation:

'Novels' is a countable plural noun, so use 'many', not 'much' or 'little' which are for uncountable nouns.

12. Choose the correct adjective order: which is better English for describing opinion then age?

a Kenyan beautiful old novel
a beautiful Kenyan old novel
an old beautiful Kenyan novel
a beautiful old Kenyan novel
Explanation:

Adjective order: opinion (beautiful) comes before age (old), then origin (Kenyan), then noun.

13. The chapters ____ describe village life are my favourite.

whom
which
that
who
Explanation:

This is a restrictive clause (essential to identify which chapters), so 'that' is commonly used for things.

14. He wrote the ending and ____ the novel to his editor.

had sent
is sending
sends
sent
Explanation:

Both actions are simple past and happened in sequence: 'wrote' and 'sent' — so use past simple 'sent' to keep tense consistent.

15. The student read the novel, ____ she wrote a report. (Which conjunction shows cause?)

and
so
but
or
Explanation:

'So' shows result or cause: she read the novel, therefore she wrote a report. A comma + 'so' correctly links the clauses.

16. The teacher asked, 'Have you read The River and the Source?' → The teacher asked whether the students ____ The River and the Source.

read
had read
have read
were reading
Explanation:

In reported yes/no questions, present perfect 'have read' backshifts to past perfect 'had read' after a past reporting verb.

17. I wish I ____ the novel before the exam.

read
have read
reads
had read
Explanation:

For regrets about the past, use past perfect after 'I wish': 'I wish I had read...'.

18. Choose the correct hyphenation: He is a ____ Kenyan novelist.

well-known
well, known
well known
wellknown
Explanation:

When two words form a single adjective before a noun, they are hyphenated: 'well-known novelist'.

19. The committee ____ the Kenyan novel as the winner.

was choosing
is choosing
have chosen
has chosen
Explanation:

Using present perfect ('has chosen') shows a recent decision with present relevance. 'Committee' is treated here as a single unit, so singular auxiliary 'has' is used.

20. This Kenyan novel is _____ than the short stories.

more interesting
more interestinger
most interesting
interestinger
Explanation:

Compare two things using the comparative form: 'more interesting' is correct; 'most interesting' is superlative for three or more.

21. The novel should ____ by all students before the discussion.

read
be reading
have been read
be read
Explanation:

With a modal ('should') the passive uses base form: 'should be read' to indicate expectation or advice.

22. You have read the novel, ____?

don't you
haven't you
didn't you
aren't you
Explanation:

The tag question must match the tense and auxiliary of the main clause. 'You have read' (present perfect) takes the tag 'haven't you'.

23. Which sentence correctly punctuates direct speech?

He said, "I loved the Kenyan novel."
He said "I loved the Kenyan novel"
He said "I loved the Kenyan novel".
He said, 'I loved the Kenyan novel'.
Explanation:

A reporting verb is followed by a comma before the quoted sentence, and the full stop belongs inside the closing quotation marks as part of the quoted sentence.

24. Which is the correct possessive form for the novel belonging to Ngugi?

Ngugi novel's
Ngugis novel
Ngugi's novel
Ngugis' novel
Explanation:

For a singular name, add apostrophe + s to show possession: 'Ngugi's novel'.