eZine · Nigerian exams
Types of prose
JAMB Literature in English topic guide with 2 practice questions.
What to revise
- fiction: novel, novella/novelette, short story
- non-fiction: biography, autobiography, memoir
- faction: combination of fact and fiction
You should be able to
- differentiate between types of novel
- identify the category that each prescribed text belongs to
- analyse the components of each type of prose
- identify the balance of facts and fiction in literary faction
From JAMB's Literature in English syllabus official. Full syllabus →
eZine's published bank has 14 questions on this topic (counted 29 October 2026).
Practice questions
Question 1 · Types of prose
A retired permanent secretary from Abeokuta writes the story of his own life from childhood to retirement. The book is
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. an autobiography
A person writing his own life story produces an autobiography. A biography would be written by someone else; a novella is fiction; a satire ridicules folly.
eZine practice question (original, teacher-reviewed)
Question 2 · Types of prose
A narrative that mixes real historical events and real people with invented scenes and dialogue is called
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Answer: C. faction
Faction blends fact and fiction. Pure fiction is wholly invented; biography aims at factual accuracy; allegory uses characters and events to stand for abstract ideas.
eZine practice question (original, teacher-reviewed)
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