A Christmas Gift from Santa Claus
For Students Preparing for UGC NET Folk Literature. Jan 3, 2026 | Code 71
Syllabus of UGC NET Folk Literature (Paper 2)
Unit-wise MCQs
UNIT 3: FOLK LITERATURE
Q1. Folk literature is primarily distinguished from written literature by its
(A) Aesthetic quality
(B) Oral mode of transmission
(C) Lack of themes
(D) Inferior structure
Correct Answer: (B)
Q2. The epistemology of folk literature concerns
(A) Literary beauty
(B) Ways of knowing and meaning-making
(C) Historical accuracy
(D) Linguistic purity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q3. Folk literature is best understood as
(A) Fixed textual tradition
(B) Cultural knowledge system
(C) Court literature
(D) Popular entertainment only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q4. Myths in folk literature mainly explain
(A) Moral behaviour
(B) Origins of cosmos and culture
(C) Historical events
(D) Individual psychology
Correct Answer: (B)
Q5. Myths differ from folktales because myths are generally
(A) Secular
(B) Sacred
(C) Comic
(D) Didactic only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q6. Folk epics are characterized by
(A) Short narrative length
(B) Written composition
(C) Long oral narration
(D) Single authorship
Correct Answer: (C)
Q7. Folk epics are usually transmitted by
(A) Priests alone
(B) Professional or community singers
(C) School teachers
(D) Court historians
Correct Answer: (B)
Q8. Legends in folk literature are associated with
(A) Pure fantasy
(B) Sacred cosmology
(C) Belief in historical truth
(D) Ritual chants
Correct Answer: (C)
Q9. Folk tales differ from legends because folk tales are
(A) Believed to be true
(B) Set in real historical time
(C) Primarily fictional
(D) Ritualistic
Correct Answer: (C)
Q10. Folk songs are best described as
(A) Written lyrics
(B) Oral lyrical expressions
(C) Classical poetry
(D) Scriptural hymns
Correct Answer: (B)
Q11. Proverbs in folk literature primarily convey
(A) Individual opinion
(B) Collective wisdom
(C) Scientific knowledge
(D) Political ideology
Correct Answer: (B)
Q12. Riddles function mainly as
(A) Religious instruction
(B) Intellectual play and pedagogy
(C) Historical record
(D) Ritual sacrifice
Correct Answer: (B)
Q13. Tongue twisters belong to
(A) Epic tradition
(B) Speech play
(C) Ritual language
(D) Written literature
Correct Answer: (B)
Q14. Speech acts in folk literature include
(A) Myths only
(B) Legends only
(C) Blessings, curses, and oaths
(D) Epics only
Correct Answer: (C)
Q15. Medicinal chants in folk literature are examples of
(A) Secular entertainment
(B) Ritual verbal art
(C) Narrative prose
(D) Written formulae
Correct Answer: (B)
Q16. Verbal art in performance emphasizes
(A) Textual fixity
(B) Interaction of speech and context
(C) Written authority
(D) Canonical meaning
Correct Answer: (B)
Q17. Folk theatre is characterized by
(A) Fixed scripts
(B) Community participation
(C) Silent performance
(D) Written narration
Correct Answer: (B)
Q18. Dance drama in folk tradition integrates
(A) Only movement
(B) Speech, music, and movement
(C) Text alone
(D) Ritual silence
Correct Answer: (B)
Q19. The term “verbal art” was popularized by
(A) Claude Lévi-Strauss
(B) Dell Hymes
(C) Sigmund Freud
(D) James Frazer
Correct Answer: (B)
Q20. Dell Hymes emphasized verbal art as
(A) Textual artifact
(B) Performance in social context
(C) Literary canon
(D) Mythic survival
Correct Answer: (B)
Q21. Folk narratives are best studied as
(A) Isolated texts
(B) Performance events
(C) Written documents
(D) Historical records
Correct Answer: (B)
Q22. Literary devices in folk literature include
(A) Metaphor and repetition
(B) Footnotes and citations
(C) Paragraphing
(D) Editorial commentary
Correct Answer: (A)
Q23. Repetition in folk narratives primarily aids
(A) Monotony
(B) Memory and participation
(C) Historical accuracy
(D) Authorship
Correct Answer: (B)
Q24. Formulaic expressions in folk literature help performers to
(A) Avoid creativity
(B) Improvise during performance
(C) Fix the text
(D) Eliminate variation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q25. Parallelism in folk songs functions to
(A) Confuse listeners
(B) Reinforce meaning
(C) Reduce performance time
(D) Show literacy
Correct Answer: (B)
Q26. Ethnic slurs in folk literature reflect
(A) Literary humour only
(B) Social attitudes and stereotypes
(C) Ritual language
(D) Scientific classification
Correct Answer: (B)
Q27. Rumour as a folk form is characterized by
(A) Written transmission
(B) Anonymous circulation
(C) Authorial control
(D) Canonical status
Correct Answer: (B)
Q28. Rumour functions socially to
(A) Preserve ritual
(B) Transmit unofficial information
(C) Record history
(D) Teach grammar
Correct Answer: (B)
Q29. Personal narratives differ from folktales because they are
(A) Anonymous
(B) First-person accounts
(C) Sacred stories
(D) Comic tales
Correct Answer: (B)
Q30. Personal narratives are important because they reveal
(A) Mythic time
(B) Lived experience
(C) Ritual law
(D) Literary aesthetics
Correct Answer: (B)
Q31. Oral history in folk literature refers to
(A) Written chronicles
(B) Community memory narratives
(C) Court records
(D) Mythic tales only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q32. Oral history differs from folklore because it emphasizes
(A) Fiction
(B) Testimony and memory
(C) Ritual performance
(D) Symbolism only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q33. Folk narratives often blur the boundary between
(A) Fact and belief
(B) Science and myth
(C) Law and ritual
(D) History and fiction
Correct Answer: (A)
Q34. The authority of folk literature comes primarily from
(A) Written sources
(B) Community acceptance
(C) Institutional sanction
(D) Canon formation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q35. Folk literature is dynamic because it
(A) Is written
(B) Adapts with social change
(C) Is archived
(D) Is institutionalized
Correct Answer: (B)
Q36. Folk literature exists mainly within
(A) Libraries
(B) Communities
(C) Universities
(D) Archives
Correct Answer: (B)
Q37. Performance context includes
(A) Text only
(B) Performer, audience, and setting
(C) Written version
(D) Author biography
Correct Answer: (B)
Q38. Folk genres are best understood as
(A) Rigid categories
(B) Flexible and overlapping
(C) Fixed literary forms
(D) Canonical divisions
Correct Answer: (B)
Q39. The meaning of a folk text is shaped by
(A) Author’s intention
(B) Performance situation
(C) Written form
(D) Translation accuracy
Correct Answer: (B)
Q40. Folk literature emphasizes collective creativity because
(A) Individuals are absent
(B) Community participation shapes texts
(C) Writing is unknown
(D) Performance is avoided
Correct Answer: (B)
Q41. Folk songs often accompany
(A) Leisure activities only
(B) Work and rituals
(C) Court performances
(D) Literary gatherings
Correct Answer: (B)
Q42. Lullabies belong to
(A) Epic tradition
(B) Life-cycle folklore
(C) Ritual drama
(D) Mythic narrative
Correct Answer: (B)
Q43. Work songs primarily function to
(A) Preserve history
(B) Coordinate labour
(C) Teach mythology
(D) Entertain elites
Correct Answer: (B)
Q44. Festival songs are linked with
(A) Individual emotion
(B) Seasonal cycles
(C) Court rituals
(D) Written calendars
Correct Answer: (B)
Q45. Folk narratives of healing combine
(A) Science and medicine
(B) Belief and verbal art
(C) Written prescription
(D) Modern psychology
Correct Answer: (B)
Q46. Folk theatre differs from classical theatre because it is
(A) Script-based
(B) Community-oriented
(C) Court-sponsored
(D) Text-centred
Correct Answer: (B)
Q47. Audience participation is most visible in
(A) Written epics
(B) Folk performances
(C) Classical drama
(D) Printed poetry
Correct Answer: (B)
Q48. Folk literature reflects worldview because it
(A) Is fictional
(B) Encodes cultural values
(C) Records laws
(D) Promotes literacy
Correct Answer: (B)
Q49. Folk narratives often transmit values through
(A) Direct instruction
(B) Story and metaphor
(C) Legal codes
(D) Scientific explanation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q50. Folk literature differs from popular literature because it is
(A) Mass-produced
(B) Community-generated
(C) Commercial
(D) Media-driven
Correct Answer: (B)
Q51. Folk literature survives mainly through
(A) Archives
(B) Participation and repetition
(C) Canon formation
(D) Translation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q52. Variation in folk literature results from
(A) Printing errors
(B) Oral performance
(C) Editorial revision
(D) Canonization
Correct Answer: (B)
Q53. The absence of fixed text in folk literature allows
(A) Confusion
(B) Creativity and adaptability
(C) Loss of meaning
(D) Inferiority
Correct Answer: (B)
Q54. Folk narratives often function as
(A) Political manifestos
(B) Cultural memory
(C) Scientific records
(D) Court chronicles
Correct Answer: (B)
Q55. The authority of folk knowledge is
(A) Institutional
(B) Experiential and communal
(C) Textual
(D) Legal
Correct Answer: (B)
Q56. Folk literature includes speech genres such as
(A) Blessings and curses
(B) Legal arguments
(C) Scientific debates
(D) Editorial notes
Correct Answer: (A)
Q57. Oral narratives are remembered through
(A) Memorization only
(B) Formula and repetition
(C) Writing
(D) Translation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q58. Folk literature often uses symbolism because
(A) It avoids meaning
(B) It encodes complex ideas simply
(C) It imitates literature
(D) It is decorative only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q59. Folk narratives may change over time due to
(A) Performance context
(B) Community needs
(C) Social change
(D) All of the above
Correct Answer: (D)
Q60. Folk literature differs from history because it prioritizes
(A) Chronology
(B) Meaning over dates
(C) Documentation
(D) Objectivity
Correct Answer: (B)
Q61. Oral history within folk literature emphasizes
(A) Official memory
(B) Personal and collective memory
(C) Mythic fantasy
(D) Court records
Correct Answer: (B)
Q62. Folk literature is often anonymous because
(A) Authors are unknown
(B) Community ownership dominates
(C) Texts are lost
(D) Literacy is absent
Correct Answer: (B)
Q63. Folk literature and ritual are connected because both
(A) Are written
(B) Use symbolic action
(C) Reject performance
(D) Are individual acts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q64. Folk genres often overlap because
(A) Categories are artificial
(B) Performers mix forms
(C) Context changes
(D) All of the above
Correct Answer: (D)
Q65. Folk narratives are learned mainly through
(A) Formal instruction
(B) Participation and listening
(C) Reading
(D) Translation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q66. Folk literature often functions as informal education by
(A) Teaching literacy
(B) Transmitting norms and values
(C) Enforcing law
(D) Promoting ideology
Correct Answer: (B)
Q67. Folk tales involving animals often employ
(A) Scientific realism
(B) Personification
(C) Historical narration
(D) Ritual language
Correct Answer: (B)
Q68. Trickster tales are significant because they
(A) Reinforce authority
(B) Question social norms
(C) Teach ritual law
(D) Preserve history
Correct Answer: (B)
Q69. Folk narratives may express social criticism through
(A) Allegory and humour
(B) Official language
(C) Scientific reasoning
(D) Legal discourse
Correct Answer: (A)
Q70. Folk literature is best preserved when it is
(A) Archived
(B) Actively practiced
(C) Written down
(D) Canonized
Correct Answer: (B)
Q71. Folk literature is closely tied to identity because it
(A) Is ancient
(B) Reflects shared experience
(C) Is written
(D) Is sacred
Correct Answer: (B)
Q72. Folk narratives about origin are examples of
(A) Legends
(B) Myths
(C) Folktales
(D) Personal narratives
Correct Answer: (B)
Q73. The boundary between myth and history in folk literature is
(A) Clear
(B) Often blurred
(C) Fixed
(D) Irrelevant
Correct Answer: (B)
Q74. Folk literature encodes social values mainly through
(A) Laws
(B) Narratives and symbols
(C) Written rules
(D) Institutions
Correct Answer: (B)
Q75. Folk literature as verbal art requires attention to
(A) Grammar only
(B) Performance and context
(C) Textual purity
(D) Translation accuracy
Correct Answer: (B)
Q76. Folk theatre often functions as
(A) Court entertainment
(B) Community commentary
(C) Written drama
(D) Elite performance
Correct Answer: (B)
Q77. Folk literature adapts across generations because
(A) It lacks rules
(B) It responds to changing contexts
(C) It is undocumented
(D) It is informal
Correct Answer: (B)
Q78. Oral narratives are sustained by
(A) Archives
(B) Memory and practice
(C) Institutions
(D) Technology
Correct Answer: (B)
Q79. Folk literature reflects everyday life through
(A) Elite themes
(B) Common experiences
(C) Abstract ideas
(D) Scientific theories
Correct Answer: (B)
Q80. Folk narratives often emphasize community over
(A) Ritual
(B) Individual heroism
(C) Symbolism
(D) Performance
Correct Answer: (B)
Q81. Folk literature is resistant to total standardization because it is
(A) Written
(B) Oral and performative
(C) Canonical
(D) Institutional
Correct Answer: (B)
Q82. The authority of folk literature lies in
(A) Textual authenticity
(B) Social acceptance
(C) Written sources
(D) Historical proof
Correct Answer: (B)
Q83. Folk literature contributes to cultural continuity by
(A) Fixing texts
(B) Repetition and transmission
(C) Documentation
(D) Canonization
Correct Answer: (B)
Q84. Folk narratives are often multifunctional because they
(A) Are short
(B) Serve social, ritual, and aesthetic roles
(C) Are fictional
(D) Are entertaining
Correct Answer: (B)
Q85. Folk literature is inseparable from performance because
(A) It lacks text
(B) Meaning emerges in enactment
(C) It is ritualistic
(D) It is dramatic
Correct Answer: (B)
Q86. Folk genres are recognized by
(A) Written rules
(B) Community conventions
(C) Scholarly definitions
(D) Canonical texts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q87. Folk literature differs from mass culture because it is
(A) Commercially produced
(B) Community-based
(C) Media-driven
(D) Uniform
Correct Answer: (B)
Q88. Folk narratives persist because they
(A) Are ancient
(B) Remain meaningful
(C) Are documented
(D) Are institutionalized
Correct Answer: (B)
Q89. Folk literature helps communities interpret
(A) Scientific laws
(B) Life experiences
(C) Political systems
(D) Written texts
Correct Answer: (B)
Q90. Folk literature is best studied through
(A) Textual criticism alone
(B) Performance-based analysis
(C) Archival research only
(D) Translation theory
Correct Answer: (B)
Q91. Folk narratives function as memory because they
(A) Record dates
(B) Encode experiences
(C) Preserve facts
(D) Archive events
Correct Answer: (B)
Q92. Folk literature changes when
(A) Written down
(B) Performed in new contexts
(C) Archived
(D) Canonized
Correct Answer: (B)
Q93. Folk literature reflects cultural logic because it
(A) Is irrational
(B) Organizes meaning symbolically
(C) Is fictional
(D) Is artistic only
Correct Answer: (B)
Q94. Folk literature exists alongside written literature by
(A) Replacing it
(B) Complementing it
(C) Competing with it
(D) Imitating it
Correct Answer: (B)
Q95. Folk literature is essential for understanding culture because it
(A) Is ancient
(B) Represents lived experience
(C) Is literary
(D) Is sacred
Correct Answer: (B)
Q96. Folk literature remains relevant because it
(A) Is documented
(B) Addresses social needs
(C) Is canonical
(D) Is fixed
Correct Answer: (B)
Q97. Folk narratives often function as moral instruction through
(A) Direct preaching
(B) Storytelling
(C) Written law
(D) Institutional teaching
Correct Answer: (B)
Q98. Folk literature is sustained through
(A) Publication
(B) Social practice
(C) Canonization
(D) Translation
Correct Answer: (B)
Q99. Folk literature demonstrates creativity because it
(A) Is unstructured
(B) Allows improvisation
(C) Is undocumented
(D) Is informal
Correct Answer: (B)
Q100. Unit 3 of the syllabus primarily focuses on
(A) Folklore theories
(B) Genres and forms of folk literature
(C) Fieldwork methods
(D) Globalization Correct Answer: (B)