U NET : NET SET PHD EXAM

  ✨ Types of Figures of Speech  1. Simile Comparison using like or as . Ex: Her smile is like the sunshine. 2. Metaphor Direct comparison without like/as . Ex: Time is a thief . 3. Personification Giving human qualities to non-human things. Ex: The wind whispered in the trees. 4. Hyperbole An extreme exaggeration . Ex: I’ve told you a million times. 5. Alliteration Repetition of initial consonant sounds . Ex: S he s ells s ea s hells. 6. Assonance Repetition of vowel sounds . Ex: The ea gle ea ts ea rly. 7. Onomatopoeia Words that imitate sounds . Ex: The bees buzzed . 8. Oxymoron Two opposite words together. Ex: Sweet sorrow . 9. Paradox A statement that seems false but is true . Ex: Less is more . 10. Irony Saying the opposite of what you mean. Ex: A pilot afraid of heights . 11. Metonymy One word stands for something related . Ex: The crown made a new law. 12. Synecdoche Part represents whole or whole for p...

 Shakespeare’s plays are famous for their depth, characters, and storytelling, but many students don’t know that most of his works were inspired by earlier books, legends, and historical chronicles. For English Literature exams like UGC NET, SET, TGT, PGT , questions often appear about the source texts behind Shakespeare’s plays. This post gives you a simple, accurate, and complete list of Shakespeare’s major works along with their original source books. Use these notes for quick revision, exams, or teaching. ✔ Shakespeare Works & Their Sources — Only List Tragedies Hamlet – Historica Danica (Saxo Grammaticus) Macbeth – Holinshed’s Chronicles Othello – Gli Hecatommithi (Cinthio) King Lear – Holinshed’s Chronicles / King Leir Romeo and Juliet – Romeus and Juliet (Arthur Brooke) Julius Caesar – Plutarch’s Lives Antony and Cleopatra – Plutarch’s Lives Coriolanus – Plutarch’s Lives Timon of Athens – Plutarch / Lucian Histories ...

ELT Quiz Quiz: ELT 1. The Direct Method in language teaching mainly avoids: Use of target language Use of phonetics Use of mother tongue Oral practice 2. The Grammar-Translation Method focuses mainly on: Listening skills Translation & memorization Communicative fluency Pair work 3. “Language is habit formation” is the belief of which method? Oral Approach Audiolingual Method Structuralism Communicative Approach 4. The Oral Approach and Situational Language Teaching were developed by: Noam Chomsky A.S. Hornby Otto Jespersen & Daniel Jones Harold Palmer & Hornby 5. In the Audio-Lingual Method, the main classroom technique is: Extensive reading Repetition drills Free writing Silent observation 6. “Errors are signs of learning” is believed in which approach? ...

Neo-Aristotelian Criticism (also called Chicago School Criticism) 📘 Meaning: Neo-Aristotelian criticism is a modern critical approach that revives and adapts Aristotle’s principles of literary analysis, especially those found in his Poetics. It focuses on how a literary work functions as a unified whole—its structure, plot, character, theme, and style—and how these elements produce an emotional or intellectual effect on the audience. --- 🧠 Origin: Developed in the 1930s–1940s at the University of Chicago. Main figures: R.S. Crane, Richard McKeon, Elder Olson, and Wayne Booth. They are known as members of the “Chicago School” of criticism. --- ⚙️ Main Features: 1. Return to Aristotle’s ideas of unity, plot, and catharsis. 2. Emphasis on structure — every part of the text contributes to the whole. 3. Focus on the text itself, not on the author’s biography or reader’s feelings. 4. Analyzes plot, character, thought, diction, melody, and spectacle (Aristotle’s six elements of tragedy)....

 Short, simple summary of Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving — plot, themes, characters, symbols, and quick NET revision table. Perfect for UGC NET English Literature revision. 📚 Important Short Stories for UGC NET English Literature 🕰️ 1. Classic / Early Modern (18th–19th Century) 🕰️ Rip Van Winkle – Washington Irving 📚 Summary for English Literature Students / UGC NET Author: Washington Irving Published in: The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (1819) Genre: Short Story / American Romanticism / Folklore Setting: Catskill Mountains, New York (before and after the American Revolution) 🌿 Introduction Rip Van Winkle is one of the most famous American short stories written by Washington Irving . It blends folklore, fantasy, and realism , presenting the theme of change, time, and personal freedom . The story represents the shift from colonial America to independence and reflects the lazy yet innocent charm of rural life. 🧔 Story Summary Rip Van Winkle i...

   What is ELT (English Language Teaching)? ELT means the process of teaching English to those whose first language is not English. It includes methods, approaches, theories, and tools used to teach reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English. 🌱 1. Origin & Development of ELT Period Key Idea Major Thinkers / Theories Grammar-Translation Period (18th–19th century) Focused on grammar rules, translation, and memorization. Latin & Greek influence Direct Method (early 20th century) Teach through speaking only , no translation, focus on everyday vocabulary. Berlitz Schools Audio-Lingual Method (1940s–1960s) Based on habit formation and repetition drills . B.F. Skinner (Behaviorism) Communicative Approach (1970s–1980s) Focus on communication and meaning , not just grammar. Dell Hymes, Noam Chomsky Post-Communicative Period (1990s–Now) Combination of techniques — learner-centered, task-based, digital learning. Nunan, Krashen, Larsen-Freeman 📘 2. Important...