Tag: biography and autobiography

Questions Related to biography and autobiography

Imagine you wish to write a biography of a famous scientist. Your target audience is the scientific community. 
Which of the following is least relevant to include in this biography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Details of the scientist's parents' names

  2. Details of the scientist's most significant research work

  3. Details of the scientist's traveling experiences

  4. Details of the scientist's education

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:
The correct answer is Option C.
If your target audience is the scientific community then they will not relate and be interested in the scientist's travel experiences. The y would be more interested in the scientific aptitude of the scientist and thus his traveling experiences will be of least relevance here.
Options A, B and D are correct as the scientist's basic information and scientific education and work will be relevant information in the given context.

Which of the options would you not include in a biography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Details of the person's children

  2. Details of the place where the person lives now

  3. Details of the person's contact numbers

  4. Details of the person's social life

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:
A biography is an account of someone's life written by someone else.

Option A - Details of the person's children can be included in a biography as the people would want to know about it and it is not personal as well. Thus option A is incorrect.
Option B - Details of the place where the person lives now is an information that can be disclosed publically. Thus option B is incorrect.
Option D - 'Details of the person's social life' can be shared as it is not a private information. Thus option D is incorrect.
Option C - Details of the person's contact numbers is a very confidential information and can't be disclosed in a biography. Thus option C is the correct answer.

Imagine you wish to write a biography of a politician. Your target audience is the general public. 
Which of the following is relevant to include in this biography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Details of the politician's personality

  2. Details of the controversies surrounding the politician

  3. Details of how the politician contributed to his/her country's progress

  4. All the above are relevant

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Option A - The politician's personality can be disclosed as it is not a personal information. Thus option A is incorrect.

Option B - Controversies happen in public and hence one can disclose about the controversies in a biography. Thus option B is incorrect.
Option C - The details about politician's contribution to his/her country's progress should be known by the people, and hence should be included in a biography. Thus option C incorrect.
Option D - As all of the above can be included in a biography, option D is the correct answer. 

Which of the following is not true of a biography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. It provides information about a person's life

  2. It may be narrated in the form of a story

  3. It is written in the first person

  4. It includes details of the person's career

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Option A - Yes, a biography always provides information about a person's true life story. Thus option A is incorrect.

Option B - A biography can be narrated in the form of a story, play etc. Thus option B is incorrect.
Option D - It includes details of a person's birth, school days, education, career and other information as well. Thus option D is incorrect.
Option C - A biography is always written in the third person. Thus option C is the correct answer.

Imagine you wish to write a biography of a famous scientist. Your target audience is the general public.
Which of the following is least relevant to include in this biography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Details of the scientist's children's schooling and education

  2. Details of the scientist's greatest achievements

  3. Details of the scientist's childhood

  4. Details of the scientist's life choices

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:
A biography is an account of someone's life written by someone else.
Option A is the correct answer because when we write a biography of a famous scientist, details of his children's schooling and education is not a relevant piece of information to be included.
Options A, C and D are incorrect because these relevant pieces of information are to be used in the biography.

Which of the following is the appropriate tone for an autobiography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Sad

  2. Humorous

  3. Indifferent

  4. All of the above

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Autobiographies are written with humorous, funny tones and also experiences are expressed in sad and indifferent tone as well. When authors write about their past, it is not free from emotions. Therefore, it may be written in the sad, humorous or indifferent tone as the author chooses to. Therefore, all the options are correct, means Options D is the correct answer.

You are writing a biography of Sallie H. Ray, a popular lyricist. How would you best include the following in the biography:
Sallie said, "I never thought I would become a lyricist."

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Sallie never thought she would become a lyricist.

  2. Ray is reported to have said she never thought she would become a lyricist.

  3. Ray never thought she would become a lyricist.

  4. None of the above

Show answer
Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The given line "I never thought I would become a lyricist" when written in the biography, will change to indirect speech. The narrator will present Sallie H. Ray's point of view in the third person (indirect speech).
Options A and C: Both these options accurately present S.R's line.
'Sallie' and 'Ray' refer to the person whose biography is being written.
Ideally, the narrator will mention the surname of that person, not the first name. You call someone by their first name when you personally know them and you're talking about them in a friendly manner.
But, you call someone by their surname on professional grounds, and when you don't know them personally.
Hence, option C is correct and A is incorrect.
Option B: The words 'reported to have said' are unnecessary. They elongate the sentence without reason. Hence option B is incorrect.
Option D is incorrect because the answer lies in C.

You are writing a biography of M. Jason, a famous table tennis player. Make necessary changes to the following line to include it in the biography:


"I was 15 years old when I won my first national tournament', said M. Jason.

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. Jason was 15 years old when he won his first national tournament.

  2. I was 15 years old when Jason won the first national tournament.

  3. Jason was the youngest player to win the national tournament.

  4. No change

Show answer
Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Option B - 'I was 15 years old when Jason won the first national tournament.' is written in the first person. A biography is never written in the first person. Thus option B is incorrect.

Option C - 'Jason was the youngest player to win the national tournament' doesn't explain the fact '15 years'. Thus option C is incorrect.
Option D - The given sentence is written in the first person form and is a direct speech, whereas, a biography has indirect sentences written in the third person form. Thus option D is incorrect.
Option A - 'Jason was 15 years old when he won his first national tournament.' is correct as it is written in the third person form. Thus option A is the correct answer.

Which of the following is not true of an autobiography?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. It is an account of a person's life

  2. It is an account of the most important events of a person's life

  3. It is written in chronological order

  4. It is primarily about the thoughts and feelings of the person

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:
The correct answer is Option D.
An autobiography is the type of biography which tells the life story of the author. It is the written record of the author's life. An autobiography should include all the significant incidents in the author's life, be it positive or negative, good or bad. Every experience has its own significance in an individual's life but it's not just about the author it also includes thoughts and feelings of other people associated with the author during a given event.
Options A, B and C are incorrect as these facts adhere to the format of an autobiography.

In which style may an autobiography be written?

biography and autobiography writing english

  1. formal

  2. informal

  3. semi-formal

  4. All of the above

Show answer
Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Writing style of autobiography is flexible as it needs various forms, and elaborations to express the life experience of the subject. An autobiography is a form of introspection. When authors write about their past, it is not free from emotions. Therefore, it may be written in the formal, informal or semi-formal style as the author chooses to. Option D is the correct answer.