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Quiz about Do You Want to Write a Limerick

Do You Want to Write a Limerick? Quiz

A limerick is a special kind of poem. In this quiz we will look at the rules for writing one. If you already write limericks, why not come and test how much you know?

A multiple-choice quiz by glendathecat. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
glendathecat

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
315,307

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
1858

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. How many lines should a limerick have? Hint

No limit

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Question 2 of 10

2. Is there a particular something that you have to write your limerick about? Hint

A funny thing that happened

You can write about anything that you like

How beautiful the world is

The rudest thing you can think of

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Question 3 of 10

3. The first line of a limerick should usually have 8 or 9 syllables. Which of these do you think would be suitable to start your limerick? Hint

Once upon a time

A frog lived in a swamp

The tiger stalked the giraffe

FunTrivia helps me a lot

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Question 4 of 10

4. You choose, "I thought that I saw a gazelle" as the first line of your limerick. What do you think would be a suitable second line? Hint

But it went and got killed by a lion

But it wasn't

I saw a gorilla as well

And lots of people were there who could probably tell

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Question 5 of 10

5. The third line of a limerick should have either 5 or 6 syllables. Which of these do you think would be suitable? Hint

I wandered lonely as a cloud

Pineapples are my favourite fruit

The cat stared back

When I asked her to stay

6. Suppose that you've written three lines of your limerick and it looks like this:
"I thought that I saw a gazelle
It smelled of a really bad smell
I gave it to Terry"

Why would "Who blew a raspberry" be a good choice for the fourth line? Hint

All of these are correct

Raspberry rhymes with Terry

The number of syllables matches the third line

It sounds quite funny

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Question 7 of 10

7. All you need now is a final line with which to finish your limerick. So far you've got:
"I thought that I saw a gazelle
It smelled of a really bad smell
I gave it to Terry
Who blew a raspberry"

Which of these do you think would best make a suitable ending? Hint

And said that the smell made him feel unwell

And couldn't understand it at all

And told me to go catch a ferry

And pulled all my quizzes as well

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Question 8 of 10

8. When you finish your limerick, make sure your rhyming words make good rhymes. Which of these lines would rhyme with "My hunger has started to grow"?

Hint

I'll eat until I've had enough

I'm going to bake up some dough

I'm going to eat, I'll be thorough

The sweat's pouring down from my brow

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Question 9 of 10

9. The rhythm of each line is also important. If you read your limerick out loud, which of these activities will best help you see if the rhythm sounds right? Hint

Writing

Clapping

Cooking

Dancing

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Question 10 of 10

10. A famous author called Edward Lear was responsible for writing the first limericks. Can you tell me when Limerick Day is celebrated each year if I tell you that it's on the same day as his birthday?

Here's a limerick that might help you (keep in mind that Mr Lear lived in England).
"There once was a Poet called Lear
Whose birthday came round every year.
It fell in the Spring
And above anything
He liked presents from friends far and near." Hint

January 31st

May 12th

November 17th

July 25th

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How many lines should a limerick have?

Answer: 5

"The answer's not 8 or 14,
For 5's the solution you've seen.
Why this should be so
I really don't know
Except that it always has been."

There's another kind of poem called a sonnet which has 14 lines.

2. Is there a particular something that you have to write your limerick about?

Answer: You can write about anything that you like

There are no rules about what to write about. Use your imagination. The best limericks are often the silliest ones.

3. The first line of a limerick should usually have 8 or 9 syllables. Which of these do you think would be suitable to start your limerick?

Answer: FunTrivia helps me a lot

A syllable is a unit of a word normally consisting of one sound. If you count out the number of syllables in each of the answers you will find that, "FunTrivia helps me a lot" (8 syllables) is the only one that works.

The first line can also say anything you want. People often start limericks, "There once was a ..." or "There was a ..." but you don't have to if you don't want to.

4. You choose, "I thought that I saw a gazelle" as the first line of your limerick. What do you think would be a suitable second line?

Answer: I saw a gorilla as well

The second line has to rhyme with the first and follow the same rules about the number of syllables. "I saw a gorilla as well" (8 syllables) is the only one of the options to do this.

5. The third line of a limerick should have either 5 or 6 syllables. Which of these do you think would be suitable?

Answer: When I asked her to stay

By now you should be getting pretty good at counting syllables. "When I asked her to stay" has 6 syllables.

"The cat stared back" (4 syllables), "I wandered lonely as a cloud" (8 syllables) and "Pineapples are my favourite food" (9 syllables) don't have the right number.

6. Suppose that you've written three lines of your limerick and it looks like this: "I thought that I saw a gazelle It smelled of a really bad smell I gave it to Terry" Why would "Who blew a raspberry" be a good choice for the fourth line?

Answer: All of these are correct

That's right. The fourth line should follow the same rule as the third and should rhyme with it. If you can be funny or silly at the same time, so much the better!

7. All you need now is a final line with which to finish your limerick. So far you've got: "I thought that I saw a gazelle It smelled of a really bad smell I gave it to Terry Who blew a raspberry" Which of these do you think would best make a suitable ending?

Answer: And pulled all my quizzes as well

The final line should match the first two lines. Here it has 8 syllables just like lines 1 and 2 and well rhymes with gazelle and smell.

All is sometimes used in poems to rhyme with gazelle or smell but this is not the best option because it isn't a perfect rhyme.

So, the key things to remember are:
Lines 1,2 and 5 should have 8 or 9 syllables and rhyme.
Lines 3 and 4 should have 5 or 6 syllables and rhyme.

8. When you finish your limerick, make sure your rhyming words make good rhymes. Which of these lines would rhyme with "My hunger has started to grow"?

Answer: I'm going to bake up some dough

Rhyming can be tough if you struggle with English because many words are not pronounced as you think they would be. English has to be one of the world's worst languages for not following its own rules!

Brow looks like it should rhyme with grow but instead sounds like how, cow or now.

Dough, thorough and enough are all pronounced differently and dough is the only one of these to rhyme with grow.

9. The rhythm of each line is also important. If you read your limerick out loud, which of these activities will best help you see if the rhythm sounds right?

Answer: Clapping

See how it sounds as you clap out the beats. Dancing does have a rhythm but you'll find it almost impossible to read your limerick properly and dance at the same time!

10. A famous author called Edward Lear was responsible for writing the first limericks. Can you tell me when Limerick Day is celebrated each year if I tell you that it's on the same day as his birthday? Here's a limerick that might help you (keep in mind that Mr Lear lived in England). "There once was a Poet called Lear Whose birthday came round every year. It fell in the Spring And above anything He liked presents from friends far and near."

Answer: May 12th

The answer was May 12th because it's the only one of the choices in the spring.

Edward Lear lived between 1812 and 1888 and here is one of his limericks.
"There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a bee;
When they said, "Does it buzz?"
He replied, "Yes, it does!"
"It's a regular brute of a bee!"

Source: Author glendathecat

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor NatalieW before going online.
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