Choose the correct statements:

1. A. English literature was first offered as a subject of study at King's College, London, in 1831.
2. B. English was first offered as a subject of study in England in 1828 at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
3. C. Though taught as a medium of instruction and a subject in India since the 1850s, English literature was not taught at Oxford and Cambridge till the end of the nineteenth century.
4. D. In 1931, English replaced the study of classics in Greek and Latin in Oxford and Cambridge.
5. E. Until the end of the nineteenth century, literature meant only the study of great books in classical languages like Greek and Latin at Oxford and Cambridge.

1. AA, C and E only
2. BB, C and D only
3. CA, B and C only
4. DB, D and E only

Pick an option to check yourself, or open the answer below.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. A, C and E only

Explanation

B is wrong: the 1828 chair was at University College London, while Oxford's English School opened only in 1894 and Cambridge's English Tripos in 1917. D is wrong: English never 'replaced' classics in 1931. A, C and E are correct; Gauri Viswanathan's Masks of Conquest discusses how English was taught in India before it was taught in England.