A dramatist is someone who....plays

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the correct verb to complete "A dramatist is someone who ____ plays." It tests your knowledge of literary terms and the roles connected with drama.

Step 2: Explain the concept The word dramatist comes from the Greek drama, meaning "action" or "a thing done." A dramatist is another name for a playwright, a person who composes or authors plays for the stage. Here are the roles in the options and who does each:

• Writes: the dramatist or playwright (e.g., Wole Soyinka, J.P. Clark, Ola Rotimi)
• Directs: the director, who guides actors and manages the staging
• Commissions: a patron or producer, who requests and pays for a play to be written
• Promotes: a publicist or promoter, who advertises and markets the production

Step 3: Work through the options

• A. writes: matches the definition of a dramatist or playwright. ✔
• B. directs: this describes a director, not a dramatist.
• C. commissions: this is the work of a sponsor or producer.
• D. promotes: this is the work of a publicist or promoter.

Step 4: Answer A dramatist is someone who writes plays.

Tip: Learn the "-wright" idea. A playwright is a "play-maker" (like a wheelwright makes wheels). Dramatist = playwright = the one who writes the play. In WASSCE Literature, also keep these apart: dramatist (writes), director (guides the staging), actor (performs), and producer (finances and organizes).