Fiction Terms

Front

What is the problem in the story?

Back

Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces in a story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.9

Front

What do we call the time and place of a story?

Back

Setting: The environment in which a story takes place, including the time period and location.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Front

What is the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot?

Back

Foreshadowing: A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.5

Front

Who is the speaker or character that tells the story?

Back

Narrator: The person or character who recounts the events of the story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Front

What are the reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way?

Back

Motivation: The driving force behind a character's actions and decisions.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Front

What is a recurring theme or idea in a story?

Back

Motif: A repeated element that has symbolic significance in a story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Front

What is the main message or lesson of a story?

Back

Theme: The central idea or underlying message that the author conveys through the narrative.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Front

What is a character's personality trait or quality?

Back

Character Trait: A distinguishing quality or characteristic of a character.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Front

What is the perspective from which a story is told?

Back

Point of View: The vantage point from which the story is narrated, such as first person or third person.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Front

What is the sequence of events in a story?

Back

Plot: The structured sequence of events that make up a story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.5