Characterization Practice

Craig plays football and shows up at practice every day an hour early to begin his training.

What character trait describes Craig?

• tired

• fast

• hard-working

• early bird

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Daren showed up at the banquet with food stains all over his dress shirt. He sat down, put his feet on the table, and burped loudly. The other people sitting at the table looked at each other but continued eating.

What character trait does Daren demonstrate?

• efficient

• obnoxious

• generous

• patriotic

• stubborn

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Diamond spent twelve hours working on her Popsicle stick White House yesterday. Today she noticed that there are bushes in front of the building, so she spent another six hours making bushes out of construction paper.

What character trait does Diamond demonstrate?

• jealous

• nurturing

• sensible

• perfectionist

• spontaneous

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

When Angela asked her mother if she could go to the party, her mother said that she could not. So Angela asked her father, who said that she could. She then played her parents off of one another until she got her way. Angela enjoyed herself at the party.

What character trait does Angela demonstrate?

• glamorous

• quarrelsome

• bashful

• manipulative

• honest

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Kelly likes Aaron because they have many things in common. They have formed a great connection and she thinks that Aaron is very handsome, but Kelly wants to date Burt. Even though Kelly had nothing in common with Burt, he drives a fancy car and he spends a lot of money. She likes this about him.

What character trait does Kelly demonstrate?

• intolerant

• classy

• sheepish

• tenacious

• materialistic

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

It was the bottom of the ninth inning and the home team was down by one. There was a man on second base when Bruce stepped up to the plate. Bruce pointed to right field. The pitcher threw his fastball. Bruce got a hold of it and sent it flying to right field. The home team won.

What character trait does Bruce demonstrate?

• deceitful

• confident

• cantankerous

• humble

• respectful

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

After coming home late from a party, Mae's father questioned her. She wanted to tell him that she was studying at a friend's place and lost track of time, but she told him the truth instead: she was at a party.

What character trait does Mae demonstrate?

• deceptive

• clever

• ignorant

• gentle

• trustworthy

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Character traits are adjectives that describe the qualities of a character.

A character’s traits are different from a character’s feelings. Characters’ feelings, or emotions, are a character’s emotional response to things that happen around them. Unlike character traits, feelings may come and go quickly.

Read the following passage from a story.

Mercy snorted. She should have known better than to challenge Victoria. Of all Mercy’s friends, Victoria talked loudest, ran fastest and took the most risks. She bragged about the time she convinced her older brothers to spend a weekend building her a fort. Mercy liked to call Victoria “Buster.” “Because you are always busting things up,” she laughed. Victoria wore the nickname with pride.

Based on the passage, which of the following is one of Victoria’s traits?

• forgetful

• confused

• bold

• shy

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Direct characterization is when the author tells us directly what the characters are like. The author may state the character’s traits: “Kareem was a polite, patient boy who always listened to his parents.”

Which of the following is an example of direct characterization?

• “Andy is such a jerk,” his sister sighed.

• Andy was rude and usually didn’t think of other people’s feelings.

• Andy knew he got to the line late but decided to skip ahead anyways.

• “I got here first!” Andy growled at the small child waiting in front of him.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

In indirect characterization, the author does not come out and tell us what the character is like. Instead, the author shows the character’s personality through things the character says, does, feels and thinks and the way other characters react to the character.

In the following passage from the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the character Dorothy is talking to another character, the Scarecrow.

Read the passage and then answer the question below.

“No, indeed. I don’t know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all," [the Scarecrow] answered sadly.

“Oh,” said Dorothy, “I'm awfully sorry for you.”

“Do you think,” he asked, “if I go to the Emerald City with you, that Oz would give me some brains?”

“I cannot tell,” she returned, “but you may come with me, if you like. If Oz will not give you any brains you will be no worse off than you are now.”

Which detail from the passage best shows us that Dorothy is caring and kind?

• “‘I cannot tell,’ she returned...”

• “‘I don’t know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all,’ [the Scarecrow] answered sadly.”

• “‘Oh,’” said Dorothy, “‘I'm awfully sorry for you.’”

• “Do you think,” he asked, “if I go to the Emerald City with you, that Oz would give me some brains?”

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3