ESL Test on Theme

The message or lesson that the author wants you to learn from the story is called the

• thesis

• summary

• theme

• plot

Which of these is not related to theme?

• a life lesson that the character learns

• the moral of the story

• how a character is feeling

• the message of the story

During a baseball game, Tanner tried to tag a player leaving first base. When the umpire called the player out, Tanner immediately informed the umpire that he in fact did not tag the runner. Two weeks later, the very same umpire was at another one of Tanner’s baseball games. Tanner was playing short stop and tagged a runner as they approached third base. When the umpire called the player safe, Tanner didn’t say a word, but the umpire noticed the surprised look on Tanner’s face. “Did you tag the runner?” she asked Tanner. When Tanner told her that he did tag the runner, the umpire changed her decision and called the player out. The coaches and parents were furious, but the umpire stood by her decision.
What is the theme?

• You should cheat to win.

• Always work hard.

• It pays to be honest.

• Teamwork is best.

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant,“ and I advise you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work. When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without supper,” and he closed the door.
What is the theme?

• share with your neighbor

• work before you play

• be respectful

• don't be greedy

What does it mean to analyze the theme of a text?

• To describe the main events of the story

• To identify the moral or message the author is conveying

• To list the characters and their roles

• To summarize the plot

What is a theme in literature?

• The sequence of events in a story

• The background setting of a story

• A central idea or message conveyed by the work

• The main character in a story

In literary analysis, how is the theme of a story different from its plot?

• The theme is the sequence of events, while the plot is the underlying message.

• The theme is the underlying message, while the plot is the sequence of events.

• The theme describes the characters, while the plot describes the setting.

• There is no difference; theme and plot are the same.

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower; 
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay. 
What is the central theme of this poem?

• Nature and man

• Innocence cannot last

• Sunsets and sunrises are beautiful

• Nature and beauty

A story can have more than one theme.

• true

• false

One way you could figure out the theme is to...

• Skim through the story

• Just read the beginning of the story

• Think about what the character has learned

• Read the ending of the story