The Gardener's Gift - Fiction vs. Nonfiction (Grade 8)
Passage
•
English
•
8th Grade
•
Practice Problem
•
Hard
Angela Lock
FREE Resource
8 questions
Show all answers
1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
If this story were rewritten as a nonfiction news report, which of the following details would most likely be excluded?
Two brothers found a note under a floorboard.
The note was written on yellowed paper.
Lincoln sighed and felt the task was a waste of time.
The brothers followed clues to a box in the garden.
Answer explanation
This is the correct answer. Fictional narratives often include characters' internal thoughts, feelings, and subjective experiences ('Lincoln sighed'). A nonfiction news report focuses on objective, verifiable facts and events, and would not typically include a person's private feelings unless they were explicitly stated in an interview.
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
The story is structured around a series of clues. How does this fictional structure contribute to the story's meaning in a way that a simple chronological, nonfiction account would not?
It provides an exact timeline of the day's events.
It allows the author to build suspense and reveal the theme through a journey of rediscovery.
It presents an objective, unbiased report of the family's history.
It organizes information using factual headings and subheadings.
Answer explanation
This is the correct answer. The treasure hunt structure is a narrative device used in fiction to create engagement and suspense. It mirrors the characters' internal journey of rediscovering their past, making the final thematic reveal more impactful. A chronological nonfiction account would simply list events without this narrative shaping.
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
The author includes the detail that Lincoln 'felt a flicker of the old excitement.' What does the ability to show a character's internal feelings represent as a key difference between fiction and nonfiction?
Nonfiction writing is not allowed to describe emotions.
Fiction can directly access a character's inner world, while nonfiction must rely on observable actions or self-reporting.
Fictional stories are always more emotional than nonfiction stories.
Nonfiction must use scientific data to describe feelings, whereas fiction can invent them.
Answer explanation
This is the correct answer. A major structural difference between the genres is point of view. Fiction allows an author to use techniques like interior monologue to show what a character is thinking or feeling directly. A nonfiction writer cannot know someone's internal state and must report on what can be seen or what the person says they felt.
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
How does the use of dialogue, such as Lincoln's line, "We're too old for this," function differently in this story than a direct quote would in a nonfiction biography?
In fiction, it primarily serves to establish a character's personality and internal conflict.
In fiction, it is used as a verifiable source to prove an event occurred.
In fiction, it must be an exact transcript of what a person really said.
In fiction, it is less important for understanding the story's theme.
Answer explanation
This is the correct answer. While quotes in nonfiction serve to provide evidence or expert opinion, dialogue in fiction is a tool for characterization. Lincoln's line isn't just a statement of fact; it reveals his cynical attitude and the central conflict between his desire to feel grown-up and the pull of childhood nostalgia.
5.
CATEGORIZE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
A fictional story includes both objective events and subjective character experiences. Categorize the following details from the passage into 'Factual Event' (an action that happens) and 'Character Insight' (a thought or feeling).
Groups:
(a) Factual Event
,
(b) Character Insight
Lincoln felt the treasure hunt was childish.
A note was found under a floorboard.
Lincoln's cynicism faded as he opened the box.
The box contained a photo and an action figure.
Wes was excited to relive a childhood memory.
A metal box was hidden behind a brick.
Answer explanation
This categorization separates the story's plot points (Factual Events), which could be reported in a nonfiction summary, from the internal thoughts and feelings (Character Insights) that fiction allows an author to explore. This highlights a key difference between fictional and non-fictional storytelling.
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
The box contains an action figure, a stone, and a photo. In a nonfiction report, these would be listed as 'contents.' How does their purpose in this fictional story differ?
They are used to prove the monetary value of the treasure.
They are treated as symbols that carry emotional weight and represent past memories.
They are described with precise scientific measurements and historical context.
They are presented as evidence in a legal dispute over property.
Answer explanation
This is the correct answer. In fiction, objects are often imbued with symbolic meaning. The action figure and photo aren't just items; they represent the boys' shared childhood and growth. A nonfiction account would simply list them factually, whereas this story uses them to develop its theme.
7.
MATCH QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Match each element from the fictional passage to the specific narrative purpose it serves, a purpose that would be absent or different in a purely factual report.
Using a direct statement to explicitly present the story's central theme.
"Wes, we're in middle school. We're too old for this."
Using dialogue to reveal character personality and conflict.
The grandfather's final note about 'real treasure'.
Using interior monologue to show internal character development.
The clue-based path from the porch to the garden wall.
Using a narrative plot structure to build suspense and guide discovery.
"...he felt a flicker of the old excitement."
Answer explanation
Each element is matched to its function within a fictional narrative. Dialogue reveals character, interior monologue shows internal change, the plot creates suspense, and the note states the theme. These are techniques specific to fiction for creating meaning and would not be used in the same way in an objective, nonfiction report.
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