wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Short Story Literary Elements

Total questions: 26

Worksheet time: 2hrs 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What describes a character

a)

conflict

b)

character traits

c)

character problems

d)

none of these

2.

Can a character have more than one character trait

a)

yes

b)

no

3.

The most important character is also referred to as

a)

the antagonist.

b)

the protagonist.

c)

the major character.

d)

not important.

4.

What is a character in a story?

a)

The people and animals in a story.

b)

A picture.

c)

When the story takes place

d)

Where the story takes place.

5.

Can a character change in a story?

a)

Yes

b)

No, they stay the same.

6.

What is the Time and Place of the Story?

a)

Rising Action

b)

Plot

c)

Conflict

d)

Setting

7.

The setting can affect a character's mood in a story.

a)

True

b)

False

8.

Which of the following is an example of setting in a story?

a)

a fight

b)

a high school in 1987

c)

blue jacket

d)

yellow

9.

Read the sentence: “The moon was shining brightly as the fox slowly crept toward the chicken coop.” What is the setting?

a)

Fox slowly crept

b)

Chicken coop

c)

shining

10.

Setting is defined as the _______and _______ of the story.

a)

tone and place

b)

tone and plot

c)

time and place

d)

time and plot

11.

Why is the setting important in a story?

a)

Because my teacher said it was important

b)

It tells us the ending.

c)

It helps us visualize what the land and characters look like in a story.

12.

What is the setting of the passage below?


One summer day, Randolph the Bright slept alone in his room in the castle at Reddington. The light of morning seeped slowly through his curtains. Randolph blinked against the day, smiling as his dream came to a peaceful conclusion.

a)

winter in a train station of a busy city

b)

a hospital in the future

c)

a summer morning in a castle

d)

a grocery store in the 1980s

13.

What is the end or conclusion called in a plot diagram

a)

rising action

b)

falling action

c)

climax

d)

resolution

14.

Another word for conflict is

a)

Resolution

b)

Travel

c)

Character

d)

Problem

15.
When in the story is the greatest point of interest or suspense?
a)
Rising Action
b)
Climax
c)
Falling Action
d)
Conflict
16.

Which of the following is a type of internal conflict?

a)

Man vs. Man

b)

Man vs. Nature

c)

Man vs. Self

d)

Man vs. Society

17.
Which of the following is a type of internal conflict?
a)
Man vs. Self
b)
Man vs. Man
c)
Man vs. Society
d)
Man vs. Nature
18.

What do we call the central message or main idea of a story?

a)

Topic

b)

Theme

c)

Conflict

19.

In the story below, what is Randolph?


One summer day, Randolph the Bright slept alone in his room in the castle at Reddington. The light of morning seeped slowly through his curtains. Randolph blinked against the day, smiling as his dream came to a peaceful conclusion.

a)

the problem

b)

the conflict

c)

the character

d)

the solution

20.

Read the sentence below. Choose the best answer that is an element of the setting.

“The moon was shining brightly as the fox slowly crept toward the chicken coop.”

a)

it is night time

b)

it is lunch time

c)

the fox is slow

21.

"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green."


Shirley Jackson begins the story by developing, what literary element?

a)

Theme

b)

Characters

c)

Conflict

d)

Setting

22.

All the way to school, Nelson felt upset with himself. "Why had he played video games all night instead of studying for his Algebra test?" What type of conflict is this?

a)

internal

b)

external

23.

A character who changes over the course of the story is a

a)

static

b)

dynamic

c)

antagonist

d)

protagonist

24.
What is a static character?
a)
A character who undergoes a significant internal change throughout the course of a story
b)
A character seen exhibiting many emotions who becomes well-known by the reader.
c)
The character who remains the same throughout the course of the story.
d)
A character who exhibits few emotions and is not well-known by the reader.
25.
What type of character is this:
a struggle between a character and the laws or beliefs of a group(external)
a)
character vs. character
b)
character vs. nature 
c)
character vs. society
d)
character vs. self
26.
After years of saving money, John bought his dream home. It was a two-story beach house in a secluded area. John thought it was absolutely perfect, until he noticed the termites. First there were just a few, nibbling away at the back deck, but soon there were thousands. This is the story of how John went to war with the termites, a war that he eventually won, but one that cost him his dream home. 
What type of conflict is described above? 
a)
Character vs. Nature
b)
Character vs. Character
c)
Character vs. Society
d)
Character vs. Self