Literary Terms

Question 1

plot

Answer 1

sequence of events in a story

Question 2

plot diagram order

Answer 2

Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution

Question 3

exposition

Answer 3

introduces the characters, describes the setting and establishes the problem in the story.

Question 4

rising action

Answer 4

where the suspense builds and the problem gets worse and becomes more complicated

Question 5

climax

Answer 5

the turning point in the story

Question 6

falling action

Answer 6

the events that happen after the climax that lead to a resolution or ending to the story

Question 7

resolution

Answer 7

the outcome of the story

Question 8

characterization

Answer 8

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of character

Question 9

direct characterization

Answer 9

tells the audience what the personality of the character is

Question 10

indirect characterization

Answer 10

shows things that reveal the personality of a character through their speech, thoughts, reactions to other characters, actions, and looks.

Question 11

static character

Answer 11

character that stay the same throughout the whole story

Question 12

dynamic character

Answer 12

characters that change throughout the story

Question 13

character traits

Answer 13

words that describe character’s personality or qualities that make them who they are

Question 14

setting

Answer 14

where and when the story takes place

Question 15

theme

Answer 15

a message about life and human behavior that an author expresses in a text

Question 16

conflict

Answer 16

a struggle or problem a character in a story must overcome

Question 17

external conflict

Answer 17

a type of conflict that places characters at odds with forces outside themselves.

Question 18

internal conflict

Answer 18

when a character struggles with their own opposing desires or beliefs

Question 19

first person point of view

Answer 19

a writing style where the narrator is one of the characters in the story, often using the pronouns “I, me, or my”

Question 20

second person point of view

Answer 20

a writing style where the narrator speaks to the reader directly, often using “you.”

Question 21

third person point of view

Answer 21

a writing style where the narration is not done by one of the characters. The narrator often uses the pronouns “he,” “she” or “it”