Structural Techniques

Question 1

Dialogue

Answer 1

Conversation between two or more characters.

Question 2

Flashback

Answer 2

A section in a text that is set before the events of the main story.

Question 3

Future tense

Answer 3

A verb that describes something that will happen in the future, e.g. ‘they will laugh’

Question 4

Narrator

Answer 4

The person who tells the story

Question 5

Past tense

Answer 5

A verb that describes something that happened in the past, eg. ‘They laughed’

Question 6

Point of view

Answer 6

The way a character regards events or people

Question 7

Present tense

Answer 7

A verb that describes something that is happening now, eg. ‘They laugh’ or ‘they are laughing’

Question 8

Sequence

Answer 8

The order in which things happen

Question 9

Setting

Answer 9

Where the events take place

Question 10

Structure

Answer 10

The organization of a text

Question 11

Climax

Answer 11

The most exciting point in a story

Question 12

Empathize

Answer 12

To understand and share someone else’s feelings

Question 13

First person perspective

Answer 13

The point of view of a character involved in the action of the story, using ‘I’

Question 14

Protagonist

Answer 14

The main character of the play

Question 15

Complication

Answer 15

The point where the action of the scene becomes more intense.

Question 16

Conflict

Answer 16

Where 2 or more characters oppose each other

Question 17

Exposition

Answer 17

A detailed explanation of a scene or event.

Question 18

Falling action

Answer 18

The action in the scene after the climax.

Question 19

Foreshadowing

Answer 19

A hint at what will happen later in the play

Question 20

Dramatic Irony

Answer 20

When the audience knows and understands something that a character does not

Question 21

Pathos

Answer 21

A quality of the play’s action that makes an audience feel pity for a character.

Question 22

Dramatic tension

Answer 22

The way in which suspense is developed in a scene. This is how a playwright keeps the audience interested.

Question 23

Inciting incident

Answer 23

The point at which the action of the play or the scene really takes off.