NARRATIVE BASICS
Question: What is narrative writing?
A. Writing that explains how to do something
B. Writing that tells a story with characters and events
C. Writing that only describes a place
D. Writing that gives opinions on a topic
B. Writing that tells a story with characters and events
Question: The struggle between opposing forces in a story is called:
A. Theme
B. Conflict
C. Setting
D. Resolution
B. Conflict
Question: What is descriptive writing?
A. Writing that lists facts only
B. Writing that creates a clear picture using detailed language
C. Writing that focuses only on argument
D. Writing that uses only dialogue
B. Writing that creates a clear picture using detailed language
Question: The sentence “He was angry” is an example of:
A. Showing
B. Telling
C. Dialogue
D. Foreshadowing
B. Telling
Question: In an IGCSE question, “writer’s effect” usually asks you to explain:
A. How many paragraphs the writer uses
B. What the writer’s favourite word is
C. How the writer’s choice of language and structure affects the reader
D. Whether the writer uses correct spelling
C. How the writer’s choice of language and structure affects the reader
Question: Which two of these are key elements of a narrative?
A. Characters and plot
B. Headings and subheadings
C. Bibliography and references
D. Graphs and charts
A. Characters and plot
Question: Which is an example of internal conflict?
A. Two friends arguing loudly in class
B. A storm destroying a town
C. A character feeling torn between telling the truth and lying
D. A boy racing another boy in a competition
C. A character feeling torn between telling the truth and lying
Question: Which list shows only senses used in descriptive writing?
A. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch
B. Sight, colour, height, weight
C. Hearing, language, taste, opinion
D. Smell, thinking, touch, feeling
A. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch
Question: Which sentence shows that a character is nervous?
A. She was nervous.
B. She felt very nervous about the test.
C. Her hands shook as she tried to fit the key into the lock, and her heart thudded in her ears.
D. She was not calm at all.
C. Her hands shook as she tried to fit the key into the lock, and her heart thudded in her ears.
Question: The phrase “the thunder growled in the distance” is an example of:
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Alliteration
C. Personification
Question: What is the climax of a story?
A. The beginning where characters are introduced
B. The most exciting or intense moment of the conflict
C. The final sentence of the story
D. A flashback to a past event
B. The most exciting or intense moment of the conflict
Question: What is foreshadowing?
A. A hint about what will happen later in the story
B. A jump back in time to a past event
C. Direct speech used by characters
D. A description of the setting
A. A hint about what will happen later in the story
Question: What is imagery?
A. The main idea of the story
B. The use of pictures in a textbook
C. Language that appeals to the senses and creates a mental picture
D. The use of dialogue to move the plot
C. Language that appeals to the senses and creates a mental picture
Question: Which sentence shows fear instead of telling it?
A. He was very scared of the dark.
B. He jumped when the light went off and grabbed the edge of the table, his breath coming in short, quick gasps.
C. He didn’t like darkness at all.
D. He was afraid of many things.
He jumped when the light went off and grabbed the edge of the table, his breath coming in short, quick gasps.
Question: What effect does the phrase “the thunder growled in the distance” MOST likely create?
A. A calm, peaceful mood
B. A sense of danger or tension in the atmosphere
C. A funny, playful feeling
D. A scientific explanation of weather
B. A sense of danger or tension in the atmosphere
Question: Which sentence is in first-person narration?
A. He walked quickly down the street.
B. They couldn’t believe what was happening.
C. I held my breath as the door opened.
D. The children were playing in the park.
C. I held my breath as the door opened.
Question: How can a flashback improve a narrative?
A. By making the story more confusing
B. By giving background information that explains characters or events
C. By removing unnecessary details
D. By making the story shorter
B. By giving background information that explains characters or events
Question: Which sentence is more descriptive?
A. The room was messy.
B. There were things everywhere in the room.
C. Clothes were heaped on the chair, papers covered the desk, and empty bottles crowded the window ledge.
D. The room was not clean.
C. Clothes were heaped on the chair, papers covered the desk, and empty bottles crowded the window ledge.
Question: Why is dialogue useful in “show, don’t tell”?
A. It makes the story longer
B. It explains the plot directly to the reader
C. It reveals character emotions and relationships through what they say and how they speak
D. It removes the need for description
Answer: C
C. It reveals character emotions and relationships through what they say and how they speak
Question: In a writer’s effect answer, what should you always try to do?
A. Copy the whole sentence and say “it is effective”
B. Explain what the words suggest AND how they make the reader feel or imagine
C. Only identify the technique (e.g. simile)
D. Only describe the plot
B. Explain what the words suggest AND how they make the reader feel or imagin
Question: Why do good writers use “show, don’t tell” in narratives?
A. To make their stories shorter
B. To avoid using dialogue
C. To make the story more vivid and engaging for the reader
D. To make marking easier for the teacher
C. To make the story more vivid and engaging for the reader
Question: What is pacing in a narrative?
A. The order in which characters speak
B. How fast or slow the story seems to move for the reader
C. The physical movement of characters in a scene
D. The number of chapters in a story
B. How fast or slow the story seems to move for the reader
Question: Which statement best describes figurative language?
A. Language that is always formal and polite
B. Language that means exactly what it says
C. Language that uses comparisons (like similes and metaphors) to create special effects
D. Language that avoids adjectives
C. Language that uses comparisons (like similes and metaphors) to create special effects
Question: Which sentence best shows that a character feels lonely?
A. He felt lonely and sad.
B. He had no friends in the city.
C. He sat alone at the far end of the cafeteria, picking at his food while laughter and chatter filled the tables around him.
D. He wished someone would talk to him.
C. He sat alone at the far end of the cafeteria, picking at his food while laughter and chatter filled the tables around him.
Question: A text about a busy city uses short sentences and active verbs like “rushed,” “pushed,” “honking,” “jammed.” What is the combined effect?
A. It slows down the pace and makes the city seem quiet
B. It makes the city seem boring and empty
C. It creates a feeling of speed, noise, and chaos, so the reader feels the stress of the city
D. It makes the text confusing and impossible to re
C. It creates a feeling of speed, noise, and chaos, so the reader feels the stress of the city