Literary Elements
What is one way a story’s setting can affect the plot?
A. By showing the main character’s full name
B. By creating a mood or challenge that pushes the story forward
C. By listing the order of events in the story
D. By changing the author’s purpose
B. By creating a mood or challenge that pushes the story forward
What is the best definition of a theme in a story?
A. The main character’s name
B. A one-word topic like “love” or “friendship”
C. A complete idea or message the author wants to share
D. The time and place the story happens
C. A complete idea or message the author wants to share
Which of the following is an example of imagery?
A. “Buzz! Buzz! The bee flew by.”
B. “The stars danced like diamonds in the sky.”
C. “Her hands were ice, her breath a cloud.”
D. All of the above
D. All of the above
What is the purpose of figurative language in a text?
A. To confuse the reader
B. To decorate the page
C. To create deeper meaning and stronger imagery
D. To list facts about a topic
C. To create deeper meaning and stronger imagery
Which of the following is a rhetorical appeal to pathos?
A. Using facts and statistics
B. Making the audience feel sympathy or anger
C. Quoting an expert
D. Showing both sides of an argument
B. Making the audience feel sympathy or anger
How does a character’s development usually affect the plot?
A. The character’s changes help move the story forward or solve the conflict.
B. The character always stays the same and has no effect.
C. The character just helps describe the setting.
D. The character controls the point of view, but not the events.
A. The character’s changes help move the story forward or solve the conflict.
Which of the following is an example of a universal theme?
A. The best way to bake a cake
B. A king’s favorite vacation spot
C. A community working together to overcome disaster
D. How to win at video games
C. A community working together to overcome disaster
How does line length affect a poem’s meaning or rhythm?
A. It changes the genre of the poem
B. It affects how fast or slow the poem feels
C. It tells the reader the poem’s title
D. It shows what year the poem was written
B. It affects how fast or slow the poem feels
Which line is an example of personification?
A. “The leaves danced across the lawn.”
B. “The dog was brown and fluffy.”
C. “He was as tall as a tree.”
D. “Boom!” went the firework.
A. “The leaves danced across the lawn.”
Which device is being used in this sentence?
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
A. Hyperbole
B. Irony
C. Antithesis
D. Alliteration
C. Antithesis
In a story about surviving a storm, how does the setting most likely affect the characters?
A. It forces them to make difficult choices and show bravery.
B. It makes the characters act silly and tell jokes.
C. It helps them relax and avoid the problem.
D. It does not affect them at all.
A. It forces them to make difficult choices and show bravery.
In a story, the theme of “the loss of innocence” begins when:
A. The main character goes to a birthday party
B. The character starts to see the world in a new, more serious way
C. The character takes a test at school
D. The character wins a game show
B. The character starts to see the world in a new, more serious way
Which sound device is used in this line?
"The slithering snake slid silently through the sand."
A. Onomatopoeia
B. Alliteration
C. Simile
D. Rhyme
B. Alliteration
Which of these is an example of symbolism?
A. A red rose representing love
B. A recipe in a cookbook
C. A science book about planets
D. A math problem
A. A red rose representing love
A commercial shows sad music and images of animals in need of adoption. Which rhetorical appeal is being used?
A. Logos – logic and reason
B. Ethos – credibility
C. Pathos – emotion
D. Zeugma – a clever pun
C. Pathos – emotion
Which example shows how a character and setting interact?
A. A character reads about a forest in a book.
B. A character runs away after seeing a bear in the forest.
C. A character listens to music indoors.
D. A character talks about their favorite food.
B. A character runs away after seeing a bear in the forest.
A story has two themes: “The impact of the past on the present” and “The struggle to forgive.” How might these themes work together?
A. They don’t connect, so one must be ignored.
B. They compete to confuse the reader.
C. A character’s past might affect their ability to forgive someone now.
D. One theme explains the setting, and the other explains the weather.
C. A character’s past might affect their ability to forgive someone now.
How do stanza breaks help a poet structure their ideas?
A. They make the poem rhyme
B. They separate different thoughts or shifts in the poem
C. They tell the reader to stop reading
D. They show the author’s name
B. They separate different thoughts or shifts in the poem
In the sentence, “Her voice was music to his ears,” which type of figurative language is being used?
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Idiom
D. Hyperbole
B. Metaphor
Why would an author use a rhetorical question like “Do we want to continue living this way?” in an argument?
A. To confuse the reader
B. To add humor
C. To make the audience reflect and appeal to emotion
D. To list facts clearly
C. To make the audience reflect and appeal to emotion
A main character moves from a small town to a big city. How might this change in setting affect the character’s development and the plot?
A. The setting won’t matter because it’s just background.
B. The new setting may create new problems and help the character grow.
C. The story will stop once the character moves.
D. The setting will only affect side characters, not the main one.
B. The new setting may create new problems and help the character grow.
How does an author usually develop a theme throughout a story?
A. By adding it in only at the end
B. By repeating the same sentence over and over
C. Through characters’ actions, conflicts, and how they change
D. By writing the theme in bold letters at the top of the page
C. Through characters’ actions, conflicts, and how they change
Which line from a poem best uses figurative language and imagery to create emotion?
A. “The red rose bloomed in the vase.”
B. “Time is a thief that steals our golden days.”
C. “The apple was on the counter.”
D. “I went to the store and bought bread.”
B. “Time is a thief that steals our golden days.”
A story uses a storm that appears whenever a character feels overwhelmed. What does the storm most likely symbolize?
A. A regular weather report
B. The character’s emotions or inner conflict
C. The location of the story
D. A warning about natural disasters
B. The character’s emotions or inner conflict
Which sentence best shows the rhetorical device zeugma?
A. “She broke his heart and his iPad.”
B. “She ran quickly.”
C. “He was brave and kind.”
D. “The stars were bright in the sky.”
A. “She broke his heart and his iPad.”