Showing vs Telling
Her hands shook as she slammed the door, and tears blurred the hallway light.
→ Which is this?
A) SEP
B) SEN
C) TEP
D) TEN
B) SEN
She tied her shoes, grabbed her backpack, and walked out the door.
Focused -- All actions tie to leaving home
The puppy bounded across the yard, tail wagging so hard it nearly tipped him over. The boy laughed, clapping his hands at the sight.
→ What is the tone?
A) Cheerful 😊
B) Hopeful 🙂
C) Bitter 😠
D) Lonely 😔
A) Cheerful
The scoreboard showed a crushing defeat, yet the coach’s voice was steady. He told the players that the real victory was in how they supported each other on the field. The boys nodded, some smiling despite the loss.
Sports should build teamwork/character more than chase wins.
When the teacher asked for a volunteer, Maya’s hand shot up before anyone else could react.
→ What character trait does Maya show?
A) Shy 😔
B) Enthusiastic 🙂
C) Careless 😠
D) Lazy 😔
B) Enthusiastic 🙂
“Beth was too shy to go to school with the other girls. She was afraid of people she did not know, and she never wanted to be noticed.”
→ Which is this?
A) SEP
B) SEN
C) TEP
D) TEN
D) TEN
He thought about his history test, worried if his friend was upset, and wondered what was for dinner.
Unfocused -- None of the thoughts connect to a single idea
She stared at the crumpled paper in her hands. Every red mark seemed to burn her eyes, and she pressed her lips tight to keep from crying.
→ What is the tone?
A) Encouraging 🙂
B) Resigned 😔
C) Joyful 😊
D) Furious 😠
B) Resigned 😔
At lunch, nearly every student scrolled through a glowing screen, their faces dimmed by the blue light. A teacher passing by sighed, remembering when the cafeteria had roared with laughter and shouted conversations. The room was loud, but the silence between people felt louder.
Tech can isolate people
Even though the game was over, Luis stayed behind to help pick up the cones and fold the jerseys, humming to himself as the others left.
→ What character trait does Luis show?
A) Responsible 🙂
B) Selfish 😠
C) Rude 😔
D) Carefree 🙂
A) Responsible 🙂
“It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine. The high walls were covered with ivy, and inside it seemed like a quiet, safe world of its own. She felt as if she had found something that had been waiting for her.”
→ Which is this?
A) SEP
B) SEN
C) TEP
D) TEN
C) TEP
During lunch, she laughed with her friends, remembered she had to feed her dog, and thought about her soccer practice later that night.
Unfocused -- Doesn't all tie to a single idea.
Thunder cracked outside the hospital window. He gripped her hand, whispering that everything would be fine, though his eyes flicked nervously toward the doctors hurrying down the hall.
→ What is the tone?
A) Reassuring
B) Anxious
C) Admiring
D) Mocking
B) Anxious
he factory whistle shrieked at sunrise, and a line of workers shuffled inside. Their boots clanged on the metal floor as they moved toward the machines. By noon, sweat rolled down their backs; by evening, their faces were gray with exhaustion. The whistle blew again, and they stepped into darkness, free only for the night.
Industrial work is exhausting/dehumanizing; workers’ lives are ground down by the schedule.
During group work, Tasha quietly let the others make mistakes without correcting them. When it was time to present, she gently suggested fixes, and the group nodded, relieved she’d noticed all along.
→ What character trait does Tasha show?
A) Playful 🙂
B) Critical 😠
C) Impulsive 😔
D) Diligent 🙂
D) Diligent 🙂
“The pale afternoon was lighted by the dying fires of sunset; and I was aware of the damp lying cold upon the marshes, creeping into my heart as if it were chilled stone. A shiver ran over me, and I felt as though I were sinking.”
→ Which is this?
A) SEP
B) SEN
C) TEP
D) TEN
B) SEN
On Saturday, James woke up late, shuffled into the kitchen, and poured cereal into his favorite bowl. He sat at the table, crunching each bite while the morning sun warmed his face through the window.
Focused -- All actions tie to James eating breakfast.
he teacher returned the essays with a smile, praising the class for their effort. Still, she added that most needed “serious improvement” before high school. A few students glanced down, cheeks flushed, while others scribbled notes to do better.
→ What is the tone?
A) Somber 😔
B) Critical 😠
C) Hopeful 🙂
D) Encouraging 🙂
D) Encouraging 🙂
The young men crowded outside the town hall, faces lit with excitement as they signed their names for the draft. Flags waved, and mothers dabbed their eyes with pride. Weeks later, letters arrived describing mud, hunger, and boys who died. The town moved on, but dinner tables kept their empty chairs.
Patriotic glory fades; war’s real cost falls on families—skeptical of conscription’s “honor.”
“She was standing before a door hidden by ivy. She held her breath as she pushed the leaves aside and found the handle. For a moment she hesitated, her hand trembling, afraid of what she might find. Then, with a determined pull, she opened the door and stepped through.”
→ What character trait does Mary show here?
A) Courageous 🙂
B) Fearful 😔
C) Reckless 😠
D) Cheerful 🙂
A) Courageous 🙂
“I was no bird; and no net ensnared me: I was a free human being with an independent will. I would not be subdued. My pulses throbbed, and my spirit, exalted, defied their restraint.”
→ Which is this?
A) SEP
B) SEN
C) TEP
D) TEN
C) TEP
On Monday, she woke up late, thought about her math test, remembered the fight with her best friend, and then rushed out the door. Later that week, she tried out for the school play and worried about whether her little brother would stop crying. That night, she lay awake, replaying the awkward lunch conversation and picturing the test results she hadn’t gotten back yet.
Unfocused -- The actions don't tie to one idea.
“I saw that everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its luster, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes. Once, I had been taken to see some ghastly waxwork at the Fair, representing I know not what impossible personage lying in state, and I had been made very uncomfortable by it; but, I had never seen anything so like it as this.” — Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
→ What is the tone?
A) Reverent 🙂
B) Frustrated 😠
C) Awe-struck 😊
D) Somber 😔
D) Somber 😔
The senator’s words rang through the chamber, promising relief for every family. Applause thundered. In the fine print, though, new fees pressed on the poor while the wealthy stayed untouched. The clapping continued, but near the back a woman whispered that justice hadn’t entered the room at all.
Be skeptical—true fairness is absent.
“It made me shiver. And I about made up my mind to pray, and see if I couldn’t try to quit being the kind of boy I was, and be better. So I kneeled down. But the words wouldn’t come. Why wouldn’t they? It warn’t no use to try and hide it from Him. Nor from me, neither. I knowed very well why they wouldn’t come. It was because my heart warn’t right; it was because I warn’t square; it was because I was playing double. I was letting on to give up sin, but away inside of me I was holding on to the biggest one of all.”
→ What character trait does Huck show here?
A) Arrogant 😔
B) Dishonest 😠
C) Reflective 🙂
D) Optimistic 🙂
C) Reflective 🙂