Success Homeschool

Year 9 English · Crafting short narratives

Name: ______________________

Date: ____________

1. What is the opening stage of a narrative, which introduces the character, setting and situation, called? (one word)
2. In a story, Sasha is enjoying a camping trip until she realises she has wandered off the trail and her phone is dead. Which stage is this moment?
- ☐ (a) Orientation
- ☐ (b) Complication
- ☐ (c) Resolution
- ☐ (d) Title
3. Which sentence shows anger rather than telling it?
- ☐ (a) Marcus was really angry.
- ☐ (b) Marcus felt angry about the result.
- ☐ (c) Marcus slammed his bag onto the bench and stared at the scoreboard, jaw clenched.
- ☐ (d) Marcus was angry and upset.
4. Which line of dialogue is punctuated correctly?
- ☐ (a) "I'm not going" said Leo.
- ☐ (b) "I'm not going," said Leo.
- ☐ (c) "I'm not going." said Leo.
- ☐ (d) I'm not going, "said Leo."
5. Which stage of a narrative shows how the problem is solved or settled? (one word)
6. What is the best advice for planning a short story?
- ☐ (a) Include as many characters as possible.
- ☐ (b) Cover several years of the character's life.
- ☐ (c) Focus on one main character, a limited setting and one central problem.
- ☐ (d) Explain the character's full family history first.
7. When should you start a new line in dialogue?
- ☐ (a) After every sentence
- ☐ (b) Whenever a different character starts speaking
- ☐ (c) Only at the end of a chapter
- ☐ (d) Never
8. Why is 'and then I woke up – it was all a dream' usually a weak ending?
- ☐ (a) Because dreams are boring
- ☐ (b) Because it cancels the events and the reader's investment instead of resolving the complication
- ☐ (c) Because it is too long
- ☐ (d) Because stories should not mention sleep

Answer sheet

1. orientation — The orientation sets up who, where and when.
2. Complication — Being lost is the problem that disrupts Sasha's situation – the complication.
3. Marcus slammed his bag onto the bench and stared at the scoreboard, jaw clenched. — Actions and physical details let the reader infer the emotion.
4. "I'm not going," said Leo. — A comma goes inside the closing quotation mark before the speech tag.
5. resolution — The resolution ties up the complication.
6. Focus on one main character, a limited setting and one central problem. — Short stories have limited space, so focus makes them stronger.
7. Whenever a different character starts speaking — A new line for each new speaker helps readers follow the conversation.
8. Because it cancels the events and the reader's investment instead of resolving the complication — A strong resolution grows out of the complication rather than erasing it.