Literary Elements Study Guide Name ___________
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Antagonist- the person or thing working against the hero of the story.
Author’s purpose- the reason for creating a work; inform, entertain, persuade, etc.
Character- a person, animal or imaginary creature that takes part in the action of a story.
Climax- the high point, or turning point of a story.
Conflict- the problem that the character faces.
Dialogue- the words spoken by characters that advance the plot and gives clues to personalities.
Exposition- the first part of the plot; establishes setting, characters, and background information.
Falling action- the action that works out the decision at the climax; the conflict begins to be settled.
Genre- the category or type of literature.
Imagery- the author’s use of words to create pictures.
Irony- a contrast between what is expected and what really happens.
Mood- the feeling or emotion that a literary work gives the reader.
Moral- the lesson a story teaches.
Personification- something non-human speaks or acts as if it were human.
Plot- the action or sequence of events in a story.
Point of View- the perspective or vantage point from which the story is told. Usually 1st or 3rd
person. 1st person is told by the character and 3rd person is told by a narrator.
Protagonist- the main character of the story.
Resolution- the ending of the story; brings closure.
Rising action- the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story; tensions rise.
Setting- the time and place in which the story happens.
Theme- the writer’s message or main point; a statement about life.
Short Answer or Essay Response Scoring Guide
1 point for rewording the question in your answer
1 point for a correct answer
1 point for using details or examples to support your answer
*1 point for demonstration of thinking and showing insight in your answer
*1 point for going beyond insight and providing real life examples, reasoning, or use of
another text to support your answer
Genres
Autobiography- a writer’s story of his or her own life.
Biography- a writer’s account of some other person’s life
Fable- a short story that often uses talking animals as the main characters and teaches a
moral or lesson.
Fantasy- a short story in an imaginary world in which the characters usually have
supernatural powers or abilities.
Folktale- a story originally passed from one generation to another by word of mouth. The
characters are usually all good or all bad and in the end are reward or punished
with what they deserve.
Historical Fiction- A made up story that is based on a real time and place in history, so
fact is mixed with fiction. (Usually before the 1980’s)
Myth- a traditional story intended to explain some mystery of nature, religious doctrine or
cultural belief.
Poetry- a literary work that uses concise, colorful and often rhythmic language to express
emotions or ideas.
Science Fiction- writing based on real or imaginary scientific developments and often set
in the future.