T1.4.3 Setting, plot and characterisation Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 1

The 20 questions

1. What is 'setting' in a story?

   • The main conflict that the characters must resolve before the story ends
   • The time and place in which a story happens, including its atmosphere
   • The list of characters who appear in a story, printed at the front of the book
   • The number of chapters into which a story has been divided by its author

2. What is the 'climax' of a plot?

   • The opening scene, which introduces the main characters and the setting of the story
   • The final paragraph, which summarises the story briefly for the reader to remember
   • The list of events that occur before the story begins in earlier years
   • The point of highest tension, where the main conflict reaches its peak

3. What is 'exposition' in a plot?

   • The part of a story that describes a character's dreams and imagined futures
   • The part of a story that resolves all the questions in the final chapter
   • The part of a story that introduces characters, setting and background information
   • The part of a story where the main conflict is at its highest point of tension

4. What is 'characterisation'?

   • The methods a writer uses to create and reveal characters, such as dialogue and action
   • The rule that every story must have exactly one hero and one villain in its plot
   • The list of all the characters in a play, arranged in order of their appearance
   • The process of printing the characters' names on the front cover of the book

5. What is a 'protagonist'?

   • The narrator who tells the story but never appears as a character in it
   • The main character of a story, often the one the reader follows most closely
   • A minor character who appears only once and never speaks anywhere in the story
   • The writer who created the story and wrote its first draft in notebooks

6. What is 'dramatic tension'?

   • A physical strain that the actors feel when they perform a play on a stage
   • A feeling of suspense or anxiety that makes the reader want to know what happens next
   • The tightness of the cover of a book, which makes it difficult to open fully
   • A type of stage lighting used to make the set look darker at the end of a scene

7. A story's setting is a crowded, noisy market in a hot city. What might the setting reveal about the characters?

   • They are historians who are researching the life of ancient kings in a museum
   • They may be busy, lively or under pressure in a fast-moving and demanding place
   • They are sailors who spend every night on a ship in deep water with no visitors
   • They are calm and quiet, living alone on a remote mountain farm far from any town

8. A character who was once generous becomes selfish over the course of a story. What is this called?

   • A character development arc, showing change in the character over time
   • A stock character, who appears in many stories with the same familiar personality
   • A flat character, who has only one simple quality from the start to the end
   • A static character, who never changes at all throughout the whole story

9. A writer shows a character's nervousness through stammering dialogue. Which characterisation method is this?

   • Plot twist, which reveals character through a sudden surprise that changes events
   • Title, which reveals character through the name printed on the book's cover
   • Setting, which reveals character through the place where the story happens
   • Dialogue, which reveals character through the way a character speaks

10. In a story, a character must cross a river to reach home. What is this element most likely to be?

    • A summary of the story that the writer adds at the start of the book
    • A decorative detail with no purpose, included only to describe the landscape
    • A list of the characters who will appear in the final chapter of the story
    • An obstacle that creates conflict and drives the plot forward

11. A story has this order: a problem arises, the characters argue, and the problem is solved. Which stage is the resolution?

    • The problem is solved, which brings the story's conflict to an end
    • The problem first arises, which introduces the central conflict to the reader
    • The characters argue, which develops tension before the climax of the story
    • The reader is introduced to the setting, which begins the whole story at the start

12. Which feature of a story's setting would most help a reader understand a character's fear?

    • A bright, busy school playground with children laughing and playing games together
    • A cheerful fair with music and bright lights, where everyone is dancing together
    • A dark, isolated forest with strange sounds and cold, bare trees
    • A calm, sunny kitchen where a family is cooking breakfast together at seven

13. A character is named Ms Gentle but behaves cruelly. What might the name suggest?

    • A possible contrast or irony, because her behaviour differs from her name
    • A sign that she is a minor character who will not appear in the later chapters
    • A reference to a famous explorer who lived in the eighteenth century and sailed the seas
    • A simple fact that she was named after the town where she was born and raised

14. How does a writer use a flashback to develop a character?

    • It shows the character's future, which is never resolved by the end of the book
    • It replaces the character with a new one who has the same name and background
    • It reveals past experiences that explain the character's present feelings or choices
    • It cancels the character's personality so the reader can focus on the setting

15. A story has a twist in its final chapter. What is the most likely effect?

    • It makes the earlier events meaningless, so the reader can stop thinking about them
    • It ensures the reader forgets everything that happened in the book's earlier chapters
    • It changes how the reader understands earlier events, which can prompt rereading
    • It removes the need for characters, so the story ends with no one left alive

16. What is the effect of a static character?

    • The character is a plant or object, so they cannot influence the events of the plot
    • The character remains the same, which can highlight the change in others around them
    • The character is the narrator, so they must always tell the truth to the reader
    • The character is always changing, so the reader can never understand their personality

17. Which element of plot builds suspense most effectively?

    • Withholding information so the reader wants to find out what will happen next
    • Repeating the same event several times without adding any new detail or tension
    • Listing all the characters' birthdays so the reader can plan a party for them
    • Revealing the ending in the first paragraph so the reader knows what to expect

18. A winter setting with frost and short days opens a story about hope. What is the effect?

    • The setting shows the story is a comedy, because winter is always funny in books
    • The setting shows the characters are on holiday at a resort in a warm country
    • The cold setting contrasts with the hope, making the theme of renewal stand out
    • The setting is irrelevant, because hope cannot be affected by the time of year in any way

19. A reader wants evidence for a character's bravery. Which text evidence is best?

    • A description of the character's favourite food and the recipe they often cook at home
    • A list of the character's school timetable for each day of the week in autumn
    • A description of the character stepping forward to rescue a child from a fast river
    • A note that the character wears a blue scarf on each Monday during the winter months

20. Why do writers often develop characters through actions rather than telling readers directly?

    • Readers cannot understand direct description, so writers must always show characters through actions
    • Actions always reveal the exact personality of a character, so description is never needed
    • Readers can infer personality from actions, which makes characters feel more believable
    • Direct description is banned in published novels, so actions are the only option available

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