Name:



|Name:       |Date:       |

[pic] ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY: PLOT

Plot is the related sequence of events in a story. Each event in the plot moves the story forward. A plot has the following elements:

• Exposition: introduction of the characters, the setting, and the basic situation

• Rising Action: events that introduce a conflict, or struggle, and create tension

• Climax: the story’s high point, or moment of greatest intensity; often a turning point in the story

• Falling Action: events that follow the climax

• Resolution: the story’s final outcome and tying up of loose ends

Directions: Read each story description. Then, answer the questions that follow.

1. At the beginning of a story, you learn that Mary and Lisa are friends who always walk home from school together.

What is this part of the story called?

|     EXPOSITION |

2. A little later in the story, Mary steals a tube of lip gloss from a drug store. Lisa tells her to go back and pay for it, but Mary just shrugs.

What is this part of the story called?

|RISING ACTION      |

3. One day, Mary dares Lisa to take something from the store. Lisa is torn between doing the right thing and proving herself to her friend. Finally, she takes a bottle of nail polish, but she is caught by the store manager. While the manager threatens to call the police, Mary sneaks away.

What is this part of the story called?

|CLIMAX |

4. The next day, Mary apologizes to Lisa for getting her into trouble.

What is this part of the story called?

|FALLING ACTION      |

5. Mary and Lisa decide they have learned their lesson and will walk straight home from school without any stops from that day on.

What is this part of the story called?

|     RESOLUTION |

|Name:       |Date:       |

[pic] ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY: PLOT

a. Directions: Read each statement below. Then, answer the questions that follow.

1. An incident in the story leads to heightened tension.

What is this part called?

|      |

2. At the end of a story, everything comes to a conclusion.

What is this part of the story called?

|      |

3. At a certain point in a story, the story’s problem must be faced.

What is this part called?

|      |

4. Most stories contain a part where the main characters and the setting are introduced.

What is this part called?

|      |

B. Directions: Read each item. Then, answer the questions that follow.

1. At the beginning of a story, you learn that Jack is an adventurous young man who loves mountain biking.

What part of the story is this?

|      |

2. A little later in the story, Jack decides to go biking alone. When a bad storm comes up, the trails become slippery and treacherous. Jack searches for shelter.

What part of the story is this?

|      |

3. Before he can take cover, Jack gets caught in a mud slide. His bike slides down the hillside on a tide of mud and rocks, mangled. He has twisted a leg and cannot walk.

What part of the story is this?

|      |

4. A forest ranger sees the ruined bicycle wrapped around a tree, so he comes out in search of the rider. Luckily, he finds Jack.

What part of the story is this?

|      |

5. At the end of the story, Jack recovers in the hospital and decides never to go mountain biking alone again.

What part of the story is this?

|      |

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