FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Short Story Elements
Quiz about Short Story Elements

Short Story Elements Trivia Quiz


Quick! What are the four basic elements of the short story? If you forgot, then maybe it's time for a review, and if you knew them, then keep going.

A multiple-choice quiz by 57wordsmith. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Literature Trivia
  6. »
  7. Literary Terms & Quotes
  8. »
  9. Literary Terminology

Author
57wordsmith
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
214,100
Updated
Apr 19 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
2312
Last 3 plays: Guest 122 (6/10), Guest 117 (3/10), Guest 73 (8/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. When the author gives some background or needed details to the story this is known as what term? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What element of a short story might be described as the 'series of related events'? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Only people can be characters in a story.


Question 4 of 10
4. The second person point of view is the same as the omniscient point of view.


Question 5 of 10
5. If I told you this short story takes place in a jungle on a mysterious island sometime in the 1930s/1940s involving an eccentric hunter, I would be describing what aspect of the story?

Answer: (seven letters, think of time and place)
Question 6 of 10
6. Which is the correct term for what could be described as the "turning point of the story"? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In Maupassant's short story "The Necklace", the main character learns that honesty is indeed the best policy. The main idea or the possible opinion of the author is known as what term? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The problem of the plot is also known as which short story element? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What is the purpose of the short story's title? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What is another word for any hints of future plot occurrences? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Today : Guest 122: 6/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 117: 3/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 73: 8/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 49: 4/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 210: 10/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 49: 7/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 112: 9/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 49: 4/10
Mar 16 2024 : Guest 203: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. When the author gives some background or needed details to the story this is known as what term?

Answer: exposition

Exposition can happen anywhere in the story, in the very beginning, in the middle, as characters and new situations are introduced, or sometimes, in the short story format, readers aren't given the entire background until the very end as a way of putting more emphasis to the overall plot.
2. What element of a short story might be described as the 'series of related events'?

Answer: plot

Plot is one of the basic four elements. In simpler terms, plot is what happens in the story.
3. Only people can be characters in a story.

Answer: False

Characters are another main element found in the short story. Animals, objects, and even ideas can be direct or indirect characters in a story. In O. Henry's classic short story "The Gift of the Magi" the young couple were the main characters, yet the gifts, the comb and the watch chain, served as the indirect characters of the plot.
4. The second person point of view is the same as the omniscient point of view.

Answer: False

The second person point of view is not used commonly, simply because it refers to the "you" point of view, as in reading the story as if it were a letter, so it is a limited point of view, and not an "all knowing" one as in the case of omniscient.
5. If I told you this short story takes place in a jungle on a mysterious island sometime in the 1930s/1940s involving an eccentric hunter, I would be describing what aspect of the story?

Answer: Setting

Setting is another basic short story element. It gives the where and when of the story, as in the short story setting I gave for "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. The setting can set the tone for the story as well.

Incidentally, this short story was made into a short film in 1932, but I have yet to locate it. If you have seen it please let me know what you think of it.
6. Which is the correct term for what could be described as the "turning point of the story"?

Answer: climax

Climax is the high point of the story, the part readers have been waiting for, as everything has been building up to this point. Rising action refers to the complications added to the plot, the resolution is how the conflict was resolved, and the falling action is the action that sometimes occurs right after the climax.
7. In Maupassant's short story "The Necklace", the main character learns that honesty is indeed the best policy. The main idea or the possible opinion of the author is known as what term?

Answer: theme

Theme is another crucial element of the short story as this is the underlying statement, idea, or opinion of the author. In the short story "The Necklace", the main character was not content with being middle class; as a result of a careless mistake, and one of great irony, she learns if she had just told the truth she would have saved herself years of needless pain and misery.
8. The problem of the plot is also known as which short story element?

Answer: conflict

Some say conflict is the fifth main element of the short story, and it is true that if there is no problem, there is no story.
9. What is the purpose of the short story's title?

Answer: all of the choices

The title's purpose is to intrigue the reader, and instill some curiosity, while at the same time giving a bit of information about the story. We know that "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury is going to involve someone walking, yet "Searching for Summer" by Joan Aiken does not indicate that it is a science fiction piece. Not until we begin to read it do readers understand the title.
10. What is another word for any hints of future plot occurrences?

Answer: foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a way of dropping a clue, hinting at later developments in the plot, and can help to tie in reasons for certain occurrences or actions.
Source: Author 57wordsmith

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor MotherGoose before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/19/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us