Starter quiz
- Which sentence best uses a verb and adverb to describe a character’s cautious movement?
- She ran quickly to the door.
- He tiptoed silently across the creaky floorboards. ✓
- They moved fast through the crowd.
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- Which of the following sentences best describes a character’s determined action?
- She hesitated at the door.
- He marched purposefully towards his goal. ✓
- She whispered softly to herself.
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- ______ mean 'having or showing a wish to do evil to others'.
- 'malevolent' ✓
- Similes and metaphors are a type of __________ language.
- figurative ✓
- narrative
- objective
- subjective
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- A metaphor makes a ______ comparison between two things.
- 'direct' ✓
- What does the term 'juxtaposition' mean?
- Describing a character in great detail.
- Placing two characters or ideas close together to highlight their differences. ✓
- Using metaphors to describe a character.
- Creating a plot twist in the story.
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Exit quiz
- Match the keywords to their definitions.
- juxtaposition⇔two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect ✓
- malevolent⇔having or showing a wish to do evil to others ✓
- benevolent⇔having a desire to do good; kind ✓
- protagonist⇔the main character in a story ✓
- antagonist⇔a character who actively opposes or is hostile to others ✓
- Why is it important to contrast characters in writing?
- To make characters look the same.
- To highlight their differences and make their traits more noticeable. ✓
- To simplify the characters.
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- Fill in the blank in the following sentence: 'In the Sherlock Holmes stories, Moriarty's __________ personality contrasts sharply with Holmes’s focused and determined personality.'
- menacing ✓
- welcoming
- warm
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- What is one potential impact of using juxtaposition in fiction writing?
- it creates tension and conflict ✓
- it reduces tension and conflict
- it removes tension and conflict
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- What is not true of using juxtaposition to contrast characters in fiction writing?
- it allows the reader to see more of the characters' personalities
- the characters will always be completely different ✓
- it can create dramatic tension and conflict in the narrative
- it is only effective when used with characters of the same intelligence ✓
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- Contrasting characters can ______ our understanding of their roles and personalities.
- 'deepen' ✓
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Juxtaposition is a useful tool when describing contrasting characters.
- Contrasting characters can deepen our understanding of their roles and personalities.
- Placing contrasting characters in opposition can create dramatic tension and conflict.
- Careful consideration of vocabulary choices aids our crafting of juxtaposition.
Common misconception
Pupils might think that using contrast and juxtaposition in character descriptions means simply listing opposing traits without showing how they interact or affect each other.
It's important to show how the contrasting traits of characters impact each other. For example, instead of just stating that one character is kind and the other is cruel, describe a scene where their actions and behaviors directly conflict.
Keywords
Juxtaposition - two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
Malevolent - having or showing a wish to do evil to others
Benevolent - having a desire to do good; kind
Protagonist - the main character in a story
Antagonist - a character who actively opposes or is hostile to others (usually the protagonist)
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