1. Round One
What is the theme of the story?
A. Finders keepers, losers weepers
B. It is ok to lie if you think it will help someone.
C. It is always better to be honest than rich.
D. Crying gets you nowhere.
2. What happens in the story that leads to the theme?
A. Phil finds two coins in the snow bank.
B. Phil thinks “they will never know”.
C. Phil sees how badly Maria feels and tells her he found her coins.
D. Maria’s eyes were as red as her hands.
3. What type of person is Phil (indirect characterization)?
A. Ambitious and unfair
B. honest and caring
C. greedy and cruel
D. dishonest and angry

2. Round Two
1. What is the setting of the story?
A. outside on a March day
B. outside on a warm sunny day
C. in a parking lot
D. inside Phil’s house.
2. Find the sentence that is written correctly and identify why the others are incorrect.
A. He was so worried about who he should ask to the big dance, that he ended up not asking anyone.
B. Tasha and me are responsible for this mess.
C. This is a matter for you and me to decide.
D. The judge of the contest wrote a letter to Lisa and I.
3. They decided to buy the house because ---- location would allow ---- to get to work very easily.
A) theirs / them
B) it / themselves
C) its / them
D) they / us
E) its / their

3. Round Three
1. Read Story #2. Complete the plot diagram by putting the letters in the correct spaces.
A. Paul calls his father and tells him what he is feeling.
B. Paul’s teacher talks with him about his grades.
C. Paul worked on his assignment that evening with a clear head.
D. Paul is at home waiting for his dad to pick him up.
Climax:________
Falling Action:_________
Rising Action:________
Resolution:________
Exposition:_________

4. 2. What is the BEST theme of this story?
A. Don’t judge a book by its cover
B. Family is important
C. It is important to be honest with your feelings.
D. Fathers know best
3. Which sentence has the correct pronoun/antecedent agreement?
A. Each of the girls took their place in line.
B. Anybody can work in his or her homework at home.
C. Either Sue or Mark will be the class president.
D. Several of the students took his or her time on the project.

5. Half Time Question
Rewrite the sentence using a clear pronoun reference.
Jack and my brother said they really enjoyed playing with his phone.

6. Round 4
1. Which sentence contains a shift in person?
A. It is important for pedestrians to look both ways before crossing their street.
B. If people watch what they eat, then you have a healthier diet.
C. If a student parks his or her bike on the street, the bike may be in danger of damage.
D. Make sure your clothes are ready for school tomorrow.
2. Which sentence uses a vague or ambiguous pronoun?
A. D.J. had a dog with fleas which he was always scratching.
B. Katy told her friend that her friend should take speech lessons.
C. John Steinbeck should have written a biography of Martin Luther King after Steinbeck had won the Nobel Prize.
D. When Bonnie visited her mother, Bonnie was very angry.
3. Review the story for round one. Answer the question.
How does this line contribute to the plot of the story?
“The next morning, Megan and her little sister were searching the snow banks.”
A. It contributes to the exposition
B. It contributes to the rising action
C. It is the climax
D. It is the conflict

7. Round 5
1. Which sentence is written correctly?
A. Whom will be the next leader of the band?
B. We met with Sara and she after the concert.
C. Bob and them walked around the school with their friends.
D. The next group who will be boarding the bus will be we.
2. Which of the following statements about the theme of a work is true?
A. The theme of a work is usually directly stated at the end.
B. The theme of a work can be stated and implied.
C. Characters’ thoughts and feelings have little to do with the theme.
D. The title of a work is usually the theme.
3. Which of the following answer choices is the best definition of the setting of a literary work?
A. The setting is the time and place of the story.
B. The setting is the historical era in which a work takes place.
C. The setting is the central idea of a work.
D. The setting is the season of the year in which a work takes place.

8. Round 6
1. Choose a personality trait. Write a sentence showing this trait directly and another sentence showing it indirectly.
2. What are the three types of external conflict?
3. Give an example of an internal conflict.