ENGLISH 5

Match the concepts in column A and with the descriptions in column B. Identify
the word or phrase being described. Write the letter of the correct answer to the
blank provided.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
______________1. Character a) The central message or lesson
that the author wants readers
to take away from the story.
______________2. Setting b) The struggle or problem that
drives the plot of a story.
______________3. Plot c) The time and place in which a
story takes place.
______________4. Conflict d) The sequence of events that
make up a story.
______________5. Theme e) A person, animal, or creature
in a story.

1. e
2. c
3. d
4. b
5. a

ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY

1. Explicitation
Now that you have the basic concepts and terms related to the elements of a short
story, start with defining what a short story is.

A short story is a made-up story that is not as long as a whole book, like a novel.
Short stories are usually between five and sixty pages or more depending on the
formatting, so you can read them in one sitting. They often focus on just one thing
that happens, and they usually have only one or two characters. It consists of
different elements generally as: Characters, Plot, Conflict, Setting, and Theme.

Character refers to the people, animals, or creatures in a story. They are the
individuals who drive the action of the story and with whom readers identify.
Characters have different personalities, traits, and roles within the narrative. They
can be protagonists (main characters), antagonists (opposing characters), or
supporting characters who help move the story along.

Depending on how you see it, a character can be classified as either round or flat,
dynamic or static, a protagonist or an antagonist. For a short story, well-rounded
and dynamic characters will be your strength. The easiest way to write interesting
characters is to make sure that they have a flaw. Always keep in mind that in any
story, perfect characters fall flat.
Setting encompasses the time and place in which a story unfolds. It includes
details about the environment, geography, historical period, and cultural context
that provide the backdrop for the events of the narrative. The setting helps to
establish the mood or atmosphere of the story and can influence the actions and
experiences of the characters.

The plot refers to the sequence of events that make up the storyline of a narrative.
It includes the exposition (introduction of characters and setting), rising action
(events leading to the main conflict), climax (highest point of tension or turning
point), falling action (events following the climax), and resolution (outcome or
conclusion). The plot drives the story forward and keeps readers engaged as they
follow the characters' journey.

For Bachchhav (2023), writers use the plot to map out their story before beginning
their writing process. For fiction writing, this serves as a creative outline. So, an
understanding of the plot is crucial to craft a compelling narrative and make it
impactful. The sequence of events in a plot is tied to the central conflict in a story.
The plot develops as the protagonist struggles with their given problem, finds a
solution, and eventually accepts the results.

Bachchhav (2023) identified Six succinct stages of a plot

1. Exposition: An introduction of characters, setting, and conflict, providing all the
necessary background information.
2. Inciting incident: The incident that leads the main character to conflict and begins
the plot.
3. Rising action: The conflict develops and takes on newer, more complicated
incidents, leading to the climax.
4. Climax: The conflict reaches a peak, which then leads to a change in the course
of events, giving the reader a new understanding of the story either through an
event or an insight.
5. Falling action: The conflict gets resolved and the action slows down.
6. Resolution: The conflict ends, leaving the reader fulfilled.

Conflict is the central struggle or problem that propels the plot forward and creates
tension in the story. It can be internal (a character's inner struggle) or external (a
conflict between characters or with an outside force). Common types of conflict
include person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. society, and person vs. nature.
Resolving the conflict is often essential to the development of characters and the
resolution of the story.

Theme is the underlying message, lesson, or moral that the author conveys
through the story. It reflects the deeper meaning or purpose behind the events and
characters' experiences. Themes can explore universal concepts such as love,
friendship, courage, justice, or betrayal. They provide insight into human nature and
the world around us, prompting readers to reflect on their own lives and values.
Themes may be explicit or implicit and can vary based on interpretation.
 Elo the Hero
By Rocky James Guevarra Sarasua
There is a small barangay situated between the rolling hills of Quirino Province in
Region 02 Cagayan Valley, where an intuitive and courageous young boy named Elo
lived. Elo was in Grade 5, and he had always dreamt of becoming a hero like
Captain Barbel, Lastikman, Superman, and Spiderman which he has seen in many
TV shows and films.

After a half day class due to extreme heat, while playing near a babbling river just
near their house, Elo heard cries for help. Rushing towards the sound, he discovered
that a “Kalding” (goat) had fallen into the “Karayan” (river) and was struggling to
stay afloat.

Elo jumped into action. He remembered his Tatay Ronnie teaching him about
swimming in the river, and he carefully paddled into the water. Despite the water
currents, Elo managed to reach the goat’s neck and embraced it up in his arms. He
saw the mother goat and its siblings just across the river seemingly crying for help
while looking into the baby goat that was drowning.

But just as he turned to swim back to shore, he realized that the current had grown
even stronger, and he was being pulled away from safety. He became quite nervous
due to strong water currents, but Elo continued his heroic act by paddling near the
river bank.

Determined enough to save the little goat, Elo struggled against the water current,
moving his way back to the safety of the river bank. It was a difficult experience for
Elo, but finally, with one last spurt of effort, he reached the shallow waters and
pulled himself and the baby goat to safety.

His kabarangayans (villagers), who had gathered upon hearing the commotion,
went to help as Elo was emerging from the water, dripping wet but triumphant.
They admired his bravery and quick thinking, and Elo felt a warm glow of pride in
his chest.

After saving the little goat from drowning, Elo was viewed by his kabarangayans as
little child hero of their small village. Even his friends look up to him for his bravery.
He has clearly shown that even a child could perform acts of bravery and kindness,
and his story inspired others to be courageous in the face of challenges. And as for
the goa, it became Elo’s faithful companion, a constant reminder of the day when a
Grade 5 boy became a real hero of his own way.

Guide Questions:
1. What is the story all about?
2. Who is the main character of the story? How do you describe the main character
based on his portrayal in the story?
3. Where does the main character live? How to you describe their place?
4. What did the main character of the story save?
5. If you were the main character, would you also do the same? Why or why not?
6. What is the main idea or main lesson you learn from the story?
7. Do you know someone who is as heroic as the main character? Who is that
person and how did he/she become heroic?
8. How can you become a hero/heroine of your own?
2. Formative Assessment
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ
Instructions: Provide the letter of the correct answer in your respective answer
sheets
1. What is the setting of the story?
A) A bustling city
B) A small barangay in Quirino Province
C) An island paradise
D) A magical forest
2. In what Grade level does Elo belong?
A) Grade 1
B) Grade 3
C) Grade 5
D) Grade 7
3. What did Elo dream of becoming?
A) a doctor
B) a teacher
C) a musician
D) a hero like Captain Barbel and Lastikman
4. What did Elo hear while playing near the river?
A) Birds chirping
B) Cries for help
C) Music playing
D) Thunder rumbling
5. What had fallen into the river?
A) A fish
B) A dog
C) A goat (Kalding)
D) A cat
6. What did Elo remember that helped him in the river?
A) His favorite book
B) His math lessons
C) His favorite TV show
D) His Tatay Ronnie teaching him how to swim

7. What was Elo's main challenge while rescuing the goat?

A) Strong water currents
B) The extreme heat
C) A thunderstorm
D) A crocodile
8. How did Elo feel after saving the goat?
A) Angry
B) Sad
C) Proud and triumphant
D) Tired and exhausted
9. What did Elo's kabarangayans react to his bravery?
A) They were jealous
B) They were indifferent
C) They admired and praised him
D) They laughed at him
10. What did the villagers think of Elo after the incident?
A) He was too young to be a hero
B) He was a troublemaker
C) He was a hero of their village
D) He was a coward
11. What did Elo's friends think of him after the incident?
A) They were afraid of him
B) They looked down on him
C) They admired him for his bravery
D) They stopped talking to him
12. What did Elo gain from the experience?
A) a new pet goat
B) a sense of pride and accomplishment
C) a superhero costume
D) a new bicycle
13. What did the story teach others?
A) It is best to avoid challenges
B) Even children can perform acts of bravery
C) Being kind is not important
D) TV shows are more important than real-life heroes
14. What was the goat to Elo after the incident?
A) A reminder of his failure
B) A reminder of the day he became a hero
C) A constant source of annoyance
D) A scary memory
15. Which element of a short story is evident in the resolution of Elo's story?
A) Character development
B) Climax
C) Setting
D) Theme
Answer Key
1. B) A small barangay in Quirino Province
2. C) Grade 5
3. D) A hero like Captain Barbel and Lastikman
4. B) Cries for help
5. C) A goat (Kalding)
6. D) His Tatay Ronnie teaching him how to swim
7. A) Strong water currents
8. C) Proud and triumphant
9. C) They admired and praised him
10.C) He was a hero of their village
11.C) They admired him for his bravery
12.B) A sense of pride and accomplishment
13.B) Even children can perform acts of bravery
14.B) A reminder of the day he became a hero
15.D) Theme
 Match the figures of speech in Column A with their corresponding descriptions in
Column B. Write the CAPITAL LETTER of the correct answer in the blank
provided.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
______________6. Alliteration f) It compares two different
things using the words "like"
or "as." For example, "Her
smile was as bright as the
sun."
______________7. Hyperbole g) It is a figure of speech that
directly refers to one thing by
mentioning another, to
suggest they are alike. For
instance, "Time is a thief."
______________8. Simile h) It attributes human
characteristics to non-human
things or abstract concepts.
For instance, "The wind
whispered through the trees."
______________9. Personification i) It involves extreme
exaggeration for emphasis or
effect. For example, "I've told
you a million times."
______________10. Metaphor j) It is a figure of speech in
which the sound of a word
imitates its meaning. For
instance, "buzz" or "clang."
______________11. Assonance k) It is the repetition of initial
consonant sounds in
neighboring words or
syllables. For example, "Peter
Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers."
______________12. Consonance l) It is the repetition of vowel
sounds in neighboring words
or syllables. For example, "The
rain in Spain falls mainly on
the plain."
______________13. Onomatopoeia m) It is the repetition of
consonant sounds, especially
at the end of a word. For
example, "stroke of luck."

1. f
2. d
3. a
4. c
5. b
6. g
7. h
8. e
ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY
3. Explicitation
Now that the learners have an understanding of the terms which will be pivotal in
the mastery of the lesson, the teacher shall now proceed with deepening the
learners’ understanding on the different figures of speech commonly used in
literature.

A figure of speech is when we use words in a special way to make our language
more interesting or to create a certain effect. Figures of speech make language
more colorful and engaging. It is like adding a special touch to what we say or write
to make it more creative and fun, thus creating an impact. We can find figures of
speech not just in stories and poems, but also in greeting cards, advertisements,
newspaper headlines, and even in the way people talk about sports, music, and
other topics they are passionate about.

LitCharts has provided a clear way on defining the commonest figures of speech. A
metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated
things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this is not literally
true. For example, if someone says "it's raining cats and dogs," this obviously does
not literally mean what it says—it is a metaphor that makes a comparison between
the weight of "cats and dogs" and heavy rain. Metaphors are tropes because their
effect relies not on the mechanics of the sentence, but rather on the association
created by the use of the phrase "cats and dogs" in a non-literal manner.

A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things.

However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a
simile states that one thing is like another thing. To stick with cats and dogs, an
example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
A hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the
importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is
to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say
"my backpack weighs ten pounds" does not effectively communicate how
burdensome a heavy backpack feels. Once again, this is a trope because its effect
comes from understanding that the words mean something different from what they
literally say.

In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound
in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to the basement.” Alliteration uses repetition to
create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around
them.

Assonance is a scheme in which vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the
"ee" sound in the proverb: "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Like alliteration,
assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one
another—it's a scheme because this effect is achieved through repetition of words
with certain sounds, not by playing with the meaning of words.
Consonance is a figure of speech in which the same consonant sound repeats
within a group of words. An example of consonance is: "Traffic figures, on
July Fourth, to be tough." Consonance occurs when sounds, not letters, repeat. In
the example above, the "f" sound is what matters, not the different letters (such as
"ph") used to produce that sound. Consonance does not require that words with the
same consonant sounds be directly next to each other. Consonance occurs so long
as identical consonant sounds are relatively close together. The repeated consonant
sounds can occur anywhere within the words—at the beginning, middle, or end, and
in stressed or unstressed syllables.

Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are

described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down
on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans." Describing the rain as
"indifferent" is an example of personification, because rain can't be "indifferent,"
nor can it feel any other human emotion. However, saying that the rain feels
indifferent poetically emphasizes the cruel timing of the rain. Personification can
help writers to create more vivid descriptions, to make readers see the world in new
ways, and to more powerfully capture the human experience of the world (since
people really do often interpret the non-human entities of the world as having
human traits).

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the
thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock”
of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a doorbell are all examples of onomatopoeia.

Note that these are just the most commonly used figures of speech in literature and
there are a lot more. These figures of speech help the writers to provide a deeper
meaning into their poetry and create a beauty in the writing process.
GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. What is the central theme of the poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer?

2. How does the poet describe trees in the poem? What words or phrases does
he use?
3. Why do you think the poet chose to write about trees? What message is she
trying to convey?
4. How do trees benefit the environment and living beings?
5. In what ways can we contribute to conserving trees and protecting the
environment, based on what you've learned from the poem?
6. Identify examples of personification in the poem "Trees." How does
personification help convey the poet's message?
7. What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Can you find
examples of both in the poem?
8. How does the poet use imagery to describe trees? What pictures do you see
in your mind when you read the poem?
9. Find instances of alliteration or consonance in the poem. How do these
techniques enhance the poem's rhythm and meaning?
 [Link] the use of symbolism in the poem. What do trees symbolize in the
context of nature and environmental conservation?
GUIDE QUESTIONS:

7. What is the central theme of the poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer?

8. How does the poet describe trees in the poem? What words or phrases does
he use?
9. Why do you think the poet chose to write about trees? What message is she
trying to convey?
[Link] do trees benefit the environment and living beings?
[Link] what ways can we contribute to conserving trees and protecting the
environment, based on what you've learned from the poem?
[Link] examples of personification in the poem "Trees." How does
personification help convey the poet's message?
[Link] is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Can you find
examples of both in the poem?
[Link] does the poet use imagery to describe trees? What pictures do you see
in your mind when you read the poem?
[Link] instances of alliteration or consonance in the poem. How do these
techniques enhance the poem's rhythm and meaning?
[Link] the use of symbolism in the poem. What do trees symbolize in the
context of nature and environmental conservation?

Trees
By Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Instructions: Write TRUE if the statement gives a correct idea and FALSE if
otherwise.

1. Figures of speech are important for the beauty of literature.

2. The tongue twister "She sells seashells by the seashore" is an example of
alliteration.
3. "How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?" is an example of hyperbole.
4. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is an example of consonance.
5. "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear; Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair" is an example of
personification.
6. The tongue twister "Betty Botter bought some butter" is an example of
simile.
7. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words
or syllables.
8. Hyperbole involves extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
9. Simile directly refers to one thing by mentioning another to suggest they are
alike.
[Link] attributes human characteristics to non-human things or
abstract concepts.
[Link] is the repetition of vowel sounds in neighboring words or syllables.
[Link] is the repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the end of a
word.
[Link] involves the use of words that imitate the sounds they
represent.
[Link] compares two different things using the words "like" or "as".
[Link] tongue twister "Betty Botter bought some butter" exemplifies
onomatopoeia.

1. True
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. False
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]