Module 2: Short Stories

As you will learn throughout this course, masterful writers are able to manipulate the basic elements of a story to create a different world for a reader. Short stories are works in which writers fully develop a theme and/or plot, but in a work that is much shorter than a novel. In this module, you will read several exciting and tantalizing short stories and learn about the different elements of a story including plot, setting, irony, point of view, and more. Not only will you examine how to identify each of these elements, and but you will also explore how they impact a reader's overall understanding and interpretation of a story.

In addition, you will review the eight parts of speech, and learn the rules for subject-verb agreement. Knowing the parts of speech and how to use the rules of agreement will help you to improve your own writing skills.

Getting Started

Play a Popular Choice game! You will be presented with a question on the left and with blanks for top choices on the right. It is up to you to type in and submit your best answers to match those answers. Think quick because you are on the clock! HINT: You may want to check out some of the key vocabulary terms below first. Click the player button to get started.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

adjective	internal conflict	rising action
adverb	modifier	round character
antagonist	mood	secondary character
climax	moral	setting
complete predicate	noun	simple predicate
complete subject	paradox	simple subject
conjunction	plot	situational irony
dramatic irony	point of view	subject
dynamic character	predicate	subject-verb agreement
exposition	preposition	theme
external conflict	primary character	tone
falling action	pronoun	universal truth
flat character	protagonist	verb
interjection	resolution	verbal irony