Practice recognizing and explaining different types of conflict in literature, including character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. society, character vs. nature, and character vs. technology.
Read each problem carefully. Identify the type of conflict and explain your thinking in complete sentences when needed.
Identifying internal and external conflicts in stories
Language Arts - Grade 6-8
- 1
A student wants to tell the truth about breaking a window, but feels afraid of getting in trouble. What type of conflict is this?
- 2
Two best friends both want the lead role in the school play, and they begin arguing over who deserves it more. What type of conflict is this?
- 3
In a story, a girl refuses to follow a town rule that bans books from the public library. What type of conflict is this?
- 4
A family tries to survive during a powerful blizzard that traps them in a mountain cabin. What type of conflict is this?
- 5
A delivery robot begins making dangerous choices, and the main character must shut it down before anyone gets hurt. What type of conflict is this?
- 6
Read the situation: Marcus knows his friends are cheating on a test, but he cannot decide whether to report them. Identify the conflict type and explain why.
- 7
Read the situation: A young athlete wants to join a team, but the league does not allow players from her neighborhood. Identify the conflict type and explain why.
- 8
Read the situation: During a drought, farmers in a novel struggle to keep their crops alive as the land dries out. Identify the conflict type and explain why.
- 9
Read the situation: A boy and his sister disagree about whether to sell their grandmother's house, and the disagreement grows into a major family argument. Identify the conflict type and explain why.
- 10
Read the situation: A smart home locks all the doors after a system error, and the family must figure out how to escape. Identify the conflict type and explain why.
- 11
A character is ashamed of failing a competition and must decide whether to try again or give up. What type of conflict is this, and what details support your answer?
- 12
Write one original example of any type of literary conflict. Then name the conflict type you used.