Year 1 English: Who and where: characters and setting
Part of the Year 1 English stories and fairy tales chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Who and where: characters and setting
Every story has characters. The characters are the people or animals in the story. The main character is the one the story is mostly about.
Every story also has a setting. The setting tells us where and when the story happens. It might be a park on a windy day, or a farm long ago.
Read Ruby and the Red Kite with a grown-up. Who is the main character? Where is the setting?
Ruby and the Red Kite
Ruby is a girl. She has a red kite.
One day the wind was strong. Ruby went to the park with her dog, Max.
Ruby ran across the grass. Up, up went the kite!
It flew high above the tall trees.
Noah is Ruby’s friend. He saw the kite and ran over to her.
“Can I have a turn?” asked Noah.
“Yes, you can!” said Ruby. She gave him the string.
Noah smiled and ran round and round. Max barked and ran too.
At the end of the day, Ruby and Noah sat on the grass. “That was fun!” said Ruby.
Key ideas
- A character is a person or an animal in the story.
- The main character is the one the story is mostly about.
- The setting is where and when the story happens.
- After you read, talk about the story: who, where and what happened?
Method. The main character is the one the story is mostly about.
- Read the first sentence. It tells us who the story is about.“Ruby is a girl.”
- Check the rest of the story. Most of the sentences are about Ruby and her kite.Ruby ran... Ruby said... Ruby gave...
- Write the answer. Ruby is the one the story is mostly about.Ruby
Check. Also accept: Ruby is the girl. ✓
Watch out. Noah and Max are in the story too, but they are not the main character.
Method. The setting tells us where the story happens.
- Look for the words that tell us where. Words like in and at tell us where.“went to the park”
- Check the other clues. Ruby ran across the grass, under the tall trees.the grass; the tall trees
- Write the answer. The place is the park.In the park
Check. Read the sentence: Ruby went to the park. The park is the place. ✓
Watch out. The park is a place. A windy day is a time. Both make up the setting.
Method. The setting is where and when a story happens.
- Find the place. The place is where the story happens.in the forest
- Find the time. The time is when the story happens.a cold night
- Write the setting. Put the place and the time together.A cold night in the forest.
Check. The setting has both: where (in the forest) and when (a cold night). ✓
Watch out. A character is a person or an animal. The setting is not a character.
Watch out
Watch out: the setting is not the same as the characters. In the park tells us where. Ruby tells us who.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read the story aloud, pointing to each character as they appear. Ask: “Who is this story about? Where is it happening? Is it day or night?” Then think of a story from a book at home, and say who the characters are.
Exercise 8A Characters and setting
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“Ruby is a girl.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The first sentence tells us the story is mostly about Ruby.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.Ruby
Check. Also accept: Ruby is a girl; the girl. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“went to the park”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The words in the park tell us where the story happens.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.in the park
Check. Also accept: the park; at the park. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“She has a red kite.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The first sentence tells us the colour of the kite.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.red
Check. Also accept: a red kite; it is red. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“the wind was strong”
- Think about what the clue tells us. Strong wind means the day was windy.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.windy
Check. Also accept: a windy day; it was windy; the wind was strong. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“her dog, Max”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The name comes straight after the word dog.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.Max
Check. Also accept: Max the dog. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“Ruby is a girl.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The story tells us Ruby is a girl.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.a girl
Check. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“her dog, Max”
- Think about what the clue tells us. Max is the dog that goes to the park with Ruby.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.a dog
Check. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“He saw the kite and ran over to her.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The word He tells us that Noah is a boy.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.a boy
Check. Also accept: a boy; Noah is a boy. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. The setting is the place and time. Read each choice and find the one about where and when.
- Read the three choices. Find the one about where and when a story happens.A: the place and time B: the main character C: the ending
- Check each choice. A character is a person or an animal. The ending is how the story finishes.B is a character. C is the ending.
- Write the answer. The place and time is the setting.the place and time
Check. Also accept: where and when the story happens. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the setting with the characters.
Method. A story has a character and a setting. Make both up, then write them in one sentence.
- Think of a character. A character is a person or an animal in the story.a fox
- Think of a setting. The setting is where and when the story happens.in the wood, on a cold morning
- Write one sentence. Put the character and the setting together.A fox sleeps under a tree in the wood on a cold morning.
Check. Read it aloud. Does it name a character, a place and a time? ✓
Watch out. Your sentence can be different. It must name a character, and say where and when.
Method. Use the picture to find the answer. The words in the story can help you check it.
- Look at the picture. Find the thing the question asks about.The string goes from the red kite down to the hand of the girl, Ruby.
- Check the words in the story. Ruby ran across the grass with the kite, and she gave Noah the string.
- Write the answer. Use the picture and the story together.Ruby
Check. Also accept: the girl; Ruby is holding the string. Point at the picture as you say the answer. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole picture first. Then find the thing the question asks about.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“She gave him the string.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. Ruby shares her kite. Sharing is a kind thing to do.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.She lets Noah have a turn with the kite.
Check. Also accept: she shares; she gave Noah the string; she let him have a turn. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.