Foreshadowing in Literature
A Grade 7 ELA worksheet focusing on identifying and understanding foreshadowing in literary texts.
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Foreshadowing in Literature
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Read each question carefully and follow the instructions. This worksheet will help you understand foreshadowing, a literary device where authors give hints or clues about future events in a story.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
The old lighthouse keeper, Mr. Abernathy, always said the sea had a memory. He'd seen more storms than he could count, and each one seemed to carry a whisper of the last. "Never trust a calm sea too much, lad," he'd warned young Thomas, his eyes scanning the horizon. "She's a fickle mistress, and she can turn on ye faster than a blink." Thomas, eager for adventure, often dismissed the old man's warnings as mere superstition. But as the sky began to darken with an unnatural speed, and the gulls cried out a frantic, unfamiliar tune, a shiver ran down his spine. He remembered Mr. Abernathy's words, and for the first time, truly understood the weight of them.
1. Which of the following lines from the passage is an example of foreshadowing?
"The old lighthouse keeper, Mr. Abernathy, always said the sea had a memory."
"He'd seen more storms than he could count, and each one seemed to carry a whisper of the last."
"Never trust a calm sea too much, lad,' he'd warned young Thomas..."
"Thomas, eager for adventure, often dismissed the old man's warnings..."
2. What event does the foreshadowing in the passage hint at?
Thomas going on a long journey.
A sudden storm or danger at sea.
Mr. Abernathy retiring from his job.
Thomas discovering a hidden treasure.
3. Foreshadowing is a literary device that gives or clues about future events in a story.
4. Authors use foreshadowing to build and create anticipation for the reader.
5. Foreshadowing always makes a story's ending obvious.
True
False
6. A character having a bad dream about an upcoming event is an example of foreshadowing.
True
False
7. Explain in your own words why an author might choose to use foreshadowing in a story.
8. Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) that uses foreshadowing to hint at a positive future event for a character. Underline the sentence(s) that contain the foreshadowing.