As you read a narrative, you encounter a constant stream of details--some of them explicitly stated, some more implicit, meaning you have to figure them out based on the clues provided by explicit details. When you summarize the story for someone else, or answer questions about it, you think back to the details. In your own thoughts about the story, you will probably include both explicit and implicit details.
Give it a try. Read the short narrative below, noting both explicit and implicit details. Then complete the activity below.
Monday was the first day of school. When he got out of bed, Ralph expected to see the sun shining. Instead, clouds covered the sky and dark puddles pooled on the sidewalk. It was a dark and stormy day. Depressed, Ralph reached for his school uniform. When he tried on his pants, he was shocked to see they only reached his shins! Ralph had grown four inches over the summer and his clothes no longer fit. Ralph looked at his class schedule and sighed. His day would start with algebra. Just thinking about the complicated equations made his stomach flip.
Sensing that Ralph might be nervous on his first day of school, his mother prepared his favorite breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Looking at the plate of food, Ralph smiled. School wasn’t always bad. He remembered how the football team won the state championship last year. On the day of the final game, the entire school was nervous. If the team won, it would be the first time in history! Everyone in the school seemed to hold their breath on game day, as if they sensed history was being made.
Remembering this wonderful day, Ralph collected his books and walked toward school with a feeling of excitement. Today was the first day of a brand new school year!
Now answer each of the questions below. (Note that the question changes for each item in the activity.)
Which is an explicit detail from the story?
- Clouds covered the sky and dark puddles pooled on the sidewalk.
- The day did not start out as Ralph expected.
This is correct. The story explicitly (directly) states that “clouds covered the sky and dark puddles pooled on the sidewalk.” The other detail is implied, but not directed stated in the story.
The story explicitly (directly) states that “clouds covered the sky and dark puddles pooled on the sidewalk.” The other detail is implied, but not directed stated in the story.
Which description of Ralph is implicit--rather than explicitly stated?
- When Ralph tried on his pants, he was shocked to see that they only reached his shins!
- Ralph grew even more depressed when he realized how he would look to other students that day.
The second description is implied by the story—not directly word for word.
This is correct. The second description is implied by the story—not directly word for word.
Which of these are implicit details about Ralph’s school experience?
- Just thinking about the complicated equations made his stomach flip.
- Math was the subject Ralph liked least; it did not come easily to him.
The second detail is not directly stated in the story—instead, it is implied by the details that are stated in the story.
This is correct. The second detail is not directly stated in the story—instead, it is implied by the details that are stated in the story.
Which of these are explicit details about Ralph’s breakfast?
- His mother prepared his favorite breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.
- The breakfast his mother fixed made Ralph feel better about his first day of school.
This is correct. The first sentence is stated explicitly (word for word) in the story. The second sentence is suggested by the other details in the story.
The first sentence is stated explicitly (word for word) in the story. The second sentence is suggested by the other details in the story.
Summary
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Questions answered incorrectly:
