Internal vs. external conflict worksheets for Grade 8 English.

📚 Topic Summary

Conflict is the engine that drives every story. It's the struggle a character faces. Internal conflict happens inside a character's mind – a tough decision, a moral dilemma, or battling their own emotions. External conflict is a struggle outside the character – against another person, nature, or society. Recognizing these conflicts makes stories much more interesting!

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary

Match the terms with their definitions:

1. Term: Internal Conflict
2. Term: External Conflict
3. Term: Protagonist
4. Term: Antagonist
5. Term: Dilemma

1. Definition: The main character in a story.
2. Definition: A struggle against an outside force.
3. Definition: A character or force that opposes the protagonist.
4. Definition: A difficult situation or problem.
5. Definition: A struggle within a character's mind.

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the paragraph with the correct words:

In the story, Sarah faced an ___________ conflict when she got lost in the woods. She also had an ___________ conflict about whether or not to cheat on the test. The ___________ of the story was Sarah, and the ___________ was the storm. Her ___________ was that she had to decide between her values and the easy way out.

Word Bank: internal, external, protagonist, antagonist, dilemma

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Think about a movie or book you've recently enjoyed. Describe one example of internal conflict and one example of external conflict that the main character faced. How did these conflicts make the story more interesting?