KS1 Characteristics of Fairy Tales | Reading Comprehension

English Quiz - Reading - Fairy Tales Characteristics (Questions)

This Key Stage 1 reading quiz looks at characteristics of fairy tales. This quiz asks children to identify the key features in these stories. The National Curriculum suggests Year 1 children in KS1 English and Literacy classes should know and be able to retell these tales, alongside traditional stories.

Many fairy tales have similar features, like how they begin. As soon as you read or hear ‘Once upon a time…’ you know this is a fairy tale. Test your knowledge on similarities between your favourite fairy tales.

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Most fairy tales end like this.

[ ]	A happy ending.
[ ]	A sad ending.
[ ]	Somebody screaming.
[ ]	Somebody dancing.

Which character doesn't belong in this list?

[ ]	Prince
[ ]	Princess
[ ]	Witch
[ ]	Doctor

Which setting seems most appropriate?

[ ]	A castle
[ ]	A bungalow
[ ]	A house
[ ]	A shop

Which character doesn't belong in this list?

[ ]	Giant
[ ]	Witch
[ ]	Banker
[ ]	Dwarf

Which era (time period) are fairy tales set in?

[ ]	The future.
[ ]	The olden days.
[ ]	Today - present days.
[ ]	They always begin at 2pm.

Which of these answers is a feature in most fairy tales?

[ ]	Starts with 'Once upon a time...'
[ ]	Everyone turns into frogs.
[ ]	Always set in a hospital.
[ ]	The main character is always a dog.

Which of these is not a good setting for a fairy tale?

[ ]	The forest
[ ]	A castle
[ ]	The woods
[ ]	A shopping centre

The number three is used in fairy tales but which of these stories does not have any connection to that number?

[ ]	Goldilocks and the Three Bears
[ ]	Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
[ ]	Three Little Pigs
[ ]	Rumpelstiltskin

Which of these characters is not normally a 'good' character?

[ ]	Witch
[ ]	Princess
[ ]	Fairy
[ ]	Dwarf

10.

Which of these answers wouldn't happen in a fairy tale?

[ ]	The princess needs saving.
[ ]	The princess is saved by a prince.
[ ]	The prince is saved by a princess.
[ ]	Magic might help the characters.

English Quiz - Reading - Fairy Tales Characteristics (Answers)

Most fairy tales end like this.

[x]	A happy ending.
[ ]	A sad ending.
[ ]	Somebody screaming.
[ ]	Somebody dancing.

It is actually a saying, to want a happy ending - it means you want to have a happy life, like in the fairy tales.

Which character doesn't belong in this list?

[ ]	Prince
[ ]	Princess
[ ]	Witch
[x]	Doctor

Often the villain is a wicked witch but don't worry - she never succeeds!

Which setting seems most appropriate?

[x]	A castle
[ ]	A bungalow
[ ]	A house
[ ]	A shop

Often, fairy tales involve royalty like princesses and princes and start in a castle.

Which character doesn't belong in this list?

[ ]	Giant
[ ]	Witch
[x]	Banker
[ ]	Dwarf

Fairy tales have very clear good characters and bad characters. Witches and giants are usually bad characters!

Which era (time period) are fairy tales set in?

[ ]	The future.
[x]	The olden days.
[ ]	Today - present days.
[ ]	They always begin at 2pm.

Each fairy tale is set in the past and in a different world where animals can talk and magic exists!

Which of these answers is a feature in most fairy tales?

[x]	Starts with 'Once upon a time...'
[ ]	Everyone turns into frogs.
[ ]	Always set in a hospital.
[ ]	The main character is always a dog.

Did you know, Cinderella is the most popular pantomime in England.

Which of these is not a good setting for a fairy tale?

[ ]	The forest
[ ]	A castle
[ ]	The woods
[x]	A shopping centre

Almost all fairy tales will be placed in one of those three locations.

The number three is used in fairy tales but which of these stories does not have any connection to that number?

[ ]	Goldilocks and the Three Bears
[x]	Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
[ ]	Three Little Pigs
[ ]	Rumpelstiltskin

Although the clue isn't in the name, Rumpelstiltskin lets the daughter guess his name three times.

Which of these characters is not normally a 'good' character?

[x]	Witch
[ ]	Princess
[ ]	Fairy
[ ]	Dwarf

Most of the time witches in fairy tales are bad and stay that way!

10.

Which of these answers wouldn't happen in a fairy tale?

[ ]	The princess needs saving.
[ ]	The princess is saved by a prince.
[x]	The prince is saved by a princess.
[ ]	Magic might help the characters.

The three answers can all happen and do happen quite often; this makes them features in a fairy tale. By that, we mean it is something that happens quite often and there is a pattern.