Questions: What Is Real vs What Is Pretend

Question 1

Which of these is the trickiest to classify as 'real' or 'pretend'?

• A. A rock on the ground
• B. A dragon in a fairy tale
• C. The number 7
• D. Your pet dog

Answer: (C)

A rock and a dog are clearly real things you can touch. A fairy-tale dragon is clearly pretend. But the number 7 is tricky: you cannot touch it, but it seems to be true everywhere and for everyone. Philosophers debate whether numbers are real.

Question 2

If you cannot see or touch something, it is definitely not real.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Many real things cannot be seen or touched, such as gravity, sound waves, feelings, and ideas. Being invisible or intangible does not make something pretend.

Question 3

Why might someone say that a story character feels 'real' even though they know the character is fictional?

• A. Because they are confused about what fiction means
• B. Because the character's feelings, struggles, and personality feel true to life and connect to real human experiences
• C. Because all fictional characters are actually based on real people
• D. Because reading a book magically makes characters come alive

Answer: (B)

A well-written character can feel real because they capture something true about human experience -- even though the specific person is made up. This shows that 'real' can mean more than just physically existing.

Question 4

Pretend things like stories and games have no value because they are not real.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Pretend things are extremely valuable. Stories teach us about feelings and experiences. Games help us practice skills and try out ideas. Imagination helps us plan and create. Something does not have to be physically real to matter.

Question 5

Pick something that is hard to classify as 'real' or 'pretend' and explain why it is tricky.

Model answer: A good answer might discuss something like dreams (they happen to you, but the events in them are not real), or feelings like love (you cannot see or touch love, but it clearly exists and affects people), or rules of a game (the rules are made up, but everyone follows them and they have real consequences).

A strong answer picks something genuinely in-between and explains the reasons it could be called real AND the reasons it could be called pretend, showing thoughtful analysis.