Inferring Character Traits Worksheet | Reading Resource - Free Printable

To help you fill out this worksheet, we need to pick a character from a story and look at what they said and did. Since the worksheet doesn't give us a specific story, I will use a very famous character that most students know: Harry Potter.

Here is how we can fill in the boxes using Harry Potter as an example. You can use this example to understand how to do it for your own book, or you can copy this if your teacher allows examples from known stories.

Step 1: Choose a Character
We will choose Harry Potter.

Step 2: What did the character say?
We need a quote that shows his personality. In *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone*, when he finds out he is a wizard, he doesn't ask for money or power. He asks about his parents. But a better example of his trait is when he stands up to his friends.
*Quote:* "You're a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant... but scary." (He says this to Hermione).
*Better Quote for Bravery:* When facing the troll or Voldemort, he often says things like, "I'm going with you," or stands his ground. Let's use a simple action-based one instead, as it's easier to infer traits from actions.

Let's try a different character that is very clear: The Little Engine That Could (from the children's book). This is often used in lower grades.
*Character Name:* The Little Blue Engine.
*What did the character say?* "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
*What did the character do?* She pulled a heavy train full of toys over a high mountain even though she was small and tired.
*Character Trait:* Determined / Persistent / Optimistic.

Let's try one more common school example: Cinderella.
*Character Name:* Cinderella.
*What did the character say?* She rarely complains. She says polite things to her stepmother.
*What did the character do?* She cleaned the house all day, helped her stepsisters, and still went to the ball kindly. She forgave them later.
*Character Trait:* Kind / Patient / Hardworking.

Let's go with Cinderella as it fits the "princess" style drawing on the right side of your page well.

Filling in the Table:

1. Character Name: Cinderella
2. What did the character say? (Example): "Yes, stepmother," or asking politely to go to the ball. *Note: If you haven't read Cinderella recently, just remember she speaks softly and politely.*
3. What did the character do? She did all the hard chores in the house without complaining. She helped her stepsisters get ready for the ball even though they were mean to her.
4. Character Trait: Kindness and Patience.

Alternatively, looking at the drawing on the left (a man with a hat), it might be from a specific story you are reading in class. Since I don't know which book you are reading, I will provide a generic template you can use for ANY character.

How to solve this for YOUR book:

1. Pick a main character from the book you are reading.
2. Find one sentence they said that shows how they feel. Write that in column 2.
3. Find one thing they did (an action) that matches that feeling. Write that in column 3.
4. Pick one word that describes both of those things (like "Brave," "Mean," "Smart," "Shy"). Write that in column 4.

Example Solution (using a generic "Hero" character):

| Character Name | What did the character say? | What did the character do? | Character Trait |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Max (from *Where the Wild Things Are*) | "Let the wild rumpus start!" | He sailed away to an island and played with monsters instead of staying in his room. | Imaginative and Adventurous |

Example Solution (using a "Helper" character):

| Character Name | What did the character say? | What did the character do? | Character Trait |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Charlotte (from *Charlotte's Web*) | "You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing." | She spun words in her web to save Wilbur the pig from being eaten. | Loyal and Selfless |

Since you need to fill this out, here is a completed example using Charlotte from *Charlotte's Web*, which is a very common school book.

Final Answer:

Character Name: Charlotte
What did the character say? "I am writing this to save my friend." (Paraphrased from her actions/intent)
What did the character do? She stayed up all night spinning webs with words like "Some Pig" to trick humans into thinking Wilbur was special.
Character Trait: Loyal / Helpful