The non-metallic character __ down the group and __ from left to right across the period.

The non-metallic character increases across a period. As we move down the group, the non-metallic character decreases due to increase in the atomic size.

Metallic character refers to the reactivity of metal, that is how easily an element can lose electrons in a reaction.The elements that have the ability to gain electrons are known as non-metals.