genre: the author’s comment - pearson education · 2019-06-21 · edges genre: different genres 2...

Student sheet

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© Harcourt Education Limited, 2005

Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Genre: The author’s comment

Authors write novels for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they write for their own pleasure orbecause they have a good idea. Some authors are very aware of their audience (who they arewriting for). This could be teenagers, adults, people with particular interests or everyone.

1 What other reasons do you think authors have for writing?

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Authors also write in different genres.

2 Below is a list of genres. Add four more to the list.

horror _________________________________

romance _________________________________

comedy _________________________________

thrillers _________________________________

historical _________________________________

Some novels have a commentary in them from the author, about his/her work. In FightingBack Catherine MacPhail comments:

I always wanted to be a writer, but growing up in a working class family

background in the west of Scotland, with a widowed mother and three sisters,

being a writer was a dream I thought could never come true. It was only after my

youngest child was born that I started sending stories away.

I wrote every kind of story, from horror to romance, but began to realise I had a

knack for writing comedy. I thought I’d found the kind of writing I wanted to do,

until my daughter Katie was bullied at school and I wrote my first children’s book,

Run Zak Run. Now I love writing for children too.

Type of story or ‘genre’

3 a In the commentary above, underline the type of genre Catherine MacPhail thought shehad a ‘knack for writing.’

b Do you think her first children’s book was this type of genre? Underline the words thatled you to this conclusion and explain why they did.

2edges Genre: Different genres

Look at the extracts below from Fighting Back. Which of the genres listed at the bottom ofsheet 3 do they seem to come from? (There are more genres listed than extracts so you needto think carefully about which match correctly.)

Extract A

page 6

Extract B

page 14

Extract C

page 62


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

. . . she aimed her handbag against the wall. Unfortunately, it missed thewall. It did hit the removal man though. Caught him full on the mouth justas he was coming in carrying the television set. He let out a yelp anddropped the TV.

I could have a telescope out here. Stargaze. Up thirteen flights, I was closeenough to them. I might even become a famous astronomer. I peered atthe moving bead of light. A UFO? I followed its course across the sky.

I was choking with the thick acrid smoke. Too afraid to move. Mumreturned and threw more towels on the flames. She glanced at me. ‘KERRY!’I had seldom heard such force in her voice. ‘Get more towels NOW!’

That made me move. I ran to the cupboard, pulling towels from the pileand running back to the bathroom with them. Mum had the bath runningand I threw the towels into the water while Mum carried each one, soaking,back to the blaze.

Student sheet

3edges Genre: Different genres (continued)

Extract D

page 81

Extract E

page 85


‘I was thinking, Mum, remember that can of kerosene the police found onour stairs?’

Mum just shrugged. ‘There weren’t any fingerprints on it.’‘But what about if that wasn’t the one they used. What if that was a

decoy?’ That was what Ming had called it. ‘So the police would look nofurther for the real can, the one with the fingerprints on it.’

Mum basked in this attention. She’d had it from no one else.That got me thinking. Did Ali fancy my mum? He was certainly a more

suitable boyfriend for her than PC Grant. He was a good-looking man, andhe had a lovely set of teeth. He was forever showing them off.

And he was giving her so much attention now.

Genres

• Science-fiction • comedy • fairy-tale • thriller • adventure

• detective • myths and legends • romance.

4edges Genre: What genre is Fighting Back?

1 From what you have learned so far about genre, the information you have about FightingBack from Catherine MacPhail’s comments and the extracts you have read, what kind ofbook do you think Fighting Back is likely to be?

Write a paragraph below to explain whether you think it fits into a particular genre. Youcan mention more than one kind of genre if you wish.

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2 Now imagine you are a famous author. Write a paragraph below saying:

• Why you write. (For example you might write about life in different countries becauseyou have travelled all over the world.)

• What kind of genre you write in and why. (You can choose more than one type.)

• Who your audience is.

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Student sheet

5edgesExploring openings and setting thescene: Extract

Read the extract below and on sheet 6. Record the clues you find, about what will happen in thestory, in the table on sheet 7.


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

‘ Look what they ’re doing with my china cabi n et ! ’ my mother yell ed . As we drove up I co u l d

s ee the rem oval men trying to manoeuvre a piece of f u rn i tu re out of the va n .

‘ Hu rry ! ’ she scre a m ed at the taxi driver. ‘ Before they pull it to bi t s .’

I could tell by the taxi driver ’s ex pre s s i on that he wi s h ed he had an ej ector seat for my mother.

She had done nothing but shout at him since he’d picked us up at our old house.

Our old, bel oved house.

I knew Mum was shouting to keep from cryi n g. But he wasn’t to understand that.

She was out of the car even before he had pull ed to a halt, ch a n ging the directi on of h er yell s

to inclu de the rem oval men .

‘ Here , M rs Gra h a m ,’ the driver call ed after her. ‘Am I going to get paid?’

She tu rn ed back to him and gl a red and pushed some mon ey into my hand. ‘ Pay the man,

Kerry,’ she ordered me. ‘ But I wo u l d n’t bo t h er with a ti p.’

Th en she was of f , running into the tower bl ock after her china cabi n et , s ti ll yelling abu s e . I

gave the driver a tip any w ay.

‘You just moving in?’

I thought that was a kind of s tupid qu e s ti on con s i dering he had been fo ll owing a van with all

our worl dly po s s e s s i ons for the past twen ty minute s .

‘You didn’t ex act ly pick a nice place to move to. You know, taxis won’t even come into this

e s t a te at night time – it’s too dangero u s .’

An o t h er stupid rem a rk . Di d n’t he think we knew that too? And we had n’t ex act ly picked it.

This had been the final of fer the council were prep a red to make . Mum had tu rn ed down

everything el s e . I loo ked up the fifteen floors of the high tower bl ock and shu d dered . It loo ked

t h re a ten i n g, f ri gh ten i n g, and at that mom ent I would have done anything to be going back to my

old house, my old bed room – hom e .

A small , c u rious crowd had ga t h ered round the va n , m o s t ly young people like me.

‘ If I was yo u ,’ the taxi driver wh i s pered , ‘ I ’d sti ck ri ght be s i de that van of yo u rs . This lot wo u l d

s teal the eyes out of your head . . . and then come back for the eyebrows .’

I watch ed him drive of f as if I was losing an old fri en d , t h en loo ked around at all the face s

w a tching me. None of t h em loo ked fri en dly.

6edgesExploring openings and setting the scene:Extract (continued)

© Harcourt Education Limited, 2005Student sheet

Wh ere was Mum? Why had she left me here ?

I hated to admit it but I was scared .

We had heard so mu ch abo ut this estate , n one of it good . The ga n gs , the figh ti n g, t h e

d ru gs . I imagi n ed any minute the crowd going for me with knive s .

I ed ged my way tow a rds the va n , s t a ring inside as if I was re a lly intere s ted in the con ten t s .

Th en , wh en I imagi n ed they were going to jump me from beh i n d , I wh i rl ed round to face

t h em .

Th ey were sti ll staring with intere s t . Th ere was a boy heading a ball . He had hair so mu ch

l i ke Vel c ro I won dered why the ball didn’t sti ck to his head . He gl a n ced my way, but didn’t

s top his ga m e . S h owing of f , I dec i ded .

Th ere were wom en too. Fat wom en , a ll watching me inten t ly. Su d den ly one of t h em

s m i l ed , and I was so gra tef u l , I be a m ed back at her.

‘You moving into the thirteenth floor ? ’ she asked .

I nod ded .

She nod ded too and tu rn ed to the wom en around her.

‘Old Bi lly ’s flat.’

Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Exploring openings and setting thescene: Clues

Story openings give us clues about what will happen in the rest of the story. Use the tablebelow to record the clues you found in the extract on sheets 5 and 6 and note down whatthe clues suggest. The first one has been done for you.

Clues What the clues suggest

I could tell by the taxi driver’s expressionthat he wished he had an ejector seat formy mother. She had done nothing but shoutat him since he’d picked us up at our oldhouse.

Kerry’s mother can be irritating.She is also feeling the stress of themove.

I knew Mum was shouting to keep fromcrying.

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Exploring openings and setting thescene: Capturing the reader’s interest

In the early chapters of a novel the writer sets the scene so that the reader is given a strongsense of the story to follow. In this way the reader’s interest is raised and then kept.

Read the scene below from Chapter 2 of Fighting Back, where Kerry and her mother are lookingaround the new home they have just moved into, then answer the questions on sheet 9.

Page 5

Mum tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper and the whole strip fell down. She

wailed. ‘And we’re stuck with this!’

‘It’ll look better once it’s been decorated.’ I tried to soothe her. ‘And we’ve got a

balcony’.

We had thrown open the balcony doors to let some air into the place, and I

pointed to the magnificent view. The river like glass, and beyond the purple

Argyll hills with the Sleeping Warrior, the mountain that looked like a soldier at

rest, clearly outlined against the sky.

‘We could sit out there and have breakfast.’ I smiled. ‘Very continental.’

‘Where are we going to sit? On top of this satellite dish? And what’s it doing

there? Or hadn’t you noticed it?’

It would have been hard not to notice it. Lying askew out there, taking up most

of the room. It looked as if a flying saucer had crashed-landed on our balcony.

I sighed. I hated it when she was like this, and had only been trying to change

her mood. It wasn’t working. Mum was getting angrier by the minute.

Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Exploring openings and setting the scene:Capturing the reader’s interest (continued)

Read the extract on sheet 8 then answer the questions below.

1 Through whose eyes do you think the story is told?

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2 a Is it written in the first or third person?

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b How can you tell this?

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3 a How does Kerry feel about her new home?

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b Would you say her mum felt the same? Explain the reasons for your answer.

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4 In what way is Kerry’s attitude different to her mum’s in this extract? Find evidence in thetext to support your answer.

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5 Using the extract above and the extract on sheet 8, discuss with a partner what you thinkwill happen next. Try to think of three different possibilities.

i ____________________________________________________________________________

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ii ____________________________________________________________________________

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iii ____________________________________________________________________________

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Exploring openings and setting the scene:Similes

Writers need to bring their writing to life by creating images in the reader’s mind. One way to dothis is to use similes. A simile compares one thing with another by using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Read the following simile from Chapter 1 of Fighting Back (page 2)

1 What is Velcro? What does it feel and look like?

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2 What does it tell you about the way the boy looked?

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3 Create similes for the following.

a He threw the chair from the balcony like ____________________________________________

b She crept along the dim corridor like _______________________________________________

c He watched from the corner of his eye like __________________________________________

d The skateboard spun in the air like _________________________________________________

e He played with the ________________ as a dog plays _________________________________

Feedback1 Work with your partner and talk about what makes a good simile. Then note down three

rules for what a good simile should do.

2 Read your partner’s similes and choose the one you like best, using your rules. Explain toyour partner why you have chosen it.

He had hair so much like Velcro I wondered why the ball didn’t stick tohis head.

Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Exploring openings and setting thescene: Verbs, adverbs and adjectives

Verbs, adverbs and adjectives are parts of speech. They are used by writers to create vivid images.

VerbsWe often think of verbs as ‘doing’ or ‘being’ words because they are concerned with an action, ahappening or a state.

‘tore’ describes an action.

‘knew’ describes a state.

AdverbAn adverb adds detail to a verb and stresses the meaning.

1 a What does the following suggest to you about the Mother’s character?

She furiously tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper. . .

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b How is the mother’s character altered if the adverb is changed to the following?

She anxiously tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper. . .

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2 Think of two more adverbs to replace ‘furiously’ and ‘anxiously’ so that the meaning of thesentence is shifted. For each one, explain how the meaning has changed.

She ______________ tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper. . .

The meaning has changed _______________________________________________________

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She ______________ tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper. . .

The meaning has changed _______________________________________________________

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For example: Mum tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper. . .

I knew Mum would worry if I got home late

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Exploring openings and setting the scene:Verbs, adverbs and adjectives (continued)

AdjectiveAn adjective adds detail to a noun. So it describes something or someone.

For example, here the adjective comes before the noun:

The silver motorbike sped round the corner.

adjective noun

Adjectives can also come after verbs such as become, get, seem, look, be. For example

The rider seemed aggressive.

noun adjective

3 Can you guess which words in the following example are adjectives? If so, how do you know?

A small, curious crowd had gathered. . .

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Another stupid remark.

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It looked threatening, frightening. . .

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4 Where do the adjectives come in these examples?

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Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Exploring openings and Setting thescene: Using language

Read the extract below, noting the underlined words.

Page 5

1 A-E are examples of similes, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Write down which you thinkeach one is in the table below.

2 In the extract, find examples of the following and underline them:

a simile – underline it in red

b verb – underline it in blue

c adjective – underline it in green.

A

B

C

D

E

Mum tore a loose edge of peeling wallpaper and the whole strip fell down. Shewailed. ‘And we’re stuck with this!’

‘It’ll look better once it’s been decorated.’ I tried to soothe her. ‘And we’ve got abalcony’.

We had thrown open the balcony doors to let some air into the place, and Ipointed to the magnificent view. The river like glass, and beyond the purpleArgyll hills with the Sleeping Warrior, the mountain that looked like a soldier atrest, clearly outlined against the sky.

‘We could sit out there and have breakfast.’ I smiled. ‘Very continental.’‘Where are we going to sit? On top of this satellite dish? And what’s it doing

there? Or hadn’t you noticed it?’It would have been hard not to notice it. Lying askew out there, taking up most

of the room. It looked as if a flying saucer had crashed-landed on our balcony.I sighed. I hated it when she was like this, and had only been trying to change

her mood. It wasn’t working. Mum was getting angrier by the minute.

D

E

A

B

C

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Descriptions Characteristics

Ali (page 16) can feel guilt; kindness

Tess (page 16)

Ming (page 24)

Mrs Lafferty (page 25)

Kerry’s Mum (page 34)

Character and Setting: Characteristics

When we read a novel we build the characters in our minds, not only from the writing but alsofrom our own knowledge of different character types.

Below are some descriptions of characters from Fighting Back. Complete the table by writingdown their characteristics? Think about what they say or do and what others think of them, aswell as how they are described. Underline useful words. The first has been started for you.

Ali clapped his hands together with remorse for OldBilly. ‘To think he lay dead in that flat for three days –and none of us knew it.’

She looked at me and pressed a dirty-nailed finger toher lips. ‘Keep quiet if you know what’s good for you.’

Who on earth did this girl think she was? AlCapone? And, then, as bold as anything, she beganslipping bottles of shampoo into her pockets.

The wom a n’s smile grew wi der, and I saw her teeth weres t a i n ed with nico ti n e . ‘ Pret ty wee thing, Tess told meyou were .’

Te s s . The men ti on of that name sent shivers down mys p i n e , and I knew at that mom ent who this woman was.

‘She really nice. She just can’t get over Dad leaving us.Having to sell our house, and not having enoughmoney to buy another. Having to move here – thatwas the last straw.’

His face flushed with anger. Maybe he was trying tobe helpful, and I wasn’t taking him seriously at all.‘Let them get you!’ he snapped. ‘Then you’ll see howbad they are.’

Student sheet

15edges Character and setting: The villain

The extract below reveals several characteristics about Tess Lafferty and also gives informationabout her appearance.

Page 3–4


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

There was a movement beside me, and I turned quickly to find a girl atmy back. She had long dark hair tied in a ponytail, and she was wearinga very expensive designer jacket.‘What’s your name?’ she asked me. She was smiling and I smiled backat her.

‘Kerry Graham.’ This girl was just about my age. Thirteen. Maybe, Ithought hopefully, she would be a friend. It would be nice to think thatby the time we’d moved in I’d made my first friend here.

‘I’m Tess Lafferty,’ she said, and another couple of girls appearedfrom behind the van. ‘These are my mates.’

She lifted a fragile glass vase from one of the boxes. ‘Nice,’ she said.I caught my breath. ‘Could you be careful with that . . . it’s Italian.’‘Ooooh, ever so posh, ‘ Tess Lafferty laughed, but there was nothing

funny in the sound. ‘Italian, is it?’ I gasped as she threw the vase in theair, then caught it deftly. She laughed again and so did her friends.

‘Put that back!’ I looked around for someone, one of the olderwomen, to tell her to stop. But it seemed as if they were already movingoff. Almost as if they were afraid to watch.

But that was silly. What would they be afraid of?I grabbed the vase and pulled it from Tess Lafferty’s clutches. Caught

unawares, she wasn’t pleased.‘Gimme that back!’ she said, as if it was hers, as if it belonged to her.‘I think you’d better get away from this van.’She snarled. She really did, baring her teeth, moving close to my face.‘Don’t you give me orders, Graham.’I glanced at the women who were left. Why were none of them

telling her off?Tess moved in closer, grabbed the front of my coat, spat the words at

me. ‘Nobody gives Tess Lafferty orders.’ Then she threw me away fromher and Mum’s favourite Italian vase slipped through my fingers. Itcrashed to the ground and splintered into a thousand pieces.

Tess’sappearance

Tess jeers atKerry.Charactertraitrevealedthroughspeech.

16edges Character and setting: Creating a setting

Use the diagram below to build a setting for a story.

1 Choose a genre from the following list

2 Write your genre in the middle of the diagram.

3 Make notes under each heading. You should give as much detail as you can.


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

science fiction fantasy thriller romance historical comedy

What the place looks like When the story is set

The kinds of people/creatureswho live there

The kinds of things thathappen there

Student sheet

17edges Narrative: Who’s telling the story?

Read the extract below from Chapter 14 of Fighting Back, then answer the questions on sheet 19


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Over the next couple of days, I was glad to see that Sandra stayed well out ofMum’s way, and so did Tommy Telfer. I was even gladder about that.

Ming, however, couldn’t resist talking about it. He thought it was a great laugh.‘You can’t really blame her. You maw was trying to steal my maw’s boyfriend.’‘Is your maw Sandra the Strangler?’ I asked.That really amused him. ‘That’s the very lady!’‘I can’t believe you think mum would be interested in Tommy Telfer.’‘Ach. Tommy’s OK. He’s been going out with her for a while but my maw’s not

talking to him now.’‘I would say we did your mother a favour then.’‘She was upset. She was paid off at the factory, and when she heard about

Tommy and your mother . . . boy, was she mad.’‘So that makes it alright then – to try to strangle my mum?’The idea of this seemed to amuse him even more.‘You definitely bring out the best I people. See, you and your mother Kerry . . .

you certainly know how to make friends.’

Mum and I had a lovely day shopping for a new television. Everything seemedso much better once we were off the estate, Mum was better too, brighter,happier.

‘You know, Kerry, I’ve never bought a television by myself before. Your dadalways did it.’

Dad. He was always there, in the back of her mind. Everything she didreminded her of him. However, I think she enjoyed choosing the exact model shewanted.

‘It will come with instructions?’ she asked the amused assistant. ‘Because I’mnot very technical.’

‘We’ll plug it in. And switch it on, Mum.’ I assured her. ‘You’ll soon learn.’The television was to be delivered on Monday. And Mum decided to have a

18edgesNarrative: Who’s telling the story?(continued)

Page 45–6


celebration tea in honour of the occasion. It was to be a late tea, however, becauseI was always late home on a Monday taking an extra class Mum had insisted on.

I was dragging my schoolbag behind me as I wandered across the estate afterschool. All at once, I remembered the new television which was to be deliveredtoday, and life seemed worthwhile again. I began to hurry.

The estate seemed deserted, quieter than I’d ever seen it at night. I took theshort cut over the children’s playground, and as I did, I heard one of the swingsbegin to creak as if someone had just a sat in it. I looked back. The swing wasgoing to and fro, but no one was on it. I glanced around. There was no one to beseen. The sun was going down, the gloom was descending. I suddenly wantedhome, and away from here. I turned away, ready to run, and this time it was theroundabout which began to turn creaking with rust.

No one was there either.My heart beat so fast I thought I was going to burst. The Lafferty boys. It had

to be them! I could imagine them leaping out at me, swinging their baseball bats.I began to run. As I headed straight past the slide they leapt out at me. Not the

Lafferty boys, but Tess, and a few of her friends.I stopped dead. Nowhere to go. Tess was barring my way.

Student sheet

19edgesNarrative: Who’s telling the story?(continued)

Read the extract on sheets 17 and 18 and then answer the questions below.

1 The extract is divided into three main paragraphs. Who are the characters involved in each ofthe paragraphs?

2 Which of these characters is telling the story?

3 The story is told in the first person. Find an example in the extract.

There are both advantages and disadvantages of writing in the first person.

Main advantages

• We feel closer to the narrator because it seems as if the narrator is speaking directly to us.

• We get one character’s point of view in depth.

Main disadvantage

• We can only experience the story from one person’s point of view.

4 Kerry experiences different kinds of feelings in the third paragraph. Sum these up in twosentences.

Despite the main disadvantage of writing in the first person, we do gain an insight into othercharacters’ feelings and opinions through the dialogue.

5 What do you find out about Sandra and Tommy Telfer from Ming’s words in the first paragraph?


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Sharpen PunctuationSometimes we abbreviate words or phrases by using capital letters.

1 Find an example in the passage and say what it means.

2 Do you know its origin?

3 Now imagine that Kerry is sending Ming an urgent text message saying that she needs hishelp because Tess and her brothers are laying in wait for Kerry. (You must decide whereKerry is texting from.) Write the text message using abbreviations and then re-write it in full.

20edges Narrative: Tess Lafferty’s point of view

The main disadvantage of writing in the first person is that we can only experience the storyfrom one person’s point of view.

Read the extract below (which is told through Kerry’s eyes) and then answer the questionson sheet 21

Page 45–6


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

I was dragging my schoolbag behind me as I wandered across the estate afterschool. All at once, I remembered the new television which was to be deliveredtoday, and life seemed worthwhile again. I began to hurry.

The estate seemed deserted, quieter than I’d ever seen it at night. I took theshort cut over the children’s playground, and as I did, I heard one of the swingsbegin to creak as if someone had just a sat in it. I looked back. The swing wasgoing to and fro, but no one was on it. I glanced around. There was no one to beseen. The sun was going down, the gloom was descending. I suddenly wantedhome, and away from here. I turned away, ready to run, and this time it was theroundabout which began to turn creaking with rust.

No one was there either.My heart beat so fast I thought I was going to burst. The Lafferty boys. It had

to be them! I could imagine them leaping out at me, swinging their baseball bats.I began to run. As I headed straight past the slide they leapt out at me. Not the

Lafferty boys, but Tess, and a few of her friends.I stopped dead. Nowhere to go. Tess was barring my way.

Student sheet

21edgesNarrative: Tess Lafferty’s point of view(continued)

Discuss with a partner how different the description might be if it was told through Tess Lafferty’seyes. Think about:

• Tess’s character

• where she might be when Kerry walks through the playground

• how she would describe Kerry.

Now write the description from Tess Lafferty’s point of view.

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Progress Check Look back at what you have studied in this unit. Write a short advice leaflet for students inYear 5 on creating character and setting. Think about:

• what a character might look like

• what a character’s personality might be like

• where and when a story might be set.

Your advice leaflet should:

• be written in simple language

• be no more than one side in length

• have headings and sub-headings.

22edges Exploring tone: Understanding tone

The term ‘tone’ refers to the mood created in a story. For example, a story about life in avillage may be written in a serious, frightening, humorous or gentle tone, it even might be allof them.

1 Fighting Back has a range of tones. Read each extract carefully and decide whether thetone is serious or humorous and why.

Extract 1

Page 33

Extract 2

Page 37

Extract 3

Page 48


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

For the next few days all was quiet, so quiet I could almost forget all aboutthe Laffertys. I met another of our neighbours. Mr McCurley, who lived inthe flat opposite. He came out of his door very quietly and gave me a verytiny smile. He was a big giant of a man who wore a cardigan and alwayscarried a shopping bag. Mum said he looked weird and I was to keep wellclear of him. Ming, however assured me he was one of the nicest men on theestate. He did the shopping for all the old pensioners who couldn’t get outand if he didn’t talk to us it was only because he was shy.

I looked at Tommy. He was having trouble trying to figure out how to plugit [the television] in. He had a bag of tools with him and from it he extractedsomething that looked suspiciously like a toasting-fork. He stuck it inside theback and there was a sudden spark and a distinct smell of burning.

‘Ah-ha,’ he murmured.

Tess shrugged her shoulders. ‘Give me room, girls,’ she said. And I couldalmost have laughed. She looked so stupid. ‘You see Kerry Graham. I’m goingto tell you something, and you better remember it.’ She paused, as if shewanted the words to sink deep into my memory. ‘You just don’t know whatyou’re up against when you tangle with me and my ma.’

Student sheet

Student sheet

23edgesExploring tone: Understanding tone(continued)

Extract 4

Page 59

2 Apart from being serious or humorous what other tones are included in these extracts?

Extract 1

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Extract 2

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Extract 3

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Extract 4

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________


Suddenly there was a fanatical scream from next door.We looked at each other. ‘Is that a horror film on satellite?’ I asked.

It wasn’t. It was Sandra on the warpath.

24edges Exploring tone: Creating tone

There are several ways a humorous tone can be created in a piece of writing.

Playing with names. For example:

A

Using alliteration. This occurs when a sound at the beginning of a word is repeated in anearby word. For example:

B

Alliteration using the sounds ‘T’ and ‘M’ create a humorous effect.

Making absurd or silly links between one thing and another. For example:

C

absurd links are made between ‘wild men’ stealing ‘chip money’

Make up your own examples of A, B and C above.


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

I made my way towards the ‘The Wee Chippy’. The name was emblazoned inblack above the shop, except the C was missing so it actually read: ‘the WeeHippy’. I couldn’t help smiling as I walked inside.

The lift was covered with graffiti advertising the local gangs. Each one soundedworst than the last.

Every time the doors slid open I expected the lift to be invaded by a gang ofwild men, who would overpower me and steal my chip money.

I LSE

Student sheet

25edges Exploring tone: Altering the tone

The extract below from Fighting Back has a serious tone. Study the underlined words andannotations.

Page 20

By replacing the underlined words we can easily alter the whole tone of the writing.

1 a Change the underlined words to make the tone humorous.

b Try to think of real names and use alliteration. Make several attempts and choose the best.

2 Now create your own comic scene. Write about 300 words. You could think of your own orchoose from these:

• chip shop

• broken lift

• playground

• launderette.

Include the following:

• alliteration

• a repeating adjective

• a simile

• absurd links.


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

The older policeman spoke first, introducing himself as

Sergeant Maitland and the gorgeous one as Constable

Grant. ‘Yes, Mrs Graham. I believe you saw it all.’

‘I did,’ she said. ‘The girl was quite blatant about it. She

looked as if she did it all the time.’

‘She does,’ he said. He turned a steely gaze on me. And

when I say steely, I mean steely. His eyes were hard and grey

like gunmetal.

ordinarynames thatattract noattention

repeated adjectivemakes the characterseem tough anddetermined

simile sums upthe character

Feedback

Swap your writing with a partner. Give each otherfeedback on how well you created a humorous tone.

• Was your partner’s writing humorous?

• Did they choose successful names and adjectives?

• Did they choose successful similes and alliteration?

• Did they make absurd links?

Using the feedback your partner has given you makeimprovements to your work.

26edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Creating suspense: The Fire

When we are reading a story we sometimes experience a sense of growing excitement or‘suspense’. We are not quite sure what will happen next and we want to find out.

Read the extracts below from chapters 17 and 18, then answer the questions on sheet 27.

Extract 1 (Chapter 17)

Page 60

Extract 2 (Chapter 18)

Page 61

I awoke in the middle of the night. The house was silent. But something hadawoken me. What?

There was no sound. Nothing. It was my imagination. I turned over, ready togo back to sleep when it hit me.

The smell. Smoke! I could smell smoke! The flat was on fire!

I scrambled out of bed, shouting, racing for the front door.‘Mum! Mum!’ I screamed. When I saw the front door was ablaze I really began

to panic. How we were going to get out? Mum was bleary-eyed as she opened thedoor of her bedroom, but her eyes snapped open when she saw flames. Herscream joined mine.

‘What are we going to do?’ I yelled at her.I ran to the balcony and threw open the doors. Ming was already in his

pyjamas. His face was chalk-white.‘Fire!’ I screamed at him. ‘Our house is on fire!’‘My maw’s already called the fire-brigade.’‘We can’t get out, Ming,’ I couldn’t keep the panic out of my voice. ‘The front

door’s blazing.’He reached out a hand. ‘Come on then. Over here.’I think my heart stopped beating then. I was sure of it. I looked down. Thirteen

floors. I couldn’t. I knew I couldn’t jump from my balcony to his.‘Come on!’ He screamed at me through clenched teeth. ‘I’ll get you. I promise.’His hands were already reaching out to me. Both of them, thrust towards me.

’Jump, Kerry,’ he said, his voice urging me. ‘I promise I’ll not let you drop.’For a moment, I almost did. I almost reached out and leapt for his hands. Then

I thought of Mum here in the flat and I began to back away, shaking my head. Iwas staying with Mum, no matter what.

Student sheet

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Creating suspense: The Fire (continued)

1 How do the underlined words in the Extract 1 help to create suspense?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2 Why do you think the writer doesn’t tell us straight away what is happening?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3 How does the writer release the tension in the last line of Extract 1?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

4 Why do you think the writer has stopped the action and then continued it in a new chapter?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

5 a Study the underlined sentences in Extract 2. They are all short. Why do you think the writer has used short sentences?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

b Find another series of short sentences in Extract 1. What effect is created in the reader here?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Creating suspense: Short sentences

1 Read the text below. Using what you have learned on sheets 26 and 27. Underline:

• all the techniques that build suspense

• where the tension is released.

2 Now rewrite the text so that there is less suspense.

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

3 Create suspense by writing your own short text of between 100–200 words. Choose from thefollowing scenes or think of your own:

a being chased down a long corridor in a disused factory

b trying against time to prevent a major computer crash

c struggling towards a lifeboat in a storm

d being trapped in a dungeon with no obvious means of escape.

I watched as he clambered up, his hands gripping the edge. The roof was steep.Too steep. He was struggling for a foothold. I could hear his shoes scraping thetiles. Slithering down. Faster. Faster. Then suddenly his grip loosened.I stared horrified as he plunged over the side.

Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Creating suspense: Progress check

1 Complete this writing frame to show you understand how suspense is created in stories.

2 Discuss your sentences with a partner. Do they think you need to make any improvementsto your sentences?

Writers create suspense because _________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

One technique for creating suspense is ____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

For example, in Fighting Back ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Another technique for creating suspense is ________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

For example ____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

A third way to create suspense is _________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

For example ____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Readers like suspense because ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

30edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Influencing the readers: Kerry and herMother

Kerry and her mother are not getting on well after the arson attack on their flat.

Read the extract below and on sheet 31, then answer the questions on sheet 32.

Mum just couldn’t come to terms with the fire. For the next couple of days shelay on our couch, drinking tea. The television had almost broken her, the fire hadfinished the job. The Laffertys had won.

All she wanted was out of here.‘If your father was here, we could go to him. After all, it’s your safety I’m

thinking about. Only for him, you wouldn’t be here – it’s all his fault anyway.’‘It’s not, Mum,’ I tried to tell her. ‘It’s the Laffertys. That’s the only people who

are to blame. If you have to blame someone, blame them!’That only made her angry. ‘Oh, of course, don’t say a bad word about your

wonderful father!’ The same conversation over and over again. Always finishingwith: ‘It was her next door that started that fire.’

But it wasn’t it. Ming assured me of that.‘What are we going to do, Ming?’‘It’s over, Kerry,’ he answered. There was even a hopelessness in Ming’s voice I

didn’t understand.It was as if something really awful was hanging over us. I had never felt so

depressed in all my life.Our door was mended. They even sent people to clean the flat for us. But

nothing helped. Mum still lay along the couch, her eyes rimmed with red, neverchanging out of her dressing-gown. It was me who had to go to Ali’s for anythingwe needed. It was me who had to venture out, even though I was terrified I mightbump into the Laffertys. Mum couldn’t do anything except cry, and blame Dadfor everything that had gone wrong for us.

I prayed every night for Dad to come back for us. I missed him, wanted to talkto him so much. He had always been there for me, a tower of strength whenever Ineeded him. He wasn’t here now, and I needed him more than ever. I almost feltlike throwing darts at his picture too.

Then one day I came in from school and there was Mum on the couch withthe duvet cover pulled up around her.

Student sheet

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Influencing the readers: Kerry and herMother (continued)

Page 68–70

‘You’ll have to go down to Ali’s. We need milk, and something for the tea,’ shemurmured.

All at once I decided I wasn’t going to take it any more. I sat in the chairacross from her. ‘No,’ I said.

She turned to me very slowly. ‘What?’‘I said no. Why didn’t you go down and get something? You’ve been in all

day.’‘I’m never going out there again, unless it’s to leave this place.’‘But I have to go, is that it? I have to go out and risk seeing the Laffertys, is

that it?’She waved her hands about to shut me up. She didn’t want to talk about

it. But I did.‘I don’t care what you do,’ she said.‘I know that,’ I shouted at her. ‘As you long as you can lie in here and lock

yourself away, you don’t care what happens to me!’She suddenly sprang into life. ‘I tell you what! Why don’t you run back to

your daddy? I’m sure he’ll cook up a nice meal for you.’‘He always did! I yelled. And it was true. How often could I remember Dad

coming in and him and me in the kitchen making a meal? He was a good cook.Had he only learned because Mum wouldn’t?

‘Well, just pop over to America and live with him – I hope the swim acrossdoesn’t tire you out,’ she snapped at me viciously.

‘I wish I could,’ I screamed at her. I was crying now. Couldn’t stop myself. Hewanted me to.’

32edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Influencing the readers: Kerry and herMother (continued)

Read the extract on sheets 30–31 then answer the questions below.

1 How do you think Kerry’s mother is presented in the extract? Choose from the words below.You can choose more than one.

2 Find words or phases in the extract to support your choices

3 How is Kerry presented? Choose from the words below.

4 Find words or phases in the extract to support your choices.

5 Sum up the relationship with Kerry and her mother. Who do you sympathise with and why?

depressed resilient spiteful negligent jealous gentle

wayward angry quiet violent depressed lonely

Sharpen spelling

In the extract the Lafferty family are sometimes referred to in the plural, ‘Laffertys’. Adding‘s’ is the most common way to create a plural. However some nouns form different plurals.

We add ‘es’ to make plurals for words ending in ‘x’ , ‘ss’, ‘ch’ and ‘sh’.

For example: box/boxes.

Most words ending in ‘f’ or ‘fe’ change to ‘v’ before adding ‘es’ to make plurals.

For example: shelf/ shelves

Create the correct plurals for these words from the extract.

Think of two other plurals ending is ‘es’ and two ending in ‘ves’.

couch television life night conversation

Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Influencing the readers: Kerry’s father

The reader never meets Kerry’s father. He is presented to us through Kerry and her mother’s eyes.

1 Highlight evidence in the quotes that tell the reader about him.

2 Complete the table below. The first one has been started for you.

3 Sum up the differences between Kerry’s attitude and her mother’s attitude to Kerry’s father.

4 Which point of view would most reader’s side with and why?

What Kerry and her mother think The impression given of Kerry’s father

Responsible for Kerry and her mother’sgrim situation.

‘If your father was here, we could go to him.After all, it’s your safety I’m thinking about.Only for him, you wouldn’t be here – it’s allhis fault anyway.’

He had always been there for me, a tower ofstrength whenever I needed him.

He wasn’t here now, and I needed himmore than ever. I almost felt like throwingdarts at his picture too.

How often could I remember Dad comingin and him and me in the kitchen making ameal? He was a good cook. Had he onlylearned because Mum wouldn’t?

‘Well , just pop over to Am erica and live wi t hhim – I hope the swim ac ross doe s n’t ti re yo uo ut ,’ she snapped at me vi c i o u s ly. ‘I wish Ico u l d ,’ I scre a m ed at her. I was crying now.Co u l d n’t stop mys el f .’ He wanted me to.’

34edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Themes: Themes in Fighting Back

A story is not only a series of events involving different characters, it also usually has a maintheme or themes. Themes are the ‘big ideas’ that run through a story and which the author isinterested in exploring. For example being bullied at school.

Read the extracts below and on sheet 35 from Fighting Back. As you read, search for words thatgive you clues about the themes then record the key words from the extracts on sheet 36.

Remember:

• the same theme may turn up in different extracts

• there may be more than one theme in the same extract.

Extract A

Page 2

Extract B

Page 5

Extract C

Page 17

I looked up at the fifteen floors of the high tower block and shuddered. Itlooked threatening, frightening, and at that moment I would have doneanything to be going back to my old house, my old bedroom – home.

I sighed. Dad leaving us had hurt me too, though it seemed a long time agonow. I blinked back tears. No use crying, I told myself. Anyway, mum didenough of that for both of us.

Sadie blinked, confused. I saw her look at Tess. Tess glared back at her, butshe didn’t look frightened. It was if she was threatening Sadie with just thatlook.

Student sheet

35edges


Themes: Themes in Fighting Back (continued)

Extract D

Page 20

Extract E

Page 99–100

Extract F

Page 101

‘The family is well known, shall we say, in the area. Villains. We’ve alwayshad trouble with them. The father’s already in prison. The mother’s themoneylender up here. Ma Lafferty, as she is commonly known. She has acouple of sons, real bad boys. Everybody’s a little scared of them.’

A couple of weeks later we were invited to Sandra and Tommy’s engagementparty. Sandra was resplendent in shocking pink and Tommy had a new setof false teeth.

The police woman tried to pull her away, but Tess stood her ground. Tryingstill to make me afraid. I remembered all the threats she’d made, all thetimes she had made me afraid. And I couldn’t resist saying it.‘You see, Tess, you just didn’t know what you were up against when youtangled with me and my mum.’

36edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Themes: Themes in Fighting Back (continued)

1 When you have read the extracts on sheets 34–5, record the key words that give you cluesabout the themes, in the left hand column of the table below. In the right hand column, makenotes about the key words. The first one has been done for you.

2 What do you think the main themes of Fighting Back are?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Key words Notes on themes

A I would have done anything to be goingback to my old house. . . – home

Kerry is having to adapt to a new life.Misses old home.Themes: life, changes, homesickness

B

C

D

E

F

Student sheet

37edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Themes: A story with a theme

Below is a skeleton plan that should help you write a story with a theme. Complete the plan,making notes under the headings.

One example is given to help you get started, but you should think of your own ideas.

FeedbackWhen you have finished your story swap it with a partner. Read your partner’s story andanswer the following questions:

a Is your partner’s character faced with a problem?

b Does the character act in an interesting way to solve the problem? (This could be a sensibleor foolish way.)

c Can you work out the theme of your partner’s story?

d Make suggestions of how your partner could improve their story.

Your character isfaced with a problem:What should they do?

What happens as aresult of your

character’s action?

What theme isemerging from your

story?

Main character andcharacteristics

A fourteen year old,

confident, but headstrong.

Setting Your characterwitnesses a seriousincident. What is it?

38edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student sheet

Assessment task: The epilogue

Writers sometimes include an epilogue after the main story is over as a way of telling the readerswhat happens to the characters afterwards.

You are going to read the first part of the epilogue in Fighting Back followed by some questionsto help you focus on the way the writer has used language for effect. This is followed by a writingtask to show what you have learned in the unit. You should show clearly how to use:

• similes

• interesting verbs and adjectives

• short sentences

• other techniques to create suspense and a comic tone.

The story so far. . .

Ma and Tess Lafferty have trapped Kerry’s mother in the basement launderette in order to attackher. When Kerry realises what has happened she attempts to intervene. Ming, in the meantimehas alerted his mother, and the whole estate decides to deal with the Lafferty’s once and for all.Eventually the police arrive and Ma Lafferty and Tess are taken away.

EpilogueA couple of weeks later we were invited to Sandra and Tommy’s engagementparty. Sandra was resplendent in shocking pink and Tommy had a new set of falseteeth.

‘Pity he didn’t get a set that fitted,’ I whispered to Ming.He only giggled. ‘Och, he’s not so bad, Tommy. He’s good with the pocket

money.’‘Where is your mother? Sandra asked for the third time. I think she was getting

a wee bit fed up waiting for her. She and Mum were now on talking terms. Butfriendly? I don’t think they would ever stretch to that.

‘She’ll be here in a minute, Mrs Ramsey.’ I had been saying the same thing forthe past fifteen minutes. What was keeping my mum?

‘Maybe she’s changing into something more comfortable.’ Ming suggested in awhisper. He laughed. ‘A human being, for instance.’

In spite of everything that had happened, Mum was still getting on everybody’snerves. Ali had given her a job in his shop, though how long it would last wasanybody’s guess. She would refuse to serve anyone who didn’t ask for what theywanted in perfect English.

Student sheet

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Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Assessment task: The epilogue (continued)

Page 101–2

1 a What adjectives are used to describe Sandra in the opening paragraph?

_______________________________________________________________________________

b How does it reflect her character?

_______________________________________________________________________________

2 Find the simile used by Kerry to describe her mother. Why do you think the writer has chosen it?

_______________________________________________________________________________

3 Study the short sentences and separate lines below and find them in the epilogue. Why do you think the writer has not used them to create suspense?

_______________________________________________________________________________

Now read on.

‘I think I was sent here for a purpose, Kerry,’ she told me as if she was MotherTeresa of Calcutta.

Everybody else thought the purpose was to drive people up the wall.I still had high hopes that Ali fancied her. Half the estate hoped so too. They

saw it as a way of getting rid of her.Because we weren’t moving. Not yet, anyway.Just when everyone on the estate was ready to bring out the banners and wave

us goodbye, Mum had discovered that someone had died in the other flat too.‘I mean Kerry!’ she told me, disgusted. ‘Is that all they ever offer us?’Funny. I didn’t mind staying. Not now. Not with the Laffertys gone.And gone for good.The Laffertys were finished.

Funny. I didn’t mind staying. Not now. Not with the Laffertys gone.And gone for good.The Laffertys were finished.

40edges


Assessment task: The epilogue (continued)

page 102

4 Write a continuation of the epilogue (about 200 words) telling the reader what else hashappened to Ma and Tess Lafferty. Use some of the techniques you have developed in thisunit. Remember you will need to tell the story from Kerry’s point of view, in the first person.

Follow the steps on the guidance sheet (sheet 41) ‘Step by step’ to help you.

For a while I thought Ma Lafferty would come back and begin her reign ofterror again. However, as the same time as she had been holding my mother inthe launderette, others on the estate had taken advantage of her empty house andransacked it. The stack of benefit books she had taken from people who owed herhad been left for the police to find, and had led to more charges against her. But,more important, Ma Lafferty’s little black book, the one with all the names of thepeople who owed her money, had disappeared, and along with it her power onthe estate.

Student sheet

41edges


Name: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________

Step by step

Step 1

Think about what has happened.

• What else has Kerry found out?

• Has Ma Lafferty gone to prison yet? Is she still awaiting trial? How is she dealing with her newsituation?

• What has happened to Tess?

Step 2

When you have some ideas about what has happened, think about how you will write it. Whattechniques will you use? Remind yourself of the techniques covered in this unit:

• using effective similes, verbs adverbs and adjectives

• combining dialogue and interesting narrative detail

• writing in a comic tone by using such techniques as exaggerated alliteration, comic names andabsurd links.

• using short sentences to build up suspense or vary the pace for effect.

Step 3

Spend some time thinking about where you will use these techniques.

• If you use dialogue you will have to think about who talks to whom – Kerry and Ming are themost obvious possibilities.

• If you use dialogue you should use interesting narrative detail. (See the work you did underNarrative Techniques.)

• When you are focusing on character, remember that you can create characteristics throughthoughts, behaviour, dialogue, and descriptive detail. You may decide to introduce a newcharacter of your own.

Step 4

Write a first draft for your epilogue concentrating on what has happened.

Step 5

When you have finished your first draft read through it again carefully. Look at the list of techniquesabove to check you have used them all. Make changes to your first draft to introduce any missing orineffective techniques.

Step 6

Finally, when you are satisfied with your work, write out a final version.

genre: the author’s comment - pearson education · 2019-06-21 · edges genre: different genres 2...

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