Reading comprehension, Year 7: plot, novels and feelings

A flashback

HintFilms often blur the screen before one.

The whyWriters use it to supply the past at the moment it matters most, such as revealing why a character fears water just as they reach the river.

Chronological order

HintIt comes from the Greek word for time.

The whyRetelling a story in this order, whatever order the writer used, is a good check that you have followed the plot.

Finding the letter

HintTwo words in the second sentence move the clock backwards.

The why'Hours earlier' and the verb 'had found' both signal a step back in time. The story tells the effect first and the cause second.

The unlocked gate let the dog escape

HintAsk what the earlier slip made possible.

The whyPlots are chains of cause and effect. A small detail planted early often turns out to be the cause of a later event.

Reread the last page or two

HintGo back a little before going forwards.

The whyA short reread reminds you where the characters are and what they want. It costs a minute and saves a confused chapter.

The protagonist

HintThe word comes from Greek drama, where it meant the first actor.

The whyIn a long novel, the protagonist's aims and problems are the thread that ties the chapters together. Keeping hold of that thread helps you keep hold of the plot.

A subplot

HintThink of a smaller story tucked beneath the big one.

The whyNovels have room for more than one thread. A subplot often follows a minor character and usually joins up with the main story before the end.

Summing up what just happened in a sentence or two

HintIf you could not tell a friend, you have not got it yet.

The whyA summary of a sentence or two forces you to pick out what mattered. Strung together, the summaries become the plot of the whole book.

Guilty or ashamed

HintThink about why you might avoid someone's eyes.

The whyHidden hands and a lowered gaze are the body language of someone who wants not to be seen. The writer trusts the reader to infer the feeling.

No — her actions show she is upset

HintCompare the words with the body language.

The whyWhen speech and behaviour disagree, readers believe the behaviour. The gap between the two is where the real feeling is found.

Anger

HintNotice the force he uses.

The whyDad says nothing, but the force does the talking. 'So hard the cutlery jumped' is the evidence you would quote.

Evidence from the text

HintA claim on its own is only half an answer.

The whyAn inference is a claim, and a claim needs support. 'Jay is ashamed because he stares at the floor' is an answer; 'Jay is ashamed' is only half of one.