Year 3 English Reading poetry and plays: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Count every line of both stanzas.

1. Count stanza 1. Stanza 1 has four lines.
   4 lines
2. Count stanza 2. Stanza 2 also has four lines, so the total is 8.
   4 + 4 = 8
3. Write the answer.
   8

Check. Two stanzas of four lines make eight lines. ✓

Method. Find a word that ends in -ar.

1. Look at the ending of far. Far ends in -ar.
   far: -ar
2. Find a word with the same ending. Star ends in -ar, so it rhymes with far.
   star: -ar
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any word that ends in -ar, for example: star, car, bar, jar.

Check. Each of these words ends in -ar. ✓

Method. Write the last word of each line, and give each new ending its own letter.

1. Write the last word of each line. These are the words at the ends of the lines.
   bay / past / day / last
2. Give each new ending its own letter. Lines whose endings match get the same letter. The first new ending is A, then B.
   bay: A past: B day: A last: B
3. Write the answer.
   ABAB

Check. Bay and day share a letter; past and last share another. ✓

Method. Find the bold words, then count them.

1. Find the bold words in the line. In this book, the bold words are the strong beats.
   owls, hoot, haunting, call
2. Count the bold words. There are 4 bold words, so there are 4 beats.
   4
3. Write the answer.
   4

Check. Owls, hoot, haunting and call: four beats. ✓

Method. Find the stars, then the word that describes them.

1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: stars.
   stars
2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
   the tiny stars begin to glow
3. Write the answer.
   tiny

Check. Tiny describes the stars. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: small.

Method. Check the endings of the lines of each poem.

1. Check the poems. The Garden at Night and The Harbour at Dusk rhyme, and The Lost Mitten has a pattern.
   rhyme
2. Name the poem. Rain on the Window has no rhyme: its line endings do not match.
   Rain on the Window
3. Write the answer.
   Rain on the Window

Check. Its endings do not match. ✓

Method. Look for a story in the poem.

1. Look for a character and a setting. Ella is the character, and the setting is a frosty morning in the town.
   Ella
2. Look for events in order. The mitten falls, and then Ella turns back and finds it.
   events in order
3. Write the answer.
   Yes. It tells a story with a character, a setting and events in order.

Check. The poem tells a story. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: Yes, because it tells what happens to Ella.

Method. Think about how the lines of a poem are grouped.

1. Think about the groups. A stanza is one group of lines in a poem.
   one group of lines
2. Write the answer.
   a group of lines in a poem

Check. A stanza is a group of lines. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: a verse, meaning one stanza.

Method. Think about the words in brackets and italics.

1. Look at a stage direction. A stage direction such as (sighing) tells the actor how to say a line.
   (sighing)
2. Name the purpose. It can also say where to move, or what to do.
   where to move, what to do
3. Write the answer.
   What to do, how to move, or how to say a line.

Check. Stage directions are instructions for actors. ✓

Method. Choose a pause and a tone, and link each one to the words.

1. Choose a pause. A short pause after line 6 lets the listener see the snow.
   after line 6
2. Choose a tone. A warm, happy tone matches and felt a warm and happy glow.
   warm and happy
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any plan with one pause and one tone that match the words, for example: a short pause after line 6, and a warm, happy tone for line 8.

Check. Each choice links to the words of the poem. ✓

Watch out. Also accept any other pause and tone that match the words.

Method. Think about the groups of lines in a poem.

1. Think about the groups. A group of lines in a poem is a stanza.
   stanza
2. Write the answer.
   stanza

Check. A stanza is one group of lines. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: a verse, meaning one stanza.

Method. Compare the endings of each word with -ill.

1. Look at still. Still ends in -ill.
   still: -ill
2. Check each option. Hill ends in -ill. Ball ends in -all and cup ends in -up.
   hill: -ill
3. Write the answer.
   hill

Check. Hill and still both end in -ill. ✓

Method. Count the lines in both stanzas.

1. Count stanza 1. Stanza 1 has four lines.
   4 lines
2. Count stanza 2. Stanza 2 also has four lines, so the total is 8.
   4 + 4 = 8
3. Write the answer.
   8

Check. Two stanzas of four lines make eight lines. ✓

Method. Write the endings of the lines, then give each new ending a letter.

1. Write the endings. The endings are wall, call, low and glow.
   wall / call / low / glow
2. Compare the endings. Wall and call share -all, and low and glow share -ow.
   AABB
3. Write the answer.
   AABB. The words wall and call rhyme.

Check. Lines 5 and 6 both end in -all. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: AABB, with wall and call, or low and glow.

Method. Find the word like, then say what the comparison shows.

1. Find the simile. The poem says like someone who wants to come in.
   like someone who wants to come in
2. Explain the picture. The rain is compared with a person, so it seems to be knocking to get inside.
   knocking to get in
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any simile from the poem with a clear explanation, for example: like someone who wants to come in. It shows the rain seems to be a person knocking to get inside.

Check. A simile uses like to compare two things. ✓

Watch out. Also accept any simile from the poem, with a clear explanation.

Method. Find the words that come after folds up.

1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: folds up.
   folds up
2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
   folds up its gold
3. Write the answer.
   its gold

Check. The day folds up its gold. ✓

Method. Check whether the line endings match.

1. Look at two endings. Glass and sill do not share the same ending.
   glass / sill
2. Check the rest. None of the line endings match, so the poem does not rhyme.
   no rhyme
3. Write the answer.
   No. Its line endings do not rhyme, for example glass and sill.

Check. The endings are not the same. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: No, it is free verse with no fixed rhyme.

Method. Think about how each one looks in the script, and what it is for.

1. Explain the speaker. A speaker is the character who says the line. The name comes before a colon.
   OSCAR:
2. Explain the stage direction. A stage direction tells the actor what to do, and is in brackets or on its own line.
   He holds up a red hat with a white stripe.
3. Write the answer.
   A speaker is the character who says a line, written in capitals before a colon, for example OSCAR: Excuse me. A stage direction tells the actor what to do, and is not spoken, for example: He holds up a red hat with a white stripe.

Check. A speaker says the line; a stage direction is an instruction. ✓

Watch out. Also accept any correct example of each from the play.

Method. Make one choice for each part, and link each one to the words.

1. Choose a tone. A calm tone fits The sun sinks low above the bay.
   calm, line 1
2. Choose a pause and an action. A pause after line 2 gives the listener time to picture the boats; lowering your hand matches the sun going down in line 4.
   pause after line 2; lower your hand
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any plan with one tone, one pause and one action, each linked to a line, for example: a calm tone for line 1; a pause after line 2; lower your hand slowly for line 4.

Check. Each choice links to a line of the poem. ✓

Watch out. Also accept any other plan that uses one of each and links it to the poem.

Method. Look for the setting, the character and the events.

1. Find the setting and the character. The setting is one frosty morning, across the town. The character is Ella.
   a frosty morning; Ella
2. Find two events in order. First a mitten falls into the snow. Then Ella turns back and sees it.
   mitten falls; Ella turns back
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any accurate answer, for example: setting: a frosty morning, across the town; main character: Ella; events: a mitten falls into the snow, then Ella turns back and sees it.

Check. Each part is taken from the poem. ✓

Watch out. Also accept any two events in the right order, from the poem.