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KS3 English · Year 9Chapter 1 · Reading fiction: evaluating inference, perspective and evidence
Year 9 · Chapter 1

Reading fiction: evaluating inference, perspective and evidence

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • I can infer feelings and motives across a whole story, and back each one with evidence.
  • I can test a narrator's account against other evidence and say how far I trust it.
  • I can weigh two readings of one event and say which is better supported, and why.
  • I can embed short exact quotations in my own sentences.
  • I can explain how a first-person viewpoint shapes what the reader knows.
  • I can summarise a passage in one sentence.

You should already know

  • Inference and evidence from a short text (Year 8, Chapter 1 of this book)
  • Quotation and embedding evidence (Year 8, Chapter 1 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Analysing language, structure and effect across a text (Year 9, Chapter 2 of this book)
  • Comparing texts: ideas, methods and sustained comparison (Year 9, Chapter 6 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 3 English, Year 9. Content: Read widely across fiction, including first-person narratives (KS3 reading, R1), Infer feelings, motives and attitudes across a whole text, and justify each inference with evidence (KS3 reading, R2), Evaluate competing readings of a text, and judge how far a narrator can be trusted (KS3 reading, R2), Embed quotation and select the most useful evidence precisely (KS3 reading, R7), Summarise a passage, keeping the main point and dropping small detail (KS3 reading, R7).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhat is a first-person narrator? Write the answer in one short phrase.
2
FWhat does it mean to infer something from a text? Write one short phrase.
3
FWrite one word that means the same as unsure.
4
FWrite the plural of the word thief.
5
FWrite the mark that ends a question. Write the mark only.
1.1

Inferring feelings and motives across a whole text

Year 9
Infer feelings and motives across a whole text, with evidence (KS3 reading, R2)
Video lesson: Inferring feelings and motives across a whole textComing soon
Story. Kai, fourteen, is sure he did nothing wrong. A greenhouse pane has cracked at the bottom of the garden, and his father has already decided who did it. Read the whole story: the narrator says a great deal about his innocence, and the details he gives may show a different picture.

Text 1: The greenhouse pane (original story, first person, seven paragraphs)

1Nobody saw me go near the greenhouse. I want that understood before anything else, because Dad has already decided that I cracked the pane, and he decided it before I had even reached the back door.

2I was in bed by ten. I had my headphones in and my door shut. Nia was in the bathroom singing something terrible, and the whole house smelled of her hair spray. When Dad asked me the next morning, I told him exactly what I have just told you.

3The greenhouse stands at the bottom of our garden, behind the shed. Dad built it two summers ago, and he talks about it the way other people talk about a dog. The tomatoes were nearly ripe. A crack ran along one pane, as long as my hand, and a grey stone lay on the soil inside. Nobody could explain the stone.

4Nia says she heard a window slam at midnight. She also says she heard the third stair creak, and that I was on the stairs in my socks. I have not walked on those stairs in socks since I was nine. I told her she was dreaming. She told me to stop being a baby, and then we did not speak for the rest of the evening.

5The stone came from the wall by the bins. I know because I put it there myself last spring, when we were laying the path. Dad said it was a good stone. He said I had a good eye for stones. I have wondered since whether he remembers saying that.

6On Sunday, Dad brought me a glass of orange juice that I had not asked for. He sat on the end of the bed, which he never does, and looked at the carpet for a long time. 'I just want the truth,' he said. 'Did you go out?' 'No,' I said. He nodded slowly, took the juice back to the kitchen and said nothing else. I think he was disappointed, although I could not tell which of us he was disappointed in.

7I have thought about it all week. Maybe I did go out. Maybe I opened the window to hear the wind, closed it again and forgot. People forget things. Nia forgets where she puts her keys every single day, and nobody accuses her of anything.

Key ideas

  • A character's words and actions can say different things. Look for the gap between them.
  • An inference needs evidence from the text, and the answer should say what the evidence shows.
  • Use the whole text. One detail can support an inference, but several details make it stronger.
Worked example 1.1.1
Why does Kai say "I want that understood before anything else" at the start?

Method. Find the detail, then infer the feeling behind it.

  1. Find the detail. Kai begins by saying nobody saw him, and that he wants it understood.
    I want that understood before anything else
  2. Read the reason he gives. He says Dad has already decided that he cracked the pane.
    Dad has already decided that I cracked the pane
  3. Infer the feeling. He feels judged before he has had a chance to speak, so he wants to be believed.
    he feels accused and wants to be believed
  4. Write the answer.
    he feels accused and wants to be believed

Check. The inference is supported by the two quotations. ✓

Watch out. Do not stop at "he is cross". Say why he is cross, using the text.

Worked example 1.1.2
Dad "looked at the carpet for a long time". Which feeling is most likely behind this action? Choose one: anger, uncertainty or boredom.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Looking away at the floor for a long time suggests he does not know what to say or what to believe.
    uncertainty fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Anger would make him stare at Kai or speak loudly, and boredom would not match the long, serious silence.
    anger and boredom do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    uncertainty

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 1.1.3
What does Kai's wondering about the stone tell us about how he feels about his father?

Method. Read what Kai wonders, then infer what the wondering shows.

  1. Find the detail. Kai says he has wondered whether his father remembers praising his eye for stones.
    I have wondered since whether he remembers saying that
  2. Read the praise. His father once said he had a good eye for stones, which was a kind of trust.
    a good eye for stones
  3. Infer. If his father has forgotten, the trust may be gone, so Kai feels hurt and uncertain.
    he fears his father no longer trusts him
  4. Write the answer.
    he fears his father no longer trusts him

Check. The wondering links to the earlier praise. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not guess a feeling that the text does not suggest. Every inference needs a quotation, and the quotation must support the feeling you name. A feeling that is never shown in the text is a guess.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Write the inference first, then the evidence, then one sentence that explains how the evidence shows the inference.

Exercise 1A  Practice: inferring feelings and motives

1
FCopy the words that say where the greenhouse stands.
2
FCopy the words that show how long the crack was.
3
FWhat does terrible mean in the phrase "singing something terrible"? Write the meaning in your own words.
4
FWhat does nearly mean in the phrase "The tomatoes were nearly ripe"? Write the meaning in your own words.
5
FWhich paragraph describes the conversation about the orange juice? Write the number.
6
FInfer how Dad feels when he looks at the carpet for a long time. Give one feeling and quote the evidence.
7
FInfer how Kai feels about being blamed for the crack. Give one feeling and quote the evidence.
8
FInfer how Nia feels about Kai when she argues with him about the stairs. Give one feeling and quote the evidence.
9
FWhich word best describes Kai's tone in the first paragraph? Choose one: defensive, cheerful or bored.
10
FIn which paragraph does Kai say he put the stone there himself? Write the number.
11
FGive one detail from paragraph 3 that makes the stone seem important.
12
RExplain why Kai may feel unfairly judged. Use one quotation from paragraph 1.
1.2

Quoting and embedding evidence accurately

Year 9
Embed quotation and select the most useful evidence precisely (KS3 reading, R7)
Video lesson: Quoting and embedding evidence accuratelyComing soon
Story. Nia's note says she is not going to tell Dad everything. Her words are useful evidence, but only if they are quoted accurately and placed inside a sentence that explains them. A quotation dropped into a sentence without explanation proves very little.

Text 2: A note from Nia to Kai (original, one paragraph)

1Kai, I know you think I am going to tell Dad everything. I am not. I was not even sure what I heard, and I would rather be wrong about the window than start another row before I leave for Leeds. But you have to stop pretending that you were asleep. You were on the stairs. You had those grey socks with the hole in the toe, and your phone was in your hand, because the light from it was under the door. I saw it. I did not say anything because I did not want you in trouble during my last weekend at home. Please just tell him something true before I go. The greenhouse matters to him more than you think. Nia

Key ideas

  • Quote the exact words, with quotation marks, and check each word against the text.
  • Embed a short quotation inside your own sentence so that the grammar still works.
  • Choose the quotation that is most useful for the point you are making, not just the first one you find.
Worked example 1.2.1
Which phrase is the best evidence that Nia is not fully sure of what she heard?

Method. Look for the words that show doubt, then check that they are exact.

  1. Look for doubt. Nia says she is not certain about her evidence.
    not even sure
  2. Find the exact words. The words are I was not even sure what I heard.
    I was not even sure what I heard
  3. Check the quotation. The words match the note exactly, so they can be used as evidence.
    I was not even sure what I heard
  4. Write the answer.
    I was not even sure what I heard

Check. The phrase is exact and shows doubt. ✓

Worked example 1.2.2
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? Choose one of the sentences. Choose one: Nia writes that "the light from it was under the door", so she may have seen his phone., Nia writes the light from it was under the door, so she may have seen his phone. or Nia writes "under the door" the light from it was, so she may have seen his phone..

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The first sentence puts the exact quotation in quotation marks and keeps the words in order.
    Nia writes that "the light from it was under the door", so she may have seen his phone. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The other two change the word order or leave out the quotation marks, so the evidence is not clear.
    Nia writes the light from it was under the door, so she may have seen his phone. and Nia writes "under the door" the light from it was, so she may have seen his phone. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Nia writes that "the light from it was under the door", so she may have seen his phone.

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 1.2.3
Embed the phrase "a good eye for stones" in a sentence about Kai's father.

Method. Put the exact phrase in quotation marks inside a sentence.

  1. Choose the phrase. The text says Dad said Kai had a good eye for stones.
    a good eye for stones
  2. Write the sentence. Start with a subject and verb, then add the quotation in marks.
    Dad said Kai had
  3. Check the quotation. The words in the quotation match the story exactly.
    Dad said Kai had "a good eye for stones".
  4. Write the answer.
    Dad said Kai had "a good eye for stones".

Check. The quotation is exact and inside the sentence. ✓

Watch out. Do not put a full stop inside the quotation marks unless the original has one.

Watch out

Watch out: if you change even one word inside quotation marks, the quotation is wrong. Copy the words exactly, including capital letters.

Exam tip

Exam tip. A quotation is evidence only when a sentence explains what it shows. Write "This shows that..." after each quotation.

Exercise 1B  Practice: quoting and embedding evidence

1
FWhich sentence quotes Kai correctly? Choose one: Kai insists that Nobody saw me go near the greenhouse., Kai insists that "Nobody saw me go near the greenhouse." or Kai insists that "Nobody saw me go near the garden.".
2
FCopy the words Nia uses to say what she is unsure about.
3
FCopy the words that say what matters to Dad.
4
FCopy the words that show when Nia says she heard a window slam.
5
FCopy the exact question Dad asks Kai.
6
FHow many words are in the phrase "the third stair creak"? Write the number.
7
FCopy the words that say how long ago Kai last walked on the stairs in socks.
8
FEmbed the phrase "a good eye for stones" in a sentence about Kai's father.
9
FEmbed the phrase "the light from it was under the door" in a sentence about Nia's note.
10
RExplain why a short exact quotation is stronger evidence than a summary of the same point.
11
RChoose one phrase from the story, quote it exactly, and explain how its wording makes a reader see Kai.
1.3

Reliable and unreliable narrators

Year 9
Judge how far a narrator can be trusted, and explain the evidence (KS3 reading, R2)
Video lesson: Reliable and unreliable narratorsComing soon
Story. Kai tells his own story, so the reader only knows what he chooses to say, what he remembers, and what he wants us to believe. A narrator may be honest and still be wrong, or may leave things out. The reader must test the claims against other evidence.

Text 1: The greenhouse pane (original story, first person, seven paragraphs)

1Nobody saw me go near the greenhouse. I want that understood before anything else, because Dad has already decided that I cracked the pane, and he decided it before I had even reached the back door.

2I was in bed by ten. I had my headphones in and my door shut. Nia was in the bathroom singing something terrible, and the whole house smelled of her hair spray. When Dad asked me the next morning, I told him exactly what I have just told you.

3The greenhouse stands at the bottom of our garden, behind the shed. Dad built it two summers ago, and he talks about it the way other people talk about a dog. The tomatoes were nearly ripe. A crack ran along one pane, as long as my hand, and a grey stone lay on the soil inside. Nobody could explain the stone.

4Nia says she heard a window slam at midnight. She also says she heard the third stair creak, and that I was on the stairs in my socks. I have not walked on those stairs in socks since I was nine. I told her she was dreaming. She told me to stop being a baby, and then we did not speak for the rest of the evening.

5The stone came from the wall by the bins. I know because I put it there myself last spring, when we were laying the path. Dad said it was a good stone. He said I had a good eye for stones. I have wondered since whether he remembers saying that.

6On Sunday, Dad brought me a glass of orange juice that I had not asked for. He sat on the end of the bed, which he never does, and looked at the carpet for a long time. 'I just want the truth,' he said. 'Did you go out?' 'No,' I said. He nodded slowly, took the juice back to the kitchen and said nothing else. I think he was disappointed, although I could not tell which of us he was disappointed in.

7I have thought about it all week. Maybe I did go out. Maybe I opened the window to hear the wind, closed it again and forgot. People forget things. Nia forgets where she puts her keys every single day, and nobody accuses her of anything.

Key ideas

  • A narrator is reliable when their account matches the other evidence and they are honest about what they do not know.
  • A narrator can be unreliable because they are mistaken, biased, forgetful, or hiding something.
  • Test each claim: can the reader check it against another detail in the text?
Worked example 1.3.1
Is Kai's claim "I was in bed by ten" supported by any other detail in the story?

Method. Find the claim, then look for other evidence that supports or contradicts it.

  1. Find the claim. Kai says he was in bed by ten.
    I was in bed by ten
  2. Look for other evidence. Nia says she heard the third stair creak and that Kai was on the stairs.
    the third stair creak
  3. Judge the claim. The other evidence contradicts the claim, so it is not supported.
    no, Nia says she heard him on the stairs
  4. Write the answer.
    no, Nia says she heard him on the stairs

Check. The claim is tested against another detail. ✓

Worked example 1.3.2
Which claim by Kai is most clearly an opinion rather than a checkable fact? Choose one: I was in bed by ten, Dad built it two summers ago or Dad talks about it the way other people talk about a dog.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The comparison with a dog is Kai's own view of his father's attitude, so it is an opinion.
    Dad talks about it the way other people talk about a dog fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The bedtime and the building date are facts that could be checked, or at least stated as facts.
    I was in bed by ten and Dad built it two summers ago do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Dad talks about it the way other people talk about a dog

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 1.3.3
Why might a reader doubt Kai's account of the stone?

Method. Look at the stone detail, then say what doubt it raises.

  1. Find the detail. The stone came from the wall by the bins.
    The stone came from the wall by the bins
  2. Find the admission. Kai says he put it there himself last spring.
    I put it there myself
  3. Explain the doubt. He knows the stone well, so it could have come from him, even if he did not put it in the greenhouse.
    he knows its origin
  4. Write the answer.
    he knows its origin, and he admits he moved stones that year

Check. The doubt comes from the detail and the admission. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a narrator who sounds calm is not automatically reliable. Judge the claims, not the tone.

Exam tip

Exam tip. A judgement needs a reason and a quotation. Write "I think the narrator is ... because ..." and then quote.

Exercise 1C  Practice: reliable and unreliable narrators

1
FWhich of Kai's claims can be checked against Nia's note? Choose one: I was in bed by ten, I had my headphones in or I was nine.
2
FIn which paragraph does Kai make the claim that he was in bed by ten? Write the number.
3
FIn which paragraph does Nia's claim about the window appear? Write the number.
4
FInfer why Kai is so sure where the stone came from. Quote one phrase.
5
FGive one detail that might make a reader doubt Kai's account.
6
FWhich word in paragraph 7 shows that Kai is no longer certain of his account? Choose one: Maybe, Always or Never.
7
FCopy the words that show Kai could have forgotten something.
8
FCopy the words that describe the tomatoes.
9
FWhich sentence describes something Kai could see? Choose one: A crack ran along one pane, as long as my hand, Nobody could explain the stone or Dad talks about it the way other people talk about a dog.
10
FGive one reason Kai may be an unreliable narrator in paragraph 2.
11
RJudge whether Kai's account can be fully trusted. Give one reason from the story.
12
RExplain why a reader may still trust part of Kai's account, even though the account is not fully reliable.
13
FWrite the number of the paragraph in which Kai says his father talks about the greenhouse the way other people talk about a dog.
1.4

Weighing competing readings

Year 9
Evaluate competing readings of a text, weighing the evidence for each (KS3 reading, R2)
Video lesson: Weighing competing readingsComing soon
Story. Two people describe the same night. Kai says he stayed in bed. Nia says she heard the window and saw his phone light under the door. The reader must decide which reading the evidence supports, and say why. There may be more than one reasonable reading.

Text 2: A note from Nia to Kai (original, one paragraph)

1Kai, I know you think I am going to tell Dad everything. I am not. I was not even sure what I heard, and I would rather be wrong about the window than start another row before I leave for Leeds. But you have to stop pretending that you were asleep. You were on the stairs. You had those grey socks with the hole in the toe, and your phone was in your hand, because the light from it was under the door. I saw it. I did not say anything because I did not want you in trouble during my last weekend at home. Please just tell him something true before I go. The greenhouse matters to him more than you think. Nia

Key ideas

  • A competing reading is a different explanation that fits the same evidence.
  • Evaluate each reading by asking: how much direct evidence supports it, and how much does it leave unexplained?
  • Say which reading is better supported, and give a reason from the texts.
Worked example 1.4.1
Give one reading that fits the greenhouse damage if Kai did not go out.

Method. Think of a different explanation that fits the evidence.

  1. Recall the evidence. Nia says she heard a window slam at midnight.
    a window slam at midnight
  2. Make a reading. The slam could have come from the wind through an open window.
    the wind
  3. Check the reading fits. The reading explains the crack without Kai going out.
    the wind or a window slam cracked the pane
  4. Write the answer.
    the wind or a window slam cracked the pane

Check. The reading uses the evidence in the text. ✓

Worked example 1.4.2
Which phrase in Nia's note weakens her claim to have seen Kai herself? Choose one: I was not even sure what I heard, I saw it. or The greenhouse matters to him more than you think.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Nia admits she is not sure about what she heard, so her claim is less certain.
    I was not even sure what I heard fits
  3. Reject the other choices. I saw it. is a strong claim, and the greenhouse line is about Dad, so neither weakens her claim.
    I saw it. and The greenhouse matters to him more than you think do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    I was not even sure what I heard

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 1.4.3
Which reading is better supported: that Kai was on the stairs, or that he was in bed? Give one reason.

Method. Compare the evidence for each reading, then choose the one with more specific support.

  1. Read the first reading. Kai was in bed by ten, but he has no witness.
    I was in bed by ten
  2. Read the second reading. Nia gives specific details: the third stair creak and the grey socks.
    the third stair creak
  3. Choose the better one. The specific details make the stair reading better supported.
    Kai was on the stairs, because Nia gives specific details of the socks and the stair
  4. Write the answer.
    Kai was on the stairs, because Nia gives specific details of the socks and the stair

Check. The better reading has more specific support. ✓

Watch out. A reading is not better just because it is the first one you read.

Watch out

Watch out: do not treat a reading as proven just because it is detailed. Ask whether the detail is direct evidence or only a claim.

Exam tip

Exam tip. For "which reading is better supported?", name the reading, give the strongest evidence for it, and say what it leaves unexplained.

Exercise 1D  Practice: competing readings and weighing evidence

1
FGive a reading in which Kai did not go out, and the crack has another cause.
2
FCopy the words Nia uses to claim she has direct knowledge of Kai.
3
FWhich detail in Nia's note is the clearest sight of Kai on the stairs? Choose one: You had those grey socks with the hole in the toe, I did not say anything or The greenhouse matters to him.
4
PSWrite one sentence that says which reading the evidence supports more, and why.
5
RExplain why Nia may not be a fully reliable witness. Use one phrase from her note.
6
FInfer why Nia did not tell Dad what she saw. Quote one phrase.
7
PSGive two competing readings of the greenhouse damage.
8
FWhich paragraph describes Kai's father brought the orange juice to Kai's room? Write the number.
9
FCopy the words that ask Kai to be honest before Nia leaves.
10
FWhich word best describes Nia's tone at the end of her note? Choose one: pleading, angry or cheerful.
11
RWhich reading do you find more convincing? Give one reason from each text.
1.5

Perspective, focalisation and what a narrator withholds

Year 9
Explain how a viewpoint shapes what the reader knows, and what is left out (KS3 reading, R2)
Video lesson: Perspective, focalisation and what a narrator withholdsComing soon
Story. The narrator of Text 1 tells the story from inside one head. The reader sees Dad, Nia and the greenhouse only through what Kai notices, remembers and chooses to report. This is called focalisation: the view the reader is given. A reader must ask what the focaliser may be leaving out.

Text 1: The greenhouse pane (original story, first person, seven paragraphs)

1Nobody saw me go near the greenhouse. I want that understood before anything else, because Dad has already decided that I cracked the pane, and he decided it before I had even reached the back door.

2I was in bed by ten. I had my headphones in and my door shut. Nia was in the bathroom singing something terrible, and the whole house smelled of her hair spray. When Dad asked me the next morning, I told him exactly what I have just told you.

3The greenhouse stands at the bottom of our garden, behind the shed. Dad built it two summers ago, and he talks about it the way other people talk about a dog. The tomatoes were nearly ripe. A crack ran along one pane, as long as my hand, and a grey stone lay on the soil inside. Nobody could explain the stone.

4Nia says she heard a window slam at midnight. She also says she heard the third stair creak, and that I was on the stairs in my socks. I have not walked on those stairs in socks since I was nine. I told her she was dreaming. She told me to stop being a baby, and then we did not speak for the rest of the evening.

5The stone came from the wall by the bins. I know because I put it there myself last spring, when we were laying the path. Dad said it was a good stone. He said I had a good eye for stones. I have wondered since whether he remembers saying that.

6On Sunday, Dad brought me a glass of orange juice that I had not asked for. He sat on the end of the bed, which he never does, and looked at the carpet for a long time. 'I just want the truth,' he said. 'Did you go out?' 'No,' I said. He nodded slowly, took the juice back to the kitchen and said nothing else. I think he was disappointed, although I could not tell which of us he was disappointed in.

7I have thought about it all week. Maybe I did go out. Maybe I opened the window to hear the wind, closed it again and forgot. People forget things. Nia forgets where she puts her keys every single day, and nobody accuses her of anything.

Key ideas

  • Focalisation is the point of view through which events are shown to the reader.
  • A first-person narrator knows their own thoughts, but only guesses at other people's.
  • What a narrator does not say can be as important as what they do say.
Worked example 1.5.1
Why does Kai guess at Dad's feelings instead of stating them as facts?

Method. Find the guess, then explain why the narrator cannot be sure.

  1. Find the guess. Kai says he thinks Dad was disappointed.
    I think he was disappointed
  2. Find the limit. He says he could not tell which of them Dad was disappointed in.
    I could not tell which of us he was disappointed in
  3. Explain. A first-person narrator can only guess at another person's thoughts.
    he cannot read Dad's mind, so he is guessing
  4. Write the answer.
    he cannot read Dad's mind, so he is guessing

Check. The guess is shown by the narrator's own words. ✓

Worked example 1.5.2
Whose view of events does Text 1 give? Choose one: Kai's, Nia's or Dad's.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The story is told in the first person, with I, so the reader sees events through Kai.
    Kai's fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Nia and Dad appear only as Kai reports their words and actions.
    Nia's and Dad's do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Kai's

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 1.5.3
Name one thing that Kai does not clearly tell the reader.

Method. Look at what Kai admits he does not know.

  1. Find the uncertainty. Kai says maybe he opened the window and forgot.
    Maybe I opened the window
  2. Name what is left out. The story never settles whether this happened.
    closed it again and forgot
  3. Explain. The reader is left unsure, because Kai himself is not sure.
    whether he really opened the window that night
  4. Write the answer.
    whether he really opened the window that night

Check. The gap is named and supported. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not say the narrator "hides" something unless the text suggests it. Name the gap, and say what the reader cannot know.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Say whose view you are reading, then say one thing that view cannot show.

Exercise 1E  Practice: perspective and what is withheld

1
FCopy the words that show Kai is sure that nobody saw him.
2
FWhat does accuses mean in the phrase "nobody accuses her of anything"? Write the meaning in your own words.
3
FCopy the words that show where Dad looked while he talked to Kai.
4
FWhich sentence in Text 1 states a judgement rather than a checkable fact? Choose one: The greenhouse stands at the bottom of our garden, behind the shed., Dad built it two summers ago. or Dad talks about it the way other people talk about a dog..
5
FWhich paragraph is most about what Dad thinks and says? Write the number.
6
FInfer why Kai compares his memory to Nia's forgetting. Quote one phrase.
7
FExplain one thing Kai does not tell the reader.
8
RExplain how the first-person viewpoint affects what the reader believes about Nia.
9
FHow many paragraphs are in Text 1? Write the number.
10
RImagine Nia tells the story instead. Give one difference in what the reader would learn.
11
FWhat is the effect of the word "Maybe" in the last paragraph? Choose one: It makes the reader less sure of Kai's account, It makes the reader sure that Kai is telling the truth or It shows that Kai is angry.
12
FIn which paragraph does Kai say the stone came from the wall by the bins? Write the number.
13
RExplain what a reader can learn about Kai from the sentence "I have not walked on those stairs in socks since I was nine".
1.6

Summarising a longer passage

Year 9
Summarise the main points of a passage in your own words, keeping the main point and dropping detail (KS3 reading, R7)
Video lesson: Summarising a longer passageComing soon
Story. A summary is short. It keeps the main events and the most important claim, and it leaves out the small details. A good summary of one paragraph is one sentence; a good summary of the whole text is a few sentences.

Text 1: The greenhouse pane (original story, first person, seven paragraphs)

1Nobody saw me go near the greenhouse. I want that understood before anything else, because Dad has already decided that I cracked the pane, and he decided it before I had even reached the back door.

2I was in bed by ten. I had my headphones in and my door shut. Nia was in the bathroom singing something terrible, and the whole house smelled of her hair spray. When Dad asked me the next morning, I told him exactly what I have just told you.

3The greenhouse stands at the bottom of our garden, behind the shed. Dad built it two summers ago, and he talks about it the way other people talk about a dog. The tomatoes were nearly ripe. A crack ran along one pane, as long as my hand, and a grey stone lay on the soil inside. Nobody could explain the stone.

4Nia says she heard a window slam at midnight. She also says she heard the third stair creak, and that I was on the stairs in my socks. I have not walked on those stairs in socks since I was nine. I told her she was dreaming. She told me to stop being a baby, and then we did not speak for the rest of the evening.

5The stone came from the wall by the bins. I know because I put it there myself last spring, when we were laying the path. Dad said it was a good stone. He said I had a good eye for stones. I have wondered since whether he remembers saying that.

6On Sunday, Dad brought me a glass of orange juice that I had not asked for. He sat on the end of the bed, which he never does, and looked at the carpet for a long time. 'I just want the truth,' he said. 'Did you go out?' 'No,' I said. He nodded slowly, took the juice back to the kitchen and said nothing else. I think he was disappointed, although I could not tell which of us he was disappointed in.

7I have thought about it all week. Maybe I did go out. Maybe I opened the window to hear the wind, closed it again and forgot. People forget things. Nia forgets where she puts her keys every single day, and nobody accuses her of anything.

Key ideas

  • A summary keeps the main point and the main event, not every detail.
  • Use your own words. Do not copy whole sentences from the text.
  • Check that the summary is shorter than the passage and still true.
Worked example 1.6.1
Summarise paragraph 2 in one sentence.

Method. Find the main event and the main claim, then write one sentence.

  1. Find the main claim. Kai says he was in bed by ten.
    I was in bed by ten
  2. Find the main event. He told Dad the next morning what he had said.
    I told him exactly what I have just told you
  3. Write one sentence. Combine the claim and the event in your own words.
    Kai says he was asleep in bed and that he told Dad the same thing the next morning.
  4. Write the answer.
    Kai says he was asleep in bed and that he told Dad the same thing the next morning.

Check. The sentence keeps the claim and the event. ✓

Worked example 1.6.2
Which detail is least important to a one-sentence summary of the whole text? Choose one: the crack in the pane, Nia singing in the bathroom or Dad bringing the juice.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The crack and the question about the juice are part of the plot, so the summary keeps them.
    Nia singing in the bathroom fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The singing sets the scene but does not change the main story, so it can be left out.
    the crack in the pane and Dad bringing the juice do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Nia singing in the bathroom

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 1.6.3
Why should a summary leave out "the whole house smelled of her hair spray"?

Method. Decide whether the detail changes the main story.

  1. Read the detail. The sentence describes the smell in the house.
    the whole house smelled of her hair spray
  2. Test its importance. If you remove it, the main story still makes sense.
    the main story still makes sense
  3. Decide. It is background, so the summary leaves it out.
    it is a small detail that does not change the main story
  4. Write the answer.
    it is a small detail that does not change the main story

Check. The detail is background only. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a summary is not a list of everything in the text. Choose the main point, then cut the rest.

Exam tip

Exam tip. For a one-sentence summary, name the main event and the most important claim, in your own words.

Exercise 1F  Practice: summarising a longer passage

1
FSummarise paragraph 6 in one sentence.
2
FSummarise paragraph 4 in one sentence.
3
PSWrite a one-sentence summary of the whole of Text 1.
4
FWhich is the main point of paragraph 7? Choose one: Kai now thinks he may have gone out after all, Kai is angry with his sister or Kai is going to pay for a new pane.
5
FSummarise Nia's note in one sentence.
6
FCopy the phrase that shows Dad had already judged Kai.
7
RExplain why a summary should keep "she heard a window slam" but leave out the singing in the bathroom.
8
FWhat does nearly mean in the phrase "The tomatoes were nearly ripe"? Write the meaning in your own words.
9
FSummarise paragraph 5 in one sentence.
10
FGive a one-sentence summary of paragraph 1 that keeps Kai's main claim.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Infer across a whole textFind the detail, read the reason, then name the feeling it shows
Quote and embed evidenceCopy the words exactly, put them in quotation marks, and explain them in your own sentence
Test a narratorName the claim, find another detail that supports or contradicts it, then judge
Weigh competing readingsState each reading, check which details support it, and say which is better supported
Explain perspectiveName the viewpoint, then say what the reader cannot know from it
Summarise a passageKeep the main event and the main claim, in one sentence and your own words

Can you…?

  • I can infer a feeling and back it with a quotation
  • I can copy evidence exactly and embed it in my own sentence
  • I can test a narrator's claim against another detail
  • I can say which of two readings is better supported, and why
  • I can name what a first-person narrator cannot show
  • I can summarise a passage in one sentence

Key terms

inference
a conclusion worked out from evidence in the text
evidence
a quotation or detail that supports a point
embedding
putting an exact quotation inside your own sentence
first-person narrator
a narrator who tells the story using I
focalisation
the point of view through which the reader sees events
unreliable narrator
a narrator whose account may be mistaken, biased or incomplete
competing reading
a different explanation that fits the same evidence
summary
a short account of the main points, in your own words

Exercise 1Z  Check-up

1
Which word best describes Kai's feeling when he says "I want that understood before anything else"? Choose one: defensive, thrilled or bored.
2
Copy the words that say how long ago Dad built the greenhouse.
3
What does disappointed mean in the phrase "he was disappointed"? Write the meaning in your own words.
4
Infer what Dad's silence suggests about his feelings. Quote one phrase.
5
Which paragraph of Text 2 contains Nia's request to Kai? Write the number.
6
Which phrase is the best evidence that Kai is trying to protect his name? Choose one: the third stair creak, I want that understood before anything else or a good eye for stones.
7
Copy the exact words that show Nia heard the stairs creak.
8
Give one reason Kai may be partial in his account.
9
Summarise Nia's note in one sentence.
10
Which version of the quotation is correct? Choose one: Dad asks, "Did you go out?", Dad asks "Did you go out?". or Dad asks, "did you go out".
11
Infer one thing Dad's question "Did you go out?" tells the reader about his feelings.

Total 19 marks. Allow about 19 minutes.

Exercise 1X  Practice test questions

1
FCopy the words that show how long the crack in the pane was.[1 mark]
2
FWrite the number of the paragraph in Text 1 where Dad asks Kai whether he went out.[1 mark]
3
RInfer how Kai feels about being blamed for the crack. Give one feeling and quote one phrase that supports it.[2 marks]
4
PSEmbed the phrase "the third stair creak" in a sentence of your own about Nia's evidence.[2 marks]
5
FWhich phrase from Nia's note is most useful evidence that she is not fully certain? Quote it exactly.[1 mark]
6
RExplain why Kai's claim "I was in bed by ten" is weakened by another detail in the text. Use one quotation.[3 marks]
7
PSGive two competing readings of the greenhouse damage. Each reading must fit a detail from the texts.[3 marks]
8
PSSummarise paragraph 3 in one sentence, keeping the main point and dropping the small details.[2 marks]
9
RExplain how the first-person viewpoint affects what the reader knows about Nia. Use one example from the text.[3 marks]
10
FWrite what the word "terrible" means in the phrase "singing something terrible". Use your own words.[1 mark]
Chapter 2: Analysing language, structure and effect: judging the writer's choices →

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