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KS3 English · Year 8Chapter 1 · Reading fiction: sustained inference and evidence
Year 8 · Chapter 1

Reading fiction: sustained inference and evidence

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Infer a character's hidden feeling from what they say, do and notice
  • Use the whole text, not one line, to support an inference
  • Judge whether a first-person narrator is a reliable guide to events
  • Summarise a passage in one sentence, keeping the main point only
  • Embed a quotation in your own sentence, with accurate words and punctuation

You should already know

  • Retrieving facts and making inferences from a short text (Year 7, Chapter 1 of this book)
  • Using evidence and quotation (Year 7, Chapter 1 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Analysing language, structure and effect across a text (Chapter 2 of this book)
  • Comparing texts: themes, perspectives and methods (Chapter 6 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 3 English, Year 8. Content: Read widely across fiction, including first-person and literary narratives (KS3 reading, R1), Infer feelings, motives and attitudes across a whole text, and justify each inference with evidence (KS3 reading, R2), Judge how far a narrator can be trusted, and explain the evidence (KS3 reading, R2 and R4), Summarise the main points of a longer passage in your own words (KS3 reading, R6), Quote and embed evidence accurately, with correct punctuation (KS3 reading, R7).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word for the feeling of worry about something that might happen. Write one word.
2
FWhat is an inference? Write the answer in one short phrase.
3
FWrite the mark that goes inside the closing quotation marks in: ‘Are you ready?’ Write the mark only.
4
FWrite one word that means the same as glad.
5
FWrite the plural of the word half.
1.1

Inferring feelings from a whole text

Year 8
Infer feelings and motives across a whole text, with evidence (KS3 reading, R2)
Video lesson: Inferring feelings from a whole textComing soon
Story. A girl has moved to a smaller flat with her father after her parents separated. She tells everyone she is fine. Read her story carefully: the facts she gives may tell a different story from the words she uses.

Text 1: Forty-one tiles (original story, first person)

1I did not mind about the move. I said so to everyone, and I said it so often that by the end of the week it had begun to sound like the truth.

2The new flat had three rooms and a balcony that looked over the car park. My room was the smallest, but it had a window that opened wide, and I told Dad it was the best room in the building. He nodded and carried the last box up the stairs, two steps at a time, although the lift was working.

3On Sunday, Mum rang from the hospital where she had started her new job. 'Are you settled?' she asked. 'Yes,' I said. 'Everything is fine.' There was a pause, and I heard a trolley rattle somewhere behind her voice. 'You can always call me, you know,' she said. 'I know,' I said, and I put the phone face down on the table, as if it might bite.

4Dad had left the kettle on, and it had gone cold. I stood in the kitchen and listened to the fridge hum. The tap dripped twice before I turned it off properly, and then I counted the tiles on the wall, because counting was easier than thinking. There were forty-two. I had counted them before, on the first night, and I had got forty-one. I did not check again.

5Later, I found the photograph in the box marked 'kitchen'. It showed the four of us on the beach at Whitby, squinting into the sun. Someone, probably Dad, had written 'Last summer, all together' on the back in pen. I put it face down, next to the phone. I was perfectly fine. I was going to bed early.

Key ideas

  • A character's words and actions can say different things. Look for the gap.
  • An inference needs evidence from the text, and it should explain what that 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 the narrator count the tiles on the wall?

Method. Find the detail, then infer why she does it.

  1. Find the detail. She counts the tiles after the tap drips.
    counts the tiles
  2. Read her reason. The text says counting was easier than thinking.
    counting was easier than thinking
  3. Infer. She uses counting to keep her thoughts away from her feelings.
    to calm herself and avoid thinking
  4. Write the answer.
    to calm herself and avoid thinking

Check. The inference is supported by the quotation. ✓

Worked example 1.1.2
Which feeling is the narrator most likely hiding when she says "Everything is fine."? Choose one of the feelings. Choose one: sadness, excitement 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. She insists she is fine, and her other details show that she is upset.
    sadness fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Excitement and boredom do not fit the sad details, such as the cold kettle and the photograph.
    excitement and boredom do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    sadness

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

Worked example 1.1.3
What does "as if it might bite" suggest about how the narrator feels about the phone?

Method. Read the image, then infer what it shows.

  1. Read the image. The phone is treated as if it is dangerous.
    as if it might bite
  2. Connect it to the call. She has just been asked if she is settled, and she wants the call to end.
    the call
  3. Infer. She is uneasy and wants to avoid talking.
    she does not want to talk any more
  4. Write the answer.
    she does not want to talk any more

Check. The image suggests unease, and the call explains why. ✓

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.

Exam tip

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

Exercise 1A  Practice: inferring feelings and motives

1
FCopy the words that give the number of rooms in the flat.
2
FCopy the words that show how Dad climbed the stairs.
3
FCopy the words that say where Mum rang from.
4
FWhat does settled mean in the phrase "Are you settled?"? Write the meaning in your own words.
5
FWhat does pause mean in the phrase "There was a pause"? Write the meaning in your own words.
6
PSThe narrator says she did not mind about the move. Infer what she really feels, and quote one phrase that supports your inference.
7
PSDad carries the last box up the stairs "two steps at a time, although the lift was working." Infer what this shows about him.
8
PSMum says, "You can always call me, you know." Infer how Mum feels.
9
PSThe narrator puts the phone down "as if it might bite." Infer how she feels about the call.
10
PSWhat does the cold kettle suggest about the household? Choose one: the household routines have slipped, the family is very organised or the narrator likes cold tea.
11
RWhich word best describes the tone of "I was perfectly fine."? Choose one: insistent, cheerful or angry.
12
PSGive one reason why the narrator might keep saying she is fine.
13
PSThe narrator finds a photograph with the words "Last summer, all together" on the back. Infer what the photograph means to her.
14
RExplain how the photograph shows a change in the narrator, in one or two sentences.
15
RWhich detail is the best evidence that the narrator is hiding her feelings? Choose one: She has a window that opens wide., She puts the phone face down. or The flat has three rooms..
16
RDescribe how the narrator's counting changes the tone of paragraph four, in one sentence.
17
RChallenge: explain what the whole story suggests about the narrator's situation, in two sentences, using evidence from at least two paragraphs.
1.2

Quoting and embedding evidence accurately

Year 8
Quote and embed evidence accurately, with correct punctuation (KS3 reading, R7)
Video lesson: Quoting and embedding evidence accuratelyComing soon
Story. A student is answering a question about a note left on the kitchen table. Her answer is strong only if she quotes the exact words, and embeds them into her own sentence so that the quotation is part of the point.

Text 2: A note left on the kitchen table (original)

1Love, I have gone to the shop for milk and bread, and I will be back before the kettle boils again. There is soup in the pan if you are hungry, and the bowls are on the second shelf, which is the only shelf I could reach. I know the boxes are still everywhere, and I know this is not the flat you wanted. I am sorry about that. Your room is ready whenever you want to decorate it. Pick any colour you like, even the terrible green on the sample pot. I will not mention the photograph unless you do. Dad.

Key ideas

  • A quotation must be copied exactly, letter by letter, including any capital letters.
  • Embed a short quotation in your own sentence, and put the quotation marks around only the words the writer used.
  • Punctuation outside the quotation marks belongs to your sentence. Punctuation inside belongs to the quotation.
Worked example 1.2.1
Embed the phrase "the terrible green" in a sentence about Dad's note.

Method. Write your own words around the exact quotation.

  1. Choose the phrase. The phrase is the terrible green.
    the terrible green
  2. Write a sentence around it. The sentence explains what Dad offers.
    Dad offers her choice of colour
  3. Check the quotation. The words inside the quotation marks match the note exactly.
    the terrible green
  4. Write the answer.
    Dad jokes that Pick any colour you like, even "the terrible green" for her room.

Check. The quotation is exact and embedded. ✓

Worked example 1.2.2
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? Choose one: Dad says that he will not mention "the photograph" unless she does., Dad says that he will not mention the "photograph unless she does". or Dad says that he will not "mention the photograph unless you do" ..

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 quotation marks contain only the exact word, and the rest of the sentence is in your own words.
    Dad says that he will not mention "the photograph" unless she does. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The other sentences put the marks in the wrong place or add a space before the full stop.
    Dad says that he will not mention the "photograph unless she does". and Dad says that he will not "mention the photograph unless you do" . do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Dad says that he will not mention "the photograph" unless she does.

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

Worked example 1.2.3
Write the words Dad uses to show that the decorating choice is hers.

Method. Find the exact words, and copy them with no changes.

  1. Find the sentence about the room. It talks about her room and decorating.
    Your room is ready
  2. Copy the words exactly. Copy every word, with the capital letter at the start.
    Your room is ready whenever you want to decorate it
  3. Check. The words match the note.
    every word matches
  4. Write the answer.
    Your room is ready whenever you want to decorate it

Check. The words are copied exactly. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a quotation that changes even one word is not accurate. Copy it exactly, and check the spelling and capital letters.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Keep quotations short. Use the smallest exact phrase that proves your point.

Exercise 1B  Practice: quoting and embedding evidence

1
FCopy the phrase that says what is on the sample pot.
2
FCopy the words that say where the bowls are kept.
3
FCopy the words that show the writer is sorry.
4
FWhich version copies the note accurately? Choose one: "I am sorry about that.", "I am so sorry about that.", "I am sorry about this." or "I am sorry for that.".
5
FWhich sentence embeds a quotation correctly? Choose one: Dad writes that the narrator can choose "the terrible green" for her room., Dad writes that the narrator can choose the "terrible green for her room"., Dad writes that the narrator can choose "the terrible green" for her room". or Dad writes that the narrator can choose "the terrible green for her room".
6
PSEmbed the phrase "I will not mention the photograph" in a sentence that explains what Dad is careful about.
7
PSWhich quotation shows that Dad lets her make her own choice? Choose one: "Pick any colour you like", "the terrible green" or "Dad.".
8
PSWrite one sentence that quotes a short phrase from the note to show that Dad is trying to be careful.
9
PSWhich line shows a quotation that is complete and correctly marked? Choose one: Dad writes: "Pick any colour you like.", Dad writes: "Pick any colour you like., Dad writes: Pick any colour you like. or Dad writes: "Pick any colour you like.
10
FCopy the exact words of the sentence in which Dad says the soup is in the pan.
11
FWhich is the accurate quotation of the phrase about the decorating? Choose one: "whenever you want to decorate it", "whenever you wish to decorate it", "when you want to decorate it" or "whenever you want to paint it".
12
PSEmbed the word "sorry" in a sentence about how Dad feels about the flat.
13
RWhich sentence explains a quotation correctly? Choose one: The quotation "I know this is not the flat you wanted" shows that Dad understands her disappointment., The quotation shows that Dad understands her disappointment, "I know this is not the flat you wanted". or Dad understands her disappointment and "I know"..
14
RExplain in one sentence why a short exact phrase is better than a long quotation in a response.
15
FWrite the exact phrase that Dad uses to say that his note is about a soup dinner.
1.3

Reliable and unreliable narrators

Year 8
Judge how far a narrator can be trusted, and explain the evidence (KS3 reading, R2 and R4)
Video lesson: Reliable and unreliable narratorsComing soon
Story. A narrator tells the story in the first person, so the reader sees only what she sees and notices. A narrator may be honest but partial, or she may be unreliable, meaning the reader can see that she is missing or hiding something.

In the first story, the narrator says the move is fine. The details she gives suggest otherwise. The reader must decide how much to trust her, and explain why.

Key ideas

  • A reliable narrator tells the story honestly, and the details match what the reader can see.
  • An unreliable narrator may hide feelings, or may not understand the events fully.
  • A first-person narrator is inside the story, so the reader only sees what she notices, and what she chooses to tell.
Worked example 1.3.1
Is the narrator fully reliable about her feelings? Answer with a short reason.

Method. Compare what she says with what the details show.

  1. Compare the words. She says she is fine.
    Everything is fine.
  2. Compare the details. The photograph and the cold kettle show she is hurt.
    the photograph
  3. Judge. The gap between the words and the details shows she is not fully reliable.
    no, she hides her feelings
  4. Write the answer.
    no, she hides her feelings

Check. The judgement is supported by the gap. ✓

Worked example 1.3.2
Which narrator detail is most likely to be untrue, or partial? Choose one: I did not mind about the move., The new flat had three rooms. or The lift was working..

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 narrator says she did not mind, but the rest of the story shows she did; this is the most doubtful claim.
    I did not mind about the move. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The number of rooms and the working lift are plain facts that the rest of the story does not contradict.
    The new flat had three rooms. and The lift was working. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    I did not mind about the move.

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

Worked example 1.3.3
Who knows more about the narrator's feelings than she does?

Method. Think about who sees her and who writes to her.

  1. Look at the characters. Dad writes a note, and he knows about the photograph.
    I will not mention the photograph
  2. Judge what he knows. He understands her feelings better than she admits.
    understands
  3. Answer. Her dad knows more, because his note shows he has noticed.
    her dad
  4. Write the answer.
    her dad

Check. The answer is supported by the note. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: "unreliable" does not mean the narrator is lying on purpose. She may simply not understand herself, or be trying to protect herself.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the claim, then the detail that contradicts it, then say what the gap tells the reader.

Exercise 1C  Practice: reliable and unreliable narrators

1
FWhich phrase from the narrator is most like a claim she does not believe herself? Choose one: Everything is fine., The new flat had three rooms. or The bus was late..
2
FWhat type of narrator is she? Choose one: first person, third person or second person.
3
FCopy the words that show the narrator says she does not mind the move.
4
FWhich detail would a reliable narrator be most likely to include? Choose one: the cold kettle that Dad left on, a made-up phone call or a secret about a stranger.
5
PSGive one reason the narrator may not be a fully reliable guide to her own feelings.
6
PSWhy might the narrator be partial, not dishonest? Choose one: She only notices some things, such as the kettle and the tiles., She is paid to tell lies. or She is telling the story to a stranger..
7
PSExplain what the reader can learn about the narrator from the detail that she counts the tiles twice.
8
RWhich sentence best describes the dad's note as evidence? Choose one: It shows he understands her feelings, and it is written honestly., It is a list of shopping items. or It proves she is happy..
9
RExplain why the reader may trust Dad's note more than the narrator's claim that she is "fine".
10
RWhat would a reader need to find out to judge the narrator fully? Choose one: how the narrator feels about her mum, the price of the flat or the colour of the sample pot.
11
RWrite one sentence that judges how reliable the narrator is, with a reason.
12
RChallenge: explain how the narrator's partial view makes the reader feel sorry for her.
13
RWhich is the best reason that a narrator might be unreliable? Choose one: she is hiding her own feelings from the reader and herself, she writes in the first person or she lives in a flat.
1.4

Summarising a longer passage

Year 8
Summarise the main points of a longer passage in your own words (KS3 reading, R6)
Video lesson: Summarising a longer passageComing soon
Story. A reader is asked to write a short summary of the story for a friend who has not read it. The summary must keep the main points only, and it must not copy whole sentences.

A summary is shorter than the passage. It gives the main events and ideas, in the reader's own words, and leaves out the small details.

Key ideas

  • A summary keeps the main points and leaves out the small details.
  • A summary of a whole text needs the main event and the main feeling, not every paragraph.
  • Write the summary in your own words. Use a quotation only if the exact words matter.
Worked example 1.4.1
Write a one-sentence summary of the first paragraph of the story.

Method. Keep the main point, and write it in your own words.

  1. Find the main point. She says she is fine about the move.
    does not mind the move
  2. Notice the doubt. She repeats the claim too often.
    so often
  3. Write the summary. The summary keeps only these two ideas.
    not convincing
  4. Write the answer.
    The narrator says she does not mind the move, but she is not convincing.

Check. The summary keeps the main point only. ✓

Worked example 1.4.2
Which is the best summary of the third paragraph, about the phone call? Choose one: Mum rings and asks if she is settled, and the narrator says everything is fine., Mum rings from the hospital, which has trolleys and a busy job, and the narrator thinks about trolleys. or The narrator puts her phone on the table and listens to the fridge..

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. It keeps the main event of the call, and says the narrator's answer, in a short sentence.
    Mum rings and asks if she is settled, and the narrator says everything is fine. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The other choices add small details, or describe a different part of the story.
    Mum rings from the hospital, which has trolleys and a busy job, and the narrator thinks about trolleys. and The narrator puts her phone on the table and listens to the fridge. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Mum rings and asks if she is settled, and the narrator says everything is fine.

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

Worked example 1.4.3
Write a summary of the whole story in one sentence.

Method. Combine the main events and the main feeling.

  1. Choose the events. She moves to a smaller flat with her dad.
    moves to a smaller flat
  2. Choose the feeling. She insists she is fine, but she is hurt.
    insists she is fine
  3. Join them. One sentence gives both.
    hides her hurt
  4. Write the answer.
    A girl moves to a smaller flat with her dad, and insists she is fine while she hides her hurt.

Check. The summary holds the events and the feeling. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a summary is not a list. Do not copy the first sentence of every paragraph; combine the main ideas into one clear statement.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Write the summary last, after you have answered the other questions, so that you know the main points.

Exercise 1D  Practice: summarising a longer passage

1
FWrite one sentence that summarises the second paragraph, about the new flat.
2
FWhich is the best summary of the fourth paragraph? Choose one: The narrator counts the tiles because counting is easier than thinking., The kettle is cold and the tiles are white. or The narrator's dad left a kettle on..
3
PSWrite one sentence that summarises the final paragraph, about the photograph.
4
PSWhich of these is a main idea of the whole story? Choose one: a girl hides her hurt after a family move, the tiles in the kitchen are white or the trolley was rattling.
5
PSWrite one sentence that summarises Dad's note.
6
PSWhich sentence is too long to be a summary? Choose one: Dad has gone to the shop., Dad has gone to the shop, and the soup is in the pan, and the bowls are on the second shelf, and the boxes are everywhere. or Dad apologises for the flat..
7
PSIn one sentence, summarise what Dad says about the flat and the room.
8
RWhich word would be most useful in a summary to show a change in the narrator? Choose one: pretends, bowls or shelf.
9
RWrite a summary of the story in two sentences, in your own words, without copying any whole sentence.
10
RExplain why a summary of a story should not include the small detail about the tiles.
11
RChallenge: write a summary of the story's ending in one sentence that explains what the narrator now understands about her family.
12
RWhat is the best reason a summary should be shorter than the original text? Choose one: it keeps the main points and leaves out the details, it copies every paragraph or it adds new events.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod

Can you…?

    Key terms

    Exercise 1Z  Check-up

    1
    Which word best describes how the narrator feels when she says "Everything is fine."? Choose one: sadness, excitement or boredom.
    2
    Copy the words that give the number of rooms in the flat.
    3
    What does settled mean in the phrase "Are you settled?"? Write the meaning in your own words.
    4
    Infer why Mum offers to let the narrator call her again.
    5
    Which phrase is the best evidence that the narrator is uneasy about the call? Choose one: as if it might bite, the new flat had three rooms or Dad had left the kettle on.
    6
    Write the exact phrase that shows Dad carried the box quickly.
    7
    Which is the most reliable kind of evidence for a feeling? Choose one: a detail the narrator describes that matches the feeling, a guess with no quotation or a fact about the price of the flat.
    8
    Give one reason why the narrator may be partial in her account.
    9
    Summarise the fourth paragraph in one sentence.
    10
    Which version embeds the quotation with the punctuation correct? Choose one: Mum says, "You can always call me, you know.", Mum says You can always call me, you know., Mum says, "You can always call me, you know. or Mum says "You can always call me you know.".

    Total 20 marks. Allow about 20 minutes.

    Exercise 1X  Practice test questions

    1
    RRead this sentence from a story: "I was perfectly fine." Name one feeling the narrator may be hiding. Write one word.[1 mark]
    2
    RIn the story, the narrator says "I did not mind about the move." Write one reason the reader may doubt this claim.[2 marks]
    3
    FCopy the exact phrase from the story that says how many rooms the flat has. Write the phrase only.[1 mark]
    4
    PSEmbed the phrase "the terrible green" in a sentence about Dad's note, using your own words around it.[2 marks]
    5
    RInfer what the phrase "as if it might bite" tells the reader about the narrator. Write one sentence.[2 marks]
    6
    RExplain in one sentence why the photograph matters to the narrator. Use the words written on the back of it.[3 marks]
    7
    RJudge whether the narrator is fully reliable about her feelings. Give one reason with a quotation.[3 marks]
    8
    PSWrite a summary in one sentence of this passage: "Mum rang from the hospital and asked if I was settled. I said yes, everything was fine, and I put the phone down quickly."[2 marks]
    9
    RExplain how an inference differs from a fact. Give one example from a story in your answer.[3 marks]
    10
    FDad wrote a note that said the room is ready "whenever you want to decorate it". Copy the quotation exactly, with the quotation marks.[1 mark]
    Chapter 2: Analysing language, structure and effect across a text →

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