The Railway Children

The Railway Children by E.
Nesbit
Questions, activities and language work

As you read the story you might find some words that are new to
you. If you cannot work out what they mean from reading the
story, look them up in a dictionary. Keep a list of them, with an
explanation.
Answer the questions in full sentences.
The beginning of things

1.
Write down three positive things about the childrens lives before Father went
away.
2.
Write down three negative things about their new home Three Chimneys.
Language work
1.
Write a definition or explanation of
villa ______________________________________________________
modern convenience ________________________________________
2.
Complete the simile from the first chapter: As white as a ___________________
3.
Can you think of two more similes you know that use colours?
4.
Match the words in the columns to make five compound nouns used in the first
chapter. The first one has been done for you.
2008 www.teachit.co.uk
some
way
home
times
door
laces
birth
step
boot
day
rail
work
10160
Page 1 of 7
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

Peters coal mine
1.
Why did the children keep very quiet in the morning?
2.
What did they have for breakfast?
3.
What did they do for the rest of the morning after breakfast?
4.
Why does Bobbie think that the train is like a dragon? (Hint: it is an old-fashioned
steam engine.)
5.
Why did the Station Master let them off for taking the coal? (Tick any you think are
right.)
b) He felt sorry for them being poor.
c) The children didnt know stealing was wrong.
a) He was a kind man.
Language work
6.
Copy out the first two sentences on page 12, from They slid to signals.
Underline the adjectives.
7.
Re-write the description, replacing at least three adjectives with antonyms (words
with opposite meaning for example hard/soft). If you get stuck, use a thesaurus
to help you.
The old gentleman

1.
Which one of these would not be a good reason to pull the communication cord on
the train?
a) Someone in the carriage was having a heart attack.
b) You had missed your stop.
c) The door was not shut properly.
2.
What illness did their mother have? (What do we usually call this?)
3.
Why were the children worried?
4.
What extra luxuries did the old gentleman send?
5.
Write the letter you think the mother might have sent to the old gentleman
thanking him for his kindness.
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Page 2 of 7

Language work
The children call the night train the Fearsome Fly by Night. This is an example of
alliteration (words close together that have the same starting sounds).
Can you make up one or two other names for the night train using alliteration?
Prisoners and captives

1. What was unusual about the man on the station platform?
2. What did he and their mother have in common (2 things)?
3. Why had he come to England?
Language work
4. Find three examples in this chapter of direct speech (hint: look for the speech
marks) where the writer has used the verb said. Re-write the sentences replacing
said with a different, suitable verb.
Saviours of the train

1.
Why were the children near the railway that morning?
2.
What were the first signs that something was wrong?
3.
Why did they not go to the station to report the landslide?
4.
Do you think the children were brave? Explain your answer.
5.
Why did their ears get red?
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Page 3 of 7
Language work
These past tense verbs from this chapter are called irregular verbs (because they are
not made by adding ed to the verb in the present tense).
Can you write the present tense form next to each one? The first one has been done
for you.
Past
Present
wrote
thought
had
grew
led
was
fell
made
stood
took
began
For valour
1. The writer tells us why she likes Roberta. Think of a person you like very much and
write 3 or 4 sentences about them. Try to describe their good qualities.
2. How long did it take the old gentleman to find Mr Sczepanskys family?
3. Why did Bobbie race Phyllis to the gate? Was it because (Tick any you think are
right.)
b) She wanted Phyllis to stop talking about Father in front of their mother?
c) She always wanted to be first?
a) She was tired of walking slowly?
Language work
First, make sure you know the meaning of these adjectives in this chapter. Then add
a suffix (a letter or group of letter added to the end of a word) to change them into
nouns. The first one has been done as an example.
brave
bravery
modest
good
tired
happy
anxious 10160
Page 4 of 7

The terrible secret
1.
Where did Bobbie get the newspaper from?
2.
Do you think her mother should have told the children what had happened to their
father? Explain your answer.
3.
Either
a) Use the information on pages 35 and 38 to write the headline and first
paragraph of the newspaper report that Bobbie saw.
Or
b) Write the letter she might have written to the old gentleman. Remember to
end it with the sentences given on pg 38.
Language work
These words can be joined together into a shortened form (called contractions). The
contraction will need an apostrophe. For each set of words, write the contraction
and be careful to put the apostrophe in the right place. The first one has been done
for you.
are not
we are
arent
it is
tea is
do not
they have
did not
could not
I have
If you have done this correctly, you should be able to find the contractions in this
chapter. Check your answers!
The hound in the red jersey

1.
In the schoolboys game, what was the job of the hare?
2.
How did Peter know that one boy was still in the tunnel?
3.
How where the children able to see once they went into the dark tunnel?
4.
Why did Phyllis splash milk on the boy?
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Page 5 of 7

Language work
Complete these complex sentences, basing your answers on the events of this
chapter. Remember to put the comma in the right place!
Carrying a bag, the hare
Following the trail, the hounds
Clanging, the train
Scrambling,
Panting,
What Bobbie brought home

1.
What injury did the boy have?
2.
Why did their mother think they had brought a dog home?
3.
Why did Peter want Jim to stay?
4.
In what ways did the old gentleman, Jims grandfather, help?
5.
Do you think Bobbie and the old gentleman were right to keep the secret from her
mother? Explain your answer.
Language work
Peter says it would be ripping to have Jim stay longer.
1.
This is old-fashioned slang. Write down two other slang words that mean the
same as ripping but that are more up-to-date.
2.
Find out 3 more examples of older slang words that have gone out of fashion.
What have they been replaced by? (Hint: try asking parents, carers or
grandparents or even your teacher!)
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Page 6 of 7

The end
1.
What was different about the 9.15 train that day?
2.
Match the greetings to Bobbie with the people (or cat)

Perks
a special purr
Old lady from the Post Office
a kiss on the cheek
Station cat
a warm handshake
Blacksmith
a kiss and a hug
Station Manager
wished her joy
3.
Give the last chapter a new, better title and explain why you think your new title is
a good one.
4.
What do we still want to know? Write down two questions that you still want
answered at the end of the story.
Language work
1.
Find and copy out three sentences that use exclamation marks. (Try to choose
one from the beginning of the chapter, one from the middle and one nearer the
end.)
2.
Next to each one, write down why the exclamation mark is there what feeling is
being expressed?
(Words to help: fright, happiness, surprise, shock, a warning, excitement, urgency)
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The Railway Children by E.

Questions, activities and language work

The beginning of things

Write a definition or explanation of

modern convenience ________________________________________

Complete the simile from the first chapter: As white as a ___________________