Simrah 9i

GCSE Half-term revision pack

Knowledge, skills and understanding: Fiction and Imaginative Writing

19​th​ Century fiction

and imaginative writing

The focus of this

component is:

● ​Section A – Reading: ​study and analyse selections from a range of

prose fiction.

● ​Section B – Imaginative writing: ​explore and develop imaginative

writing
All tasks to be completed for the first week back

Section A:

Task one: Fill in the chart below, finding out the meaning of the words
listed and writing out the word in a sentence

Word Meaning Write out a sentence

using the word

Ghastly causing great horror or "one of the most

fear ghastly crimes
ever committed"

Brawled fight or quarrel in a "he ended

rough or noisy way. up ​brawling
with​ a lout outside
his house"
Listless (of a person or their "bouts of listless
manner) lacking depression"
energy or enthusiasm.

Sordid involving immoral or "the story paints a

dishonourable actions sordid picture of
and motives; arousing bribes and scams"
moral distaste and
contempt.
Oblivion the state of being "they drank
unaware or themselves into
unconscious of what is oblivion"
happening around
one.
Misshapen not having the normal "misshapen fruit"
or natural shape or
form.

Clogged block or become "the gutters

blocked with an were ​clogged
accumulation of thick, up​ with leaves"
wet matter.
Opium a reddish-brown "he was addicted
heavy-scented addictive drug
to opium"
prepared from the juice of the
opium poppy, used illicitly as
a narcotic and occasionally in
medicine as an analgesic.

Marionettes a puppet worked by strings. "the bird bobs up and down

like a marionette"

a person who is easily

"many officers dismissed him
manipulated or controlled​. as the mayor's marionette"
Clustering form a cluster or "the
clusters. children ​clustered
round​ her skirts"

Extension for 8/9 students

Write five of your own favourite gothic words along with the definitions for each word.
Can you also use them in a sentence?

Section A part two:

Read over the extract and answer the questions that follow. This extract is
taken from ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1890) by Oscar Wilde
A cold rain began to fall, and the blurred street-lamps looked ghastly in the dripping mist.
The public-houses were just closing, and dim men and women were clustering in broken
groups round their doors. From some of the bars came the sound of horrible laughter. In
others, drunkards brawled and screamed.
Lying back in the hansom, with his hat pulled over his forehead, Dorian Gray watched with
listless eyes the sordid shame of the great city, and now and then he repeated to himself the
words that Lord Henry had said to him on the first day they had met, “To cure the soul by
means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul.” Yes, that was the secret. He had
often tried it, and would try it again now. There were opium dens where one could buy
oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of
sins that were new.
The moon hung low in the sky like a yellow skull. From time to time a huge misshapen
cloud stretched a long arm across and hid it. The gas-lamps grew fewer, and the streets more
narrow and gloomy. Once the man lost his way and had to drive back half a mile. A steam
rose from the horse as it splashed up the puddles. The sidewindows of the hansom were
clogged with a grey-flannel mist.
“To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul!” How the
words rang in his ears! His soul, certainly, was sick to death. Was it true that the senses
could cure it? Innocent blood had been spilled. What could atone for that? Ah! for that there
was no atonement; but though forgiveness was impossible, forgetfulness was possible still,
and he was determined to forget, to stamp the thing out, to crush it as one would crush the
adder that had stung one. Indeed, what right had Basil to have spoken to him as he had done?
Who had made him a judge over others? He had said things that were dreadful, horrible, not
to be endured.
On and on plodded the hansom, going slower, it seemed to him, at each step. He thrust up the
trap and called to the man to drive faster. The hideous hunger for opium began to gnaw at
him. His throat burned and his delicate hands twitched nervously together. He struck at the
horse madly with his stick. The driver laughed and whipped up. He laughed in answer, and
the man was silent.
The way seemed interminable, and the streets like the black web of some sprawling spider.
The monotony became unbearable, and as the mist thickened, he felt afraid.
Then they passed by lonely brickfields. The fog was lighter here, and he could see the
strange, bottle-shaped kilns with their orange, fanlike tongues of fire. A dog barked as they
went by, and far away in the darkness some wandering sea-gull screamed. The horse
stumbled in a rut, then swerved aside and broke into a gallop.
After some time they left the clay road and rattled again over rough-paven streets. Most of
the windows were dark, but now and then fantastic shadows were silhouetted against some
lamplit blind. He watched them curiously. They moved like monstrous marionettes and made
gestures like live things. He hated them. A dull rage was in his heart. As they turned a
corner, a woman yelled something at them from an open door, and two men ran after the
hansom for about a hundred yards. The driver beat at them with his whip.

QUESTIONS -

Q1)​ From lines 1-3 identify the phrase which creates a sense of mystery​. 

From some of the bars came the sound of horrible laughter 

 
(Total for Question 1 = 1 mark) 
 
Q2)​ From lines 26-30 identify two phrases which suggest Dorian is feeling
uneasy
1 “​hands twitched nervously together” 

2 “​He struck at the horse madly with his stick” 

 
(Total for Question 2 = 2 marks)
3)​ How does the writer use language and structure to create a tense mood?
(6 marks)

PLAN IT FIRST :

STEP 1 -​ Look at each of the quotations in the table below. Try to find the language or
structural technique associated with the quotation.

STEP 2 -​ For each example, think about how the language/structure helps to build a tense
mood.

Try to find as many examples of language and structural devices as you can. Make sure that
these are relevant in terms of the tense mood created within the text. The first example has
been done for you.

  LANGUAGE OR  HOW IT CREATES A TENSE MOOD 

QUOTATION  STRUCTURAL 
TECHNIQUE  
     
Most of the Adjective: Dark   The adjective creates a sense of 
windows were ​dark  mystery. The mood becomes tense 
as the reader is unsure of what is 
behind the windows. 
From some of the Adjective: horrible   It makes the reader aware that 
bars came the something is wrong as the word 
sound of​ horrible horrible is associated with bad and 
laughter  negative things. 

The hideous hunger Verb: gnaw   The word gnaw means to nibble at 
for opium began to something so this shows us how his 
gnaw​ at him  hunger for opium began to eat away 
at him, showing how desperate he is 
for opium. 
The driver beat at Simple sentence   The use of the simple sentence 
them with his whip  creates drama as we would want to 
know what happens next. 

he felt ​afraid  Adjective: afraid   The adjective simply shows that the 
situation was scary  

NOW WRITE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.​ (Space has been provided on the next page)

Using all of the notes you’ve made in the table above, write TWO PEAL paragraphs (POINT –
EVIDENCE- ANALYSIS – LINK BACK TO QUESTION).

✓ Write ONE paragraph on how the writer uses a LANGUAGE device to create a tense
mood.
✓ Write ONE paragraph on how the writer uses a STRUCTURAL device to create a tense
mood.

You can use the sentence starters to support you. You do not need to use them if you wish
not to.

SENTENCE STARTERS:

POINT - The writer creates a tense mood within the extract through the use of …

EVIDENCE – The narrator reflects that “…………”

ANALYSIS – The word “…….” suggests …………

LINK BACK – This creates a tense atmosphere because …

Start writing your two paragraphs here:

The writer creates a tense mood within the extract through the use of language devices
such as the verb gnaw. The narrator reflects that ‘The hideous hunger for opium began to
gnaw at him’. The word ‘gnaw’ means to nibble at something, this suggests how Opiums
hunger began to eat away at him, showing how desperate he is for food. This creates a
tense atmosphere as it forces the reader to feel sympathy towards Opium and the horrible
situation he is stuck in. The writer also uses the adjective horrible,’From some of the bars
came the sound of horrible laughter’. The word ‘Horrible’ makes the reader aware that
something is wrong as ‘horrible’ is usually associated with bad and negative things.
‘Horrible laughter’ is a language technique used called oxymoron (contradiction),as horrible
is a negative word and laughter is associated with positive things. This makes the reader
pause and think which also allows the reader to get a better insight and ponder to the
deeper meaning. of what the narrator is trying to portray.

Another way the writer creates a tense mood is by structural devices such as the simple
sentence ‘The driver beat at them with his whip.’The use of the simple sentence makes the
piece of writing more dramatic as we would want to know what happens next.It also ​creates
tension, haste or urgency, whereas longer compound sentences are slower with more
detail which allows the reader to understand situations more than creating tension​.

SECTION B – Imaginative Writing

 
Answer ONE question. You should spend about 45 minutes on this section. 
 
Write your answer in the space provided.

Either 5)

Use the image provided to write a descriptive piece

Your response could be real or imagined. 

Your response will be marked for the accurate and appropriate use of vocabulary, spelling, 
punctuation and grammar 
 
(Total for Question 5 = 40 marks) 
 
Or 6) 
 
Write about a tense or nervous journey you made 
 
 
Your response could be real or imagined. 
Your response will be marked for the accurate and appropriate use of vocabulary, spelling, 
punctuation and grammar 
 
Total for Question 6 = 40 marks) 
 
 
 
USE THE WORDS FROM TASK ONE AND THE VOCABULARY LIST ON THE NEXT PAGE.  

 
Task 5: 
The wet, desolate streets of the city rested in silence as the starry black sky wept
over it..The glow of the bright, shimmering moonlight, blocked from the mist
engulfing this city; It blinded anyone even to what is right in front of them.It seemed
like the clouds had gotten a sudden fascination to the moon and wrapped
themselves around it as if wanting to protect it from the unknown dangers of this
street. The moon's faint glow passed through the breaks in them, making the light
turn an off-coloured, almost grey light. A faint scent of decaying waste filled the cool
air that carried itself no further than a block away. It was eerily quiet, the only noise
coming from beady eyed rats scurrying along in a desperate need for perhaps,food?
If u glanced over to the opposite side of the street, you would almost always be
caught off guard by the spine-chilling characters you might come across. Their faces
are enough to turn the world's bravest man running in the other direction. The dry
winds wind themselves through the ancient houses where windows have long
shattered in the weakness of their structures. Doors hang on the few threads of their
hinges and groan with pain at every sway. The grimy pavements had been covered
in dirt from what all the animals dragged through these streets, as feet were rarely
placed upon this abandoned street, fear and paranoia creeping upon anyone who
dared walked this dreaded street. Its name...spooksville