© Read the extract from the opening of the novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown on the following two slides. Pick out the words that have been deleted and try to replace them. Think about the impact these words would create. Why do you think the writer chose to use these words? The Da Vinci Code – the opening

© Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere _______ through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. He _________ for the nearest painting he could see, a Caravaggio. _____________ the gilded frame, the seventy-six-year-old man ___________ the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and Sauniere _____________ backward in a heap beneath the canvas. As he had anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance to the suite. The floor shook. Far off, an alarm began to ring. The curator ______ a moment, ____________for breath, taking stock. I am still alive. He ____________ out from under the canvas and ____________ the cavernous space for somewhere to hide. Prologue – Louvre Museum, Paris, pm

© A voice spoke, ___________ close. “Do not move.” On his hands and knees, the curator ______, turning his head __________. Only fifteen feet away, outside the sealed gate, the mountainous silhouette of his attacker _______ through the iron bars. He was broad and tall, with ghost-pale skin and thinning white hair. His irises were pink with dark red pupils. The albino drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the barrel directly at the curator. ‘‘You should not have run.” His accent was not easy to place. “Now tell me where it is.’ The Da Vinci Code – the opening

© Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere _______ through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. He _________ for the nearest painting he could see, a Caravaggio. _____________ the gilded frame, the seventy-six-year-old man ___________ the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and Sauniere _____________ backward in a heap beneath the canvas. As he had anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance to the suite. The floor shook. Far off, an alarm began to ring. The curator ______ a moment, ____________for breath, taking stock. I am still alive. He ____________ out from under the canvas and ____________ the cavernous space for somewhere to hide. Prologue – Louvre Museum, Paris 10.46pm staggered lunged Grabbing heaved collapsed laygasping crawled scanned

© A voice spoke, ___________ close. “Do not move.” On his hands and knees, the curator ______, turning his head __________. Only fifteen feet away, outside the sealed gate, the mountainous silhouette of his attacker _______ through the iron bars. He was broad and tall, with ghost-pale skin and thinning white hair. His irises were pink with dark red pupils. The albino drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the barrel directly at the curator. “You should not have run.” His accent was not easy to place. “Now tell me where it is.’ The Da Vinci Code – the opening chillingly froze slowly stared

© Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere _______ through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. He _________ for the nearest painting he could see, a Caravaggio. _____________ the gilded frame, the seventy- six-year-old man ___________ the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and Sauniere _____________ backward in a heap beneath the canvas. As he had anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance to the suite. The floor shook. Far off, an alarm began to ring. The curator ______ a moment, ____________for breath, taking stock. Prologue – Louvre Museum, Paris pm staggered lunged Grabbing heaved collapsed lay gasping Introduces the tension and the sense that everything is not right Violent word choices used to build tension Italicised sentence builds drama and tension – leaves the reader questioning ‘what has happened?’ Consequence of what has happened – makes reader wonder what has gone on I am still alive.

© He ____________ out from under the canvas and ____________ the cavernous space for somewhere to hide. A voice spoke, ___________ close. “Do not move.” On his hands and knees, the curator ______, turning his head __________. Only fifteen feet away, outside the sealed gate, the mountainous silhouette of his attacker _______ through the iron bars. He was broad and tall, with ghost-pale skin and thinning white hair. His irises were pink with dark red pupils. The albino drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the barrel directly at the curator. “You should not have run.” His accent was not easy to place. “Now tell me where it is.” The Da Vinci Code – the opening crawled scanned chillingly frozeslowly stared Crawled suggests the museum curator seems child-like and weak This suggest he is desperately looking everywhere for somewhere to hide. Chilling and froze connect together and build the picture of fear Slowly works to build up a sense of inevitability – there is no escape and nothing to do. The attacker seems powerful and unblinking – there is no escape.

© Now you have thought about the choice of words and the writer’s use of language. Look again at the extract and then answer the question: How does the writer build tension with his choice of words? The Da Vinci Code – the opening