1. ‘Tickets Please’ - Answers
Thursday 11th November

2. Overview
The first thing you should have done is form an overall impression of what you were being told in the opening. What were your impressions of:
The trams?
The workers on the trams?
The passengers?

3. Overview
The trams were dangerous, but there was a sense of adventure to them
The staff were a strange mix, many of the drivers were disabled in some way and the ticket girls were fearsome and confident
The passengers are always busy and seem to expect and not care about the accidents – they only care about getting to their destination

4. Question 1
B = Trams often come off the rails C = Passengers are reluctant to leave the trams when told there’s a fire E = People are afraid of girl conductors H = The kind of people who work on the trams has changed because of the war

5. Common mistakes The trams are driven by women
This was highlighted as the biggest error from pupils (The other should have been obvious). What made this one particularly difficult for some pupils do you think?

6. Question 2
You could only use points from the first paragraph. If you have any quotations or points from paragraph 2 or 3 then you would not get any marks for those points. What were the two key words in the question? How does the writer use language here to describe the atmosphere on the trams?

7. Question 2
You could only use points from the first paragraph. If you have any quotations or points from paragraph 2 or 3 then you would not get any marks for those points. What were the two key words in the question? How does the writer use language here to describe the atmosphere on the trams?

8. Question 2 - Atmosphere
The atmosphere could be described in a number of ways:
A sense of evil and darkness
A sense of excitement and danger
The passengers don’t seem to care about danger and are more focused on getting to their destination
You don’t need to get all three of these to get the marks, but you would need at least two of them to get close to full marks.

9. Question 2 What you may have written about:
Written in present tense – as if it is happening now (helps the reader see the tram more clearly – as if we are there)
Sense of evil or darkness – “spirit of the devil”, “cripples and hunchbacks”, “unbroken darkness” or the “heart of nowhere.”
Sense of danger and excitement – the ride is a “steeple chase” (metaphor), a “shriek” and a “trail of sparks”

10. Question 2
Comic contrast of danger with the cheerful speech of the passengers at the end
Exclamatory sentences to highlight the sense of excitement/danger/stubborn
The tram is busy/packed – “one solid mass of living people”
Verbs to describe how the tram moves “leap”, “leapt”, “Jump”. Links to the sense of adventure.

11. Marks
If you have written 4 or more of these points, award yourself 7 – 8 marks
If you have written at least 3 of these points award yourself 5 – 6 marks
2 of these points = 3 – 4 marks
1 point = 1- 2 marks
0 marks for nothing written

12. Question 3
What are the keywords in the question? Now think about the whole text. This extract comes near the beginning of a short story . How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?

13. Question 3
What are the keywords in the question? Now think about the whole text. This extract comes near the beginning of a short story . How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?

14. Question 3
Did you use the first two bullet points to help answer the question? It would make sense to always do what they have told you.
You could write about:
What the writer focuses on at the beginning
How and why he changes his focus
Any other structural features

15. Question 3 - answers
Change of perspective – moving from the general (the tram and its atmosphere) to the particular (who and why people travel on the trams). Finally it shifts to Annie – we may follow her story on the trams.
Description of characters – the people that ride the tram and the female conductors
Setting and description – detailing the atmosphere on the tram

16. Question 3 - answers
Anti-climax – the fire starting in the tram and the contrast of the passengers who do not care
Direct speech – we learn about the feelings and moods of the different characters on the train
Compound and complex sentences – these are used to create a very rich and detailed world to help us see what travelling on the trams was really like
Contrast – danger and the reaction of the passengers (couldn’t care less). The frightening women and the bullied passengers.

17. Marks
If you have written 4 or more of these points, award yourself 7 – 8 marks
If you have written at least 3 of these points award yourself 5 – 6 marks
2 of these points = 3 – 4 marks
1 point = 1- 2 marks
0 marks for nothing written

18. Question 4
What are the keywords in the question? Think about the whole text. What impression do you get of the people who work on the trams and who use them?

19. Question 4
What are the keywords in the question? Think about the whole text. What impression do you get of the people who work on the trams and who use them?

20. Question 4
Looking at the question it is clear that you need to split your answer into two, the people who work on the trams and the people who use them.

21. Question 4 - Answers Male Workers:
“Hunchback and cripples” – looked down on/useless – but they have a sense of daring/danger (making up for not going to war).
“Delicate young men who creep forward” – good use of the verb ‘creep’ to describe their personalities. Contrast the ‘rash young men’ who are crippled. The adjective ‘delicate’ suggests they were too soft for war.

22. Question 4 - Answers Female workers
“Fearless young hussies” – They do not behave in the way women are expected to – but they are brave – would not be allowed to fight in the war.
Description of uniform – ugly, but they do not care, ‘sang-froid’ (coolness). Good description of their personality.
“perfectly at ease” – the women are not rattled by the swearing and singing from the big coal miners.
“They pounce”- the verb suggests they are to be feared – catch their prey like hunters
Repetition of “they” – it makes them seem more menacing – not human
“They fear nobody…everybody fears them” Repetition of ‘fear’ the image that is created is that they are strong, powerful women not to be trifled with.
Annie Stone’s responses – she is a cold and determined character.

23. Question 4 - Answers Passengers
“Passengers stolidly reply” – the passengers are stubborn and a hard group of people. Not easily scared.
The trams are “desperately packed” or a “solid mass” of people. Shows they are determined to get to places for a change of scenery – will not let the uncomfortable journey put them off.
“howl of derision” the passengers are angry if they miss a tram.
“Howling colliers” who shout an “antiphony (singing in response) of obscenities” – common and rebellious- don’t care who hears them.

24. Marks
15 – 20 marks – you need to have written about all three people on the tram. You must have used at least four of the points and explained them clearly.
10 – 14 marks – You need to have written about two of the groups. You must have used at least three points.
5 – 9 marks – At least one group and at least two points.
1 – 4 marks – One group and only one point made
0 – nothing written

25. Plenary
Write out a set of tips for you to follow the next time you approach these style of questions. Focus on what you did well and what you need to do to improve next time.