1. Mrs Shearer’s Intermediate 2 Class

2. Short Stories: Exam Question Exemplar (2013) Choose a novel or a short story with a message which is still relevant today. Show how the author’s portrayal of events and character(s) highlight the author’s message.

3. The Bike by Fred Urquhart Setting: 1920’s – 1930’s Based on a themes still relevant today. Choices we make between spending money on small pleasures or saving up for something special. Human relationships and conflict. The story has an incident with a turning point which is crucial to the main character. Deals with an important human emotion: desire, love, hate, disillusionment. Includes the sacrifices we have to make to do this.

4. Conflict within the story “She did without the pictures and new stockings and sweets […] to get it.” “The other girls in the wash-house laughed at her determination to save.”

5. Annie and her longing to own a bike mirrors her longing for Charlie “She could not put into words her longing to sail along superbly, skimming like a yacht in full sail.” The bike represents freedom/happiness. “Her heart sang with exhilaration.”

6. Characterisation and symbolism “She would always remember Charlie’s derisive grin as he looked down at the broken frame.” “She knew that something more than her bike had been broken.” What has Annie learned about human nature and relationships?

7. Using Quotations Use only enough to back up your answer. Use a colon : to introduce your quotations. Also try, occasionally, to integrate your quotations in your sentence. Annie thought both the bike and Charlie would bring her happiness: “her heart sang with exhilaration and proud accomplishment.” When she went out with Charlie she “pranced along proudly at his side.”

8. Essay Writing REMEMBER THIS IS A FORMAL PIECE OF WRITING. Do not use contractions e.g. Don’t, can’t, won’t Avoid slang/clumsy writing I seen I would of You may use the personal pronoun “I” Use and show that you know the meanings of the following: Symbolism Narrative view point/technique Conflict Tone Imagery Structure Characterisation Setting

9. The Essay Type Question Answers to questions in this section should refer to the text and to such relevant features as: characterisation, setting, language, key incident(s), climax, turning point, plot, structure, narrative technique, theme, ideas, description... Look at the question paper. Question 4.