Language Paper 1 – Skills Practice Booklet

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Section A

Extract from The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

This extract comes from the middle of a novel. In it, fifteen-year-old Six remembers the
events that lead to him being seriously burnt by boiling water, and spending two months in
hospital recovering.

Six remembered the ambulance ride to the hospital and Hattie weeping beside him. He had
not seen her cry before or since. He was only nine at the time, but he remembered the
heaving sobs that pulled her body to and fro and how she kept touching the parts of him that
weren’t burned. “Please, not this one too,” she said. She shook and rocked, but her hands
were calm and steady on him, as though they weren’t attached to the rest of her body.
He stayed in the hospital for two months. Each time he woke from the painkillers, Hattie was
there, face white as chalk – sitting straight backed in the chair or standing at the window or
pacing at the foot of his bed. August came too. He whistled Six a tune or brought him odd
presents: a wooden recorder that he played very softly until a nurse came along and told him
to stop, cherries that he peeled with a small knife and cut into pieces so Six could taste the
sweetness on his tongue without having to chew with his burned jaws.

His sisters visited. He woke one afternoon to find Cassie standing behind Hattie. “I’m so
sorry, Mother. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry,” she said. Hattie turned to face her and nodded.
Cassie left the room in tears.

The sun filtered through the heavy curtains in the hospital room. Six felt as though he had
been asleep for a long time and that perhaps she was still sleeping and everything he saw or
heard was a dream. In the dream he got up from his bed, put his arm around Cassie, and
said, “See, I’m fine. It was just a little accident, and I’m just fine.”

The burns covered 50 percent of his body. The doctors told Hattie they didn’t know if Six
would live, and so in his sleeping and sleeping he was dying, or almost.

Bell and Cassie thought they had killed him. After he was better and had gone back to
school, and even now, six years later, they blamed themselves. Either would do anything for
Six if he asked. When he was short with them or cold or looked at them in anger, it hurt
them deeply. Six sniped at them purposely when he wanted to inflict pain or when he
wanted someone to remember that night with him and to suffer.

On the evening of his accident Cassie was getting dressed for a prom to which an older boy
had invited her. Hattie had given her permission because he was, as she said, the right sort,
college bound. Hattie had managed to pay for most of the dress, and Cassie cleaned
houses to pay the rest. Cassie was the first Shepherd to attend a prom. Hattie didn’t say
much, but she spent a long time pressing the dress and then laid it out on Cassie’s bed as
gently as she would a newborn baby. It was pale green and softly shining. Layers of chiffon
frothed around the skirt when it moved. Six kept going into his sister’s room to look at it lying
on the bed. The dress was so delicate and pretty it could have taken flight and floated out of
the window.

Cassie and Bell were in the bathroom rolling Cassie’s hair into curlers. “Six,” one of the
other called, “bring us some more bobby pins.” Or, “Six, tell Mother we’ll need the hot comb
in twenty minutes.” He came when summoned and hung around the bathroom door
watching his sisters. When she wasn’t busy with Cassie’s hair, Bell stood behind him with
her hands on either side of his face rubbing his cheeks absentmindedly, the way she would
a cat. His sisters were prettier than anyone Six knew. They gabbled to each other like
bright birds. Bell went downstairs to light the hot water heater. By the time she returned,
Cassie had put the stopper into the tub. One of them, maybe Cassie, asked him to get a
clean towel from the hall closet, and the other had made a joke that he was their butler, and
they’d laughed. Six was just about to stand for an exaggerated pretend bow when he lost
his balance and fell into the tub. Hot enough to cook an egg. So hot that for a long while Six
couldn’t breathe or cry out. He felt as though his flesh was sliding off of his bones. Cassie
screamed. She screamed as she pulled him out and screamed as she laid him on the floor
and screamed as he convulsed on the tile. He heard Hattie shouting and footsteps, many
footsteps, coming down the hallway, and then, mercifully, he blacked out. He woke in the
ambulance to his mother’s hands moving on his feet and legs, fluttering over him as though
her fingers had become butterflies.

Question 1 – Comprehension

1. Name four of Six’s relatives included in the extract, and their relationship to Six.
2. How old is Six when the accident happens?
3. Which character is in Six’s hospital room every time Six wakes up?
4. What medication is Six given when he gets to hospital?
5. How much of Six’s body is covered in burns?
6. What event is Cassie getting ready for on the night of the accident?
7. How did Cassie contribute to the cost of her dress?
8. List four words or phrases that describe Cassie’s dress.
9. What two jobs do Cassie and Bell ask Six to do when Cassie is getting ready?
10. What room are Cassie, Bell and Six in when the accident happens?

Question 2 – Language Analysis

1. Re-read lines 6-11. List four phrases that use sensory imagery. Annotate each of
the quotations: what impression do they give you about the characters’ experience in the
hospital?
2. Re-read lines 29-34. Find four phrases that use figurative language to describe the
dress. Annotate each quotation: what do these phrases suggest about the dress, and its
importance?
3. Re-read lines 38-40. Find three phrases that describe the sisters in a vivid way.
Annotate each quotation: what do they show about Six’s opinion of his sisters?
4. Re-read lines 45-49. Select 5-6 individual words or phrases that describe the
accident. Annotate each quotation: how do they make this a powerful moment in the
extract?

Question 3 – Structural Analysis

We can represent the structure of the text like this:

1. Discuss the diagram with your partner. How do they represent the different moments
in the text? What do the different images and shapes mean?

Extension: is there anything missing that you would add to the diagram? Add it to your copy
once you have stuck it in your book, and explain your decision to your partner.

2. Re-read the text. On the right-hand side, doodle the different images and shapes
from the diagram as they appear in the text. Explain your choices to your partner.

3. Stick your copy of the diagram into your book, with space around to annotate. Label
the diagram with these different technical terms:
• Symbol
• Flashback
• Cyclical structure
• Climax
• Building tension

4. In a different colour, annotate each section of the diagram with a key quotation from
the text.

5. Answer these questions to consider the effect of the structure of the text:
• Which character seems most important, other than Six? Why?
• At what point in the extract do we learn about how Six was burned? Why does the
writer describe the detail at this point?
• What is the most memorable moment of the accident for Six? Why do you think this?
• What are the two most contrasting elements of the extract? Why are these two
elements so contrasting?
• Which character is to blame for Six’s accident? Why?
• Where is there a suggestion of hope, despite the seriousness of the accident?
• What structural elements add confusion to the extract? Why is this confusion in the
structure needed?

Question 4 – Evaluating

What reason do we have to like / dislike each of the characters in the text?
1. Complete the table, giving your reasons for liking / disliking the characters.
2. Support your thoughts with a quotation from the text.
3. Identify aspects of language or structure that strengthen your opinion.
4. Explore the effect of these aspects of language or structure.

Reason to like Language / Effect

them Quotation Structure

Hattie

Cassie
August

Bell

Reason to Language / Effect

dislike them Quotation Structure

Hattie

Cassie

August

Bell
5. Which character do you feel most sympathy for, and why?
6. Why has the author encouraged us to feel this sympathy for this character? How
does it affect the way we see other characters, or the incident itself?

Exam Practice

Now put all of your thoughts together to complete a practice Paper 1 Section A.

1. Re-read lines 1-5. List four things you learn about what Hattie does in these lines.

2. Re-read lines 29-34. How does the writer use language in this extract to describe
Cassie’s dress?

Hattie didn’t say much, but she spent a long time pressing the dress and then laid it out on
Cassie’s bed as gently as she would a newborn baby. It was pale green and softly shining.
Layers of chiffon frothed around the skirt when it moved. Six kept going into his sister’s
room to look at it lying on the bed. The dress was so delicate and pretty it could have taken
flight and floated out of the window.

3. Focus now on the whole extract. How does the writer use structure to interest the
reader?

4. Focus now on the second part of the source, from line 21 to the end.

When reading this part of the text, one student said, “Even though Six is the victim, it is
Cassie I feel most sorry for.” To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Section B

Approach 1 – Imitating the Section A Structure

If you feel confident identifying the structure of a text in Section A Q.3, you can use the
structure of the extract to help you with your Section B response.

The Section A extract is structured like this:

Basic Structure Detailed Structure

Introduction of a Riding in the Some form of vehicle Ambulance

memory, with a ambulance / movement
focus on a “Please, not this
secondary character Hattie’s distress Brief speech one too.”
Change of setting Hospital room Use of symbols Music

Time passing Two months Cherries

Focus on two Hattie and August

secondary
characters

Focus on a third Cassie Brief speech “I’m so sorry,

character Mother. I’m so
sorry. I’m sorry.”

Brief description of Hospital room Light imagery Sunlight through

setting, into dream- the curtains
like episode Sleeping or dying? Interaction with a
secondary character Reassuring Cassie

Flash-forward to the Six is back at

future school

Narrator’s Bell and Cassie’s

interaction with two guilt
secondary
characters

Flashback to the Cassie getting

night of the accident ready for the prom
with Bell and Six’s
Change of setting help

Six’s home

Description of a key Cassie’s dress Background details Hattie gives

symbol of secondary permission for
characters Cassie to attend the
prom

How Hattie and

Cassie afforded the
dress

Interaction of Cassie and Bell Relaxed or positive Bell stroking Six’s

narrator and getting ready atmosphere face
secondary
characters Cassie and Bell like Brief speech “bring us some
‘bright birds’ more bobby pins.”
Description of Foreshadowing of Or, “Six, tell Mother
secondary climax we’ll need the hot
 characters comb in twenty
minutes.”

Turning on the hot

water and filling the
bath

Quick build up to Six bows, falls into Secondary Cassie’s screaming

the climax the bath character’s reaction and actions

Brief description of Six’s pain

the climax

Cyclical narrative Ambulance journey

returns to the start with Hattie

Attempt to imitate this structure in response to this Paper 1 Section B-style question:

Write a narrative about waking up in an unfamiliar place.

1. Annotate the questions below before you begin your planning:

• Where will the unfamiliar place be?

• Who will be your narrator?

• What has happened to them – why are they in the strange place?

• Who will your four secondary characters be?

• How are they involved with the narrator, and the reason they are waking up in the
strange place?

2. Complete the table with brief notes to fill in the details of your narrative:

Basic Structure Detailed Structure (Optional)

Introduction of a Some form of
memory, with a focus vehicle / movement
on a secondary
character Brief speech

Change of setting Use of symbols

Time passing

Focus on two
secondary
characters

Focus on a third Brief speech

character

Brief description of Light imagery

setting, into dream-
like episode Interaction with a
secondary character

Flash-forward to the
future

Narrator’s interaction
with two secondary
characters

Flashback to the
night of the accident

Change of setting

Description of a key Background details of

symbol secondary characters

Interaction of Relaxed or positive

narrator and atmosphere
secondary
 characters Brief speech

Description of Foreshadowing of
secondary climax
characters

Quick build up to the Secondary

climax character’s reaction

Brief description of
the climax

Cyclical narrative
returns to the start

3. Write your response to this Paper 1 Section B-style question:

Write a narrative about waking up in an unfamiliar place.

Approach 2 – Zooming In

You can use a simple “zoom-in” structure to plan your narrative or descriptive writing.
Here is a very simple example of the structure – you will need to include more detail and
description in an exam response. The narrative present lasts no more than 5 mins – e.g. the
time period you are describing in your narrative.

1. Use arrows to match up the different parts of the ‘zoom-in’ structure to the examples
in the model.

The sun had risen steadily over the vast, stretching plains, flat as a giant griddle, burning
down onto the once-fertile feeds below. It had baked the road to a rich brown-red, and dust
clouded up to Hanna’s knees with each step she took.

Keeping her head down, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, dragging
herself along the endless path. Her sandals had worn down to flimsy ropes, cutting into her
toes, but they were her only protection from the scorching earth.

Above her, a buzzard began to circle. Every now and again, its wide wings cast the only
shade over Hanna’s face as it hovered, patiently.

Use this structure in response to this Paper 1 Section B-style question:

Write a description based on this image.

Zoom out –
setting

Zoom in –
setting

Character

Object
 Action

2. Discuss these questions as a class before you begin your planning:

• Who will your narrator / main character be? Someone within the image, or someone
outside of the image, witnessing this moment?
• How will you avoid falling into prejudiced or discriminatory narratives in response to
this image and instead use accurate, empowering ideas?
• What are the key details in this image that could fit into the ‘zoom-in’ structure? What
about the details you can’t see, but could imagine?

3. Complete the table with brief notes to fill in the details of your description:

Zoom out – setting

Zoom in – setting
Character
Object
Action

4. Use the ‘zoom-in’ structure in response to this Paper 1 Section B-style question:

Write a description based on the image.

Approach 3 – 6-Part Structure

The 6-part structure approach is similar to the ‘zoom-in’ approach, but can be more helpful
for narrative writing, rather than descriptions:

• Setting
• Character
• Flashback
• Conversation
• Journey
• Conflict

Here is a very simple example of the structure – you will need to include more detail and
description in an exam response. The narrative present lasts no more than 5 mins – e.g. the
time period you are describing in your narrative.

1. Label the different parts of the 6-part structure that appear in the model.
Night had fallen on the city, but a buzz of anticipation still hummed through the electricity
wires, the rushing water in the gutter, the flicker of the neon shop lights. I pulled my hood up
and slunk out of doorway where I had been sheltering from the evening rain.

It had been fifteen years since I had walked these streets, but the buzz of excitement was as
present in the bricks and tarmac as it had been all that time ago.

I stopped at a hole-in-the-wall street-food counter and nodded at the chef.

“You know a family goes by the name of Tarrick, still living round here?” I asked.
“Dark lady, two children – twins. A girl and a boy. Must be full-grown. Seventeen,
eighteen?”

The chef pushed a set of slimy noodles around his griddle and side-eyed me through the
smoke.

“Depends who’s asking,” he replied.

Wiping his hands on his apron, he set down his utensils and slunk towards the hatch that
looked out onto the street. He fixed Craig with an intense, serious stare. Craig felt his heart
flutter under his gaze. Would he lose his nerve, even when he was so close to finding them?

Use this structure in response to this Paper 1 Section B-style question:

Write a narrative about a terrible accident.

2. Discuss these questions with your partner before you begin your planning:

• You can’t write about an incident of burning – this is too close to the Section A text.
So what will the terrible accident be?
• A ‘terrible accident’ doesn’t have to be full of blood and destruction and gore! What
other terrible accident could you write about that doesn’t cause any physical harm or
destruction?
• Who will your main character / narrator be?
• Conflict can be physical (i.e. a fight), internal (e.g. making a difficult decision) or
between non-human elements in your story (e.g. a thunderstorm). What will your conflict be
like?

3. Complete the table with brief notes to plan out your narrative:

Setting
Character
Flashback
Conversation
Journey
Conflict
4. Use the ‘zoom-in’ structure in response to this Paper 1 Section B-style question:

Write a narrative about a terrible accident.