Text English Book 3 Teacher Guide

3 Short stories
Activity 1
Student Book page 58

Name: Date:

Almost any story fits this four-part structure.

Structure ‘Goldilocks’ Romeo and

Juliet
Set-up The situation at Goldilocks Two families are
the start of the walks into the feuding – and
story is three bears’ have been for
established. cottage when years.
they are out.

Conflict There is a She eats their A boy from one

problem. porridge, family and a girl
breaks a chair from the other
and goes to fall in love.
sleep in their
bed.
Climax The problem The three The boy is
reaches its worst bears come banished for
point. home and find murder; the girl
her. tries to fake her
own death.

Resolution The problem is Goldilocks The boy

sorted out – wakes up and believes she is
sometimes runs away. dead and kills
happily. himself; she is
so upset, she
kills herself.

Student sheet 3.1 © Pearson Education 2009

 Unit 3 Short stories

3 Short stories
Activity 1
Student Book page 58

Name: Date:

Think of a story you know well. It could be a favourite book or a folk tale, similar
to ‘Goldilocks’. Using the table below, write the complete story in only four sentences.

Structure ‘Goldilocks’ Story you know well

plot
1 Set-up Goldilocks
The situation walks into the
at the start of three bears’
the story is cottage when
established. they are out.

2 Conflict She eats their

There is a porridge,
problem. breaks a chair
and goes to
sleep in their
bed.
3 Climax The three
The problem bears come
reaches its home and find
worst point. her.

4 Resolution Goldilocks
The problem wakes up and
is sorted out – runs away.
sometimes
happily.

Student sheet 3.2 © Pearson Education 2009

Text English Book 3 Teacher Guide

3 Short stories
Activity 3
Student Book page 59

Name: Date:

1 Look at these key events from a selection of stories. Cut them out and sort them into set-
ups, conflicts, climaxes and resolutions.

The police make A woman is lost Sees a knife on

an arrest on the hills the floor
A girl is lying in It was all a A man leaps out
bed misunderstanding of the darkness
A smiling stranger A man is breaking
Hears footsteps
approaches into a house
Old friends are
A shot is fired There’s a fight
reunited

2 Choose one set-up, one conflict, etc., to form a complete story structure.

Structure Detail

Set-up

Conflict

Climax

Resolution

3 Add some detail to your story structure. What else can you tell the reader
about:
 the characters
 the setting
 the situation they are in
 what happens to them?

Student sheet 3.3 © Pearson Education 2009

 Unit 3 Short stories

3 Short stories
Activity 3
Student Book page 59

Name: Date:

4 Write your story in the style of ‘The Scarlatti Tilt’, squeezing all four stages of
the story into just two sentences. Aim to imply some of the events in the
story, rather than tell the reader about them directly.
Look at this table to see how the writer of ‘The Scarlatti Tilt’ does it:

How we are told about

Key events
them
A man and a woman share a
studio apartment in San Jose Told directly via the woman
The man is learning to play the telling the police
violin
The women finds the noise so
unbearable... Implied by the phrase ‘empty
...she shoots the man and hands revolver’
herself over to the police

How can you imply events? Look at these examples. Try to fill in the gap.

The event The event implied

A window is broken He kicked the ball. The noise of
breaking glass echoed through the
school
He didn’t do his He handed in his exercise book,
homework unopened since last lesson

She stole the money The next day, she came to school with
a new phone, a new mp3 player and
new earrings
The dog ate dad’s dinner

Student sheet 3.4 © Pearson Education 2009

Text English Book 3 Teacher Guide

3 Short stories
Sharpen your skills – Tenses
Student Book page 59

Name: Date:

It’s very easy to start a story in the past tense and suddenly find that you are
writing in the present tense. It’s important that you do not drift from one tense to
the other. The sentences below mix their tenses. Correct them, putting them
into the past tense.

1 She ran as fast as she could but they are still following her.

2 He was a man who believes everything he is told.

3 He sleeps all day and, at night, he worked a twelve-hour shift at the

factory.

4 He reached the top of the ladder and, struggling to get his breath, finds
he has an excellent view of the street below.

Student sheet 3.5 © Pearson Education 2009

 Unit 3 Short stories

3 Short stories
Sharpen your skills: Tenses
Student Book page 59

Name: Date:

Now correct the same sentences as on the previous Student sheet, putting
them into the present tense.

1 She ran as fast as she could but they are still following her.

2 He was a man who believes everything he is told.

3 He sleeps all day and, at night, he worked a twelve-hour shift at the

factory.

4 He reached the top of the ladder and, struggling to get his breath, finds
he has an excellent view of the street below.

Student sheet 3.6 © Pearson Education 2009