gcse essay questions an inspector calls

Miss Huttlestone's GCSE English

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How to crack the ‘An Inspector Calls’ essay: a suggested structure

Happy easter year 10 and 11. i do hope you’re channeling your energy into some purposeful literature revision and that re-reading ‘an inspector calls’ is an integral element of this process. you see, swatting up on the literature texts means knowing the texts inside out , upside down (impressive) and front to back; it’s not enough to have read the texts once with me in class, the examiners can tell a mile off a student who knows the texts from those who have merely regurgitated what their teacher has told them about it., so in leaving the knowing of the text up to you and your independence now, i thought i’d put together a one stop shop for how to structure a top band ‘an inspector calls’ essay in exam conditions – this i can help with. here goes….

STEP ONE: The Introduction In your introduction, you need to set up the parameters for debate – your big bossy idea that will be constantly referred back to in the main body of your essay. This means you need to outline your argument and show that you know exactly what the question is asking you. You will also need to show how you are going to focus your answer.

If you are asked about a character, you should provide an overview of this character’s importance to the play and his/her function . if you are writing about a theme, you should talk about how that theme pervades the play and the reason you find it important. if you are asked about the opening or ending of the play, you should ensure you open by talking about its significance to the play as a whole., here’s an example of a meaningful, purposeful introduction:, what is the function of sheila in an inspector calls sheila has been celebrated as the most dynamic character in the play by many readers and viewers of ‘an inspector calls’. this is because she is deliberately crafted as a mouthpiece for priestley as well as being a physical representative of the younger generation – a generation that has the potential power to aid the socialist progression of society. whilst she has been raised as a member of the upper middle class, she is able to shake off her capitalist views in favour of a more socialist perspective, encouraging her family to recognise the importance of looking after those in less privileged positions. sheila, by the end of the play, is indeed the very portrait of change priestley sought in a post ww2 context. .

Step two: The main body of your essay for a character based essay:

As my highly scientific diagram of a veggie burger above suggests, the main body of your essay is the most essential – it carries the sustenance, the weight to the ideas posed in your introduction. for character questions you might want to break it down like this:, section 1: how the character is presented before the inspector’s arrival – contrast with another character e.g. sheila vs her mother, section 2: how the character is presented when they hear news of eva smith or daisy renton – compare and contrast with other characters;, section 3: how the character is presented during their interrogation – compare or contrast with another character and also discuss how the inspector treats them., section 4: how the character is presented at the end of the play once the inspector leaves – compare and contrast with other characters., for each of the sections identified above, you need to do the following: – provide a clear topic sentence, e.g. when we are first introduced to sheila, we feel…..; – provide at least one piece of evidence from the play, ideally 2-3; – analyse the evidence (the language) and provide inferences about the character, using analytical verbs from your word bank; – contrast or compare with another character; –  explain how priestley may want us to feel about the character and how this connects to his ideas., for some of the sections, you need to also: – discuss a dramatic device used at this point in the play e.g. stage directions. entrances and exits, props etc. – introduce contextual information to develop your interpretation of character. , approaching a theme based question:, a typical question might appear like this:, how does priestley present the theme of conflict in an inspector calls, the structure for an essay on themes is fairly straightforward. you need to decide on 3-4 ways in which the theme is presented and then examine each of these in turn. try to have something unusual up your sleeve for your final paragraph. remember, that for each section of your essay, you need to follow the same rules as above also., here are two visual examples of how you can approach themes:.

Essays on structure / specific scenes

Sometimes, you will be offered a question which is a little unusual so expect the unexpected. it may ask you to consider a part of the play and its relationship to a whole, or it may draw your attention to a structural device. these questions can be more challenging in terms of how to organise your response., an example: how is the opening of an inspector calls effective in setting up the events and ideas in the play, in order to tackle this, you will need to decide on four key aspects of the opening scene to explore, but you will still need to talk about the play as a whole since the question asks about the scene’s importance to the events and ideas presented later. here is an example plan for tackling this question:, 1. the use of lighting – the mood created and how this changes later in the play; 2. the use of props – how atmosphere is created and what these props symbolise, linking to ideas later in the play and context of edwardian era; 3. the stage directions and what we learn about each character merely from first impressions – how these are then demonstrated later in the play; 4. edna – her voice and lack thereof; 5. birling’s big, bold speeches; 6. the sharp ring of the doorbell – how it provokes a change in events, mood, ideas, and how it links to what happens at the end of the play; 7. any early foreshadowing..

The Tricky Conclusion If in doubt, leave it out! A conclusion is important in drawing your ideas together, but  there is little worse than a bad conclusion! If you are simply going to waffle and repeat  yourself, stick to a very brief and compelling single sentence to round off your essay.

If,  however, you wish to gain access to the higher levels of the mark scheme, you need to  develop a carefully crafted conclusion to your debate. you should draw together your  ideas to formulate your overall view on the theme or character, and ideally say something compelling to leave your essay on a high. the conclusion is to give your essay a sense of completeness and let your readers know that they have come to the end of your argument. it might restate the thesis in different words, summarise the main points you have made, or make a relevant comment about the literary work you are analysing, but from a different perspective. do not introduce a new topic in your conclusion., example conclusion:, what is the function of sheila in an inspector calls by the time we reach the final moments of the play, sheila has fallen silent, along with the rest of her family. however, this is not the silence of guilt; it is the telling silence of defeat: she has tried desperately to convince her family to “learn something” and reproaches them like a parent when she exclaims “it frightens me the way you talk”, but all of her efforts have been in vain. we see her as a reformed character and recognise priestley’s cry for help from his audience – we are all left wanting to help sheila in her quest to change the stagnant dangerous attitudes of the upper middle class – attitudes that repress the lower class citizens of society. therefore, we can see that sheila’s function is not merely to teach simple lessons about looking  after thy neighbour, but political lessons: we need to learn from the mistakes of our past, which led to two harrowing world wars, and seek to create a more caring and inclusive society., so you see, in the end all essays have a process and a logic behind them. just make sure you’re saying something passionate and telling throughout. never forget that the play is a construction and serves a political purpose. the characters aren’t real people but serve metaphorical and allegorical functions. your essay must be well structured sure, but it must also be a display of your passion for the text itself – let this shine through the formalities.  .

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An Inspector Calls

University of East Anglia - MA Creative Writing (Prose)

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Notes || Exam Prep || Character Profiles || Themes || Additional Reading & Videos

This topic is included in  Paper 2 . You can find notes and guides for it below.

• Overview and Key Scenes
• Glossary of Key Terms
• Definitions Flashcards
• Guide to Paper 2
• How to plan and write a top mark essay
• Question Bank - Characters
• Question Bank - Relationships
• Question Bank - Themes

Additional Reading & Videos

• An Inspector Calls (2017 film version)

Character Profiles

• Eric Birling
• Gerald Croft
• Mrs Birling
• Sheila Birling
• The Inspector
• Capitalism vs Socialism
• Exploitation
• Generations Young vs Old
• Social Class
• Social Responsibility
• Wealth and Materialism

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Key Themes:

Responsibility

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An Inspector Calls - Plot Summaries

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

30 August 2024

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(PowerPoint presentation and worksheets)

This free GCSE resource is made up of three plot summaries of the three acts in An Inspector Calls. Each plot summary contains an animated activity and an accompanying worksheet. The resource also contains a range of extension tasks perfect for further study after the play has been read.

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An Inspector Calls - GCSE Unit of Work An Inspector Calls - Arthur Birling An Inspector Calls - Sybil Birling An Inspector Calls - Eric Birling An Inspector Calls - Shelia Birling An Inspector Calls - Gerald Croft An Inspector Calls - Comparing Goole and Birling An Inspector Calls - Dramatic Irony An Inspector Calls - Context (Capitalism and Socialism) An Inspector Calls - Themes An Inspector Calls - The Eduqas GCSE English Literature Exam Question An Inspector Calls - Year 9 Unit of Work

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An Inspector Calls: Writer's Methods & Techniques ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Senior Content Creator

Writer’s Methods and Techniques

‘Methods’ is an umbrella term for anything the writer does on purpose to create meaning. Using the writer’s name in your response will help you to think about the test as a conscious construct and will keep reminding you that Priestley purposely put the play together.

Dramatic Methods

There are a number of dramatic methods used in An Inspector Calls:

dramatic structure

dramatic speech and language

Dramatic structure

An Inspector Calls follows a three-act structure which utilises many conventions of the detective genre, though some of these have been subverted:

The Inspector’s speech does not provide any further revelations but simply repeats the moral message of the play

Priestley structures the play using some dramatic devices from Greek tragedy, specifically the Three Unities , to create intensity and add an element of realism to the play:

Unity of Place: the play is set in one location

Unity of Time: the events are enacted in real-time

Unity of Action: the play has only one plot 

In the opening section of the play, Priestley has introduced the Birlings, established their social positions and gives some clues to the audience that this depiction of a happy family is not quite what it seems:

Priestley prepares the audience for the characters’ downfall

Priestley has structured the play so that each act presents the audience with a number of gradual revelations, twists and surprises:

This is used to increase tension, create shock and/or and add an element of surprise

The play employs a cyclical structure , meaning the play ends where it began with a call from a police inspector:

This structure may indicate the characters will be made to repeat the events of the evening, with another opportunity of redemption for those characters who had refused to do so 

It could also indicate that these characters are doomed to repeat the same mistakes as before and will fail to ‘learn their lesson’

In order to create suspense and shock, Priestley subverts the denouement  of the play, by ending the play on a cliff-hanger with an unexpected twist:

The pattern of ending each act on a cliff-hanger will have been anticipated by the audience

However, the revelation that a girl has just died and a police inspector is on his way will have created a thrilling end to the play

The events of the play take place in the Birlings’ dining room:

The single location of the play may signify the Birlings’ relative isolation and detachment from the lower classes

It also adds an element of entrapment with the characters seeming unable to escape the Inspector’s interrogation 

The intimate location also creates a contrast between the private and public spheres of the family:

The revelations exposed are at this point a private family matter, yet the impending visit of the police inspector at the end of the play will threaten to bring events into the public sphere

The sharp sound effect of the doorbell when the Inspector arrives interrupts Arthur’s speech about the importance of looking after oneself:

This forewarns the audience that his attitude is about to be challenged by the Inspector

The lighting changes from ‘pink and ‘intimate’ to suggest that the Inspector will place the characters under great scrutiny:

It may also indicate that the characters will begin to see events with greater clarity and in a new light

Priestley uses cliff-hangers at the end of each act and begins each subsequent act where the previous one finished, which helps to maintain tension and pace

Dramatic entrances and exits are used to create further suspense:

Sheila dramatically exits the stage when she is shown a photograph of Eva, showing she is distraught

Priestley deliberately makes Eric a peripheral  character for much of Acts I and II:

His repeated absences from the stage are used to delay Eric’s confession until the dramatic final act

Priestley deftly creates tension through a variety of methods:

The use of silence and pauses

Information about Eva and each of the character’s involvement with her is only gradually revealed to the audience

The use of photographs is used to great effect:

This assumes great importance at the end of the play when it is suspected he may have been showing a different photo to each character

There is a strong contrast in the first half of the act compared to the second half in terms of both character and mood:

The first half illustrates the prosperity and smugness of the Birlings

The second half enables the audience to observe its destruction

Dramatic speech and language

It is important to consider the ways in which Priestley organises speech and language within the play. For example, the use of dialogue; the use of monologues and each character’s specific use of language.

Dramatic Irony

Priestley uses a great deal of dramatic irony  throughout the first part of Act I

Priestley deliberately uses dramatic irony , in part, to portray Arthur Birling as foolish when the character smugly boasts about the Titanic ship and the future prospects of peace and prosperity:

Arthur’s optimism for the future is superficial and his predictions demonstrate his complacency

However, this suits him, for he has much to lose if things were to change

Arthur Birling’s speech also serves several dramatic purposes:

It presents a picture of a world safe for Capitalism  to thrive

The speech also shows a man confident in his own judgement and totally self-satisfied

However, the audience is clearly aware of the sinking of the ship and the war which followed two years after the play was set

His pronouncements display him as a self-opinionated materialist whose confidence in his own judgement is a sham

While understandably Arthur would not have been able to predict these future events, Priestley deliberately uses this device to further ridicule his character, by presenting Arthur as a character unworthy of sympathy

Moralistic Language

The Inspector is the most important voice within the play:

He speaks “carefully” and “weightily” and controls the events and dialogue

As he is used to developing the plot, much of his speech is filled with questions and imperatives   (“And be quiet for a moment and listen to me.   …This girl killed herself- and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”)

He delivers many lengthy monologues  

The Inspector is also dramatic in his speech:

Ideas relating to social responsibility are repeatedly interwoven throughout his dialogue

He continually uses the pronoun ‘we’ to highlight his message of social responsibility

Foreshadowing

Priestley uses foreshadowing   on many different occasions in the first act of the play to hint to the audience what is about to happen:

Sheila makes the comment to Gerald: “…except for all last summer when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you”:

This alludes to Gerald’s affair with Eva/Daisy

Sheila comments to Eric: “You’re squiffy”, accusing Eric of being drunk:

This alludes to the audience that Eric’s drinking is a fairly constant feature of his behaviour

Birling’s comical remarks to the family: “we must behave ourselves, don’t get into the police court or start a scandal”:

This suggests a potential scandal is indeed about to be revealed

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Author: Nick Redgrove

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.