11+ English Worksheets

Extract: 'The old gate shrieked as Tom pushed it open, and the garden beyond lay tangled and silent, as though it had been waiting for him alone.' Question: Explain how the writer's language creates a sense of unease in this sentence. (3 marks)

1. Identify the techniques used: personification ('shrieked', 'waiting for him') and the comparison 'as though it had been waiting for him alone'.
2. Explain the effect of 'shrieked': it turns an ordinary creaking gate into something that sounds alive and in pain, which is unsettling.
3. Explain the effect of the garden 'waiting for him alone': this personifies the garden as watchful and deliberate, suggesting Tom is being singled out.
4. Link both points to the overall effect: the language makes an ordinary setting feel threatening and makes the reader expect something is about to happen.
5. Final answer: The writer uses personification ('shrieked', 'waiting for him alone') to make the gate and garden seem alive and watchful, creating unease and suggesting danger is close.