11+ Revision List for 2027 Entry

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.

In the sentence 'Maya sprinted down the corridor, her shoes slapping against the tiles', which single word tells the reader Maya was running very fast?

sprinted