Character & Evidence
Dahl describes Flight-Lieutenant Pattle as an extremely skilled pilot. What character trait does this description reveal?
Experienced, talented, highly skilled, or confident.
Why might an author include a detailed description of an airplane during a battle scene?
To help readers understand the pilot’s experience and the challenges of flying the aircraft.
What does it mean to make an inference?
To combine text evidence with what you already know to reach a logical conclusion.
What is descriptive language?
Language that uses specific details to help readers picture or experience something.
What type of aircraft is Dahl flying during this section of the story?
A Hurricane fighter plane.
Pattle leads the formation through difficult maneuvers that the other pilots struggle to follow. What does this suggest about the difference between Pattle and the other pilots?
Pattle is more experienced/skilled than many of the pilots following him.
A paragraph explains how difficult it was to control a damaged plane. What is the most likely purpose?
To show the danger and difficulty the pilot experienced.
A pilot’s hands shake after landing from combat. What could the reader reasonably infer?
He is frightened, overwhelmed, exhausted, or affected by the battle.
What is the difference between literal and figurative language?
Literal language means exactly what it says; figurative language communicates an idea through comparison, exaggeration, imagery, or another nonliteral expression.
Who is leading Dahl’s formation?
Flight-Lieutenant Pattle.
Dahl continues fighting until his ammunition is gone. What character trait does this action reveal?
Courage, bravery, determination, or persistence.
Why would Dahl shift from describing an air battle to describing what happened after he landed?
To transition to the aftermath of the battle and show its emotional/physical effect on him.
There are far more enemy airplanes than British airplanes. What can you infer about the situation?
The British pilots are at a major disadvantage/outnumbered.
A pilot says the airplane controls feel “heavy and unresponsive.” What does this suggest?
The airplane is difficult to control.
During the battle, why does the formation eventually break apart?
Enemy aircraft attack and the pilots must defend themselves individually.
Which type of evidence would BEST support the idea that a character is brave?
A. A description of his uniform
B. His actions during a dangerous situation
C. The location where he lives
D. His age
B. His actions during a dangerous situation
An author spends an entire paragraph describing how a fighter plane responds during combat. Which purpose is MOST likely?
A. To explain how airplanes are manufactured
B. To help readers experience what flying in combat felt like
C. To persuade readers to become pilots
D. To compare airplanes to automobiles
B. To help readers experience what flying in combat felt like
Dahl notices that several other pilots look and behave much like he does after the battle. What can you infer?
They probably experienced the same frightening or stressful battle.
After surviving a dangerous battle, a narrator describes bright sunshine, flowers, and the ground beneath him. What effect could these details create?
Relief, gratitude, peace, appreciation for being alive, or contrast with the violence of battle.
What happens to Dahl’s aircraft before he returns to the airfield?
It is hit/damaged during the battle.
Explain why an author may reveal a character through actions rather than simply saying, “He was brave.”
Actions allow the reader to infer the trait and make the description more vivid and believable.
What is the difference between asking “What happened?” and “Why did the author include this paragraph?”
“What happened?” asks about plot or information; “Why did the author include it?” asks about the author’s purpose or effect on the reader.
Complete the formula:
Text Evidence + __________ = Inference
Background knowledge / what I already know.
Why might an author use an intense metaphor to describe surviving a battle instead of simply writing, “The battle was frightening”?
The metaphor creates stronger imagery and allows readers to understand the intensity of the experience.
Dahl survives the battle and notices the peaceful surroundings after landing. What larger contrast does the author create?
The violence and danger of war are contrasted with the peacefulness and beauty of ordinary life.