Right There
What month and year was the letter written?
December 1894
Why can Matilda wear her dress as many times as she wants?
As Tommy has made Matilda an iron, she can wash, iron and wear her dress as often as she wants.
Mrs Ellsmore has a housekeeper. What conclusions could a reader draw about Mrs Ellsmore?
A reader could conclude that Mrs Ellsmore is wealthy enough to run a large household and hires people to help her look after it.
Why was Matilda able to buy some sheep at a lower cost?
There was a drought. Matilda had managed to run water from the spring to her sheep and fields. Many other places did not have water or grass, so there was not much competition for the sheep and she was able to buy them at a reasonable price.
What day of the week did Matilda wear the dress Mrs Ellsmore sent her?
Last Sunday
Why does the stove have 2 layers of metal with air between them?
To stop the room from getting hot.
3 adjectives to describe Tommy.
practical, helpful, considerate, inventive, intelligent, skilful, adept, innovative, creative, kind, friendly
How does the reader know that this letter is sent before Christmas?
The letter is dated December 1894. Matilda wishes Mrs Ellsmore and Florence a merry Christmas, so we know that the letter is written before Christmas.
Where does Mrs Lacey live?
Gibber's Creek
What level of modality is used in lines 15-16?
Tommy helping Mrs Sampson put in the pipes, tells us what about Tommy.
This tells us that he is helpful and a hardworker.
Matilda does not use many expressive verbs to convey vivid action. Why might this be?
Matilda is writing a letter about what she has been doing on the farm. For example, as the purpose of her letter is informative, there is no need for her to use expressive verbs or be more descriptive as she is not writing a story. Instead, she is describing everyday tasks and actions.
Where do the sheep not stand?
In the water
What word or phrase tells readers that Matilda's father would have liked Tommy?
It says 'I think'
Why do you think the author, Jackie French, has Matilda cross out the words ‘kill maggots’ and then write ‘treat them for parasites’ (lines 26–27)?
The words ‘kill maggots’ are crossed out because Matilda thinks Mrs Ellsmore, as a lady, may be offended by the word ‘maggots’. She thinks ‘treat them for parasites’ is a nicer way to describe the sheep dipping.
What level of formality is established in the letter? What does this suggest about Matilda’s relationship with Mrs Ellsmore?
Mrs Ellsmore appears to be someone who also lives on a farm and is an older lady to whom Matilda shows respect. This is obvious through Matilda’s conscious decision to modify her language to establish a more formal tone.
Who said the drought is getting worse?
The people at church.
What's different between Tommy's inventions and Matilda's fathers?
Her father made things from wood and Tommy made them from metal.
What do you think the weather is like? How do you know?
Dry and hot, it says it hasn't rained yet.
Do you think Matilda enjoys her life? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
The letter establishes Matilda as being busy, capable and knowledgeable about farm life. Her letter also contains a lot of interesting news and seems to convey a sense of excitement and enthusiasm about her life; in particular, she seems proud of her new iron and shearing shed. Matilda does not complain about the hardships of living on a farm but instead seems positive and content — although she misses her father.