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Year 8 - English

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck

'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore Shakespeare's comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. They focus on the character Puck and the theme of the supernatural, and analyse their role and importance at different points in the play. Finally, they plan and write an essay about Puck and the supernatural.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Puck is presented in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' using evaluative and well supported topic sentences.

Key Notes

  • Topic sentences state a paragraph's main idea.
  • Evaluative topic sentences offer a judgement about a character.
  • You could compare one character to another, or the complexity of a character, to create an evaluative topic sentence.
  • Conjunctions can help create an evaluative topic sentence.
  • You must support your evaluative topic sentence with appropriate evidence from the text.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • topic sentences: the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
  • evaluate: to make a judgement about something
  • irreverent: disrespectful
  • conjunction: a word which connects two clauses in a sentence; for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so and although are all examples
  • contemptuous: insulting

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Paragraphs can only focus on one character at a time.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Topic sentences state a paragraph's main idea. Evaluative topic sentences offer a judgement about a character.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'topic sentences'

the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Paragraphs can only focus on one character at a time. Correction: Comparing characters can be a useful way to deepen your understanding and analysis.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 English guide library.