GCSE Literature: An Inspector Calls | Essay Questions by Teach Simple

About this resource

What's inside this resource

Fifteen extended-response essay questions on J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls are grouped under Act I, Act II, and the whole play, prompting students to analyse the shift from a relaxed to tense mood, the Inspector's unconventional presentation as a policeman, Eva Smith's contrasting treatment by the Birling family, and Mrs. Birling's breakdown under interrogation. Whole-play questions extend into character-focused analysis, asking students to trace Inspector Goole's function in the drama, the development of Gerald and Sheila's relationship, and how Priestley exposes lies, deceit, and social responsibility through the Birlings' internal conflicts. The single-page handout provides only the numbered questions themselves, with no accompanying model answers, mark scheme, or answer key, and carries a "1999 www.teachit.co.uk" copyright credit at the foot of the page.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Students analyse how Priestley shifts the mood and tone across Act I of An Inspector Calls.
Students compare characters' contrasting reactions to the Inspector's interrogation (e.g. Gerald Croft vs. Mrs. Birling, Arthur Birling vs. Sheila Birling).
Students construct an extended essay response tracing a character's or theme's development across the whole play, such as Inspector Goole's dramatic function or the Birlings' internal conflicts.

Teaching tips

Assign the Act I and Act II questions as shorter formative essays before the whole-play questions, which require synthesis across the full text.
Use question 11 (write fully about one character) as a flexible essay option for differentiation, since it lets students choose their own character focus.
Pair the comparison questions (6, 13, 15) for a class discussion contrasting how different characters respond to the Inspector's interrogation before students write.

Skills covered

Essay planning and argumentation — students construct an extended response analysing theme, character, or dramatic technique in An Inspector Calls.
Comparative character analysis — students compare and contrast characters' reactions to interrogation, such as Gerald Croft versus Mrs. Birling.
Dramatic technique analysis — students evaluate how Priestley uses the Inspector as a device to expose the Birling family's lies and social attitudes.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How are the essay questions organized?

The fifteen questions are grouped under three headings: Act I, Act II, and whole-play prompts, moving from single-act analysis to questions requiring synthesis across the full text.

Do students need to already know the play before answering these questions?

Yes -- the questions assume familiarity with the plot and characters, such as Inspector Goole's interrogation of the Birling family and what is learned about Eva Smith, since the file provides only the numbered prompts with no background summary or plot recap.

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Curriculum

Standards, concepts & topics

Standards

CCSS.W.10.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”). b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”).
CCSS.RL.10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.RL.10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Core concepts

An Inspector Calls
essay writing
character analysis
dramatic technique
social responsibility theme

Topics

literature worksheet English worksheet essay questions writing english

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