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Building Suspense and Tension in a Story — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 7 narrative writing worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 7 · English · Narrative Writing

Building Suspense and Tension in a Story — Answers

Part A: Read a suspense passage

Read the passage, then answer the questions.

The hallway light flickered once, then died. Ari stood still. Somewhere below, a door creaked open — slowly, as if whoever was pushing it did not want to be heard.

He held his breath. One step. Then another. The stairs groaned under a weight that was not his. Ari's fingers found the edge of the doorframe and gripped it until his knuckles ached.

The footsteps stopped. Silence. Then, right behind him, something breathed.

1.Find two very short sentences in the passage. Why does the writer use them?

Answer: For example: Ari stood still. Silence. One step. Short sentences slow the reader down so each moment feels tense, like a heartbeat.

2.Which sense does the writer mostly use to build suspense?
  1. Ataste
  2. Bsmell
  3. Chearing
  4. Dtouch

Answer: hearing

Creaking, groaning, footsteps, silence and breathing are all sounds.

3.How does the writer show that Ari is afraid without using the word afraid?

Answer: He holds his breath and grips the doorframe until his knuckles ache.

4.The stairs groaned under a weight that was not his. What does this suggest?

Answer: Someone or something else is on the stairs with him.

5.Why does the writer not say what is behind Ari?
  1. AThe writer forgot to finish.
  2. BTo leave the reader wondering, which creates a cliffhanger.
  3. CBecause nothing is there.
  4. DTo make the story shorter.

Answer: To leave the reader wondering, which creates a cliffhanger.

Holding back the answer makes the reader desperate to read on.

Part B: Suspense techniques

6.Match each suspense technique to its example.
  • short sentences
  • sounds and silence
  • delaying the reveal
  • the body reacting
  • a cliffhanger
  • A floorboard creaked overhead. Then nothing.
  • His heart hammered against his ribs.
  • He ran. He hid. He waited.
  • And then the lights went out.
  • She reached for the handle. Slowly. Slower still.

Answer: short sentences → He ran. He hid. He waited.; sounds and silence → A floorboard creaked overhead. Then nothing.; delaying the reveal → She reached for the handle. Slowly. Slower still.; the body reacting → His heart hammered against his ribs.; a cliffhanger → And then the lights went out.

Part C: Which is more suspenseful?

7.Which version builds more suspense?
  1. AMia opened the door and saw a dog.
  2. BMia eased the door open. Something in the dark was breathing. Two yellow eyes blinked.

Answer: Mia eased the door open. Something in the dark was breathing. Two yellow eyes blinked.

It delays the reveal and uses sound, so the reader does not know what is there.

8.Which version builds more suspense?
  1. AThe phone buzzed. Unknown number. Leo stared at it. It buzzed again.
  2. BLeo's phone rang and he answered it.

Answer: The phone buzzed. Unknown number. Leo stared at it. It buzzed again.

Short sentences and hesitation make the reader wonder who is calling.

Part D: Add tension

Rewrite each calm sentence as two or three sentences that build suspense. Use at least one technique from Part B.

9.Jess walked into the dark cave and saw a light.

Answer: For example: Jess edged into the cave. Darkness pressed in on every side. Then, far ahead, a light blinked.

10.Tom heard a noise in the kitchen and was scared.

Answer: For example: Clink. Tom froze on the stairs. Someone was in the kitchen, and his whole family was asleep.

11.The class waited for the results.

Answer: For example: Nobody moved. The teacher unfolded the paper, read it once and frowned. Then she looked straight at me.

Part E: Your turn

12.Your turn: write a suspense paragraph of six to ten sentences called The Empty House. Use short sentences, at least one sound or silence, a character's body reacting to fear, and end on a cliffhanger.

Model answer: The front door was already open when Lena arrived. She stepped inside. Dust swirled in the thin light from the windows, and the air smelled of old paper. Somewhere upstairs, a clock was ticking. That was strange. Nobody had lived here for years. Lena's mouth went dry as she climbed the first step, then the second. The ticking stopped. In the silence, she heard a soft click, the sound of a door being locked behind her.

Success criteria:

  • Six to ten sentences on the title
  • Mix of short and longer sentences to control pace
  • At least one sound or moment of silence
  • A character's body shows fear
  • The reveal is delayed
  • Ends on a cliffhanger
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Marking tips

  • Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
  • For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
  • Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.

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