An Inspector Calls Worksheet - GCSE - Intermediate

An Inspector Calls worksheet for GCSE (Key Stage 4 / GCSE (Ages 14-16)). Intermediate level english practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

English•Key Stage 4 / GCSE (Ages 14-16)•An Inspector Callsintermediate

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Power, Responsibility and Voice in An Inspector Calls

GCSE English Literature | Key Stage 4 | Ages 14–16 | Intermediate

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Instructions: Use your knowledge of J. B. Priestley’s play to explore responsibility, social class, gender and the Inspector’s role. Support analytical responses with precise quotations and explain how dramatic methods shape meaning. For the essay plan, organise ideas before writing a clear argument.

Responsibility and the Inspector’s Message

Answer each question in a focused sentence or two. Use accurate knowledge of the play, and include a quotation where you can. Explain the significance of the Inspector’s message rather than simply retelling events.

1. What does the Inspector mean when he says, “We are members of one body”?

2. How does Mr Birling’s attitude to responsibility differ from the Inspector’s?

3. What does Sheila learn about her own responsibility for Eva Smith?

4. Why might Priestley present the Inspector as a voice for collective responsibility?

Class and Gender: Comparing Responses

Complete the comparison by discussing the characters’ attitudes and actions. The table gives you the focus for each comparison; write a concise analytical response in each box. Refer to a relevant moment or quotation where possible.

1. Compare how Mr Birling and Sheila respond to the idea that their actions affected Eva Smith.

2. How does Mrs Birling use her social position when she speaks to Eva at the charity committee?

3. How does Priestley present gender inequality through the treatment of Eva Smith?

4. What contrast does Priestley create between Gerald’s public respectability and his private behaviour?

Quotation Analysis

For each quotation, identify a word or phrase worth analysing and explain what it suggests. Then connect the quotation to Priestley’s ideas about responsibility, class, gender or social change. Keep each response precise and relevant.

1. “But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.” How does Sheila’s wording show a change in her thinking?

2. “I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.” What does Gerald’s description reveal about his attitude to Eva?

3. “As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!” What does Mrs Birling’s statement suggest about her class prejudice?

4. “You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all.” How does the Inspector challenge the family’s response?

The Inspector as a Dramatic Force

Analyse how Priestley uses the Inspector’s words, actions and stage presence. Explain the effect on the audience and link your ideas to the play’s message. Use the supplied quotation as evidence in each response.

1. The Inspector says, “It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.” Analyse how this challenges the Birlings’ values.

2. Why does the Inspector control the order in which the family members give their accounts?

3. How does the Inspector’s final speech affect the audience’s understanding of responsibility?

4. What is the effect of the final telephone call revealing that a real inspector is on the way?

Plan a GCSE Literature Essay

Plan a response to the single essay question below. Build a clear argument, select evidence from different parts of the play and explain Priestley’s methods and intentions. Use the planning prompts to organise your ideas; the prompts are guidance, not separate questions.

How does Priestley present responsibility in An Inspector Calls? [30 marks]

Thesis / overall argument:

Paragraph 1 — Mr Birling’s individualism and social class:

Paragraph 2 — Sheila’s changing attitude and gender:

Paragraph 3 — the Inspector’s message and the ending:

Conclusion — Priestley’s message to a 1945 audience:

Craft an Analytical Paragraph

Write one developed analytical paragraph in response to the prompt. Start with a clear point, embed the quotation, analyse a specific word or dramatic method, and connect your interpretation to Priestley’s purpose. Do not retell the whole plot.

Analyse how Priestley uses Sheila to challenge the older generation’s attitudes to responsibility. In your response, use the quotation “I know I’m to blame — and I’m desperately sorry.” [6 marks]

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. The image of one body presents society as interconnected, so individuals share responsibility for one another. 2. Birling promotes individualism and denies responsibility; the Inspector argues that people are socially connected and accountable. 3. Sheila recognises that her jealousy and influence over the shop led to Eva losing her job; she accepts blame and changes. 4. He articulates Priestley’s socialist message that collective care and responsibility are necessary.

Activity 2: 1. Birling rejects blame and focuses on himself; Sheila admits her part and shows remorse. 2. Mrs Birling uses her status and authority to reject Eva’s appeal, judging her as socially inferior. 3. Eva has limited power and is exploited by men and institutions; Sheila’s growing awareness offers a contrast. 4. Gerald maintains a respectable public image but privately exploits the power imbalance between himself and Eva.

Activity 3: 1. “People” asserts Eva’s humanity, while “cheap labour” exposes the way workers are treated as commodities; Sheila is beginning to recognise this. 2. Gerald’s casual phrasing and “easily” minimise his behaviour and reveal a privileged, self-excusing attitude. 3. The dismissive phrase “that sort” reveals class prejudice; Mrs Birling assumes Eva is morally inferior. 4. The Inspector exposes the family’s attempt to deny consequences and challenges them to face what happened.

Activity 4: 1. The contrast between asking and taking challenges selfish, exploitative values and supports the play’s call for social justice. 2. He controls revelations to expose each character’s connection to Eva and build dramatic tension. 3. The warning about suffering and fire presents the consequences of ignoring collective responsibility and leaves the audience with a moral challenge. 4. The call overturns the family’s relief and makes the audience question whether the Inspector’s identity matters more than the truth of his message.

Activity 5: A strong plan argues that Priestley condemns individualism and promotes collective responsibility. Paragraph 1: Birling’s self-interest and confidence in social hierarchy; use his dismissal of responsibility. Paragraph 2: Sheila’s remorse and change; connect her treatment of Eva to gender and class. Paragraph 3: the Inspector’s inclusive message and the cyclical ending; explain the warning to the audience. Conclusion: Priestley encourages the audience to build a fairer, more responsible society. Accept other well-supported plans.

Activity 6: A strong paragraph explains that Sheila’s admission marks a contrast with her parents’ defensiveness. It analyses “I know” as direct acceptance and “desperately sorry” as sincere remorse, then links her development to Priestley’s belief that younger people can change and take responsibility. Accept other relevant interpretations supported by the quotation.