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Year 7

‘The Twisted Tree’: selecting excellent quotes when writing about the novel

I can select excellent quotations when planning writing on 'The Twisted Tree'.

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New
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Year 7

‘The Twisted Tree’: selecting excellent quotes when writing about the novel

I can select excellent quotations when planning writing on 'The Twisted Tree'.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Topic sentences state a paragraph's main idea.
  2. Topic sentences should develop and maintain your thesis.
  3. Each analytical paragraph should have at least two relevant quotations.
  4. Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in a response.
  5. Main quotations should be analysed; supporting quotations don't need to be analysed.

Keywords

  • Thesis - an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay

  • Topic sentences - the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea

  • Main quotations - quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis

  • Supporting quotations - quotations which support your topic sentence, but don’t require analysis

Common misconception

All quotations need to be analysed in depth.

Not all quotations need the same level of analysis. Main quotations are central to your argument and should be analysed to show how they support your thesis. Supporting quotations are used to reinforce the point made with the main quotations.


To help you plan your year 7 english lesson on: ‘The Twisted Tree’: selecting excellent quotes when writing about the novel, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If time allows, you could add a further task where you create a chart with two columns: one for 'main quotations' and one for 'supporting quotations'. Have pupils fill out this chart with quotes from the text, ensuring they understand the purpose of each type of quotation.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You will need access to the text 'The Twisted Tree' by Rachel Burge, published by Hot Key Books, 2019

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When writing about 'The Twisted Tree', you should include quotations to support your ideas. What is a quotation?
words that you want to use about a text
dialogue from a text, but no other words
any words the writer said about the text
Correct answer: any words from the text
when you summarise what a character says from a text
Q2.
When writing about 'The Twisted Tree', you could start with an introduction which follows a three part structure. Starting with the first sentence, put the three part structure in order.
1 - a general statement about the text
2 - a general statement in relation to the character or theme in the question
3 - a specific thesis
Q3.
When writing about 'The Twisted Tree', you should analyse quotations from the novel. What does it mean to analyse?
summarising the plot of a text
explaining whether you think the text is good or not
Correct answer: considering why a writer wrote their work in the way that they did
selecting the longest quotations to show off your knowledge of the text
looking at a text closely and thinking about what it might mean
Q4.
In what ways is a thesis statement different to a topic sentence?
a thesis statement is shorter
Correct answer: a thesis statement is supported by the whole text
a thesis statement must include quotations
Correct answer: a topic sentence will focus on one specific idea in a text
a topic sentence shouldn't be argumentative, unlike a thesis
Q5.
The draugr (in 'The Twisted Tree') is an undead being that is taken by Burge directly from mythology.
Correct Answer: Norse
Q6.
What is the purpose of a thesis statement in an analytical essay?
to provide a summary of the plot
to introduce the characters
Correct answer: to establish the overarching argument of the essay
to list all the themes in the novel

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a thesis in an essay?
Correct answer: a main argument to develop in the essay
the key ideas in an essay
the key quotes analysed
contextual information about the writer
Q2.
What should a topic sentence do?
summarise the entire essay
introduce the essay
Correct answer: state the main idea of a paragraph
provide background information
Q3.
Which type of quotation requires analysis?
Correct answer: main quotations
supporting quotations
both types
extended quotations
Q4.
What is the purpose of supporting quotations in an essay?
to be analysed in detail
to provide extra context
to introduce a new topic
Correct answer: to reinforce the main quotation
Q5.
Which of the below is a strong topic sentence to answer the question: 'How does Burge present Martha as a heroic character in 'The Twisted Tree'?'
Martha is very brave in the story.
Martha defeats the draugr because she is strong.
Correct answer: Despite her youth, Martha is portrayed as fearless when she defeats the draugr.
Martha talks to many characters in the story.
Q6.
What should a good introduction to an essay include?
a summary of each paragraph
three unrelated ideas
Correct answer: general statements and a specific thesis
detailed analysis of quotes