An Inspector Calls (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Exam Questions

8 hours192 questions
11 mark

What event interrupts Arthur Birling’s speech in Act 1?

  • the entrance of Gerald Croft with surprising news about the Inspector

  • a phone call from the infirmary advising the family about the death of a young girl

  • the arrival of Eric Birling, who stumbles in late and visibly intoxicated

  • the arrival of Inspector Goole who comes to inquire about the death of Eva Smith

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21 mark

What does Sheila confess to in Act 1?

  • She was responsible for Eva Smith losing her job at a dress shop.

  • She had secretly stolen money from her father's company without permission.

  • She witnessed Gerald's affair with Eva Smith but chose to remain silent.

  • She confronted Eva Smith about her appearance and made hurtful comments.

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31 mark

What does Sybil Birling reveal during her interrogation in Act 2?

  • She knew that Eric was the father of Eva’s child all along.

  • She refused to help Eva when she came to the her charity.

  • She was aware of Gerald’s affair and chose to remain silent.

  • She had secretly provided financial aid to Eva.

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41 mark

What does Gerald Croft discover during his walk in Act 3?

  • that Gerald's father knows about his affair with Eva Smith

  • that another girl had committed suicide at the Infirmary

  • that Eric has confessed to the police about stealing money

  • that Inspector Goole may have been a fraud

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51 mark

What shocking realisation does Sybil Birling come to at the end of Act 2?

  • Sheila was involved in Eva Smith's dismissal from Milward's department store.

  • The Inspector investigating their family was never a real police officer, and “Eva Smith” did not exist.

  • Eric is the father of Eva Smith's unborn child, meaning that Sybil denied her own grandchild charity.

  • Gerald had been lying about his whereabouts and had an affair with Eva Smith.

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61 mark

What happens immediately after Arthur Birling calls the Infirmary in Act 3?

  • He discovers that his business is under an official investigation.

  • He is informed by the police that Inspector Goole was actually an impostor.

  • He learns that no girl matching Eva Smith’s description has been admitted.

  • He hears that Eric has turned himself in at the local police station.

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71 mark

What does Gerald Croft confess to in Act 2?

  • He had an affair with Eva the previous summer.

  • He knew Inspector Goole was a fraud from the beginning.

  • He was involved in a business deal with Arthur Birling.

  • He was secretly supporting the Brumley Women’s Charity.

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81 mark

Why does Inspector Goole insist that each member of the Birling family is responsible for Eva Smith’s fate?

  • to force them to admit their individual guilt in a legal sense

  • to show their actions are interconnected and contributed to her downfall

  • to shift the responsibility away from himself and onto the family

  • to expose the family's secrets and create discord among its members

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91 mark

Why is Arthur Birling’s optimism about the future in Act 1 considered ironic by the audience?

  • because his business is secretly failing, despite his confident assertions

  • because his daughter is planning to break off her engagement to Gerald

  • because the audience knows that World War I is about to occur

  • because the Inspector has already arrived, indicating trouble is imminent

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101 mark

Why does Eric become furious with his mother, Sybil in Act 3?

  • because she refused to help Eva Smith at the Brumley Women's Charity

  • because she exposed Eric's drinking problem and his theft from the business

  • because she revealed Eric's connection to Eva Smith while defending the family's reputation

  • because she insisted that the Inspector was lying about Eva Smith

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11 mark

Why does Gerald suggest that the photograph shown by Inspector Goole might have been of different women?

  • to protect Sheila from learning about his affair with Eva by implying that Eva was not real

  • to expose a mistake made by the Inspector during the questioning

  • to reassure Sheila and try to restore their engagement, securing  his firm’s partnership with Mr Birling

  • to cast doubt on the Inspector’s investigation and lessen the family’s guilt

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21 mark

Why does Sheila believe it does not matter whether Inspector Goole was a real police inspector?

  • because the lessons they learnt about their actions are still valid regardless of his identity

  • because she is more concerned with salvaging her relationship with Gerald and repairing family dynamics

  • because she had already known the truth about Eva Smith's fate before the Inspector's arrival

  • because she believes the entire situation was orchestrated by her father to test the family's moral character

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31 mark

Why does Arthur Birling dismiss the significance of Eva Smith's death at the beginning of the play?

  • because he immediately suspects that Eva's death was a hoax

  • because he thinks the Inspector is exaggerating the situation

  • because he believes her death is irrelevant to his family and business

  • because he believes that individual tragedies are inevitable in society

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41 mark

Why does Gerald initially try to persuade Sheila to leave the room before he confesses to his affair in Act 2?

  • because he fears Sheila might reveal more information that could incriminate him

  • because he wants to protect Sheila from the painful details of his relationship with Eva

  • because he believes Sheila's emotional reaction might interfere with the Inspector's questioning

  • because he thinks the Inspector will be less harsh if Sheila is not present

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51 mark

How does Priestley use the reactions of the younger and older Birlings to the Inspector's revelations to explore generational differences?

  • by showing that younger characters are willing to accept responsibility, while older characters seek to preserve their reputations

  • by depicting younger characters as easily misled by the Inspector, whereas older characters are steadfast in their beliefs

  • by illustrating that both the younger and older generations react similarly, highlighting the family's unity in adversity

  • by showing older characters as more emotionally affected by the revelations, whereas younger characters are more detached

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61 mark

How does Priestley use the Inspector's questioning to gradually reveal the interconnectedness of the Birlings' actions?

  • by addressing each family member's actions chronologically, revealing how their choices over time created a chain of events leading to Eva's tragic end

  • by focusing on the most serious offences first, then gradually moving to minor ones to build tension and reveal the full extent of the family's involvement

  • by allowing the characters to confess their actions in a seemingly random order, emphasising the chaotic nature of their collective impact on Eva Smith's life

  • by carefully structuring the interrogation to show how each family member's actions contributed to Eva Smith's downfall, creating a sense of cumulative responsibility

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71 mark

How does Priestley use the character of Inspector Goole to challenge the moral values of the Birling family?

  • by offering the Birlings a way to escape public shame, emphasising the importance of self-preservation

  • by revealing his own moral failings, demonstrating that everyone, including authority figures, is flawed

  • by confronting each family member with their actions, forcing them to face the consequences of them

  • by ignoring the actions of the younger Birlings and focusing only on the older generation, who are more guilty

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81 mark

How does Priestley use the revelation of Eric's involvement with Eva Smith to further critique the Birlings’ values?

  • Priestley shows that even the younger generation are flawed and engage in selfish behaviour.

  • Priestley reveals Eric was the only character to help Eva, setting him apart as morally superior.

  • Priestley suggests Eric's actions were largely due to his troubled relationship with his parents.

  • Priestley portrays Eric's involvement with Eva as the main consequence of his abuse of alcohol.

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91 mark

How does Priestley use Sheila's character throughout the play to convey a message about social responsibility?

  • Priestley portrays Sheila as initially accepting but ultimately rejecting the Inspector's message, emphasising the difficulty of maintaining changed social views.

  • Priestley shows Sheila's growing awareness and acceptance of her actions, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and learning from one's mistakes.

  • Priestley makes Sheila remain largely unchanged throughout the play, suggesting that the younger generation is equally resistant to social change as their elders.

  • Priestley depicts Sheila's character transformation as solely driven by fear of public scandal, rather than genuine moral growth or social awareness.

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101 mark

How does Priestley use the character of Gerald Croft to explore the theme of hypocrisy?

  • by revealing Gerald's affair with Eva which contrasts with his outward respectability, exposing his double standards

  • by portraying Gerald's consistent concern for Eva, followed by his attempts to discredit the Inspector's investigation, highlighting his inconsistent moral stance

  • by portraying Gerald as insightful enough to uncover the truth about the Inspector not being who he says he is

  • by depicting Gerald's struggle between acknowledging his past actions and his desire to maintain his social status and engagement to Sheila

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