Penguin Readers Factsheets
Anne of Green Gables
by L. M. Montgomery
Background and themes
At the beginning of the story, Anne is eleven years old and is an
orphan. She is going to a new home called Green Gables, the
home of Matthew and Marilla, a brother and sister, neither of whom
married. Anne comes to help with work on the farm and she grows
up there, in a small rural village in Canada, among friends and
neighbors during the 1800s.
Today, Prince Edward Island is the smallest and most densely
populated province of Canada. Its capital is Charlottetown.
Montgomery was born in Cavendish, on the northern shores of the
island. In the late 1800’s, the people living on this rocky island were
farmers or fishermen. Anne of Green Gables gives a good picture
of rural society in Canada in the 1800s.
Anne’s ways often get her into trouble as a young girl, but after
each incident, there is a happy ending. Amusing episodes include
what happens when Anne bakes a cake, when she dyes her hair
green and when she gets into trouble on a boat.
Anne of Green Gables has been translated into fifteen
languages and has been made into a movie and video. People
love the character of Anne, the other people in the story, and the
descriptions of the place itself.
She grows up loved by her adoptive parents, and loving them
too. She goes to college and becomes a teacher. Matthew and
Marilla grow old, then Matthew dies. Anne is able to return to the
village to teach at her old school and take care of Marilla. When
she finds out that she has gotten the teaching job because of
Gilbert, a boy she has hated since they were both at school
together, she no longer hates him and they finally become friends.
Anne of Green Gables is partly autobiographical. Like Lucy
Montgomery, Anne enjoys reading and becomes a teacher, and
most of the stories about her take place on Prince Edward Island.
Both Anne and Montgomery lost their mothers.
About the author
Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on November 30, 1874 on
Prince Edward Island, eastern Canada. Her mother died when she
was 21 months old, and she was raised by her grandparents. Her
father remarried in 1887. Her great-uncle was Sir William
Mackenzie, famous builder of the Canadian National and Canadian
Pacific railroads.
Montgomery lived on Prince Edward Island until she married the
Reverend Ewen Macdonald in 1911. They then moved to north
Ontario and had three children. She wrote a dozen novels there,
many of them about Prince Edward Island, including Anne of
Green Gables which was written in 1908. Even Prince Edward
itself became famous. It was an immediate success and has been
widely translated. Other books that followed are Anne of Avonlea,
Chronicles of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne’s House of
Dreams. She also wrote poems.
© Pearson Education Limited 2002
The story describes the adjustments people make in order to
live happily with one another. Anne learns to adapt to her new life
with her adoptive parents, and they learn to live with a child.
Anne hates the color of her hair. A neighbor mentions it when
Anne first arrives. The new boy at school, Gilbert, calls it ‘carrots’.
Later she tries to change the color, but it goes horribly wrong and
turns green. Accepting what one looks like is part of growing up.
The relationship between Marilla and Matthew and Anne
changes. They have brought her up and given her a happy home.
As she grows independent of them, they need her more and more.
This is most obvious after Matthew dies. Marilla becomes tired, she
has difficulty with her eyes, and money is a problem. Anne
becomes the strong one.
For a long time, Anne does not like Gilbert. She is not fair to him
and is blind to the kind of person he really is. He rescues her from
a boat accident and asks to be her friend, but she says no. He is
never put off, however. When they are both grown up and a
teacher is needed in her old school, Gilbert lets Anne take the job
so that she can stay and look after Marilla. Anne finally realizes that
he is a true friend.
Anne of Green Gables
Summary
Level 2 – Elementary
Teacher’s Notes
Penguin Readers Factsheets
Communicative activities
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK
1 This activity is appropriate after the “Before You Read”
activity 2 at the back of the Reader. The story Anne of Green
Gables is about a girl who is an orphan. Ask the students to
think about how different life is for an orphan. Ask: How is life
harder for an orphan? In what way does an orphan become
stronger? and strengthen a person’s character? Has life got
better for orphans since the 1800s?
2 Ask the students if they know the story and why they think it
is so popular.
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTION
1 There are several stories in these chapters (Anne’s Hat, The
Missing Brooch, Gilbert, Diana Comes to Tea, Minnie May
has Croup, Anne Makes a Cake). Ask the students to choose
the one they liked best and tell what they liked about it. If one
story is the most popular, can the students suggest why?
2 Ask the students to trace Anne’s feelings through chapter 3.
(She is excited to know about her future, she cries when she
hears that she can stay, she is angry with the neighbor, then
upset at being sent upstairs, and so on.) They should work in
pairs going through the book, and write down a list. As a
class, they can build up a vocabulary list to describe feelings.
Chapters 8–11
1 Race
As a warm-up exercise, ask the students in groups to find the
pages on which are the words concert, dye, examination, and
poem. The group that finds them all first wins.
2 Anne is growing up in these chapters. Ask the students to
pick out the clues in the story narrative to support this.
Glossary
Chapters 1–3
1 Students work in pairs or small groups. They should make a
list of the things that happen in these chapters. (The
Cuthberts were expecting a boy. They return to the
orphanage. The first meeting with Mrs Lynde.) Ask each
group to describe in their own words one of these events.
As an extension activity, they can also suggest a different
ending to one of the events. For example, ask students to
imagine one of the following situations and predict what will
happen next. Say: Imagine that the Cuthberts return Anne to
the orphanage. What will happen to Anne do you think?
Imagine that Anne never apologizes to Mrs Lynde. What
will happen next, do you think?
Ask one of the students from each group to read out a
short description of what they think will happen. Encourage
the students to use the word “maybe”.
2 Students work in pairs. Each pair selects a different dialog
sequence. They can choose dialogs from page 2, between
Matthew and Anne when they first meet; from page 7,
between Anne and Marilla; between Anne and Mrs. Lynde,
page 10; between Matthew and Anne after Mrs. Lynde has
left, page 12; and between Anne and Mrs. Lynde after Anne
has apologized, page 13. The students read the parts out
after they have read them until they know them well. They
may also simplify the text, or make their own dialog using
phrases, words, and sentences from the book. They then
read and/or act out their dialogs to the rest of the class.
© Pearson Education Limited 2002
It will be useful for your students to know the following new words. They
are practiced in the “Before You Read” sections of exercises in the back of
the book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman Active Study
Dictionary.)
Chapters 1–3
island (n) land with water all around it
buggy (n) a small carriage pulled by a
horse
medicine (n) usually a drink, when you
are ill, to make you better
carrot (n) a long orange vegetable
minister (n) a leader in some churches
heart (n) it pushes blood around the
body
slate (n) a piece of flat rock used in
making roofs
rude (adj) when someone speaks or
behaves badly to you; the opposite of
polite
vanilla (n) part of a plant, used in ice
cream and cakes
surprise (n) a feeling when something
doesn’t happen as you think it will
concert (n) when musicians, singers,
and others play for people
Chapters 4–7
dye (v) to turn hair, or cloth into another
color
brooch (n) pretty things that you put on
your clothes
cordial (n) a sweet drink made from
fruit and sugar
croup (n) a very bad cough that
children can have
Chapters 8–11
examination (n) a big test to find out
how much you know about a subject
poem (n) a piece of writing in short
lines, which often has words that sound
similar at the end of the lines
drunk (adj) when you have had too
much beer or wine
Published and distributed by Pearson Education
Factsheet written by Rose Hill
Factsheet series developed by Louise James
Anne of Green Gables
The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections of text
as the exercises in the back of the Reader. and supplement those
exercises. Further supplementary exercises, covering shorter
sections of the book, can be found on the photocopiable Student’s
Activities pages of this Factsheet. These are primarily for use with
class Readers, and, with the exception of pair/groupwork
questions, can also be used by students working alone in a selfaccess center.
Chapters 4–7
Level 2 – Elementary
Teacher’s Notes
Penguin Readers Factsheets
Anne of Green Gables
by L. M. Montgomery
1 Look at the cover for two minutes, then put the book away.
Complete these sentences quickly.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The title of the book is ...
The author is L.M. ...
The girl looks ...
The time of year is ...
2 Using the Introduction in the front of the book, answer these
questions about the author.
Is Anne of Green Gables the author’s first book?
When was the book written?
How old was the author when her mother died?
What job did she have for three years?
What was the name of the newspaper that Montgomery
worked for?
( f ) What is a minister?
ACTIVITIES WHILE READING THE BOOK
Chapters 1–3
Chapter 1
Are these sentences right or wrong?
(a) It was a day in summer when the story starts.
(b) Matthew Cuthbert went up the road in the buggy in the
morning.
(c) Mrs. Lynde thought it was a good idea to bring a strange
child into the house.
(d) When Matthew arrived at the station there was only one
person there.
(e) The child talked and talked on the way home.
( f ) Matthew didn’t like the child talking all the time.
(g) When the orphan girl went to bed she cried and cried.
Chapter 2
1 Answer these questions.
(a) Why is Chapter 2 called “A Sad Story”?
(b) Does Anne say her life is sad?
(c) In the picture on page 8, who says, “Can I really stay
with you at Green Gables?”
(d) Why does Marilla decide not to let Anne go to Mrs.
Blewett?
2 Write the correct numbers.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Matthew Cuthbert was ___ years old.
It was ___ kilometers to White Sands
Anne was ___ in March.
Mrs. Thomas had ___ children.
Mrs. Hammond had ___ children.
© Pearson Education Limited 2002
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
You can stay
You’re a very rude woman
That child is very wild.
Please go and say sorry
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
to Mrs Lynde.
You’ll have a lot of trouble with her!
and you’re fat!
at Green Gables.
Chapters 1–3
Make up questions to go with the following answers, using
When?, Why?
Example
Mrs Lynde liked to sit by the window because she could see
what was happening.
Why did Mrs Lynde like to sit by the window?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Matthew went to the station in the afternoon.
Anne wanted to stay at Green Gables because it was her home.
Anne went to church, she put flowers in her hat.
The morning after Anna was rude to Mrs Lynde.
Anne loved Green Gables because it was her home.
Chapters 4–7
Chapter 4
Use the words before, after, and when to complete the sentences.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
_____ Anne went to church, she put on her new hat.
_____ Marilla was sick, Anne went by herself to church.
_____ Anne saw the flowers, she put them on her hat.
_____ church, Anne ran back home.
_____ do Anne and Marilla go to church?
Chapter 5
With another student make two lists, one of things you can find
out about Diana and the other of things you can find out about
Gilbert. For example, what are their ages, what do they look like?
You can use the picture on page 19 to help you.
Chapter 6
Find the mistakes. There is one mistake in each sentence.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
The bottle of fruit cordial is on the table.
Diana drank six glasses of cordial.
Anne drank four glasses of cordial.
Mrs. Barry said that Anne was a big, bad girl.
Diana ran in through the door. Her face was very red.
Minnie May was very sick and died.
Photocopiable
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Chapter 3
Match the sentences.
Anne of Green Gables
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK
Level 2 – Elementary
Student’s activities
Penguin Readers Factsheets
Chapter 7
Put the words in the right order to make the story.
cried smiled beautiful happy excited unhappy
Anne was _____ because Mr. and Mrs. Allan were coming to tea.
She was _____ because the table looked _____. Mrs. Allan put
the cake in her mouth. Mrs. Allan _____ but then she looked
_____. Anne _____ in her room.
brooch
cordial
croup
drunk
medicine
vanilla
wine
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f )
(g)
Ice cream and chocolate taste good when this is in it.
How someone feels when they drink too much wine.
Medicine can make it better.
It is made with fruit and water.
When we are ill we drink this and we get better.
We put this on a coat, dress or blouse.
A drink which is usually red or white.
Chapters 8–11
Describe in about four sentences each, what is happening in the
pictures on pages 27, 31, 33, 36 and 38.
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK
1 Choose six pictures and write sentences to describe what is
happening. For example, on page 3, the sentence can be
“ ‘There’s a mistake,’ he thought.”
2 Write about your childhood. Compare your childhood to
Anne’s. Talk about where you lived, who your best friend was,
and any funny things that happened.
3 Write a few sentences about what Marilla and Matthew did for
Anne. Then write about how Anne changed their lives.
Photocopiable
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(a) Anne enjoyed/hated her time at Queen’s College.
(b) Anne did very well/badly in her examinations.
(c) Gilbert Blythe can/can’t go to college, because his father
doesn’t/does have the money.
(d) Matthew was having problems with his heart/face.
(e) Marilla has to sell/buy Green Gables.
Chapters 8–11
Chapter 8
What happened first? Put the sentences in the right order.
___ (a)
___ (b)
___ (c)
___ (d)
___ (e)
___ ( f )
___ (g)
___ (h)
___ ( i )
She stayed home for several weeks.
Anne fell down.
They played outside.
Diana had a party.
Then, Anna climbed to the top of the house.
Her face was white.
They had tea.
She could not walk.
They climbed up a tree.
Chapter 9
1 Answer these questions.
(a) What was Marilla thinking about when she walked
home?
(b) Why was Marilla angry when arrived home?
(c) Why didn’t Anne come home?
(d) Where was she?
(e) What had gone wrong?
( f ) What two things did Anne do about it?
2 What do you think about Anne’s behavior toward Gilbert after
he finds her in the river? Why is she like that? Talk with
another student about this.
Chapter 10
Are these sentences correct? Answer with “yes” or “no”. Change
the wrong answers.
(a) Marilla couldn’t make Anne any more dresses because her
eyes hurt her.
(b) Anne wanted to go to Charlotte’s college in Queenstown.
(c) Gilbert was friendly to Anne, but she did not speak to him.
(d) Anne thought she hated Gilbert now.
(e) Mrs Lynde told Marilla that she had been wrong about Anne.
( f ) Anne thought that the examinations were very easy.
(g) Anne and Gilbert were the best out of one hundred students.
© Pearson Education Limited 2002
Anne of Green Gables
Chapters 4–7
Find a matching sentence for each of these words.
Chapter 11
Which one of the words in italic is right?
Level 2 – Elementary
Student’s activities
Published and distributed by Pearson Education
Factsheet written by Rose Hill
Factsheet series developed by Louise James