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7th Grade ELA Study Guide: Lamb of the Slaughter, Homophones, and Possessives
“Lamb of the Slaughter” Close Reading questions
1. Re-read the first few lines of the text. Name three things that we know about Mary Maloney?
2. An allusion is a reference to some type of well-known piece of literature. What allusion is
made in the title of the story “Lamb to the Slaughter?” Why has Dahl chosen this reference?
3. Name two things that we know about Patrick Maloney?
4. The police officers do not suspect Mary for the murder. How does her behavior play a role in
assuring this didn’t happen?
5. What happens to the murder weapon? How does Dahl assure his readers understand the irony
of this event?
6. Why does Dahl title this story “Lamb to the Slaughter?” Who is the “lamb” in the story?
Who, or what, is being “slaughtered”?
7. What point of view is this story being told from? (First-person, third-person omniscient,
third-person limited) Explain how you know this by using evidence from the text.
8. What is the setting of the story? How does the setting contribute to the events that take place
in the story?
9. Explain the climax of the story. At what point does the story takes a turn?
10. Explain one example of irony used in the story. Is it situational, verbal, or dramatic? Refer to
your notes for assistance.
11. Why is Mary giggling at the end of the story?
12. What is a sign that something might be wrong with her husband?
13. Why is Mary so comfortable talking to the detectives?
In addition to the story, be familiar with the following concepts:
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Similes- comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as
Metaphors- comparison of two unlike things not using the words like or as
Personification- giving human like characteristics to unloving or non-human things
Onomatopoeia - the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g.,
cuckoo, sizzle ).
Hyperbole- over exaggeration not meant to be taken literally (I’ve told you to sit down a million
times.)
Alliteration- Repeated consonant sound at the beginning of a word (Sally sold seashells by the
seashore; red robin)
Mood- The feeling a reader experiences while reading a piece of literature.
Tone- The attitude the author takes toward the subject in which he or she is writing about.
Imagery- Words and phrases used in order to help readers create a mental picture while reading
literature.
Repetition- Literary device used to add emphasis to a piece of writing.
Irony- A contradictory (opposite) occurrence from what is expected.
Pun- a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words
that sound alike but have different meanings. (i.e., The pigs were a squeal.)
 Theme- The overall message in a piece of literature that the author is trying to convey to his
audience
 Allusion – In literature, an allusion is a reference e to another piece of well-known literature,
movie, author, etc. (Authors often allude to literature such as Shakespeare, the Bible, or
mythology.)
 Oxymoron- An oxymoron is a figure of speech that uses contradictory terms. (i.e., pretty ugly,
jumbo shrimp, bitter sweet)
Conventions- Understand when to apply grammar rules for:
 Possessive Nouns
 Homophones
o Their, they’re, there
o Too, two, too
Name_______________________________Date_____________________________
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different
meaning.
Directions: Write which version of (there, their, they’re) that best completes
each sentence.
Did they get ________ _________ magazine yet? (there, their, they’re)
Answer: their
1. Look over__ ________ at the condition of the house. (there, their, they’re)
2. Please place the furniture over ___ _____________. (there, their, they’re)
3. It was ____ __________ opportunity but they blew it. (there, their, they’re)
4. _________ ______going to college in a couple years. (there, their, they’re)
5. ____ ____________ next available day is Monday. (there, their, they’re)
6. Is spelling __ ______________ major issue? (there, their, they’re)
7. _____ __________ one of the best baseball teams. (there, their, they’re)
8. Please don’t lose _________ _________ luggage. (there, their, they’re)
9. Look over ____ _______so you can see the president. (there, their, they’re)
10. It’s dangerous over ________ __________. (there, their, they’re)
11. _______ opportunity has passed them by. (there, their, they’re)
12. ______ ___________ enemy is planning an attack. (there, their, they’re)
13. I have ___pairs of shoes under my bed. (to, too, two)
14. 2. Do we have ___ _____ go to the library?(to, too, two)
15. I am __ ____ tired to get up in the morning. (to, too, two)
16. The bicycle has __ ______wheels. (to, too, two)
17. My mom took me __ ___the market. (to, too, two)
18. Can I have____ ____ pieces of cake?(to, too, two)
19. We left __ late. (to, too, two)
20. I have___ many things to do today. (to, too, two)
A possessive noun is a noun that names who or what has something. Add an
apostrophe and s (‘s) to form the possessive of most singular nouns.
Part 1) Directions: Read each sentence below. Underline the possessive noun in each
sentence.
1. John’s dog was excited to go to the park.
2. Chicago’s skyscrapers are built to withstand the wind.
3. The children’s plans were to go to the movie theatre.
4. My dad’s rocking chair broke.
Directions:
Underline the correct possessive noun. Re-write the sentence on the lines provided.
5. The (birds / bird’s) nest is in my yard.
The bird’s nest is my yard
6. The (squirrels / squirrel’s) tail is bushy.
The squireel’s tail is bushy.
7. The (dog’s / dogs) owner is very responsible.
The dog’s owner is very responsible.
8. The (childrens / children’s) trip to the zoo was fun.
The children’s trip to the zoo was fun.