English Readers
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Summaries
Part 1: Chapters 1–6
The story is narrated by Dr Sheppard, who lives in the village
of King’s Abbott with his sister, Caroline. He is called to the
house of one of his patients, Mrs Ferrars, who has died in
her sleep. Sheppard tells Caroline that she accidentally took
an overdose of veronal, which she used to help her sleep.
Caroline doesn’t believe this, and thinks she committed
suicide.
Dr Sheppard recounts how Mrs Ferrars and Roger Ackroyd
formed a relationship after the death of Mr Ferrars. We also
learn about Ackroyd’s adopted son, Ralph Paton, who, despite
causing problems for Ackroyd, is a well-liked young man.
Sheppard’s neighbour, ‘Mr Porrott’ is introduced. We do not
yet know his true identity, but he asks a lot of questions about
people in the village.
Caroline describes a conversation she overheard, between
Ralph and a girl. Ralph said that when Ackroyd dies, he will
be a rich man.
Ackroyd invites Sheppard for dinner, and when he is there,
he meets Ackroyd’s niece, Flora. Flora and Ralph have got
engaged. In the study after dinner, Ackroyd reveals a secret to
Sheppard. Mrs Ferrars confessed to murdering her husband, a
cruel man. But someone had been blackmailing her. Ackroyd
was horrified by the murder, and Mrs Ferrars asked him to do
nothing for 24 hours. In that time, she killed herself, leaving a
letter, which is delivered to Ackroyd that night.
Later, Sheppard receives a phone call, saying that Ackroyd
has been murdered. Sheppard, Ackroyd’s secretary Raymond,
and Parker, the butler, find his body in the study. The police
arrive to investigate. The study door is locked, and the
window is open, with footprints outside.
Raymond says he heard someone talking in the study at half
past nine. Parker saw Flora coming out of the study at quarter
to ten, so he must have been killed after that time.
The murder weapon is a small dagger from a display table in
the drawing-room.
Part 2: Chapters 7–12
Ralph is missing after the crime and becomes the main
suspect. The conversation Raymond overheard seemed to be
Ackroyd refusing to give someone money, and Ralph was
always short of money.
Flora asks Sheppard to visit Mr Porrott with her, and reveals
that he is a private detective, whose real name is Poirot. She
is worried, because the police have been investigating Ralph,
but she is convinced he wouldn’t murder his uncle.
Poirot examines the study carefully and looks for details. He
notices the position of the chairs and the dagger. The letter
from Mrs Ferrars is missing. The police trace the phone call
Dr Sheppard received – it came from a train station.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
Flora is seen talking to Hector Blunt, a friend of the
family, and she tells him that Ackroyd left her a lot of
money in his will. Then Poirot and Sheppard find a
wedding ring in the pond, which is engraved ‘from R’, but
they do not know who it belongs to.
The theft of some money from Ackroyd’s bedroom is
discovered, and the parlourmaid, Ursula Bourne, decides
to leave her job. When the police question her, she says she
had a disagreement with Ackroyd.
Poirot asks everyone involved to meet him. He says that
they are all hiding something, and that he will discover
everything.
Part 3: Chapters 13–17
Poirot and Sheppard discuss what they know about events
so far. Poirot believes that Ralph is innocent, precisely
because the case against him is so strong.
Poirot is pleased as, one by one, the characters reveal
their different secrets. At Poirot’s request, Flora and Parker
act out a scene from the night of the murder, when Parker
saw Flora outside Ackroyd’s study.
Poirot explains what this shows – that Flora had not
been in the study, but was coming down the stairs from
Ackroyd’s bedroom. She confesses to stealing the money
from her uncle.
Blunt and Flora appear to be in love, despite Flora’s
engagement to Ralph.
Part 4: Chapters 18–25
With the revelation that Flora did not see her uncle
alive at 9.45, the alibis and events of the night have to be
reconsidered. Poirot visits Sheppard in his workshop, where
the doctor enjoys fixing mechanical objects.
Caroline has a visit from Ursula Bourne. Poirot suspected
that she was secretly married to Ralph, and she admits this.
She read in the newspaper that Ralph has been arrested,
but Poirot reassures her. Ursula explains how she argued
with Ralph because he became engaged to Flora in order
to keep his uncle happy.
Sheppard tells Poirot that he has been making notes
on the investigation, and Poirot reads these. The detective
then arranges another meeting for everyone at his house.
Here, he has a surprise – he has found Ralph Paton. Poirot
recounts what he knows about the case, and explains that
the voice Raymond heard at 9.30 was a dictaphone, not
Ackroyd. With his careful and skilful reasoning, Poirot
explains what he knows about the case, and which alibis
are true. By analysing the events on the night of the
murder and since, Poirot uncovers the truth, and Sheppard
has to confess everything.
1
English Readers
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Classroom Activities
Part 1 (Chapters 1–6)
6 Playing detective
Before reading
1 Guess
Say to the class: This story is about a doctor in a small village. He
lives with his sister, and he is friends with important people in the
village.The story starts with a sad event. Ask for ideas about what
this might be. Allow groups to discuss their ideas, then ask for
suggestions from the class.
2 Discussion
Think about the setting of the story in a small English village.
Explain that the doctor is a central figure in the village, and
that the relationship between the doctor and his patients is
close. People sometimes tell their doctor their secrets. Ask
students to think about what life might be like in a small
village, why the doctor is important, and who else might play
a significant role in village life. Ask students to think about
whether this is the same or different to the place where they
live.
After reading
3 Comprehension
Ask the class the following questions:
1What does Ackroyd mean when he says ‘By telling me, she
made me as guilty as herself ’ (page 12)?
2Why does Mrs Ferrars kill herself?
3Several people talk about the engagement of Ralph and
Flora: Mrs Ackroyd, ‘Mr Porrott’, Caroline, and Flora herself.
Skim through the section and make notes on what each
person thinks about their relationship. Give examples from
the text to show how you know what they think.
4 Listening
Play the section of the audio for pages 4-5, where Sheppard
talks to Mr Porrott. If students have not understood, explain
that this is Monsieur Poirot, the famous detective. Ask them
to identify what is amusing about this scene. They can think
about the way Poirot is described, what he is doing when
Sheppard is talking to him, and what Sheppard thinks his
profession is.
5 Language
Ralph Paton is overheard saying ‘the old man will disinherit
me, which means I’ll be very, very poor! If he doesn’t, I’ll
be a very, very rich man when he dies.’ Check students
understand the situation Ralph is referring to here. Then ask
them to form similar sentences about the story using the first
conditional, e.g. ‘If no-one finds the letter from Mrs Ferrars,
nobody will know that she was being blackmailed.’
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
1Ask students to look at the plan and try to label all the
rooms from memory.
2Ask them to think about the significance of the path
outside the house and the position of all the windows,
and which door was locked on the night. In groups, they
can compare ideas about how the murderer could have
entered and left the house.
3Ask students to identify the area which is private to
Roger Ackroyd, which Parker says can be locked. Can
they remember how many people have been into this
area of the house?
4Ask students to give their theories on who might be
guilty, using ‘could have/must have/might have’ in their
answers. For example, ‘Parker might have done it because
he could have gone into the study.’
2
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
English Readers
Classroom Activities
Part 2 (Chapters 7–12)
Before reading
1 Playing detective
Say to the class: Roger Ackroyd has been murdered in his study. So
far, who has been into the study?
Allow them to discuss ideas in pairs, then ask for ideas around
the class. Write a list on the board of the characters they
remember, and ask them to say why each character was in the
study.
2 Discussion
Ask students to remember what they know about Mrs Ferrars.
Ask them to explain what she has done, and why she was a
good target for a blackmailer.
Ask students to focus on this extract from Mrs Ferrars’ letter:
I killed Ashley and now I must die to pay for that. I saw the horror
in your face this afternoon. So I am taking the only road open to me.
I leave to you the punishment of the blackmailer who has made my
life unbearable.
Let students discuss in pairs how must have been feeling when
she wrote this letter, then ask for ideas around the class.
Ask students to discuss in groups the crime of blackmail and
the effect it could have on a person’s life. Then ask them to
think about why she killed herself – was it just because of
the blackmail, or were there other reasons? Allow groups to
discuss their ideas, then ask for suggestions from the class.
Remind students that at this point in British history, a person
convicted of murder would have been sentenced to death. In
committing suicide she is avoiding this, but what else is she
avoiding? Allow students to discuss in pairs or groups.
After reading
3 Comprehension
Ask the class the following questions:
1At the beginning of this part of the book, Inspector Raglan
is convinced that Ralph Paton is the murderer. Give three
reasons why he thinks this. Which other member of the
household is a suspect?
2What is the significance of the time of the phone call made
to Sheppard, and where it was made from?
3Flora and Hector Blunt have a conversation which is
overheard by Poirot and Sheppard (pages 34–35). What has
happened to Flora since Ackroyd died? What are Flora and
Blunt discussing, and how do you think they feel towards
each other?
4Why did Poirot ask Parker about the details of the study
when they found Ackroyd’s body?
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
5In this section, it is discovered that some money has
been stolen from Ackroyd’s bedroom. Who are the main
suspects for this? Who has access to the bedroom?
6Why does Ursula Bourne say she is leaving her job?
4 Writing
Ask students to read again the section where Poirot
examines Ackroyd’s study (pages 25–28). Then ask them
to write a summary of this section, listing Poirot’s actions
and the questions he asks. Remind them that, to write a
summary, they should list the main actions in the correct
sequence, and use simpler language than the novel does.
1Ask students to look at the plan of the room and try to
label all the parts from memory. Ask them to identify
where the window is.
2Ask them to think about the significance of where each
piece of furniture is, and where Ackroyd’s body was found.
3Let students discuss in pairs any thoughts they have on
how the murderer could have got in and out of the study.
5 Listening
Play the section of the audio where Poirot has all the
characters together at Fernly (pages 47–49). Ask the
students to think about how Poirot’s tone of voice changes
during this extract. Ask them to think about what his
emotions are in this scene, and why they change.
6 Guess
Say to the class:
1Do you think the police will find Ralph Paton? Where do you
think he is? Ask students if they agree with Poirot that by
not coming forwards, Ralph is making himself look guilty.
2Who do you think the murderer is? Ask students to discuss
their ideas and reasons in groups, then ask for ideas from
the class.
3
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
English Readers
Classroom Activities
Part 3 (Chapters 13–17)
Before reading
1 Playing detective
Say to the class: At the end of the last section, Poirot asked everyone
to meet him at Fernly.What did he say to them? Allow students to
discuss what they remember about this scene, then discuss as a
class why they think it is important. Ask for ideas about what
they think will happen after this – is it true that they are all
hiding something, and will they tell Poirot?
2 Research
Ask the class to think about the different people who have
been involved in the investigation so far: chief constable,
detective inspector, coroner, lawyer, private detective. Ask
students to find out information about what part each person
plays in the murder investigation. They can refer to the
Cultural Notes and Glossary for help.
Ask students to complete the following table:
Job title
Name in story
(if given)
Description of job
Private detective
Hercule Poirot
Investigates a crime
independently, not
attached to the
official police force.
After reading
3 Language
Ask the class to read the section starting on page 64 again,
where Poirot describes his theory about how the murderer
thinks. He is described as talking in a ‘gentle, almost dreamlike
voice’. Check understanding by asking for synonyms of these
adjectives. Then ask the class for ideas about why he might be
speaking in this way.
Ask the students, in pairs, to find another speech from a
different character in this section, and to think of new
adjectives to describe how they might be speaking, based on
what they are saying. Encourage them to think of unusual and
original adjectives.
3Poirot wants to recreate the scene from the night of the
murder when Flora met Parker outside the study. Why
does he do this, and what does he learn from it?
4What connection does Parker have to blackmail? What
does Poirot learn from this?
5From the meeting at the end of Chapter 12, who has
told Poirot their secret by the end of this section?
Complete the following table:
Name of character Secret revealed? Description of secret
Geoffrey Raymond Yes
Mrs Ackroyd
Flora Ackroyd
Major Blunt
Dr Sheppard
5 Speaking
Ask the class to discuss the following questions in small groups:
1All the people who reveal their secrets to Poirot appear
to have money problems. Ackroyd was a very rich man.
Do you think he was murdered for his money, or could
there be another reason?
2Poirot thinks that Ralph has too many motives for
committing the murder, and that therefore he isn’t the
murderer. What do you understand by this, and do you
agree with his argument?
3At the end of this section, we learn that Hector and
Flora appear to be in love. On page 70, Poirot describes
the engagement between Ralph and Flora as ‘a way of
escape from her life here.’ What is the difference between
Flora’s feelings for Ralph and for Hector? How could
each relationship be described?
6 Writing
Ask the class to write a description of two or three
characters, without naming the character. They should list
how each person is involved in the murder, and why they
may or may not be a suspect. Then ask them to swap their
descriptions with a partner and try to identify the characters.
4Comprehension
Ask the class the following questions:
1What does Poirot think about Sheppard’s sister Caroline?
2Why is Poirot pleased with the list Sheppard gives him, on
page 51?
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
4
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
English Readers
Classroom Activities
Part 4 (Chapters 18–25)
Before reading
1 Playing detective
Say to the class: By this point in the story, we have learned a
lot about what each character has done, and why they have done
it. Who do you think the murderer is? Ask the students to
compare their ideas and reasons in groups, then discuss this
as a class.
2 Discuss
At the end of the last section, we discovered that Flora stole
the money from her uncle. What does this tell us about Flora?
How does this change what we know about the events of
the evening of the murder? Ask the class to write a revised
timeline of the events on the night of the murder, with this
new information in mind.
After reading
3 Speaking
Say to the class: Were you surprised when you discovered who the
murderer was? Ask students to go back through the story and
suggest any clues which are now clear, and any moments
when Poirot starts to suspect that Sheppard is the murderer
and blackmailer.
For example: the issue over the black boots
4 Comprehension
Ask the class the following questions.
1Why does Ursula come to Poirot, and how did Poirot
know that she was married to Ralph? Were you surprised
by this? Which clue from earlier in the story is now
explained?
2Ralph believes that Roger Ackroyd would never let him
marry a girl who had no money. What does this show
about how marriage and relationships were viewed by this
social class at the time of the story? You could refer students
to page 76, and ask them to discuss the phrase ‘business
arrangement’.
3How does Poirot try to protect Caroline in this section of
the story? Why do you think he does this?
4How does the doctor make use of the technology of the
time to help him in his crime? What has he done in the
story so far that reveals his skills in this area?
would he hide what he has done, and what kind of
information would he present instead?
2Ask students to work individually. Ask them to choose
a scene from any part of the story involving a different
character, and write this in the form of a diary extract by
that person.
Write the following example on the board.
Extract from the diary of Caroline Sheppard
Today I worked with Hercule Poirot again! He seems to
think I am a great help to him, and I try to give him as much
information as I can to help in this case. He wanted me to find
out for him what colour boots Ralph Paton had left at the Three
Boars Inn. I don’t know why he wanted to know this, but I
didn’t question him!
I went down to the Inn to make inquiries, and then I came to
report back to him. However I saw James instead, so I asked
him to pass on the message that Ralph had black boots – not
brown, as Hercule had thought!
James was as confused as I was by this request!
Point out to students how this example uses details we
know from the story from another person’s viewpoint. It is
possible to develop the character of the person writing the
‘diary’ by using the information we are given about them.
We can take the time frame and main events of the story
from the main narrative, and interpret the events from a
different author.
Discuss with students how much of our understanding of
the story has been shaped by Sheppard’s presentation of it.
6 Discuss
Say to the class: At the end of the story, Sheppard commits
suicide. Is this his idea, or Poirot’s? Ask the students to
discuss whether they think this is a fair conclusion, who
is affected by it, and what effects it will have on people
around him.
Ask the students to read again the final chapter of the
book, Apologia. Ask them to suggest adjectives about how
Sheppard is feeling at this moment. Is he sorry for his
crime, or just sorry that he has been discovered?
5 Writing
1Ask the class to think about why Sheppard kept a written
record of the case – what were his reasons for this? Ask
them to think about what would have been in Sheppard’s
manuscript, and how it would have been written. How
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
5
English Readers
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Answer Key (Classroom Activities)
Part 1 (Chapters 1–6)
6 Playing detective
blackmail and also because she didn’t want
to incriminate Roger – now that he knows
about the murder, he has to tell the police,
otherwise he is guilty of a crime too. When
he is shocked by her confession, she decides
to take her life rather than make his life
difficult.
1 Guess
Answers will vary.
TERRACE
2 Discussion
Answers will vary.
Direct students to the Cultural notes for
information about village life.
PANTRY
DINING
ROOM
DRAWING
ROOM
STAIRS
3 Comprehension
1Ackroyd means that now he knows about
the murder, he has to choose between
telling the police so that Mrs Ferrars can be
punished for her crime, or keeping it a secret
so that they can be married. If he keeps it a
secret, he is as guilty as she is.
2Mrs Ferrars kills herself because she does not
want Roger to have to choose what to do,
and because the person who is blackmailing
her has forced her into a position where she
cannot continue paying the money, or live
with the strain of being blackmailed.
3 Mrs Ackroyd is pleased about the
engagement, because she tells Sheppard
about it immediately.
Mr ‘Porrott’ thinks that people should marry
for love, not because they feel they will
benefit from it.
Caroline thinks they are engaged secretly
and that Ackroyd disapproves of their
relationship.
Flora thinks it is wonderful and is very
excited.
3 Comprehension
BILLIARD
ROOM
HALL
STAIRCASE
STUDY
FRONT
DOOR
PATH
LAWN
SUMMER
HOUSE
LODGE
Suggested answers:
2 A person can enter the drawing room and
the study from windows which lead onto
the path outside.
3 Raymond, Parker, Sheppard, and Flora have
all been seen in the private area of the house.
4 Flora might have done it, because she was
the last person to see Ackroyd alive.
4 Listening
Suggested answers:
Poirot’s appearance is described as follows:
‘Over the wall there appeared an egg-shaped
head, partly covered with suspiciously black
hair, a huge moustache, and a pair of green
eyes.’ The words ‘egg-shaped’, ‘suspiciously’ and
‘huge’ add humour to the description.
5 Language
Suggested answers:
If Ralph disappears, people will think he
murdered Ackroyd.
Part 2 (Chapters 7–12)
1 Playing detective
So far, we know that Sheppard, Parker and
Raymond have been into the study. Flora
also says she has been in there, and the police
suspect that Ralph Paton has been in there
too. Sheppard was meeting Ackroyd to discuss
the death of Mrs Ferrars. Parker brought in
the evening post. Raymond brought in some
business papers. Flora went in to say goodnight,
and Ralph is believed to have come in through
the window to ask for money.
2 Discussion
Mrs Ferrars murdered her husband by
poisoning him. However, if this were
discovered, she would be tried for murder and
possibly executed, under English law at the
time. She lives alone with no family, and has a
lot of money, so she is very vulnerable.
She killed herself partly because of the
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
1 Inspector Raglan thinks that Ralph is the
murderer because his footprints are found;
someone was overheard asking for money in
the study; and he has now disappeared.
The Butler could also be a suspect.
2 The phone call was made from the train
station just before the night train to
Liverpool left – which means that the person
who made it could disappear immediately
after the call was made.
3 Flora has inherited a lot of money from
Ackroyd, which solves all her money
problems. Blunt is explaining that she
shouldn’t feel guilty about not grieving, as she
hardly knew Ackroyd. He asks if Flora wants
him to stay, and she says she does. They appear
to have affectionate feelings for each other.
4 Because Parker’s job is to look after the
house, so he would notice any changes.
5 The housekeeping staff / servants are the
main suspects. Only Elsie Dale goes upstairs.
6 Because she argued with Ackroyd about
some papers she moved on his desk.
4 Writing
Suggested answers:
Poirot walked into the study. He wanted to know
where the blue envelope had been, and the exact
position of the dagger. He asked Sheppard if the
fire had been on, but Sheppard wasn’t sure.Then
he rang for Parker, and asked him about the fire.
Parker said that the fire had been almost out, and
also that a chair had been moved forwards. Poirot
then explained to Sheppard that because the fire
had been out, Ackroyd must have opened the
window to let in someone he knew. T
he door
was locked when they found his body and the
window was open, so it must have been opened
by someone inside the room.
5 Listening
Poirot becomes angry during this scene.
He starts by being kind and gentle to Flora,
encouraging her to tell him anything she
knows. When she has nothing, he tells everyone
in the room that he will discover the truth. He
is determined to discover their secrets.
6 Guess
Answers will vary.
6
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Part 3 (Chapters 13–17)
Part 4 (Chapters 18–25)
1 Playing detective
1 Playing detective
In the final scene of Part 2, Poirot says that
all the people in the room have something to
hide. This is important because he is looking
for different motives and new suspects for the
murder, and he wants to know as much as
possible about all the people involved.
Suggested answers:
Poirot has been living quietly in the village.
He is unlikely to be the murderer as he has no
motive for killing Ackroyd.
2 Discuss
The fact that Flora stole money, and was
outside the study rather than actually inside it,
shows that the murder could have happened
earlier than we thought. The means that the
earlier alibis need to be checked again, as
Ackroyd could have been dead when she was
talking to Parker outside the study.
2 Research
Answers will vary.
3 Language
Answers will vary.
4 Comprehension
1 He thinks she is full of useful information,
and that she has good intuition.
2 Because it shows that Sheppard has
worked through the events of the night
methodically, to see what they have
discovered.
3 He wants to find out whether Flora was in
the study, or whether she was outside it. He
discovers that it is possible that she didn’t go
into the study at all – she could have come
from upstairs instead.
4 Parker blackmailed his former employee
over a scandal he was involved in. Poirot
learns that Parker knows nothing about Mrs
Ferrars being blackmailed.
3 Speaking
Answers will vary.
Potential clues are the way Sheppard looked
around the room to check that nothing had
been left undone, his repeated insistence on
Ralph’s motives for the crime, and the issue
over the black boots. Poirot shows how he
begins to suspect him, for example, when he
visits Sheppard in the workshop and discusses
his inventions, and also when he brings Ralph
in for the final meeting.
4 Comprehension
Answers will vary.
1 She comes because she has read in the
newspaper that Ralph has been arrested.
Poirot has realised that they were married
because it seemed unlikely that a parlourmaid
would talk to her employer for half an hour
to say she was leaving her job. The other clue
was the wedding ring in the pond.
2 Marriages would have been viewed as a
business arrangement in that each party
would hope to bring something to the
relationship in terms of money or property,
and to benefit from that of their partner.
3 Poirot doesn’t let Caroline come to the
meeting, because she may guess from what
Poirot reveals about how Sheppard hid
Ralph that Sheppard was guilty. Later, by
allowing Sheppard to take his own life rather
than be arrested for the murder, he saves her
from the shame and suffering this knowledge
would bring.
4 Sheppard uses the modern device of
a Dictaphone to play back an earlier
conversation, thus making it appear that
Ackroyd was alive much later than he
actually was. The scene where he is in his
workshop fixing mechanical objects shows
his skill in this area.
6 Writing
5 Writing
5 Name of
character
Secret
revealed?
Description of
secret
Geoffrey
Raymond
Yes
He has been in
debt.
Mrs
Ackroyd
Yes
She tried to
borrow money
and was looking
for Ackroyd’s
will.
Flora
Ackroyd
Yes
She stole money
from Ackroyd’s
bedroom.
Major
Blunt
Yes
He is in love with
Flora.
Dr
Sheppard
No
—
5 Speaking
Answers will vary.
English Readers
Answers will vary.
6 Discuss
Answers will vary.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2012. This page is photocopiable.
7