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Have you understood the text in An Inspector Calls?

An Inspector Calls - Understanding the Text

Test how well you follow the story of An Inspector Calls, from key plot twists to what the final phone call really means.

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Fascinating Fact:

The Inspector is more than a detective; he represents moral judgement, collective conscience, and possibly the supernatural.

In GCSE English Literature, you need a clear understanding of the whole text of An Inspector Calls. This quiz helps you check who did what to Eva Smith, how the plot develops, and how the mysterious Inspector guides the Birlings and Gerald towards admitting guilt and facing Priestley’s message about responsibility.

Key Terms

Plot: The sequence of events in the play, including how tension rises, peaks, and is resolved.
Dramatic irony: When the audience knows more than the characters, so their words have a hidden or opposite meaning.
Inference: A conclusion you draw from clues in the text, rather than something directly stated by a character or narrator.

Frequently Asked Questions (click to see answers)

How can I make sure I understand An Inspector Calls for GCSE?

Read the play more than once, summarise each act in your own words, and track what each character does to Eva Smith. Use quizzes and past questions to test your recall.

What should I focus on when revising An Inspector Calls?

Focus on the main events, how each character treats Eva, key quotations, and Priestley’s message about social responsibility. Make links between plot moments, themes, and character changes.

How does this understanding the text quiz help my GCSE revision?

The quiz checks your basic knowledge of events, characters, and ordering of scenes. It highlights any gaps so you know which parts of the play to reread and revise in more detail.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which of the following indicates that the Birlings have not finished so easily with the fate of "Eva Smith"?

The telephone rings

The police call at the door

Inspector Goole reappears

Eric storms out of the house to meet with the real Eva

The police ring to inform Mr Birling that a girl has died after swallowing disinfectant and that an inspector will be visiting the Birling home to ask the family some questions

2 .

How is Sheila responsible for Eva Smith's fate?

Sheila demanded that the young woman be sacked from Milwards

Sheila refused to recommend the young woman to her mother's charity committee

Sheila introduced the young woman to Gerald

Sheila encouraged her father to sack the young woman from her job at his works

Sheila feels angry and humiliated when she tries on unflattering clothes and believes Eva Smith to be laughing at her

3 .

Why are Sheila and Eric angry with their parents' reaction?

Mr and Mrs Birling seem to have forgotten their role in Eva Smith's death

Their parents are more worried about scandal than about how their actions affect others

Mr and Mrs Birling show no signs that their behaviour will change in future

All of the above

Mr and Mrs Birling respond to Gerald's news with anger at the Inspector, a return to their patronising treatment of Sheila and Eric, a concern to limit any public scandal from the death of Eva Smith and a willingness to forget the consequences of their own actions. As Eric says, 'Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did. And Mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her' (Act Three)

4 .

Why is the Inspector's name "Goole" significant?

It's merely a northern name

It is a foreign name

It is a homophone for "ghoul"

It is not significant

The Inspector is otherworldly. He investigates Eva Smith's suicide before any news that it has taken place

5 .

Gerald's former mistress was called Daisy Renton. How is he involved in the fate of Eva Smith?

Eva Smith and Daisy Renton are the same person, as Gerald realises when he sees the photograph

He kept a woman called Daisy Renton as a mistress, but abandoned her as Eva Smith has been abandoned

Eva Smith and Daisy Renton are not the same women, therefore Gerald bears no responsibility for Eva's fate

Eva Smith and Daisy Renton were flatmates

As Eric and Sheila realise at the end of the play, whether they were each involved in the life of the same woman makes little difference. The Inspector shows how each of the characters played a role in destroying a young, poor woman's life. He remarks that there are countless Eva Smiths

6 .

Why is the absence of the Croft family from these celebrations significant?

Their absence hints at a disapproval of Sheila and her family

Their absence shows that they neglect their business

Their absence indicates their involvement in the Inspector's visit

Their absence shows their lack of patriotism

Gerald confirms his parents' attitude to Sheila by his embarrassed response when Mr Birling deliberately suggests that Lady Croft believes her son might have married someone of a more appropriate social standing

7 .

Eric says he met Eva Smith when he was a "bit squiffy". What does he mean by this?

He was lonely

He was smelly

He was drunk

He was tired

Eric drinks too much and too often

8 .

How does Mr Birling try to dismiss the Inspector?

He refuses to cooperate

He immediately phones the local police

He orders the Inspector to leave

He implies that his connections with the Chief Constable mean that he is above whatever the Inspector might be investigating

At first Mr Birling believes that the Inspector needs his help because of his former position as Alderman or as Lord Mayor

9 .

What are the Birling family celebrating at the beginning of the play?

The recent launch of the Titanic

Mr Birling's knighthood

The engagement of Gerald and Sheila

Mrs Birling's new job

The family are celebrating not only because Gerald and Sheila have become engaged, but also because the marriage might result in a business alliance

10 .

Mr and Mrs Birling feel relieved shortly after Inspector Goole leaves their home. Which of the following events is responsible for their change of mood?

Sheila has informed her parents that they cannot be held responsible for a suicide

Gerald returns from his walk with news

The Birlings have decided to take full responsibility for their mistreatment of Eva Smith and feel less guilty in consequence

The Inspector rings to tell the family that he was mistaken

Gerald returns from his walk to inform the Birling family that he has spoken with a police sergeant who has informed him that the police force has no inspector by the name Goole or matching his description

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - An Inspector Calls

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)