The BFG · Garden Heights Academy

Part 1

for The BFG · Part 1 · Chapters 1–5

a novel by Roald Dahl

40 min6 Parts

This workbook is built on a solid pedagogical foundation, effectively integrating content and language learning based on the CLIL framework (Content and Language Integrated Learning), elevated by our unique 5th C — Connection — and an integrated Standardized Test section that weaves every SAT & TOEFL question type right into the novel, so learners build real test skills easily, naturally, and with fun.

💭 Before You Read · Just for Fun

No right or wrong answers — just think or chat about it: Have you ever been awake in the deepest middle of the night — what did the world feel like? If something frightening turned out to be friendly, would you trust it? And is peeking when you were told not to look ever worth the risk?

What Happens in Part 1

Unable to sleep during the Witching Hour, Sophie peers through her orphanage window and spots an enormous giant moving silently through the dark street — blowing something into children’s bedrooms through a long trumpet. When the giant catches Sophie watching him, he snatches her from her bed and runs with terrifying speed across the countryside into a strange, barren land. He carries her into a vast cave sealed by a boulder, where Sophie braces herself for the worst — but the giant sets her gently on a colossal table, reveals his name, and explains that unlike the other giants, he, the Big Friendly Giant, never eats human beings.

What We Will Learn

Focus	What It Means
Atmosphere & Setting	How Dahl builds a dark, mysterious mood and moves Sophie into a brand-new world
Characterization	What we learn about Sophie and the BFG through their actions and words
Author’s Craft	Suspense, imagery, cause & effect, and invented language across Chapters 1–5

Chapter Summary

Chapter	Key Events
Ch.1	Sophie lies awake at 3 a.m. in the orphanage and spots a giant moving in the street — the witching hour
Ch.2	Sophie watches the giant push something through letterboxes with a long trumpet — he sees her watching
Ch.3	The giant reaches through the window and snatches Sophie from her bed
Ch.4	The giant sprints across the countryside carrying Sophie; she is too frightened to speak
Ch.5	The giant arrives at his cave in Giant Country; he tells Sophie his name is the BFG — the Big Friendly Giant — and that he does not eat humans

Copyright Notice

This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. The BFG is a work by Roald Dahl. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Roald Dahl, the Roald Dahl Story Company, or any associated rights holders. Students should read the original book, available from libraries and booksellers.

Part 1

Vocabulary

Study 10 key words from Chapters 1–5, then answer each question.

🧠Knowledge Bank · The Real Witching Hour

Science · SleepDahl calls the dead of night the witching hour, the moment when everyone on Earth is fast asleep. Sleep, though, is far from empty rest: the brain moves through several stages across the night, sinking from light drowsing down into deep, slow-wave sleep and climbing back up again. In the deepest stage the body barely stirs, which is exactly why a whole dormitory of children never hears a giant on the street below. Yet as the hours pass the brain rises toward a lighter, dream-rich stage where it becomes almost as busy as waking life. Scientists learned this by measuring the tiny electrical waves the brain gives off, discovering that a sleeper is a traveler passing through changing rooms of the mind. So the witching hour is not a time of nothing happening — it is the hour when the sleeping brain is most secretly, wonderfully alive.

ⓘ The vocabulary words in this list are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the original novel.

luminousadj.Ch.1

Bright and glowing, giving off light

“The moon was so luminous that even the shadows seemed to glow silver.”

tremendousadj.Ch.1

Extremely large, great, or powerful

“The figure moving down the street was of tremendous size, far taller than any house.”

crouchingv.Ch.2

Bending low to stay hidden or small

“The giant kept crouching low so the shadows would hide his enormous body.”

enormousadj.Ch.2

Extremely large in size

“No human could be that enormous — the figure was taller than the rooftops.”

snatchv.Ch.3

To grab something quickly and suddenly

“In one quick move the giant reached in to snatch Sophie from her bed.”

gallopedv.Ch.3

Ran very fast with long, leaping strides

“The giant galloped across the fields faster than any horse.”

barrenadj.Ch.4

Bare and empty; a place where nothing grows

“The barren land had no trees, no grass, and no flowers anywhere.”

cavernn.Ch.4

A large, deep cave

“Inside the cliff was an enormous cavern, dark and echoing and cold.”

gobblefunkn.Ch.5

The BFG’s made-up language of jumbled and invented words

“The BFG spoke in gobblefunk, mixing up words in a way no human ever did.”

colossaladj.Ch.5

Extremely large — even bigger than enormous

“The table the BFG placed Sophie on was so colossal she could not see its edges.”

1The moon lit up the whole street so brightly that even shadows glowed. Which word best describes this moonlight?Ch.1

2True or False: “Tremendous” means tiny and unimportant.Ch.1

3The giant bent down low to stay hidden in the dark shadows beneath the houses. Which word describes this action?Ch.2

4True or False: “Enormous” and “colossal” both mean extremely large.Ch.2/5

5Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.1–5

Word choices:snatchgallopedcavernbarrengobblefunkluminous- some words will not be used

The giant could Sophie from her bed in one swift movement.

He across the fields at incredible speed.

Inside the cliff was a vast , dark and echoing.

6True or False: A “barren” land is rich with trees, flowers, and wildlife.Ch.4

7The BFG speaks in a made-up, jumbled language all his own. What is this language called?Ch.5

8True or False: To “snatch” something means to take it slowly and carefully.Ch.3

9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.1–5

Word choices:colossalcrouchingbarrentremendouscavernenormous- some words will not be used

The BFG placed Sophie on a table inside the cave.

The land they ran through had no trees or grass at all.

10The giant ran with leaping, bounding strides across the fields — faster than any horse. Which word best describes this running?Ch.3

Part 2

Comprehension

How well do you understand Chapters 1–5?

🧠Knowledge Bank · Reading Between the Lines

Reading Skill · InferenceAn inference is a smart guess a reader builds by adding clues in the story to what they know. Dahl rarely stops to explain Sophie’s feelings outright; instead he shows her pulling the blanket over her head, her heart thumping, her breath held tight. From those small signals you can infer that she is terrified, though the word terrified may never appear on the page. Good readers do this without noticing, the way you guess it is cold outside when you spot someone zipping a heavy coat. The reason inference matters is that it makes you a partner in the storytelling: the author supplies the evidence, and you supply the meaning. As you read Part 1, pause whenever a character acts, and ask what that action quietly reveals. Each clue you gather sharpens a skill that turns a page of words into a living, breathing scene.

1Where does Sophie live at the beginning of the story?Ch.1

2How does Sophie know the figure she sees is NOT a human being?Ch.2

3What does the giant do when he reaches through Sophie’s window?Ch.3

4True or False: The giant runs so fast that Sophie almost feels as if they are flying.Ch.4

5Write the numbers 1–5 in the boxes to show the correct order across Part 1. Number 1 = what happens first.Ch.1–5

The giant spots Sophie watching and reaches through the window to snatch her.
The giant sets Sophie gently on a colossal table and tells her his name is the BFG.
The giant rolls aside a huge boulder and carries Sophie into a vast cave.
Sophie lies awake during the Witching Hour and peeks out through the curtain.
The giant gallops through the night, across the countryside and into a barren land.

6True or False: Sophie’s scream is so loud that it wakes up everyone in the orphanage.Ch.3

7How does the giant get inside the cave?Ch.4

8Why does the BFG say Sophie can never go home?Ch.5

9True or False: The BFG sets Sophie gently on a great table before they begin to talk.Ch.5

10Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.5

Word choices:childrensnozzcumbersdreamsgobblefunkfriendlyhome- some words will not be used

Unlike the other giants who eat , the BFG eats only disgusting .

Part 3

Literary Elements

Understanding HOW and WHY Dahl creates certain feelings across Chapters 1–5.

🧠Knowledge Bank · Dahl’s Word-Craft: ‘Gobblefunk’

Language · Coinage SpotlightRoald Dahl loved to invent words, and the giant’s whole nonsense language even has a name: gobblefunk. A freshly made-up word is called a neologism, and Dahl was a master of them. Notice how he builds one: he takes sounds and pieces of real words and glues them together so the meaning almost leaks through. When the BFG speaks, the shapes of his words feel friendly and bumbling, which tells us he is gentle long before the plot ever proves it. This is clever craft, because the sound of a word can carry feeling all on its own — harsh, spiky words seem cruel, while soft, rolling ones seem kind. As you meet each strange term, say it aloud and ask what mood its sounds create. You will discover that Dahl chose every syllable on purpose, turning ordinary language into playful, meaningful music.

📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples

Atmosphere is the feeling a piece of writing creates in the reader. Dahl builds a dark, eerie atmosphere in Ch.1 through his choice of setting (midnight, empty streets) and words like “witching hour” and “dark things.”

Suspense is the nervous, excited feeling that makes you want to know what happens next. Dahl builds it by having Sophie watch the giant for a long time before anything happens — we keep wondering what he will do.

Dialogue is conversation between characters. The BFG’s dialogue uses invented language — made-up words like gobblefunk, snozzcumber, and “human bean.” These inventions make the BFG feel like he comes from a completely different world.

The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.

1Dahl describes the street as completely silent with no people anywhere at the Witching Hour. Which word best describes the atmosphere this creates?Ch.1

2True or False: Suspense is the nervous, excited feeling that makes a reader want to keep going to find out what happens next.Ch.2

3Fill in the blanks with the correct literary terms.Ch.5

Word choices:dialogueinvented languageatmospheresimilecontrastrhyme- some words will not be used

When the BFG speaks to Sophie, the conversation between them is called , and the made-up words he uses — like gobblefunk and snozzcumber — are examples of .

4Why does Dahl have Sophie watch the giant for a long time before he notices her?Ch.2

5True or False: “Dialogue” means the long descriptions of scenery in a story.Ch.5

6Fill in the blanks with the correct literary terms.Ch.1

Word choices:atmospheresettingdialoguerhyme- some words will not be used

The feeling a piece of writing creates in the reader is called its , and Dahl builds an eerie one through his dark, midnight .

7Which of these is an example of the BFG’s invented language?Ch.5

8True or False: Dahl’s word choices at the Witching Hour — “dark things” and the silent, empty street — are chosen to make the mood feel cheerful and playful.Ch.1

9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.2

Word choices:suspensewatchcomedyrhyme- some words will not be used

The nervous, excited feeling that makes you want to keep reading is called . Dahl creates it by making Sophie the giant for a long time before he acts.

10At the Witching Hour, Dahl gives us silence, emptiness, and “dark things” — and then a giant appears. How do ATMOSPHERE and SUSPENSE work together in this opening?Ch.1–2

Part 4

Think Deeper

Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.

🧠Knowledge Bank · When a Stranger Isn’t What You Fear

Social-Emotional · TrustSophie’s night begins in pure fear: a huge hand plucks her from the safety of her bed and carries her far from everything she knows. That fear is natural and wise, because being snatched by a giant should frighten anyone. Yet Dahl complicates it. The same giant who terrifies her turns out to speak gently, feed her, and mean her no harm at all. This gap between how something looks and how it truly is teaches a quiet lesson about judgment: the scariest-seeming figure can hide a kind heart, just as a smiling stranger might not. Real trust, the story suggests, is neither given instantly nor withheld forever — it is earned, moment by moment, through actions rather than appearances. Watch how Sophie’s terror slowly loosens as the BFG proves himself again and again. Their whole friendship will grow from this fragile, brave first flicker of trust.

1Claim: “Sophie’s fear of the giant slowly gives way to curiosity.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence

2Sophie’s ordinary world, or the giant’s strange world? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two

◄ Sophie’s ordinary worldThe giant’s strange world ►

3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect

Sophie peeks out during the witching hour→

The giant sees that she has seen him→

The giant races across the land→

Sophie watches him closely→

4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument

Sophie grows curious instead of only afraid because , which shows that .

Part 5

Standardized Test · Vocabulary in Context & Main Idea

Part 1 builds four exam reading skills — Vocabulary in Context, Main Idea, Inference, and Author’s Purpose — in the styles the SAT and TOEFL use. Read the passage (the highlighted words are tested below), then choose the answer best supported by the text.

🎓Knowledge Bank · How the SAT & TOEFL Ask

Test Skills · Part 1Real reading exams rarely test a single fact. This section practices four question families: Vocabulary in Context (what a word means in this sentence), Main Idea (the central point), Inference (what must be true even if unstated), and Author’s Purpose (why a detail is included). For vocabulary, cover the word, read the sentence, and predict a replacement before you choose. Later parts add more question families and build toward a mixed practice test.

While you sleep, another world clocks in. Nearly half of all mammals are nocturnal — built for the night shift, with enormous eyes that gather every scrap of moonlight, acute hearing that maps the dark, and noses that read the air like a book. What looks to us like an empty, silent street at midnight is, to them, a world humming with information. The barn owl is the night’s finest hunter. Its heart-shaped face funnels sound toward ears set at slightly different heights — a trick that lets the owl detect exactly where a mouse rustles in total darkness. Its wing feathers have soft, comb-like edges, so its flight is almost silent: the prey hears nothing until the talons arrive.

Night animals also share one golden rule: to remain unseen. They freeze in shadows, hug walls and hedges, and time their moves for the darkest hours, when almost no humans are awake. They avoid the open, moonlit spaces where a keen-eyed watcher might easily spot them from a distance. For creatures of the night, being seen is the one mistake that cannot be taken back.

Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.

1As used in the passage, the word “acute” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context

2In the passage, the word “detect” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary

3According to the passage, about how many mammals are nocturnal?TOEFL · Factual Information

4According to the passage, what is special about the barn owl’s ears?TOEFL · Factual Information

5As used in the passage, the word “prey” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context

6According to the passage, why is the barn owl’s flight almost silent?TOEFL · Factual Information

7Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?SAT · Central Ideas

8According to the passage, when do creatures of the night move about?TOEFL · Factual Information

9The passage most strongly suggests that a giant hoping to walk through a town unnoticed would be wise to —TOEFL · Inference

10Why does the author describe what a midnight street looks like “to us” before describing the night animals?SAT · Text Structure & Purpose

Part 6 · Optional

Creative Writing

A bonus challenge to practice your English. Take your time and have fun with it.

About This Section

This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!

Writing Task — Part 1 “The Snatch”

Imagine you are Sophie, wrapped in your blanket and bouncing under the giant’s arm as he runs through the night. Describe what you see, hear, and feel. Are you afraid, or a tiny bit excited? What are you thinking will happen next? Write at least 40 words.

You can start with: “Everything was bouncing and rushing past me. I clutched my blanket and tried to peek out, and what I saw made my heart pound because…”

0 / 40 words minimum

🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)

No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.

Part 1 Complete!

You finished Chapters 1–5 of The BFG.

Here are your auto-graded results:

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points out of 100

Your Writing

Your writing was checked automatically for length, spelling, grammar, and whether you included the key parts of the scene. Scroll back to Part 5 anytime to read your feedback and improve your work.

Move on to Part 2 →

Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Roald Dahl or the Roald Dahl Story Company. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced. Reference text: This workbook follows Roald Dahl’s classic text (the standard Puffin edition sold worldwide). Revised 2023 UK editions change some wording and may not match the vocabulary studied here.