Garden Heights Academy · Independent Novel Study
Part 7
for The BFG · Part 7 · Chapters 21–22
a novel by Roald Dahl
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 seen a helicopter working — what was it doing? If you had to catch someone much stronger than you, would you choose more strength, or better information? And does a punishment have to hurt to be just?
What Happens in Part 7
The Queen’s military leaders work with the BFG to plan the capture of the nine man-eating giants. An enormous fleet of helicopters is assembled, loaded with ropes, chains, and a regiment of soldiers. The BFG leads the fleet across the sea to Giant Country, where all nine giants are found sleeping after their night of eating humans. The soldiers drop from the helicopters, loop massive ropes and nets around the slumbering giants, and winch them upward — helpless, confused, and captured — one by one.
What We Will Study
| Focus | What It Means |
|---|---|
| The Plan | How the military plan is designed around the giants’ one weakness: they sleep deeply after eating |
| The Capture | How Dahl makes the capture scene exciting and satisfying after so much build-up |
| Poetic Justice | Why the capture feels fair and right, given what the giants were doing to 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 the key words from Chapters 21–22, then answer each question.
Knowledge Bank · The Animal Kingdom’s Great Ears
Science · Ears in NatureThe BFG’s giant ears seem impossible, yet nature is full of creatures whose hearing puts ours to shame. A fennec fox has ears nearly as long as its face, funnelling in the faintest scuffle of an insect across the desert sand. An elephant flaps ears the size of blankets, using them to catch low rumbles that travel for miles between distant herds. Bats go further , sending out squeaks and reading the echoes that bounce back, a trick called echolocation that lets them fly in total darkness. Each animal proves the same rule the BFG jokes about: better ears mean a wider, richer world of sound. Hearing is a superpower spread all across the animal kingdom, and Dahl simply stretched it up to a giant scale. So when the BFG boasts of hearing things no human ever could, he actually stands in real, furry company.
ⓘ 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.
helicoptern.Ch.21
An aircraft with rotating blades that allow it to hover and take off vertically
“A fleet of military helicopters was assembled in the Palace gardens, ready to carry the soldiers to Giant Country.”
strategyn.Ch.21
A carefully designed plan to achieve a goal, especially in a military or competitive situation
“The BFG explained the strategy: they must arrive at dawn while the giants were still in their deepest sleep.”
regimentn.Ch.21
A large organized unit of soldiers, usually several hundred to a few thousand
“An entire regiment of soldiers was loaded onto the helicopters, equipped with ropes, chains, and nets.”
hoverv.Ch.21
To stay in one place in the air without moving forward or backward
“The helicopters would hover directly above each sleeping giant so the soldiers could drop their ropes.”
slumbern./v.Ch.22
A deep, peaceful sleep; to sleep soundly
“All nine giants were in a deep slumber, scattered across the valley after their night of monstrous feasting.”
colossaladj.Ch.22
Extremely large; gigantic beyond normal scale
“The soldiers stared down at the colossal bodies below and marvelled at the size of the creatures they were about to capture.”
restrainv.Ch.22
To hold back or prevent something or someone from moving freely, often using ropes or chains
“It took dozens of ropes to restrain each giant as the soldiers looped them around the enormous sleeping figures.”
haulv.Ch.22
To pull or drag something very heavy with great effort
“The helicopters strained and roared as they began to haul the first giant up off the ground.”
captiven./adj.Ch.22
A person or creature that has been captured and is held prisoner; being held prisoner
“Each giant became a captive, dangling helplessly from the ropes as the helicopters carried them away from Giant Country.”
triumphantadj.Ch.22
Feeling or showing great happiness and pride after achieving a victory
“Sophie felt triumphant as the last giant was secured — all nine had been captured and the world was safe.”
1The soldiers needed an aircraft that could stay still in the air above a sleeping giant. Which word describes a vehicle that can do this?Ch.21
2True or False: A “strategy” is a random decision made at the last moment, without any planning.Ch.21
3Fill in the blanks to describe the sleeping giants in Chapter 22.Ch.22
Word choices:slumbercolossalrestrainhaulcaptive- some words will not be used
All nine giants were in a deep , scattered across the valley.
4The soldiers had to prevent each giant from moving using ropes and chains. Which word means to hold someone back from moving freely?Ch.22
5True or False: “Triumphant” means feeling sad or defeated after failing at something important.Ch.22
6Fill in the blanks to describe what the helicopters did.Ch.21–22
Word choices:hoverhaulregimentstrategycaptivecolossal- some words will not be used
The helicopters would above each giant and then the roped figure upward into the air.
7True or False: A “regiment” is a large organized unit of soldiers.Ch.21
8After being roped and lifted, each giant was held as a prisoner by the military. Which word means a creature that has been caught and is being held prisoner?Ch.22
9True or False: “Colossal” means something very small and easily overlooked.Ch.22
10Fill in the blank with the correct word.Ch.21
Word choices:strategyslumbercolossalrestrainhovertriumphant- one word will be used
The BFG explained the : the fleet must arrive at dawn, when the giants would be sleeping at their deepest.
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 21–22?
Knowledge Bank · Pulling the Clues Together
Reading Skill · Drawing ConclusionsDrawing a conclusion means gathering clues across a story and adding them up into a judgment, the way a detective slowly solves a case. It is like inference stretched over many pages instead of one. By Part 7 you have watched the giants boast, bully, and gobble, while the BFG has proved patient, brave, and kind. Put all that evidence together and you can conclude with confidence which side deserves to win, and why the daring capture feels so deeply satisfying. A strong conclusion rests on more than one clue; a single detail can mislead you, but a stack of them points firmly in one direction. As you read the capture unfold, ask what everything so far has taught you about these characters, and let that guide how you feel about their fate. When many separate clues all lean the same way, you can trust the conclusion they build together.
1Why is dawn chosen as the time to carry out the capture?Ch.21
2True or False: The BFG is needed for the capture mission because he is the only one who knows the location of Giant Country.Ch.21
3How many man-eating giants are there in total in Giant Country?Ch.22
4True or False: The giants fight back fiercely and several soldiers are injured during the capture operation.Ch.22
5Write the numbers 1–5 to show the correct order of events. Number 1 = what happens first.Ch.21–22
- All nine giants are secured with ropes and hauled upward, becoming captives of the operation.
- The helicopter fleet arrives at dawn over Giant Country and finds all nine giants asleep.
- The BFG leads the helicopter fleet across the sea toward Giant Country.
- Soldiers drop from the helicopters and loop massive ropes around the sleeping giants.
- The Queen’s military leaders meet with the BFG to plan the capture operation.
6Why is the BFG the most important person on the mission, even though he is not a soldier?Ch.21
7True or False: Sophie watches the capture from the safety of the BFG’s hands as the helicopters circle over Giant Country.Ch.22
8Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.21–22
Word choices:helicoptersBFGnineropesdawnsleeping- some words will not be used
The led the fleet of to Giant Country, where all nine giants were found fast asleep.
9What equipment do the soldiers use to capture and lift the giants?Ch.22
10True or False: The capture succeeds because of the combination of the BFG’s inside knowledge, the Queen’s resources, and Sophie’s original plan — making all three of them essential.Ch.21–22
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Dahl writes Chapters 21–22 the way he does.
Knowledge Bank · Dahl’s Craft in Part 7
Language · Hyperbole SpotlightHyperbole is deliberate exaggeration, a stretch so big that no one is meant to believe it literally. When a fleet of helicopters is called colossal, or the giants the most gigantic brutes ever to stomp the Earth, Dahl is dialling reality far past true to create a strong effect. Hyperbole is not lying; it is a kind of emphasis, blowing something up so its importance or its comedy lands hard. A giant who is merely tall is boring; a giant taller than a house, with a stride that crosses a whole field, feels thrillingly enormous. The device works because our imaginations enjoy the delicious impossibility of it all. As you read the capture, spot the sizes, speeds, and numbers Dahl pumps up beyond belief, and ask what feeling each exaggeration is chasing. Behind every wild overstatement hides a deliberate storyteller reaching hard for maximum impact.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
Poetic justice is when characters finally get the reward or punishment they deserve. The nine man-eating giants spent the whole novel preying on sleeping people — and now they are captured while helplessly asleep themselves, lifted away by army helicopters.Reversal is when a situation flips to the opposite of what came before. The giants who spent the novel snatching humans in the night are now themselves snatched in the night — their own trick is turned against them.Theme is the big idea a story explores. A major theme of these chapters is collaboration: the danger is far too big for any one person, so Sophie, the BFG, the Queen, and the army must all work together with their helicopters to capture the giants.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1The cruel, man-eating giants are finally captured while asleep and carried off. This sense that they get exactly what they deserve is an example of —Ch.22
2True or False: A reversal is when a situation flips to the opposite of what came before.Ch.22
3Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.21–22
Word choices:collaborationtogetherrhymereversalsatire- some words will not be used
The big idea that people achieve more by combining their strengths is the theme of . Sophie, the BFG, the Queen, and the army succeed only by working .
4How is the giants’ capture a reversal of their own behavior?Ch.22
5True or False: A theme of these chapters is that working together (collaboration) can overcome a danger too big for one person alone.Ch.21–22
6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.22
Word choices:poetic justiceasleeprhymetension- some words will not be used
When wrongdoers get exactly what they deserve, we call it . The giants are caught while , just as their victims once were.
7What theme is shown by the way Sophie, the BFG, the Queen, and the army all work together to capture the giants?Ch.21–22
8True or False: Poetic justice is when characters finally get the rewards or punishments they truly deserve.Ch.22
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.22
Word choices:reversalsnatchedrhymehumor- some words will not be used
When a situation flips to its opposite, we call it a . The giants who once people in the night are now caught the same way.
10The giants who snatched sleeping humans are captured IN THEIR SLEEP and carried off through the sky. How do REVERSAL and poetic justice work together in this climax?Ch.21–22
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
Knowledge Bank · Justice Takes a Team
Social-Emotional · JusticeThe capture of the giants is a victory of justice — the cruel are finally stopped from harming the innocent. But look closely at how it happens, because Dahl makes a careful point: no one wins alone. The BFG supplies the knowledge of Giant Country, Sophie supplies the courage and the first spark, the Queen supplies her authority and her army, and the soldiers supply their skill and machines. Each one holds a single puzzle piece, and only fitted together do those pieces defeat a threat none could beat by themselves. This is collaboration, and the story treasures it. Justice, Dahl suggests, is rarely the work of one lone hero flexing alone; it is ordinary and extraordinary people combining what each does best. The giants relied only on brute size and stood divided in their greed. The team that beats them wins precisely because it stands united.
1Claim: “The giants are captured because the BFG’s knowledge guides the army.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2What only the BFG can provide, or what the army provides? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ Only the BFGThe army ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
The Queen believes Sophie and the BFG→
Only the BFG knows the way→
The giants lie fast asleep→
The captured giants are helpless→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
The plan succeeds because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test · Cohesion & Insert Text
Part 7 practices Cohesion & Transitions and a trickier exam speciality, Insert Text (placing a sentence where it best fits), plus Command of Evidence, Inference and Vocabulary in Context, 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 · Where Does the Sentence Belong?
Test Skills · Part 7An Insert Text question hands you a sentence and four numbered spots. The trick is the link words: however pushes against what came before, this and that point backward, only then follows a step. Find the spot where the new sentence answers the question a reader would be asking at that exact moment — then re-read the paragraph with the sentence in place. If it reads smoothly and nothing repeats, you have found home.
An airplane must rush forward to stay up; a helicopter carries its wings with it. The blades of the spinning rotor are thin wings whirling in a circle, and their spin pulls air downward, pushing the machine up. Because the rotor makes its own wind, a helicopter can do what no airplane dares: rise straight up with no runway, fly slowly in any direction and hang perfectly still above a single chosen spot. That hanging trick, called hovering, is the hardest skill in a pilot’s training — and the most precious.
A hovering helicopter becomes a stable platform in mid-air: rescuers can lower a line to a sinking ship, and a heavy cargo can be winched up on a steel cable and carried beneath the aircraft. To lift something gently, the pilot must ascend by centimeters, holding the machine steady against every gust while the load leaves the ground vertically — straight up, with no dragging. This is why helicopters own the world’s difficult jobs: mountain rescue, air ambulance, and fire-fighting. Slow, steady, and exact — the helicopter’s greatness is not speed at all. It is the power to arrive anywhere, hold perfectly still, and lift the unliftable.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1As used in the passage, the word “stable” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
2In the passage, the word “cargo” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
3According to the passage, why can a helicopter rise straight up with no runway?TOEFL · Factual Information
4According to the passage, what is the hardest skill in a helicopter pilot’s training?TOEFL · Factual Information
5As used in the passage, the word “ascend” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
6Insert Text. Look at the four spots in the box below. Where would this sentence best fit? Sentence: “Only when both checks are confirmed does the crew signal the pilot to lift.”TOEFL · Insert Text
[1] The helicopter arrives over the target and settles into a steady hover. [2] A crew member winches the steel cable down to the team below. [3] The load is hooked on and checked twice. [4] The pilot ascends by centimeters until the cable pulls taut and the load rises straight up.
7Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that a helicopter’s greatness is NOT speed?SAT · Command of Evidence
8The passage most strongly suggests that capturing nine sleeping giants — each too huge for any truck — would require —SAT · Inference
9According to the passage, a helicopter can take off and land —TOEFL · Factual Information
10Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?SAT · Central Ideas
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. Feedback checks length, spelling, and grammar for practice. This section is meant for creative practice and classroom discussion.
Writing Task — Part 7 “The Plan and Capture!”
Imagine you are one of the soldiers in the helicopters, looking down at the enormous sleeping giants below. Describe what you see and feel as you prepare to drop the ropes. Are you scared? Excited? What does it look like from above? Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “The helicopter hovered directly above the giant. I looked down through the open door and could hardly believe what I was seeing…”
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 7 Complete!
You finished “The Plan · Capture!”
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points out of 100
Your Writing
Your optional writing was checked automatically. Scroll back to Part 5 anytime to read your feedback and improve your work.
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Roald Dahl or the Roald Dahl Story Company. 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.