An Inspector Calls: Act 3 Scene Summary

An Inspector Calls Act 3 Summary Subject: English Age groups: 12 -14, 15-16 Topic: An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls: Act 3 scene summary

EAL Nexus – free downloadable teaching materials https://eal.britishcouncil.org/ © Bell Educational Trust 2016

This resource was originally developed by S. Tanner and has been adapted for EAL Nexus Eric and Eva Smith (Daisy Renton)

The inspector, Mr and Mrs Birling, Eric and Sheila are in the dining room.

Eric is angry with Mrs Birling because she thinks that Eric, the father of the unborn baby, is responsible for Eva’s death. Eric is also upset because Sheila told Mrs Birling that he is often drunk.

Mr and Mrs Birling are angry with Sheila. They think that Sheila is disloyal to her family, because she told the inspector about Eric’s alcohol problem.

Mr Birling asks Mrs Birling to leave the room.

Eric tells the inspector about Daisy (Eva).

Eric first met Daisy in the music hall when he was drunk, then met her a few times after that. He says she was pretty, but that he didn’t love her.

Daisy told Eric that she was pregnant with his baby, but that she didn’t want to marry him because he didn’t love her.

Eric gave her fifty pounds. He says that he stole the money from Mr Birling’s office. Mr Birling wonders why Eric didn’t ask him for the money.

Mrs Birling comes back into the room and Eric finds out that Mrs Birling didn’t help Eva when she went to the charity and blames her for Eva’s death.

Key words to translate

Write a translation of this word or phrase

disloyal to steal problem office

EAL Nexus – free downloadable teaching materials https://eal.britishcouncil.org/ © Bell Educational Trust 2016 to be drunk to wonder to love

The inspector leaves The family continue to argue. The inspector tells the family that they are all responsible for the death of Eva Smith.

Mr. Birling offers to give the inspector a lot of money as a bribe, but he refuses. He says that there are lots of girls like Eva Smith, who are suffering because of other people. The inspector says that we are all responsible for what we say and what we do and that people need to learn from mistakes, or they will get a horrible punishment. The inspector leaves the house.

Write a translation of this word or phrase bribe to offer to refuse horrible punishment

EAL Nexus – free downloadable teaching materials https://eal.britishcouncil.org/ © Bell Educational Trust 2016 The family talk about who is to blame for Eva’s death. Sheila begins to cry. Mrs Birling sits down in a chair. Mr Birling pours a drink. Eric thinks about the inspector’s words. Mr Birling says Eric is mostly to blame for Eva’s death. He is worried about a scandal and that he won’t get a knighthood. He tells Eric that he will have to pay the fifty pounds back. Sheila wonders if the inspector was real or fake and Mr Birling says that it will make a big difference if the inspector is a fake. Sheila says that it won’t make a difference, because they all confessed the truth to the inspector.

Word or phrase Write a translation of this word or phrase

to be to blamed for (is to blame for) word scandal fake to make a difference truth

Who was the inspector? Gerald enters the room. He says the inspector was a fake. He met a policeman when he went for a walk who said the inspector didn’t exist. Mr and Mrs Birling are very happy. Mr Birling phones the Chief Inspector of Police. He says that he doesn’t know anyone called Inspector Goole.

EAL Nexus – free downloadable teaching materials https://eal.britishcouncil.org/ © Bell Educational Trust 2016 Sheila and Eric don't think it makes a difference if the inspector is a fake. Sheila and Eric think that Eva Smith still died because of their family’s actions.

a walk to exist action still to die (died) because of

Was the story about Eva Smith true? Gerald doesn’t think Eva Smith existed. He thinks the inspector showed photographs of different girls to each member of the family. Eric, however, thinks the inspector showed a photograph of Eva Smith to each member of the family. He believes that she is dead and that the family are responsible. The family want to see if there is a dead body of a girl at the infirmary (hospital). Mr Birling is worried about telephoning the infirmary but they agree to call. The infirmary doesn’t have a dead body of a girl. Gerald, Mr Birling and Mrs Birling are happy and celebrate. They don’t think they are responsible for any bad things, but Sheila and Eric don't want to celebrate. Sheila says that the inspector’s story was important. She can’t forget the story, and doesn’t want her parents to forget it. The family treated a girl badly even if she didn’t die. Eric agrees with Sheila. Then Gerald offers Sheila the engagement ring but she doesn’t want to be engaged to Gerald now.

EAL Nexus – free downloadable teaching materials https://eal.britishcouncil.org/ © Bell Educational Trust 2016 Mr Birling mocks Sheila and Eric. He thinks they are too serious. Then the telephone rings. It is the police. A girl has just committed suicide. A police inspector is on his way to the Birling family house to ask some questions. The Birling family are silent and shocked. Sheila stands up. The play ends.

to exist (existed) to forget member (of a to renew family) to believe to mock dead serious infirmary silent to treat badly to be shocked to be true important to mock a play