By the end of this exercise, you can explain Halloween traditions and write a short ghost story using the simple past.
Four exercises, help and bonus tasks, answer key and teacher notes.
Download the worksheet (PDF)Free Year 9 Halloween English exercises: reading, vocabulary, simple past and present perfect, instant feedback, creative writing and a printable PDF.
Read the text, then choose the correct answer to each question.
Halloween began as part of old seasonal traditions in Ireland and Britain. Samhain marked the start of winter in the traditional Irish calendar. People carved turnips into frightening lanterns and wore disguises. They also played games and visited neighbours for food and entertainment.
In the nineteenth century, Irish and Scottish immigrants took Halloween customs to North America. Pumpkins were larger and softer than turnips, so they were easier to carve. The pumpkin lantern became the jack-o'-lantern we know today.
Modern Halloween is a mixture of old and new traditions. Children dress in costumes, neighbours decorate their porches, and families tell spooky stories. In many places, trick-or-treating is also a social event: people meet, talk and share treats. A frightening festival can therefore bring a community together.
1. Samhain marked the start of .
2. Early lanterns were made from .
3. Halloween customs travelled to North America with .
4. People chose pumpkins because they were .
5. The text describes modern Halloween as .
6. Trick-or-treating can bring people together because they .
Choose the word that completes each sentence.
1. We put a candle inside the pumpkin to make a .
2. Maya wore a vampire to the party.
3. The neighbours gave us a small when we knocked.
4. Use a safe tool to a face in your pumpkin.
5. The old story says that a returns to the house every October.
6. His mask was a clever ; nobody recognised him.
7. They left a bowl of sweets on the for visitors.
8. The empty house looked in the moonlight.
Use the simple past for finished past events and the present perfect for a past-to-present connection.
1. Last Halloween, we the classroom with paper bats.
2. My sister three lanterns so far this week.
3. In 2024, our neighbours a street party.
4. I a vampire costume in my life.
5. The film ten minutes ago.
6. They in this house since 2020. (Review: Work Experience)
7. When I was younger, I ghost stories with my cousins.
8. Look! Someone a mysterious bag on our porch.
Your school newspaper needs a Halloween story. Write 70–90 words to entertain younger readers and give your story a surprising ending.
Beginning: On a dark Halloween evening, you saw a lantern in an empty house.
Middle: Describe two strange things that happened and how you felt.
Ending: Explain the lantern—or surprise the reader.
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