How’s Your Mother? By Simon Brett
• During the first part of the story, what did people think of Humphrey and his relationship with his mother?
• Choose one of the following sentences to describe Mrs. Denton, the shopkeeper’s wife:
She was very intelligent.
She loved her husband very much.
She liked to gossip about customers.
• How did Humphrey use his mother as an excuse at work?
• The first time Reg Carter, the postman, visited Humphrey he delivered flowers. What did he deliver on his second visit?
• Why did Humphrey’s house catch fire?
• Who discovered the fire? What did he do?
• When interviewed by the police, Humphrey confesses that he never had a mother. Why did he lie about it?
• Humphrey gets arrested for murdering his mother. What do the police do afterwards?
• Who showed up at Humphrey’s house while he was getting ready to leave to Canada? What did this person want?
• What does Humphrey do at the end of the story?
• Do you think Humphrey had planned everything that had happened? Why?
Crime - Crimes
arson
assault
blackmail
burglary
fraud
hijacking
hooliganism
kidnapping
mugging
Crime - Criminals
mugger
murderer
robber
shoplifter
smuggler
terrorist
thief
vandal
Crime - Justice System
appeal
court
death penalty
fine
guilty
innocent
judge
jury
justice
lawyer
probation
prosecution
capital punishment
trial
verdict
witness
Crime - Verbs
arrest
break in
break out
break the law
burgle
charge
commit a crime
escape
get away with
hold up
investigate
rob
steal
