What does sequel mean?
Word: Sequel
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Sequel means a new book, film or play that picks up the story where an earlier one stopped.
How do you spell sequel?
Syllables: se - quel
Tricky part: The ending is a weak 'uhl' sound, so you cannot hear which vowel comes before the l. Many children reach for an a there, or swap the last two letters.
Watch out for: sequal, sequle, sequil
Memory tip: A sequel is often a novel, and novel ends in exactly the same two letters.
Sequel in a sentence
Example 1: Everyone in our class is waiting for the sequel to last year's superhero film.
Example 2: The author wrote a sequel in which the twins travel to Iceland.
Example 3: Nobody expected the sequel to be better than the original, but it was.
Fun Fact
Sequels are far older than cinema. Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe in 1719 and brought out a follow-up, The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, before the year was over.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
se__el
a) cu
b) qu
c) qw
d) kw
Show answer
b) qu. The 'kw' sound in this word is written the way it is in queen.
Sound Check
Which word rhymes with sequel?
a) squeal
b) legal
c) equal
d) signal
Show answer
c) equal. The two words sound alike from the long 'ee' to the end, even though their last vowels are spelt differently.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its meaning:
1. sequel 2. trilogy 3. preface a. the next part, written for readers who want to know what happened afterwards b. a short note from the author at the start of a book c. a set of three linked books or films
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Show answer
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A trilogy always comes in threes, a preface stands at the front, and the sequel comes after.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
The sequel to my favourite adventure novel comes out in January, and the bookshop has already opened its waiting list.
a) 2
b) 1
c) 3
d) 0
Show answer
d) 0. Every word is correct, including the British spelling of favourite.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which book title sounds as if it belongs to a sequel?
a) A Beginner's Guide to Chess
b) Freya and the Forest: Part Two
c) Favourite Poems for Children
d) The Complete Atlas of the World
Show answer
b) Freya and the Forest: Part Two
2. A publisher is most eager to bring out a sequel when ___.
a) the first book was never printed
b) the first book has sold very well
c) the bookshops have stopped ordering
d) the writer has given up writing
Show answer
b) the first book has sold very well
