Master emphatic clefts (It was only when... that..., What brought about... was...) and high-value collocations (extricate oneself from, a pernicious influence) through the final chapter of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.
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Chapter 10 • Henry Jekyll's Full StatementThe Cabinet Mirror & Final Confession (1886)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson
Cleft Emphasis & C1/C2 Collocations
1. It was only when ... that ...Highlights the exact turning point → "It was only when the salt ran out that Jekyll panicked."
2. extricate oneself from [a situation]Means "free yourself from a difficult trap" → "He could not extricate himself from the mess."
3. have / exert a pernicious influence onMeans "have a subtle, gradually harmful effect on" → "a pernicious influence on young minds"
1. Read the Scene & Useful Vocabulary
Jekyll & Hyde • Chapter 10
Read Henry Jekyll's final confession, where he explains why he created his second identity—not because he wanted to be evil, but because he wanted to keep his respectable public reputation while hiding his private faults:
Original Novel Extract (1886)
"The worst of my faults was a certain impatient gaiety of disposition, such as has made the happiness of many, but such as I found it hard to reconcile with my imperious desire to carry my head high, and wear a more than commonly grave countenance before the public. Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures; and that when I reached years of reflection, and began to look round me and take stock of my progress and position in the world, I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life... It was the curse of mankind that these incongruous faggots were thus bound together—that in the agonised womb of consciousness, these polar twins should be continuously struggling."
— R.L. Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), Chapter 10: Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the CaseOriginal Text
Old-Fashioned Words (Just for Reading)1880s Terms
Archaic or historical words from Chapter 10 that you should recognize in context, but never use in modern essays.
Cheval-glass [noun, historical]
A tall full-length Victorian mirror mounted so it can tilt on a frame.
Faggot [noun, archaic literal sense]
In Stevenson's phrase "these incongruous faggots", an old word for a bundle of sticks tied together. Never use this word in modern English; write elements, strands, or sides.
Draught [noun, archaic medical sense]
A single dose of liquid medicine or potion (pronounced "draft").
Modern C1/C2 Words (Great for Exams)Use in Writing & Speaking
High-scoring verbs, adjectives, and nouns for C1/C2 essays and reviews.
Extricate (oneself from) [verb]
To free yourself or someone else from a difficult trap or situation. Collocations: extricate oneself from a difficult situation, impossible to extricate.
Pernicious [adjective]
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual, subtle way that isn't noticed at first. Collocations: a pernicious influence, the pernicious effects of misinformation.
Imperious [adjective]
Arrogant, commanding, and expecting to be obeyed. Collocations: an imperious tone, an imperious gesture.
Depravity [noun]
Moral corruption or wickedness. Collocations: sink into depravity, human depravity.
Task 1: Vocabulary Check (4 Marks). Classify each word as a Modern C1/C2 Word or an Old-Fashioned Word:
2. The Grammar Pattern: Time Clefts & Verb Valency
C1/C2 Precision
Compare the two ways of emphasizing "not until / only when", and notice the exact prepositions required by C1/C2 verbs:
1. It was only when / not until ... that ...
When you put It was at the start, use that + normal word order (do NOT invert):
• Inverted (Lesson 8): Not until the salt ran out did Jekyll panic.
• Cleft (Lesson 9): It was not until the salt ran out that Jekyll panicked.
2. What brought about / precipitated ... was ...
Great way to highlight the root cause of a problem in an essay:
• What brought about Jekyll's downfall was his refusal to accept his own flaws.
3. extricate + object + from
Extricate always needs an object (himself, the company, the country) + from:
• ✓ Jekyll could not extricate himself from the trap he had made.
• ✗ Jekyll could not extricate out of the trap.
4. have / exert a pernicious influence on
Use pernicious when describing a slow, subtle, harmful influence:
• Constant online comparison can have a pernicious influence on teenagers' self-esteem.
Quick Grammar Check (3 Marks):
5. Which sentence uses a What-cleft accurately?
6. Which sentence uses extricate with the right grammar and preposition?
7. Complete this It-cleft sentence: "It was only when he woke up in Hyde's body without taking the potion _______ he had lost control."
3. Cambridge Use of English Part 4: Key Word Transformations
2 Marks Each (10 Marks Total)
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. Use between 3 and 8 words, including the key word.
8. Jekyll could not free himself from the terrifying situation he had created.
EXTRICATE
Jekyllthe terrifying situation he had created.
9. Jekyll only realised how hopeless his position was when the original supply of salt ran out.
SALT
out that Jekyll realised how hopeless his position was.
10. The potion affected Jekyll's mind in such a subtly harmful way that his self-control collapsed.
PERNICIOUS
The potionJekyll's mind that his self-control collapsed.
11. Jekyll's downfall was caused by his obsession with keeping a spotless public reputation.
DOWNFALL
obsession with keeping a spotless public reputation.
12. Nobody could have predicted how deeply corrupt Hyde's behaviour would become.
DEPRAVITY
Nobody could have predictedHyde would sink.
4. From Classic Fiction to Modern Exam Writing
Real-World C1/C2 Application
See how Stevenson's exploration of double lives and anonymity transfers naturally into a modern IELTS or Cambridge C1/C2 essay on online anonymity and digital behaviour:
In Jekyll's Confession (1886)
"'Give me a mask, and I could plunge into liberty without a tremor of shame!' Yet it was only when he could no longer control the change that Jekyll realised he could not extricate himself from his second self."
In a Modern C1/C2 Essay on Online Anonymity
"Just like Jekyll's disguise, online anonymity can have a pernicious influence on public discussion. People who maintain a polite facade in everyday life sometimes post remarkably callous comments when hidden behind an anonymous username. Once false rumours spread online, victims often find it almost impossible to extricate themselves from the damage to their reputation."
Modern Exam Writing Practice (Questions 13–15 • 3 Marks)
Choose the most natural, accurate C1/C2 sentence for a modern essay or article:
5. Optional Writing Practice: Put Lessons 7–9 Together
150–220 Words
✍️ Short Essay or Review Practice
Choose one of the modern topics below and write 150–220 words. Try to include: 1 contrast or negative inversion (Lessons 7–8), 1 cleft sentence (Lesson 9), and at least 2 C1/C2 vocabulary words from the Jekyll & Hyde lessons:
Option A: Essay on Online Anonymity & Social Media
"Does online anonymity encourage people to behave worse than they would in face-to-face life, and how can we encourage more respectful discussion?"
Option B: Book or Character Review
Write a short review of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (or another story about a character living a double life) explaining why its themes are still relevant today.
0 Words
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Target 1: Contrast or Time Inversion
Try using: Much as, Shocking though, Not until... did, or Little do people realise.
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Target 2: Cleft Sentence or "Far from + -ing"
Try using: What makes, It is only when... that, or Far from improving.
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Target 3: Modern C1/C2 Vocabulary (at least 2 words)
Sample C1/C2 Model Answer (Option A: Online Anonymity Essay)
Natural C1/C2 Example
Much as the internet has connected people across the globe, the ability to hide behind an anonymous screen name has had a pernicious influence on public debate. More than a century ago, R.L. Stevenson showed how a respectable doctor could commit callous acts the moment he stepped behind the mask of Edward Hyde, and the same psychological pattern is visible online today.
What makes anonymous harassment so damaging is the gap between people's polite everyday facade and the hostility they express on social media. Not until platforms require stronger accountability—and schools teach young users how hard it is to extricate oneself from a damaged digital reputation—will online spaces become genuinely respectful.