Pâst Dannedd

‘Pâst Dannedd’ is a short story about how actions have consequences. The story begins with a PSE lesson in school, where the teacher challenges pupils to remove toothpaste from a tube.

• The main characters are Lisa, Cari and Ffion.
• The key themes of the story include bullying, friendship, the misuse of technology, and family tension.

Consider the story’s key message and what the author wants the reader to learn.

This guide will show you how to explain your ideas about the story, using evidence from the text and your own experiences.

This short story explores several important themes that are relevant to young people today.

Bullying - Bwlio

The story shows how rumours and gossip can hurt others. Lisa and Cari spread false information about Ffion, demonstrating the damaging effects of bullying and unkind behaviour.

Key quotes:

Doedden nhw ddim yn ffrindiau – a dweud y gwir, roedd Ffion yn mynd ar nerfau Lisa. Roedd hi’n swnllyd, roedd hi’n ddwl ac roedd hi’n meddwl gormod o’i hunan – ym marn Lisa, beth bynnag.

Chwarddodd Lisa – yn enwedig pan gafodd Ffion bâst dannedd ar ei siwmper ddu a dechrau cwyno ei fod yn staenio.

Friendship - Cyfeillgarwch / Ffrindiau

Friendship plays an important role in the story. Lisa and Cari's friendship influences their decisions and actions, highlighting both the positive and negative impact that friends can have on one another.

Key quote:

…ond o leiaf roedd hi’n gallu eistedd ar bwys Cari, ei ffrind gorau.

Misuse of technology - Camddefnyddio technoleg

The story reminds readers that messages and information can spread quickly and have serious consequences.

Key quotes:

Nod y wers, mae’n debyg, oedd rhywbeth am negeseuon ar y wê. Roedd Syr wedi sôn yn barod am ei bod hi’n amhosib tynnu rhywbeth nôl ar ôl ei ddweud e ar y wê.

… ers iddi gael ei ffôn newydd ar ei phen-blwydd. Nawr roedd ganddi’r wê ar flaenau’i bysedd trwy’r amser! Hefyd, roedd defnyddio’r ffôn llawer mwy preifat na defnyddio cyfrifiadur y teulu yn yr ystafell fwyta.

Family tension - Tensiwn mewn teulu

As the consequences of Lisa's actions become clear, tension develops at home. Her interactions with her parents show the importance of trust, responsibility and making good choices.

Key quotes:

Pan gyrhaeddodd Lisa adre roedd ei rhieni yn aros amdani. Roedd wyneb ei thad fel taran.

“Rho dy ffôn i fi” meddai ei thad. “Nawr!”

“Paid dweud gair!” gwaeddodd ei thad. “Tad Ffion roddodd rhain i fi. Gwelodd chwaer Ffion bopeth ar lein neithiwr.”

Understanding what the characters do, why they behave in certain ways, and how they affect other characters will help you explain events in the story and give your own opinions.

Try to compare the characters' actions and experiences with your own views and experiences, using examples from the text to support your ideas.

Lisa, Cari and Ffion are the main characters in ‘Pâst Dannedd’. Each character plays an important role in developing the plot and helping to communicate the story's message.

Lisa

• The main character in the story.
• She dislikes Science and does not like Ffion.
• She helps spread false rumours online.
• By the end of the story, she learns an important lesson about the consequences of her actions.

Cari

• Lisa's best friend.
• She tells Lisa information about Ffion and helps spread the rumour.
• Her actions contribute to the conflict in the story.

Ffion

• A victim of the rumours and gossip.
• She is treated unfairly because of information shared online.
• Her experiences help communicate the story's message about responsible behaviour.

Writers use a range of literary techniques to create effects, develop characters and communicate ideas. It is important to learn what these techniques mean and what they are called in Welsh.

Here are a few examples of literary techniques that appear in ‘Pâst Dannedd’:

Idiomau

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words.

Example:

• beichio crio(whinge and cry)

Effect:

Helps the reader understand a character's emotions and feelings.

Ansoddeiriau

Adjectives are descriptive words used to give more information about a person, place or thing.

Examples:

• swnllyd(noisy)
• dwl(stupid)

Effect:

Creates a clearer picture for the reader and helps develop characters and settings.

Deialog

Dialogue is conversation between characters.

Example:

• “Ond…” dechreuodd [Lisa] ateb.
  “Paid dweud gair!” gwaeddodd ei thad.

Effect:

Reveals information about characters, relationships and events in the story.

Cymhariaeth

A comparison describes one thing by comparing it to something else.

Example:

• Roedd wyneb ei thad fel taran.

[fel taran = like thunder]

Effect:

Helps the reader visualise ideas and understand descriptions more clearly.

Synhwyrau

Writers use sensory language to appeal to sight, sound, smell, taste or touch.

Examples:

• ond roedd blas rhyfedd ar y past heno rhywsut.

[Blasu = Taste]

Effect:

Makes the story more vivid and engaging.

Tafodiaith

Dialect refers to regional words or expressions used by characters.

Example:

South Walian dialect – Tafodiaith de Cymru:

• Ha ha – nawr bydd hi mewn trwbl!

Effect:

Makes characters sound authentic and realistic and you learn where in the world the characters are from.

Amser y ferf

Verb tenses shows when an action takes place.

Examples:

Past tense – Y gorffennol:

• oedd hi(she was)
• roedd(it was)
• chwarddodd(laughed)
• cofiodd(remembered)
• dileuodd(deleted)
• meddyliodd(thought)
• cochodd(blushed)
• gwelodd(saw)

Effect:

Helps the reader understand when events are happening and can influence the pace of the story.

Rhestru

Listing occurs when several words, phrases or ideas are grouped together.

Example:

• Roedd rhai yn defnyddio llwyau, roedd eraill yn defnyddio gwellt a rhai yn defnyddio pin o gefn bathodyn.

Effect:

Emphasises important information and can create pace or intensity.

Here are some useful key words to help you respond to questions about the text.

• stori fer – short story

• awdur – author

• cymeriad(au) – character(s)

• technegau – techniques

• effaith – effect

• cymhariaeth – comparison

• idiomau – idioms

• ansoddeiriau – adjectives

• synhwyrau – senses

• deialog – dialogue

• amser y ferf – verb tense

• tafodiaith – dialect

• rhestru – listing

• thema – theme

• themâu – themes

• bwlio – bullying

• cyfeillgarwch – friendship

• camddefnyddio technoleg – misuse of technology

• tensiwn mewn teulu – tension in the family

• dyfyniad – quotation / quote

• ydy / nac ydy – yes / no

• oes / nac oes – yes / no

• cywir / anghywir – correct / incorrect

• mynd ar nerfau – get on (someone’s) nerves

• swnllyd – noisy

• dwl – stupid

• cas – nasty

• hapus – happy

• person ofnadwy – terrible person

• person caredig – kind person

• pobl eraill – other people

• dylanwad da – good influence

• dylanwad drwg – bad influence

• cael hwyl – have fun

• helpu ei gilydd – help each other

• gwneud – do / make

• dweud celwydd – tell lies

The sentence patterns below are examples of language that can be used when discussing the story. You could use other sentence patterns and vocabulary as well.

Remember to draw on the wider range of sentence patterns and vocabulary you have learned when responding or offering your analysis of the text.

In the film about ‘Pâst Dannedd’ above, there are two questions at the end that are linked to the themes of the story:

1. Pam y gallai rhywun fod yn gas i berson arall?

2. Pam bod ffrindiau da yn bwysig?

As the film explains, strong personal responses should be based on what happens in the story.

Start by referring to the ‘manylion’ (details), ‘digwyddiadau’ (events), ‘cymeriadau’ (characters) and ‘disgrifiadau’ (descriptions) in the story.

Then, explain your own thoughts and opinions, making links to your own experiences or observations where appropriate.

Let's look at how to plan and write an effective response to the first question:

Pam y gallai rhywun fod yn gas i berson arall?

Let’s consider a detail from the story that could be used to start answering this question:

Dydy Lisa ddim yn hoffi Ffion:

Doedden nhw ddim yn ffrindiau – a dweud y gwir, roedd Ffion yn mynd ar nerfau Lisa. Roedd hi’n swnllyd, roedd hi’n ddwl…

You may start answering the question by linking a detail from the story first. This shows you understand the question’s relevance to the story.

You could then add details such as your opinion:

✓ This is a good answer which refers to the story and where a personal opinion is expressed:

You could then go on to discuss your own experiences of having someone being nasty to you. For example:

Let’s review this answer so far:

✓ This answer is nice and detailed and even uses the past tense!

It's a strong answer, but can it be improved yet further?

How about adding a sentence giving advice about the theme? For example:

A full, detailed response could therefore look something like this:

Let’s consider why this is a strong, effective personal response:

✓ It refers to the story.
✓ You’ve expressed an opinion and backed it up with a reason.
✓ You referred to your own experience.
✓ You’ve offered advice based on your opinion and experience.

Now, let's see how we could answer the second question from the film:

Pam bod ffrindiau da yn bwysig?

Here’s an extract from the story that you could respond to:

Roedd Cari wedi gweld Ffion yn siop y fferyllydd. …
Roedd ganddi golur drud yn ei llaw – ond roedd y swyddog wedi cymryd y colur ganddi hi.
“Dwyn!” atebodd Lisa. “Ha ha – nawr bydd hi mewn trwbl!”
Cytunodd Cari.

A good response would refer to the story and include an opinion. For example:

To build up a really strong answer, remember to follow the same structure as we did with 'Question 1':

✓ Refer to the story.
✓ Give your opinion and explain why.
✓ Relate it to your own experience.
✓ Added detail - give advice based on your opinion and experience.

• Start by referencing the story:

• then, add your opinion:

• relate to your own experience:

• and then add some advice:

Let’s review this response in full:

In terms of the language you should use, it’s always good to use different sentence patterns and a range of suitable words. Look back at the vocabulary and sentence pattern sections if there were any used in these examples that you didn’t recognise.

Test your knowledge of the short story ‘Pâst Dannedd’ with these flashcards.

Remember that you will need to answer all the questions in your assessment in Welsh.

Think about how you would answer these questions in Welsh before you flip each card to reveal the answers: