Clay Lane is inspired by educational materials created NL Clay, and used in English schools and homes from the 1920s to the 1960s. The Blog is a newsletter of recent additions and some selections from our archive, including brainteasers in grammar and vocabulary, and brief passages from history and literature.
You are welcome to ask for my help with any of the materials on Clay Lane. Drop me a line via email to: nicholas@claylane.uk.
Add Vowels
How many words can you make just by adding vowels to these consonants? See if you can get at least 7.
pnt
Spinner
Make a sentence that uses ALL THREE of these words:
International. Thus. Whisper.
These words are served randomly.
You can change e.g. go → went,
or quick → quickly.
Felicia Skene, remembered today chiefly for her work in prison reform, lived for a time in Greece. Seven years into her residence there, she published a record of her impressions of Greece and Turkey (from which Greece had recently won independence), which included a justly celebrated description of the Easter night celebrations in Athens.
In the sentence below, it is possible to replace the verb can with other verbs, e.g. must, should, won’t. How does your choice of verb affect the meaning or mood of the sentence? Illustrate your ideas by using the sentence in a little dialogue.
I can talk to him.
Must. Ought to. Shall. Should. Will. Would.
Mustn’t. Oughtn’t to. Shan’t. Shouldn’t. Won’t. Wouldn’t.
Based on an exercise in English Exercises 12-13 (1933) by NL Clay.
This translation of St Mark’s breathless account of the resurrection of Jesus was made in the reign of King James VI and I, and published in 1611. The language was deliberately archaic, even for William Shakespeare’s time, and translated the traditional ‘Byzantine’ text of the New Testament rather than the academic reconstructions preferred since the 19th century.
Many colourful words and phrases come from past customs. Which common adjective is dictionary-writer Dr Johnson (1709-1784) talking about here?
— (5-5). In open sight; without artifice or trick. A figurative expression, borrowed from gamesters, — who, when they put their hands under the table, are changing their cards.
Above-board.
Read this little poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge out aloud. You will need to add (in your mind) lines of verse and suitable punctuation. Don’t forget such useful little things as dashes, exclamation marks and question marks. Hint: there are three stanzas.
if i had but two little wings and were a little feathery bird to you id fly my dear but thoughts like these are idle things and i stay here but in my sleep to you i fly im always with you in my sleep the world is all ones own and then one wakes and where am i all all alone sleep stays not though a monarch bids so i love to wake ere break of day for though my sleep be gone yet while tis dark one shuts ones lids and still dreams on
See below for the whole poem.
