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Updates from across the site
70
6 Apr
We tend to use the word ‘tyrant’ today with a mental picture of some apoplectic dictator raving and stamping. This is hardly adequate, and it allows much tyranny to pass unnoticed. Aristotle gave us a more carefully drawn word-portrait: of a man (or of men) whose goal is to keep a grip on power by systematically dividing, demeaning and disheartening the public.
71
3 Apr
Rewrite these sentences to eliminate the word ‘and’. There may be several ways of doing this; see how many you can think of.
1 I asked for a night’s lodging and she said I was welcome to the bed in the loft.
2 I fitted my key into the door and just then I noticed a man and he was at my elbow.
3 I walked into the room and there was an old man and he was at the head of the table and he rose.
For example
I scrambled to my feet and looked around.
Scrambling to my feet, I looked around.
When I had scrambled to my feet, I looked around.
These sentences are based on sentences in the novels of John Buchan.
72
2 Apr
Rewrite these sentences so that they do not use the word ‘if’.
1. If the terms of the treaty were made public, it would mean disaster.
2. If that does not succeed, don’t be discouraged.
3. If you get yourselves into trouble with the police, I can’t officially help you out of it.
For example
We have plenty of time to get there if we take the tube.
By taking the tube, we can get there in plenty of time.
Let’s take the tube, so we don’t need to worry about getting there in time.
Provided we take the tube...
Unless we take the tube, we’ll be cutting it a bit fine.
Sentences taken from the novels of Agatha Christie. Based on an exercise in Advanced English Exercises (1939) by NL Clay.
73
1 Apr
Use each phrase below in two sentences, once adjectivally, so that it qualifies a noun (e.g. to the town → The road to the town was flooded), and once adverbially, so that it qualifies a verb (e.g. Bob walked to the town). You may like to use the words indicated underneath each phrase.
1 At the corner.
Shop (n). Wait (vb).
2 Under the floorboards.
Strongbox (n). Look (vb).
3 By Charles Dickens.
Story (n). Write (vb).
Adapted from an exercise in Exercises 12-13 (1933) by NL Clay.
74
30 Mar
In Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tess is milking a cow for dairy farmer Mr Crick (he remembered her mother, herself a dairymaid) and finding it rather restful. As she milks, the dairy lads and maids begin a song. ‘You should get your harp, sir’ ventures one lad, a little out of breath; ‘not but what a fiddle is best.’ And Mr Crick shares a story that shows just how right he is.
75
11 Mar
Join the following ideas together to form a single sentence:
Your desk is untidy. I know your character.
Try to do this in at least two different ways. You can change anything you like so long as the underlying ideas remain the same. See if you can include one of more of these words:
Mess. Sort. Tell.
This exercise appeared in Exercises 12-13 (1933) by NL Clay.
