Continued from
Part 1
Such a council can command obedience only by the military force with which they are accompanied, and their government is therefore necessarily military and despotical. Their proper business, however, is that of merchants. It is to sell, upon their masters account, the European goods consigned to them, and to buy in return Indian goods for the European market. It is to sell the one as dear and to buy the other as cheap as possible, and consequently to exclude as much as possible all rivals from the particular market where they keep their shop.
The genius of the administration therefore, so far as concerns the trade of the company, is the same as that of the direction. It tends to make government subservient to the interest of monopoly, and consequently to stunt the natural growth of some parts at least of the surplus produce of the country to what is barely sufficient for answering the demand of the company.*
By
Adam Smith
1723-1790
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author
aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that
strike you. How do they help the author communicate his
ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you?
How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939)
by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at
Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn,
Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University,
USA.
Précis
As European merchants, the Company’s duty was to make profits for European clients; but as governors of India, it was to secure India’s economic and social well-being. The Company chose European profits over India’s welfare, leading them to subdue India by military force, and limit India’s economic growth so that European rivals would not be tempted to challenge their monopoly.
(60 / 60 words)
As European merchants, the Company’s duty was to make profits for European clients; but as governors of India, it was to secure India’s economic and social well-being. The Company chose European profits over India’s welfare, leading them to subdue India by military force, and limit India’s economic growth so that European rivals would not be tempted to challenge their monopoly.
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Variations:
1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words.
2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words.
3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, may, must, or, unless, whether.
Archive
Word Games
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1
East.
Master.
Should.
2
Particular.
Person.
Sort.
3
Buy.
If.
Upon.
Variations:
1.
include direct and indirect speech
2.
include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who
3.
use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Country.
2.
Even.
3.
Exact.
4.
Dear.
5.
Keep.
6.
Still.
7.
Can.
Show Suggestions
For each word above, choose one or more suitable
meanings from this list.
1.
In the extreme case.
2.
Tin, of food or drink.
3.
Expression or surprise or dismay.
4.
Verb expressing the ability to do something.
5.
Not odd.
6.
(informal) fire from a job.
7.
Take by force.
8.
Retain hold.
9.
The cost of one’s board and lodging.
10.
Fields and woods, not the city.
11.
Precise.
12.
Apparatus for making alcoholic drink.
13.
Expensive.
14.
Beloved.
15.
Not moving.
16.
A particular nation.
17.
Even now.
18.
Flat and smooth.
19.
The most secure part of a castle.
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1
Little.
2
Military.
3
Even.
4
Masterly.
5
Same.
6
Opposite.
7
Least.
8
Cheap.
9
Possible.
Variations:
1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb.
2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best).
3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
rpd
(5)
See Words
raped.
rapid.
reaped.
repaid.
roped.
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or ask for help with any of the
exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
nicholas@claylane.uk
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