NO one in that house knew who the bewitching young thing was who had danced with the Master’s son, nor that, in despair at parting, he had given her his golden ring as a keepsake. No one but Cap o’ Rushes; she knew.
As for the Master’s son, he became listless and his food lay untouched. The kind-hearted cook resolved to make him some gruel, but Cap o’ Rushes asked if she could do it. When no one was watching, she plopped the golden ring into it, and it sank to the bottom.
There the young man found it with his last spoonful.
He summoned the cook. ‘Who made this gruel?’ he asked, and the cook cautiously admitted deputising Cap o’ Rushes.
‘Who are you?’ he asked the maid, when she stood before him, ‘and where did you get this ring?’ In reply she took off the hooded gown of rushes. And the pale young gentleman’s heart leapt: for he knew his captivating dance-partner at once.
Précis
The son of the house, not knowing who his dance-partner was, gave her his ring to remember him by, and promptly pined himself into a decline. Taking pity, Cap o’ Rushes revealed herself to him by letting him discover the ring in his food and trace it back to her; and soon they were to be married. (57 / 60 words)
The son of the house, not knowing who his dance-partner was, gave her his ring to remember him by, and promptly pined himself into a decline. Taking pity, Cap o’ Rushes revealed herself to him by letting him discover the ring in his food and trace it back to her; and soon they were to be married.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, if, just, may, or, until, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
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 Go. Partner. Time.
2 Could. Leap. More.
3 Clothes. Daughter. Kind.
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.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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