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Recent Posts Fire and Sword The Landmarks of Time And We Beheld his Glory It’s Good to be Merry and Wise

Garden of Jane Austen’s house, Chawton.

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Subjects

The English Language

Passages illustrating the importance of the English language, and the duty of the citizen to keep it in good repair.

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There are nine posts in The Copy Book tagged The English Language. To see all our posts, go to the Archive.

The posts are currently listed with the most recent shown first. You can also list them alphabetically, and shuffle them to see posts you may have missed.

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1

Who Are We to Criticise?

By Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle felt that English criticism of Goethe revealed more about his critics than his poems.

Posted December 8

2

The Court of the Past

By John Ruskin

We should not force ourselves and ‘our values’ onto the writers of the past.

Posted December 5

3

Strong Speech

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson traced a common thread running throughout English literature.

Posted June 12

4

How to Learn a Language

By William Cobbett

When William Cobbett told his son James to be conscientious about his grammar lessons, he was drawing on hard-won experience.

Posted January 27

5

The Book That Made Kipling

By Sir George MacMunn

Sir George MacMunn traces Kipling’s masterly handling of English and of storytelling to reading the King James Bible aloud.

Posted January 21

6

The Common Tongue

By Hilaire Belloc

The English language is the most valuable part of our national heritage, and the patriotic citizen is careful to treat it with respect.

Posted January 21

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Latest

Posted Today • The Copy Book

Fire and Sword : Fyodor Dostoevsky listened with growing bewilderment to the celebrity peace activists gathered in Geneva.

Posted Today • Think and Speak

Reported Speech : Report these short conversations, without using the speakers’ exact words.

Posted Yesterday

Music Video : Leroy Anderson: Christmas Festival

Posted Yesterday • Think and Speak

Rein : Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted Yesterday • The Copy Book

The Landmarks of Time : Izaak Walton recalls how George Herbert summarised the major feasts of the Church year.

Posted December 24 • The Copy Book

And We Beheld his Glory : In a sermon for Christmas Day, St Bede confronts his brethren with the truth about Mary’s wonderful child.

Posted December 23 • Think and Speak

Who’s or Whose? : Use these similar-sounding words in sentences and show the difference between them.

Posted December 23 • The Copy Book

It’s Good to be Merry and Wise : ‘Alpha of the Plough’ thought the Victorians understood Christmas and New Year better than we do.

Posted December 22 • Comfortable Words

A Collect for Christmas Eve : A short prayer and poem from the Sarum Missal, for the night before Christmas.

Posted December 22

Music Video : JS Bach: Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns die Stimme

Posted December 21 • The Copy Book

Christmas at Coverley Hall : Sir Roger explains why he makes Christmas such a special time for all his neighbours.

Posted December 21 • Think and Speak

Mace : Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted December 20 • Think and Speak

Pronunciation : Create sentences in which a particular consonant features prominently and frequently.

Posted December 19

Music Video : Richard Addinsell: Scrooge Suite

Posted December 17 • Think and Speak

Doing Without If : Rewrite these conditional sentences in such a way that the word ‘if’ is not used.

Posted December 16 • Comfortable Words

Stupendous Height of Heavenly Love : A profound Christmas hymn by Charles Wesley, welcoming the rising of the Sun of Righteousness.

Posted December 16 • Think and Speak

Words of Character : Explain what these nouns tell us about our colleague John.

Posted December 15 • Think and Speak

Jigsaws : Combine each pair of ideas into one sentence, in as many ways as you can. See if you can work in one or more of the words suggested.

Posted December 15

Music Video : Eric Coates: Four Centuries Suite: II. Pavane and Tambourin

Posted December 15 • The Copy Book

The Death of Baldur : Baldur was the toast of Valhalla, but Loki was determined to take him down.