Ah! blind folk, full of all folly! Ye had not wrought in that fashion had ye taken heed how that king always, without rest, laboured to gain sovereignty, and by force to seize lands, like Wales and Ireland, bordering his own. Ye might have seen he should seize by sleight what he could not by open force. Had ye taken heed what thraldom was, and had ye considered his custom, that grasped always, without giving again, ye should, without his decision, have chosen a king who might well and rightly have held the land. Wales might have been an example to you had ye foreseen.
Wise men say he is happy who corrects himself by others’ errors. For evil things may befall as well to-morrow as yesterday. But ye trusted in loyalty, like simple folk without guile, and knew not what should afterwards take place.
Précis
The Scots’ trust in Edward turned out to be misplaced. Barbour believed that this should have been no surprise to anyone who had watched Edward’s greedy annexation of both Wales and Ireland. But the Scots were naive, he said, failing to learn the lessons of history and turning a blind eye to the consequences of their actions. (57 / 60 words)
The Scots’ trust in Edward turned out to be misplaced. Barbour believed that this should have been no surprise to anyone who had watched Edward’s greedy annexation of both Wales and Ireland. But the Scots were naive, he said, failing to learn the lessons of history and turning a blind eye to the consequences of their actions.
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: about, although, may, must, or, ought, since, until.
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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. 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 Blind. Since. Umpire.
2 Otherwise. Should. They.
3 Agree. Friend. Toward.
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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