WITH hope dead in his breast, the former warehouseman exhibited his certificate. William twitched it from his fingers. ‘You wrote a pamphlet against us once’ he observed, scrawling across the paper in a bold hand. The man took it back dully. What could he expect to read? ‘Rogue’ perhaps. ‘Scoundrel, libeller.’ But what he read through misty eyes was the company signature. ‘We never refuse an honest tradesman,’ beamed William. ‘I said you would live to repent writing that pamphlet. Some day, I said, you would know us better.
‘Well, my dear fellow, you know us now. What are you going to do?’ The warehouseman expressed fresh optimism. ‘But how are you off in the meantime?’ insisted William. Eventually he wormed it out of him that he was struggling to put food on the family table. ‘My dear fellow,’ William cried ‘this will not do!’ and pressed a ten-pound note into his hands.* Too choked to speak, his visitor pulled out a handkerchief, put it to his face, and ran from the room.
* According to the website Measuring Worth’, £10 in 1839 (the year that Nicholas Nickleby came out) would as a measure of income or wealth be roughly equivalent to £886 in 2019. Like the Cheerybles, William liked to indulge in theatrical bluster before any act of charity. On another occasion, he was asked to donate money to a poor widow. He harrumphed that her late husband had cost the firm some £200, but when it was put to him that the widow was not any the less needy William serenely handed over £5, and said there was another £5 waiting for her if she ever needed it.
Précis
When the bankrupt warehouseman presented himself at Grant Brothers, William indulged himself in a display of grumpy resentment, before gaily approving the debtor’s return to business. Indeed, on learning of the shocking state of his domestic finances, William gave him ten pounds, at which the man who once tried to ruin him broke down in tears. (56 / 60 words)
When the bankrupt warehouseman presented himself at Grant Brothers, William indulged himself in a display of grumpy resentment, before gaily approving the debtor’s return to business. Indeed, on learning of the shocking state of his domestic finances, William gave him ten pounds, at which the man who once tried to ruin him broke down in tears.
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, because, just, ought, since, unless, until, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
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 Creditor. Think. Writing.
2 Pound. Tradesman. Yet.
3 Before. Eye. Fall.
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.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Twist. 2 Design. 3 Suppose. 4 Hope. 5 Eye. 6 Expect. 7 Hold. 8 Obtain. 9 Fall.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
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.
prchs (5)
parches. perches. porches. preaches. purchase.
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