JANE’S father and brothers had already tried and failed to get her work published. With Mrs Austen now a widow, the family renewed their efforts, and in 1811 success came with ‘Sense and Sensibility’.
It was quickly followed by the enduringly popular ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and Jane won a loyal fan-base that included the Prince Regent.
Jane herself never married. Her life revolved around her music – she was a keen pianist – and managing her house in the Hampshire village of Chawton, which she shared with her mother, her sister Cassandra, and Martha Lloyd, a widow and family friend.
And of course there was her writing.
By 1816, Jane’s brothers in the Navy and her stay in Bath had supplied her with sufficient material to embark on her sixth published novel, ‘Persuasion’.
But it was to be her last. Her health began to deteriorate, and a specialist in Winchester was unable to help her. Jane died there on 18th July, 1817, aged forty-one.
Précis
To support herself, her sister and their widowed mother, Jane turned to her writing as a source of income. From 1811, a series of six novels was published including the evergreen ‘Pride and Prejudice’. However, in 1816 Jane’s health began to fail, and the following year she died at the home of a Winchester specialist, aged 41. (57 / 60 words)
To support herself, her sister and their widowed mother, Jane turned to her writing as a source of income. From 1811, a series of six novels was published including the evergreen ‘Pride and Prejudice’. However, in 1816 Jane’s health began to fail, and the following year she died at the home of a Winchester specialist, aged 41.
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, besides, just, or, since, until, whether, who.
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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 Bank. Fan. Share.
2 Friend. Material. Relative.
3 Help. Rise. Wary.
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 ()
