YET instead of capitalising on Edward’s diplomacy, his grandson and successor Richard II weakly agreed a truce in 1396.* Richard’s cousin Henry IV maintained it, but Henry’s son Henry V broke it, goaded by the Dauphin, son of the mentally ill Charles VI, into a battle and famous victory at Agincourt on October 25th, 1415.* Charles gave Henry his daughter Catherine in marriage, and named him heir in the Dauphin’s place.
Most unexpectedly, however, Henry died before his father-in-law, and in 1422 the disappointed Dauphin became Charles VII of France after all. Moreover, Henry’s son Henry VI was nothing like his warrior father; Normandy was lost at the battle of Formigny in 1450, and Gascony — all that remained of Aquitaine — at Castillon in 1453.
After such failures the overtaxed people of England would no longer support the costly campaign.* The English monarchs kept Calais until 1558, and invoked the title of King of France as late as 1802, but the Hundred Years’ War was over.
Edward III’s son Edward the Black Prince, who had struck such fear into the French at Crécy and at Poitiers, died in 1376, a year before his father. Richard II was his son.
See Jack Cade’s Revolt, July 1450.
Précis
Edward III’s successors squandered the advantage he had gained in protecting the Crown’s French lands. Richard II preferred a truce; Henry V’s victory at Agincourt saw him named heir to the French throne, but an untimely death handed the initiative back to his rival Charles VII, and in 1453 Henry VI lost everything except Calais, ending the Hundred Years’ War. (60 / 60 words)
Edward III’s successors squandered the advantage he had gained in protecting the Crown’s French lands. Richard II preferred a truce; Henry V’s victory at Agincourt saw him named heir to the French throne, but an untimely death handed the initiative back to his rival Charles VII, and in 1453 Henry VI lost everything except Calais, ending the Hundred Years’ War.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, just, otherwise, 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.
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 Defeat. Person. Son.
2 Dauphin. True. Year.
3 Claim. Moreover. Press.
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.)
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
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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