RUTH’s fever passed, but when she asked after the kitchen cat, Nurse feigned ignorance. There was no cat, she assured the doctor, only a child’s fevered imagination playing tricks. So the cat stayed in the kitchen; but Ruth in her nursery grew listless, and her recovery faltered.
Nurse Smith brought Ruth’s father to the nursery to scold or jolly her out of it. Ruth, she told him, worries herself with ‘fancies’. But Ruth had every comfort, protested her father. What was there to worry about? Taking a deep breath, Ruth told him that she missed her best friend. Who? asked Mr Lorimer, bewildered. Her cousin? No! The kitchen cat. At once her father ordered the raggedy little creature to be found and brought in, and mortally offended Nurse by delegating the task to her.
Ruth soon recovered, but life in Gower Street had changed. For Mr Lorimer found he had lost interest in his books and dinner engagements. He now preferred to spend his evenings at home with Ruth - and of course, the kitchen cat.
Précis
After she got better from her fever, Ruth wanted to see the little kitchen cat, but Nurse Smith chose to put her talk of a cat down to lingering fever. But Ruth managed to get her father on her side, and soon the little cat brought Ruth and her father much closer together. (53 / 60 words)
After she got better from her fever, Ruth wanted to see the little kitchen cat, but Nurse Smith chose to put her talk of a cat down to lingering fever. But Ruth managed to get her father on her side, and soon the little cat brought Ruth and her father much closer together.
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, despite, just, must, or, until, whether, who.
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Word Games
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 Doll. Engagement. Falter.
2 But. Ignorance. Out.
3 Deep. Poor. Ramble.
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.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Down. 2. Pass. 3. Order. 4. Live. 5. Keep. 6. Cousin. 7. Well. 8. Book. 9. Play.
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Poor. 2 Missing. 3 Passing. 4 Endless. 5 Childish. 6 Short. 7 Highest. 8 Friendly. 9 High.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
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 ()
