ALL this, in effect, I think, but am not sure, I have said elsewhere. It cannot at this time be too often repeated; line upon line; precept upon precept; until it comes into the currency of a proverb, to innovate is not to reform. The French revolutionists complained of everything; they refused to reform anything; and they left nothing, no, nothing at all unchanged. The consequences are before us, — not in remote history; not in future prognostication: they are about us; they are upon us.
They shake the public security; they menace private enjoyment.* They dwarf the growth of the young; they break the quiet of the old. If we travel, they stop our way. They infest us in town; they pursue us to the country. Our business is interrupted; our repose is troubled; our pleasures are saddened; our very studies are poisoned and perverted, and knowledge is rendered worse than ignorance, by the enormous evils of this dreadful innovation.
* In 1793 members of the French National Convention, exhilarated by the assassination of Louis XVI and convinced of their moral superiority, had declared war on Great Britain, and were now eagerly spreading war through the Low Countries, Italy, Spain and Portugal as a progressivist crusade. European colonial policy was affected as far away as India, and at home the British Government was panicked into a clumsy clamp-down on pro-French sympathy. Travel and trade became increasingly difficult, fear and suspicion grew and many friendships were badly strained. It particularly hurt Burke because he was quite the Francophile. See The Cradle of Our Race.
Précis
Burke said that he hoped it would one day be proverbial, that to innovate is not to reform: the French, he said, he been given the opportunity to reform their State but had chosen innovation instead, pursuing it with a relentless determination which no one young or old, in town or country, at home or abroad, was able to escape. (60 / 60 words)
Burke said that he hoped it would one day be proverbial, that to innovate is not to reform: the French, he said, he been given the opportunity to reform their State but had chosen innovation instead, pursuing it with a relentless determination which no one young or old, in town or country, at home or abroad, was able to escape.
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, besides, despite, must, otherwise, unless, whereas.
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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 Than. Town. Young.
2 Application. Complain. Essential.
3 Dreadful. Operate. Undergo.
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 Time. 2 Fail. 3 Complain. 4 Trouble. 5 Change. 6 Refuse. 7 Design. 8 Pursue. 9 Line.
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
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.
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.
wry (5)
awry. wary. weary. wiry. wry.
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