Introduction
Thomas Wright (1789-1875) was a foreman in a Manchester iron foundry and a father of nineteen, who never earned above £3 10s a week in his life. But he helped hundreds of ex-convicts back into society, using his own money to indemnify their employers against any relapse.
“FIVE years ago I was” owns a certain G. J. “in the New Bailey, convicted of felony and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. When I was discharged from prison, I could get no employment. I went to my old employer to ask him to take me again.
“He said that I need not apply to him, for if he could get me transported he would; so I could get no work until I met with Mr Wright, who got me employed in a place where I remained some time, and have been in employment ever since.
“I am now engaged as a screw-cutter - a business I was obliged to learn - and am earning nineteen shillings and twopence a week. I have a wife and four children, and but for Mr Wright I should have been a lost man.”
19s 2d in 1852 is roughly equal to £93.88 per week or £4,880 per annum today. At 33d (2s 9d) per day, this is a little short of the average male wage for the time as calculated by Gregory Clark of the University of California, Davis, for Measuring Worth (.pdf file). Mr Wright’s wage as a foreman would be equivalent to around £15,000 a year now.
Précis
A former prisoner known only by his initials ‘G. J.’ recounted how Thomas Wright had helped him back into work when, following a spell of four months in jail, his old boss had angrily refused to take him back. He attributed his unblemished employment record since, and his happy family life, to Wright’s kindness. (54 / 60 words)
A former prisoner known only by his initials ‘G. J.’ recounted how Thomas Wright had helped him back into work when, following a spell of four months in jail, his old boss had angrily refused to take him back. He attributed his unblemished employment record since, and his happy family life, to Wright’s kindness.
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, because, besides, just, otherwise, unless, whereas, whether.
Archive
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, 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 Business. Discharge. Go.
2 Nineteen. Not. Oblige.
3 Have. Should. Time.
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 ()
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