Introduction
The historian Bede (c.672-735) was a monk at Jarrow, a short distance up the River Tyne from Tynemouth in North East England. It was at Jarrow that Bede heard this story, as told by one of those who had seen it a few years earlier.
THE monks of Tynemouth ventured out into the sea in five little boats, so they could pilot some ships, laden with building materials for the monastery, into the river.
At that moment, a sharp wind whipped up, and drove the helpless monks out into the North Sea, like so many seabirds bobbing up and down on the swell.
A small knot of spectators gathered, but all they could do was jeer that it served the monks right, for showing no respect to the kingdom’s pagan past.
Cuthbert, who was only a young lad, scolded them, but they would not offer one prayer for the monks. So he did it himself.
In that moment, the wind shifted round, and drove the little boats back to land. The crowd changed their tune after that; indeed, one of them would delight in retelling the tale to anyone who would listen, including the monks at Jarrow.
Précis
The monks of Tynemouth in the 7th century were adrift on the North Sea. The pagans on shore did nothing to help them, despite Cuthbert’s pleas, so he fell to the ground and prayed. The wind immediately changed direction and blew the monks to safety, and several of the pagans were converted. (52 / 60 words)
The monks of Tynemouth in the 7th century were adrift on the North Sea. The pagans on shore did nothing to help them, despite Cuthbert’s pleas, so he fell to the ground and prayed. The wind immediately changed direction and blew the monks to safety, and several of the pagans were converted.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, if, just, otherwise, ought, until, 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.
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 Build. Pagan. Past.
2 Back. Like. Respect.
3 Serve. Sharp. Showing.
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.)
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Tune. 2. Young. 3. Moment. 4. Tale. 5. Past. 6. Help. 7. Serve. 8. Respect. 9. Back.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
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.
sl (11+3)
aisle. easel. isle. sail. sale. seal. soil. sole. solo. soul. usual.
silo. sloe. sol.
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