Introduction
The House of Wessex consolidated its rule in 10th-century England, until Ethelred ‘the Unready’ came to the throne in 978. Thereafter, the kingdom was weakened by corruption and intrigue at court, and in 1013 the Danish King Sweyn took the English crown...
ETHELRED ‘the Unready’ forfeited his crown to the Danish king Sweyn in 1013.* He briefly recovered it a year later for his son Edmund to inherit, but despite earning the name ‘Ironside’ in his resistance, Edmund lost out in 1016 to Canute, Sweyn’s son.
From 1035, Harold ‘Harefoot’ and Hardicanute, Canute’s sons by his first wife, shared the kingdom, until Hardicanute became sole ruler in 1040. On his death two years later, the crown passed to Edward ‘the Confessor’, Canute’s son by his second wife, Ethelred’s widow Emma. Edward arrived from Normandy, his mother’s home, and kept the kingdom steady.
Edward had no children, and in 1066, as he lay dying, he appointed Harold Godwinson, his brother-in-law, as his heir. But William, Duke of Normandy and Edward’s cousin once removed, claimed the same promise had already been made to him.* William invaded England, and at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October, 1066, Harold was killed. William of Normandy became King of England.
‘Unready’ here does not mean ‘ill-prepared’, but ‘badly advised’, being a corruption of the Old English word unrede, ‘no-counsel’. It was a play on his Christian name, Ethelred, ‘wise-counsel’.
William’s grandfather, Richard II, Duke of Normandy, was the brother of Emma of Normandy, Edward’s mother.
Précis
Sweyn of Denmark’s son Canute married Ethelred’s widow Emma of Normandy, and their son Edward the Confessor steadied the kingdom after the upheavals of his father’s conquest. However, his death without issue in 1066 threw England into confusion, as his brother-in-law Harold and cousin William of Normandy fought over the crown, with William emerging the victor at Hastings. (58 / 60 words)
Sweyn of Denmark’s son Canute married Ethelred’s widow Emma of Normandy, and their son Edward the Confessor steadied the kingdom after the upheavals of his father’s conquest. However, his death without issue in 1066 threw England into confusion, as his brother-in-law Harold and cousin William of Normandy fought over the crown, with William emerging the victor at Hastings.
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: despite, just, may, must, not, or, otherwise, who.
Archive
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 Brief. Wife. Year.
2 Despite. Die. Resistance.
3 Already. Appoint. No.
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 Appoint. 2 Lie. 3 Earn. 4 Share. 5 Promise. 6 Claim. 7 Make. 8 Become. 9 Keep.
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
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
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.
shrs (5+2)
shares. shears. sheers. shores. ushers.
seahorse. shires.
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