Introduction
In this Aesop’s Fable, a gloating fir tree and a prickly (in every sense) bramble bush get themselves into a silly argument, which ends with a sobering reminder for the fir.
IN the heat of a quarrel with a bramble bush, a fir tree began singing her own praises. “Shapely is what I am, and tall in perfect proportion; straight up I go, and the very clouds are my neighbours. Yet I am also the joist of the roof, and the keel of the ship. How, prickle-bush, can you compare with such a tree?”
“Take comfort in remembering that” the bramble retorted “when they come to fell you with axe and saw. How you will wish then that you were a bramble!”
And the moral of that is, that a celebrity has more glory than lesser lights, but must also run more risks.
Précis
During a heated argument with a bramble, a fir tree enumerated all the ways in which she was superior, in beauty and in usefulness to man. The bramble however simply reminded her that to be useful in house or ship building it was first necessary to be felled — something the bramble did not have to worry about. (57 / 60 words)
During a heated argument with a bramble, a fir tree enumerated all the ways in which she was superior, in beauty and in usefulness to man. The bramble however simply reminded her that to be useful in house or ship building it was first necessary to be felled — something the bramble did not have to worry about.
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: because, despite, just, must, since, whereas, whether, 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 Axe. Glory. Such.
2 I. Fall. My.
3 Come. Fir. Praise.
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.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Roof. 2 Comfort. 3 Fall. 4 Wish. 5 Ship. 6 Run. 7 Light. 8 Risk. 9 Heat.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
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. Run. 2. Ship. 3. Cloud. 4. Light. 5. Roof. 6. Tree. 7. Wish. 8. Fall. 9. Will.
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.
rg (9+1)
argue. ergo. rag. rage. rig. rogue. rouge. rug. urge.
raga.
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