Introduction
Below is a brief overview of the Kings of England from the Interregnum in 1649, when for eleven years England was a republic, to Queen Anne in 1702, the last of the Stuarts and the first ruler of Great Britain.
OLIVER Cromwell proved no better than the King he had murdered in a military coup, dismissing his Parliament and forcing his religion (a joyless Swiss Protestantism) onto the people. He crushed opposition in Ireland with breathtaking barbarity.
After Cromwell’s death in 1659, Parliament recalled Charles II from exile in France.* He returned to cheering crowds in 1660, and was succeeded in 1685 by his brother, James II. However, James, who had become a Roman Catholic in France, had his father’s aversion to sharing power with Parliament.
In 1688, a constitutional crisis was resolved in the so-called ‘Glorious Revolution’, when Parliament exiled James and invited his Protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange, to take his place as William III and Mary II.
To ensure no repeat, the Act of Settlement in 1701 disbarred Catholics from the throne, so after William’s death in 1702 (Mary having predeceased him), he was succeeded not by James’s Catholic son, James Stuart, but by Mary’s Protestant sister, Anne.
The period from 1649 to 1660 is referred to as the Interregnum, since there was no government by King or Queen, even though on Charles’s death in 1649 his son Charles II automatically became King. A ‘Commonwealth of England’ was declared in 1649, to be replaced in 1653 by the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. Richard Cromwell succeeded his father in 1659, but Charles II was restored by Parliament in 1660.
Précis
England’s eleven-year republic ended in 1660, when Parliament begged Charles II to return. But his brother James II, a Catholic, declared power-sharing with Parliament unacceptable, and was banished to France in 1688. James’s daughter Mary and her husband William were followed on the throne by Mary’s sister Anne, and all Catholics (including James’s son) were disqualified in 1701. (58 / 60 words)
England’s eleven-year republic ended in 1660, when Parliament begged Charles II to return. But his brother James II, a Catholic, declared power-sharing with Parliament unacceptable, and was banished to France in 1688. James’s daughter Mary and her husband William were followed on the throne by Mary’s sister Anne, and all Catholics (including James’s son) were disqualified in 1701.
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: although, despite, just, may, 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 Power. Prove. Recall.
2 Cheer. Disbar. People.
3 Become. Death. Sister.
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.)
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.
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Good. 2 Orange. 3 Aversion. 4 Proven. 5 Powerful. 6 Joyful. 7 Glorious. 8 Cheerful. 9 Powerless.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
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.
ss (9+2)
ass. eases. issue. oases. oasis. seas. sees. sues. uses.
sis. souse.
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