Introduction
Lemuel Gulliver has been carried on a strange journey to unknown peoples and cultures, which has now brought him to Lilliput, where the people are barely six inches high.
I SHALL say but little at present of their learning, which, for many ages, has flourished in all its branches among them: but their manner of writing is very peculiar, being neither from the left to the right, like the Europeans, nor from the right to the left, like the Arabians, nor from up to down, like the Chinese, but aslant, from one corner of the paper to the other, like ladies in England.
They bury their dead with their heads directly downward, because they hold an opinion, that in eleven thousand moons* they are all to rise again; in which period the earth (which they conceive to be flat) will turn upside down, and by this means they shall, at their resurrection, be found ready standing on their feet.
That is, after 11,000 lunar months, or approximately 889 years.
Précis
Gulliver has travelled to Lilliput, where the tiny people have some very strange customs. Though far from ignorant, they write diagonally across the page, and they bury their dead head downwards, believing that on Judgment Day the earth will flip upside down, and thus they will rise from the dead standing on their feet. (54 / 60 words)
Gulliver has travelled to Lilliput, where the tiny people have some very strange customs. Though far from ignorant, they write diagonally across the page, and they bury their dead head downwards, believing that on Judgment Day the earth will flip upside down, and thus they will rise from the dead standing on their feet.
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: about, although, because, if, may, otherwise, whereas, whether.
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 Left. Mean. Paper.
2 Among. Eleven. Which.
3 Bury. But. Manner.
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.)
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 Dead. 2 Peculiar. 3 Least. 4 Mean. 5 Present. 6 Right. 7 Left. 8 Direct. 9 Ready.
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).
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding -less.
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.
nst (5)
inset. nauseate. nest. onset. unseat.
