Introduction
William Wordsworth never lost his childhood delight in a rainbow: it was a kind of legacy from his youth to his maturity, from the time when (in his belief) the soul remembers the God who made it more clearly.
MY heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is the father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
Précis
Wordsworth reflects that the sight of a rainbow gives him a joy as fresh as the first time he ever saw one, as a child; he adds that the sense of religious awe before Nature which he felt as a child has been handed down to his older self, and is something he would wish to feel unceasingly. (58 / 60 words)
Wordsworth reflects that the sight of a rainbow gives him a joy as fresh as the first time he ever saw one, as a child; he adds that the sense of religious awe before Nature which he felt as a child has been handed down to his older self, and is something he would wish to feel unceasingly.
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: because, just, must, or, otherwise, since, until, whereas.
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 Each. Man. So.
2 Bind. Piety. Sky.
3 Behold. Could. Die.
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 Begin. 2 Let. 3 Man. 4 Wish.
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.
lr (8+1)
lair. leer. liar. lire. lore. lour. lure. oilier.
lira.
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