Introduction
Arthur Wellesley (not yet the Duke of Wellington) spent the years 1797 to 1804 in India, confronting the Maratha Empire that threatened Indian princes and the British alike. Wisely, he learnt to make war as the Maratha did, and acquired a proper respect for the elephant.
NEVER saw but one royal tiger wild. Never at a tiger hunt.
Elephants used always in war, for conveyance of stores or artillery. I had once occasion to send my men through a river upon some. A drunken soldier fell off, and was carried down by the torrent till he scrambled up a rock in the middle of the stream.
I sent the elephant after him, and with large strides he obeyed his driver. When arrived, he could not get near the rock, and he stiffened his tail to serve as a plank. The man was too drunk to avail himself of it, and the elephant seized him with his trunk, and, notwithstanding the resistance he made, and the many cuffs he gave that sensitive part, placed him on his back.
As told by Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington (1769-1852)
Précis
When the Duke of Wellington was serving in India, one of his soldiers managed to maroon himself on an island in the middle of a river. As the man was too drunk to clamber onto the elephant sent by Wellesley, the patient creature hoisted him up with his trunk and, ignoring his wild struggles, deposited him on his own back. (60 / 60 words)
When the Duke of Wellington was serving in India, one of his soldiers managed to maroon himself on an island in the middle of a river. As the man was too drunk to clamber onto the elephant sent by Wellesley, the patient creature hoisted him up with his trunk and, ignoring his wild struggles, deposited him on his own back.
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, because, despite, just, may, or, unless, whether.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
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 Large. Man. Sensitive.
2 Rock. Tail. Use.
3 Get. Saw. Wild.
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.)
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. Make. 2. River. 3. Till. 4. Drink. 5. Man. 6. Occasion. 7. Drunk. 8. Hunt. 9. Fall.
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.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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