Minis
Mini Copy Book

Each post in this section is a short précis (summary) of a passage in The Copy Book. All of them are in modern English. They are intended for students of English as a Foreign Language at Elementary Level.

Extracts from Literature

Inquire Within

Philosopher and social activist John Stuart Mill discusses the most liberating kind of education.

Length: 54 words

Stuart Era

Charles I and his Parliament

Charles took his rights and duties as a King with religious seriousness, but Parliament’s sense of both right and duty was just as strong.

Length: 115 words

Stuart Era

Interregnum

When Parliament overthrew the capricious tyranny of Charles I, it discovered an uncomfortable truth about power.

Length: 120 words

Greek History

The United States of the Ionian Islands

The British liberated the Ionian islands from Napoleon, then gave them fifty happy years and the game of cricket.

Length: 58 words

Norman Era

The Battle of the Standard

Scottish King David I hoped to exploit the unpopularity of the Normans by trading on his own English heritage.

Length: 106 words

On This Day The execution of Captain Charles Fryatt

Captain Charles Fryatt

A civilian ferry captain was court-martialled by the Germans for thumbing his nose at their U-Boats.

Length: 57 words