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Exercises

Exercises are based on textbooks given to pupils in English schools from the 1920s to the 1960s.

There are thirty-five posts tagged Exercises in Think and Speak.

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7

Apple of My Eye

See if you can imagine an appropriate situation for these phrases, all taken from the English Bible published in 1611 and all still used in everyday speech.

Picture: © Acabashi, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.. Source.

8

Truly, Madly

Words ending in -ly are often adverbs, but it’s a dangerous rule to follow: see if you can do better.

Picture: © Martin Richard Phelan, Geograph. CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

9

Statements, Questions and Commands

Choose a word from our list, and then use it in any one of the three basic types of sentence — if possible.

Picture: Photo by Preston Keres, USDA. Public domain.. Source.

10

Pen Portraits

Develop your vocabulary and exercise your imagination by conjuring up a mermaid on the shore, or a train waiting at the station.

Picture: By John Singer Sargent (1856–1925), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

11

Show, Don’t Tell

Find a way to let people know what is happening without actually saying it.

Picture: © Neil Kennedy, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

12

Transports of Delight

Compose sentences about each of these modes of transport, picturing the vehicle, any goods or passengers, and how it all moves.

Picture: By Viktor Vasnetsov (1848–1926). Public domain.. Source.

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★ The Knight’s Tale Two noble youths of ancient Thebes fall for the same princess.

For Today • April 17 • The first reading of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

In This Sign Conquer Bishop Eusebius recalls what Constantine told him about the vision that brought him the crown.

Posted February 26 • The Copy Book

Phrases Use phrases such as ‘to the town’ in sentences, with nouns or with verbs.

Posted February 26

The Marks of a Tyrant Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle explains what it is that defines a tyranny.

Posted February 25 • The Copy Book

Keep It Short Plutarch argues that it when it comes to strong speech, less is always more.

Posted February 24 • The Copy Book

Anagrams Shuffle the letters of each of these words to make new ones. See if you can match the number indicated.

Posted February 23 • Think and Speak

Polyword: Mere Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted February 21 • Think and Speak

Go to the Ant Solomon recommends taking lessons from one of God’s smallest but most hard-working creatures.

Posted February 20 • The Copy Book

Chariots of Steam Erasmus Darwin imagines how steam power will change the world.

Posted February 16 • The Copy Book

Music Video Modest Mussorgsky: Sorochinsky Fair: Gopak

Posted February 16

Fragments Develop these short phrases into complete sentences.

Posted February 15 • Think and Speak

The Moral Case for Family Farms Richard Cobden called on Parliament to support small, family-owned farms.

Posted February 14 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha Takes a Photograph Lewis Carroll records a suburban photoshoot in the style of Longfellow.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Nouns of Number William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha’s Inspiration Henry Longfellow tells us how his tale of a heroic Native American warrior came to him.

Posted February 12 • The Copy Book

Near Synonyms These words have very similar meaning but they are not the same — can you show the difference?

Posted February 12

Music Video Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha: And They Said Farewell Forever

Posted February 12

Music Video Leroy Anderson: Irish Suite: II. The Minstrel Boy

Posted February 11

The Travellers and the Axe Two men find an axe, and then find some trouble, but they aren’t keen on sharing either of them.

Posted February 11 • The Copy Book

Train

Posted February 9 • Think and Speak

The Prophecy of Peter of Pomfret Peter foretold that King John would cease to be England’s sovereign, and he was right, though John still wore his crown.

Posted February 9 • The Copy Book