Lenka
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 3, 2004
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
Here is my „essay“ for English – we have to write about a book we read. Please, can you correct the mistakes?
And could you also tell me something what I could write about Buckingham Palace? I don’t know what to write about it. I will be very glad if you write only one or two easy sentences about it.
And if you know something more about World War Two, you can also tell me. I hope you will help me!
And, I aslo don’t know the date of Queen Mother’s death. Do you know it? Help!!! Please, I need it on Tuesday!
The Royal Family
Author: Cherry Gilchrist
Publisher: Penguin Readers
3 Pre-Intermediate (1200 words)
Contemporary
British English
Cherry Gilchrist was born in 1949, and lives in Bristol, England. She has written more than twenty books, some for children. She also sells Russian art, and visits Russia often. She likes to travel, and to visit old cities and interesting countries.
This book is whole about British royal family. It doesn’t speak only about present royal generation, but it speaks about whole royal family.
The books starts with explaining what does royal family mean for British. Then it speaks about Diana’s funeral (however Diana is also mentioned later). A little later it also describes times of World War Two and its dangerous to whole royla family and of course to all british people too.
But this was only something like introduction – the real book starts at the chapter 2 that is called “Our modern Royal Family“. This chapter pays attention to the roots of this family. It tells us about King George V and his wife Mary of Teck, who had to children – both boys. The older was King Edward VIII (later Duke of Windsor), and the younger was Albert. Albert (often called only Bertie) didn’t like his name, so he changed it – he named himself as George (King George VI). However Edward was older, just George became king. It was because of people didn’t want Edward to be their king – he enjoyed women, drank a lot, spent money and didn’t think about other people or his duties to the country. He also wanted to marry Wallis, who was divorced two times, which the royal family and all british people didn’t accept. Year 1936 (the year when King George V, father of Edward and Albert (George), died) was called "The Year of the Three Kings" – it was because of this year there were three rulers in United Kingdom – King George V, after his death Edward, whose wife people didn’t want to become queen, so after Edward there was his younger brother George VI at last.
King George married Lady Elizabeth bowes – Lyon (Queen Mother). They had two daughters – Elizabeth (older) and Margaret. People loved both of them very much. These girls were very famous. Elizabeth was crowned in Westminster Abbey, on 2nd June 1953. Here, she also got married with Philip in November 1947.
Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II, married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Queen has two birthdays – her real one, on 21st April, and an official one in June. On this day, the Queen goes to a ceremony called “the trooping of the colour”.
“Maundy money” – special money that the Queen gives to older people who have done good work. This Christian tradition happens in a different church each year on the Thursday before Easter Sunday.
State Opening of Prliament – it is ussually in october or November. In Parliament, Elizabeth reads the Queen’s Speech. This discusses the government’s work for the next year. Special royal guards search Parliament. This tradition began in 1605, after a man called Guy Fawkes tried to destroy Parliament with a kind of home-made bomb.
Once a week, the Queen meets the Prime Minister privately. They discuss government business and important things that are happening in the country.
The Queen and the royal family often travel abroad as guests of other countries. The Queen has visited a very large number of countries, including every country in the British Commonwealth. The Queen also goes to parties. About 8,000 guests come to each party.
They (Philip and Elizabeth) have had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward.
When Charles was a boy, he studied first at Cheam School, later he was sent to Gordonstoun School in Scotland, his father’s old school. After some time here he spent a happy time from Gordonstoun (he didn’t like Gordonsoun) at Australian school, Timbertop. He liked the country and the people. After he came home, he took final examinations at Gordonsoun and then went to Cambridge University. Some sstudents and british people were angry because Charles didn’t do well in his examinations – an ordinary boy couldn’t go to Cambridge with those results.
In 1969 he became Prince of Wales. On 29th July 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer
Anne studied at Benenden in Kent. She liked it there and she was friendly, so everyone also liked her. Later, Princess Anne became a succesful horse-rider, won cups at many important shows. She was even chosen to ride in the Olympic Games in 1976. But not only Anne loved horses – whole royal family liked them and still loves riding them. Anne aslo began to help a charity which offers horse-riding to children with special problems. In 1973 she married Mark Phillips, another rider. Anne married again in December 1992, with Timothy Laurence. They had a quite wedding.
Andrew went into the navy like his father. He was handsome young man and he quickly became interested in girls. Once he was even very friendly with a woman who acte in sex films. In 1986 Prince andrew married Sarah Ferguson (“Fergie”)
Edward, like Charles, went to Cambridge University, and studied history. He also tried the life of soldier, but he didn’t like it.
Then, this books speaks for example about what Queen has to do everyday, how her ordinary day looks and so on. There is very good described how Margaret and her sister Elizabeth, Edward and his brother George lived their childhood. By the way I think it wasn’t just easy for them to live in a royal family – they didn’t know the world around them at all, the people, their parent couldn’t look after them all the day (mostly they could see them only once a day, in the evening) – they had their own servants and nurses.
1992 was a very bad year for the royal family. The Queen called it her “annus horribilis”
- Latin for a “terrible year”
During 1992 the marriages of Charles and Diana and of Andrew and “Fergie” both ended.
Also, at the end of 1992, in November, there was a great fire started in Windsor Castle, royal family’s favourite home.
1997 was a year of Diana’s death. Before this she was married with Charles. They didn’t love each other so much. Royal family wanted her to do things she never did and she didn’t know them. She had bulimy. Just before she died her life was going to be better and nicer – she had a lover Dodi al Fayed, and she perhaps even wanted to marry him. She also had two nice sons (William and Harry), whom she loved very much. Everyone also liked her, not only because she helped a charity. Diana’s body lies on an island at her old family home, Althorp Park. Each year for a short time this is open to visitors.
Notes:
Windsor - name of royla family. They changed it in 1917, during the First World War with Germany. Their family names at the time were German, and it was better to have an english one. So George chose the name „Windsor“. Windsor Castle is one of the palaces where the royal family often styas.
Britannia = royal ship
My own opinion on this book: I think it is a very good book. It describes the lives of royal family very good. It contains plenty of interests. It was all very interesting – now I know what I hadn‘t known before. I must admit I am really very glad I have read it.
And could you also tell me something what I could write about Buckingham Palace? I don’t know what to write about it. I will be very glad if you write only one or two easy sentences about it.
And if you know something more about World War Two, you can also tell me. I hope you will help me!
And, I aslo don’t know the date of Queen Mother’s death. Do you know it? Help!!! Please, I need it on Tuesday!
The Royal Family
Author: Cherry Gilchrist
Publisher: Penguin Readers
3 Pre-Intermediate (1200 words)
Contemporary
British English
Cherry Gilchrist was born in 1949, and lives in Bristol, England. She has written more than twenty books, some for children. She also sells Russian art, and visits Russia often. She likes to travel, and to visit old cities and interesting countries.
This book is whole about British royal family. It doesn’t speak only about present royal generation, but it speaks about whole royal family.
The books starts with explaining what does royal family mean for British. Then it speaks about Diana’s funeral (however Diana is also mentioned later). A little later it also describes times of World War Two and its dangerous to whole royla family and of course to all british people too.
But this was only something like introduction – the real book starts at the chapter 2 that is called “Our modern Royal Family“. This chapter pays attention to the roots of this family. It tells us about King George V and his wife Mary of Teck, who had to children – both boys. The older was King Edward VIII (later Duke of Windsor), and the younger was Albert. Albert (often called only Bertie) didn’t like his name, so he changed it – he named himself as George (King George VI). However Edward was older, just George became king. It was because of people didn’t want Edward to be their king – he enjoyed women, drank a lot, spent money and didn’t think about other people or his duties to the country. He also wanted to marry Wallis, who was divorced two times, which the royal family and all british people didn’t accept. Year 1936 (the year when King George V, father of Edward and Albert (George), died) was called "The Year of the Three Kings" – it was because of this year there were three rulers in United Kingdom – King George V, after his death Edward, whose wife people didn’t want to become queen, so after Edward there was his younger brother George VI at last.
King George married Lady Elizabeth bowes – Lyon (Queen Mother). They had two daughters – Elizabeth (older) and Margaret. People loved both of them very much. These girls were very famous. Elizabeth was crowned in Westminster Abbey, on 2nd June 1953. Here, she also got married with Philip in November 1947.
Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II, married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Queen has two birthdays – her real one, on 21st April, and an official one in June. On this day, the Queen goes to a ceremony called “the trooping of the colour”.
“Maundy money” – special money that the Queen gives to older people who have done good work. This Christian tradition happens in a different church each year on the Thursday before Easter Sunday.
State Opening of Prliament – it is ussually in october or November. In Parliament, Elizabeth reads the Queen’s Speech. This discusses the government’s work for the next year. Special royal guards search Parliament. This tradition began in 1605, after a man called Guy Fawkes tried to destroy Parliament with a kind of home-made bomb.
Once a week, the Queen meets the Prime Minister privately. They discuss government business and important things that are happening in the country.
The Queen and the royal family often travel abroad as guests of other countries. The Queen has visited a very large number of countries, including every country in the British Commonwealth. The Queen also goes to parties. About 8,000 guests come to each party.
They (Philip and Elizabeth) have had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward.
When Charles was a boy, he studied first at Cheam School, later he was sent to Gordonstoun School in Scotland, his father’s old school. After some time here he spent a happy time from Gordonstoun (he didn’t like Gordonsoun) at Australian school, Timbertop. He liked the country and the people. After he came home, he took final examinations at Gordonsoun and then went to Cambridge University. Some sstudents and british people were angry because Charles didn’t do well in his examinations – an ordinary boy couldn’t go to Cambridge with those results.
In 1969 he became Prince of Wales. On 29th July 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer
Anne studied at Benenden in Kent. She liked it there and she was friendly, so everyone also liked her. Later, Princess Anne became a succesful horse-rider, won cups at many important shows. She was even chosen to ride in the Olympic Games in 1976. But not only Anne loved horses – whole royal family liked them and still loves riding them. Anne aslo began to help a charity which offers horse-riding to children with special problems. In 1973 she married Mark Phillips, another rider. Anne married again in December 1992, with Timothy Laurence. They had a quite wedding.
Andrew went into the navy like his father. He was handsome young man and he quickly became interested in girls. Once he was even very friendly with a woman who acte in sex films. In 1986 Prince andrew married Sarah Ferguson (“Fergie”)
Edward, like Charles, went to Cambridge University, and studied history. He also tried the life of soldier, but he didn’t like it.
Then, this books speaks for example about what Queen has to do everyday, how her ordinary day looks and so on. There is very good described how Margaret and her sister Elizabeth, Edward and his brother George lived their childhood. By the way I think it wasn’t just easy for them to live in a royal family – they didn’t know the world around them at all, the people, their parent couldn’t look after them all the day (mostly they could see them only once a day, in the evening) – they had their own servants and nurses.
1992 was a very bad year for the royal family. The Queen called it her “annus horribilis”
- Latin for a “terrible year”
During 1992 the marriages of Charles and Diana and of Andrew and “Fergie” both ended.
Also, at the end of 1992, in November, there was a great fire started in Windsor Castle, royal family’s favourite home.
1997 was a year of Diana’s death. Before this she was married with Charles. They didn’t love each other so much. Royal family wanted her to do things she never did and she didn’t know them. She had bulimy. Just before she died her life was going to be better and nicer – she had a lover Dodi al Fayed, and she perhaps even wanted to marry him. She also had two nice sons (William and Harry), whom she loved very much. Everyone also liked her, not only because she helped a charity. Diana’s body lies on an island at her old family home, Althorp Park. Each year for a short time this is open to visitors.
Notes:
Windsor - name of royla family. They changed it in 1917, during the First World War with Germany. Their family names at the time were German, and it was better to have an english one. So George chose the name „Windsor“. Windsor Castle is one of the palaces where the royal family often styas.
Britannia = royal ship
My own opinion on this book: I think it is a very good book. It describes the lives of royal family very good. It contains plenty of interests. It was all very interesting – now I know what I hadn‘t known before. I must admit I am really very glad I have read it.
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