👑 Elizabeth I, Gerunds, Infinitives & Slang

🌟 Exercise 1. Opening Discussion

📝 Task

Choose one of the possible answers or give your own answer. Explain your choice and add one extra detail.

😊 1. How have you been feeling lately?

💬 Possible answers

🌿 Lately, I’ve been feeling quite refreshed because I’ve finally had some time to recharge.
😩 To be honest, I’ve felt rather drained because several things have piled up at the same time.
🤯 At the moment, I feel a little overwhelmed, although I’m trying to keep my composure.
✨ Overall, I’ve been feeling uplifted because I have something interesting to look forward to.
🔥 For some reason, I’ve been rather restless lately and finding it difficult to slow down.
🧘 These days, I feel quite relaxed and at ease because my routine has become calmer.
🤔 I would describe myself as thoughtful and slightly pensive because I’ve had a lot on my mind.

⏳ 2. If you could spend one day in Elizabethan England, what would you most like to experience?

💬 Possible answers

🎭 If I had the chance, I would watch a play in an Elizabethan theatre because I’d like to see how different it was from modern theatre.
👑 Personally, I would rather visit the royal court and observe how Elizabeth and her advisers behaved.
🎵 I think I would choose music and dancing because I’m curious about entertainment at court.
👗 What would interest me most is Elizabethan fashion, especially the elaborate clothes worn by wealthy people.
🏙️ I’d probably walk around London because everyday life seems more interesting to me than royal ceremonies.
🍽️ One thing I’d really like to discover is what ordinary people ate and how different their daily habits were from ours.
⚓ If I could choose freely, I’d visit the harbour and watch English ships preparing for long voyages.

👸 3. If you could ask Elizabeth I one question, what would you ask her?

💬 Possible answers

💍 I would ask why she refused to marry despite enormous political pressure.
👑 I’d be curious to know what she found most difficult about ruling England.
⚔️ The question I would probably ask is how she really felt when the Spanish Armada approached England.
🧠 What I would most like to know is how she decided which advisers she could trust.
⛪ I’d ask whether she believed that her religious policy really managed to appease both sides.
🎭 I would like to know how important theatre, music and art were to her personally.
🌍 I might ask whether she truly believed that the welfare of the country had to come before her private life.

🎬 Exercise 2. Reading & Watching — Elizabeth I

📝 Task

First, read and revise the vocabulary below. These expressions will help you understand both the reading sentences and the video. Then read the sentences aloud and translate them into Belarusian. Finally, watch the video and discuss it.

🔤 Vocabulary Revision

👶 to be born in Greenwich — нарадзіцца ў Грынвічы
👨‍👩‍👧 to be the daughter of Henry VIII — быць дачкой Генрыха VIII
⚖️ to be executed for adultery — быць пакаранай смерцю за шлюбную здраду
📚 to be highly educated — мець вельмі добрую адукацыю, быць вельмі адукаванай
🗣️ to speak several languages fluently — свабодна размаўляць на некалькіх мовах
👑 to become king / queen — стаць каралём / каралевай
🏰 to imprison somebody in the Tower of London — зняволіць кагосьці ў Лонданскім Таўэры
🪑 a successor to the throne — пераемнік / пераемніца трона
👶 an heir to the throne — спадкаемец / спадкаемніца трона
🌹 the Tudor dynasty — дынастыя Цюдараў
⛪ to return England to Protestantism — вярнуць Англію да пратэстантызму
✝️ the Church of England — Англіканская царква
🤝 to appease both sides — супакоіць / задаволіць абодва бакі
🏛️ the Privy Council — Таемная рада
🧠 an experienced and trustworthy adviser — дасведчаны і надзейны дарадца
🔎 to gather intelligence — збіраць разведвальную інфармацыю
❤️ a romantic interest — рамантычная зацікаўленасць, магчымы каханы
💍 to decline marriage — адмовіцца ад шлюбу
🌍 the welfare of the country — дабрабыт краіны
🕰️ during Elizabeth’s reign — падчас праўлення Лізаветы
✨ a golden age — залаты век
💰 trade expanded rapidly — гандаль хутка пашыраўся
🧭 to circumnavigate the Earth — здзейсніць кругасветнае падарожжа
🏘️ to establish a colony — заснаваць калонію
🎭 the arts flourished — мастацтва квітнела
⚠️ a threat to the throne — пагроза трону
🕵️ a conspiracy to overthrow the Queen — змова з мэтай зрынуць каралеву
⚖️ to be tried for treason — быць аддадзеным пад суд за дзяржаўную здраду
⚔️ to launch an invasion of England — пачаць уварванне ў Англію
🚢 the Spanish Armada — Іспанская армада
🛡️ to defeat the invading Armada — разграміць флот, які ўварваўся ў краіну
👑 to succeed somebody to the throne — змяніць кагосьці на троне
📜 the Tudor dynasty came to an end — дынастыя Цюдараў спынілася

🔄 Useful Vocabulary from Previous Lessons

🧘 to keep one’s composure — захоўваць самавалоданне
🌿 to come across something — выпадкова напаткаць нешта
🎯 to live up to expectations — апраўдаць чаканні
🤯 to feel overwhelmed — адчуваць сябе перагружаным
😮‍💨 to feel relieved — адчуваць палёгку
😌 to feel at ease — адчуваць сябе спакойна
🧠 to jump to conclusions — рабіць паспешлівыя высновы
🔍 to clarify something — удакладніць нешта
🛡️ to defend a kingdom — абараняць каралеўства
📚 to remember key historical facts — запомніць асноўныя гістарычныя факты

📖 Reading & Translating

📝 Task

Read each sentence aloud and translate it into Belarusian. Pay special attention to the vocabulary above.

🎂 Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich on 7 September 1533.
👨‍👩‍👧 She was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
⚖️ Elizabeth was only a small child when her mother was executed.
📚 Catherine Parr made sure that Elizabeth was highly educated and could speak several languages fluently.
👑 After Henry VIII died, Elizabeth’s half-brother Edward became King of England.
⛪ After Edward’s death, Elizabeth’s half-sister Mary became queen and tried to return England to Catholicism.
🏰 Because Elizabeth was Protestant and could become a threat to Mary, she was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
👸 Mary died in 1558, and Elizabeth became her successor to the throne at the age of twenty-five.
✝️ Elizabeth returned England to Protestantism and continued developing the Church of England.
🤝 At the same time, she kept some Catholic elements and tried to appease both sides.
🧠 Elizabeth surrounded herself with experienced and trustworthy advisers.
🔎 Sir Francis Walsingham was responsible for gathering intelligence and discovering possible conspiracies.
❤️ Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was very close to Elizabeth and may have been a romantic interest.
💍 Despite pressure from Parliament, Elizabeth declined marriage.
🌍 She said that the welfare of her country was her main priority.
✨ During Elizabeth’s reign, England experienced a period that later became known as a golden age.
💰 Trade expanded rapidly and brought more wealth to the country.
🧭 Francis Drake became the first Englishman to successfully circumnavigate the Earth.
🏘️ Sir Walter Raleigh established an English colony in North America called Virginia.
🎭 Theatre, poetry and music flourished during the Elizabethan period.
🎭 William Shakespeare began his career during Elizabeth’s reign.
⚠️ Mary, Queen of Scots, was a Catholic and was considered a threat to Elizabeth’s throne.
🕵️ A conspiracy to overthrow Elizabeth was uncovered after years of surveillance.
⚖️ Mary was tried for treason and executed in 1587.
⚔️ After Mary’s execution, Philip II of Spain launched an invasion of England.
🚢 Spain sent a large fleet known as the Spanish Armada.
🗣️ Before the battle, Elizabeth made a famous speech to English soldiers at Tilbury.
🧘 Even in a dangerous situation, Elizabeth tried to keep her composure and present herself as a strong ruler.
🛡️ The English navy, helped by bad weather, defeated the invading Armada in 1588.
👑 Elizabeth died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603.
📜 Because she had no Tudor heir, the Tudor dynasty came to an end.
👑 James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, succeeded Elizabeth to the English throne.

🎥 Watch the Video

Elizabeth I — Simple History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfgeLdXA87I

💬 After Watching

📝 Task

Answer the questions in full sentences. Try to use the vocabulary from the reading and the video.

👑 1. Which event from Elizabeth’s life do you think had the greatest influence on her reign?

💬 Possible answers

⛪ I think her religious policy was especially important because she had to deal with serious divisions between Catholics and Protestants.
💍 In my view, her decision to decline marriage had a huge influence on her reign because England never received a direct Tudor heir.
⚔️ For me, the defeat of the Spanish Armada was probably the most important event because it strengthened Elizabeth’s position as a ruler.
🧠 I would focus on her choice of trustworthy advisers because she depended on them when dealing with difficult political problems.
🕵️ What seems especially important to me is the conflict with Mary, Queen of Scots, because Mary represented a constant threat to the throne.

⚔️ 2. Why do you think the defeat of the Spanish Armada became such an important part of Elizabeth’s image?

💬 Possible answers

🛡️ I think it made Elizabeth look like a strong ruler who had successfully defended her kingdom.
😮‍💨 From the point of view of ordinary English people, the victory must have brought enormous relief after the threat of invasion.
👑 What probably mattered most was that Elizabeth could present herself as a monarch who had protected England in a moment of danger.
🌍 I would say that the victory also strengthened England’s position in Europe and increased its confidence.
🗣️ To me, her speech at Tilbury is important because it helped create the image of a queen who could keep her composure under pressure.

🤔 3. What fact from the video did you find the most interesting or surprising?

💬 Possible answers

💍 I was most surprised by how strongly Parliament expected Elizabeth to marry and produce an heir.
🔎 What interested me most was the role of Francis Walsingham and the amount of intelligence he gathered for the Queen.
🧭 I found Francis Drake’s journey especially interesting because he managed to circumnavigate the Earth.
❤️ I was curious about Elizabeth’s relationship with Robert Dudley because he may have been a romantic interest.
📜 The fact that the Tudor dynasty came to an end with Elizabeth’s death stood out to me most.

🧩 Exercise 3. Gerund, To-Infinitive & Bare Infinitive

📘 Quick Grammar Guide

Type	Important verb / structure	Pattern	Elizabethan example
🎯 to-infinitive	afford	afford to do	England could not afford to ignore the threat.
🚫 to-infinitive	refuse	refuse to do	Elizabeth refused to marry.
🎭 to-infinitive	pretend	pretend to do	A courtier pretended to agree.
🛑 gerund	avoid	avoid doing	Elizabeth tried to avoid creating conflict.
💡 gerund	suggest	suggest doing	An adviser suggested waiting.
🌿 gerund	feel like	feel like doing	I feel like learning more about the period.
🔓 bare infinitive	let + person	let someone do	Let me explain the situation.
⚡ bare infinitive	make + person	make someone do	The threat made England prepare for war.
☕ bare infinitive	would rather	would rather do	Elizabeth would rather remain unmarried.

🧠 Quick Memory Tip

afford · refuse · pretend → to + infinitive

avoid · suggest · feel like → gerund (-ing)

let · make · would rather → bare infinitive

🎯 Exercise 4. Gerund, To-Infinitive or Bare Infinitive?

📝 Task

Choose the correct form.

1. 👑 Elizabeth repeatedly refused __________ simply because Parliament expected her to.

marrying

marry

to marry

2. ⚔️ England could not afford __________ the possibility of a Spanish invasion.

ignoring

ignore

to ignore

3. 🧠 Elizabeth tried to avoid __________ unnecessary religious conflict.

creating

create

to create

4. 🤝 Some advisers suggested __________ a more cautious policy.

following

follow

to follow

5. 🎭 Elizabeth enjoyed __________ music, dancing and theatrical performances.

watching

watch

to watch

6. 🔍 Let me __________ one important point about her religious policy.

clarify

clarifying

to clarify

7. ⚔️ The threat of invasion made England __________ its defences.

strengthen

strengthening

to strengthen

8. 👑 Elizabeth would rather __________ her own authority than marry for political reasons.

protect

protecting

to protect

9. 🕵️ Walsingham could not afford __________ reports about possible conspiracies.

to ignore

ignoring

ignore

10. ⚖️ Mary, Queen of Scots, refused __________ responsibility for some of the accusations against her.

to accept

accepting

accept

11. 🎭 An actor at the royal court might pretend __________ an important historical figure.

to be

being

be

12. 📚 Historians should avoid __________ to conclusions when the evidence is incomplete.

jumping

jump

to jump

13. 🤔 After watching the video, I feel like __________ more about Elizabethan history.

reading

read

to read

14. ✨ The documentary made me __________ differently about royal power.

think

thinking

to think

15. 🏰 Elizabeth sometimes let acting companies __________ at the royal court.

perform

performing

to perform

16. 💬 If I lived in Elizabethan England, I would rather __________ a theatre than spend the whole day at court.

visit

visiting

to visit

17. 🧭 An explorer could not afford __________ badly prepared before a dangerous sea journey.

to be

being

be

18. 💡 If I were Elizabeth’s adviser, I might suggest __________ more information before making a final decision.

gathering

gather

to gather

🗣️ Exercise 5. Slang & Idioms — Elizabethan Edition

📝 Task

Read the sentences aloud. Explain the meaning of the expression in bold or translate it into Belarusian.

🤫 I low-key think Elizabeth refusing to marry is one of the most interesting parts of her biography.
🧢 No cap, ruling England during so many religious and political conflicts must have been incredibly difficult.
🎭 Shakespeare probably hits different when you watch his plays in a theatre similar to an Elizabethan one.
📚 If you want to understand the Tudor family tree, you really need to lock in.
🥱 After dealing with Parliament, foreign threats and conspiracies all day, any monarch would probably be completely cooked.
😅 If a royal messenger delivered the wrong letter to the Spanish ambassador, saying “My bad!” would probably not help very much.
🦅 Studying Elizabethan history in English allows us to kill two birds with one stone: we learn history and practise English.
🧊 Music, dancing or a funny performance at court could sometimes help important visitors break the ice.
🌙 After discussing politics for several hours, even the Privy Council probably wanted to call it a day.
🎯 If someone says Elizabeth’s refusal to marry helped her protect her political independence, they may have hit the nail on the head.
🍰 Remembering that Elizabeth ruled from 1558 to 1603 may be a piece of cake, but remembering every conspiracy is not.
📖 Before discussing Mary, Queen of Scots, we need to make sure that we are on the same page.
🧠 Tudor family relationships may seem confusing at first, but eventually you get the hang of them.

📝 Exercise 6. Slang & Idioms Revision

📝 Task

Choose the expression that best completes each situation.

1. 📚 You need to concentrate seriously because you have a lot of historical information to remember.

lock in

break the ice

call it a day

2. 🎭 You visit an old theatre and realise that seeing it in person feels much more powerful than seeing it in a photograph.

It hits different.

It is a piece of cake.

I’m cooked.

3. 🥱 You have spent several hours studying the Tudors and have almost no energy left.

I’m cooked.

No cap.

I’m on the same page.

4. 🎯 Your classmate identifies exactly why Elizabeth’s marriage was such an important political question.

You hit the nail on the head.

You broke the ice.

You called it a day.

5. 🦅 You learn new English vocabulary while studying English history.

You kill two birds with one stone.

You get cooked.

You hit different.

6. 🤝 You and your classmate finally understand the historical situation in the same way.

We’re on the same page.

We’re low-key.

We’re locking it in.

7. 🧠 At first, the Tudor family tree seems impossible, but little by little you begin to understand it.

I’m getting the hang of it.

I’m calling it a day.

I’m breaking the ice.

🌙 Exercise 7. Final Discussion

📝 Task

Choose one possible answer or give your own. Add at least one extra detail and try to use vocabulary from today’s lesson.

👑 1. What part of Elizabeth I’s story would you most like to learn more about?

💬 Possible answers

💍 I’d like to learn more about her refusal to marry because it seems to have been both a personal and a political decision.
🕵️ What interests me most is the story of the conspiracies against her because the political atmosphere must have been extremely tense.
⚔️ I would choose the Spanish Armada because I’d like to understand how England managed to defeat such a powerful fleet.
🎭 Personally, I’d rather learn more about Elizabethan theatre because Shakespeare and the culture of the period interest me most.
🎵 I’m especially curious about music and dancing at the royal court because they show a different side of Elizabethan life.
👗 What I would like to explore is Elizabeth’s public image because her clothes and portraits were clearly part of her political power.
🧭 I’d probably choose exploration and trade because this was the period when England was becoming increasingly active overseas.

🌿 2. What do you feel like doing after today’s lesson?

💬 Possible answers

🍵 After the lesson, I feel like making some tea and taking a little time to recharge.
📖 Personally, I’d rather read something quiet for a while because I need to slow down after studying.
🚶 What I really feel like doing is going for a walk and getting some fresh air.
🎬 I’m looking forward to watching something interesting, although I’d rather avoid anything too serious.
📱 To be honest, I feel like checking my phone and doing absolutely nothing for a while.
🧘 After concentrating for so long, I would rather have a quiet evening at home than go somewhere crowded.
✨ At the moment, I’m actually feeling quite uplifted, so I’d like to use that energy to do something useful before the end of the day.

🧠 Try to use all three structures:

🌿 After class, I feel like __________.
☕ I would rather __________ than __________.
🌟 I’m looking forward to __________.