GTTP Lesson 4

Lesson IV - Assignment

Part l
Correct the following sentences, using all four lessons we have covered.

1.  "Just what did he say to you?" asked Paul.
Question marks rule 3:  Question marks inside of quotation marks are never followed by a comma.

2.  The children’s book was very entertaining to the small group.  -or-  The children books were very entertaining to the small group. (rule 4: description)
Apostrophe rule 3: irregular plurals

3.  The waiter asked, if there would be anything else.
Periods rule 2:  Mild imperative, rhetorical, and indirect questions all require a period.

4.  The rain kept pouring outside; we were very unhappy that we could not go out.
Semicolon rule 1:  Use a semicolon to link together two sentences with closely related items.

5.  Mother said we were to buy roast beef, corn, cornmeal, spinach and bread; but we forgot about the spinach in our hurry home.
Semicolon rule 3:  To avoid confusion between list items, a semicolon is used.

6.  Mr. Davis’ briefcase lay near the door: his coat on the chair, and his wife present.
Periods rule 3:  abbreviations require a period.
Apostrophe rule 2:  Possessive case
Colon rule 3:  Emphasis - a colon should be used to emphasize, clarify, or to elaborate on information in a sentence.


Part ll
Look through your port and correct the punctuation in one of your items.  Post the before and after, using the bitem link.

I'm only corecting 300 words of this story. I have posted both the before and after here. My stories are all over 2000 words



Impulsive Proposal
#1531113
The orginal (first 300 words)
Tap! Tap! Tap . . . Tap! . . . and . . . Tap tap!  Dance shoes lying on a black woolen carpet!  Da! Da! Da la! . . . and . . . Da la!  The musician metered away his latest number as he tapped his restless fingers softly against the top of his antique writing desk.  He gazed at the jar holding an ever growing collection of pencil shavings. The stubby relic in his grasp cries perfection.

Purrelli coiled loosely upon her cushioned seat, twitched an ear, ever listening even in sleep.  The ticking clock challenged Herbert to finish his concert piece.

Using only his initials Herbert etched his endorsement on the document that lay before him.  The music written by his contemporary artist, Jimmy Nacre, adequately met his required guidelines.  The master concerto expressed an attitude carefully designed to thrall the listener’s ear.

Herbert set his attention upon the completion of his own concerto in progress.  As musical prose gushed forword he willed his squat stylus to record the words.

More prone to distractions than usual, Herbert unduly investigated the cavity of his freshly pulled tooth.  Blood tainted saliva still seeped from the sore.  Herbert sighed his disgust to the fore as he wiped his sleeve across his brow.

Purrelli arched her back in a tall stretch before lowering herself gingerly to the cool slate floor in search of her master’s affection.  Making a nuisance of herself, she skillfully circled Herbert’s ankles, ably attracting his attention.  This won her a brisk belly rub.  Purrelli reacted with violent thrashing movements from paw to jaw, jetting for an attack.

Herbert, smiling and full of love for the kitten, grabbed Purrelli to his chest for an affectionate hug before sitting her down with a few small cat treats, and then resumed his pose, resembling concentration.

Comma changes

Tap! Tap! Tap . . . Tap! . . . and . . . Tap, tap! 

Dance shoes, lying on a black woolen carpet.


Da! Da! Da, la! . . . and . . . Da, la! 


The musician metered, away his latest number as he tapped, his restless fingers softly against the top of his antique writing desk. 


He gazed at the jar, holding an ever growing collection, of pencil shavings.


The stubby relic, in his grasp, cried perfection.



Purrelli, coiled loosely upon her cushioned seat, twitched an ear ever listening even in sleep. 


The ticking clock challenged Herbert to finish his concert piece.



Using, only, his initials Herbert etched his endorsement on the document that lay before him. 


The music, written by his contemporary artist Jimmy Nacre, adequately met his required guidelines. 


The master concerto expressed an attitude, carefully designed, to thrall the listener’s ear.



Herbert set his attention upon the completion of his own concerto in progress. 


As musical prose gushed for word, he willed his squat stylus to record the words.



More prone to distractions than usual, Herbert unduly investigated the cavity of his freshly pulled tooth. 



Blood tainted saliva still seeped from the sore.
Change this part to:  (Tainted saliva seeped from the sore.)


Herbert sighed his disgust, to the fore, as he wiped his sleeve across his brow.



Purrelli arched her back, in a tall stretch, before lowering herself gingerly to the cool slate floor in search of her master’s affections. 


Making a nuisance of herself, she skillfully circled Herbert’s ankles, ably, attracting his attention. 


This won her a brisk belly rub. 


Purrelli, reacted, with violent thrashing movements, from paw to jaw, jetting for an attack.



Herbert, smiling and full of love for the kitten, grabbed Purrelli to his chest, for an affectionate hug, before sitting her down with a few small cat treats, and then resumed his pose resembling concentration.