BSc Undergrad Handbook

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English
Exercise 13

Correct all the punctuation errors in the following passage written by a former college English teacher.

Last Monday finally fed up with seeing forty blank expressionless uninterested faces in front of me class after class I snapped I set off a handful of fireworks in my wastebasket then I ran around the room screaming It’s a raid Hit the deck There was no reaction but I could have sworn one of my students almost raised an eyebrow

On Tuesday I tried something new a gangster raid A group of actors I had hired burst into the room dressed as pirates carrying automatic weapons They lined the students up against the wall sprayed them with rubber bullets and shouted Where’s the money Most of the students’ faces remained blank but I’m almost sure three of them actually blinked namely Felix Morris and Rachel

Wednesday was the day I came to class dressed in a bathing suit wearing a pith helmet carrying a bull whip and riding an elephant while a brass band played The Colonel Bogey March I dumped a case of pythons on the floor and let off smoke bombs The students’ faces remained buried in their Tales from the Crypt comic books For all they cared I might as well have been reading the local telephone directory to them in a monotone As I think back on it however I’m convinced several of them seemed somewhat attentive

Almost ready to give up I went all out on Thursday While an airplane strafed the windows of the classroom I unleashed a pack of ravenous coyotes and hit the switch on the 200-volt line I had wired to their metal desks I was just loading my brass cannon with gunpowder when one of my students actually put her hand up Weeping with gratitude and desperately eager to answer her question I asked her how I could be of assistance She slouched back in her desk and asked Is this stuff going to be on the exam

*Adapted from Green, Brian, and Sarah Norton. Essay Essentials. 2^nd ed. Toronto: Harcourt Brace, 1995.

Use the workspace below to edit the passage.

Last Monday finally fed up with seeing forty blank expressionless uninterested faces in front of me class after class I snapped   I set off a handful of fireworks in my wastebasket then I ran around the room screaming   It’s a raid   Hit the deck  There was no reaction but I could have sworn one of my students almost raised an eyebrow

On Tuesday I tried something new  a gangster raid  A group of actors I had hired burst into the room dressed as pirates carrying automatic weapons  They lined the students up against the wall sprayed them with rubber bullets and shouted  Where’s the money  Most of the students’ faces remained blank but I’m almost sure three of them actually blinked namely Felix Morris and Rachel

Wednesday was the day I came to class dressed in a bathing suit wearing a pith helmet carrying a bull whip and riding an elephant while a brass band played  The Colonel Bogey March   I dumped a case of pythons on the floor and let off smoke bombs   The students’ faces remained buried in their Tales from the Crypt comic books   For all they cared I might as well have been reading the local telephone directory to them in a monotone   As I think back on it however I’m convinced several of them seemed somewhat attentive

Almost ready to give up I went all out on Thursday   While an airplane strafed the windows of the classroom I unleashed a pack of ravenous coyotes and hit the switch on the 200-volt line I had wired to their metal desks   I was just loading my brass cannon with gunpowder when one of my students actually put her hand up   Weeping with gratitude and desperately eager to answer her question I asked her how I could be of assistance   She slouched back in her desk and asked  Is this stuff going to be on the exam

Click the button below to compare your edits with the correct answer.

Last Monday, finally fed up with seeing forty blank, expressionless, uninterested faces in front of me, class after class, I snapped. I set off a handful of fireworks in my wastebasket; then I ran around the room screaming, “It’s a raid! Hit the deck!” There was no reaction, but I could have sworn one of my students almost raised an eyebrow.

On Tuesday, I tried something new: a gangster raid. A group of actors I had hired burst into the room dressed as pirates carrying automatic weapons. They lined the students up against the wall, sprayed them with rubber bullets, and shouted, “Where’s the money?” Most of the students’ faces remained blank, but I’m almost sure three of them actually blinked; namely, Felix, Morris, and Rachel.

Wednesday was the day I came to class dressed in a bathing suit, wearing a pith helmet, carrying a bull whip, and riding an elephant while a brass band played “The Colonel Bogey March.” I dumped a case of pythons on the floor and let off smoke bombs. The students’ faces remained buried in their Tales from the Crypt comic books. For all they cared, I might as well have been reading the local telephone directory to them in a monotone. As I think back on it, however, I’m convinced several of them seemed somewhat attentive!

Almost ready to give up, I went all out on Thursday. While an airplane strafed the windows of the classroom, I unleashed a pack of ravenous coyotes and hit the switch on the 200-volt line I had wired to their metal desks. I was just loading my brass cannon with gunpowder when one of my students actually put her hand up. Weeping with gratitude and desperately eager to answer her question, I asked her how I could be of assistance. She slouched back in her desk and asked, “Is this stuff going to be on the exam?”