Lission Posted 17 years ago
Hi everybody
Could someone please go through this short story and correct it for me. Many thanks for your help.
One hot and humid afternoon, school had just ended. Jack, James and John saw an injured stray cat. Instead of pitying it, they, being naughty, threw empty cans at it. It went behind a garbage bin, to avoid being hit by the cans.
“Ha! Ha! Look at the frightened cat! James said. The other boys were amused. They continued throwing empty cans at it. “Meow! Meow!” the cat mewed as blood was oozing out of its head.
“Hey! We should use our water guns and spray water at it instead,” John suggested. The other boys agreed and soon they were happily spraying water at the helpless cat. It mewed and mewed while the boys continued to torture it.
“Stupid cowardly cat!” John laughed as he criticised the cat. The other boys laughed too as they found John’s remark amusing.
“Why are all of you torturing a helpless cat?” a voice shouted. The boys turned round and were shocked to see their school principal. “I’m going to call your parents.” They asked the principal to give them a chance, but she did not budge.
She asked Jack to take the cat to the school and later asked one of the teachers to take it to a veterinarian for treatment. She informed the children’s parents about their cruel deed. Their parents were so angry with them that they promised the principal that they would punish them when their children returned home. The principal thanked them for their cooperation in disciplining their sons.
Grammar
Correction of short story
Hi everybody
Could someone please go through this short story and correct it for me. Many thanks for your help.
One hot and humid afternoon, school had just ended. Jack, James and John saw an injured stray cat. Instead of pitying it, they, being naughty, threw empty cans at it. It went behind a garbage bin, to avoid being hit by the cans.
“Ha! Ha! Look at the frightened cat! James said. The other boys were amused. They continued throwing empty cans at it. “Meow! Meow!” the cat mewed as blood was oozing out of its head.
“Hey! We should use our water guns and spray water at it instead,” John suggested. The other boys agreed and soon they were happily spraying water at the helpless cat. It mewed and mewed while the boys continued to torture it.
“Stupid cowardly cat!” John laughed as he criticised the cat. The other boys laughed too as they found John’s remark amusing.
“Why are all of you torturing a helpless cat?” a voice shouted. The boys turned round and were shocked to see their school principal. “I’m going to call your parents.” They asked the principal to give them a chance, but she did not budge.
She asked Jack to take the cat to the school and later asked one of the teachers to take it to a veterinarian for treatment. She informed the children’s parents about their cruel deed. Their parents were so angry with them that they promised the principal that they would punish them when their children returned home. The principal thanked them for their cooperation in disciplining their sons.
Top answer
It was a hot and humid afternoon, school had just ended. Jack, James and John saw an injured stray cat. Instead of pitying it, they, being naughty, threw empty cans at it.
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It was a hot and humid afternoon, school had just ended. Jack, James and John saw an injured stray cat. Instead of pitying it, they, being naughty, threw empty cans at it. It went behind a garbage bin, to avoid being hit by the cans.
“Ha! Ha! Look at the frightened cat!" James said. The other boys were amused. They continued throwing empty cans at it. “Meow! Meow!” the cat mewed as blood
“Ha! Ha! Look at the frightened cat!" James said. The other boys were amused. They continued throwing empty cans at it. “Meow! Meow!” the cat mewed as blood
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Hi Rafaelinrio
I notice you've made one correction below in correcting Lission's short story.
I notice you've made one correction below in correcting Lission's short story.
rafaelinrio“Stupid coward cat!” John laughed as he criticised the cat
Is "Stupid cowardly cat!" really wrong? I think it is ok.
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hey,
cowardly sounds to me like an adverb, so I would use it like this: The boys cowardly threw cans at the cat. However, I checked the dictionary and it can also be used as an adjevtive just like coward but, as a native speaker it would sound very strange to me.
cowardly sounds to me like an adverb, so I would use it like this: The boys cowardly threw cans at the cat. However, I checked the dictionary and it can also be used as an adjevtive just like coward but, as a native speaker it would sound very strange to me.
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rafaelinriohey,I wonder whether other native members share you
cowardly sounds to me like an adverb, so I would use it like this: The boys cowardly threw cans at the cat. However, I checked the dictionary and it can also be used as an adjevtive just like coward but, as a native speaker it would sound very strange to me.
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I would never use "coward" as an adjective. I do use "cowardly" as an adjective, a very legitmate function of the word.
I don't think I've every used it as an adverb, which is defined in Merriam Webster using it was an adjective as "in a cowardly manner."
Perhaps a US/UK difference.
I don't think I've every used it as an adverb, which is defined in Merriam Webster using it was an adjective as "in a cowardly manner."
Perhaps a US/UK difference.
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Hi guys,
I see it the other way around.
“Stupid coward cat!” sounds less than standard to me.
“Stupid cowardly cat!” sounds normal, and standard, to me.
Consider "The Wizard of Oz".
During (Dorothy's) journey, she meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion,
Bes
I see it the other way around.
“Stupid coward cat!” sounds less than standard to me.
“Stupid cowardly cat!” sounds normal, and standard, to me.
Consider "The Wizard of Oz".
During (Dorothy's) journey, she meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion,Bes
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Many thanks, Barbara and Clive.
I don't think it is a US/UK difference. I use BrE and was taught that 'cowardly' is an adjective.
I don't think it is a US/UK difference. I use BrE and was taught that 'cowardly' is an adjective.
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