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Mon 3 Dec, 2007 11:38 am
Hi
Could someone please edit this short passage for Year 3 students for me? Many thanks.
Mrs Tan, a rich woman, was invited by one of her friends to her birthday party. She was wearing her elegant designer dress and diamond necklace. Then she set off for her friend's house. In the lift, a man standing next to her kept looking at her diamond necklace. Mrs Tan felt very uneasy and frightened. She was suspicious of the man.
When Mrs Tan got to the ground floor, the man snatched her purse and the necklace. "Stop! Thief!" she shouted. She ran after him but he was too fast for her. Fortunately, four teenagers who were skateboarding passed by. Mrs Tan told them that she had been robbed and, pointing to the thief, begged them to chase the thief. They agreed without hesitation and skateboarded after him. They caught up with him in no time.
Three of the teenagers pinned him to the ground while the other returned Mrs Tan her purse and the necklace. She thanked them repeatedly and wanted to give them fifty dollars, but they declined the reward politely. They also advised Mrs Tan not to wear expensive jewellery.
Mrs Tan told the teenagers to let the thief go as she had got back her things. The thief dashed off as soon as the teenager pinning him release his grip on him.
From that day onwards, Mrs Tan stopped wearing jewellery when she attended any function.
Re: editing of short passage
Mrs Tan, a rich woman, was invited by one of her friends to her birthday party. She put on(1) her elegant designer dress and diamond necklace. Then she set off for her friend's house. In the lift, a man standing next to her kept looking at her necklace.(2) Mrs Tan felt very uneasy and frightened. She was suspicious of the man.
When the lift(3) got to the ground floor, the man snatched her purse and(4) necklace. "Stop thief!"(5) she shouted. She ran after him but he was too fast for her. Fortunately, four teenagers who were skateboarding passed by. Mrs Tan told them that she had been robbed, and(6) pointing to the thief, begged them to chase him.(7) They agreed without hesitation and skateboarded after him. They caught up with him in no time.
Three of the teenagers pinned him to the ground while the other returned to(8) Mrs Tan her purse and(9) necklace. She thanked them repeatedly and wanted to give them fifty dollars, but they declined the reward politely. They also advised Mrs Tan not to wear expensive jewellery.
Mrs Tan told the teenagers to let the thief go as she had got back her things. The thief dashed off as soon as the teenagers(10) pinning him released(11) their(12) grip.(13)
From that day onwards, Mrs Tan never wore(14) jewellery when she attended any function.
(1) "She was wearing... Then she set off" - clash of tenses, of time.
(2) We already know the necklace is made of diamonds.
(3) Both Mrs Tan and the thief got to the ground floor at the same time, as they were both in the lift.
(4) No need for definite article here.
(5) This is how that exclamation is usually written in BrE. She is not telling the thief to stop, she is asking anyone hearing her, and in a position to do so, to stop [the] thief.
(6) Do not place comma after "and".
(7) Repetition of "the thief".
(8) "To" here I feel.
(9) See (4) above.
(10) You said three teenagers pinned him down, before, not one!
(11) Use past tense here
(12) See (10) above
(13) Avoids repeating "him".
(14) One can only stop doing something once, not repeatedly.
My heartfelt appreciation for correcting the errors accompanied by explanations.
Best wishes