Below you will find four paragraphs that have some errors. Use the attached editing symbols to correct the mistakes. Before each paragraph, you will find a “what to look for” and also the number of mistakes in each paragraph. Good luck. Remember, be thinking about the rules you have been learning in class!

Monday, November 12

Be watching for run-on sentences. Also, there are 6 capitalization errors, 1 language usage error, 7 punctuation errors (hint, one is a comma and all the others are periods), and 1 spelling error.

Kites --- Not Just for Fun

People the world over has been flying kites for centuries in fact, kites were invented over two thousand years ago! one ancient story tells of a Chinese general his army was trying to overthrow a cruel emperor. the emperor made a kite he tied a not in the string Next, his soldiers flew it in the direction of the palace When the kite was over the palace the general marked the string and reeled in the kite

Tuesday, November 13

Be watching for run-on sentences. Also there are 3 capitalization errors, 5 punctuation errors (hint, one is an apostrophe error and 4 are periods), and 2 spelling errors.

the general measured the length between the knot and the mark he made on the kite string. he used this mesurement to plan a tunnel to the emperors palace His soldiers spent days digging the tunnel. Finally, it was ready his soldiers crept through the tunnel they came out inside the walls of the palace The cruel emperor was defeeted with the help of a simple kite!

Wednesday, November 14

Be watching for run-on sentences. Also, there are 4 capitalization errors, 1 language usage error, 4 punctuation errors and 2 spelling errors.

Kites has also been used in modern warfare. before airplanes were invented cameras were tied to kites they were sent high in the air to take pictures. This was a way of gathering information about enemi forces. Kites have also been used to carry radio equipment up into the air this made it easier to send and receive signals. Kites were used in emergency lifeboat kits to help lost boats signal to searchers

Thursday, November 15

Be watching for commas and exclamation points. There are 3 capitalization errors and 6 punctuation errors.

Even though kites have been used for warfare they are mainly used for fun. People fly kites at parks and beaches. Some places hold yearly kite-flying contests or festivals. In both china and japan special holidays include kite-flying as part of the celebration. kites can be large and expensive or simple and affordable. You can easily make a kite by using sticks paper tape and string. So go fly a kite

Monday, November 12

The Three Wishes

Long ago, a husband and wife had a farm where they worked long and hardeach day. They scarcely had enough to eat, but they lived happily enough. Thehusband took pleasant walks after supper with his dog, while his wife tended herrose garden.

One day, as the husband and wife were working in their field, they heard avoice crying out for help. Looking up, they a saw a tiny man who had fallen into anearby creek. “I can’t swim!” cried the man. “Save me!”

The husband and wife ran to the creek and pulled the tiny man out. Gratefulfor their help, he said, “To thank you for saving me, I will grant you three wishes.”Then with a quick bow, the tiny man disappeared.

“Shall we make our wishes now?” asked the husband.

“Let’s finish our day’s work and make our wishes after supper,” said his wife.“That will give us time to think about what we want most.”

So the husband and wife kept working until the sun set, imagining the grandhouse, fine clothes, and bags of gold that might soon be theirs. When they finallywent inside for supper, the wife began preparing their usual meal of soup andbread, but the husband was very hungry. Without thinking he declared, “How Iwish we could have roast beef for supper!”

As soon as the husband spoke, a platter of roast beef appeared on the table.

“Oh, no!” cried the wife. “You’ve wasted a wish on a single meal!”

“I’m sorry,” the husband said, “but we still have two wishes left. If we usethem wisely, two will be enough.”

The wife wasn’t listening, though, for just then she looked out the window andsaw that her husband’s dog was trampling her roses. “That useless dog!” sheexclaimed. “I wish he’d never been born!”

As soon as she spoke, the dog began to shrink and shrink until he was gone.

“Look what you’ve done!” cried the man. “What will I do without my dog?”

The woman embraced her husband. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “I shouldhave thought before I spoke.” Then she smiled brightlyand said, “We still have one wish left.Let’s use it to make everythingright again.”

The husband took his wife’shands in his, smiled, and nodded.

  1. What do you think the husband and wife will do next?
  1. They will look for the tiny man.
  2. They will pick some roses from the garden.
  3. They will eat their roast beef dinner.
  4. They will make a wish to get the dog back.
  1. The boxes show some events from the story.

A tiny man fell into the creek. / The wife began preparing soup and bread.

Which of these should go in the middle box?

a.The tiny man granted the husband and wife three wishes.

b.A platter of roast beef appeared on the table.

c.The husband’s dog trampled the wife’s roses.

d.The wife wished the dog had never been born.

  1. What can you tell about the tiny man?
  1. He was wicked.
  2. He liked to swim.
  3. He was rich.
  4. He had magic powers.
  1. Which of these was most important to the husband?
  1. a grand house
  2. bags of gold
  3. fine clothes
  4. his dog
  1. What can you tell about the woman inthis story?
  1. She was unhappy most of the time.
  2. She was a good cook.
  3. She cared about her husband’sfeelings.
  4. She was a lazy worker.
  1. What lesson does this story teach?
  1. Don’t work too hard.
  2. Be happy with what you have.
  3. Everyone needs good luck.
  4. Never help a stranger in need.

Tuesday, November 13

A Safe Place to Play

One day a boy named Bobby Adams was playing in the street near his home in Davie, Florida, when he was hit by a car. Bobby was not injured badly, but his friend, nine-year-old James Ale, got angry. James wasn’t angry at Bobby for playing in the street. He wasn’t even angry at the driver of the car. He was angry at his town government. Why? Bobby, James, and their friends played in the street because there was no place else nearby to play. While kids in other parts of Davie played safely in neighborhood parks, the town wouldn’t spend money to build a park for James’s neighborhood. His neighborhood was a nice place to live, but it wasn’t safe to play there.

James Ale decided to change that. He wrote a petition that said his neighborhood needed a park. Then he asked his friends to sign it. Most of them laughed at James, claiming that no one would ever pay attention to kids.

However, James was just getting started. He made an appointment with the mayor. Then he took a town map and marked the location where a park for his neighborhood could be built. He also wrote a letter that explained the need for the park. He listed items the park should have, such as a basketball court, swings, and monkey bars.

On the day of his appointment, James dressed in his best clothes. He put his map and his letter in a briefcase and walked into the mayor’s office. Calmly and politely, James made his case for the neighborhood park. Mayor Joan Kovac listened carefully. Then she shared James’s idea with other town officials, but they didn’t show much interest in it.

Still James persisted. A newspaper reporter from Miami wrote an article about James’s plan for a neighborhood park, and James sent a copy of the article to the town officials. Every few days, he called Mayor Kovac to make sure she didn’t forget about him. Finally, James got some great news. At a town meeting, the mayor announced plans to build the neighborhood park.

These days, the kids in James’s neighborhood have a safe place to play, thanks to a young boy who refused to take no for an answer. James had a good idea, and he never gave up. Today, the park that he fought long and hard for is known as “James Ale Park.”

  1. What is this passage mainly about?
  1. why Bobby and James became friends
  2. what James Ale did to get a park forhis neighborhood
  3. what kinds of things should be ina park
  4. how a person gets to be mayor ofa town
  1. When Bobby Adams was hit by a car,James got angry at —
  1. Bobby
  2. the driver of the car
  3. a newspaper reporter
  4. his town government
  1. Compared with James’s neighborhood,the other neighborhoods in townwere —
  1. safer
  2. bigger
  3. noisier
  4. cleaner
  1. Why do you think James wore hisbest clothes to the meeting withMayor Kovac?
  1. He wanted her to take him seriously.
  2. His other clothes were dirty.
  3. He was playing a dress-up game.
  4. He thought his picture would be inthe newspaper.
  1. Which detail supports the idea thatJames was well prepared for hismeeting with themayor?
  1. He got angry at his town’sgovernment.
  2. He called the mayor’s office.
  3. He thought his neighborhood was anice place to live.
  4. He got a town map and marked thelocation for the park.
  1. The passage says, “Still Jamespersisted.” What does persisted mean?
  1. stayed safe
  2. got worried
  3. kept trying
  4. became angry
  1. Which sentence states an opinion?
  1. James asked his friends to signthe petition.
  2. His neighborhood was a nice placeto live.
  3. James marked a location for the parkon a town map.
  4. Every few days James calledMayor Kovac.

Wednesday, November 14

Win a Trip to Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is our nation’s capital and home to the President of the UnitedStates. It’s also a great place to visit! Enter Rightstuff magazine’s “Why I’ll Make aGreat President” Contest for a chance to win a trip to this important city.

FIRST PRIZE: A two-day trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and one adultcompanion. Prize includes airplane tickets, two nights in a hotel, meals, and toursof the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument.

HONOR PRIZES: A White House T-shirt and cap.

To enter:

1. Write an essay that tells why you will make a great President. Your essayshould be 100–200 words and must be typed or neatly printed.

2. On the back of your essay, write your name, date of birth, and address.(You must be between the ages of 9 and 12 by May 31.)

3. Mail your essay by May 31. Send it to Rightstuff Great President Contest,P.O. Box 25, Columbus, OH 43216.

4. One first-prize winner and ten honor-prize winners will be chosen. All winnerswill be notified by mail, and their names will appear in Rightstuff.

  1. This announcement was written to —

a. give information about a contest b. tell how to become President

c. describe Rightstuff magazine d. list places in Washington, D.C.

  1. Which sentence about Washington, D.C., is an opinion?

a. It is our nation’s capital. b. The White House is there.

c. It is a great place to visit. d. The President lives there.

  1. You can enter the contest if you are —

a. 8 years oldb. 13 years old

c. 10 years old d. 15 years old

  1. Who could take the trip with the first prize winner?

a. one parent b. two parents and one child

c. two grandparents d. a brother or a sister

  1. Each honor-prize winner will receive —

a. Rightstuff magazine b. airplane tickets

c. a tour of the White House d. a T-shirt and cap

Thursday, November 15

To the Editor:

Last week I solved a problem many of your readers probably have.The problem is serious, but the solution is easy. Do what I did, and you’llhelp the environment.

I discovered the problem while taking out the trash. We usually havetwo bags, but last week there was an extra bag, and it was really heavy. Iopened it and saw about 40 catalogs! What’s up with this, I wondered, soI asked my mother. She said that every month we get catalogs in the mailfrom companies that want us to order their products. She throws them out,but each company sends a new catalog the next month.

I took the catalogs out of the bag and asked my mother to show methe ones she actually uses. There were only three! I looked at the othersand thought about the trees they were made from and the landfill spacethey would take up when we got rid of them. I wanted to find a way tostop the waste.

I did. Inside each catalog I found a toll-free telephone number. Istacked up the catalogs my mother never uses and started dialing. I askedeach telephone representative to take our family off the mailing list. Eachone politely agreed and thanked me for calling. Problem solved!

Kenny Blasedale

Hullsville

  1. Kenny’s main reason for writing this letter is to —
  1. tell a story about himself
  2. convince others to cut down on the number of catalogs they get
  3. explain how to order products through the mail
  4. tell which catalogs his family uses
  1. Kenny sent this letter to —
  1. the landfill in his town
  2. his classmates
  3. telephone representatives
  4. the newspaper
  1. Which sentence states an opinion?
  1. The problem is serious, but the solution is easy.
  2. I discovered the problem while taking out the trash.
  3. Every month we get catalogs in the mail.
  4. Each company sends a new catalog the next month.
  1. Which information best shows how much waste the bag of catalogs made?
  1. Kenny discovered the problem while taking out the trash.
  2. The catalogs come in the mail.
  3. Kenny’s mother used only three out of the 40 catalogs she got.
  4. Each catalog lists a toll-free number.
  1. Kenny called the telephone representatives to —
  1. find out more about each company
  2. see what products they sold
  3. ask for the newest catalogs
  4. have his family taken off their mailing lists
  1. You can tell that Kenny is a boy who cares about —
  1. protecting the environment
  2. finding ways to make his chores easier
  3. buying new things for himself
  4. proving how grown-up he is

Rewrite the following paragraphs on the lined paper in your best cursive handwriting. Use the charts of how to make lower and upper case cursive letters to help you.

Mrs. Granger’s eyes seemed to almost catch on fire at that question, and she said, “Yes, I have a very good idea how it all got started. It was one young man’s idea, a fifth-grade student named Nicholas Allen. And now you will have to excuse me, Ms. Morgan, for I have papers I must grade.” And with a brief, firm handshake, Mrs. Granger ended the interview.

The reporter didn’t leave right away. She walked back through the hallway and sat on a bench outside the office so she could look over her notes to make sure they made sense. It took her about five minutes. Then Judy stood up, put her notebook into her large black purse, waved good-bye to a frowning Mrs. Freed, and headed out the door.

4th LA Q2 Week 3