Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Verb exercise 3

Identify the errors in verb forms and write down the correct forms of the verbs.

  1. "Wonderful!" he said to himself as he studied the book. "Wonderful!"
  2. The book was an old one, yellowed with age - just the kind of book my uncle enjoyed the most.
  3. "Did you want me for something, Uncle?" I ask.
  4. "It is the Heims-Kringla of Snorre Tarleson," he said. "The famous Icelandic author of the twelfth century. It is a true account of the Norwegian princes who ruled Iceland."
  5. "What language is it in?" I asked, hoped that it would be a German translation that I can read. But my uncle would have nothing of translations - only originals would do.
  6. "It is a Runic manuscript," he said. "The language of the original polulation of Iceland." He is angry at my ignorance.
  7. My uncle picked up the book to show me the strange letters of this language and a scrap of paper falls from between two of the yellowed pages.
  8. My uncle seizes the paper like a hungry man snatch at a morsel of bread. It was an ancient parchment, about three inches by five inches, with strange-looked characters written all over it.
  9. "It is Runic," my uncle declares, his voice and fingers trembling.
  10. I look at it closely. Little do I know then that this small parchment would lead us on one of the most wonderous adventures ever known to man.
  11. But while my uncle could read Runic, he cannot not decipher the meaning of the letters on the parchment.
  12. Just then the cook calls up to us that dinner was ready. "I cannot be bothered with dinner!" my uncle yelled.
  13. But I was hungry and went to dinner. I was just finishing the last of my dessert and wine when I hear my uncle roaring for me to come at once. I leap for the stairs to his study, so loud and fierce was his call.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Verb exercise 2

Identify the errors in verb forms and write down the correct forms of the verbs.

A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH


The Great Discovery.

I am living with my uncle, a German, who was a professor of philosophy, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, and many other "ologies".

Professor Hardwigg, my uncle, had invites me to study under him, for I were greatly interested in learning as much as I can about the Earth and what lay under its surface.

Although my uncle was a most learned man, and can spoke with the greats of the scientific world in almost any language, and could classify six hundred different geological specimens by their weight, hardness, sound, taste, and smell, he do not at all look the part.

He was fifty years old, tall, thin and wiry. Large glasses hide his vast, round, bulging eyes. His nose was thin like a file and is constantly being attracted to tobacco. When he walked, he stepped a yard at a time, clench his fists as if he is going to hit you, and then walked on. At most times, he is far from a pleasant companion.

But Professor Hardwigg was by no means a bad sort of man. However, to live with him means to obey him. So, when he comes home one day and begins to call, "Harry - Harry - Harry," I hastened to go at once, even though at the time I was more interested in finding out what was being prepared for dinner than what my uncle wanted from me.

I taken the steps three at a time and presented myself to my uncle in his study. My uncle's study was a perfect museum, filled with minerals of every kind. When I entered, he was studying a book, not even aware that I had join him in the room.