The Grammar Guru /By Ellie Grossman
It was 8:15 a. m., and Agatha was on the bus, on her way to work. She’d gotten a seat and was engrossed in “Time Travel,” a book that explained how to go back and forward in time. Agatha was on page 78, in the middle of chapter 3, which recounted the amazing experiences of Professor Mung. She read:
“The first time I voyaged in time was on May 27, 2008. I’d finished my work—I’m a nuclear scientist—and I decided to use the time travel test my colleague and I had created. Quietly, I let myself into room 777, which was only used for important experiments.
“After concocting the formula, I swallowed it and sat down. Next thing I knew, It was October 2004, and I was standing in front of a suburban home just outside Boston. Suddenly, I heard cheers and hollering from all the houses around me; people were applauding, whooping, even crying. The Boston Red Sox had just swept the Cardinals in four games to win the World Series, a miracle no one ever expected to see.
“Next thing I knew, I was in Sherlock Holmes’ quarters at 221b Baker St., London NW1 6XE. I was just about to-”
“Last stop,” called the bus driver, and Agatha, who was too engrossed to get off, dropped more change in the fare box and settled down for the read back.
Remember: use actual numbers, not words, for times, addresses, years, chapters, and page numbers
Quiz
1. At the train station, Mona stepped up to the ticket window and said, “What time does the (four twenty-two/4:22) for Cleveland leave?”
2. Answers to the quiz on page (fourteen/14) can be found in chapter (12/twelve).
3. “I can’t be the father!” cried Randolph. “I wasn’t even in Montreal in June (2008/two thousand eight)!”
Answers
1. 4:22 (The ticket agent stared at Mona. Then he grinned and leaned forward: “Candid Camera, right?”)
2. 14/12 (Now you’ve gone and ruined it!)
3. June 2008 (Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say.)
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