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Proofreading exercises with Burning for Revenge - Long snippets

Introduction

1. Ready, set, correct

Proof It

2. The same voice

3. I couldn't see

4. We tumbled

5. It was loaded

6. Some kind of parade

7. A sudden shadow

8. I tried not to

9. The first he knew

10. Lemonade legs

11. Hot and prickly

12. I looked back

13. I swung round

14. I couldn't miss

15. At least one thing

16. None of that

17. No chance

18. Homer turned

Wrapping up

19. See you next time

Introduction

1. Ready, set, correct

Burning for Revenge audiobook cover

How is you spelling and punctuation?

This lesson will put it to the test. We have a big collection of snippets from John Marsden's war novel, Burning for Revenge, part of his Tomorrow, When the War Began series.

Each snippet has had some spelling scrmabled, and all the punctuation marks have been changed%

Your mission is to correct each snippet within 2 minutes, and with only limited peeks at the source snippet.

The snippets in this lesson are pretty tough! Think you can do it?

A hint: all the letters are there, they are just scarmbeld. If you're ever in doubt, peek at the source. If you don't make it in time, you can do the activity again.

If you're shaky with spelling and punctuation, this activity will be like conditioning!

Good luck!

Proof It

2. The same voice

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

The same voice spoke again. He was still a couple of beds away. The other voice answered from way up the far end of the room. It wasn’t a huge room, but it made my chances infinitely slimmer if I had to jump up and try to find him before I could shoot him.

same voice spoke was still a of beds answered from way up the far end of the a but it made my chances infinitely slimmer if had to jump up and try to find him before could

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

3. I couldn't see

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

I couldn't see them, and for a moment my imagination went into a crazy and horrible fantasy where I pictured them creeping down the sides of the room until they were either side of me, ready to launch a big assault on the bathroom. Then one of them crossed my line of vision.

see and for a moment my went into a and creeping down the sides of the room until they either side of ready to a big assault on the one of them crossed my line of

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

4. We tumbled

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

We tumbled into the back of it just in time. A moment later I heard the rattle of a metal door sliding open, and the low rumbling became a loud throbbing. Homer was again watching, this time through a crack in the van door. "There're more trucks coming in," he reported, "... a whole bunch of them."

tumbled into the back of it just in later heard the of a door and the low rumbling became a loud was this time through a in the van more trucks coming he a bunch of

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

5. It was loaded

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

It was loaded to the brim. It looked like as many as twenty rounds in there. For the first time that morning I felt some sort of satisfaction. If this was the day I had to die, then at least it wouldn’t be helplessly; I wouldn’t be gunned down with only my bare hands outstretched to fend off the bullets.

was loaded to the looked as many as in there. the felt some sort of this was the day had to at least it be wouldn't be down with only my bare hands outstretched to fend off the

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

6. Some kind of parade

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

"It's some kind of parade. Training for something. They're still there, marching around in slow time, doing fancy stuff with their rifles."

"They're confident," Homer said. "They think they're safe in here."

"They're not," Lee said.

I was stunned. It was one of the strongest statements I've heard in my life.

kind of parade. for around in slow doing fancy with their

think safe in

was was one of the statements heard in my

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

7. A sudden shadow

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

There was a sudden shadow and all at once one of the officers was standing there. He was looking above my head at I don’t know what, a mark on the wall maybe. He hadn’t seen me. I swung the rifle up before he realised I was there. His mouth started to open with shock, but that was the only reaction he had time for.

was a sudden and all at once one of the was was above my head at know a mark on the wall seen the up he realised was mouth started to open with but that was the only he had

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

8. I tried not to

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

I tried not to look at the bodies. I checked the one in the bathroom, briefly, to make sure he was dead. The bullet had caught him in the neck, so he was dead all right. I won’t describe what he looked like, but his body wasn’t in one piece any more. I’d shot the other one just below the chest, and he was dead too.

tried not to look at the checked the one in the to make sure he was dead. bullet had him in the so he was dead all describe what he looked like, but his body in one piece any shot the other one just below the and he was dead

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

9. The first he knew

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

That was the first he knew that I'd killed two of them. But he didn't ask questions, just helped me wrap the two parts of the man in a bedspread and drag him out to where I’d put his mate. As we did it I grunted: "They ambushed me." Homer just nodded. He was probably feeling like chucking up, which was the way I was feeling.

was the first he knew that killed two of he didn't ask just helped me wrap the two parts of the man in a bedspread and drag him out to where put his we did it just was probably feeling chucking which was the way was

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

10. Lemonade legs

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

My skin was prickling: lemonade legs again. Lice. I remembered my grandmother saying she suffered from something called prickly heat. I always thought it was a funny, interesting expression, so it stuck in my mind. Now I had prickly heat like my whole skin was burning, hot pinpricks all over me. I was keyed up to screaming point.

was lemonade legs again. my grandmother she suffered from something called prickly always it was a interesting expression, so it in my had prickly heat like my whole skin was hot pinpricks all over was up to screaming

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

11. Hot and prickly

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

I was feeling hot and prickly and sweaty. The stuff was so dusty I was afraid I might sneeze, like I had in the fuel depot in Wirrawee, the night we'd tried to sabotage the jet fuel. This time I thought I could control it, but what if someone else sneezed? Was Fi allergic to dust? Her whole family was allergic. Her little sister got asthma pretty badly.

was hot and and was so was had in the fuel depot in the night to sabotage the jet fuel. time control but what if someone else allergic to dust? whole was little got asthma badly.

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

12. I looked back

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

I looked back at the truck. It seemed tiny. Everyone was out of it now. Kevin and Lee were standing by the driver's door, arguing about something, Fi was standing halfway between me and the truck, and Homer was investigating the little door. He squeezed it open, took a tiny peep out, and quickly shut it again. Obviously that was where the action was. I ran over to him.

looked back at the seemed was out of it and by the driver's arguing was standing halfway between me and the and was the little it took a peep and quickly shut it that was where the action ran over to

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

13. I swung round

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

I swung round to the left, lifting the rifle a little higher as I did so. The other officer was in two minds, running to the door and at the same time reaching for his handgun. It seemed to be caught in the holster: he was wrestling it with one hand as he reached for the door with the other. He got the gun free as he pushed the door open. He swung towards me as he entered the doorway.

swung round to the lifting the a higher as did was in two running to the door and at the time reaching for his seemed to be in the he was it with one hand as he for the door the other. got the gun free as he pushed the door swung me as he entered the

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

14. I couldn't miss

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

I couldn’t miss at point-blank range. It was over in a split second. All I had time to notice was the way his hair flew up when the bullet hit him: his eyes closed and his hair went up like a sudden violent wind had gone through it. The force of the bullet sent him flying backwards over a chair. No human could have hit him as hard as that bullet did. But I didn’t look any more. I had another problem.

miss at was in a had time to was the way his flew up when the bullet hit his eyes closed and his hair went up a sudden wind had gone of the sent him flying backwards over a human could have hit him as hard as that bullet look any more. had

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

15. At least one thing

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

At least one thing was for sure: Lee had made the right move getting us out of the hut. The way the driver walked straight in: we'd have had to overpower him and run for it, or give up. And giving up was still unthinkable. Even though there were moments when I almost wished we'd be caught - just so the whole thing would be over and done with - when it came to the crunch, I'd do anything to avoid capture.

one was for had made the move us out of the way the driver walked straight had to overpower him and run for it, or give up. giving up was though there were moments when almost wished we'd be caught just so the thing would be over and done with when it came to the do anything to avoid capture.

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

16. None of that

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

None of that was important. Only one thing mattered. Above each bed, resting on the same kind of brackets I’d noticed in the other room, was a rifle. Dark, black, heavy things, so sinister. Magic wands of death. But they had magazines in them and I knew they could just be the only hope I had. I didn’t hesitate. I jumped onto the nearest bed, grabbed the rifle and lifted it down.

First things first: I checked the magazine.

of was one resting on the same kind of noticed in the was a rifle. black, heavy so wands of they had magazines in them and knew they could be the hope onto the nearest grabbed the rifle and lifted it

things the

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

17. No chance

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

But he had no chance. I was never going to miss. I squeezed the trigger. He went crashing through the door, leaving a smear of blood on it. I heard his body hit the hard bathroom floor with a terrible crash. I think he would have broken a bone or two as he landed, but he wasn’t going to be worrying about that. It seems weird to think someone can break a bone after they’re dead. I suppose it happens though, and it may have happened to him.

he had no was going to miss. the went through the leaving a smear of blood on his hit the hard floor with a terrible think he would have a bone or two as he but he going to be worrying about seems weird to can a bone after it happens and it may have happened to

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

18. Homer turned

This is a Proofing exercise - please correct the mistakes in this snippet.

Homer turned to Lee. "If they start refuelling the planes before they find the bodies, we've got a chance to do some damage ..."

Lee cut in. "It'd have been better to wait till dark. But on the other hand, the planes are pouring in. There's a heap of them."

"By dark they might have found us anyway," said Homer. I think he mainly said it to make me feel better.

"Where are the other soldiers?" I asked. I knew Lee had gone to see what was happening. I wanted to know what he'd found.

to they start refuelling the before they find the got a chance to do some

cut have been to wait till on the other the planes are pouring a heap of

dark they might have found us said think he said it to make me feel

are the asked. had gone to see what was to what

Burning for RevengeJohn MarsdenSource

Wrapping up

19. See you next time

Holy moly, if you made it this far you are a proofreading berserker. You'll take on all teh typos and bad spelligns and punctuation:?

Perhaps seeing thoes typos has made you so mad that you wish you could fix them too...

On to the next mission!