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Proofreading exercises with Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Long snippets

Introduction

1. Ready, set, correct

Proof It

2. The Cash Machine

3. Comedy partner

4. In trouble

5. Use the Force

6. Throwing up

7. A piece of my mind

8. The two-fruits thing

9. Uncle Charlie's gift

10. Time capsule

11. So much homework

12. All the facts

13. Biology

14. Someone special

15. Like a kangaroo

16. Detention

Wrapping up

17. See you next time

Introduction

1. Ready, set, correct

How is you spelling and punctuation?

This lesson will put it to the test. We have a big collection of snippets from Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (specifically, book 3, The Last Straw).

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 Cash Machine

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

The Cash Machine turned out to be some stupid magic trick where you have to insert your OWN money in this secret slot for it to work. And that wasn't good, because I was really counting on that thing to get me out of having to find a job when I grow up.

out to be magic trick you to insert your money in this slot for it to that because was really on thing to get me out of having to find a job grow

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

3. Comedy partner

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

I've been using Rowley as my comedy partner, and I've actually trained him on a couple of pretty decent jokes. The only problem is, Rowley's starting to get a little greedy about who gets to say what, so I don't know if this partnership is going to work out long-term.

been as my and him on a couple of pretty decent only problem starting to get a greedy about who to say what, so don't know if this is going to work out

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

4. In trouble

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

Man, waiting for Dad to get home when you're in trouble is the WORST. I used to just hide in the wardrobe, but recently I figured out a better way to handle it. Now, whenever I get in trouble, I ask Grandma to come over for dinner, because Dad's not going to act mad at me if Grandma's around.

waiting for to get when in trouble is the to just hide in the but recently figured out a better way to handle whenever get in ask to come for not to act mad at me if

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

5. Use the Force

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

I tried using the Force to make the remote levitate to me, even though I've tried it a million times before and it's never worked once. Today I tried for about fifteen minutes and concentrated REALLY hard, but no luck. I just wish I'd known that Dad was standing right behind me the whole time.

using the to make the remote levitate to even though tried it a million times before and it's never worked tried for about minutes and but no luck. just known that was standing behind me the whole

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

6. Throwing up

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

Rodrick and Ward got into a pretty heated debate about whether or not a person could throw up while standing on their head, and I started to feel like I was going to throw up myself. Luckily, right around then, the phone's battery died. When Rodrick went upstairs to get the spare phone, I made a run for it.

and got into a pretty heated debate about whether or not a person could throw up while standing on their and started to feel like was going to up right around the battery went to get the spare a run for

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

7. A piece of my mind

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

I started to give Dad a piece of my mind, but he cut me off. He wasn't interested in talking about why he was stealing our lunch snacks. What he WAS interested in talking about was what the heck I was doing buried in a pile of Mum's underwear in the middle of the night.

Right at that moment, we heard Mum coming down the stairs.

started to give a piece of my but he cut me wasn't interested in talking about why he was stealing our lunch he interested in talking about was the heck was doing in a pile of underwear in the middle of the

at that we heard coming down the stairs.

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

8. The two-fruits thing

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

When I got home, I asked Mum what the deal was with the two-fruits thing. She said she always buys enough treats to last us the whole week, so one of us boys must've taken the snacks out of the bin in the laundry room.

I'm sure Mum thinks I'm the one stealing the snacks, but believe me, I already learned my lesson about doing THAT.

got asked what the deal was with the said she always buys enough treats to last us the whole so one of us taken the out of the bin in the laundry room.

sure thinks the one stealing the but believe already my lesson about

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

9. Uncle Charlie's gift

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

When I unwrapped Uncle Charlie's gift, I didn't even know what it was supposed to be. It was this big plastic ring with a net attached to it. Uncle Charlie explained that it was a 'Laundry Hoop' for my bedroom. He said I was supposed to hang the Laundry Hoop on the back of my door and it would make putting away my dirty clothes 'fun'.

unwrapped even know what it was supposed to was big ring with a net attached to explained that it was a for my bedroom. said was supposed to hang the on the back of my door and it make putting my clothes

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

10. Time capsule

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

I remembered this thing I saw on TV where scientists made a 'time capsule' and filled it with a bunch of stuff like newspapers and DVDs and things like that. Then the scientists buried their time capsule in the ground. The idea was that in a few hundred years someone will come along and dig it up, and they can learn how people from our time used to live.

this thing saw on scientists made a and filled it with a bunch of like newspapers and and things like that. the scientists buried their time in the idea was that in a few years someone come along and dig it and they can how people from our time used to live.

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

11. So much homework

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

I'll tell you one reason it's a bad idea to make kids walk to school. These days, teachers give you so much homework that, with all the books and papers you have to carry home, your backpack ends up weighing like a hundred pounds. And if you want to see what kind of effect that has on kids over time, all you have to do is look at Rodrick and some of his friends.

tell you one it's a bad idea to make kids walk to days, teachers give you so much homework all the books and papers you to carry your backpack ends up like a hundred pounds. if you want to see what of effect that has on kids over all you have to do is look at and some of his friends.

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

12. All the facts

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

We laid out all the facts of the case to Alex, but we didn't know a whole lot. Then we asked Alex if he could get us pointed in the right direction.

I expected Alex to start taking notes and spout some scientific mumbo jumbo, but all he did was close the book he was reading and show the cover to us. And you're not going to BELIEVE this, but it was Mrs Craig's dictionary.

laid out all the facts of the case to but we didn't know a whole we asked if he could get us in the right

expected to start taking and spout some scientific mumbo but all he did was the book he was reading and the cover to us. not going to but it was

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

13. Biology

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

I had this four-page Biology paper due today, but last night I kind of got caught up in this show I was watching. So I had to try to write the whole thing in the computer lab during recess today.

I didn't have a lot of time to do any research, so I played with the margins and the font size to stretch what I had to four pages. But I'm pretty sure Ms. Nolan is going to call me on it.

had this paper due but last kind of got caught up in show was had to try to write the whole in the lab during

have a lot of to do any so played with the margins and the font to what had to four pretty sure is going to call me on it.

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

14. Someone special

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

After dinner Mum told me there was a Valentine's card out in the mailbox with my name on it. When I asked her who it was from, she just said, 'someone special'. I ran out to the mailbox and got the card, and I have to admit I was pretty excited. I was hoping it was from Holly, but there are at least four or five other girls at my school who I wouldn't mind getting a card from, either.

dinner told me there was a card out in the with my name on asked her who it was she just ran out to the and got the and have to was pretty was hoping it was from but are at least four or five girls at my school who mind a card either.

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

15. Like a kangaroo

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

Yesterday at lunch, Albert Sandy was telling everyone about this guy in China or Thailand or someplace who could jump six feet straight up in the air, no joke. The way the guy did it was by digging a hole that was three inches deep and then jumping in and out of it a hundred times. The next day, the guy doubled the size of the hole, and he jumped in and out of THAT. By the fifth day, he was practically like a kangaroo.

at was telling everyone about this guy in or or who could jump six feet up in the air, no way the guy did it was by digging a hole was three deep and then jumping in and out of it a times. next the guy doubled the size of the and he in and out of the fifth he was practically like a

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

16. Detention

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

I knew Leon was just going to go back to bugging me, so I decided to put a stop to it. As soon as Mr Ray's back was turned, I slapped my hands together to make it seem like Leon hit me.

Mr Ray turned around and told Leon he was going to have to stay another half hour, and that he had detention again TOMORROW.

On the way home, I was wondering if I made the smartest move back there at the school. I'm not exactly the fastest runner, and a half hour isn't that big of a head start.

knew was just to go back to bugging so decided to put a stop to soon as back was my to it seem hit

around and told he was to have to stay another half and he had again

the way was wondering if made the move back there at the not the and a half hour that big of a head

The Last StrawJeff KinneySource

Wrapping up

17. 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!