Everyday Editing.
How can you know what’s missing if you’ve never met it? You must know of something’s existence before you can notice its absence.
-- E.L Konigsburg, The View from Saturday (1996)
When we look first at model sentences, then we can learn what it takes to create successful sentences. Then we look at the same sentences, with changes, and look for what the changes are, and how they affect the sentence. We're practicing editing skills.
How'd They Do It? (What’s different?)
For each set, notice what is different between the original and the changed version. In the back of your composition book, label the page or continued page with today's date , then number 1 to 5.
Tell what is different about each bolded sentence form the original. If you were absent, do this on a piece of paper that could be taped into your composition book.
Set 1:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled of cooked grease Lysol, and age.
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Set 2:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled.
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Set 3:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled of cooked grease, lysol, and age.
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Set 4:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smell of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
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Set 5:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
His room smelled off cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
