Unit 5
WRITING A NARRATIVE TEXT
A narrative is a type of text written in the first or the third person and describes a series of events,
either imaginary or based on your own experience. The characteristic feature of narration is such
language means as dynamic verbs and adverbial modifiers of manner of time, place and action.
This type of writing can be found in novels, short stories, articles, witness statements, etc.
Narrative texts in works of fiction, regardless of their length, may engage the reader, get them
hooked till the last page. At the same time, a poorly written text will fail to interest readers. So
how do we write a compelling story?
►Think of a novel or story that you found particularly interesting. What makes it so interesting?
1) A good PLOT is essential if you want to make your story interesting. It is the sequence of
events which make up the story. All plots fall into roughly eight types:
Overcoming the monster – the protagonist sets out to defeat a force that threatens his/her
homeland, family or friends:
Rags to riches – the protagonist acquires wealth, power, loses it and regains it, growing as a
person as a result: Jane Ayer.
Voyage and return – the protagonist goes to a strange land and, after overcoming the threats,
returns with experience: The Hobbit.
Comedy - a cheerful character triumphs over adverse circumstances, which leads to a happy
ending: Twelfth Night.
Tragedy - the protagonist’s faulty character or his mistakes result in his/her undoing and the fall
of a fundamentally good character: Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus [prəˈmiːθɪəs]
Rebirth - an invent forces the main character to change and become a better person: The Snow
Queen.
Flipped plot – sometimes an archetypal plot can be flipped, which gives the story a twist: heroes
turn out to be villains.
►What is your favourite novel / short story? Retell the story in a few words and identify the type of its plot.
A traditional plot comprises several elements.
►Familiarise yourself with the terms and explain the purpose of each element:
1. Exposition
2. Conflict
3. Rising action
4. Climax
5. Falling action
6. Resolution (or ‘denouement’)
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To make a story engaging, authors often turn to special plot techniques:
they create suspense (a feeling of excitement or tension the reader experiences as the plot
unfolds);
foreshadowing (a clue about an event that will happen later in the story);
flashbacks (a part that shows a scene that happened earlier in time than the main story);
a surprise ending (an ending that the reader did not expect).
2) Another important ingredient for a good story is its characters and their interaction.
Readers are more likely to empathize with well-developed characters with a moving
background story, or to dislike a villain whose portrayal is vivid and believable. To make
readers ‘see’ and understand their characters, authors use description (often indirect
description), show how characters react to events and problems, and employ dialogue.
A character’s speech may be indicative of his/her background and attitude towards the other
characters.
►Analyse these remarks. What do you learn about each person and the relationship between him/her and
his/her interlocutor?
a) 1: I’m afraid I don’t know. 2: I don’t know. 3: How should I know?
b) 1: Look at that jacket. It’s wicked! 2: Look at that jacket. It’s awesome!
c) 1: Fancy a cuppa? 2: Would you like a cup of tea?
3) Language diversity is equally important when it comes to writing a narrative text. Avoid
repeating the same words – this produces monotony. Use more sophisticated adjectives or
adverbs to make your language more vivid and a variety of verbs to give your story flow
(to make it livelier).
►Compare. Which sounds more exciting to read?
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“Hide it,” he said and put a beautiful small “Hide it,” he murmured and put an exquisite-
box into my hand. looking box into my hand.
4) A story infused with humour is always interesting to read. However, humour is
notoriously difficult to understand in a foreign language. Many jokes in English are based
on lexical ambiguity and therefore require an in-depth knowledge of advanced vocabulary.
A pun is a play on words. It exploits this lexical ambiguity for humorous effect. In order to
understand puns in English, watch out for the different meanings a word can have. The
punchline is the culminating point of a joke or funny story, that gives it its humour. It
often gives a different answer from what might normally be expected.
Language diversity. Practice
Ex. 1. Avoiding repetition. Revise the material from Unit 4 (see exs. 3 and 4). Follow the
models and replace repetitions with substitutes.
Model A: The only audible sound was the sound of my breathing. The only audible sound was
that of my breathing.
1. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily the views of the Editor or the
Publisher.
2. Find out more about the measures we are taking to protect your health and the health of
our team.
3. The study suggests that animals with no long history of domestication show patterns of
interaction with humans similar to interaction of dogs or horses.
4. We have compared the results of the 2021 assessment with the result received last year.
Model B: I was very careless. My carelessness cost me my job. I was very careless, which cost
me my job.
5. She said it would be done by March. I doubt that it would be done by March.
6. Nicholas never offers to pay. The fact that he never offers to pay always annoys me.
7. He has done all the work. The fact that he has done all the work is very nice (of him).
8. They did not even look up to greet us. The fact that they did not look up to greet us
disappointed us.
Model C: He likes this type of music, I like this type of music too. He likes the same music as I
do.
9. They didn’t go to the theatre, but I went to the theatre.
10. Our brand knows your skin better than you know it. This SOS Clearing Booster will help
you with any problem.
Ex. 2. The adverbs below describe the way a person might speak or act. Explain what each
adverb means, then choose suitable words from the list to complete the sentences.
sarcastically, angrily, threateningly, frantically, hurriedly, miserably,
confidently, suddenly, urgently, nervously, patiently, calmly
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1 The woman on the third-floor balcony of the burning building waved her arms ... to attract the
fireman’s attention.
2 “Get out of here!” Bill shouted …, his face turning red.
3. “My dog has run away!” the little girl sobbed … .
4. …, without any warning, her guide spun round and held a knife to her throat.
5. The detective looked at him in disbelief. “Oh, yes, of course a criminal like you wouldn’t want
£5 million,” he said ... .
6. She gathered her papers together ... and rushed off to the meeting; which had already begun.
7. “If you tell anyone, you'll be sorry,” said the kidnapper … .
8. “Don’t worry, I'll kill the dragon,” the knight said … to the king.
Ex. 3. Put the following verbs into the correct boxes. Try to think of further words to add to
each box. Now use suitable words from the boxes to complete the following sentences.
gaze - dash - giggle - hiss - murmur - peer - stroll – stammer – wander - yell – sigh - chuckle -
mutter - peep - moan - shriek - grin - whisper - exclaim – rush – stutter
Walk/Run: …dash…., …..………………………………………………………………………
Say: ……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Look: ……………………………………………………………………………………………
Smile/laugh: ……………………………………………………………………………………
WALK/RUN: 1. We ____ lazily along the waterfront, enjoying the warm sunshine as we watched
the fishermen mending their nets. 2. At the sound of the doorbell she ____ eagerly to the front
door, excited to be meeting him again after so many years.
SAY: 3. “Stupid old fool!” he ____ angrily to himself, pushing rudely past the elderly man
limping down the steps. 4. “This... this is impossible. It … can't be happening,” she ____
repeatedly. 5. “Don’t look round now, but I’m sure that man sitting behind us is the escaped
prisoner I was reading about in the paper,” I ____ nervously to John. 6. “Help!” Karen ____
hysterically. “Somebody help me!” 7. ‘I want to c-c-come with you,” she ____ nervously. 8. “Oh,
well,” Jill ____ “perhaps it doesn’t really matter — but I wish you'd asked me first before telling
everyone about it.” 9. “Ron! Where are you? The game is over! We’ve won!” ____ Hermione,
dancing up and down on her seat.
LOOK: 9. The couple ____ lovingly into each other’s eyes, completely unaware of the people
hurrying past. 10. Kevin ____ through the windscreen, hardly able to see where he was going in
the pouring rain.
SMILE/LAUGH: 11. David ____ cheerfully as he waved to the crowd, accepting their applause
for the magnificent race he had run. 12. Sally and Lynne ____ with embarrassment when the two
boys crossed the room and asked them to dance.
Ex. 4. Underline the words or phrases which are used to describe senses. What sense does
each refer to?
A. Maitland staggered across the road, hardly aware of the hooting cars and foul-smelling exhaust
fumes. The cut on his arm was burning, his head was throbbing with pain, and the salty taste of
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blood filled his mouth. A police car screeched around the corner, siren wailing and lights flashing,
and Maitland dashed into a dark doorway.
B. It was a hot, lazy afternoon and, from where I sat on the shady verandah, I could see the purple
mountains in the distance. The fragrant flowers around me blazed with colour as, sipping my
sharply sweet lemonade, I listened to the gentle hum of crickets and twittering of birds. A soft,
cool breeze brushed my skin while I enjoyed the smell of the rich earth. Suddenly, a familiar,
annoying buzz sounded in my ear.
Ex. 5. A. Look at the following list of words 1, all of which refer to sounds and light, comment
on their meaning (consult a good English-English dictionary) and fill in the correct words in the
gaps below. Some of them may be used more than once.
bang, crackle, creak, flash, flicker, hoot, howl, pound,
rattle, rumble, roar, rustle, twinkle, wail, hiss
1. leaves underfoot /paper/ a plastic bag ….………………………
2. the sound of gunfire/a burning log ….…………………………
3. wind/wolves ………………………...…………………………..
4. chains ………………………………..………………………….
5. stars/lights/eyes ……………………….………………………...
6. lions/crowd/fire/noise of a huge waterfall ……………………...
7. thunder/lorries/noise of traffic far away ………………………..
8. waves/rock music/heart …………….…………………………..
9. sirens/cats ……………………..………………………………..
10. waves hitting against the shore/the sound of a tree falling………
11. staircase/floorboards …………..……………………..…………
12. flames …………………………………………………………..
13. doors/guns/explosion/ someone bursting a balloon …………….
14. owls/cars ………………………………………………………..
15. candles …………………………………..………………………
16. lightning ……………………….………………………………..
17. gas/steam escaping through a small hole ……………………….
18. a heavy object falling on to a carpeted floor ……………………
B. Open the brackets using the verbs/nouns from Part A:
1. The other drivers (сигналили) ______ed their horns in protest, but it didn't bother the man.
2. I fell to the ground (воя от боли) ______ing with pain.
3. ‘WHERE ARE THEY?’ he (прорычал) ______ed, his face turning red with fury.
4. He was holding the phone with a mischievous (огонек, искорка) ______ in his eye.
5. The leaves overhead (зашелестели) ______ed faintly in the breeze.
6. The train came to a sudden stop, and the distant (глухой удар) ______ told them that luggage
had fallen out of the racks.
7. The lamps around the classroom (свет задрожал) ______ed and went out.
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The words in this section can be used as verbs or nouns: The lights flickered and went out. He saw a
flicker of light in the darkness.
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8. The door (скрипнула) ______ed on its hinges.
9. He heard an owl (кричала, ухала) ______ing nearby and grinned as he pulled the sheet up to
his chin.
10. He could hear the (треск, потрескивание) ______ of a nearby fire.
11. She slammed the kitchen door so hard I heard dishes (загремели) ______.
12. “Do not follow me,” she (прошипела) ______ed through her teeth.
13. The street was full of boys (с шумом проносились, проносились на ревущих мотоциклах)
______ing up and down on their motorbikes.
14. I'm so hungry that my stomach's (урчит) ______ing.
15. I could feel my heart (колотилось, сильно билось) ______ing as I went on stage to collect
the prize.
16. We suddenly heard a loud (грохот, треск) ______ in the distance. It sounded as if some glass
was being broken.
17. There was a deafening (грохот, шум взрыва) ______, and Harry threw up his hands to shield
his eyes against a sudden blinding light.
18. His eyes (сверкнули, вспыхнули) ______ed threateningly at the very mention of her name.
Humour through lexical ambiguity. Practice
Ex. 6. Look at the first lines of these jokes and think what answer you would expect. Then
match them with the correct punch lines.
1 Waiter, will the pancakes be long? A When it’s ajar.
2 What’s the best thing to buy as a parting B Really? Which platform?
gift? C A comb.
3 How did you find your steak, sir? D Quite by accident. I moved a few peas, and
4 When is a door not a door? there it was.
5 One of my ancestors died at Waterloo. E Because it’s too far to walk.
6 Why do birds fly south in winter? F No problem, sir. We serve anybody.
7 Waiter, do you serve oysters? G No sir. Round.
Ex. 7. Read the first line of each joke. Then think up a punchline, using one of the phrases in
the box and making changes to them if necessary. Sometimes there is a clue in brackets to help
you.
1. make a clean getaway 2. drop me a line 3. to make ends meet
4. no time like the present 5. unidentified flying object 6. here today, gone tomorrow
a. What did the barber say to the client as he finished shaving his head? (hair)
b. What did the astronomer see in his frying pan?
c. What’s the best way to communicate with a fish?
d. Why does a poverty-stricken dog chase its tail?
e. Why did the thief take a bath?
f. What did the boss say when deciding when to hand over a clock as a farewell gift to a
member of staff?
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Ex. 8. Read the story below and answer the questions:
1. Is this a story of success? Is it a story about an embarrassing situation?
2. Is the story meant to be sad or funny? What makes it so?
3. Find a pun (if any) and comment on it.
4. Optional: which regional variant of English is this? Find examples to prove your point.
Weight a minute
I'm not skinny. Granted, I'm not shy about who I am, but I’m definitely a big woman. So I
was going on vacation with my family to Utah. We were standing in line at the airport,
and I decided to sit for a second. So I sit on this ledge, but I start noticing people looking
at me weird. Then my mom came over and pointed over my head. I was sitting on the
baggage scale and my weight was blinking above me in big red numbers. Next time I’ll
stand.
* Granted - used to show that you accept that something is true, often before you make another statement
about it
Discourse markers and linking words: time and order
Arranging events in a sequence gives your story structure and makes it easier for reader to follow
the plot. Study the following adverbs of time and do the assignment that follows:
MEANING LINKING WORDS EXAMPLES
a series of events before We closed the shutters before we went to the
basement.
after We went to the basement after we closed the
shutters.
after/before doing We closed the shutters before going to the
basement.
one event as soon as As soon as we knew the storm was coming, we
immediately after closed the shutters.
another when We saw the warning when we turned on the TV.
event(s) in a when Mandy saw her cousin when she was in New
period of time while York.
during (+ noun) I sent a lot of emails while 1 was on holiday.
until I sent a lot of emails during my holiday. (NOT
during I was on holiday.)
We stayed in the basement until the storm had
passed.
at the same time while Luisa fed the baby while Daniel made the
supper.
a series of events First, First, we closed the window shutters.
Then (no comma) Then we went to the basement and waited there.
Eventually, Eventually, we were able to go back upstairs.
Later, Later, we went outside to look at the damage.
After that, After that, we called the insurance company.
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Punctuation!
When placed before the subject, these adverbial clauses and expressions should be separated from
the rest of the sentence with a comma. If they do not break the rule of word order (subject +
predicate + object + adv. modifier), no comma is needed.
Compare:
After closing the shutters (adv. of time), we We went to the basement (adv. of place) after
went to the basement (adv. of place). closing the shutters (adv. of time).
First, we closed the window shutters. Later, I went outside first. My little sister went
we went outside to look at the damage. outside later.
After that, we called the insurance company. We called the insurance company after that.
Ex. 9. Read the information and choose the correct words in italics.
Vesuvius: a volcano erupts
On a hot summer morning in the year AD 79 the citizens
of the Roman town of Pompeii were woken by a sudden
earthquake. (0) As soon as / Before people felt the earth shake,
they ran out of their houses to see what was happening.
Vesuvius, the mountain which lay behind the town, seemed to
be on fire.
(1) During / While the people watched, a huge column of
black smoke rose from the top of the mountain. (2) After/ Then
the smoke had covered the sky, huge chunks of grey ash and
rock started to rain down on the city. The terrified citizens
began to run into their houses or along the streets of the city. (3) After that/ While they were
running, a huge cloud of grey poisonous smoke filled the air around the town, killing everybody
within a few seconds.
(4) When / Later, long streams of red-hot rock began to run down the sides of Vesuvius,
burning the trees and vegetation. (5) Eventually, / Next, after eighteen hours, the smoke cleared.
Nothing was left. All the citizens of Pompeii were dead and the town had disappeared, buried
under three metres of grey ash. It was not seen again (6) while/until it was rediscovered in the
eighteenth century.
Ex. 10. Complete the conversations with a linking word from A, and a phrase from B.
A. after after that as soon as before then until while
B. they asked I finish I'm waiting they called I began they had you leave
MUM: Right, Lorna. I'm going to work. Don't be late for your interview.
LORNA: I won't. I'll leave (0) __after I finish__ my breakfast.
MUM: Have you read all the information they sent you?
LORNA: Yes, Mum, I have. But I'll read it again (1) ________ for the train.
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MUM: OK. And don't forget to call me (2) ________ the interview.
LORNA: I won't, Mum. I promise.
LATER THAT DAY ...
LORNA: Mum, it's me. I was the last one. I had to wait (3) ________ interviewed all the others.
But it wasn't a problem. I managed to read everything carefully again (4) ________ me.
MUM: How did it go? Were you nervous?
LORNA: Yes, I was a bit nervous at first. But they were very friendly and started with some easy
questions. (5) ________ to relax. (6) ________ me about my previous experience, so that wasn't
too bad. Oh, the train's coming. I'd better go now.
Writing a short story. Practice.
Ex. 10. Before you get down to writing a story, you should ask yourself the following
questions:
1. What is the purpose of the story? What emotions do you expect the reader to experience?
2. Who will read the story? What style should I use? (formal, informal, slang etc)
3. What plot will the story have? Will the story be linear or have flashbacks?
4. What techniques can I use to make my reader want to go on with my story?
a. Should I start with the setting: describe the weather, surroundings, people, etc. using the
senses?
b. Should I start with direct speech?
c. Should I start by asking a rhetorical question? (a question which expects no answer)
d. Should I create mystery or suspense?
e. Should I refer to my feelings / moods or those of my characters?
f. Should I address the reader directly?
5. What techniques can I use to end the story?
a. Should I use direct speech?
b. Should I ask a rhetorical question
c. Should I refer to my feelings / moods or those of my characters?
d. Should I describe people's reactions to the events developed in the main body of the
story?
e. Should I create mystery / suspense and then a surprise ending? Or should I leave an
open ending?
A. Read the main body of the story below, as well as the different beginnings and endings.
Refer back to the points above and decide which techniques have been used in each of the
beginnings and endings.
B. Analyse the elements of the plot. In this story find:
The exposition (the setting, the introduction of the character(s));
The conflict and the rising action
The climax
The falling action
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The resolution
C. Comment on the atmosphere. What techniques and/or vocabulary does the writer use to
produce this effect?
BEGINNINGS...
1 “Oh gosh, look at the time!” gasped my flatmate Caroline as she nudged me
awake. We gathered up our books and sleepily made our way to the library car
park.
2 It was a damp, chilly night when Caroline and I eventually left the library. As
soon as I stepped outside and I shivered, feeling that something strange was about
to happen.
3 You know those spring nights that are still really cold and damp? Well, I’ll tell
you what happened to my friend Caroline and me, on a night just like that.
We had been studying in the library for hours and we just wanted to get home and go to sleep.
Normally, I would take the long way home, to avoid driving past the old Bradford estate.
However, that night I was so exhausted that I forgot all about it. Before I knew it, we found
ourselves driving down the long, winding road which goes past the estate. Since it was pitch dark
and my headlights could barely cut through the thick fog, I was driving fairly slowly. The silence
was broken as we heard a tapping sound coming from the darkness ahead.
Suddenly, an elderly man dressed in a black suit appeared at the side of the road, limping along
with a wooden cane. He turned and faced us, and began to approach the car. His wrinkled face,
piercing dark eyes and toothless grin gave him a horrifying appearance. We quickly locked all the
doors and kept driving. The old man tried to block our path by stepping out in front of the car, but
I swerved and sped off.
… ENDINGS
1 Safe at home, we decided we had probably imagined the whole thing. The next
morning, however, as we opened the front door to leave for the college, we both
froze with shock. There, propped up against the wall, was a long wooden cane.
2 The next day in class, our professor showed us some slides of the town’s early
founders. He clicked his slide machine to the next picture — and guess whose
face flashed onto the screen?
3 The next day I told my professor what had happened, and to my surprise his
eyes filled with tears. “The man you've described was my father,” he mumbled.
“He died at that place twenty years ago.”
Ex. 11. Planning a story.
A. Together with a partner choose a theme and decide on a plot. Write what happened simply, in
about 50 words. Use the plot diagram below. Present the plan to the groupmates.
These are some of the ideas you may use. Feel free to explore different genres from thriller stories
to mystery stories to romance stories etc.:
1. There was an accident onboard a plane.
2. I was deeply embarrassed but couldn’t help laughing.
3. A young prodigy loses his/her parents and is sent to an orphanage.
4. A young man/woman loses his/her job.
5. A man/woman receives an empty envelope signed ‘I see you’.
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6. He’s a cop. She’s the owner of a jewellery shop.
7. A group of children discover a bunker in the forest.
8. A famous singer disappears during his/her tour.
9. I’d never been so angry in my life.
10. I opened the boot and saw a man/woman there.
B. Decide on the atmosphere and jot down vocabulary you may use to create it.
C. At home, work on the ideas you had in class. You may want to reshape the storyline, add
suspense or flashbacks, etc. Write a first draft: expand the story by adding details, descriptive
elements, dialogues between the characters.
Write the story out (200-300 words). Check it for mistakes (grammar, vocabulary, punctuation,
spelling).
Ex. 12. Writing a mini saga.
While it may be difficult to write a story, it is even more challenging to write a mini saga. A mini
saga is a story which must be told in exactly 50 words. The original idea came from science
fiction writer Brian Aldiss and the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph has run several mini-
saga competitions.
A. Read the mini sagas and match them with the titles. You don’t need to use one of the titles.
Generation gap The last laugh Good intentions
Written in the cards Meeting the boss
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a. _______________________________
She recognized the writing on the envelope
immediately. The Gypsy had warned her that she had
no future with this man, yet here he was - five lonely
years after their last meeting, begging her to join him
in New York. She felt unbelievably happy as she
stepped on board the Titanic.
b. _______________________________
He was worried. Unfortunately, since his wife’s death his teenage
daughter had become increasingly difficult.
They had agreed 2.00 a.m. as the latest return time from nightclubs.
It was now 3.30.
He prepared himself for confrontation as the door opened.
‘Dad!’ she shouted angrily. ‘I’ve been frantic. You’re late again.’
c. _______________________________
‘He always has dinner at six,’ she told the maid. ‘No beef. He has dessert in the
garden. Fill the bath at eight - he goes to bed early ‘When will I meet the master?’ the maid
asked, as she tripped over a sleeping poodle.
‘You already have,’ laughed the housekeeper.
d. ______________________________
My house looks as if it’s been hit by a bomb. Since I’m hopeless at organizing, I bought a
new book Key to organizing your life. I felt so proud.
I started cleaning the bookcase. Five minutes later I
couldn’t believe my eyes.
Glossary:
I’d bought the same book last year.
beg – ask sb very strongly or
anxiously for sth
B. Read the mini sagas again. Some of them are quite cryptic confrontation – a situation where
there is angry disagreement
and the story is not immediately obvious. Explain each story in
frantic – very worried
your own words. Which story do you like most / least? Why?
maid – a female servant
C. You are going to write a mini saga. Your story must be 50 master – a man who has people
words exactly (not including the title) and you must include at working in his house as servants
least two adverbs. Contracted forms count as one word. First poodle – a dog with very curly hair
housekeeper – a woman employee
choose one of the titles below.
in charge of a house and its
A holiday romance The lie servants
hopeless – very bad
Revenge is sweet Never again
Think of a plot. Then write a first draft without worrying about the number of words. Now count
the words and then try to cut or add words until the story is the right length. Write your final
version.
D. Listen to your groupmates’ mini sagas. Which do you like most? Why?
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Punctuation
Punctuation with direct speech
► Direct speech is generally introduced by a comma:
Stewart opened his eyes and said, 'Who's your beautiful friend?'
A comma is generally used between a reporting expression and a piece of direct speech:
Looking straight at her, he said, 'There's no way we can help him, is there?'
If a reporting expression follows a piece of direct speech, we usually put a comma instead of a full
stop before the closing quotation mark:
'I don't like this one bit,' said Julia.
If a sentence in direct speech is interrupted by the narrator’s words, the second part continues in
lower case.
‘The problem is,’ she said, ‘he doesn’t know what to do’. (The problem is he doesn’t
know…)
Note that single quotation marks ('...') are more common in British English, and double quotation
marks ("...") in American English.
For quotations inside quotations, we use double quotation marks inside single (or single inside
double).
'His last words,' said Albert, 'were "Get that woman out of here".'
► We sometimes use a colon to introduce direct speech, especially if it is preceded by a name or
short phrase (as in the text of a play, or when famous sayings are quoted).
POLONIUS: What do you read, my lord?
HAMLET: Words, words, words.
In the words of Murphy's Law: 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.'
A long passage of direct speech may be introduced by a colon, too:
Introducing his report for the year, the Chairman said: 'A number of factors have
contributed to the firm's very gratifying results. First of all,...'
Ex. 13. Fill in the gaps with correct punctuation marks:
1. I know Harry murmured.
2. Why did I come back? she repeated. I have asked myself a thousand times.
3. Never mind them she said they’re all right. They all know me.
4. P-P-Potter stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry’s hand c-can’t t-tell you how p-
pleased I am to meet you.
5. I'll tell you what I'm talking about! the Trunchbull shouted. You stole my cake and ate it!
I never did the boy exclaimed, turning from grey to white.
6. Like most alcoholics, Willie Wilde was a mess of self-pity and gleeful irresponsibility. His
unwashed appearance prompted Oscar to make his famous quip He sponges on everyone but
himself.
Quip – a quick and clever remark
7. You asked me once said O'Brien what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer
already. Everyone knows it.
8. Broken wrist Harry heard her mutter. Come on, boy, it’s all right, up you get.
9. At one point the chairperson quoted Henry James We work in the dark – we do what we can –
we give what we have.
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10. We need to get a move on, John Sarah whispered. To Clive she explained that Ann was
keeping seats for them in the church. She nodded at the child. He’s being christened today.
Mustn’t keep you, then said Clive, patting John on one shoulder. Give my best to your
mother.
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