Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced modifiers are words that, because of awkward placement, do not describe what the writer intended them to describe.  In other words its a sentence that's confusing or unintentionally funny.

             Example:

Incorrect- George couldn't drive to work in his sports car with a broken leg.
Correct- With a broken leg, George couldn't drive to work in his sports car.

The Peterson Fire

The Peterson Fire  by: Barry Gifford
       The Peterson Fire is a short story told through the eyes of the narrator.  As he or she remembers the fire at the Peterson household, that leaves the house burnt to a crisp and the entire family, with the exception of the Peterson's only son bud, dead.  It goes over what the narrator saw and what Bud Peterson went through the next day outside of his old home.
        "Bud got out alive because his room was on the ground floor in the rear of the house.  His two sisters and parents slept upstairs, above the living room, which was where the fire started."
        When I first read the above line I wondered if it was Harry Potter themed.  You know the one kid sleeps on the bottom floor while everyone else is on the top floors.  But that would be the one relation to the Harry Potter theme.  Though I do wish I could know more about the Petersons.


Ash

The Paperboy

The Paperboy  by: Sherrie Flick

     The paperboy is about a woman who takes advantage of her young paperboy by seducing him. I believe this woman did it because she is lonely and bored. She makes it seen as though all she wanted to do was take his innocence and haunt his nightmares. 

  "I imagined the boy as he got older. I knew someday he too would be unkind. Perhaps he would start to understand how unkindness could be helpful, how people could be complex, how life could surprise you unless you told it what to do."

     The above passage tells me that she wanted to help the boy grow up and try to see the world for what it is. Cruel and heartless. The world chews up the sweet and kind, so maybe by ignoring him after was a way to tuffn him up per say. 

Ash

Narrative

Tips on writing a Narrative Essay or Paper.
    A narration is basicly storytelling, plain and simple.  Narration is making a statement clear by relating, in detail, something that happened to you or someone you know. 

    Using dialogue is a great way to show conversation with in the essay or paper. Though there are rules to using dialogue: always use quotation marks and make sure it is clear who is speaking at what time. 

     Prewriting is great so you can write all the important parts then go in after and add all the little details. 

     Finally, write out the final draft and if you give it to someone they should be able to feel as though they are right their witnessing the events you wrote about. 

Ash

Sleeping

Sleeping by: Katharine Weber

        "Sleeping" is an interesting and concerning short story that will make you question every thing that is going on within the page and a half story.  This story is about a young girl named Harriet who is chosen to babysit Mr. and Mrs. Winter's baby.  Harriet does not have any previous babysitting experience, now if this was my child I would at least make sure that the baby sitter atleast knew how to preform CPR. But this is not the only odd thing about this couple.  Before they left they told her that she did not need to check up on the baby, even the door to the baby's room was locked.  That just screams suspieous.  Towards the end of the short story Harriet start to question if there really is a baby.  She presses her head to the door but hears nothing.  They even gave her to much money and did not ask how the baby was or anything.  And as Mr. Winter drives her home he asks if she understands. Understands what, what does she need to understand.  There are many questions that this passage brings to light.  What happened to the baby?  Was there even a baby???


Ash

Toasters

Toasters by: Pamela Painter

       "Toasters is a story that tells of how Mr. and Mrs. Angelos fight, as seen through the eyes of their neighbors.  Apparently they Angelos' couple fight quite frequently, as the son, Joey, calls the fighting the 'Angelos Show' and mentions damage done to their yard from earlier fights.  Like the scene when the mother remembers "when Mrs. Angelo flattened a whole row of her tomato plants with a bowling ball."  What I found interesting is that the mother admires the way the Angelos' fight.  For her and her husband have been having fights which usually, at least from what I got from the story, end with the husband or father leaving.  And no matter what gets thrown in the Angelos' fights both of them stay together.  It seems that by throwing things they are working out all their anger towards each other.  The last sentence is a great describtion of this,

 " I admire the way they fight - everything flying out the windows and doors except the two of them."



Ash

Jumper Down

Jumper Down by: Don Shea
           "Jumper Down" is a story that is not only slightly funny but is also very real.  The story is about a paramedic, named Henry, who specializes in jumpers, and about his retirement/last jumper.  There are not really any questions that come to mind for this short story, except for what does "admonish" mean?  I've never heard it before or I might of but I might of heard it instead of read it, thus not knowing how its spelled resulting in not knowing the word.  So being unsure of what the word means I decided to look it up, apparently it means to warn or reprimand someone firmly.  Personally if I was writing this story I would have chosen to use reprimand, not only because I know what it means but I think it would fit better.
Original Sentence- "I mean, it was clearly not the  occasion to admonish the jumper,...."
My Sentence- I mean, it was clearly not the occasion to reprimand the jumper,....
           Henry's final words to his last jumper was my favorite part.  I just love how he compliments the jumper, as he's dying, on how perfect his jump was. 

Ash