You had an appointment with me yesterday after class. You didn't come
because something happened which prevented you from coming. What
happened? Be creative. Extra points if you make me laugh. Use the past perfect.
Also, read this short article about an excuse that made national news:
http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama-writes-fifth-graders-excuse-note-181128671--abc-news-politics.html
Hey, Holly. Sorry I didn't come yesterday, I gave my father a ride with my camel, we had to help our neighbors to pump oil from their backyard. You can keep this homing pigeon as a sorry gift.
ReplyDeleteAbdul, you have a funny reason. I also have a funny story about a camel. Last semester,my classmate, Marshal said when he gets cold, he often eat camel soup instead of chicken soup.
DeleteKeemz,
DeleteWhere is your past perfect? Also, I don't think this is a very good excuse, so please try again. You can take your bird back...
;D
We had been helping our neighbors to pump oil from their backyard.
Deleteokay, you had been helping your neighbors when something happened and then the action stopped. What happened?
DeleteI'm sorry, what do want me to write? The whole reason again?
DeleteI want you to write a reason that:
DeleteA. makes sense
B. makes me laugh (or at least smile).
C. uses the past perfect correctly
Yesterday, after I had finished Mr. Greg's class, I went to lunch. Before I came back to meet you, a handsome man had followed me for 15 minutes. The problem is I don't know why he walks very slow. I hope you understand my story:)
ReplyDeleteActually, I don't understand your story so you will have to explain it to me. I mean, I don't understand the part about the handsome man walking slowly. Was there something wrong with his feet? Is it possible that he had had some kind of an accident before he saw you?
DeleteI know why you don't understand. Do you know who the man is? He's is Barack Obama who came to meet Mohammed:). He walked slowly because he was looking at the map. So, I had given him some directions before he met Mohammed.
DeleteWow, what an amazing coincidence that two of my students met the president of the United States on the very same day that they had made appointments with me.
DeleteGrammar: 3
(Do you know who the man WAS? It WAS B.O. The other sentences are perfect.)
Creativity: 4
Hi Holly, I'm sorry i didn't show up at class yesterday, the reason it's a little embarrassing to me but i had caught my "thing" in the zipper last morning while i was dressing up and i have had a lot of pain lately! :/
ReplyDeleteOh my! Before I read your reply, I had never received such a response. It sounds like a really bad situation--a lot of pain, as you said.
DeleteSo I was discussing your problem with my husband who, as I told you, is a lawyer. He said that the zipper manufacturers should put warning labels on zippers to prevent such accidents; you know, like they have to put warnings on cigarettes about them being hazardous to your health. Zippers can be hazardous to your private parts, as you unfortunately had to learn yesterday.
Then he said that even more than warning labels, the pants manufacturers should have installed sensors on the zipper to prevent it from closing if any"thing" gets in the way.
Hey, here is some free advice for you: Have you tried button-fly jeans? Much less risk involved. But then again, aren't you one of the guys who has been dying to try skydiving?
Grammar: 5 points
Creativity and laughter: 5 points
You are in the lead so far. Congratulations.
i think that for now on i will be wearing those button-fly jeans :s , I'm in a need to have an appointment with your husband maybe he is able to help me, to sue the Zipper Company, for not putting warning labels on the zippers. This case is already won, we'll be millionaires!
DeleteThe only thing is that you might have to show your injuries to the jury. I'm not sure how you feel about that...
DeleteAlso, my husband says that the case would be worth more if the "thing" was disfigured, or needed to be replaced.
Well, i couldn't come to class yesterday because i ran into a person who was trying to sell me tickets to a show he's performing, i tried telling her i didn't want to buy them but she just wouldn't listen to me. so in order to get me to buy the tickets she performed one of her acts. and it got me to laugh. so i finally caved in and bought the tickets. and after that i looked at the time. class was over.
ReplyDeleteCreativity: 5
DeleteGrammar: 0
(0 because I don't see any past perfect. However, the rest of the writing is nice and clear. "I finally caved in." I love the vocab.)
hello holly, im sorry i didn't show up yesterday, but the reason is Barak Obama wanted me on some business. he had been waiting for me since last week, so yesterday he called me, and he said if you didn't come tonight i'll substitute you with another guy, so i had to go. i apologize i hope you didn't get mad. sorry again :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I suppose if the president of the United States had to meet with you, then it must have been something very important.
DeleteGrammar: 5 points (nice past perfect progressive)
Creativity: 5 points
So now it's a tie between you and Christian. Well done.
yeah it was really serious!
DeleteA matter of national security?
Deleteim sorry but i cant tell you.
ReplyDeleteof course... if you tell me, then you'll have to kill me, right? And if you kill me, I won't be a very good teacher. (Notice my future time clauses!!!)
Deleteno you'll always be a good teacher =) and yeah if i tell you i would kill you, but i would like to be your student until the semester ends, so after the semester i'll tell you :D haha just kidding :p
ReplyDeleteDo you mean that I would be a good teacher even if I were dead? In my life I have never received such an interesting compliment.
DeleteGiven what you have said, I hope the semester never ends.
you deserve more than that =)
Deletewell, I'm just happy that you'd rather have me alive than dead... :D
Deleteif i told you *
ReplyDeleteExcellent grammar! I'm impressed!
Deletethank you!
Deleteafwan!
DeleteI didn't come to the appointment because I had been on the way when the police officer stopped me due to I hadn't had a driver license , so I was at the jail sorry .by the way , hire a lawyer, get me out of here ,please i'm really scared , but don't worry I will make the class tomorrow
ReplyDeleteoh my... are you still in jail because it's not clear? What a shame that the officer stopped you due to the fact that you didn't have a license. At least he didn't find your drugs, so be thankful for that because then you would REALLY need a good lawyer ;)
DeleteCreativity: 4
Grammar: 5
Hey Holly, i'm sorry i didn't come yesterday because Brad Pitt Had a fight with Angelina Jolie last night and he had heard that i have a lot of experience with women so he skyped me to get an advice.
ReplyDeleteGrammar: 3
DeleteBrad Pitt had had a fight with AJ the night before.
Creativity and laughter: 7
Reading about your tremendous experience with women really made me laugh BIG TIME! Congratulations.
I'm glad and thank you ^_^
ReplyDeleteHi Holly, i'm so sorry that I did not show up yesterday. After the first class, i intended to come to your class, but my friend called me to tell me that he had already booked skydiver for both and when i finished the phone call, he had been there lately. And I thought that i'll inform you in case you want to buy life insurance for me, but then i found out that you had been teaching for a while, so i did not call you.
ReplyDeleteCreativity: 5
DeleteI hope you had a great time skydiving while I was waiting for you. Since I know that you enjoy the sport, I will just buy a life insurance policy on you for the entire year, so go as often as you wish. Since you're so young, it won't cost very much.
Grammar: 2
"When I finished the phone call, he had been there lately." I don't understand the main clause of this sentence.
"...then I found out that you had been teaching for a while..." No, I was waiting for you at our appointed time!
Hi Holly,
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I could not come to class because the day before yesterday, it had rained a lot. Therefore, there were some sloughs on the street. Before heading to the class, I had parked my car and I had been waiting to cross the street. At that time, a car had passed in front of me fast. Unfortunately, the car had splashed water me and drenched me head to toe so I had had to return my home to change my clothes. I am so sorry for not coming to class.
Creativity: 3 --your story didn't make me laugh :(
DeleteGrammar: 6 (excellent use of the past perfect)
What are "sloughs?" I think you mean "puddles."
"drenched me head to toe:" NICE!
Yes Holly, it is puddles.
DeleteDear Holly,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry, for I did not come yesterday. Could you imaging a person who had stepped dung of a dog, then after a few minutes she got dung of a bird on her hair. While I was walking quickly to come to meeting, I felt something under my shoes. When i looked down my shoes, I could not believe what I looked. It was big and a little bet wet dung of a dog under my shoes. By the time, I got dung of a bird on my hair, I had already cleaned my shoes by sand under a tree. How could I bring bad smell and disgusting dung of a bird and dog to meet you? Please forgive me did not come to meeting.
May,
DeleteI think my boys would laugh reading this, because they laugh at "bathroom humor," but "its not my cup of tea," as we say. So while its creative, its not so funny. I'll give you 3 points.
For the grammar: 3 points
"By the time, I got dung of a bird on my hair, I had already cleaned my shoes by sand under a tree."
This sentence would be better as follows:
After I finally cleaned my shoes..., I got dung of a bird on my hair.
The original sentence doesn't capture your meaning.
Finally, about the word "dung." Although technically correct, I wonder if any Americans would even know that word. The word we generally use begins with S and ends with T. But don't use that word on the blog. I want to keep the language clean :D
Hi holy im sorry i missed the appointment that we had planned for tomorrow. I was saying goodbye to a dear friend who's leaving the country , we were hugging and when I closed the door i didnt realize that my dress had gotten stuck with the door. Suddenly he had gone off with my dress and i was left on the street half naked. So i had to go back home to get some clothe. I hope that you can understand!
ReplyDeleteActually, I don't understand. I see so many girls on campus who are dressed half naked, so what's the big deal? Anyhow, I hope your friend gives you back your dress.
DeleteGrammar: 5
Creativity: 4
Hi Holly! I'm so sorry i couldn't be at our appointment. My parent's are in town, so the night before they had had a big fight, so my father cut my mother's hair for revenge during her sleep, because before the fighting, she had punctured the tires of his car. The next day (witch was the day of our appointment), i woke up with some hysterical screaming coming from my mother's room. So i had to take her to the hairstylist. On our way to the car my father appeared saying that i had to take him to the manicure, because he didn't have a car. So i got stuck with them. I hope you understand. My truly apologies.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for missing our appointment,because I forgot to finish the homework from blog,So i felt very sad,I felt I was a dishonest guy,I didn't have any courage to see you,so I intended to avoid our appointment and ask you to forgive me,Please don't give me 0 in homework for this time. :)
ReplyDelete