short passage

[kohyoongliat]

The passage is meant for Year 2 students. Could someone please edit it for me? Thanks in advance.

Once there was a boy who thought that he was very smart.

One day, while he and his parents were having dinner, he saw two drumsticks on a plate. He wanted to play a joke on his parents. He said, “Mum, there are three drumsticks.”

His mother said, “No, there are two.” He insisted, “No there are three.”

His father, who was irritated by his son, decided to teach him a lesson. He said, “Son, since there are three drumsticks, then I will give Mum one and take the second one, and the third I will leave to you.”

The boy realised that he was outwitted by his father. From then onwards, he no longer joked with his parents.

[Tdol]

“No, there are two.” He insisted, “No there are three.”- comma missing after second 'no'.
he was outwitted- I'd use the past perfect here

[kohyoongliat]

“No, there are two.” He insisted, “No there are three.”- comma missing after second 'no'.
he was outwitted- I'd use the past perfect here

Thanks, Tdol, for editing the passage.


You said, " ... he was outwitted- I'd use the past perfect here." Just to confirm: Would be it wrong if it remained in Simple Past Tense.

Thanks in advance.

[Tdol]

It's rarely wrong to use the past, but the past perfect works much better IMO.

[kohyoongliat]

Yes, I agree. Although it is not wrong, the Past Perfect sounds better.

All the best