My grammar exercises

[Bassim]

I have written a few sentences to train my grammar and punctuation. Would you please correct my mistakes?

1. The eagle soared in the blue sky, what seemed to be hours, before suddenly swooping down and catching a hare.
2. The President tried to speak, but his voice was drowned in jeering and booing of the members of Parliament.
3. The billionaire came out of the court smiling and beaming, visibly satisfied with the decision, to meet the press.
4. The old professor put his hands on each side of the lectern to support himself, and in a wobbly voice gave his lecture.
5. John could not believe his own eyes when he saw his wife kissing and hugging with a stranger on the bus; he could have killed them both on the spot.
6. Bill and his friends went into a pub, ordered their drinks, and chatted friendly with a waitress, who apologized for not being able to serve them any food because the cook was sick.
7. Although the windows were double-glazed, the noise of the traffic was loud, and Peter believed it was only a matter of time when a truck was going to smash into his room.
8. Anna swam away from the shore, and when she turned away, people on the beach were tiny black dots.
9. It was impossible not to notice her, with her long legs and slim figure, who drew looks of horny men and envious women.
10. On an ordinary Sunday morning, a gang of robbers managed to enter the bank, take the money and disappear without a trace, under the eyes of the police, who mistook them for cleaners.

 

[Tarheel]

First, you are training yourself. You are trying to improve your grammar and punctuation.

1. That one is missing a word: for. (The eagle soared for hours.)

 

[Tarheel]

2. Say:

The President tried to deliver his speech, but his voice was drowned out by the jeers and boos of the members of Parliament.

 

[Tarheel]

3. The billionaire came out of court smiling broadly, visibly satisfied with the decision and ready to meet the press.

 

[Tarheel]

4. I would put "he" between "voice" and "gave".

 

[Tarheel]

5. John could not believe his eyes when he saw his wife kissing and hugging a stranger on the bus. He could have killed them both on the spot.

 

[Tarheel]

6. Bill and his friends went into a pub, ordered drinks, and chatted with a waitress. She apologized for not being able to serve them food. She explained that the cook was sick.

 

[Bassim]

Tarheel,
I have to tell you that my sentence number 6 sounds better in my version than in your version. From one sentence you have made three. I think that these sentences make reading choppy.

 

[emsr2d2]

4. I would put "he" between "voice" and "gave".

I wouldn't although that is an improvement on the original. I would keep the same words but I would punctuate the sentence differently.

... to support himself and, in a wobbly voice, gave his lecture.

 

[Tarheel]

6. Bill and his friends went into a pub, ordered drinks, and chatted with a waitress. She apologized for not being able to serve them food, and she explained that the cook was sick.

 

[Tarheel]

I wouldn't although that is an improvement on the original. I would keep the same words but I would punctuate the sentence differently.

... to support himself and, in a wobbly voice, gave his lecture.

What about the rest of them?

 

[Tarheel]

7. Although the windows were double glazed, Peter could hear the noise of the traffic outside quite clearly, and he believed that it was only a matter of time that a truck would be smashing into the room.

 

[Tarheel]

8. Anna swam away from the shore, and when she looked back the people on the shore seemed to be black dots.

 

[Tarheel]

9. It was impossible not to notice her. With her long legs and slim figure, she drew looks from horny men and envious women.

 

[Tarheel]

10. On an ordinary Sunday morning, the robbers entered the bank, took the money, and disappeared without a trace--all right under the eyes of the police, who mistook them for cleaners.

 

[emsr2d2]

7. Although the windows were double glazed, Peter could hear the noise of the traffic outside quite clearly, and he believed that it was only a matter of time that a truck would be smashing into the room.

In BrE, we use "before" after "only a matter of time".

... it was only a matter of time before a truck would smash into the room."

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:
Although the windows were double glazed, Peter could hear the noise of the traffic outside quite clearly, and he had a terrible feeling that a truck would be smashing into the room at any time.