Monthly Archives: May 2012

Grammar Basics: Unit 48 – What…? Which….? How…?

Posted on 2012/05/31
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In this lesson we’ll take a look at some more question words:  What…?, Which…?, and How…?

What…?

We have already seen

What + (no noun)…?
•    What is Jack doing?
•    What did the mayor say?

Now:  What + (noun)…?
•    What time is it?
•    What color are your eyes?
•    What program did you watch?
•    What size shoe does Bobby wear?
•    What kind of dessert do you like?

Which + (noun)….?
•    Which bus should I take?
•    Which coat is yours?
•    Which teacher was your favorite?
•    Which class did you like least?

Which without a noun is used for things:
•    Which is more famous – Disneyland or Universal Studios?
•    Which is hotter – Florida or Hawaii?
•    Which is taller – the Empire State Building or Willis Tower?

For people, use Who without a noun (not Which):
•    Who is more famous – Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein?  (not:  Which is more famous – Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein?)
•    Who is taller – Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain?  (not:  Which is taller – Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain?)

How do we know whether to use What or Which?
What color do you like?
or
Which color do you like?

Which:  Use when there are only a few possibilities.
•    Which color do you like?  Yellow, blue, or green?
•    Which way should I go?  Left or right?
•    Which dessert do you want?

What:  Use for more general situations.
•    What color do you want to paint the room?
•    What movies are playing at the downtown theater?
•    What desserts do they serve at that restaurant?

How…?
•    How was the movie?  —It was boring.
•    How should I wash this sweater?  —By hand.

How + (adjective / adverb)…?
•    How tall is Willis Tower?
•    How big is the sailboat?
•    How many cars are in the parking lot?
•    How often do you mow the lawn?
•    How late do you stay up?
•    How far is it to St. Louis?
•    How hard do you work to keep such a beautiful garden?
•    Etc.

Exercise.  Using the word in parentheses, write questions with What…?

Example:

Jack went to bed late last night.  (time) ==> What time did he go to bed?

1.    I went to the library this afternoon.  (books)
2.    Tom bought a new car.  (color)
3.    Let’s have some ice cream.  (type)
4.    We’re thinking of getting new cell phones.  (kind)
5.    Mary is flying to Atlanta next week.  (airline)

Exercise.  Use What, Which, or Who to complete the following questions.

Example:

There are a lot of newborns in the nursery.  ____________ baby is yours? ==> Which baby is yours?

1.    ____________ month is it?—It’s June.
2.    Don’t forget your umbrella.  ____________ one is yours?
3.    ____________ day does your birthday fall on this year?
4.    ____________ is smarter, Jack or Jill?
5.    ____________ room is your next class in, Room 328 or Room 329?
6.    ____________ did the laundry?  Sally or Mack?
7.    ____________ lake did you vacation at?  Lake Michigan, or Lake Huron?
8.    ____________ hobby does Steve enjoy?
9.    ____________ ate the last piece of cake, Dad or Bill?
10.    ____________ classes do you have this semester?

Exercise.  Write questions for the following answers, using How + (adjective / adverb)…?

Example:

____________ is it to the bus station?  —About three blocks. ==> How far is it to the bus station?

1.    ____________ money do you have?  —Over $20.
2.    ____________ is that building?  —It’s 200 feet tall.
3.    ____________ is an elephant?  —About 2000 pounds.
4.    ____________ is a blue whale?  —It’s nearly 100 feet long.
5.    ____________ is Mount McKinley?  —Over 20,000 feet.
6.    ____________ is Earth from the sun?  —About 93 million miles.
7.    ____________ miles is it from New York to Los Angeles? —Almost 3000 miles.
8.    ____________ gas does the tank of your car hold?  —About 12 gallons.
9.    ____________ do you catch a cold?  —Only once or twice a year.
10.    ____________ is your grandmother?—She’s 96.

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Culture Focus: Wedding Showers

Posted on 2012/05/30
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June – the traditional month for weddings – is just around the corner, I thought I’d take a look at wedding showers for this Culture Focus.  You probably know what a wedding is, and what a shower is, but what does the phrase “wedding shower” mean?

A “shower” is a special party for a person – usually, a pregnant woman (“mother-to-be”) or, in today’s Culture Focus example, a woman engaged to be married (“bride-to-be”) – to give the lady presents especially suited for the big change in life that she is about to experience.  So, a “wedding shower” is held for a bride-to-be, and the gifts given to her are intended to help her establish a household with her new husband.  The origin of the bridal shower probably stems from the older practice of a bridal dowry.

Who usually attends a wedding shower?  Well, of course the bride-to-be will be there, but not the future groom.  Showers are overwhelmingly attended by women (and sometimes teenage girls), so most men will be glad to escape to the golf course or other safe place while their wife or girlfriend is at the shower.  Most of the time it is the bride’s maid of honor who is responsible for arranging for the shower:  the maid of honor will invite the women to come, arrange for refreshments, plan a few games or other activities for the shower, and so on.  The other bridesmaids may help the maid of honor with the planning and logistics of this task, especially if there will be a lot of women at the shower.  Other ladies who are generally invited to the shower include the female relatives of the bride (her mother, grandmother, sisters, aunts, cousins, etc.) as well as female relatives of the groom.  Close friends of the bride are also invited.  And, of course, the females in the bridal party (maid of honor, bridesmaids) are also there.

What kinds of gifts are usually given at a bridal shower?  Traditionally, the purpose of a wedding shower was to help the newlyweds establish a home together, so the gifts tended to be focused on practical things, such as kitchen appliances – toasters, blenders, pots and pans, etc. – and other items for the house – towels, bed clothes and other linens, dishes, silverware, etc.  Nowadays, though, many single people are accustomed to having lived on their own after getting out of college, so there is more flexibility with the gifts given to the new couple.  To help provide guidance as to what items the bride and groom need, many engaged couples set up a “bridal registry” at a department store.   This registry is the couple’s “wish list,” and people can take a look at it to give them an idea as to what to buy for the couple.  If they buy the present at the store where the couple is registered, then the list will be updated so others who access the list will know that the couple no longer need a bath towel set, for example.  The concept of a “bridal registry” is very convenient – no matter how much a couple may enjoy toast with their breakfast, they surely don’t need five toasters!

What do women do at a bridal shower?  Just like any other party, there is a lot of talking and eating!  Rather than serving a full meal, the food is usually “finger food” (appetizers, snacks, small sandwiches, and the like), and generally a cake.  Besides talking and eating, the bride will open her presents, while the other guests admire her gifts.  It is said that for every ribbon the bride breaks while unwrapping her presents, she will have a child.  So, if she breaks five ribbons in the course of opening her gifts, she will have five children!  Of course, this is just a fun fable, and there is no truth to it, but people like to guess how many children are in store for the new couple.  Finally, there might be a few games or activities for the shower attendees to enjoy, such as “How well does the bride know the groom?”, “Bridal Bingo” (based on what types of presents the bride gets at her shower), “Design the Bridal Gown,” or “Advice for the Bride.”

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Grammar Basics: Unit 47 – Who is she talking to? What is it like? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/05/30
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Exercise. Write questions with Who or What to determine the missing information.

Example:

I got a phone call from XXXXX. ==> Who did you get a phone call from?

1.    Dad is talking to XXXXX.
Who is Dad talking to?

2.    The TV program is about XXXXX.
What is the TV program about?

3.    I got a present from XXXXX.
Who did you get a present from?

4.    We were just talking about XXXXX.
What were you just talking about?

5.    That song was written by XXXXX.
Who was that song written by?

Exercise.  Write questions using Which to get further information.

Example:

We stayed at a hotel in Houston. ==> Which hotel did you stay at?

1.    I went to college in Wisconsin.
Which college did you go to?

2.    Tom talked to a clerk.
Which clerk did Tom talk to?

3.    Sam and Mary went to an amusement park.
Which amusement park did Sam and Mary go to?

4.    Steve took me to a restaurant for my birthday.
Which restaurant did Steve take you to?

5.    Jack went to see a movie.
Which theater did Jack go to?

Exercise.  Find out more information by asking questions with What is/are …. like?

Example:

(the class) ==> What’s the class like?

1.    (the hotel)
What’s the hotel like?

2.    (the weather in Montana)
What’s the weather like in Montana?

3.    (Mrs. Wilson)
What’s Mrs. Wilson like?

4.    (the new movie)
What’s the new movie like?

5.    (the county fair)
What’s the county fair like?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 47 – Who is she talking to? What is it like?

Posted on 2012/05/29
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Prepositions usually go at the end of questions beginning with Who, What, Where, and Which:

Who is Sally talking to?
Who is the teacher mad at?
What is the world coming to?
What is Jack talking about?
Where’s the party at?
Where did that stain come from?
Which picture are you looking at?
Which drawer did you put the key in?

The phrase “What’s X like?” is used when you want to ask someone to describe X.  Here, “like” is NOT used as a verb – it is used as a preposition.

“What does Mr. Smith like?” ≠ “What is Mr. Smith like?”

“What does Mr. Smith like?” ==> What are Mr. Smith’s interests?  What does Mr. Smith prefer?

•    Mr. Smith likes chocolate cake.
•    Mr. Smith likes spy movies.
•    Mr. Smith likes Florida.
•    Mr. Smith likes to read books.
•    Etc.

“What is Mr. Smith like?” ==> How would you describe Mr. Smith?

•    Mr. Smith is tall / short.
•    Mr. Smith is old / young.
•    Mr. Smith is athletic / not very active.
•    Mr. Smith is nice / mean.
•    Etc.

Examples:

What was the movie like?
–    It was pretty boring.
What’s the new teacher like?
–    He’s very strict.
What’s life like in the dorms?
–    Rather noisy, as you might imagine.

Exercise. Write questions with Who or What to determine the missing information.

Example:

I got a phone call from XXXXX. ==> Who did you get a phone call from?

1.    Dad is talking to XXXXX.
2.    The TV program is about XXXXX.
3.    I got a present from XXXXX.
4.    We were just talking about XXXXX.
5.    That song was written by XXXXX.

Exercise.  Write questions using Which to get further information.

Example:

We stayed at a hotel in Houston. ==> Which hotel did you stay at?

1.    I went to college in Wisconsin.
2.    Tom talked to a clerk.
3.    Sam and Mary went to an amusement park.
4.    Steve took me to a restaurant for my birthday.
5.    Jack went to see a movie.

Exercise.  Find out more information by asking questions with What is/are …. like?

Example:

(the class) ==> What’s the class like?

1.    (the hotel)
2.    (the weather in Montana)
3.    (Mrs. Wilson)
4.    (the new movie)
5.    (the county fair)

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Education Focus: Scholarships

Posted on 2012/05/28
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money

Today, let’s take a look at scholarships.  With the average cost of attending college / university somewhere between $8,000 and $28,000 per year (depending on factors such as public/private school, location, and so on), many people are concerned about the price of college tuition.  Indeed, in the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, the average price of tuition and fees at a public college / university increased by 130% – more than double, and it doesn’t look like price increases are going to slow down anytime soon.  Small wonder, then, that people look for ways to find money to fund a college education.  Scholarships can help.

When Americans talk about a scholarship, they generally mean “money to study at school,” or money given to a student to cover some (or all) the costs associated with attending school.  Broadly speaking, this could be any school, including a private elementary school or high school.  But usually, most people think of scholarships in the context of attending college or university, and that is what we’ll be taking a brief look at here.

There are different kinds of scholarships.  Some scholarships are what we call a “full ride,” where all expenses are paid for – not only tuition (i.e., the price of instruction), but fees, book, and room and board (i.e., paying for the student’s living arrangements and meals while attending college).  Other scholarships might be for tuition only, or only for books.  Sometimes a scholarship is for a set percentage of a student’s college bill, and other times a scholarship will be for a designated dollar amount, such as $500 per year, or $5000 per year.  Some scholarships are granted through the college or university, while others are granted through private organizations.

Not only do scholarships differ in the amount of support they provide a student, but they can also differ as to the reason why scholarships are awarded.  Some scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit – if a student earns excellent grades, he may be granted a scholarship.  Some scholarships are awarded to students who come from a disadvantaged background – perhaps the student comes from a poor family that otherwise could not afford to send him to college.  Some scholarships are given to students of a particular ethnicity or ancestry – for example, if the student is of German ancestry, or Mexican ancestry, etc.  Some scholarships are given to children of members of a particular group – for example, there are scholarships reserved for students whose mothers are members of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution).  Some scholarships are given in exchange for commitment to future service – for example, if the student agrees to serve in the military during college, or after graduation.  Some scholarships are for sons or daughters of employees of a particular company, and some are for sons or daughters of veterans.  Some are for students who plan to study a particular field, such as medicine.   There are even oddball scholarships:  believe it or not, there are special scholarships for people who are left-handed, for people who have red hair, and people who attend their prom wearing a dress or suit made entirely of duct tape!

As a matter of fact, there are simply too many scholarships available to list them all here.  If you are thinking about attending college, it pays to investigate and see if there are any scholarships that you are eligible for.  If you don’t like the idea of spending hours of research online, you can even sign up for a service that will hunt for scholarships on your behalf.  Of course, such services generally have some sort of fee associated with them, but some people prefer the convenience of having someone else do the digging for them.  Regardless of which option you choose, it’s worthwhile to see if you qualify for one or more of these scholarships.  Every little bit helps!

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 16 (solution)

Posted on 2012/05/28
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crossword puzzle solution

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 16

Posted on 2012/05/27
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crossword puzzle
Across
1 a container with a narrow top for keeping liquids in, usually made of plastic or glass (6)
4 opposite of left (5)
8 one of several parts that together make up a whole machine, system etc (9)
11 the part of the body at the end of your arm (4)
13 to elect someone to office (4)
14 a preposition used to indicate towards a higher place or position (2)
15 not wide (6)
17 opposite of on (3)
18 thick or wide (3)
19 the distance around a circle (13)
22 something that is likely (11)
24 something that keeps a door, etc fastened, usually opened with a key (4)
25 a long, thin piece of wood from a tree, which is no longer attached to the tree (5)
26 a period of 12 months (4)
28 an adverb used when emphasizing the degree or amount of something by saying what the result is (2)
30 opposite of no (3)
31 rock or earth from which metal can be obtained (3)
32 some or even the smallest amount or number (3)
34 the number below the line in a fraction (11)
37 a preposition that refers to the inside or inner part of a thing, place, area, etc (4)

Down
1 a preposition used to what by means or method someone uses to do something (2)
2 also (3)
3 one of the two soft parts around your mouth where your skin is redder or darker (3)
4 to move quickly by moving your legs more quickly than when you walk (3)
5 to move from one place to another (2)
6 lack of conformity (12)
7 all space, including all the stars and planets (8)
8 someone whose job is to drive a car for someone else (9)
9 adult male; human being (3)
10 a device used to measure how hot or cold something is (11)
12 someone who instructs others (7)
16 fermented juice of grapes (4)
19 a very narrow space between two things or two parts of something (5)
20 to move along a surface by turning over and over (4)
21 being essential (9)
22 a part of an engine consisting of a short solid piece of metal inside a tube, which moves up and down to make the other parts of the engine move (6)
23 a small, bitter, egg-shaped black or green fruit, used as food and for making oil (5)
27 mistake (5)
29 to use your eyes (3)
33 personal pronoun for 2nd person, singular or plural (3)
34 a word used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something; auxiliary verb (2)
35 a word used when talking about something that might happen or be true, or might have happened (2)
36 conjunction used for comparing two things (2)

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 23

Posted on 2012/05/26
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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

make a mountain out of a molehill:    make something that is unimportant seem important

Example:

Every time the baby gets the sniffles, Karen rushes off to the doctor with him.  She needs to relax, rather than keep making a mountain out of a molehill.

monkey business:    unethical or bad activity, mischief

Example:  

I understand why Hank is so willing to ignore all the monkey business his nephew is involved in, but doesn’t he realize it will ruin his business?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 46 – Who saw you? Who did you see? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/05/25
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Exercise.  Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the subject.

Example:

Somebody got in trouble for the prank. ==> Who got in trouble for the prank?
Something got in my eye. ==> What got in your eye?

1.    Somebody ate my porridge.
Who ate your porridge?

2.    Someone’s been sleeping in my bed.
Who’s been sleeping in my bed?

3.    Something made a strange noise in the basement.
What made a strange noise in the basement?

4.    Someone gave me a pair of free tickets.
Who gave you a pair of free tickets?

5.    Something frightened the chickens.
What frightened the chickens?

6.    Something caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.
What caused the dinosaurs to become extinct?

7.    Something’s wrong with the TV.
What’s wrong with the TV?

8.    Somebody turned off the lights.
Who turned off the lights?

9.    Somebody brought a cake for the class party.
Who brought a cake for the class party?

10.    Something made me cancel my vacation plans.
What made you cancel your vacation plans?

Exercise.  Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the object.

Example:

John ran into someone at the train station. ==> Who did John run into at the train station?
Mary ate something for lunch. ==> What did Mary eat for lunch?

1.    Tony asked someone to the dance.
Who did Tony ask to the dance?

2.    The cat has something in its mouth.
What does the cat have in its mouth?

3.    Steve is going to the store to get something.
What is Steve going to get at the store?

4.    The police arrested someone for the arson.
Who did the police arrest for the arson?

5.    The teacher picked someone to be his helper.
Who did the teacher pick to be his helper?

6.    Jack wrote something on the back of the picture.
What did Jack write on the back of the picture?

7.    The prince married someone at the end of the fairy tale.
Who did the prince marry at the end of the fairy tale?

8.    The waiter brought Jane something to drink.
What did the waiter bring Jane to drink?

9.    The farmer put something on the plants to make them grow.
What did the farmer put on the plants to make them grow?

10.    The doctor operated on someone.
Who did the doctor operate on?

Exercise.  Ask a question using who or what to find the missing information.

Example:

I bought a XXXXX for a souvenir, and XXXXX got some postcards. ==>
What did you get for a souvenir?  
Who got postcards?

1.    Tom took a picture of Becky sitting on XXXXX, but XXXXX didn’t want his picture taken.
What was Becky sitting on?
Who didn’t want his picture taken?

2.    On our vacation we went to see XXXXX.  Mother also wanted to see XXXXX.
What did you see on your vacation?
What did Mother also want to see?

3.    XXXXX wrote many famous fairy tales.  He also wrote many XXXXX.
Who wrote many famous fairy tales?
What did he also write?

4.    We packed XXXXX, but XXXXX forgot his toothbrush.
What did you pack?
Who forgot his toothbrush?

5.    The children caught XXXXX in the creek.  XXXXX caught the most of all.
What did the children catch in the creek?
Who caught the most of all?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 46 – Who saw you? Who did you see?

Posted on 2012/05/24
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Who / What can be used as either the subject of a question, or the object, when we want to ask about the subject / object.

Who is used when the subject / object is people:  somebody, someone
What is used when the subject / object is not a person – things, ideas, animals, etc.:  something

Jack called Jill on the phone. ==> Who called Jill on the phone?
I invited Tom to the party. . ==> Who did you invite to the party?

(To be absolutely proper, “whom” is the object form:  Whom did you invite to the party?  But in American English, we commonly do not distinguish between “who” and “whom.”   You can, of course, use “whom,” and it will be completely okay.  Just be aware that most Americans do not use it.)

Questions with “Who” as subject:

Who called on the phone?
Who gave you that nice present?
Who is coming to the party?
Who won the election?
Who took my coat?

Questions with “What” as subject:

What happened to the car?
What gave you the idea I was going on vacation?
What stung me on the cheek?
What is in the box?
What has four wings and flies?
What’s wrong with Tom?

Questions with “who” as object:

Who did you see at the library?
Who was Mr. Collins angry at?
Who did the doctor operate on?
Who is Johnny taking piano lessons from?

Questions with “what” as object:

What is Jacob doing?
What was the correct answer to problem number 3?
What did you do in school today?
What was Moses doing in the dark?
What is your name?

We now have more ways to turn a sentence into a question:

The cat caught a mouse. ==>
What caught a mouse?
or
What did the cat catch?

Janice gave the baby a bath. ==>
Who gave the baby a bath?
or
Who did Janice give a bath to?

Peter ate a piece of cake. ==>
Who ate a piece of cake?
or
What did Peter eat?

Exercise.  Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the subject.

Example:

Somebody got in trouble for the prank. ==> Who got in trouble for the prank?
Something got in my eye. ==> What got in your eye?

1.    Somebody ate my porridge.

____________________________________________

2.    Someone’s been sleeping in my bed.

____________________________________________

3.    Something made a strange noise in the basement.

____________________________________________

4.    Someone gave me a pair of free tickets.

____________________________________________

5.    Something frightened the chickens.

____________________________________________

6.    Something caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.

____________________________________________

7.    Something’s wrong with the TV.

____________________________________________

8.    Somebody turned off the lights.

____________________________________________

9.    Somebody brought a cake for the class party.

____________________________________________

10.    Something made me cancel my vacation plans.

____________________________________________

Exercise.  Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the object.

Example:

John ran into someone at the train station. ==> Who did John run into at the train station?
Mary ate something for lunch. ==> What did Mary eat for lunch?

1.    Tony asked someone to the dance.

____________________________________________

2.    The cat has something in its mouth.

____________________________________________

3.    Steve is going to the store to get something.

____________________________________________

4.    The police arrested someone for the arson.

____________________________________________

5.    The teacher picked someone to be his helper.

____________________________________________

6.    Jack wrote something on the back of the picture.

____________________________________________

7.    The prince married someone at the end of the fairy tale.

____________________________________________

8.    The waiter brought Jane something to drink.

____________________________________________

9.    The farmer put something on the plants to make them grow.

____________________________________________

10.    The doctor operated on someone.

____________________________________________

Exercise.  Ask a question using who or what to find the missing information.

Example:

I bought a XXXXX for a souvenir, and XXXXX got some postcards. ==>
What did you get for a souvenir?
Who got postcards?

1.    Tom took a picture of Becky sitting on XXXXX, but XXXXX didn’t want his picture taken.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

2.    On our vacation we went to see XXXXX.  Mother also wanted to see XXXXX.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

3.    XXXXX wrote many famous fairy tales.  He also wrote many XXXXX.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

4.    We packed XXXXX, but XXXXX forgot his toothbrush.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

5.    The children caught XXXXX in the creek.  XXXXX caught the most of all.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

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