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Editing Challenge: Spot 12 grammar mistakes. Circle the mistakes and write the correct forms above them. (hint: 3 per page)
City of Joy Chapter 1 – Part 1 by Dominique Lapierre HehadtheappearanceofaMogulwarrior:thickshockofcurlyhair,sideburns1
whichmetthedroopingcurveofhismoustache,astrong,stockytorso,long2
musculararmsandslightbowedlegs.Yetthirty-two-year-oldHasariPalwas3
merelyapeasant,oneofthefivehundredorsomillioninhabitantsofIndiawho4
werelookingtothegoddessEarthfortheirlivelihood.5
6
Hehadbuilthistwo-roomedhutwithmudwallsandathatchedroof;itwasa7
shortdistanceawayfromthevillageofBankuli,WestBengal,astateinnortheast8
IndialargethanScotlandandfivetimesaspopulatedasGreaterLondon.His9
wife,Aloka,wasayoungwomanwithaclearcomplexionandthelookofan10
angel.Thewingofhernosewaspiercedwithagoldringandherankleswere11
ornamentedwithbanglesthatjangledasshewalked.Shehadgivenhimthree12
children.Theeldest,twelve-year-oldAmrita,hadinheritsherfather’salmond13
eyesandhermother’speachskin.Ten-year-oldManoojandsix-year-oldShambu14
weretwosturdyboyswithblacktousledhairwhowouldfarratherchaselizards15
aroundthepondthanguidethebuffalointothefamilyricefield.Inthepeasant’s16
hometherelivedalsoHasari’sfather,Prodip,agauntmanwithalinedface,17
barredwithathin,greymoustache;hismotherNalini,abentoldwomenas18
wrinkledasawalnut;histwoyoungerbrotherswiththeirwivesandchildren-in19
all,sixteenpeople.20
21
Openingssetverylowintheframeworkofthehutmaintainedacertaindegreeof22
coolnessinthetorridsummer,andalittlewarmthduringthechillywinter23
nights.Shadedbyred-and-whitebougainvillaeas,anarrowverandaranalength24
ofthehutontwosides.25
26
Seatedbeneathaslopingporchroof,Alokawaspedallingatakindofwooden27
seesawwithapestlefixedtoits’end,amachinewhichservedtohusktherice.28
Tick-tack,tick-tack,asthepedalforthericemachineroseandfell,herdaughter,29
Amrita,pushednewhandfulsofgrainunderthepestle.Therice,removedinits30
husk,waspickedupandsortedbythegrandmother.Assoonasshehada31
basketfulshewenttoemptyitatthegola,asmallsilosetonpilesinthemiddle32
ofthecourtyard.Itsloftwasontwolevelsandservedsimultaneouslyasa33
granaryandadovecote.34
35
Allaroundthehutthegoldenriceplantationsstretchedasfarastheeyecould36
see,sprinkledwiththedarkgreenofmangoorchards,thelightgreenofpalm37
treeclustersandthesoftgreenofbamboogroves,setatfardistancesfromeach38
other.Likesparklinglaceworkreflectingtheblueofthesky,irrigationcanals39
stitchedthelandscapetightlyontosquares.Footbridgesformeddelicate40
arabesquesoverpoolscoveredwithlotuses,hyacinthsandducks.Childrenwith41
sticksdrovegreatshiningbuffaloacrossthesmalldikes,stirringupanochre-42
coloureddustastheywent.Attheendofthisstiflinglyhotday,thereddening43
discofSurya,theSungod,wassinkingbeyondthehorizon,andawelcome44
breezewasblowinginfromthesea.Fromthevast,flatexpanseofland45
resoundedthejoyouscryofamyriadbirdsswoopinglowoverthericetipsin46
salutetotheoncomingnight.Bengalwereindeedthecelebratedjewelof47
troubadoursandpoets,aparadisewhereonmoonlitnightsthegodKrishna48
cametoplayhisflutewiththegopis,hisplaymates,andtosweephisbeloved49
wife,Radha,intohisdance.50
51
Withthedisappearanceofthesuncame‘thehourofthecowdust’,thetimewhen52
thecattlecamebackfromtheirgrazing,themenreturnedfromthericefields,53
andthechickenscamehometoroost.Withhiscottonloinclothtuckedup54
betweenhislegstomakeiteasierforhimtowalk,HasariPalwhistledashe55
ambledpeaceablyalong,carryinghiswoodenploughoverhisshoulder.Asthe56
nightdrewon,thedovesredoubledtheircirclingandcooing.Inthetamarindsa57
tribeofmynahs,India’ssparrows,struckupadeafenedconcert.Twosquirrels58
stripedwiththe‘threefinger-marksofthegodRama’scamperedaboutinthe59
papaya.Heronsandegretsmadehastilyfortheirnests.Amangydogsniffedat60
thegroundinsearchofasuitableplacetospendthenight.Then,gradually,the61
high-pitchedsqueakofthecicadasfadedaway.Therewasthelasttick-tackof62
thericemachine-thensilence,asilencethatwasalmostimmediatelybrokeas63
thefrogsstarteduptheirchorus.Andabovethatthererosetherhythmiccroak64
ofabuffalotoad.65
66
Inlessthanfiveminutes,thetropicalnighthaddescendedupontheland.Asshe67
dideveryevening,Hasari’swife,Aloka,blewintoaconchshelltogreetthe68
goddessofthenight.Oneofhersisters-in-lawrangasmallbelltochasetowards69
theevilspirits,especiallythosewholivedinthehundred-year-oldbanyantreeat70
theendoftheroad.Thecowwastiedupintheshantythatservedasastable.For71
awhilearecalcitrantgoatforcedeveryonetoscatterabout,tryingtocatchit.72
Eventually,however,orderwasrestoredandHasaripulledabarbedgateacross73
theentrancetothecourtyard,tokeepoutjackalsandfoxes.Thenhismother74
performedaritualasancientasIndiaitself-shefilledtheoilinthelampwhich75
burnedbeforepolychromepicturesofthetutelarygods:RamaandhiswifeSita,76
goddessofthefruitsoftheearth;Lakshmi,thegoddessofprosperityseatedona77
lotusblossom;andCJanesh,theelephant-headedgodofgoodfortune.Twoother78
pictures,discolouredbytheyears,showedthechildlikefaceofKrishna,greedily79
swallowingabowlofbutter,apopularrepresentationoftheCowherdgodmost80
dearlovedbytheHindupeople;andtheMonkeygod,Hanuman,alegendary81
heroofsomeofthemostprodigiousadventuresofIndianmythology.82