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More Level 1 Exercises

The Opening Paragraphs of
Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities
Answer Key for Level 1
Current technology makes it extremely difficult to draw lines, etc. from word to word in web documents. In Level One, I have therefore indicated words modified by prepositional phrases in following brackets. These brackets will be deleted in the answer keys to subsequent levels.
 
    It was the best {of times}, [Adjective to "the best *time*"] it 

was the worst (of times}, [Adjective to "the worst *time*"] it was

the age {of wisdom}, [Adjective to "age"] it was the age {of 

foolishness}, [Adjective to "age"]  it was the epoch {of belief},

[Adjective to "epoch"] it was the epoch {of incredulity}, 

[Adjective to "epoch"]  it was the season {of Light}, [Adjective to

"season"] it was the season {of Darkness}, [Adjective to "season"]

it was the spring {of hope}, [Adjective to "spring"] it was the

winter {of despair}, [Adjective to "winter"] we had everything

{before us}, [Adverb to "had"] we had nothing {before us}, 

[Adverb to "had"] we were all going direct {to Heaven}, [Adverb

to "were going"] we were all going direct the other way-- {in 

short,}[Note # 1] the period was so far {like the present 

period}, [Adjective to the preceding "period"] that some {of its 

noisiest authorities} [Adjective to "some"] insisted {on its being 

received}, [Adverb to "insisted"Note # 2] {for good} [Adverb to

"being received"] or {for evil}, [Adverb to "being received"]  {in

the superlative degree} [Adverb to "being received"] {of 

comparison} [Adjective to "degree"] only.

      There were a king {with a large jaw} [Adjective to "king"]

and a queen {with a plain face}, [Adjective to "queen"] {on the 

throne} [Adverb to "were"] {of England}; [Adjective to "throne"]

there were a king {with a large jaw}  [Adjective to "king"] and a 

queen {with a fair face}, [Adjective to "queen"] {on the throne} 

[Adverb to "were"] {of France}. [Adjective to "throne"]  {In both 

countries} [Adverb to "was"] it was clearer {than crystal} [Adverb

to "clearer"] {to the lords} [Adverb to "clearer"] {of the State 

preserves} [Adjective to "lords"] {of loaves and fishes}, [Adjective

to "preserves"] that things {in general} [Adjective to "things" or

Adverb to "were settled"] were settled {for ever}. [Adverb to "were 

settled"]

     It was the year {of Our Lord} [Adjective to "year"] one 

thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.  Spiritual 

revelations were conceded {to England} [Adverb to "were 

conceded"] {at that favoured period}, [Adverb to "were 

conceded"] as {at this}. [Adverb to "*are* conceded"Note #3]  Mrs. 

Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed

birthday, {of whom} [Adjective to "appearance"Note # 4]

prophetic private {in the Life Guards} [Adjective to "private"] 

had heralded the sublime appearance {by announcing}

[Adverb to "had heralded"] that arrangements were made {for

the swallowing up} [Adjective to "arrangements"] {of London

and Westminster}. [Adjective or Adverb to "swallowing"Note # 5] 

Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen 

{of years}, [Adjective to "dozen"] {after rappingNote # 6 out its 

messages,} [Adjective to "years" or Adverb to "had been laid"] as 

the spirits {of this very year} [Adjective to "spirits"] last past 

(supernaturally deficient {in originality} [Adverb to "deficient"]

rapped out theirs. Mere messages {in the earthly order} 

[Adjective to "messages"] {of events} [Adjective to "order"] had 

lately come {to the English Crown and People}, [Adverb to

"had come"] {from a congress} [Adverb to "had come"] {of 

British subjects} [Adjective to "congress"] {in America}: 

[Adjective to "subjects"] which, strange to relate, have proved 

more important {to the human race} [Adverb to the adjective

"important"] {than any communications} [Adverb to the adverb

"more"Note #7] yet received {through any} [Adverb to "received"]

{of the chickens} [Adjective to "any"] {of the Cock-lane brood}.

[Adjective to "chickens"]
 

Project Gutenberg
2city11.zip


Notes

1. In Level Five, we will consider this prepositional phrase as an interjection. For now, let's simply consider it as an adverb to the following "was."

2. If you missed this one, ignore the error. The phrase includes a gerund, a topic for Level Four.

3. If you were confused by what the "{at this}" refers to, don't worry about it. It involves a long ellipsis of a subordinate clause:

Spiritual revelations were conceded {to England} {at that favoured period,}  as *spiritual revelations are conceded {to England}* {at this *favoured period*.}
When we get to clauses in Level Three, this will become clearer.

4. If you took "{of whom}" to "Mrs. Southcott," you made one of those errors that are expected (and don't count). Here, as in the passage discussed in Note #3, the clause construction -- with which we have not yet dealt -- causes the confusion.

5. "Swallowing" is a gerund, a verb used as a noun. Normally, gerunds are modified as verbs, but grammarians argue about this, so either answer should be considered correct. Don't bust your head on this. At this level, focus on all those normal prepositional phrases that you are getting right. [You are getting lots of them right aren't you? ;) ] We'll get to gerunds soon enough.

6. "Rapping" is another gerund (as in Note #5). At this level, I would also consider both "{after rapping}" and "{after rapping out}" as correct answers.

7. If you did not consider "{than any communications}" as a prepositional phrase, you did not make an error. Note that, whatever we call it, this group of words chunks to "more." If "more" is removed from the sentence, then this phrase must go also.
 

Progress:
Total Words = 334 Words %
L1: In Prep Phrases  173  52
The count includes the "or" that joins the
two prepositional phrases: {for good} "or" {for evil}.

Click here to see the addition of adjectives and adverbs.

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