Altering Alice

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This editing game is more ‘focussed practice’ than ‘game’:

Copy the paragraph into “Comments” and change one word. A word may need to be replaced by two words (or several words may have to change together). Make every version meaningful. If someone ahead of you has made a change that you think requires another word to change, then change it. Oh: To make it more of a game, if you get bored, you’re definitely allowed to play with the text.

Lewis Caroll: Through The Looking Glass. Chapter IX. Queen Alice.

“WELL, this is grand!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a Queen so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, your Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

1. “WELL, this has been grand!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a Queen so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, your Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

Comments

12 Responses

  1. Aside:
    This post is an experiment. I think any of these sorts of activities are just a bit boring:

      1. substituting words
      2. reducing sentences

    Why? They’re obviously didactic. And in real life – for example, here in the blogosphere – we would always prefer to avoid anything that is overtly didactic. On the other hand, they’re quite effective teaching tools. I particularly like substituting one word to see how the meaning of the sentence changes, focussing on synonyms and antonyms. Great with conceptual thinkers! So in a lesson, I think they work very well. But they will only work in a group that wants to feel like they’re being taught or rather, wants to feel like they’re learning.

    Not all groups do, though. Or rather, not at all times. It’s no good trying to sell an exercise as a game. Sometimes you need an activity in between the teaching. So here is a very productive substitution game that I learned to play at a party, which also works in class but always feels like you’re having a party:

    Writing and drawing Chinese whispers

    Take a sheet of paper. Write a sentence across the top. The next person reads the sentence and draws a small picture of it below. Then that person folds the paper over so you can’t read the sentence at the top. He/she then hands the piece of paper to the next in line. That person looks at the picture and writes a sentence that represents the picture, and folds the page so you can’t see the picture, and passes it on to the next person, who again draws a picture illustrating the sentence … and so on.

    I have as many sheets going as there are participants. Afterwards, the sheets are unrolled and read out and hung up as a text and art exhibit.

    This works at all levels, and is always fun. It would also work in an Alice-themed lesson – why not?

    I also suppose it would work as a Web 2.0 task with a bunch of people who are into using design tools. But here producing the drawing might take up more time than makes sense for a language-based task. Still, it’s a thought.

    Back to the task:
    That said, if anyone wants to try playing Altering Alice below in the comments, go ahead, be my guest !!

  2. 2. “WELL, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a Queen so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, your Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  3. 3. “WELL, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, your Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  4. BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, your Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  5. “BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  6. “BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Majesty,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the coal shed like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  7. “BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Old China,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be lolling about in the coal shed like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  8. “BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I never expected I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Old China,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be horsing about in the coal shed like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  9. “BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I’d never ‘ave thought I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Old China,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be horsing about in the coal shed like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!”

  10. “BLIMEY, this has been amazin’!” said Alice. “I’d never ‘ave thought I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Old China,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be horsing about in the coal shed like that! Queens can’t be dignified, you know!”

  11. Nice idea, havenie used in oddles. Here is my stab at it.

    “Blimey, this has been FABTASTIC’!” said Alice. “I’d never ‘ave thought I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me Old MUCKER,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be horsing about in the coal shed like that! Queens can’t be dignified, you know!”

    Works nicely with some songs as well, like Susanne Vega´s “Tom´s Dinner” which I am sure we have all used for tenses.

  12. “Blimey, this has been fabtastic’!” said Alice. “I’d never ‘ave thought I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me old mucker,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be horsing about in the coal shed like that! Queens can’t be too careful, you know!”

    OR

    “Blimey, this has been fabtastic’!” said Alice. “I’d never ‘ave thought I should be a star so soon—and I’ll tell you what it is, me old mucker,” she went on, in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it’ll never do for you to be horsing about in the coal shed like that! Queens can’t be bovvered, you know!”

    YOU CHOOSE!

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