hd_writers | EVENT || GRAMMAR GAME || DIALOGUE AND PUNCTUATION

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Welcome to our first grammar game, which is all about quotations and dialogue! Under the cut are 35 quotations from the 7 Harry Potter books. Some quotations been altered to include one or more of the most common dialogue and quotation errors. However, take care: Some of the quotations are completely correct; some have one or multiple punctuation errors. Note: No spelling has been changed as part of this challenge, but keep your eye out for incorrect capitalizations and punctuation as your navigate your way through this grammar game. As a competitor, you must figure out all the quotations that need to be fixed, correct them, and then send your completed grammar game to slytherincess[at]gmail[dot]com. You have until 12:00 A.M. GMT Wednesday 8 August 2012 to complete and submit your corrections. You may be interested in reading this guide to basic dialogue as you complete the grammar game.

Grammar Game: Dialogue and Quotations

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

01. ‘Anyway – Harry’, said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys. ‘a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here – I mighta sat on it at some point, but it’ll taste all right.’

Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys

02. ‘Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh,’ said Hagrid. ‘Harry – yer a wizard’

Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys

03. ‘Ah, yes,’ He said softly. ‘Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity.’

Chapter 8: The Potions Master

04. ‘Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?’

Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised

05. ‘We’ll be lucky ter catch anythin’ now, with the racket you two were makin’. Right, we’re changin’ groups – Neville, you stay with me an’ Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an’ this idiot. I’m sorry.’ Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry. ‘but he’ll have a harder time frightenin’ you, an’ we’ve gotta get this done.’

Chapter 15: The Forbidden Forest

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

06. ‘Right – I’m off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me. And you’ he snarled at Harry ‘you stay out of your aunt’s way while she’s cleaning.’

Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday

07. ‘You were seen.’ he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud. ‘ ‘Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower ... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing ... Mr Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police’ ... six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?’ he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. ‘Dear, dear ... his own son ...’

Chapter 5: The Whomping Willow

08. ‘It’s about the most insulting thing he could think of,’ Gasped Ron, coming back up, ‘Mudblood’s a really foul name for someone who was Muggle-born – you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards – like Malfoy’s family – who think they’re better than everyone else because they’re what people call pure-blood’

Chapter 7: Mudbloods and Murmurs

09. A high-pitched voice answered him. I – I don’t think I’m going to come after all. You go on without me.’

Chapter 12: The Polyjuice Potion

10. ‘I bet Dumbledore saw right through you.’ said Harry, his teeth gritted.

Chapter 17: The Heir of Slytherin

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

11. ‘Eleven Sickles,’ said Stan, ‘But for firteen you get ’ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an ’ot-water bottle an’ a toofbrush in the colour of your choice.’

Chapter 3: The Knight Bus

12. ‘Hey, Potter!’ shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug, ‘Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooo!’

Chapter 6: Talons and Tea Leaves

13. ‘The incantation is this –’ Lupin cleared his throat. ‘expecto patronum!’

Chapter 12: The Patronus

14. ‘The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant’s aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight ... before midnight ... the servant ... will set out ... to rejoin ... his master ...’

Chapter 16: Professor's Trelawney's Prediction

15. ‘Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter.’ Said Lupin, nodding. ‘I believed it myself – until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder’s Map never lies ... Peter’s alive. Ron’s holding him, Harry.

Chapter 18: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

16. ‘Three ...’ Muttered Mr Weasley, one eye still on his watch. ‘two ... one ...’

Chapter 6: The Portkey

17. ‘I knew it,’ Said Mr Weasley heavily, ‘Ministry blunders ... culprits not apprehended ... lax security ... Dark wizards running unchecked ... national disgrace ... Who wrote this? Ah ... of course ... Rita Skeeter.’

Chapter 10: Mayhem at the Ministry

18. ‘Because I want to fix that in my memory for ever,’ said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face. ‘Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret ...’

Chapter 13: Mad-Eye Moody

19. ‘Nice socks, Potter.’ Moody growled as he passed, his magical eye staring through Harry’s robes.

Chapter 23: The Yule Ball

20. ‘I told you, Harry ... I told you. If there’s one thing I hate more than any other, it’s a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master, when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry ...’ Moody’s face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. ‘Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful ... prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all ... you,’

Chapter 35: Veritaserum

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

21. ‘DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Wand!’ Harry muttered frantically, his hands flying over the ground like spiders. ‘where’s – wand – come on – lumos!’

Chapter 1: Dudley Demented

22. ‘Sirius,’ said Mundungus, who did not appear to have paid any attention to the conversation, but had been minutely examining an empty goblet. ‘this solid silver, mate?’

Chapter 5: The Order of the Phoenix CORRECTED

23. ‘She didn’t enjoy it very much,’ Luna informed him. ‘She doesn’t think you treated her very well, because you wouldn’t dance with her. I don’t think I’d have minded,’ she added thoughtfully, ‘I don’t like dancing very much.’

Chapter 10: Luna Lovegood

24. She handed him a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point. ‘I want you to write, I must not tell lies.’ She told him softly.

Chapter 13: Detention With Delores

25. ‘What are you doing, Potter’? Said Snape, as coldly as ever, as he strode over to the four of them.

I’m trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir.’ Said Harry fiercely.

Chapter 38: The Second War Begins

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

26. ‘He lives here?’ asked Bella in a voice of contempt, ‘Here? In this Muggle dunghill? We must be the first of our kind ever to set foot –

Chapter 2: Spinner's End

27. ‘I wouldn’t go in the kitchen just now.’ [Ginny] warned him, ‘There’s a lot of Phlegm around.’

‘I’ll be careful not to slip in it.’ smiled Harry.

Chapter 7: The Slug Club

28. ‘Farewell, Aragog, king of arachnids, whose long and faithful friendship those who knew you won’t forget! Though your body will decay, your spirit lingers on in the quiet, web-spun places of your Forest home. May your many-eyed descendants ever flourish and your human friends find solace for the loss they have sustained.’

Chapter 22: After the Burial

29. ‘No, Draco.’ said Dumbledore quietly. ‘It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.’

Chapter 27: The Lightning-Struck Tower

30. ‘I thought I might go back to Godric’s Hollow,’ Harry muttered. He had had the idea in his head ever since the night of Dumbledore’s death. ‘for me, it started there, all of it. I’ve just got a feeling I need to go there. And I can visit my parents’ graves, I’d like that.’

Chapter 30: The White Tomb

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

31. ‘Good.’ said Moody, limping forwards as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of Potion. ‘straight in here, if you please.’

Chapter 4: The Seven Potters

32. ‘Always the tone of surprise,’ said Hermione, though she smiled. She was wearing a floaty, lilac-coloured dress with matching high heels; her hair was sleek and shiny. ‘Your Great Aunt Muriel doesn’t agree, I just met her upstairs while she was giving Fleur the tiara. She said “Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born?” and then “bad posture and skinny ankles”.’

Chapter 8: The Wedding

33. Hermione read the few lines of spiky, acid-green writing aloud. ‘‘Dear Batty, Thanks for your help. Here’s a copy of the book, hope you like it. You said everything, even if you don’t remember it. Rita.’ I think it must have arrived while the real Bathilda was alive, but perhaps she wasn’t in any fit state to read it?’

Chapter 18: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore

34. ‘The Elder Wand.’ he said, and he drew a straight vertical line upon the parchment. ‘The Resurrection Stone.’ he said, and he added a circle on top of the line. ‘The Cloak of Invisibility.’ he finished, enclosing both line and circle in a triangle, to make the symbol that so intrigued Hermione. ‘Together,’ He said, ‘the Deathly Hallows.’

Chapter 21: The Tale of the Three Brothers

35. ‘Albus Severus,’ Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, ‘You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.’

‘But just say –’

‘– then Slytherin house will have gained an excellent student, won’t it? It doesn’t matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you’ll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.’

‘Really?’

‘It did for me.’ Said Harry.

Epilogue

DID YOU KNOW ...?

A quotation is something someone says or has said. In writing, American English uses double quotes to indicate a quotation: "Hermione, you've got to have some extra ink in that bag of yours." British English uses single quote marks, like so: ‘Hermione, you've got to have some extra ink in that bag of yours.’

TODAY'S GRAMMAR TIDBIT