Wedding Bells

       During our first class our professor instructed us to write about a happy experience. I have been fortunate enough to have many happy experiences in my life, therefore, it was difficult to choose one particular time or event to write about. I decided to write about my most recent happy memory, which occurred in July of this year.      
       On July 7, 2012 while visiting friends in Florida, I found out that my sister's boyfriend had proposed. My sister's engagement has been a happy experience for my whole family because it has brought us closer together. I have always been very close with my family, but the many events that are involved in planning a wedding has brought much excitement and things to do with my family.
       My sister's engagement party was a blast and a huge success. She has ordered her dress, which is gorgeous. We are in the process of trying on bridesmaid dresses and today I accompanied her to the florist. Although it can be stressful being a maid of honor, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I enjoy the time I am spending with my sister and I cannot wait for the wedding day!

 

Click here to read about American Wedding Traditions

 



Vocabulary Words:

1. Professor

2. Fortunate

3. Proposed

4. Engagement

5. Gorgeous

6. Florist

7. Bridesmaid

8. Maid of honor

 

Definitions:

1. Professor: a teacher, usually in a college or university

2. Fortunate: having good luck

3. Proposed: to make an offer or suggestion. In this case, to ask someone to marry them

4. Engagement: a promise of marriage

5. Gorgeous: pretty or beautiful

6. Florist: a place that sells flowers

7. Bridesmaid: usually a family member or friend that helps the bride with the wedding

8. Maid of honor: an unmarried woman, usually a close family member or friend, who helps the bride with the wedding

 

Vocabulary Cloze Exercise:

1. My ____________________ at Molloy College is very knowledgeable in grammar.

2. She was ___________________ enough to win the lottery.

3. He ______________________ to his girlfriend in Paris.

4. The couple decided to have a long ____________________ in order to save up money.

5. The Queen's dress was ________________________.

6. I drove to the ____________________ to pick up flowers for the centerpieces.

7. There were seven _____________________ in the wedding party.

8. Since my sister is the closest to me, she will be my ________________________ at my wedding.

 

Grammar Point: Past Tense

The passage above uses many words in the past tense. In order to change a word from the present to the past tense, you must add -ed to the end of the word. For example, in order to change the word walk to the past tense, you add -ed and it becomes walked. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. You do not always add -ed to words to change them to the past tense. For example, the word go changes into went in the past tense, not goed. In the passage, I used the word instructed, which is the word instruct in the past tense. Notice the -ed at the end of instructed. I also used the word found, which is an exception to the rule. The word found is the past tense of find. Notice that I did not add an -ed to the word find.

 

Grammar Activity

Directions: Choose the correct form of the past tense by circling a, b, or c. 

 

1. The past tense of run is

a. runed

b. ran

c. runs

 

2. The past tense of talk is

a. talked

b. talks

c. talking

 

3. The past tense of shake is

a. shakey

b. shakes

c. shaked

 

4. The past tense of see is

a. saw

b. seen

c. seed

 

5. The past tense of travel is

a. traveled

b. travels

c. traveling