The Hundred Dresses

Wanda Petronski sits in the seat next to the last seat in the last row in Room 13. She sits there because her feet are usually caked with dry mud coming from Boggins Heights, and it is a rough corner where loud boys sit.

Wanda lives at Boggins Heights. It seems to be a poor, damp, and undeveloped area on the outskirts of the town.

They noticed her absence on Wednesday, three days after she had been absent. They noticed it because they had waited for her to have some fun (tease her), and she didn't show up, making them late for school.

"To have fun with her" means to tease her about her name and her claim of having a hundred dresses.

She had a strange and funny name. She was poor and always wore a faded blue dress that didn't fit right. She was quiet and rarely laughed.

Wanda was a talented artist. When she spoke of a hundred dresses, she was referring to the hundred exquisite drawings of dresses she had made for the drawing contest.

The letter stated that Wanda and her brother Jake would not come to school anymore because they were moving to a big city where no one would make fun of their name.

Maddie felt sick and guilty. She couldn't concentrate on her lessons. She felt like a coward because she never stood up against Peggy's teasing.

Peggy said she never called Wanda a foreigner or made fun of her name. She claimed her teasing about the dresses actually gave Wanda ideas for her drawings. She did this to shield herself from the guilt of hurting Wanda.

Maddie hoped to find Wanda to apologize and tell her she was smart and her dresses were beautiful. She wanted to promise that she would fight anyone who was not nice to her.

They wrote a friendly letter telling her she had won the contest and that her drawings were beautiful. They asked about her new home and teacher. It was their way of apologizing.

1. Object becomes Subject.
2. Subject becomes Object (Preceded by 'by').
3. Verb changes to V3 (Past Participle).
4. Auxiliary verb added according to tense.

Present Simple: is/am/are + V3
Past Simple: was/were + V3
Future Simple: will be + V3
Continuous: being + V3
Perfect: been + V3

1. He writes a letter. → A letter is written by him.
2. She was cooking food. → Food was being cooked by her.
3. I have finished the work. → The work has been finished by me.
4. Who broke this cup? → By whom was this cup broken?

Coordinating (FANBOYS): For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
Subordinating: Because, Although, If, Unless, Since, While, etc.
Correlative: Either...or, Neither...nor, Not only...but also.

1. He is rich. He is unhappy.
   He is rich but unhappy. / Although he is rich, he is unhappy.
2. Run fast. You will miss the train.
   Run fast or you will miss the train. / Unless you run fast, you will miss the train.
3. He is intelligent. He is hardworking.
   He is not only intelligent but also hardworking.

Subject: Rising Incidents of Bullying in Schools.

Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw attention to the serious issue of bullying in schools. It causes immense mental trauma to students, affecting their self-esteem and academic performance.
Schools must implement strict anti-bullying policies and counselling sessions. Parents and teachers need to be vigilant. It is time we create a safe environment for every child.

Yours truly,
Concerned Citizen

THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR

It was a dark and stormy night. I was alone in the house, reading a book. Suddenly, the lights went out. I fumbled for a candle. Just then, I heard a knock on the door...

Terrified, I moved towards the door. "Who is it?" I asked. No answer. The knocking continued. I opened the door slowly. To my surprise, it was a tiny, shivering stray puppy seeking shelter from the rain.

Relieved, I took him in, dried him, and gave him some milk. He became my best friend.

Moral: Fear often makes things look worse than they are.