--- title: "Edit text: two pastors and a sign" subject: "Communication English" chapter: 3 key: "semester_5/communication_english:edit-text-two-pastors-bridge" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/edit-text-two-pastors-bridge site: BCT Engineering --- # Edit text: two pastors and a sign Communication English · Chapter 3: Contextual Grammar - Asked in: 2071 Chaitra, 5 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/edit-text-two-pastors-bridge - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-3 ## Question Edit the following: Two pastors are standing by the side of a road holding up a sign that reads. The end is near turn around now before its too late! A passing driver yells, "you guys are nuts!" and speed past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tyres- then a big splash. One of the pastors says to the other, do you think we should just put up a sign that says Bridge broken instead? ## Short answer Two pastors are standing by the road with a sign: “The end is near! Turn around before it’s too late!” A driver yells, “You are nuts!” and speeds past. They hear screeching tyres, then a splash. One pastor says, “Should our sign just say Bridge broken?” ## Answer #### Edited text Two pastors are standing by the side of a road, holding up a sign that reads, "The end is near! Turn around now before it's too late!" A passing driver yells, "You guys are nuts!" and speeds past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tyres, then a big splash. One of the pastors says to the other, "Do you think we should just put up a sign that says 'Bridge broken' instead?" #### Corrections made - Comma after "road" and after "reads"; the text of the sign is put in quotation marks with correct punctuation. - "its" corrected to "it's" (it is). - "you guys" starts with a capital letter inside the quotation marks. - "speed" changed to "speeds" (agrees with the singular subject "driver"). - A dash replaced by a comma after "tyres" and the speech of the pastor placed in quotation marks. - The question mark added at the end of the question. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. How should the text of the pastors' sign be written? A. Left as it is, with no punctuation change B. Placed in quotation marks after a comma, with proper punctuation inside C. Put in brackets D. Written in capital letters only Answer: B. Words on the sign are quoted: reads, "The end is near! Turn around now before it's too late!" (Key point: Quoting the sign text) 2. What is the correct form in 'before its too late'? A. its B. it's, meaning 'it is' C. its' D. it is's Answer: B. The apostrophe in it's marks the contraction of 'it is'; 'its' is possessive. (Key point: Its vs it's) 3. Why is 'speed past them' changed to 'speeds past them'? A. The driver is a singular subject needing the -s verb B. Because the action is in the future C. Because 'past' needs an -s verb D. Because the sentence is a question Answer: A. The singular subject 'a passing driver' takes the singular verb 'speeds'. (Key point: Subject-verb agreement) 4. What is the correct treatment of the pastor's remark at the end? A. Keep it without any marks B. Put it in quotation marks, start with a capital letter and end with a question mark C. Add a full stop only D. Use a dash before it Answer: B. Direct speech needs quotation marks, a capital at the start, and a question mark for a question. (Key point: Punctuating speech) ## Related in Communication English - [Edit text: waking up at night](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-stupid-and-worrying) — Communication English, chapter 3 - [Edit text: practice and success](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-incessant-practices) — Communication English, chapter 3 - [Edit text: Kashmiri vendors](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-kashmiri-vendors) — Communication English, chapter 3 - [Edit text: woman and sick husband](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-woman-husband-ill) — Communication English, chapter 3 - [Edit text: American politics](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-american-politics) — Communication English, chapter 3 - [Edit text: frightened and halfdead](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-how-you-frightened-me) — Communication English, chapter 3 ## Related in other subjects - [Two peg test, AB = 40 m, near B](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fsurveying_i%3Atwo-peg-ab-40m-inner-side-b) — Surveying I, chapter 5 - [Two peg, AB = 60 m, near A](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fsurveying_i%3Atwo-peg-ab-60m-near-a-6m-inside) — Surveying I, chapter 5 - [Side-long ground hill road, 0-400 m](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Aside-long-road-n) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6 - [Collimation error with level mid-way and near B](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fsurveying_i%3Atwo-peg-60m-staff-1-855-1-625) — Surveying I, chapter 5