CHAPTER 23 – GRADUATION
Situation: Annie met Liz after she had purchased a graduation gift for her sister Veronica. Both of them are talking about the graduation ceremony and Veronica’s plan of action after finishing four years of studies.
Liz: That is a very lovely bouquet of flowers. Who is it for?
Annie: These flowers are for my sister Veronica. Today is her graduation day.
Liz: It must have cost you a fortune.
Annie: I paid sixty dollars for it.
Liz: That is expensive.
Annie: Yes, but it is worth it. My sister worked very hard for her degree over the last four years. Today is a very important day for her, and I want it to be special.
Liz: That is very nice of you. I wish it is our graduation day also.
Annie: Another three years and we will be done also. Three years seems to be a long time. Yet, it is not too bad.
Liz: Where are they going to hold the graduation ceremony?
Annie: The ceremony will be held on upper campus near the library at 3:00PM.
Liz: I believe the school of Business and the school of Engineering hold the same graduation ceremony.
Annie: That will be a big ceremony. Imagine all the graduating students from both schools along with their relatives and acquaintances.
Liz: You better show up early; otherwise, there will not be a seat left for you.
Annie: I better get a seat close to the stage if I want to get good pictures of my sister.
Liz: I think all the seats up front are reserved for the graduating students. If you want to be close to the stage, you probably will have to stand close by.
Annie: That will be good enough for me. I can snatch pictures of her when she walks by.
Liz: The University always has at least two professional photographers to take pictures of the students when they go upstage for their diploma.
Annie: Yes, I heard that the photographers usually take a couple of pictures of each student— ordinarily, when the students receive their diploma and when the school’s President shakes their hands in congratulation.
Liz: That will take care of the whole thing then. All the important moments will be captured on film.
Annie: And after the ceremony, there will be plenty of time to take pictures of my sister with our family and her friends.
Liz: The university store usually does not require the students to return their graduating gowns and caps right after the ceremony.
Annie: Yes, Veronica has the option of returning them the next day.
Liz: She will be wearing a black gown and cap with a gold tassel, right?
Annie: Yes. I wonder how she will feel. She will probably be very excited, very happy, and also very relieved to be done with her studies for now.
Liz: What do you mean by “for now”? Is she planning to pursue graduate studies?
Annie: Yes, but she plans to find a job first, and then she will go back to school for her Masters degree.
Liz: You mean she will work for a while and then quit to go back to school full-time?
Annie: No, she needs to work to support herself. She will work full-time and go to school parttime at night.
Liz: It will be hard to hold a full-time job while going to school.
Annie: I know it will not be easy; however, lots of people have done it. So, she can too.
Liz: I am sure she will be able to do that. She is such a smart person, and hard-working too.
Annie: I wish I am as disciplined as she is.
Liz: Have fun, Annie. Tell your sister that I send my best wishes.
Annie: Thanks. Bye, Liz.
Liz: Bye, Annie.
Questions/Answers Practice
| Q: What are your plans after graduation? | A: I want to take some times off to travel before I start looking for a new job. |
| Q: Who will attend your graduation ceremony? | A: My family and some of my friends will be there. |
| Q: What will you do to celebrate this special day? | A: My friends and I plan to go on a ski trip to celebrate our graduation. |
| Q: How do you feel about your graduation day? | A: I feel very excited, yet a little bit sad because my school days are over. |
| Q: Do you plan to go back to school once your new life is settled? | A: Definitely, I plan to go to graduate school. |
Q: What is your chance of getting a good job?
A: I think I have a good chance of getting the job that I want.
3) Comprehension test
- Why did Annie buy the bouquet of flowers?
- Why did Annie buy the bouquet of flowers even though it costs so much?
- When will Liz and Annie graduate from college?
- Where do they hold the graduation ceremony?
- Why is it going to be a big graduation ceremony?
- What should Annie do to get good pictures of her sister?
- What kinds of arrangement did the school make as far as graduation pictures?
- When will the photographers take pictures of the graduates?
- Why does Annie’s sister have plenty of time for pictures after the graduation ceremony?
- What kind of graduation garment do the students wear?
- What will Annie’s sister do after she finds a job?
4) Discussion
- What would you like to happen on your graduation day?
- How will you feel on your graduation day?
- Is graduation day an important moment of your life? Why? Why not?
GRAMMAR REVIEW
PUNCTUATION MARKS
Punctuation marks are used to clarify the thoughts expressed in a sentence. These special marks play a very important role and should not be overlooked in the study of grammar.
Importance of punctuation marks
Punctuations marks are extremely important to sentences as they help to clarify the writer’s thoughts and ease the understanding of the readers. Two of the most common problems that happen in the absence of correct punctuation are:
- Run-on sentences: This is the case where different independent clauses are put together within a sentence without being separated by any punctuation.
My mother always runs out of time she has to rush from one project to another. (Run-on sentence)
My mother always runs out of time; she has to rush from one project to another.
(Correct)
My mother always runs out of time, and she has to rush from one project to another.
(Correct)
My mother always runs out of time. She has to rush from one project to another. (Correct)
- Comma splices: This is the case where a comma is used incorrectly to separate two independent clauses.
My mother always runs out of time, she has to rush from one project to another. (Comma splice)
Questions/Answers Practice
Pair the students and have them practice the following questions and answers. Ask them to come up with similar questions and answers.
| Q: What do you plan to do on your graduation day? | A: I plan to attend the graduation ceremony, and I will wear my best dress for this occasion. |
| Q: How do you feel on this special day? | A: I feel extremely happy on this day. |
| Q: What will you wear on your graduation day? | A: I will wear a black gown, a black cap, |
| Q: When is your graduation day? | and a gold tassel. A: May 25th is my graduation day. |
| Q: When and where will they hold the graduation ceremony? | A: The graduation ceremony will be held at 3:30PM on Friday near the library. |
| Q: When did your sister graduate from college? | A: She graduated on May 25th, 2005. |
| Q: Does Ann deserve to graduate? | A: Ann worked very hard the last four years; she deserves to graduate. |
| Q: Does Ann deserve to graduate? | A: Ann worked very hard the last four years; therefore, she deserves to graduate. |
| Q: What do you want for graduation gifts? | A: I want these gifts: a new purse, a new dress, a new pair of shoes, and a ticket to ABA’s concert. |
| Q: What did your mother say when she called you? | A: She said, “I am very proud of you.” |