Jenny-Pig's School for English Proficiency

𝔸𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕒𝕞𝕒! 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕐𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖!

Dear Mesmerizing Students,
S𝐰e𝐞t h𝐨m𝐞 𝐀l𝐚b𝐚m𝐚
𝐖h𝐞r𝐞 𝐭h𝐞 𝐬k𝐢e𝐬 𝐚r𝐞 𝐬o b𝐥u𝐞 💙
𝐒w𝐞e𝐭 𝐡o𝐦e A𝐥a𝐛a𝐦a
L𝐨r𝐝, I'm c𝐨m𝐢n𝐠 𝐡o𝐦e 🏠 t𝐨 𝐲o𝐮, h𝐞r𝐞 𝐈 𝐜o𝐦e A𝐥a𝐛a𝐦a
N𝐨w M𝐮s𝐜l𝐞 𝐒h𝐨a𝐥s h𝐚s g𝐨t t𝐡e S𝐰a𝐦p𝐞r𝐬
𝐀n𝐝 𝐭h𝐞y'v𝐞 𝐛e𝐞n k𝐧o𝐰n t𝐨 𝐩i𝐜k a s𝐨n𝐠 𝐨r t𝐰o (𝐲e𝐬, t𝐡e𝐲 𝐝o) 🎻
𝐋o𝐫d, 𝐭h𝐞y g𝐞t m𝐞 𝐨f𝐟 𝐬o m𝐮c𝐡
𝐓h𝐞y p𝐢c𝐤 𝐦e u𝐩 𝐰h𝐞n I'm f𝐞e𝐥i𝐧g b𝐥u𝐞, 💙 n𝐨w h𝐨w '𝐛o𝐮t y𝐨u?
—-Lynyrd Skynyrd

The great State of Alabama became the 22nd state to join the Union on December 14, 1819. The land that became Northern and Central Alabama was transferred to the U.S. from the British at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. The southern coastal area had been under Spanish control and was acquired by the U.S. through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. From 1798 to 1817, the land was part of the Mississippi Territory; it became the Alabama Territory in 1819.

The Alabama State bird is the beautiful yellowhammer. The State flower is the camellia. The State mammal is the black bear 🐻. The State wildflower is the Oak Leaf Hydrangea. Alabama’s State tree 🌲 is the Southern Longleaf Pine. The State motto is 𝘞𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴.

Alabama's Capital is Montgomery, with a population of about 195,000. One significant industry is aerospace. The U.S. Space and Rocket 🚀 Center is in Huntsville, AL.

It's time for lesson B236. Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 will discuss 𝘴𝘪𝘵, 𝘴𝘦𝘵, and 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘵 is to plop down on your backside. 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘵 is to place something down. 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵 is to show someone to a chair or provide a person with a 🪑 chair, or it can mean to fit something into place.

1. “‘Homicide was called in,’ Clay said, 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 his water bottle off to the side.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: Clay 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 his water bottle, or 𝘴𝘦𝘵 it.
Rewrite: ‘Homicide was called in,’ Clay said, 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 his water bottle off to the side.

2. “She flipped it over on the back counter and 𝘀𝗮𝘁 two books 📚 on top of the mug so that the troll was trapped inside.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: She 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 👇 two books, or 𝘴𝘦𝘵 them.
Rewrite: She flipped it over on the back counter and 𝘀𝗲𝘁 two books 📚 on top of the mug so that the troll was trapped inside.

3. “She spun in her chair and saw her friend Isaac being 𝘀𝗮𝘁 at a nearby table.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: A waiter was 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 Issac 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳. Isaac was being 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.
Rewrite: She spun in her chair and saw her friend Isaac being 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 at a nearby table.

4. “The Englishman 𝘀𝗮𝘁 himself astride a hardened chair, leaning on its back; he was large limbed.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: Although 𝘴𝘢𝘵 might well be used in British English in this situation, in American English the proper choice would be 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. He 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 himself 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳.



Great natural areas to explore in Alabama include the Little Run Canyon and the Sipsey Wilderness Area.

𝑰𝙨 𝙈𝒚 𝑴𝙤𝒏𝙚𝒚 💰 𝑺𝙖𝒇𝙚𝒓 𝒊𝙣 𝙩𝒉𝙚 𝘽𝒂𝙣𝒌 𝒐𝙧 𝙐𝒏𝙙𝒆𝙧 𝙈𝒚 𝑴𝙖𝒕𝙩𝒓𝙚𝒔𝙨? 🛌

Dear Merry ☺️ Students,
We’ve all heard the stories. In the early 1930’s, during the Great Depression, many banks 🏦 went bankrupt. Since many people were in dire straits, banks often experienced high loan losses. Rumors would start that a certain bank was experiencing insurmountable financial difficulties. Depositors would rush to the bank 🏦 to withdraw their money 💰 while funds were still available. This phenomenon is called a 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬. Even if the bank were in excellent financial condition, it would not have enough cash 💲💵 to pay out all depositors; much of the bank’s assets would be loaned out to borrowers.
The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was passed to forestall some of the traps that led to the banking collapse. Key provisions included a prohibition on banks engaging in investment banking; traditional banks could no longer trade securities, an activity that added operational risk. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was established. Knowing deposits are backed by insurance assures depositors that a bank’s bankruptcy doesn't mean their money 💲 is lost. Also, payment of interest on demand deposits (checking accounts) was forbidden.

It's time for lesson B235. A 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 is a single word used to refer to a group of people, animals, or things. In American English, followed by Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷, collective nouns are nearly always considered singular. In British English, collective nouns are treated as singular unless the emphasis is on the individual member.

1. “Audience 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 long pews with an aisleway up the middle that led to a podium and microphone 🎤.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 is an uncountable or mass noun that acts as a collective noun. It refers to an arrangement of a group of chairs or seats and is treated as singular.
Rewrite: Audience seating 𝘄𝗮𝘀 long pews with an aisleway up the middle that led to a podium and microphone 🎙️.

2. “Most of the rest of the team, waiting in one of the 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺'𝘀 van 🚐, had received the same message from Sam.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: I have included this with collective nouns, but the collective noun 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 isn't causing the problem. 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮 is considered singular. The confusion is from the phrase 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮'𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘯. If this phrase meant 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, then 𝘷𝘢𝘯 would have been plural. So this must mean, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮.
Rewrite: Most of the rest of the team, waiting in one team member's van, had received the same message from Sam.
Note: It is not incorrect as originally written; it is just unclear.

3. “He is as committed as ever to finding your 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆, killing 𝗶𝘁, and retrieving the time boxes.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: This sentence is correct as written. Miss Jenny-Pig 🐗 included this example to demonstrate that it can be proper to refer to people as 𝘪𝘵. 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 is a collective noun treated as singular; third person singular objective form is either 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘦𝘳, or 𝘪𝘵. Miss Pig 🐖 apologizes if she has made you clutch your pearls 🦪.



The 1933 modifications established a stable banking 🏦 environment for decades. The Glass-Steagall Act has been modified, and the financial scene is riskier for participants. Depositors and investors must exercise caution and be aware of risks and details of government insurance.

𝙏𝒉𝙚 𝙊𝒓𝙚𝒈𝙤𝒏 𝑻𝙧𝒆𝙖𝒕𝙮 𝙖𝒏𝙙 𝙩𝒉𝙚 𝙋𝒊𝙜 🐖 𝙒𝒂𝙧

Dear Matchless Students,
In 1844, Britain controlled the land that would become Canada. The United States was expanding westward and had territory that reached to the Pacific Ocean. 🌊 But the Pacific Northwest territory was in dispute. Britain and the United States had jointly occupied for 28 years much of what is now the States of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, along with much of what became British Columbia. In 1844, James K. Polk campaigned on the slogan “54°40’ or fight”, meaning the USA would fight Britain for all the land south of latitude 54°40’, which is just south of southernmost Alaska. In fact, with both sides keen to avoid war, a compromise was reached to extend the border westward along the 49th parallel. However, the border would jog south to allow Britain to continue control of Vancouver Island. 🏝️
Sadly, the agreement was unclear about the borderline through the San Juan Islands in these waters. Consequently, in 1859, the Pig 🐷 War, Pig 🐖 and Potato 🥔 War, or the Pig 🐽 Episode ensued. There were no human casualties. A farmer living on San Juan Island found a neighbor's pig 🐖 eating potatoes in his garden. This wasn't the first time, so he shot the pig 🐖 (!) and offered the neighbor $10. The neighbor wanted $100. Eventually, the military 🪖 was called in.

It's time for lesson B234. Spelling, people, spelling! Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 says that 𝗬𝗲𝘀! It is worth learning proper spelling.

1. “The very thought 💭 of it, in front of his mother, all these years later made me 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: A 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 is a mechanical device used to aid in pulling heavy 🪨 objects. 𝘛𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 is to flinch or grimace. The word should be 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲.

2. “It was a 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 sort of place.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘺 could be used to describe people who make an instant connection (they click) or to describe a mechanical feeling or sound, as with a keyboard. 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘺 refers to the behavior of a close group that doesn't let outsiders in. In the example, 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘆 should be used.

3. “It was heart-wrenching to pull away and see the twins ♊ and Taara linking arms with Saby Jnr – all 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 🏀⚾🥎 their eyes 👀 out.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 can refer to living a lavish lifestyle and spending money 💰 freely. 𝘉𝘢𝘸𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 is a term for messily crying 😭. 𝗕𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 is the correct word to use here.

4. “In the heat of the moment 🔥, people scrambled from their homes 🏘️ with 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 of water 💦 giving no regard to the doors that protected their homes.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 means to become ashen-faced or to become less important. 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 are buckets. 🪣 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 should be used here.



Let's hope the military 🪖 is never needed to solve your neighborhood disputes! At least it worked in this case. The border was finally agreed upon.

Nature Camp is Loads of Fun! 🚣‍♀️🏊‍♀️🔥🎯

Dear Marvelous Students,
Hurray! Summertime means spending a week at YMCA Nature Camp Patterson. The girl-child will be on one side of the Lake, while Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 will be on the other side at Camp PigAMore. There are so many fun 😊 activities at camp. We meet other kids and make new friends. We go on hikes 🚶‍♀️🥾 and learn about trees 🌲🌳, plants 🌿🌱, and wildlife 🐿️🐇🐁 🦌🐍🐌. We can use the lake for swimming 🥽, fishing 🎣, and canoeing 🛶. We make craft items and get to shoot arrows 🏹 at targets 🎯. In the evenings, we help to make a campfire 🔥. Then we tell stories, sing songs 🎶🎸, and make s’mores and toasted marshmallows.

It's time for lesson B233. Let's consider proper verb tense following 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 or 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.
Verbs following 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 must agree with the noun immediately following the verb. For verbs following 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, the verb must agree with the subject discussed at that location.
If the verb is followed by the expression 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧, look to the noun following that expression.

1. “There’𝘀 a lot of ways the district could address a $2.2 million deficit for next school year, and they’re looking to make the biggest moves in the near future.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: Since 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 follows the verb 𝘪𝘴, which follows 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, we look to the word 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 to determine whether our verb should be singular or plural. Since 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 is plural, our verb should be plural: 𝘢𝘳𝘦.
Rewrite: There 𝗮𝗿𝗲 a lot of ways the district could address a $2.2 million deficit for next school year, and they’re looking to make the biggest moves in the near future.”

2. “Where'𝘀 Sammy and Alison?”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: The subject, 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯, is plural, so the verb should be plural.
Rewrite: Where 𝗮𝗿𝗲 Sammy and Alison?”

3. “Unlike the normal exuberance after a successful mission, there 𝘄𝗮𝘀 only quiet murmurs among the men.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: The first noun after the verb following 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 is 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘴. That noun is plural, so the preceding verb should be plural.
Rewrite: Unlike the normal exuberance after a successful mission, there 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 only quiet murmurs among the men.

4. “There 𝗮𝗿𝗲 the paternal grandparents.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: The first noun after the verb following 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 is 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. That noun is plural, so the preceding verb should be plural. The sentence is correct as written.

5. “She took Monica to the pier where there 𝘄𝗮𝘀 a number of impressive hole-in-the-wall 🕳️ sort of restaurants to choose from.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: 𝘈 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 is treated as plural. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 is treated as singular.
Rewrite: She took Monica to the pier, where there 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 a number of impressive hole-in-the-wall 🕳️ sort of restaurants to choose from.
But: She took Monica to the pier, where 𝘁𝗵𝗲 number of hole-in-the-wall 🕳️ sort of restaurants to choose from 𝘄𝗮𝘀 impressive.



Camp makes learning about nature and survival skills fun! 😀

Let's Go Spelunking! 🧭🔦

Dear Majestic Students,
Spelunking is exploring caves. Water 💦 running underground carves out vast cave systems in many parts of the world. If the ground is composed of softer materials, water 💦 running through the area can cause sinkholes. If the ground is formed of rock, the running water 💦 will gradually carve out caves and caverns. You can explore caves by going through well-known caves on established paths that have been made safe for the public.
𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲 in Kentucky, USA, has 400 explored miles.
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 in New Mexico, USA, has the Big Room, the largest cave chamber in North America.
𝗟𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 in Virginia, USA, are famous for their well-preserved stalactite and stalagmite formations, as well as for the Great Stalactite Organ, a natural cave formation.
𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲 in South Dakota, USA, is famous for its rare calcite honeycomb-like 🍯“boxwork” formations. It is also one of the longest and most complex cave systems in the world 🌎 🌍.
𝗞𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 in Arizona, USA, is famous for its pristine condition and rare formations, including a “turnip shield” and a 21-foot soda-straw stalactite.
𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗴 in Vietnam has its own weather system, a massive jungle 🌴, and 200 for stalagmites.
𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 in New Zealand has an apparently star-lit ✨ ceiling covered with tiny, bioluminescent glowworms.
𝗘𝗶𝘀𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘁 in Austria is the largest accessible ice 🧊 cave in the world, at 26 miles long. It has natural, glowing blue ice formations.
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼 in Italy is a sea cave on the coast of Capri. An ethereal, glowing blue light illuminates it
𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 in Malaysia are home to centuries-old Hindi temples and shrines. They are accessible via 272 🌈 rainbow-painted steps.
𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲 in China features breathtaking stalactites and stalagmites that have amazed visitors for 1,200 years.

It's time for lesson B232. Today, Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 has a few examples of authors using incorrect words. Let's help them find the right words.

1. “The two of them were eager to check in with their aunt to see what had 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 since she had departed with Holly.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 is from the Latin 𝘤𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪̄𝘳𝘢̄𝘳𝘦, meaning 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦. This “breathing together” came to mean plotting together. 𝘛𝘳𝘢̄𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘪̄𝘳𝘢̄𝘳𝘦 means breathing through or across. This came to mean 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥.
Rewrite: The two of them were eager to check in with their aunt to see what had 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 since she had departed with Holly.

2. “He 𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 towards me, slightly unsteady.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: 𝘛𝘰 𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩 is 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘶𝘵, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘦 a design into a hard surface.
𝘛𝘰 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 is 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺.
Rewrite: He edged towards me, slightly unsteady.

3. “We stood under a 𝙮𝙖𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 🥱😫, part of a fallen tent ⛺ that a traveler had possibly used and abandoned.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: A 𝘺𝘢𝘸𝘯 is an opening of the mouth 👄 due to boredom or fatigue. An 𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 is a stretch of canvas used to provide shade or protection from rain 🌧️. Since this has been part of a tent, it was likely an awning.
Rewrite: We stood underneath 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, part of a fallen tent ⛺ that a traveler had possibly used and abandoned.



When you are knowledgeable, you can explore caves that are less well-known. Be sure to know and follow spelunking safety rules! You must be healthy, strong, and not claustrophobic. It is also advisable not to be a chubby little oinker 🐷. Miss Jenny-Pig will wait outside.

𝙃𝒖𝙢𝒑𝙩𝒚 𝑫𝙪𝒎𝙥𝒕𝙮 🥚𝑺𝙖𝒕 𝒐𝙣 𝘼 𝙒𝒂𝙡𝒍 🧱

Dear Magnetic 🧲 Students,
𝐻𝘶𝑚𝘱𝑡𝘺 𝘋𝑢𝘮𝑝𝘵𝑦 𝑠𝘢𝑡 𝑜𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝑎𝘭𝑙. 🧱
𝘏𝑢𝘮𝑝𝘵𝑦 𝐷𝘶𝑚𝘱𝑡𝘺 𝘩𝑎𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝑟𝘦𝑎𝘵 𝘧𝑎𝘭𝑙.
𝘈𝑙𝘭 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘬𝑖𝘯𝑔’𝑠 ℎ𝘰𝑟𝘴𝑒𝘴 🐎🐴 𝘢𝑛𝘥 𝘢𝑙𝘭 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘬𝑖𝘯𝑔’𝑠 𝑚𝘦𝑛 💂💂
𝑐𝘰𝑢𝘭𝑑𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝑢𝘵 𝘏𝑢𝘮𝑝𝘵𝑦 𝑡𝘰𝑔𝘦𝑡𝘩𝑒𝘳 𝘢𝑔𝘢𝑖𝘯. 🍳

Many nursery rhymes are based on historical events or beliefs. It is believed by many historians that Humpty is a reference to King Richard III. The fall described in the poem is the 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field, the final decisive battle in the War of the Roses 🌹. King Richard III was killed in the battle, and the Plantagenet Dynasty came to an end. He was beaten by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who ascended to the throne of England and established the Tudor Dynasty.

It's time for lesson B231. At times, a speaker or author is aware that a pronoun should be singular, but doesn't have enough information ℹ️ about the related noun to determine whether the pronoun should be masculine or feminine. Miss Jenny-Pig will help find ways to word sentences in these situations without resorting to the use of 𝘩𝘦/𝘴𝘩𝘦 or 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺.

1. “Someone at that party intended to kill Roger. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 came prepared carrying a murder weapon, a knife 🔪.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: Combine this into one sentence.
Rewrite: Someone at that party intended to kill Roger, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 a murder 🩸 weapon, a knife 🔪.

2. “He reasoned Collins must've known his attacker 🦹‍♂️ because he'd invited 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 in.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: He reasoned that the attacker must’ve been known to Collins and invited in.

3. “The attacker hadn't forced 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 way inside. No, Collins knew his killer. Maybe 🤔 even trusted 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: The attacker hadn't forced a way inside. No, Collins knew and maybe even trusted his killer.

4. “As he introduced the other three lawyers, each in turn stood, looked directly at the jury, smiled slightly and politely nodded 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 heads.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: This one is easy. Delete 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴.

5. “Especially when one is tracing 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 roots.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: Especially when one is tracing ancestral roots 🫚.

6. “There was a trilling at the front door 🚪 as a potential client entered. Schlakier went out to greet 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: Schlakier went out to greet the newcomer.



You will notice that the Humpty Dumpty rhyme makes no mention of an egg 🥚. In the 1700s, the Humpty Dumpty poem was a riddle to which “Egg” 🥚 was the answer. In Lewis Carroll’s 1871 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 Humpty was first portrayed as anthromorphic egg.

𝙃𝒖𝙢𝒑𝙩𝒚 𝑫𝙪𝒎𝙥𝒕𝙮 🥚𝑺𝙖𝒕 𝒐𝙣 𝘼 𝙒𝒂𝙡𝒍 🧱

Dear Magnetic 🧲 Students,
𝐻𝘶𝑚𝘱𝑡𝘺 𝘋𝑢𝘮𝑝𝘵𝑦 𝑠𝘢𝑡 𝑜𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝑎𝘭𝑙. 🧱
𝘏𝑢𝘮𝑝𝘵𝑦 𝐷𝘶𝑚𝘱𝑡𝘺 𝘩𝑎𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝑟𝘦𝑎𝘵 𝘧𝑎𝘭𝑙.
𝘈𝑙𝘭 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘬𝑖𝘯𝑔’𝑠 ℎ𝘰𝑟𝘴𝑒𝘴 🐎🐴 𝘢𝑛𝘥 𝘢𝑙𝘭 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘬𝑖𝘯𝑔’𝑠 𝑚𝘦𝑛 💂💂
𝑐𝘰𝑢𝘭𝑑𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝑢𝘵 𝘏𝑢𝘮𝑝𝘵𝑦 𝑡𝘰𝑔𝘦𝑡𝘩𝑒𝘳 𝘢𝑔𝘢𝑖𝘯. 🍳

Many nursery rhymes are based on historical events or beliefs. Many historians believe that Humpty is a reference to King Richard III. The fall described in the poem is the 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field, the decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses 🌹. King Richard III was killed in the battle, and the Plantagenet Dynasty came to an end. He was defeated by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who ascended the English throne and established the Tudor Dynasty.

It's time for lesson B231. At times, a speaker or author is aware that a pronoun should be singular, but doesn't have enough information ℹ️ about the related noun to determine whether the pronoun should be masculine or feminine. Miss Jenny-Pig will help find ways to phrase sentences in these situations without resorting to 𝘩𝘦/𝘴𝘩𝘦 or 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺.

1. “Someone at that party intended to kill Roger. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 came prepared, carrying a murder weapon, a knife 🔪.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: Combine this into one sentence.
Rewrite: Someone at that party intended to kill Roger, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 a murder 🩸 weapon, a knife 🔪.

2. “He reasoned Collins must've known his attacker 🦹‍♂️ because he'd invited 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 in.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: He reasoned that the attacker must’ve been known to Collins and invited in.

3. “The attacker hadn't forced 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 way inside. No, Collins knew his killer. Maybe 🤔 even trusted 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: The attacker hadn't forced a way inside. No, Collins knew and maybe even trusted his killer.

4. “As he introduced the other three lawyers, each in turn stood, looked directly at the jury, smiled slightly, and politely nodded 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 heads.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: This one is easy. Delete 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴.

5. “Especially when one is tracing their roots.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: Especially when one is tracing ancestral roots 🫚.

6. “There was a trilling at the front door 🚪 as a potential client entered. Schlakier went out to greet 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 rewrite: Schlakier went out to greet the newcomer.



You will notice that the Humpty Dumpty rhyme makes no mention of an egg 🥚. In the 1700s, the Humpty Dumpty poem was a riddle to which “Egg” 🥚 was the answer. In Lewis Carroll’s 1871 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 Humpty was first portrayed as an anthropomorphic egg.

𝙅𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠 🏞️ 🦖🦕 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙚 11, 1993

Dear Magnanimous Students,
Wow! It's been 26 years since the first 𝘑𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬 🦖 movie 🍿 came to our theaters. And what a movie 🎥 it was! This movie was based on a book 📚 of the same name by Michael Crichton. The book had come out over two years earlier and had been immensely popular, so many people were familiar with the story. Stephen Spielberg did an award-winning job of bringing this story to the big screen, using new computer-generated imagery techniques that were jaw-droppingly amazing. In Miss Jenny-Pig's opinion, the storyline was true to the book in all significant ways, although details varied.

It's time for lesson B230. You've probably heard that one should never 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. That means that one should not put a word between 𝘵𝘰 and the rest of the verb. More recently, that rule has been relaxed to indicate that a short word immediately after 𝘵𝘰 is acceptable when the sentence seems most understandable that way

1. “I did my best 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: 𝘕𝘰𝘵 qualifies as a small word. By placing it directly before the word 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵, we can get an emphasis we can't get otherwise. Miss Jenny-Pig accepts this construction.

2. “She didn't see any reason 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 straightforward with him.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: Again, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 qualifies as a small word. However, splitting the infinitive didn't allow us to place the word immediately before 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, which is what we are trying 𝘯𝘰𝘵 to be. Since splitting the infinitive meets no goal, let's not do it.
Rewrite: She didn't see any reason 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 straightforward with him.

3. “I tried 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝, but her giggle broke me, and I laughed with her.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: 𝘕𝘰𝘵 qualifies as a small word. By placing it directly before the word 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 😂, we can get an emphasis we can't get otherwise. Miss Jenny-Pig accepts this construction.

4. “I was glad 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗲 about this over the holidays.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: Again, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 qualifies as a small word. However, the important part of this sentence doesn't seem related to the 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 (𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰) but rather to the arguing. Therefore, I wouldn't split the infinitive since it meets no goal.
Rewrite: I was glad 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗲 about this over the holidays.”

5. “I grabbed my purse 👜, making sure you slipped the hotel key 🗝️ card in so I wouldn't lock myself out, then tried 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 the room.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 would prefer not to split the infinitive with so large a word.
Rewrite: I grabbed my purse 👜, making sure you slipped the hotel key 🗝️ card in so I wouldn't lock myself out, then tried 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 the room 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆.



𝘑𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬 ultimately grossed over $1 billion, the first movie to do so. It also spawned huge sales of related merchandise such as toys, clothing, games, and costumes.

Ꮮꭼꭲ'ꮪ Ꮐꮎ Ᏼꮖꮯꭹꮯꮮꭼ 🚲 Ꭱꮖꭰꮖꮑᏽ!

Dear Luminous Students,
Bicycle riding is a great summer activity. It is fun to do as a group, most people know how to do it, and it is good exercise. You can head out on a trail, set a comfortable pace, and enjoy the weather ☀️⛅ and the scenery 🏞️ while you chat with friends. Here are some Minnesota trails to look into:
𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 goes 55 paved miles from Fergus Falls to Osakis through prairie, lakelands, wetlands, farmland, and rolling forested hills.
𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 is a former Soo Line Railway which starts near downtown St. Paul and passes through woods 🌲🌳🌲 and wetlands with 18 paved miles to Stillwater. There are 10 parallel unpaved miles alongside the trail.
𝗚𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶-𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 will consist of 86 paved miles running along Lake Superior from Two Harbors to Grand Marias when it is completed. At this time, 36 non-contiguous miles are completed. Views of Lake Superior are stunning and flora and wildlife amaze!
𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 is an old railroad grade running from Plymouth west to Thompson Lake, which is west of Cosmos. The trail is primarily crushed rock 🪨 (limestone), but a portion is paved and a portion is mowed grass.
𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 is a paved 115 mile trail from the Crow 🐦‍⬛ Wing State Park to the Bemidji State Park 🏞️, running through the Chippewa National Forest 🌲🌳🌲. It is the longest bike trail in Minnesota.
𝗦𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗵 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 is a paved 39-mile trail from Mankato through Waterville, through Sakahtah State Park to Faribault. See the best of southern Minnesota’s bluffs on a trail that is nearly level.
𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 goes from west Mankato to Rapidan, as far as 13 miles. The surface is mostly paved, with some crushed stone. The trail is famous for crossing the 80-foot high 550-foot long trestle over the LeSueur River.

It's time for lesson B229. Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 has discussed that typically to change an adjective to an adverb, you must add -ly. Here is an exception. Adverbs describing verbs that 𝙢𝙖𝙮 refer to the five physical senses: smell, look, sound, taste, and feel have -ly added 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙗 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝘀 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙨. Hence, if you do a bad job of using your sense of smell: 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮. If you give off a distasteful odor: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗱.

1. “Now I felt rather 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 about running off when I got Bret’s call, when Wm had just confessed.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: This does not relate to the physical sense of touch. There should be no -ly.
Rewrite: Now I felt rather 𝗯𝗮𝗱 about…

2. “Now I really feel 𝗯𝗮𝗱.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: This does not relate to the physical sense of touch. There should be no -ly. The sentence is correct as written.

3. “At the very least, he'd informed his friend that he was not, in fact, dead, but he still felt terribly about how he'd pushed Solomon away.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: This does not relate to the physical sense of touch. There should be no -ly.
Rewrite: …but he still felt 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 about how he'd pushed Solomon away.
Note: The rule is not unique to the word 𝗯𝗮𝗱.

4. “He is 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 off, very 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: This is an unusual situation in which an adverb, 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺, modifies a prepositional phrase which in this case consists of only the preposition 𝘰𝘧𝘧. Adverbs usually modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 is an adverb modifying another adverb. The sentence is correct as written.

5. “I had no idea I was hurt this badly.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: This does not relate to the physical sense of touch. There should be no -ly.
Rewrite: I had no idea 💡 I was hurt this 𝗯𝗮𝗱.

6. “I feel very badly about that.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: This does not relate to the physical sense of touch. There should be no -ly.
Rewrite: I feel very 𝗯𝗮𝗱 about that.



Pick the trail that's right for you. Or just bike around your community. Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 likes to bike 🚲 down to the Dairy 🍦🍨 Queen.

𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘̧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨?

Dear Loyal Students,
Miss Jenny-Pig 🐷 would like to discuss a topic that is not well-documented. This is plaçage (plah ZHAZH). Plaçage was a recognized system outside the legal system whereby ethnic European men would enter into civil-union contracts with women of African, Native American, or mixed ancestry. The women would not be considered wives, but would be treated as such in most ways. This system was supposedly widely practiced in some French territories of what became the United States from 1769 to 1803.
Quadroon (kwa DRÜN) was a term for someone with one White parent and three Black parents. It was often used for those of any Black heritage. More shrouded in mystery and controversy than plaçage itself are Quadroon Balls. It isn't certain how often, or even if, these occurred. Supposedly, such balls were held in New Orleans, Natchez, and other Louisiana cities so that Black Southern mothers could show off their daughters to Southern gentlemen for plaçage contracts. Most of these black ladies would be free, rather than enslaved people.

It's time for lesson B228. Miss Jenny-Pig 🐖 will discuss some spelling problems with you today.

1. “Each group had one of the Muslin terrorists guarding them.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘯 is a lightweight cotton and would not be much good as a terrorist 😂. Her Ladyship admits this was probably a typographical error. Hee, hee!
The terrorists were probably a 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺𝘀.

2. “This is not something to be taken lightly, and it will involve commitment to somethings that the legal system is sure to frown upon.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 isn't even a word. Just because words are often joined (𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 and 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨) when they appear one after the other doors not mean they should always be joined. Here 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 and 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 stand as they separate words.

3. “It wouldn't due to have Carson know he was under surveillance.”
Jenny-Pig 🐗 says: 𝘋𝘶𝘦 means 𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨.
Rewrite: It wouldn't 𝗱𝗼 to have Carson know he was under surveillance.”

4. “Their setting up in the conference room now.”
Jenny-Pig 🐖 says: 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 means 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.
Rewrite: 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 setting up in the conference room now.

5. “Jason tried to hide his surprise 🫢, and was about to rule out Sam Barker as a suspect, when he caught site of the items hanging on the far wall.”
Jenny-Pig 🐽 says: 𝘚𝘪𝘵𝘦 means a place or location.
Rewrite: Jason tried to hide his surprise 🫢, and was about to rule out Sam Barker as a suspect, when he caught 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 of the items hanging on the far wall.”

6. “We had temporarily swopped bows a couple of times in the past.”
Jenny-Pig 🐷 says: 𝘚𝘸𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 is the British spelling of the American English word 𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱. This is correct as written, if this is British English. Incorrect for American English.



While this may seem like an unusual arrangement today, remember that participation was voluntary. All participants are now deceased. The practice ended over 200 years ago.