text:
“Is that seat open?”
a moments pause....
“I said, is that seat open?”

The man two seats away quickly got up and left instead of answering the guy’s question.
Who asks random people if the other seat at a sit-down restaurant is open? The questioner, a rather tall man with a thick brown beard and wearing a white tee with a rather large yellow stain towards the bottom, had been making a circuit of the room asking each table if their seat was open.

 Maybe I should just leave the room before the guy gets to me. I really hate these awkward moments with anybody and will do nearly anything to avoid them. In fact, I didn’t even really know why I was still here. I had finished my meal and was just sitting here drinking my coffee watching this guy make his way around..As he drew closer, I went back to my newspaper and flipped to the sports section, hoping he wouldn’t notice me.

“Is that seat open?”
“what?.... No, no it’s not open.” He sits across from me anyways and immediately grabbed my paper and started reading it. Everyone was staring. After about a minute in he looked up.
“I saw that no one was sitting with you and was planning on sitting with you a little bit after I entered the restaurant.” He calmly said this as he was turning my newspaper around.
“Why do you read the newspaper at night? Isn’t it typically more of an early morning ritual for people?” I just glared at him. Why can’t he just leave me alone?

“Why are you here, sitting with me? What if I was waiting for someone?” He ignored me and continued flipping through the news. This continued for at least another minute and I would’ve stopped him but honestly I didn’t even know how to go about stopping him. After a few moments he abruptly slapped the paper down and looked me in the eyes.

“I really like this restaurant, and I don’t like eating alone. You looked bored so I decided I would sit with you, besides who goes to a sit-down restaurant and eats alone?”

“Well, I enjoy eating alone; it allows me time to think.”

“You’re a pensive fellow; I bet you live by yourself” He said quickly as he was pointing at my bare left ring finger. “And, I bet you don’t have a girlfriend because who has a sit-down meal on a Saturday night by himself?”

“Two of us clearly.”

“Hahaha! You know I wasn’t planning on eating alone when I came in here. You did see me ask all of those people, didn’t you?” There was a pause as i drank my coffee and gave him the point. At this point i didn’t see a point in trying to take it from him.

“Tom, is it alright if i call you Tom? You look like a Tom.”
“My name isn’t Tom; it’s …” He just barreled on his way.
“Right Tom, I’m going to order a drink. Do you want a drink? You know what? I’m just going to get you one too. I hate drinking alone” As he said this he waved the waiter over and ordered two drinks and then looked back down at the paper for a bit.

“You know you didn’t have to buy me that. I make plenty of money from my accounting job and my name isn’t Tom; it’s....”

“Listen, I don’t want to sound rude, but i honestly don’t give a rat’s ass what your name is or what you do for a living. I just wanted to come here and buy somebody something.” The drinks came and he grabbed his and downed it in a few gulps. I just sipped at mine and stared across the table at him.

A drink later, he spoke up again.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Yes, well not really anymore.” Everyone had stopped staring, and i was approaching the end of my first drink.

“Why am I making you uncomfortable? Is it that I’m wearing this ugly, stained white tee when I came in or was it that you were one of the last tables i asked? (I assure you if you’re worrying that I chose tables in no particular order, so it is nothing against you). In fact, if you’ll permit me to say...”
“It doesn’t look like i have a choice.”
“No, no of course not. Anyways Tom, I was going to say that you would make a rather splendid first impression if you talked more. But back to my original question. Why am i making you uncomfortable?” I paused for a few moments and took a sip to buy me more time.

“well.... I don’t know. It’s just when i came here i was sort of making the decision to eat here by myself and then you showed up and ruined my night.”

“I don’t think that is the real reason and it insults me when you say that ‘i’ ruined your night. Tom ma’ boy, it was an admirable lie you told me there. I bet you don’t even realize it was a lie. Allow me to explain.”
“Please do.”
“You’re, quite simply, uncomfortable with me crushing your social norms. You’re so used to life just happening for you. I bet you majored in something that would be ‘useful’ outside of college and would have an immediate job waiting for you because you were too scared to try something different. And to top it off, I bet you really didn’t even necessarily make that decision yourself. You allowed yourself to get talked into it, just like you’ve allowed me to call you Tom for the past 15 minutes when your name clearly isn’t Tom.”

I was quiet for another minute thinking about what he said. As i was about to open my mouth with a reply, he launched onwards.

“I think you were alone tonight because you plainly haven’t just gone up and asked anybody out to come eat with you. You sat here with your paper killing time, really just waiting for someone, anyone, to come talk to you.” Another pause as he gulped down the glass of water the waiter brought, letting it spill all down the front of him in a rather disturbing manner.

 I quickly got out my wallet gave him five dollars.
“Thank you for the drinks but i really have to go.”
“Of course you do.... Goodnight Tom.”
“Good bye.”
I turned and hurried out into the night.

title: Sit-Down Dinners

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Who says the first line of dialogue?

answer: The man with a thick brown beard who is wearing a stained white shirt

answer: The tall man with a thick beard and stained t-shirt says "Is that seat open?"

answer: The tall man with a brown beard says "Is that seat open?"

answer: the "random" man with the thick brown beard and an outfit that appears to be stained with a yellow stain on the white tee he is wearing

answer: A man two seats away from the narrator

text: This is incorrect, change from active to passive voice to add that the tall man with the beard speaks to the man two seats away.

refinement: A man two seats away from the narrator is spoken to by a tall man with a beard.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

List the main characters.

answer: The main characters are the man with the stained shirt who asks if seats are available and the man with the clean shirt who he begrudgingly sits with.

text: Grammar: 'who' should be 'whom' for the object.

refinement: The main characters are the man with the stained shirt who asks if seats are available and the man with the clean shirt whom he begrudgingly sits with.

text: The man sitting is the begrudging one, rephrase to show this.

refinement: The main characters are the man with the stained shirt who asks if seats are available and the man with the clean shirt who begrudgingly lets him sit.

answer: The man with the thick brown beard, Tom, the pensive man, and the guy who stopped him in his tracks.

text: It is unclear if this is a list of four people or a series of qualifiers; rephrase to clearly show it's two people.

refinement: The pensive man Tom, and the guy with a thick brown beard who stopped him in his tracks.

text: Tom isn't the character's name, add that he is arbitrarily named this by the other character.

refinement: The guy with a thick brown beard who stopped him in his tracks and a pensive man, arbitrarily named Tom.

text: 'who stopped him in his tracks' is neither accurate nor necessary, so omit.

refinement: The guy with a thick brown beard and a pensive man, arbitrarily named Tom.

answer: The man with the thick brown beard, and the narrator who the man calls Tom

text: Grammar: 'who' should be 'whom'

refinement: The man with the thick brown beard, and the narrator whom the man calls Tom

answer: The narrator, the man talking to him about not wanting to eat alone.

text: Add 'and' for clarity

refinement: The narrator, and the man talking to him about not wanting to eat alone.

answer: The main characters are the pensive man at the table and the tall, bearded man who keeps asking if the seat is open.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Where is the story set?

answer: The story is set in a sit-down restaurant.

answer: Inside a sit-down restaurant

answer: In a restaurant at night

answer: In a restaurant.

answer: The story is set in a restaurant.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is Tom.

text: Clarify that Tom is the name given to the narrator by another character; his real name is not disclosed.

refinement: The narrator is called Tom by another character; his real name is not disclosed.

answer: He never says his name, but the man calls him Tom

answer: The narrator is the person who is sitting at the table while the strange man starts asking if their seat is open.

answer: Unclear, this is a short story and the narrator is named Tom

text: This answer is contradictory, saying it's unclear but then giving a name. Remove 'unclear'

refinement: this is a short story and the narrator is named Tom

text: Omit 'this is a short story' - it's irrelevant

text: Add that the narrator is not named, only given the random name Tom by another character

refinement: the narrator is not named, but called Tom by another character

answer: Unclear

text: A fair answer, but better to acknowledge that he is given the arbitrary name Tom by another character.

refinement: Unclear, though he is arbitrarily given the name Tom by another character.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
At a sit-down restaurant, an oddly dressed man walks around inquiring if anyone's seat is open. The person two seats away gets up and leaves when the man approaches.

The man proceeds to sit down with the person and, despite protests, starts reading their newspaper. The man eventually claims that he doesn't care who the person is or what they do, only that they aren't alone. The person starts to become uncomfortable with the mans disregard for social norms and leaves. The man claims the person left only because they were uncomfortable with his challenges to their comfort zone.

text: The third sentence needs clarification - that 'the person' is not the same one who moved away, and that the newspaper belongs to this man. Reword to achieve this.

refinement:
At a sit-down restaurant, an oddly dressed man walks around inquiring if anyone's seat is open. The person two seats away gets up and leaves when the man approaches.

The man proceeds to sit down with another person and, despite protests, takes part of their newspaper to read. The man eventually claims that he doesn't care who the person is or what they do, only that they aren't alone. The person starts to become uncomfortable with the mans disregard for social norms and leaves. The man claims the person left only because they were uncomfortable with his challenges to their comfort zone.

answer: Tom is in a restaurant reading a newspaper feeling like someone will sit with him. The man in the yellowy stained t-shirt arrives at his table and after circling the restaurant a couple times asks if he can sit with him. He has the stain down his front and he tells him that he came in planning on meeting someone but they stood him up. He begins to explain that this is Tom's own fault for not going to the effort of approaching someone humanly but the narrator calls him a simpleton. Tom erhm's for a second time that it isn't Tom. The guy orders two drinks, one for himself and one for Tom, and proceeds to give him hell, pointing out that acting so timid will get him any attention. After giving the guy a five dollar note and telling him goodbye, he walks out.

text: Add 'the narrator' in instances of 'Tom' because it's not his real name, and where the similar pronouns seem confusing.

refinement: The narrator is in a restaurant reading a newspaper feeling like someone will sit with him. A man in the yellowy stained t-shirt arrives at his table and after circling the restaurant a couple times asks if he can sit with the narrator. He has the stain down his front and he tells him that he came in planning on meeting someone but they stood him up. He begins to explain that this is the narrator's own fault for not going to the effort of approaching someone humanly but the narrator calls him a simpleton. The narrator erhm's for a second time that his name isn't Tom. The guy orders two drinks, one for himself and one for the narrator, and proceeds to give him hell, pointing out that acting so timid will get him any attention. After giving the guy a five dollar note and telling him goodbye, the narrator walks out.

text: Rephrase for clarity, make it clear it's hypothetical: 'He has the stain down his front and he tells him that he came in planning on meeting someone but they stood him up.'

refinement: The narrator is in a restaurant reading a newspaper feeling like someone will sit with him. A man in the yellowy stained t-shirt arrives at his table and after circling the restaurant a couple times asks if he can sit with the narrator. He has a stain down his front and the narrator tells him that he could have had plans to meet someone. He begins to explain that this is the narrator's own fault for not going to the effort of approaching someone humanly but the narrator calls him a simpleton. The narrator erhm's for a second time that his name isn't Tom. The guy orders two drinks, one for himself and one for the narrator, and proceeds to give him hell, pointing out that acting so timid will get him any attention. After giving the guy a five dollar note and telling him goodbye, the narrator walks out.

text: Rephrase for clarity: 'He begins to explain that this is the narrator's own fault for not going to the effort of approaching someone humanly'

refinement: The narrator is in a restaurant reading a newspaper feeling like someone will sit with him. A man in the yellowy stained t-shirt arrives at his table and after circling the restaurant a couple times asks if he can sit with the narrator. He has a stain down his front and the narrator tells him that he could have had plans to meet someone. The man says he knows the narrator is alone and it's the narrator's own fault, for not going to the effort of approaching someone in a human way, but the narrator calls him a simpleton. The narrator erhm's for a second time that his name isn't Tom. The guy orders two drinks, one for himself and one for the narrator, and proceeds to give him hell, pointing out that acting so timid will get him any attention. After giving the guy a five dollar note and telling him goodbye, the narrator walks out.

text: Omit 'The narrator erhm's for a second time that his name isn't Tom.' - this is no longer relevant

refinement: The narrator is in a restaurant reading a newspaper feeling like someone will sit with him. A man in the yellowy stained t-shirt arrives at his table and after circling the restaurant a couple times asks if he can sit with the narrator. He has a stain down his front and the narrator tells him that he could have had plans to meet someone. The man says he knows the narrator is alone and it's the narrator's own fault, for not going to the effort of approaching someone in a human way, but the narrator calls him a simpleton. The guy orders two drinks, one for himself and one for the narrator, and proceeds to give him hell, pointing out that acting so timid will get him any attention. After giving the guy a five dollar note and telling him goodbye, the narrator walks out.

text: For accuracy, add 'not' to 'pointing out that acting so timid will get him any attention.'

refinement: The narrator is in a restaurant reading a newspaper feeling like someone will sit with him. A man in the yellowy stained t-shirt arrives at his table and after circling the restaurant a couple times asks if he can sit with the narrator. He has a stain down his front and the narrator tells him that he could have had plans to meet someone. The man says he knows the narrator is alone and it's the narrator's own fault, for not going to the effort of approaching someone in a human way, but the narrator calls him a simpleton. The guy orders two drinks, one for himself and one for the narrator, and proceeds to give him hell, pointing out that acting so timid will not get him any attention. After giving the guy a five dollar note and telling him goodbye, the narrator walks out.

answer: The man sitting near the protagonist notices that the seat next to him is empty. He starts to ask if the seat is open, but doesn't receive much of a response. After about 15 minutes of circling the restaurant, the man sits down next to the protagonist. After drinking two drinks, the man makes several comments that make the protagonist uncomfortable. The protagonist eventually pays and leaves shortly after. The man had identified the protagonist's discomfort and the lack of outward social interaction in past years. The protagonist is unsure how to deal with someone who does not follow social norms, and leaves shortly after their conversation to escape what is an awkward situation.

answer: A man goes table to table in a restaurant asking if a seat is open. He comes to the narrator's table and sits down, making the narrator uncomfortable. The man takes a newspaper from the narrator and asks him why he's eating alone. He calls the narrator Tom, even though that is not his name. The man tells him he's uncomfortable because he's used to life just happening to him. The narrator leaves.

answer:
Tom is eating at a sit-down restaurant when a very tall, intrusive man with a yellow shirt comes and sits down at the table. The man looks at his newspaper and asks if the seat is vacant. He does not respond but takes his seat since he does not want to be rude. The man begins to read the news and does not stop talking even though Tom does not say a word to him. The man then buys him food and begins to talk.
Tom tells the man his name isn’t Tom but then goes on about how he is just killing time and waiting for someone to come and talk to him.

text: Change 'Tom' to 'the narrator' where it's used for the subject.

refinement:
The narrator is eating at a sit-down restaurant when a very tall, intrusive man with a yellow shirt comes and sits down at the table. The man looks at his newspaper and asks if the seat is vacant. He does not respond but takes his seat since he does not want to be rude. The man begins to read the news and does not stop talking even though the narrator does not say a word to him. The man then buys him food and begins to talk.
The narrator tells the man his name isn’t Tom but then goes on about how he is just killing time and waiting for someone to come and talk to him.

text: 'He does not respond but takes his seat since he does not want to be rude.' - edit pronouns and order to make this clearer

refinement:
The narrator is eating at a sit-down restaurant when a very tall, intrusive man with a yellow shirt comes and sits down at the table. The man looks at his newspaper and asks if the seat is vacant. The narrator does not respond but lets the man take his seat since he does not want to be rude. The man begins to read the news and does not stop talking even though the narrator does not say a word to him. The man then buys him food and begins to talk.
The narrator tells the man his name isn’t Tom but then goes on about how he is just killing time and waiting for someone to come and talk to him.


split: train

text:
A HERO OF WAR
The bright shimmering moon illuminated my bedside table,” The book of war” my little red diary lay in the centre surrounded by other personal mementos. Its obvious disorder was a source of comfort but that book had an enchanting ability to transport me into a world of heroism and adventure. I held an insatiable appetite for that stuff. Memories have faded I can’t recall everything…”Pazzck!” The loud bang of lightning, a cloud of bombs pitter pattered outside. Wait this isn’t home? The melting brown sludge slid off the walls of our trench our knee high boots filled with a toxic concoction of our own filth. The panic Intensified “Get Down!”. An enemy sniper was perched on the enemies crows nest; we were awaiting the inevitability of death by our own stupidity.

	The faint screams of missiles soared over us “Bang!” A dense green hazy fog fell from the sky dimming our precious sun light.” Gas!?...Gas! Gas! Quick boys!” An unsure struggle of fumbling to put on the on the intricate mask. Yet a man was still screaming from the deep bellows of his lungs. Wheezing for air he coughed rapidly, each time worse than the last, coughing so much the boy gagged. He looked me straight in the eyes; his red blood shot eyes filled with an ocean of water, his eyelids have redden with irritation, like an internal wound. I stole an awkward look at his face as he stumbled towards me, arms outstretched and crying in pure sorrow. The boy fell to the ground landing on my feet almost as though he was commanding me to mark his last few agonising moments. I was paralysed to the spot and fixed my petrified eyes on him as he twitched frantically. Still alive and the deep murky red water surrounded his semi-submerged face.

	We tossed his still warm body out of the trench into No Mans land. We ran still dazed by the blast and a horrific sight, a spinning trench with no left or right just a twisting labyrinth of death. Why was I so stupid? A hero of war is what wanted to be and after they’ll see and when I come home my country will be proud of me is what I thought tricked by the worm tongued men in suits. Their golden lies like sweet nectar. Continuing on in our escape of the trenches I climbed into a truck and we drove away never to return to that murderous maze.

	Why wasn’t it me? We danced with death and lived to tell the tale. Who died in the poisoned gas? Every single time I close my eyes I see his face pleading for mercy, even when I blink I am reminded of his last lunge, his last attempt for air. For a brief second I thought of home in this stalemate, a awkward silence of war .No hope to get out I held tightly on to the picture of home knowing my return will be soon.  A snowflake gently fell from the sky; I was dazed by this phenomenon of a dancing snowflake. Catching the cold dead snowflake, I peered down at my dirty black hands; it quickly melted like a broken memory.

	Looking up from my hands the biome around me changed a cold fortress of death lay in front of my allies wearing their white camouflaged Coats. We were not suited out for this pointless quest. The harsh icy winds cut like swords covered in salt, leaving a deep frozen scar making us venerable to the harsh cold I Do not fear our enemy. I hate my hate my country, I returned home after our stalemate in the cold to see that their was no welcome home, no glory for what we have done .But what have we done to receive glory to my family all they see me is a hero of war just medals and scar and so proud of, But that is all that family sees the rest of the country couldn’t care less of my well being .I questioned why I even lived or why I continue to live with this broken shell shocked mind. Every bang a bomb, every person an enemy. What has my life become?

title: A Hero Of War(first attempt at a short story)

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What events lead the narrator to have PTSD?

answer: Hearing bombs being lobbed in the trench, a boy being shot, dying in a bombardment, and returning home to no fanfare or recognition

text: The response could be phrased as a complete sentence.

refinement: The narrator has PTSD from hearing bombs being lobbed in the trench, a boy being shot and dying in a bombardment, then returning home to no fanfare or recognition.

answer: Death, fighting, and not getting a welcome home.

text: The response could be phrased as a complete sentence.

refinement: The narrator has PTSD from death, fighting, and not getting a welcome home.

text: The response could provide a more detailed answer.

refinement: The narrator has PTSD from watching a man die from poison gas, fighting, and not getting a welcome home.

answer: His experiences during the war. The tragic events include sniper fire and chemical weapons. During the latter attack, he witnesses a fellow soldier die a horrible death. His platoon experiences the blight of being under-equipped in wintertime. The praise of being a war hero upon his return without a real concern for his wellbeing drives him over the edge.

answer: The narrator experiences an enemy sniper, gas attacks, and a wartime death which traumatizes them. These events cause PTSD, a crippling anxiety disorder.

answer: The narrator develops PTSD after witnessing the death of a man in the trenches due to a gas attack. The constant bombardment from weapons, the shock of watching someone die, and the lack of recognition after coming home led to symptoms such as nightmares, hypervigilance, and flashbacks.


text:
Two-thirds of Britons said they are living an +unfulfilled life, according to a new poll.

Despite an overwhelming majority of people saying they have a bucket list, financial limitations and time restrictions mean most of us have only ticked off between one and five items on it.

Londoners were found to have the most time constraints, having just 83 minutes a day of spare time to do what they want to.

That compares to people in the North-west who have the most time (130 minutes), followed by the South-east (108 minutes), Scotland (107 minutes) and Yorkshire (104 minutes).

But, despite being time-poor those in the capital were found to have the richest lives, with 45 per cent considering themselves fulfilled.

Those who, overall, have more time and fall into the lower end of the spectrum include the South-west, Scotland and Yorkshire, demonstrating that having more time does not necessarily result in feeling as if you have a fulfilled life.

“People think you need more time to chase your dreams, but it’s really the people who have less time that are seeking a richer life," said Dom South, Marketing Director for Old Speckled Hen, which commissioned the research. "It shows that you just need to use your time wisely.

As well as geography, annual earnings also dictate how time-poor people feel.

Forty eight per cent of people who earn between £20,000 – £45,000 claim they don’t have enough time to do what they want in their life. Whereas almost three quarters of those earning more than £45,000 feel that they do.

One in six under the age of 45 considers themselves to be unfulfilled, rising to 20 per cent of people between the ages of 45-54 years old.

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Married couples, meanwhile, are twice as likely to have extrovert traits compared to those who haven’t yet tied the knot. They also join their bucket lists together creating a single list and expanding it from five to six items.

Seeking these new experiences generally makes us happier, gives us a better quality of life and gives us more meaning to the limited time we have to actually do what we want to do.

To reward their customers, Old Speckled Hen has launched a competition encouraging fans to submit photos of themselves living a richer life.

_SWNS_

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Why do Britons think they are living an unfulfilled life?

answer: Two-thirds of Britons feel unfulfilled because of financial limitations and time restrictions. Even though most people have bucket lists, they have only accomplished between one and five items on them. Londoners have less time than people in other parts of the UK, but they feel more fulfilled than those who have more time. Married couples are more likely to be extroverts and have more items on their bucket list. Overall, Britons are unfulfilled because they feel they do not have enough time.

answer: They feel they don't have enough time to do what they want to, despite having a bucket list. Since they can't do everything they can't tick off all the goals they wish to accomplish in life.

text: It is omitted that many feel unfulfilled because of financial limitations.

refinement: They feel they don't have enough time to do what they want to, despite having a bucket list. Since they can't do everything they can't tick off all the goals they wish to accomplish in life. Many also feel unfulfilled because of financial limitations.

answer: Based on the passage, most Britons believe they are unfulfilled because they lack enough free time to do the things they want to do. Many people are also likely unfilled because of financial limitations and time restrictions. Whether they have more or less time does not necessarily correlate to a more fulfilling life.

answer: Financial limitations and time restrictions cause people to only tick off between one and five items on their bucket list and to feel unfulfilled.

answer: They believe they lack the time and money to fulfill their goals.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Why are married couples more extroverted?

answer: Married people are more extroverted because they have found ways to make their lives more fulfilling through novelty and shared experiences. This creates happier individuals, which ultimately improves their quality of life.

answer: Perhaps those who are married have more shared hobbies to retain them in a particular hobbies.

text: It is omitted that couples share a single bucket list instead of having two bucket lists.

refinement: Perhaps those who are married have more shared hobbies to retain them in a particular hobbies. Couples also have a single bucket list which gives them more opportunities to experience new things.

answer: It appears that married couples are more extroverted because they treat a shared bucket list as more than five items. Instead of separating their own list into individual lists, they combine their list into one shared list. This gives them more opportunities to experience new things, which likely makes them happier in general.

answer: Information can't be found.

text: It is incorrect that this information can't be found.

refinement: It seems that married couples are more extroverted because they share a bucket list which gives them the opportunity to experience more things than a single individual bucket list.

answer: They join their bucket list together creating a single list and expanding it from five to six items.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Why do people believe that more time means a chance at a more fulfilled life?

answer: People in general believe that more time would allow them to pursue items on their bucket list, new experiences, and opportunities to enrich their lives. This is because people generally believe that the more time they have, the more chances they have for experiences that would make them happy and fulfilled.

answer: Some think that it's connected to the financial means needed to be able to do something on a bucket list.

text: It is omitted that people believe that more time means more experiences.

refinement: Some think that it's connected to the financial means needed to be able to do something on a bucket list. People also believe that with more time they would be able to gain many new experiences and tick off more things from their bucket list, which would ultimately lead to a rather fulfilled life.

answer: Despite this not being the case, most Britons believe this because of their bad time management.

text: This response is not related.

text: Answer missing.

refinement: People believe that with more time they would be able to tick off more things on their bucket list and gain new experiences, which would ultimately lead to a fulfilled life.

answer: People believe that more time means a chance at a more fulfilled life because experiences and chances to try new things help provide a more meaningful life. Though time is limited, maximizing opportunities for new experiences and taking time to do what drives us provides more fulfillment. Married couples, meanwhile, are more likely to seek out opportunities for new experiences. Overall, finding fulfilling activities in limited time is possible with the right mindset.

answer: It is not stated, but it may be because without the time to pursue your dreams, there is an opportunity cost and the benefit of that pursuit is must less important than the opportunity cost so only the years with more time can reap the full benefit.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

How does this differ in different age groups?

answer: Twenty percent of people between the ages 45-54 years old seem to feel more fulfilled than those in younger age groups.

text: It is incorrect that they feel more fulfilled.

refinement: Twenty percent of people between the ages 45-54 years old seem to feel more unfulfilled than those in younger age groups.

answer: Forty-eight percent of people who earn between £20,000 and £45,00 claim they don't have time to do what they want in their lives. Whereas almost three-quarters of those earning more than £45,000 feel they do have enough time.

answer: According to the passage, those under 45 are more likely to feel unfulfilled in comparison to those over 45. Additionally, those who earn less money are more likely to feel unfulfilled as well. Married couples are more likely to have extrovert traits and to seek new experiences, which generally makes them happier.

answer: The over 65 crowd tends to be less happier.

text: The passage does not explicitly specify that the crowd over 65 is less happier.

refinement: The over 65 crowd tends to be less happier. One in six under the age of 45 considered themselves to be unfulfilled and these numbers rose to 20 per cent for the age group of 45-54.

answer: Though respondents of all age groups say they feel unfulfilled, respondents aged under 45 are more likely to feel unfulfilled than those aged 45 and above. Married couples are twice as likely to have extroverted traits and to create a single bucket list that expands from five to six items, which correlates to feeling fulfilled.

text: It is incorrectly stated that the younger respondents feel more unfulfilled.

refinement: Though respondents of all age groups say they feel unfulfilled, respondents aged above45 are more likely to feel unfulfilled than those aged below 45. Married couples are twice as likely to have extroverted traits and to create a single bucket list that expands from five to six items, which correlates to feeling fulfilled.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Survey data is discussed in this article as it relates to how busy people are and if earning more money necessarily means a person spends time doing what they subjectively feel they want. The article notes that married couples have higher tendency toward extrovert traits and that pursuing new experiences generally makes people happier.

answer: An accurate summary of the article isn't accurately represented.

text: This response is not related.

text: Answer missing.

refinement: Two-thirds of Britons say they are living an unfulfilled life. They believe that time and financial constraints are the reason they are unable to tick off most of the things on their bucket lists.

answer: Two-thirds of Britons consider themselves unfulfilled, believing they lack the time to reach their goals. Dom South, Marketing Director for Old Speckled Hen, tells readers that research has proven that this is still possible if time is managed better.

text: There is no evidence that the Marketing Director says so.

refinement: Two-thirds of Britons consider themselves unfulfilled, believing they lack the time to reach their goals.

text: It is omitted that a few people also blame financial restrictions to be unable to complete their bucket list.

refinement: Two-thirds of Britons consider themselves unfulfilled, believing they lack the time to reach their goals. A lot of them also consider financial constraints as a factor to living an unfulfilled life.

answer: Two-thirds of Britons feel that they are living a less-fulfilled life, according to a new poll. Despite a majority of people having a bucket list, financial limitations and time restrictions prevent most people from completing even five items on their list. Londoners have the least amount of time each day to do what they want, compared to people in other regions of the UK. Despite being time-poor, those in London are found to have the richest quality of life. Married couples are twice as likely to have extrovert traits and to complete a combined bucket list. Seeking new experiences generally leads to greater happiness.

text:
The answer is too long for a 2-sentence summary question.
"Londoners have the least amount of time each day to do what they want, compared to people in other regions of the UK. Despite being time-poor, those in London are found to have the richest quality of life. Married couples are twice as likely to have extrovert traits and to complete a combined bucket list. Seeking new experiences generally leads to greater happiness." This can be omitted.

refinement: Two-thirds of Britons feel that they are living a less-fulfilled life, according to a new poll. Despite a majority of people having a bucket list, financial limitations and time restrictions prevent most people from completing even five items on their list.

answer: A new poll found that two-thirds of Britons feel unfulfilled in life. Spending time wisely and taking new experiences can help improve a person's quality of life. Married couples are twice as likely to have extrovert traits and join their bucket lists together.


text:
was a Japanese politician.

Political career

Born in Kirishima, Kagoshima, Ozato's first electoral victory came at the prefectural level in 1959. He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly until 1979, when he was elected to the House of Representatives for Kagoshima 2nd district. In December 1990, Ozato was named Labour Minister.[1] From 1994 to 1995, he led the Okinawa and Hokkaido development agencies. In January 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan, and Ozato was reassigned to handle disaster relief.[2][3] From 1996 on, he began running for the legislative seat in Kagoshima's fourth district.[4]

Ozato was a member of the Kōchikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, originally under the leadership of Kiichi Miyazawa.[5][6] Soon after Koichi Kato became faction leader the faction split, but Ozato remained affiliated with Kato.[7][8] Ozato succeeded Koko Sato as director of the Management and Co-ordination Agency in 1997.[9] Ozato was appointed to lead the Liberal Democratic Party's Executive Council in 2000, replacing Yukihiko Ikeda,[10][11] but stepped down at the end of the year.[12] Kanezo Muraoka took the position.[13] Ozato was awarded a fourth class Order of the Rising Sun in 2001.[14] He retired from politics in 2005, choosing not to declare his candidacy for that year's elections.[15] Ozato died in 2016 at the age of 86.[16]

Personal life

His son is Yasuhiro Ozato.[17]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

title: Sadatoshi Ozato

question: Where was Sadatoshi born?

answer: He was born in Kirishima.

text: "Kirishima" - must use the complete name of the location as mentioned in the passage.

answer: Kirishima, Kagoshima.

answer: Kagoshima

text: "Kagoshima" - must use the complete name of the location as mentioned in the passage.

answer: Kirishima, Kagoshima.

question: For how long did he serve the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly?

answer: Ozato served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly from 1959 until 1979.

answer: 20 years.

text: "20 years."- while the answer is correct, it would be more accurate if the dates were included.

refinement: Ozato served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly for 20 years (1959 to 1979).

answer: He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly until 1979.

text: He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly until 1979. - add the date when he started (1959)

refinement: He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly from 1959 until 1979.

answer: He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly until 1979.

text: He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly until 1979. - add the date when he started (1959)

refinement: He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly from 1959 until 1979.

question: Which ministry was Ozato handling?

answer: Ozato was a member of the Kōchikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, originally under the leadership of Kiichi Miyazawa. Soon after Koichi Kato became faction leader the faction split, but Ozato remained affiliated with Kato. Ozato succeeded Koko Sato as director of the Management and Co-ordination Agency in 1997. Ozato was appointed to lead the Liberal Democratic Party's Executive Council in 2000, replacing Yukihiko Ikeda, but stepped down at the end of the year. Kanezo Muraoka took the position. Ozato was awarded a fourth class Order of the Rising Sun in 2001. He retired from politics in 2005, choosing not to declare his candidacy for that year's elections.

text: Despite the length of the content, the summary wasn't able to answer that Ozato handled the Ministry of Labor.

refinement: Ozato was a member of the Kōchikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, originally under the leadership of Kiichi Miyazawa. Soon after Koichi Kato became faction leader the faction split, but Ozato remained affiliated with Kato. Ozato succeeded Koko Sato as director of the Management and Co-ordination Agency in 1997. Ozato was appointed to lead the Liberal Democratic Party's Executive Council in 2000, replacing Yukihiko Ikeda, but stepped down at the end of the year. Kanezo Muraoka took the position. Ozato was awarded a fourth class Order of the Rising Sun in 2001. He retired from politics in 2005, choosing not to declare his candidacy for that year's elections.

answer: Ozato was the Labour Minister.

text: Change "Labour" to "Labor"

answer: Ozato had become the Labor Minister.

text: "Ozato had become the Labor Minister." - Reword to "The Ministry of Labor"

answer: Ozato was handling the disaster relief ministry.

text: "Ozato was handling the disaster relief ministry." - is false. He handled the Ministry of Labor.

question: Why was he reassigned to handle disaster relief?

answer: He was reassigned disaster relief since the Great Hanshin Earthquake had hit Japan.

text: "He was reassigned disaster relief" - add "to handle" after "reassigned"

refinement: He was reassigned to handle disaster relief since the Great Hanshin Earthquake had hit Japan.

text: "since the Great Hanshin Earthquake had hit Japan." - replace "since" with "after"

refinement: He was reassigned to handle disaster relief after the Great Hanshin Earthquake had hit Japan.

answer: The Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan in 1995.

answer: Ozato was reassigned to handle disaster relief after the Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan in 1995.

answer: The Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan in 1995.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Labour from 1990 to 1995. He was also the Director of the Management and Coordination Agency from 1997 to 2000.

text: "Minister of Labour" - change "Labour" to "Labor"

refinement: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Labor from 1990 to 1995. He was also the Director of the Management and Coordination Agency from 1997 to 2000.

text: Did not meet the 6-sentence requirement. Add more content.

refinement: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Labor from 1990 to 1995. In January 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan, and Ozato was reassigned to handle disaster relief. Ozato was a member of the Kōchikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was also the Director of the Management and Coordination Agency from 1997 to 2000. Ozato was appointed to lead the Liberal Democratic Party's Executive Council in 2000 but stepped down at the end of the year. He was awarded a fourth-class Order of the Rising Sun in 2001 and he retired from politics in 2005.

answer:
Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician. He first served at the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In 1990, he became the Labor Minister. When Japan was hit by the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, he was reassigned to handle disaster relief.

Ozato was assigned to lead the Liberal Democratic Party's Executive Council in 2000 but he stepped down from the post towards the end of the year.

He was awarded a fourth class Order of the Rising Sun in 2001 and he retired from politics in 2005.

answer: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician. He was born in Kirishima, Kagoshima, and his first electoral victory came at the prefectural level in 1959. He served the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly until 1979, when he was elected to the House of Representatives for Kagoshima 2nd district. In 1990, he was named Labour Minister. In 1995, he was reassigned to handle disaster relief after the Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan. He was a member of the Kōchikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, originally under the leadership of Kiichi Miyazawa.

answer: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as Labour Minister and headed the government's disaster relief efforts following the Great Hanshin earthquake. He retired from politics in 2005, and passed away in 2016. His son Yasuhiro Ozato is also a politician.

text: "Labour Minister" - change "Labour" to "Labor"

refinement: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as Labor Minister and headed the government's disaster relief efforts following the Great Hanshin earthquake. He retired from politics in 2005, and passed away in 2016. His son Yasuhiro Ozato is also a politician.

text: "His son Yasuhiro Ozato is also a politician." - the passage did not mention anything about this. Rewrite.

refinement: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as Labor Minister and headed the government's disaster relief efforts following the Great Hanshin earthquake. He retired from politics in 2005, and passed away in 2016. His son is Yasuhiro Ozato.

text: "He retired from politics in 2005," - remove comma after "2005"

refinement: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as Labor Minister and headed the government's disaster relief efforts following the Great Hanshin earthquake. He retired from politics in 2005 and passed away in 2016. His son is Yasuhiro Ozato.

text: Did not meet the 6-sentence requirement. Add more content.

refinement: Sadatoshi Ozato was a Japanese politician who served as Labor Minister and headed the government's disaster relief efforts following the Great Hanshin earthquake. Ozato was a member of the Kōchikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was also the Director of the Management and Coordination Agency from 1997 to 2000. He was awarded a fourth-class Order of the Rising Sun in 2001. He retired from politics in 2005 and passed away in 2016. His son is Yasuhiro Ozato.


text:
[HuffPost] [HuffPost]

How To Win Friends And Influence People

I'm currently reading a book that has been a best seller since the 1930s and I can't believe it's taken me this long to pick it up. It's called _How To Win Friends And Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie. A book that has been selling for almost 100 years! Full of common sense nuggets.

One of the pieces of advice the author shares is that the best argument is no argument at all.

If someone comes to you and says the sun is green, you can look at them with importance and explain that it is yellow. Or you can say, "That is really interesting. I always thought the sun was yellow. What makes you think it is green?" And let them talk about their thinking.

At some point the person may realize that maybe the sun isn't green at all. Maybe it's yellow. But they have to convince themselves. They will own the point more if they got there on their own. And if they are cornered into it by you forcing your opinion, they will defend their point of view causing a never-ending, no-one-wins argument.

And you never know. They might just convince you that the sun is in fact green in which case you learned something new too. I hear the sun is a mixture of all colors which we see as white, but it looks more yellow at sunrise and sunset. Who knew?

This is the basic foundation for how every argument with your spouse or friend or boss or client or co-worker goes. And how it could go if we listened to the simple advice that Dale Carnegie shares.

If we see the conversation as a discussion and a chance to learn, we both come out better for it. The less we argue, the more we grow. And who knows where that might lead us? To a new day and another sunrise. Shine on.

[The best argument is no argument.]
Calling all HuffPost superfans!

Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter

This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What can't the author believe they waited so long to do?

answer: Read the book How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

answer: Read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

answer: They can't believe they waited so long to read the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

text: The comma is unnecessary.

refinement: They can't believe they waited so long to read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

answer: To read a book that's been a best-seller since the 1930s, the author can't believe they waited so long to read it.

text: It is omitted that the title of the book is How To Win Friends And Influence People.

refinement: To read How To Win Friends And Influence People, a book that's been a best-seller since the 1930s, the author can't believe they waited so long to read it.

text: The sentence may be rephrased for brevity.

refinement: The author can't believe they waited so long to read How To Win Friends And Influence People, a book that's been a best-seller since the 1930s.

answer: Read "How To Win Friends And Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Dale Carnegie believes what about arguments?

answer: He believes that the best argument is no argument.

answer: He believes that the best argument is no argument at all.

answer: The best argument is no argument at all. Dale Carnegie believes that the more arguments we have, the less we both grow. Instead, we should stick to conversations and try to learn from each other rather than getting into arguments.

answer: The best argument is no argument.

answer: He believes the best argument is no argument.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What is the basic foundation of arguments in Dale Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People?

answer: The basic foundation of arguments in Dale Carnegie's book is that the best argument is no argument. Both participants in an argument benefit when an argument is avoided in favor of a discussion that encourages both sides to learn.

answer: Dale Carnegie believes that when someone suggests something that you think to be false, rather than arguing with them, ask them why they think their belief is true.

answer: The basic foundation of arguments in Dale Carnegie's book is starting with the intent to discuss rather than debate and strengthening mutual understanding. The ideal outcome is that both parties will find new information and be more open to each other's opinions.

answer: The best argument is no argument.

answer: It is that the best argument is no argument at all.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Who is Dale Carnegie?

answer: Dale Carnegie is a best-selling author whose book suggests arguing less to foster understanding.

answer: He is the author of "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

answer: Dale Carnegie is the author of How To Win Friends And Influence People, a book that has been selling for almost 100 years.

answer: The article states that he is an author of a book.

text: It is omitted that the title of the book is How To Win Friends And Influence People.

refinement: The article states that he is an author of the book How To Win Friends And Influence People.

answer: An author, How To Win Friends And Influence People is his probably most famous book.

text: The sentence needs to be rephrased for correctness and clarity.

refinement: He is an author, and How To Win Friends And Influence People is probably his most famous book.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Dale Carnegie lays out the best argument as being no argument at all, as those engaging in a back-and-forth will never convince one another. Rather, simply listen and let them make their point. This produces cooperation and progress in communication.

text: It is omitted that the book is How To Win Friends And Influence People.

refinement: In his book How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie lays out the best argument as being no argument at all, as those engaging in a back-and-forth will never convince one another. Rather, simply listen and let them make their point. This produces cooperation and progress in communication.

answer: While the author is excited to be reading the book, How to Win Friends & Influence People, he's saddened that he hadn't discovered it earlier. He found it to be a helpful read despite writing it in the 1930s by Dale Carnegale. The author comes to embrace because it's written based on a person's understanding of how humans work.

text: The author of the article did not really felt sad; he just wished he discovered the book earlier.

refinement: The author is excited to be reading the book, How to Win Friends & Influence People, and wished he had discovered it earlier. He found it to be a helpful read despite writing it in the 1930s by Dale Carnegale. The author comes to embrace because it's written based on a person's understanding of how humans work.

text: In the title of the book, instead of an ampersand (&), "and" should be used.

refinement: The author is excited to be reading the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and wished he had discovered it earlier. He found it to be a helpful read despite writing it in the 1930s by Dale Carnegale. The author comes to embrace because it's written based on a person's understanding of how humans work.

text: The summary needs a recast as some sentences are awkwardly phrased.

refinement: The author is excited to be reading the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegale, and wished he had discovered it earlier. He found it to be a helpful read despite it being writing in the 1930s. The book is written based on Carnegale's understanding of how humans work.

text: The comma after "book" in the first sentence is unnecessary.

refinement: The author is excited to be reading the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegale, and wished he had discovered it earlier. He found it to be a helpful read despite it being writing in the 1930s. The book is written based on Carnegale's understanding of how humans work.

answer:
This is an excerpt from a self-help bestseller that gives solid advice on how to win people to your way of thinking. The author tries to make a point that you get what you want when you listen than when you act like a know-it-all.

The recommended method is to keep your response simple and ask them to share their thoughts and opinions, eventually culminating in the conclusion that there must be more than a single way of thinking as an end goal.

text: It is omitted that the book is How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

refinement:
This is an excerpt from Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People, a self-help bestseller that gives solid advice on how to win people to your way of thinking. Carnegie tries to make a point that you get what you want when you listen than when you act like a know-it-all.

The recommended method is to keep your response simple and ask them to share their thoughts and opinions, eventually culminating in the conclusion that there must be more than a single way of thinking as an end goal.

text: The article is not an excerpt of the book; it is a discussion of one of the pieces of advice in the book.

refinement:
The author of the article talks about Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People, a self-help bestseller that gives solid advice on how to win people to your way of thinking. Carnegie tries to make a point that you get what you want when you listen than when you act like a know-it-all.

The recommended method is to keep your response simple and ask them to share their thoughts and opinions, eventually culminating in the conclusion that there must be more than a single way of thinking as an end goal.

answer: The best argument is no argument at all. Instead of arguing, listen to the other person's point of view and let them come to their conclusions on their own. This helps eliminate pointless arguments and allows both parties to both learn and grow from the conversation.

text: It is omitted that the book being discussed is How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

refinement: In his book How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie says that the best argument is no argument at all. Instead of arguing, listen to the other person's point of view and let them come to their conclusions on their own. This helps eliminate pointless arguments and allows both parties to both learn and grow from the conversation.

answer: The author of the article highlights a point from Dale Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Dale Carnegie believes that the best argument is no argument at all. In his book he suggests that when someone says something that you think to be false, rather than arguing with them, ask them why they think their belief is true.


text:
Gentle hands stroke my back. I’m enveloped in a warm embrace by the person whom I love most in the world. I’m so happy just being here with them, so happy it almost hurts. I love them so much. I place a gentle kiss on their cheek which is with returned with equal tenderness. I can feel myself being pulled closer to them and although no words are being said, we know exactly what the other is thinking. Pure bliss is what best describes what I feel at this instant; nothing else seems to matter or even exist when I’m with them. This moment would be absolutely perfect…if only they loved me back.

All the times that have been shared, all the laughs that have been had, all the tears that have been shed, it’s hard to remember a time they weren’t there living life alongside me. Loyalty knows no bounds when it concerns us; the other is always ready to do anything that is requested of them. We cherish each other immensely and we are absolutely inseparable. If someone who didn’t know us took a quick glance at us, they would assume we’re lovers. How I desperately wish that were true. I know I should be happy with what I have, but human nature almost never allows one to be satisfied.

I look up at them to find a small smile playing upon their lips, their eyes half closed and looking relaxed as ever. I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks which they were able to see as well, causing them to laugh quietly. Ever so softly I press my lips to theirs, enjoying the sensation of them mirroring my actions. “I love you,” I whisper by their ear knowing that no matter what their reply is, it will not have the same meaning as that which I desire. I move closer still to them, and gently wrap my arms around them. They’ll probably fall asleep soon while I lie next to them thinking about tomorrow and what it may bring. Tomorrow, we’ll have more fun than today. Tomorrow, more memories will be made. Tomorrow will be the day they love me back. I slowly doze off with these thoughts floating around in my head but I know deep down that the thing I want most for tomorrow will probably never happen.

title: just something that came to mind

question: How does the narrator feel with this person?

answer: The narrator feels pure bliss when with this person.

answer: The narrator feels pure bliss with this person.

answer: The narrator feels content and loved when they are with this person, but also deeply saddened that they do not return the same feelings.

answer: The narrator feels happy and content.

question: What does the narrator hope for?

answer: The narrator hopes that the person they love will love them back.

answer: The narrator hopes that the person they love will one day return their feelings and love them back.

answer: The narrator hopes that the other person may love them back.

answer: The narrator hopes that the person they love will love them back.

question: How does the other person feel with the narrator?

answer: The other person feels content and happy.

answer: The other person feels loved and cared for by the narrator, but they do not return the same feelings.

answer: The other person feels the same way as the narrator.

text: Does not feel the same way as the narrator

refinement: The other person does not feel the same way as the narrator.

answer: The other person has love for the narrator, but not in the same way that the narrator feels.

question: Describe a major theme of this passage.

answer: The major theme of this passage is unrequited love.

answer: The passage is about a person who loves someone who does not love them back.

answer: The major theme of this passage is unrequited love. The narrator is in love with someone who does not return their feelings, and this causes them to feel both happiness and sadness.

answer: A major theme of this passage is unrequited love.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is in love with someone who does not return their feelings. They cherish their relationship nonetheless, but wish that their partner would love them back. They enjoy spending time with their partner, but often find themselves wishing for more.

answer: The narrator is in a relationship with someone they love very much. They are happy with their relationship, but they wish their partner would love them back. They are in a warm embrace with their partner, and they kiss their cheek. They are pulled closer to their partner, and they know what the other is thinking. They fall asleep thinking about tomorrow, when their partner will love them back.

answer: The protagonist is in love with someone who does not love them back. They are happy with what they have, but they wish they could be loved back.

answer: The narrator embraces the other person, feeling pure bliss. They love this person but doesn't think that the feelings are mutual. They have spent so much time together that others might think they are lovers. They kiss and the narrator says "I love you." The narrator hopes that one day their feelings might be reciprocated.


text:
Well, the time has come to say goodbye to my baby and move on to greater things… I guess. From ditching class to the first time I had sex with Rachael; I’ve had so many memories in my sky blue ’78 Coupe Deville. So when I got a phone call this morning that some strange old lady wanted to take a look at my baby, I couldn’t ask anything besides what time she’d be here. All I could hope for is either she doesn’t show up, or it’s too “hip” for her to use when she picks up her groceries, goes to her knitting class, or whatever she does as a hobby.

It’s 3 p.m. and there’s no sign of this lady. I might actually be able to hold on to my baby a little longer. What the fuck is that squealing? I got up and peaked my head through the lacey white curtains my mother proudly bought at Goodwill. I pressed my right cheek against the window to get a better view of the broken pavement we call a street. I see a red- I think it’s red- dirt-covered ‘86 Honda Civic with the front bumper held together by a thin wire hanger. Please God, don’t let this be her. I shuffled my feet to the wood-framed screen door and slowly pushed it open; just hoping this ragged car passes by. I’d rather this be a drive-by than the new owner of my Caddy.

As I stepped out onto my mom’s porch I get an intense smell of the local steel mills that employ more than half the city. While my eyes scan the scenery of the decomposing fenced-in yards and barred up windows, I hear a sound of a car backfiring. The car’s gray exhaust billowed up behind it as it pulled into the one car driveway and slowed to a stop nearly putting another dent into my mom’s car. The doors opened with a loud creak as if the bolts were going to fly off. Two people emerged from the smoky confines of the car.

The driver was a man in his fifties and rough around the edges. He took two steps to his left to slam the door, leaned back, and pulled a cigarette from his ear and a lighter from his pocket. The lady pulled herself and took a bit longer to get out of the car. I caught a glimpse of her cloudy white hair peaking over the top of the car. She then took a few steps back, and drew a feeble old cane from the backseat. Are you kidding me?

	“How are ya,” I ask looked at the man, but he stared down the street, puffing his cigarette.

	“We’re fine, thank you,” the lady responded. “You must be Jay.”

	“Yeap.”

	“Well let’s see this car of yours.”

I waved for them to follow me into the garage- where I keep my baby away from prying eyes. I bent over and rolled the numbers in the correct sequence on the lock and popped it open. I looked back to see the man still leaning on the Honda- halfway through his cigarette.  The garage door swung up, as if the spring had no tension left, and revealed my baby. The air stood still as my eyes hit the bright blue details on the hood of that gorgeous beast.  My chest felt heavy when I stared into the headlight; reminding me of the first time I looked into Rachael’s eyes.

“Oh, she’s a beauty.”

What do you know, lady? It took my entire body to bring my fixed eyes over to the woman.  It took my entire soul to form a smile as I took a few steps into the garage that held my life. In the far back near the chipped door that led into the kitchen was an old cracked homemade wood shelf where my high school basketball trophies lived. Next to the shelf was a tool-bench I found decaying in an alleyway. I remember seeing it out of the corner of my eye as I drove by with Rachael on a humid summer day when the alley was overrun in a jungle of weeds.
My tools were still spread out over the workbench with the grease soaking into the warped wood.  The sun from the window on the other side of the garage was shining on my tools- reflecting the light and glaring into me. My heart started to sink into my stomach. The frigid old lady stared blankly at my car smacking her lips together as if she was swallowing her tongue. Her weary eyes spiked right through the front seat and into the ground beneath. She doesn’t deserve to even be in my sanctuary. She doesn’t even deserve to breath in the aroma of the wet, heavy air.  I swung my head angrily around in the direction of the woman. Behind her the man threw his cigarette to the ground and, with a stomp of his boots, he drove the cigarette into my driveway like it was a cockroach in his kitchen. He reached for his jean pocket and pulled out a blue pouch. He began to roll a second cigarette; not once glancing over to see what my baby looks like.

“Can I see under the hood?” the old lady asked, followed by coughing like she was trying to clear the years from her throat.

“Sure, one second.” I passed in front of her, separating her from the car.  I reached for the door and the cold, crisp handle sent shivers up my spine. After a moment of hesitation I snapped the handle up and gently swung the door open. I bent over and pulled the lever and the hood released with the sound like a can of pop opening. I felt myself blush from the thought of revealing my baby’s under parts.  I closed my eyes tight and clenched my teeth. But I pulled myself together and opened my eyes to the old lady smiling and staring expectantly back at me.

I casually strolled over to her and turned, positioning my shoulder next to her. I reached my hand through the one-inch crack between the hood and the grill of the car. What takes people a few fumbling seconds, took me only a moment to find the lever and release the hood. With two shaky hands, I lift the hood all the way open. The maze of the engine made the lady mumble, “Hmmm…” What’s does she know anyway? I checked back to see if the man’s attention had shifted over to the car- or at least to the lady. His presence started making me suspicious of the whole encounter. I’ve shown so much to them already. Did he see the combination for my lock? I should just tell them to fuck off. I don’t need their money. I don’t want to see them ever again.
Suddenly, the door to the kitchen slammed open and standing there was Rachael. She stood with a wide smile and soft eyes, analyzing the situation. My anger and paranoia dwindled at the sight of her smooth, glowing skin. I felt my muscles relax and my eyes start to feel lighter.

“Hi, I’m Rachael.”

“Hello,” the old lady grinned.

“How’s everything look to you?”

“I think we were about to talk price,” the lady looked back at the man for a quick glimpse. “How much were you asking?”

“Nine thousand.” I stated through my teeth.

“I was thinking, uhm, seven.”

That rage I had started creeping back into my throat. I squinted my eyes and gave him a quick glare, and then threw my attention at the man, hoping he would understand my point of view. My anger uncontrollably rolled in the direction of Rachael and I noticed she had moved from the stairs of the door to the passenger side of my Deville. My eyes drifted down from her shoulder to her hand rubbing her belly. My eyes focused over the hood to the round mass under her shirt that she had been caressing. The edge of my lip twitched into a smirk as I looked back at the lady, “Eight thousand.”

“Deal.”

title: First Short Story Ever

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What kind of car is the narrator selling?

answer: A sky blue 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville.

answer: A sky blue '78 Coupe Deville

answer: The narrator is selling a 1978 Chevrolet Coupe Deville.

text: It's a Cadillac, not a Chevrolet. The narrator even mentions in the story, "I’d rather this be a drive-by than the new owner of my Caddy."

refinement: The narrator is selling a 1978 Chevrolet Coupe Deville.

answer: A sky blue 1978 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.

answer: The narrator is selling a 1978 Coupe Deville.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Who is the narrator?

answer: That information can't be found

text: The name of the narrator is mentioned once in the story. A lady talking to him said, "You must be Jay."

answer: He is Jay.

answer: The narrator is Jay, the owner of a sky blue 1978 Cadillac Deville that is being sold.

answer: That information can't be found

text: The name of the narrator is mentioned once in the story. A lady talking to him said, "You must be Jay."

answer: The narrator is Jay.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Why is the narrator selling his car?

answer: The narrator is selling his car because he wants to move on to something greater. He is sad to see his car go, but realizes that it needs to happen. He gets worried when an old lady wanting to buy the car shows up, especially when the old man with her is there to help and is clearly more interested in getting high than in what the car looks like. The car is personal to him and he doesn't want strangers to buy it. Eventually, he agrees to sell the car for $8000 since there is no other choice.

text: The answer has a lot of unnecessary information.

refinement: The narrator is selling his car because he wants to move on to something greater. He is sad to see his car go, but realizes that it needs to happen.

text: It is omitted that it is implied in the story that Rachael is pregnant, which is why the narrator is selling his car.

refinement: The narrator is selling his car because he wants to move on to something greater. He is sad to see his car go, but realizes that it needs to happen because Rachael is pregnant.

answer: His girlfriend is pregnant and wants to purchase a car.

text: It's not mentioned or even implied in the story that his pregnant girlfriend wants to purchase a car.

answer: The narrator is selling his car because someone requested to see it. Initially, the thought of someone buying it makes him sad, as it is something he has grown attached to. However, when Rachael arrives at the garage, the jealousy and anger he feels dissipates and he agrees to sell the car for $8,000. The reason for selling it is simply so he doesn't have to deal with the strangers who want it.

text: The answer is inaccurate.

text: It is not mentioned in the summary that Rachael is pregnant, which is why the narrator is selling his car.

refinement: Rachael is pregnant, which is why the narrator is selling his car.

answer: This information is not mentioned in the story.

text: It is not directly stated in the story, but it is implied that the reason he's selling his car is that Rachael is pregnant. In the story, when the narrator sees Rachael caressing the "round mass under her shirt," he seems to have made up his mind to sell his car to the lady.

refinement: It is implied that the narrator is selling his car because Rachael is pregnant.

answer: It's strongly implied he needs the money because his girlfriend is pregnant

text: A period is missing.

refinement: It's strongly implied he needs the money because his girlfriend is pregnant.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What price is the car sold for?

answer: The car is sold for $8,000.

answer: $8000

answer: The car is sold for eight thousand dollars.

answer: $8000

answer: $8,000

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Chevy Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his forties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargain price. Rachael comes home and comforts Jay, but Jay remains stubborn. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car.

text: The car is a Cadillac Coupe Deville, not a Chevy.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his forties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price. Rachael comes home and comforts Jay, but Jay remains stubborn. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car.

text: The man was in his fifties, not forties.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price. Rachael comes home and comforts Jay, but Jay remains stubborn. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car.

text: "Rachael comes home and comforts Jay, but Jay remains stubborn" is inaccurate. What happens is that Jay starts to relax upon seeing Rachael. It says in the story: "I felt my muscles relax and my eyes start to feel lighter."

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price. Jay start to relax upon seeing Rachael. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car.

text: It is omitted that Jay is hesitant on selling his car to the lady because he has so many memories in it. " All I could hope for is either she doesn’t show up, or it’s too “hip” for her to use when she picks up her groceries, goes to her knitting class, or whatever she does as a hobby" is evidence that he is having second thoughts about selling it.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay seems hesitant to sell it to her. Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price. Jay starts to relax upon seeing Rachael. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car.

text: It is omitted that Jay is reminded that Rachael is pregnant and this is ultimately what makes him made up his mind to sell the car to the lady.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay seems hesitant to sell it to her. Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price. Jay starts to relax upon seeing Rachael and her bulging belly, and becomes sure about selling the car. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car.

text: It is omitted that the agreed price is $8,000.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay seems hesitant to sell it to her. Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price. Jay starts to relax upon seeing Rachael and her bulging belly, and becomes sure about selling the car. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car. Jay sells the car to the lady at $8,000.

text: "Jay refuses to let her have it for a bargainfor price" may be removed as it is an unnecessary detail.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay seems hesitant to sell it to her. Jay starts to relax upon seeing Rachael and her bulging belly, and becomes sure about selling car. The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car. Jay sells the car to the lady at $8,000.

text: "The old woman ultimately agrees to an increased price and buys the car" is unnecessary detail and may be removed.

refinement: A prospective buyer visits Jay to see his classic 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville. The buyer is an elderly woman and is accompanied by a man in his fifties. The car impresses the woman, but Jay seems hesitant to sell it to her. Jay starts to relax upon seeing Rachael and her bulging belly, and becomes sure about selling car. Jay sells the car to the lady at $8,000.

answer: The narrator sets up the smoke-free Toyota he inherited from his mom just to buy his beautiful, high-maintenance sky blue car. Jay is sure that the car will get sold, as the narrator bids a loving goodbye to his baby. An old lady and a man come to his home and negotiate a price for Jay's sky blue car before the narrator has a young, beautiful Jay with a baby bump bursts into the room.

text: The whole summary does not make any sense. The narrator and Jay are treated as different persons when in fact Jay is the narrator. It also introduced information that is not in the story, such as "the smoke-free Toyota he inherited from his mom."

text: Missing answer.

refinement: Jay is selling his 1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville, and a prospective buyer, and old lady, accompanied by a man, comes over to look at it. It's hard for Jay to let go of his beloved car as he has fond memories in it. However, seeing Rachael's pregnant belly, he becomes certain about selling the car. Jay and the lady agreed to the price of $8,000.

answer: The narrator sells his car to a couple. As soon as the couple shows up, the lady wants to look at the car. The narrator shows them the undercarriage and they proceed to talk price. It's finally settled for 8k.

text: "The narrator sells his car to a couple" is inaccurate. At first, an old lady is interested in buying the car. "So when I got a phone call this morning that some strange old lady wanted to take a look at my baby, I couldn’t ask anything besides what time she’d be here" is evidence that the lady is a prospective buyer.

refinement: An old lady wanted to buy the narrator's car. As soon as the couple shows up, the lady wants to look at the car. The narrator shows them the undercarriage and they proceed to talk price. It's finally settled for 8k.

text: The old lady shows up with a man, but it's not mentioned in the story that they are a couple.

refinement: An old lady wanted to buy the narrator's car. She shows up with a man, and they look at the car. The narrator shows them the undercarriage and they proceed to talk price. It's finally settled for 8k.

text: It's unnecessary to mention that the narrator shows them the undercarriage.

refinement: An old lady wanted to buy the narrator's car. She shows up with a man, and they look at the car and proceed to talk price. It's finally settled for 8k.

text: It's omitted that the narrator is hesitant to sell it but when reminded that Rachael is pregnant, he closed a deal with the lady. This excerpt is evidence that Rachael is pregnant and is the reason he's selling the car: "My eyes focused over the hood to the round mass under her shirt that she had been caressing. The edge of my lip twitched into a smirk as I looked back at the lady, 'Eight thousand.'"

refinement: An old lady wanted to buy the narrator's car. She shows up with a man, and they look at the car and proceed to talk price. It's hard for the narrator to sell his car because he has fond memories in it. However, seeing Rachael's pregnant belly, he is ready to do a deal with the lady. It's finally settled for 8k.

text: The narrator's name is Jay.

refinement: An old lady wanted to buy Jay's car. She shows up with a man, and they look at the car and proceed to talk price. It's hard for Jay to sell his car because he has fond memories in it. However, seeing Rachael's pregnant belly, he is ready to do a deal with the lady. It's finally settled for 8k.

answer: A stranger comes by and wants to see the owner's mid-1970's Coupe Deville. The car turns out to be a rare beauty and the owner cannot bear to part with it. The old woman wants to buy it for a lower price than asked. The owner negotiates with her and agrees for an amount of $8,000. Rachael unexpectedly arrives and the distraction of her pregnancy makes the buyer's identity less important. The owner reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: "The distraction of her pregnancy makes the buyer's identity less important" is inaccurate. Seeing Rachael's pregnant belly reminds Jay (the narrator and owner of the car) of why he's selling the car. This excerpt is evidence that Rachael's pregnancy is the deciding factor in selling the car: "My eyes focused over the hood to the round mass under her shirt that she had been caressing. The edge of my lip twitched into a smirk as I looked back at the lady, 'Eight thousand.'"

refinement: A stranger comes by and wants to see the owner's mid-1970's Coupe Deville. The car turns out to be a rare beauty and the owner cannot bear to part with it. The old woman wants to buy it for a lower price than asked. The owner negotiates with her and agrees for an amount of $8,000. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and the owner is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. The owner reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: The reason he can't bear to part with his car is that he has "had so many memories in my sky blue ’78 Coupe Deville."

refinement: A stranger comes by and wants to see the owner's mid-1970's Coupe Deville. He cannot bear to part with it as he has fond memories in it.  The old woman wants to buy it for a lower price than asked. The owner negotiates with her and agrees for an amount of $8,000. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and the owner is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. The owner reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: To be specific, the stranger who wants to buy the car is an old lady, and he's accompanied by a man. Also the owner's name is Jay.

refinement: An old woman, accompanied by a man, comes by and wants to see Jay's mid-1970's Coupe Deville, which is for sale. He cannot bear to part with it as he has fond memories in it.  The old woman wants to buy it for a lower price than asked. Jay negotiates with her and agrees for an amount of $8,000. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and Jay is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. Jay reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: "Jay negotiates with her and agrees for an amount of $8,000" may be removed. The agreed price of $8,000 is mentioned twice in the summary, which makes it redundant.

refinement: An old woman, accompanied by a man, comes by and wants to see Jay's mid-1970's Coupe Deville, which is for sale. He cannot bear to part with it as he has fond memories in it.  The old woman wants to buy it for a lower price than asked. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and Jay is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. Jay reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: "The old woman wants to buy it for a lower price than asked" may be removed as this information is not important in the summary.

refinement: An old woman, accompanied by a man, comes by and wants to see Jay's mid-1970's Coupe Deville, which is for sale. He cannot bear to part with it as he has fond memories in it. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and Jay is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. Jay reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: To be specific the car is a '78 Coupe Deville.

refinement: An old woman, accompanied by a man, comes by and wants to see Jay's '78 Coupe Deville, which is for sale. He cannot bear to part with it as he has fond memories in it. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and Jay is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. Jay reaches an agreement with the woman and part with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

text: The verb "part" in the last sentence should be "parts."

refinement: An old woman, accompanied by a man, comes by and wants to see Jay's '78 Coupe Deville, which is for sale. He cannot bear to part with it as he has fond memories in it. Rachael unexpectedly arrives, and Jay is reminded that the reason he's selling the car is that Rachael is pregnant. Jay reaches an agreement with the woman and parts with the Coupe Deville for $8,000.

answer: The narrator loves his car, a sky blue '78 Coupe Deville, but an old lady is interested in buying it. She arrives with a strange man who says nothing, and she looks at the car. The narrator wants to tell her to leave, but then his pregnant girlfriend, Rachael, comes out to say hello. Thinking about their baby, the narrator sells the car to the old lady for $8,000.

text: It is omitted that the narrator is selling the car.

refinement: The narrator loves his car, a sky blue '78 Coupe Deville, which is for sale, and an old lady is interested in buying it. She arrives with a strange man who says nothing, and she looks at the car. The narrator wants to tell her to leave, but then his pregnant girlfriend, Rachael, comes out to say hello. Thinking about their baby, the narrator sells the car to the old lady for $8,000.

text: It is omitted that the name of the narrator is Jay.

refinement: The narrator, Jay, loves his car, a sky blue '78 Coupe Deville, which is for sale, and an old lady is interested in buying it. She arrives with a strange man who says nothing, and she looks at the car. Jay wants to tell her to leave, but then his pregnant girlfriend, Rachael, comes out to say hello. Thinking about their baby, Jay sells the car to the old lady for $8,000.