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Each month a regular challenge
is set to give Alpha Writers a chance to flex their writing muscles and engage in
some friendly competition. Read on for details of present and previous challenges,
entries and results!
CHALLENGE 2
Alpha Day 2: 12 October 2006
The first Challenge was a tough one, but at the time of writing this, I can see that there have been some excellent entries already. I think the
overall writing standard of members is really very good indeed.
Because I am giving you plenty to read about for the proposed novel, I am giving you a shorter task. I can’t say a less demanding one, because it is
always demanding to try to do something better than other members!
The word “Very” is an odd word in the English language: it has no meaning. Its sole purpose is to give stress and emphasis. As a consequence it is often
(very) much overused in much written and spoken material, frequently propping up limited vocabulary.
Use up to 200 words to expound on, glorify, underline, condemn or mock its use. If you think it’s not an important subject, just make fun of it,
but the word “Very” must be the theme or key to what you write, be it prose or verse! You might even do it successfully in 25 words!
RESULTS:
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Winning entry by Christine:
Much was such a cheerful chap until the 13th century – when that pert little bitch Very appeared.
Like most siblings they squabbled incessantly. Very was jealous of everything Much had, and she
kept nicking his possessions. She copied his semantics, losing her truth – if indeed she ever had any. She
wheedled her way into the very centre of phrases, played at being both adjective and adverb. She was very
pushy, gloating over each victory, throwing temper tantrums when she couldn’t do much to become a pronoun.
They fought fiercely over the adjectives, and Very conquered some new territories. She was very quick to
grab the positive forms and even the very best: the superlatives. That left Much with the comparative forms,
which he found much nicer anyway.
But the toughest battle concerned the verbs. Very attempted peaceful negotiations, but Much angrily
rejected her claim that past participles were really adjectives, and a bitter war broke out. Even today
there’s no clear winner. Very is gaining ground, but there are signs of a possible truce. Brother and
sister frequently walk together nowadays despite some very heated discussions on this much debated issue.
An end to the hostilities is very much desired.
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Runners up: Sally, Margie, Geoff
Sally's entry:
A word without meaning?
The very (1) shame of it, to slander this jewel of language so vilely. It is, on the contrary, the very (2) model of a truly versatile word. Indeed, it is the very (3) thing for spicing up all manner of sentences! Used well, it can convey the very (4) essence of truth in the most subtle of ways. This little treasure is the very (5) word you can use for so many nuances of thought and deed. The very (6) thought of doing without it terrifies me!
How many other words do you know which can be used in seven different ways to mean seven different things? Ah - what’s the seventh, you ask? Well, I’m very (7) sorry, but you‘ll have to work it out for yourself!
1: UNQUALIFIED
2. TRUE
3. EXACT
4. SPECIAL
5. SAME
6. MERE
7. EMPHASIS
Margie's entry:
I could not do without it
I just love that little word;
Helps me to express myself,
Oh! It helps me to be heard.
Consider when I’m angry
How it booms across the air,
Reflecting every nuance,
Of each feeling that I bear.
Consider how its letters
Lend themselves to sobbing sighs,
Stammering in support of me
Until I’ve dried my eyes.
Consider when I’m high with joy
How it bounces high with me;
Or when my old man’s sleeping
How it sings so quietly.
I could not do without it,
It’s with me to the end.
This little word I love so much
Is my v-very best friend.
Geoff's entry:
| Teacher: | Very well, class. How are you today? |
| Guillaume: | Very well, sir. |
| Teacher: | Good! Very good, Guillaume! |
| Guillaume: | Good very good, sir? |
| Teacher: | No… Good! Very… |
| Guillaume: | No good, sir? |
| Teacher: | Yes, good! Very… |
| Guillaume: | Yes good very? Thank you, sir. |
| Teacher: | Listen. This is the very thing you got wrong yesterday. |
| Guillaume: | Good very thing. Thank you, sir. |
| Teacher: | ‘Very’ is ‘très’, Guillaume. |
| Guillaume: | Very …. tray, sir? |
| Hassan: | What mean ‘very’, Teacher? |
| Maria: | Very teacher, sir? |
| Teacher: | Yes, Maria! Sometimes you can say ‘very teacher’. I am the very teacher who taught you yesterday. |
| Hassan: | You the very teacher, Teacher? |
| Ziad: | ‘The very teacher’ same same ‘a very teacher’? |
| Maria: | Every teacher? You every teacher, sir? |
| Teacher: | No! VERY! It means awfully. |
| Guillaume: | Good awfully good, sir? |
| Hassan: | You the awfully teacher, Teacher? |
| Teacher: | No, Hassan. Awfully is an adverb. You need ‘awful’ before a noun. |
| Hassan: | You the awful teacher, Teacher? |
| Teacher: | The very thought! This is a veritable minefield. |
| Maria: | Very table, sir? |
| Ziad: | You have field Teacher? |
| Teacher: | Listen! ‘Very’ has many uses. They vary. |
| Maria: | Same as Christmas Fairy, sir? |
| Teacher: | No! VARY! Example, Pele was very good. He was a very God on the football field. |
| Guillaume: | Good very God, sir? |
| Teacher: | You can’t very well vary everything, Guillaume! |
| Guiallaume: | Very well vary, sir. Thank you, sir. |
| Ziad: | Every Pele have field, Teacher? |
| Teacher: | Good VERY God! |
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