Take a Stand for Language Standards

Take a Stand for Language Standards Take a Stand for Language Standards Take a Stand for Language Standards By Mark Nichol English usage is always evolving, but the rate of evolution seems to accelerate all the time, and careful observers will note in a wide variety of content pervasive examples of the relaxation of standards for written English. This post discusses several categories in which it appears that even professional writers often seem unaware of basic precepts of good writing. As discussed in previous posts, the velocity of change in what is considered acceptable written English has sped up thanks to the proliferation of media resources available to the average person and the dynamics of the publishing industry. Because of the explosive increase in content produced by poorly trained writers (amateurs and professionals alike) and the decrease in rigorous editing, substandard writing spreads unchecked, with the following results. Writers often, out of ignorance and/or apathy, close compound words that are treated as open and hyphenated in dictionaries and other writer resources, so that, for instance, we increasingly see â€Å"life span† styled as lifespan and â€Å"time frame† written as timeframe, and mind-set and light-year appear, respectively, as mindset and lightyear. This process has occurred for hundreds of years as a natural progression, but we appear to be in the midst of multiple evolutions occurring simultaneously. In a similar case, â€Å"all right† frequently appears as alright. It has done so since the mid-nineteenth century, but what’s new is that it is now creeping over from lay writing such as personal blogs to professionally produced content such as online newspapers. Amateur and professional writers alike are also increasingly failing to observe two types of distinctions between essential and nonessential phrases. First, for example, is the error seen in identifications of people such as the one in â€Å"Company president, John Smith, was also named in the suit.† The mistaken use of internal punctuation, due to the confusion of the simple job description â€Å"company president† with the appositive â€Å"the company president,† which would require the name to be set off from the descriptor because that phrase and the name are interchangeable (while â€Å"company president† and â€Å"John Smith† are not), is nothing new but is becoming commonplace in professionally produced content. As an example of the second type of essential/nonessential confusion, the following sentence is flawed because it implies that more than one Emergency Alerts system exists, and the one in question, unlike one or more others, can send alerts about catastrophic events: â€Å"The agency sent the alert through the national Emergency Alerts system that can send alerts about catastrophic events.† The following revision correctly observes that â€Å"can send alerts about catastrophic events† describes the system’s function rather than explains the specific function of one type of system (which is the point of the sentence): â€Å"The agency sent the alert through the national Emergency Alerts system, which can send alerts about catastrophic events.† That type of error, published on the website of a metropolitan newspaper, unlike the others noted above, is a cardinal sin rather than a venial one because it doesn’t just â€Å"look wrong†; it affects clarity and comprehension. I’m well aware that observations such as these can make me sound like a get-off-my-lawn geezer, but this is my point: Such shifts in our language are inevitable, but as a treasure hunter tells intrepid teenage Indiana Jones when the latter fails to prevent an artifact from being sold on the black market, â€Å"You lost today, kid, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it.† That is not to say I don’t â€Å"like it,† that I don’t approve of language evolution (which is just as futile as not approving the sun going down or the tide coming in), but what I don’t like is a failure to respect and observe current standards. Just as we agree that certain letters, numbers, and other symbols represent various sounds, quantities, and functions, we should agree on precepts of grammar, syntax, usage, and punctuation. As a professional editor and writer, it is my responsibility to help preserve the language as it is now, according to standards codified in numerous writing and editing guides and other resources, and not anticipate revisions that will appear in future editions, and I recommend that you do so, too. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Cost-Effective vs. Cost-Efficient10 Techniques for More Precise Writing15 Idioms for Periods of Time

David Beatty - World War I - Royal Navy - Battle of Jutland

David Beatty - World War I - Royal Navy - Battle of Jutland David Beatty - Early Career: Born on January 17, 1871, at Howbeck Lodge in Cheshire, David Beatty joined the Royal Navy at age thirteen. Warranted as a midshipman in January 1884, he was assigned to the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, HMS Alexandria two years later. An average midshipman, Beatty did little to stand out and was transferred to HMS Cruiser in 1888. Following a two-year assignment at the HMS Excellent gunnery school at Portsmouth, Beatty was commissioned as a lieutenant and placed in the corvette HMS Ruby for a year. After serving aboard the battleships HMS Camperdown and Trafalgar, Beatty received his first command, the destroyer HMS Ranger in 1897. Beattys big break came the following year when he was selected as second-in-command of the river gunboats that would accompany Lord Kitcheners Khartoum Expedition against the Mahdists in Sudan. Serving under Commander Cecil Colville, Beatty commanded the gunboat Fatah and gained notice as a daring and skillful officer. When Colville was wounded, Beatty took over leadership of the expeditions naval elements. David Beatty - In Africa: During the campaign, Beattys gunboats shelled the enemy capital and provided fire support during the Battle of Omdurman on September 2, 1898. While taking part in the expedition, met and befriended Winston Churchill, then a junior officer in the 21st Lancers. For his role in the Sudan, Beatty was mentioned in dispatches, awarded a Distinguished Service Order, and promoted to commander. This promotion came at the young age of 27 after Beatty had only served half the typical term for a lieutenant. Posted to the China Station, Beatty was named executive officer of the battleship HMS Barfleur. David Beatty - Boxer Rebellion: In this role, he served as a member of the Naval Brigade that fought in China during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. Again serving with distinction, Beatty was wounded twice in the arm and sent back to England. For his heroism, he was promoted to captain. Age 29, Beatty was fourteen years younger than the average newly-promoted captain in the Royal Navy. As he recovered, he met and married Ethel Tree in 1901. The wealthy heiress to the Marshall Fields fortune, this union provided Beatty with an independence not typical of most naval officers and offered access to the highest social circles. While his marriage to Ethel Tree provided extensive benefits, he soon learned that she was highly neurotic. This led her to cause him extreme mental discomfort on several occasions. Though a daring and skilled commander, the access that the union provided to a lifestyle of sporting leisure led him to become increasingly high-strung and he never developed into a calculated leader similar to his future commander Admiral John Jellicoe. Moving through a series of cruiser commands in the early years of the 20th century, Beattys personality manifested itself in the wearing of non-regulation uniforms. David Beatty - The Young Admiral: After a two-year stint as naval advisor to the Army Council, he was given command of the battleship HMS Queen in 1908. Ably captaining the ship, he was promoted to rear admiral on January 1, 1910, becoming the youngest (age 39) admiral (Royal Family members excluded) in the Royal Navy since Lord Horatio Nelson. Appointed as second-in-command of the Atlantic Fleet, Beatty declined stating the position had no prospects for advancement. Unimpressed the Admiralty placed him on half-pay without a command for over a year. Beattys luck changed in 1911, when Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty and made him Naval Secretary. Utilizing his connection to the First Lord, Beatty was promoted to vice admiral in 1913, and given command of the Home Fleets prestigious 1st Battlecruiser Squadron. A dashing command, it suited Beatty who by this point was known for wearing his cap at a jaunty angle. As commander of the battlecruisers, Beatty reported to the commander of the Grand (Home) Fleet which was based at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. David Beatty - World War I: With the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914, Beattys battlecruisers were called upon to support a British raid on the coast of Germany. In the resulting Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Beattys ships entered a confused fray and sank two German light cruisers before British forces withdrew west. An aggressive leader, Beatty expected similar behavior from his officers and expected them to seize the initiative whenever possible. Beatty returned to action on January 24, 1915, when his battlecruisers met their German counterparts at the Battle of Dogger Bank. Intercepting Admiral Franz von Hippers battlecruisers returning from a raid on the English coast, Beattys ships succeeded in sinking the armored cruiser SMS Blà ¼cher and inflicting damage on the other German vessels. Beatty was furious after the battle as a signaling error had allowed the majority of von Hippers ships to escape. After a year of inaction, Beatty led the Battlecruiser Fleet at the Battle of Jutland on May 31-June 1, 1916. Encountering von Hippers battlecruisers, Beatty opened the fight but was drawn towards the main body of the German High Seas Fleet by his adversary. David Beatty - Battle of Jutland: Realizing that he was entering a trap, Beatty reversed course with the goal of luring the Germans towards Jellicoes approaching Grand Fleet. In the fight, two of Beattys battlecruisers, HMS Indefatigable and HMS Queen Mary exploded and sank leading him to comment, There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today. Successfully bringing the Germans to Jellicoe, Beattys battered ships took a secondary role as the main battleship engagement began. Fighting until after dark, Jellicoe unsuccessfully attempted to block the Germans from returning to their base with the goal of re-opening the battle in the morning. Following the battle, Beatty was criticized for mismanaging the initial engagement with the Germans, not concentrating his forces, and failing to keep Jellicoe fully informed of German movements. Despite this, the workman-like Jellicoe received the brunt of the criticism from the government and public for failing to achieve a Trafalgar-like victory. In November of that year, Jellicoe was removed from command of the Grand Fleet and made First Sea Lord. To replace him, the showman Beatty was promoted to admiral and given command of the fleet. David Beatty - Later Career: Taking command, Beatty issued a new set of battle instructions emphasizing aggressive tactics and pursuing the enemy. He also continually worked to defend his actions at the Jutland. Though the fleet did not fight again during the war, he was able to maintain a high level of readiness and morale. On November 21, 1918, he formally received the surrender of the High Seas Fleet. For his service during the war, he was made Admiral of the Fleet on April 2, 1919. Appointed First Sea Lord that year, he served until 1927, and actively opposed postwar naval cuts. Also made the first chairman of the Chief of Staff, Beatty strenuously argued that the fleet was the first line of Imperial defense and that Japan would be the next great threat. Retiring in 1927, he was created 1st Earl Beatty, Viscount Borodale, and Baron Beatty of the North Sea and Brooksby and continued to advocate for the Royal Navy until his death on March 11, 1936. He was interred at St. Pauls Cathedral in London. Selected Sources First World War: Admiral Sir David BeattyDavid Beatty

In The News Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In The News - Assignment Example In order to meet the demands of customers of these days, it has become important for organizations to revalue their propositions; it means organizations need to do re-evaluation of their value propositions so that they can survive in today’s tough competitive environment (Zoti & Amit, 2008). According to Dafikapu (2011), new business environment has augmented the need of addressing the customer needs along with capturing value from the products and services that are offered to the customers. It is important that every organization has a well-designed business model so that innovators working within business are able to give superior quality products and services. Business model is most important for Internet companies because revenue streams are heavily dependent on customer perception about offerings made by them (Teece, 2010). In order to be successful, every organization needs to ensure that it has a well designed business strategy. When top ranked organizations business st ructures are studied, it can be judged that their success is dependent on the business model used by its owners along with their vision and business strategy. ... According to Daniels, Radebaugh, & Sullivan (2012), a business strategy should have incorporation of following aspects: 1. Business scope – Offering on which the strategy is to be applied. 2. Needs assessment of customers – All current and potential needs of both existing and future customers of the business. 3. Competence / Competitive advantage – Unique competency or distinctive capabilities which will give competitive edge that will help in meeting needs of customers for long run. 4. Securing business competitiveness – Ensuring right competencies are developed so that future of business is feasible. An effective and well-designed business strategy which has six elements as identified by Shediac, Moujaes & Najjar (2011), the scope of business is correctly defined, documentation is done appropriately, real customer needs should be addressed, do exploitation of competencies that are genuine, develop sustainable competitive advantage and it should provide p erfect ground for implementation of strategic plan. Factors important for business strategy When business strategy is being designed, it is important that various factors that are important for business should be taken into account such as its scope, purpose of existence, target market, competitors of the company, availability of suppliers, distribution network, external environment of business, political stability, climatic and economic conditions and many more (Casadesus-Masanell & Ricart, 2009). When an organization has multiple businesses, it needs to ensure that it has separate business strategy for each of the business. For instance, Apple has separate strategies for its computers, iPhones, Tablets and iPads (Meyer, 2011). The business scope needs to be defined in mediocre way so

The New York Public schools and New York Charter Schools Dissertation

The New York Public schools and New York Charter Schools - Dissertation Example Although there is a perception (generally) that the education in charter schools are vastly different than those in public schools, this research seeks to understand whether there is a difference in New York schools. The research will also review the beginning aspects of charter schools and draw a comparison of the positives and negatives of both charter and public schools.... As an example, California initiated a law to in 1992, showed how their charter schools would stay accountable. The Charter School Act for New York State passed in December 1998, allowed for the production of independent self–governing public schools. The law essentially stated that New York charter schools would meet state standards, regent’s requirements, state, health, safety, civil rights, and student assessments just like all public schools (About Charter Schools, 2010). Positive and Negative Aspects of Charter Schools vs. Public Schools One of the largest differences between public and charte r schools is that children are allowed to go to charter schools regardless of where they live. This gives parents and students a choice of schools and they are able to choose a school that they feel is the best choice for their children. In some ways, this action creates a need for public schools to develop more challenging The public schools limit their students to those who live within their specific districts. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) (2011) many charter schools will help to reform public schools but they are limited in scope so they will not be able to foster and entire public school system (NCSL, 2011). When looking at the positive and negative aspects of public schools, it is important to point out that public schools are free and the provide transportation to and from school for the children. Because the school is in the neighborhood, children will attend with their friends. This can also be a negative attribute for public schools if t heir friends include gang members or people who would get them into trouble in some way.

Autism :: Papers Disorders Childhood Autistic Essays

Autism Autism is not a disease, but a developmental disorder of brain function. People with classical autism show three types of symptoms: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication and imagination, and unusual or severely limited activities and interests. Symptoms of autism usually appear during the first three years of childhood and continue throughout life. Although there is no cure, appropriate management may foster relatively normal development and reduce undesirable behaviors. People with autism have a normal life expectancy. Autism affects an estimated two to 10 of every 10,000 people, depending on the diagnostic criteria used. Most estimates that include people with similar disorders are two to three times greater. Autism strikes males about four times as often as females, and has been found throughout the world in people of all racial and social backgrounds. Autism varies a great deal in severity. The most severe cases are marked by extremely repetitive, unusual, self-injurious, and aggressive behavior. This behavior may persist over time and prove very difficult to change, posing a tremendous challenge to those who must live with, treat, and teach these individuals. The mildest forms of autism resemble a personality disorder associated with a perceived learning disability. The most distinct feature of autism is impaired social interaction. Children with autism may fail to respond to their names and often avoid looking at other people. Such children often have difficulty interpreting tone of voice or facial expressions and do not respond to others' emotions or watch other people?s faces for cues about appropriate behavior. They appear unaware of others' feelings toward them and of the negative impact of their behavior on other people. Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and hair twirling, or in self-injurious behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of "I," or "me." Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking. People with autism often have abnormal responses to sounds, touch, or other sensory stimulation. Many show reduced sensitivity to pain. They also may be extraordinarily sensitive to other sensations. These unusual sensitivities may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as resistance to being cuddled.

Fortress of North Carolina’s History

Stretching almost 500 miles through North Carolina and Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains stand like a fortress that conceal some of the oldest settlements of both pre-historic and early European settlement. Much of the 200-year-plus history of Appalachian culture still persists by simply discovering what remnants are left. In 1539, the first European expedition to venture into the Blue Ridge region was led by Span’s Hernando de Soto, as his troops landed near Tampa Bay, Florida, with over six hundred soldiers and some additional men (mostly servants and slaves).Soto's expedition headed toward the Appalachian interior with two goals — to find adventure and to discover gold and other precious metals rumored to be in the region. Numerous Native American tribes (most of them Mississippian cultures) resisted the Spaniards' advance (Olson 1988, p. 3). In May of 1540, Soto's expedition crossed the Blue Ridge, probably guided by Native American scouts who knew of a well-establ ished trail over the mountains. The expedition passed through the domain of the region's predominate tribe, the Cherokee, quickly and without difficulty.The reason behind must be that the tribe had already been decimated by smallpox or other European disease that spread to the Cherokee from coastal tribes, which likely had contracted that disease from earlier European explorers. The Peachtree site within the Cherokee county fits the description of the town of Guasili visited by Soto. The Peachtree site is geographically and topographically more accurately situated for the location of Guasili than either the Nacoochee or Etowah mounds, both of which had previously been considered as the site of Guasili.At present, this site in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the feasibility of trails is limited, coincides more nearly with the expected situation as described by the chronicles than any other location. However, the significant point in this report is not whether this is the site of the ancient town of Guasili as shows at least one trail of importance which passes the site, while several others are connected to it (Setzler, Jennings & Stewart 1941, p. 9).However, it was England and France that garnered the political control of eastern North America, as many English settlers avoided exposure to the fighting by moving from the North Carolina and Virginia piedmont onto Cherokee lands in the Carolinas. In reaction, the Cherokee staged a series of attacks on English settlements and fortifications, a situation which came to be known as the Cherokee War. The Cherokee won several of these contests, including one major victory, the capture of Fort Loudoun on the Little Tennessee River in 1760.In retaliation English soldiers under Major Hugh Waddell in 1761 stormed Cherokee towns along the Little Tennessee River; suffering many casualties, the Cherokee pled for peace (Ehle 1988, p. 51). The English, recognizing that they could not fight the Cherokee and the Fren ch at the same time, forged a new alliance with the Cherokee. By 1763, this alliance had defeated the French and their Native American allies.English monarch King George III rewarded the Cherokee for their loyalty by issuing the Proclamation of 1763, which established a boundary line intended to prevent colonists from venturing onto Cherokee land. As the nineteenth century dawned in the Blue Ridge region with several states was mired in political squabbling over territorial boundaries. By 1800, the border between North Carolina and Virginia had already been surveyed, but North Carolina's border with the new state of Tennessee.As a cause of the frequent revision of county lines in the North Carolina Blue Ridge, it prompted the slowing the development of stable and productive county governments. The limited state funds allocated to mountain counties were often rendered ineffective by a lack of competent administration within the counties. For decades after the Revolutionary War, count ies in the Blue Ridge region not only were generally underrepresented in state politics, but also received little benefit from the federal government.Much of the western North Carolina landscape had been destroyed by the Revolutionary War, yet the state government of North Carolina put little effort toward boosting the region's economy. This was in part because the state's economy was sluggish, the result of many factors: a lack of harbors, the absence of an effective road system by which to conduct trade within the state, high transportation tariffs, and an over-dependence on agriculture (McPherson 1988, p. 65-71). In the North Carolina General Assembly in 1823, the state allocated funds for a trans-mountain road, the Buncombe Turnpike.Completed in 1827, this road linked South Carolina with Tennessee, allowing safe wagon transport from Greenville, South Carolina, over the North Carolina Blue Ridge, then through the valley of the French Broad River to Greeneville, Tennessee. A toll road, the Buncombe Turnpike profoundly affected the Blue Ridge communities through which it passed, providing economic relief to an impoverished region. Inns, supply outlets, and wagon-repair shops sprang up in a number of places along the turnpike. Owing to its strategic location along the turnpike, Asheville, North Carolina, grew quickly as a supply center for travelers.An important tourist attraction also emerged along the turnpike: Warm Springs, later called Hot Springs. The Buncombe Turnpike not only benefited the communities through which it was routed, but also served the nation by providing eastern markets with a steady supply of agricultural products, poultry, and livestock raised to the west of the Blue Ridge (Dunaway 1996, p. 113-115). During the Civil War, no major battles took place in the North Carolina Blue Ridge because political loyalties within the region were sharply divided, countless skirmishes occurred there.These conflicts were particularly frequent after July 1863, when the Confederate congress elected to position militia throughout the South in an attempt to capture draft evaders, return deserters to their commands, and control marauders who were opportunistically exploiting undermanned southern farms and villages. Confederate soldiers were soon present in the Blue Ridge, causing conflict wherever they encountered Union sympathizers. Thus, when the Civil War ended in 1865, marked the slowdown of political and social turmoil in the Blue Ridge region.The war had a profound impact on the region, as many people became disgusted at their ruined environment and disillusioned with their government. This is even worsened by the fact that political representation of the Blue Ridge people during Reconstruction was marked by corruption. Only after Reconstruction ended in the mid-1870s did state governments reorganize and actively participate in the economic development of the Blue Ridge. Finally, this improved the conditions in the region, which harnessed the forces of industrialization to come in. References Dunaway, Wilma A.(1996). The First American Frontier: Transition to Capitalism in Southern Appalachia, 1700-1860, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Ehle, John (1988) Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation, New York: Anchor Press. McPherson, James M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, New York: Ballantine Books. Olson, T. (1998). Blue Ridge Folklife. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. Setzler, F. M. , Jennings, J. D. , & Stewart, T. D. (1941). Peachtree Mound and Village Site, Cherokee County, North Carolina. Washington, DC

W.E.B Dubois’ Theory on the “Double Consciousness” ...

LIT 327 W.E.B DuBois’ Theory on the â€Å"Double Consciousness† Conflict/Radical Marxist Theory as it applies to the Novel – A Lesson Before Dying DuBois’ theory on the â€Å"Double Consciousness† states, â€Å"After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world,--a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels†¦show more content†¦In addition, in Chapter 8, Matthew Antonine, a man of mixed race openly admits to Grant that he views himself as superior to blacks, but inferior to whites. He says his perception of superiority is not natural, it is something that was created by society, the society that they live in. He advises Grant that after a person is constantly reminde d of his or her inferiority, it is no longer important how one actually views him or herself, because you will only be feel as you are treated. Both the conflict and radical Marxist theory exists in the text. The conflict theory states that society is controlled by the rich and powerful. The criminal justice system is controlled by the rich and powerful, therefore the moral standards and good behavior is set by the powerful. This allows them to separate, dominate and control the poor. This separation is to protect s the rich from crime, and helps maintain their status quo. As a result of this, minor crimes committed by the poor are severely punished while large financial and business crimes are treated with leniency. In the process, the legal rights of the less fortunate are ignored and the middle-class side with the powerful in hopes that they will achieve the same status as the rich and powerful. This theory exists in the text, because during that time period many black men , such as Jefferson, who were involved in small or big crimes, whether they were guilty or not,Show MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesSandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter