Obsessive compulsive disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Obsessive compulsive disorder - Research Paper Example DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria The following four criteria are useful to define obsession in the the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000): †¢Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images are experienced at some time during the disturbance as intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress. Persons with this disorder recognize the pathologic quality of these unwanted thoughts (such as fears of hurting their children) and would not act on them, but the thoughts are very disturbing and difficult to discuss with others. †¢The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems. †¢The person attempts to suppress or ignore such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action. †¢The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without, as in thought insertion). The following 2 criteria are used to define compu lsions in DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000): †¢An individual performs repetitive behaviors (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating words silently) in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly. The behaviors are not a result of the direct physiologic effects of a substance or a general medical condition. †¢The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. However, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a way that could realistically neutralize or prevent whatever they are meant to address or they are clearly excessive. Clinical presentation The diagnosis of OCD is mainly done based on clinical history and presentation. It is important to establish the age off onset of the condition. Also, any history of tics must be noted. Common obsessions include safety, contamination, doubting of perception or memory, need for sy mmetry or order, scrupulosity and unwanted sexual thoughts. Common compulsions include checking, hand washing, cleaning, counting, touching objects and arranging objects. In many cases comorbid conditions like eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, impulsive disorders and ADHD can be present. It is important to identify these conditions and also include them in treatment. OCD is frequently associated with Tourette disorder and this condition must be identified and ruled out. Other problems associated with OCD include loss of interpersonal relationships and loss of functioning of the individual (Greenberg, 2011). Etiology The exact cause of OCD is not yet understood. However, there is some evidence that abnormalities in the serotonin neuro-transmission can occur. Other abnormalities include defective dopaminergic transmission and defective glutamatergic abnormalities. Some researchers are of the opinion that an increase in metabolic activity and blood flo w in certain regions of brain like thalamus, limbic structures, caudate and orbitofrontal cortex. Thus, OCD symptoms mainly occur due to impairment in the inhibition of specific orbitofrontal-subcortical circuitry that are involved in the regulation of autonomic responses and strong emotions. there is a strong heritability for OCD and this is based on various twin studies. Genes related to dopaminergic, serotonergic and

LVMH †Fashion & Leather Goods Essay Example for Free

LVMH – Fashion Leather Goods Essay LVMH, known as Moà «t Hennessy †¢ Louis Vuitton, is a French conglomerate and the largest producer of luxury goods in the world. LVMH was formed in 1987 with the merger of Moet et Chandon a champagne manufacturer, Hennessy a cognac manufacturer, and Louis Vuitton a fashion house. The LVMH group is comprised over five sectors: Fashion Leather Goods, Wine Spirits, Perfumes Cosmetics, Watches Jewelry, and Selective retailing. This external analysis will focus on the fashion and leather goods sector, which accounts for 30% of the company’s total revenue. Analytical Tools To grasp a better understanding of the fashion and leather goods industry, this analysis will use the PESTEL and Michael Porter’s five forces methods to assess the external opportunities and threats. PESTEL is an effective analytical tool to determine the social and economical trends at a macro-level. Comprehending these factors can assist a company with its business strategies and vision. Porter’s five forces is a great tool when rivalry is so intense. It defines the competitive intensity and overall industry profitability. Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Loewe, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karen, Celine, Thomas Pink, and Givenchy are few popular brands that form the fashion and leather goods sector of LVMH. These brands have a total of 1,280 stores worldwide. â€Å"The development of our fashion and leather goods brands is based on three inseparable principles: leading edge expertise, constantly cultivated creativity, and a search for excellence in distribution. (www.lvmh.com).† With LVMH’s major strategic priorities to continue developing Louis Vuitton, strengthening brand image, and projecting profitable growth of the other fashion brands, it is critical to understand the external factors that may affect them. Louis Vuitton had another year of double-digit revenue growth. The Fashion and leather goods showed an increase of 7% revenue in 2012. Louis Vuitton’s brand value has steadily increased since 2004 and has eroded its competitors. (Refer to two graphs below). Currently, LVMH has 9.5% of the market share in the fashion and leather goods industry. * Luxury Goods * Louis Vuitton PESTEL Political Factor Politics does not play a large role in the fashion and leather industry. However, issues of policies and country regulations, such as customs, import VAT and consumption taxes can impact an industry. For example, country regulations such as the Lanham Act that protects the sale of counterfeit merchandise. This Act prohibits infringement activities such as false advertising and trademark copying. â€Å"Congress has passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Wilson Tariff Act, The Clayton Antitrust Act and the Robinson-Patman Act, along with various other regulations regarding unfair competition (IBISWorld, 2013, p. 36). â€Å" In the US, the level of regulation is light and trends are steady. Economic Factor  Economic issues of late 2008 have led to what economists refer to as a recession. Despite the recession in the past five years, the IBISWorld estimates that there will be in annual increase in revenue of 1.2% to $9.2 billion. â€Å"As the economy rebounds during the next five years, industry revenue is forecast to grow at an even faster annualized rate of 4.6% to reach $11.5 billion by the end of 2018 (IBISWorld, 2013, p. 5).† According to IBISWorld, per capita disposable income is expected to increase in 2013. An increase in income usually increases consumer’s purchasing power; this will create multiple opportunities for this industry. In 2010, the purchasing power has slowly begun to rebound and sustained industry profits, estimating margins to account for 10.7% of revenue in 2013. With an improvement in economy and unemployment rates, Generation Y (born between 1980-1995) is expected to increase their purchasing power. Sales of luxury goods rely heavily on Asian markets. According to IBISWorld, China is now the fastest growing foreign market. With the economic growth of China, the amount of disposable income is increasing which is causing an increase demand for luxury items. Nearly 25% of Louis Vuitton sales come from Asia. Sociocultural Factor LVMH has a wide range of consumers from different backgrounds. It is imperative that they are aware of religion, race, culture, and buying habits in every country. For instance, worldwide people are more dependent on the Internet, signifying that the methods of how people purchase goods are changing. With high rates of travel within US and abroad, there is a greater demand for luggage and leather accessories. Technological Factor Technological advances in machinery and management software can assist in forecasting demand, managing inventory, and speed up production. There are many tools that industry participant’s use: * Management information systems (MIS) and electronic data processing (EDP) * Consist of full range of retail, financial, and merchandising systems * PC-based point-of-sale (POS) * Equipped with barcode readers * Electronic barcode scanning systems Ecological Factor With an increase awareness of animal cruelty and environmental issues, the luxury goods industry should be familiar with the ecological concerns. Ecological trends could influence consumers purchase decisions as well as the perception of the brand. Legal Factor All fashion and leather goods industry will have to comply with rules and regulations. LVMH should be aware of laws that protect consumers, competitors, and corporations. For instance, comprehending labor laws and intellectual property laws. Threat of Entry The Asian luxury goods market has shown strong rates of growth in recent years. Chinese and Indian retailers are making growing fast, which increases the industries attractiveness to new entrants. Nevertheless, old players in this industry have the advantage of sustaining brand loyalty. â€Å"New operators may find it difficult to enter the industry, as these large corporations already hold a substantial portion of the market (IBISWorld, 2013, p.24).† Power of Suppliers The key suppliers in the luxury goods market are clothing manufacturers and wholesalers. Many companies are outsourcing to foreign manufacturers and increasing supplier options. Due to low-wage regions like China and India, supplier power has decreased through its competition. Power of Buyers This industry has a wide range of buyers and each customer should be seen as an individual consumer, which weakens the buyer power. In fashion and leather goods, LVMH can differentiate themselves through the unique styles and exclusive products. Threat of Substitutes There are many substitutes for luxury goods, including counterfeit and homemade goods. However, luxury goods are so highly differential, and consumers with disposable income will make the investment. Rivalry Among Existing Competitors The fashion and leather goods market is divided, creating room for many smaller players. While the industry shows high margins, LVMH has outperformed its competitors. As an older player with a highly differentiated product line, LVMH has a competitive advantage, setting it apart from competition.

Biography of Sir Joseph Lister Essay -- Biographies Lister Surgery Ess

The Father Of Modern Surgery The hospital environment has not always been a place of sterility and extreme cleanliness that is associated with it so readily today. Prior to the work of Joseph Lister, the hospital was a place to go to die, not to be cured. If an individual was able to survive the pain and torture of surgery without anesthesia, a postoperative infection would most certainly be their ultimate demise. Thanks to Joseph Lister, later known as Baron Lister, a hospital is now a place of healing and cleanliness, not one of death and filth. Lister's Early Life: Joseph Lister was born to Joseph Jackson Lister and Isabella Harris on April 5, 1827 in Upton, England. Upton was a small village outside of the reaches of ever-growing London. Joseph's family were members of the Society of Friends and therefore he was raised in a Quaker environment. Joseph's father, Joseph Jackson Lister was also a well-known scientist known for his invention of the achromatic microscope in 1830, allowing for rapid progress in the studies of cells, bacteria and disease. (Meadows, 180). Joseph had a happy childhood with his four siblings and was a good student. He had particular interests in the fields of botany and zoology. Joseph was able to enter the University College of London in 1844. This was important because at the time entrance to the universities in England were restricted to those who would pledge an oath to the king and the church of England. Pledging such an oath was directly against the religious beliefs of the Quakers. The University College of England was a nonsectarian school and the Quakers were able to attend it. Joseph Lister received his college degree in 1847 at the age of 20. Lister wa... ...70. - Webpages: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/medicine/nonint/indust/dt/indtbi5.shtml http://web.ukonline.co.uk/b.gardner/Lister.html http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/Museum/lis.html http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/st_simons/cr9801.htm http://www.medinfo.ufl.edu/other/profmed/slides/pm021599/slide25.html http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1867lister.html http://limiting.tripod.com/list.htm http://www.bartleby.com/people/Lister-J.html http://www.surgical-tutor.org.uk/default-home.htm http://www.lister-institute.org.uk/ http://il.essortment.com/sirjosephliste_rcod.htm http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/9910/lister.html http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/josephlister.html http://www.sciencefinder.co.uk/lister.html http://www.stlcc.cc.mo.us/fp/users/kkiser/History.page.htm- http://home.nycap.rr.com/useless/bandaids/ Biography of Sir Joseph Lister Essay -- Biographies Lister Surgery Ess The Father Of Modern Surgery The hospital environment has not always been a place of sterility and extreme cleanliness that is associated with it so readily today. Prior to the work of Joseph Lister, the hospital was a place to go to die, not to be cured. If an individual was able to survive the pain and torture of surgery without anesthesia, a postoperative infection would most certainly be their ultimate demise. Thanks to Joseph Lister, later known as Baron Lister, a hospital is now a place of healing and cleanliness, not one of death and filth. Lister's Early Life: Joseph Lister was born to Joseph Jackson Lister and Isabella Harris on April 5, 1827 in Upton, England. Upton was a small village outside of the reaches of ever-growing London. Joseph's family were members of the Society of Friends and therefore he was raised in a Quaker environment. Joseph's father, Joseph Jackson Lister was also a well-known scientist known for his invention of the achromatic microscope in 1830, allowing for rapid progress in the studies of cells, bacteria and disease. (Meadows, 180). Joseph had a happy childhood with his four siblings and was a good student. He had particular interests in the fields of botany and zoology. Joseph was able to enter the University College of London in 1844. This was important because at the time entrance to the universities in England were restricted to those who would pledge an oath to the king and the church of England. Pledging such an oath was directly against the religious beliefs of the Quakers. The University College of England was a nonsectarian school and the Quakers were able to attend it. Joseph Lister received his college degree in 1847 at the age of 20. Lister wa... ...70. - Webpages: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/medicine/nonint/indust/dt/indtbi5.shtml http://web.ukonline.co.uk/b.gardner/Lister.html http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/Museum/lis.html http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/st_simons/cr9801.htm http://www.medinfo.ufl.edu/other/profmed/slides/pm021599/slide25.html http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1867lister.html http://limiting.tripod.com/list.htm http://www.bartleby.com/people/Lister-J.html http://www.surgical-tutor.org.uk/default-home.htm http://www.lister-institute.org.uk/ http://il.essortment.com/sirjosephliste_rcod.htm http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/9910/lister.html http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/josephlister.html http://www.sciencefinder.co.uk/lister.html http://www.stlcc.cc.mo.us/fp/users/kkiser/History.page.htm- http://home.nycap.rr.com/useless/bandaids/

Natural born cyborgs

Natural born cyborgs – of course one may ask or wonder what the term means. Well, the term was invented by Andy Clark, a professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex, UK and chair in Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. So what does he mean by natural born cyborgs? The term denotes us, humans. For him humans are very much cyborgs as Robocop, Eve 8 among many others. Now, what made him think so? Clark made use of a term called cognitive hybridization, which in turn denotes the tendency of our brain to mix with the technology or to put simply, our dependency towards technology. According to Clark we don’t need wires for the term cyborgs to be applied to us. In his exact words he said â€Å"†¦we shall be cyborgs†¦in the more profound sense of being human-technology symbionts: thinking and reasoning systems whose minds and selves are spread across biological brain and non-biological circuitry.† At first glance one might say that Clark’s interest is primarily on technology but the truth of the matter is he is more interested in understanding humans, and the nature of human mind. Clark gave certain interest upon discussing the terms â€Å"transparent† and â€Å"opaque† technology. According to Clark, the technologies we are living with today are slowly becoming a part of us. From there on he went on to define what he meant by â€Å"transparent† and â€Å"opaque† technology. According to him transparent technology â€Å"are technology that is†¦integrated with, our own lives†¦as to become invisible in use.† Having defined what transparent technology is, let us now move on to understanding what Clark meant by opaque technology. By opaque technology he means â€Å"one that†¦requires skills and capacities that do not come naturally to the biological organism, and thus remains the focus of attention.† By this one may go on to conclude that opaque technology is one which is hard to use and thus requires skills if one aims to use it successfully. Let us take the wristwatch as an example of a transparent technology. If we look back to our ancestors we can say that their way of checking the time is kind of primitive. They made use of checking the position of the sun or listening for the chime of the bell, which indicates the time. However, as time moved on time slowly became a part of us. New technology had been invented and checking the time now is not as hard as it had been before. In this sense, it may not be dangerous to say that wristwatch may now be considered a part us, and thus a transparent technology. If one is familiar with Heidegger he/she might even see the similarity of Clark’s conception of transparent and opaque technology with that of Heidegger’s ready-to-hand and present-at-hand concept. To better understand what I mean I will give a brief description of what Heidegger have in mind with the terms stated above. By present-at-hand Heidegger meant an attitude the same to that of a scientist or a theorist. Like a scientist or a theorist one will be interested in something only because of the facts the object has to offer which they could later on use to theorize about something. We often view things which are present-at-hand in a secondary mode as in the case of a broken fan which lost its usefulness, such as a watch who happened to stop working. Thus, we can see a connection between Clark’s idea of opaque technology and Heidegger’s present-at-hand. On the other hand, ready-to-hand is something more like Clark’s transparent technology. We use things without theorizing about that things, hammer or wristwatch for example. In this regard, one can clearly see the similarity between Clark’s concept of transparent and opaque technology with that of Heidegger’s concept of present-at-hand and ready-to-hand. I remember making the claim in class that these are both essentially phenomenological treatments of technology. By this I mean to say that we seek to understand what technology is. If we can experience what is meant by technology, first hand, the better. The way the mind works is very complex. Humans never cease to be content. Technology came into being because of our inability to be content. As humans seek to understand more things, to make life easier, technology blooms faster. And now, we are living in a technological world and there are people among our race who’s still not content with the way things are and thus they seek to better understand things. Clark, on his work, Natural Cyborgs, tried to show how humans became so caught up with technology that human lives became intertwined with technology itself. I remember reading something about him wishing to understand how the mind works and if he is to do that then he must understand what technology is all about. Phenomenology as a method is very useful. By exploring a certain phenomena in order to understand a higher truth behind the phenomena is something great. Phenomenology might be useful in understanding technology and in this I have no doubt. However, by saying that phenomenology can help to better understand technology I am not saying that this can open all the gates of our understanding towards technology because I strongly believe that no method, not even phenomenology itself can open our minds to everything there is to know about technology or anything in particular. As we are humans there would always be room for ignorance. We cannot understand things fully no matter how hard we try because I believe that there would always be room for questions and for doubts. In this regard, I cannot offer another alternative should phenomenology fails to make us understand everything there is to know about technology. Dualism is the belief that the body is distinct from that of the soul. In this paper I would make use of Cartesian dualism. It is in the belief of Descartes that though the body and the soul are of different entities both can still interact with one another. It is from Descartes where the term interactionism originated. In his interactionism he said that the body is the one who receives sense perceptions wherein the soul is the one who is responsible for our awareness. According to Descartes the seat of interaction lies in the pineal gland. In his belief the soul houses the body and if the body is acted upon by the soul then their point of interaction happens in the pineal gland. I talked about Cartesian dualism because if one is to look closely Clark’s idea of technology becoming one with us or a part of us is almost the same to Descartes idea of dualism. Both seem to see the body merely as a house. The difference however, is that for Descartes the body is the house of the soul wherein for Clark the body is the house of technology or something to that effect.   Clark believes that the use of technology is essential in understanding how the mind operates because men nowadays are so caught up with technology that we are completely dependent towards technology. Technology became an important part of us and it seems to solve most of the problems of our world thus Clark concluded, for the same reason that technology may be useful in understanding human mind. However, I don’t think that it really solved the mind-body problem present in Cartesian dualism because somehow I can still see flaws on Clark’s idea. Technology for one, though reliable on most time, is still prone to failure. Somehow, failure may occur or accidents of some sorts because technology is not really that perfect, it’s got its flaws. I also don’t believe that Clark can avoid radical skepticism because no matter what he does there would always be people out there who would go on to criticize his beliefs. One can’t really please everyone and I’m pretty sure that there are still people, purists for one, who would certainly doubt the power technology has. Thus, on my conclusion I say that even though Clark opened our minds to some ideas and although most of what he said holds true, I don’t really believe that his idea is perfect enough to avoid skepticisms. Reference: Clark, Andy. Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intelligence. Oxford University Press, USA; 2003

Personal Ethics Statement Essay

My personal ethics statement includes my values and ideals important to me as an academic and in everyday life. My ethics are personal beliefs and morals that reflect and define the person I am. The decisions and choices I make every day should be consistent with integrity and respect toward others. These ethics will ensure my happiness and peace if I keep and hold these values. I believe the value of equality for people regardless of race, religion, and handicaps ensure that all people can be treated fairly. Treating people with respect and dignity while holding myself accountable to these principles will ensure that I treat others as I want to be treated. My preferred ethical lens is the reputation lens. I listen to my intuition and determine what character traits and virtues will best serve the community. The equality of a community is important to ensure a fair and balanced society for all. All people should contribute and develop a voice in a community by actively participating and finding common ground thru diversity. I believe in examining each situation in its own context rather than applying same solutions for the whole community. My blind spot possessing unrealistic role expectations either on myself or others means that I need to pay close attention to my expectations of other individuals. My expectations may not be the same as others, so not forgetting the people make mistakes same as me. Keeping in mind that I am not in control of every situation and that other people are capable of resolving problems or events that I may believe are only accomplishable by me. Trusting other people’s choices and decisions will help in overcoming this blind spot. My strengths include courage and steadiness in the face of obstacles. I avoid rash decisions and at the same time have courage to face unknown or untested waters. I value friendship and keep close connections with people I trust and value. I appreciate those who work alongside and help to encourage me. I value equality and demonstrate compassion for others in need. My weakness include; entitlement, hardness of heart, and confusion. Believing that I am entitled to special privileges and persuade others that my role gives me pecial rights are inconsistent with good character traits. Hardness of heart comes from experiences of people that did not live up to my expectations. I must develop and practice mindfulness not to be confused on the role that I am identified. Identifying my weakness is important, it allows for self-reflection and improvement. The values I hold, and the resultant behavior allows me to listen to my intuition and determine what traits and virtues will serve the community. My values define me and my behaviors are a reflection of whom I am. My behaviors also affect others in relationships either casual or professional. The choices I make are behaviors and reflect me. My personal ethics determine my course of action allowing me to see more clearly and finding balance in my life. Exploring and digging deep into my own emotions will allow me to discern decisions I make. Keeping an open and honest heart in all situations and reexamining my ethics will allow for improvement and correction. I believe that all these things will help keep me focused and grounded to help with better decision making and improve my quality of life.

Business Writing is Easier Than You Think

Business Writing is Easier Than You Think Letters, memos, business plans, technical papers, presentations, reports, meeting summaries, agendas – whatever your business communication, the first rule is Dont panic! Writing for business can be easy and, yes, even fun, if you just take the time to plan before you write.Whats the purpose of your message?Are you writing a letter to request more information about a product or service? Are you enclosing a cover letter with your resume? Did your supervisor ask you to prepare a presentation for the next sales meeting? Does your class assignment include creating a business plan? No matter the situation, you first must determine the reason for your message.Who is your reader?Once you know your purpose, picture the person(s) who will be reading your message. A teacher? Another student? A business owner? Your boss? Identifying the recipient of your message will allow you to choose words and phrases that will be meaningful and understandable to your reader, so that your reader react s favorably. Consider education, position, age, gender, interests and other demographic and psychographic details that might affect how your message is received.How can you make your message complete and accurate?Research the most recent and reliable sources to collect information for your message. Sources might include the library, colleagues, company files, other students experience, or the Internet. Use your general intelligence and common sense to filter the information that should be included, and keep in mind that your goal is to be factual and to provide all the details that your reader needs to understand and process your written communication.Its time to do an outline!An outline gives you a working framework from which to write your final message. It doesnt have to be fancy or even typed as long as it organizes your material and thoughts in a logical manner, based on the purpose, reader and information you have collected.For example, if your reader is expected to be pleased and interested in your message:Opening – Present your idea. You dont have to prepare your reader for your message.Middle – Include details.Closing – Close with a positive, friendly conclusion.If, on the other hand, your reader is expected to be displeased or uninterested:Opening – Present an idea that is either neutral or gets the readers attention.Middle – Give evidence to convince the reader of benefits.Closing – Close with a positive, friendly conclusion and, if required, state action to be taken by the reader.Choosing the right wordsTo communicate clearly, choose words that result in clear, concise, correct, descriptive and complete thoughts. That doesnt mean that you have to enhance your vocabulary with $100 words and phrases; big words dont translate into big ideas or positive reactions unless they clearly communicate your message.Use simple languageThe test of clarity is that your message is impossible to misunderstand and requires o nly one reading. Use short, familiar words and conversational words to make your writing clear. Your goal is to express, not to impress.Be conciseSay what you have to say in the fewest words possible. Open with a short, strong, attention-getting paragraph; your reader wants to know right away what this message is about. Eliminate meaningless or irrelevant words and phrases that may hinder the reader from getting to the main point. Then, when youre ready to close, close! Some examples of wordy vs. concise phrases include:Wordy: A long period of timeConcise: A long timeWordy: Contact you by telephoneConcise: Call youWordy: In the event thatConcise: IfWordy: It is probable thatConcise: ProbablyWordy: With this letter, I am enclosingConcise: Enclosed isWordy: Your check in the amount ofConcise: Your check forWordy: Due to the fact thatConcise: BecauseWordy: Please do not hesitate toConcise: PleaseWordy: At the present timeConcise: NowUse correct EnglishYou owe it to yourself and your re ader to use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Incorrect writing is distracting and undermines the readers confidence in your competence and accuracy.Use specific descriptive words and phrasesAppeal to your readers senses while you make your message clear and interesting by providing a mental picture:(Vague and boring) The biology class went on a field trip.(Clearer and more interesting) Mrs. Adams biology class went to the Museum of Natural History to study wild animal habitats.Create an appropriate toneThe least important word you can use in any business writing is I. At the beginning of a letter or paragraph, avoid starting with I when you can just as easily begin with an introductory phrase or sentence related to your reader. Your attitude when writing should always be positive, friendly and sincere, no matter the subject. To ensure that your messages impart an appropriate tone (the way the message sounds to the reader):Consider the readers desires (instead of I cannot s hip your order until July 15, write Your order will be shipped on July 15.).Show sincerity (instead of Thank you for your order, write Thank you for ordering the Officemate Desk Chair; we know you will appreciate the extra comfort and functionality.).Show courtesy (instead of You have been added to our list of satisfied customers, write We are pleased to have you as a new customer).Select positive words (instead of Unfortunately, the warranty on your lawnmower has expired; however, we will repair it and charge you for parts, write We will be happy to repair your lawnmower. Your only charge will be for parts as your warranty has expired.).If you are struggling with your business writing, let common sense prevail.You cant produce successful business communications without thoughtful preparation and adherence to the rules of English – common-sense strategies for everything you write. If the only guidelines you follow are the ones on this page, youll be well on your way to impres sing your readers with your command of business writing skills.

Free sample - Argue or accept. translation missing

Argue or accept. Argue or acceptAny language at any time is prone to changes and development. Such evolution may have its pros and cons since it has power either to cause increase or decrease of language nature. After all, should the flow of thoughts be flawless and what is ‘good language’? These thorny questions concern English as well the modern variant of which makes linguists reveal the influential factors and the effects of such tendencies. Thus, concluding from George Orwell, English language has undergone and still continues to, evolutionary turn which is marked by ‘slovenliness’, ‘imitation’, ‘ugliness’ and on the whole ‘prefabricated hen-house’. The author points out that contemporary writing is full of mental faults and badly lacks any precision and sense. He provides a number of such misusage tools among which he names dying metaphor, orators or verbal false limbs, pretentious diction and meaningless words. The scope of these ‘tricks’ makes language expression stale and vague. Orwell mentions a dead metaphor which is actually neither an ordinary word nor a vivid one since a transferred image has lost its power as in â€Å"to fish for compliments†, â€Å"branch of government†, â€Å"to fall in love† etc. Such metaphors became trite with the time and no longer produce the effect of freshness and expressiveness. Let’s take an example â€Å"to give a hand of help† which initially did render the metaphorical meaning â€Å"to help somebody† and was really bright and fresh-colored because hand is viewed as sort of support when a person tries to console a friend. For now the phrase no longer needs the word ‘help’ as the meaning becomes clear enough for everyone. Moreover, the writer focuses on another type of metaphor which he calls ‘worn-out’ because it is not as expressive and ‘evocative’ as they previously used to be. He believes the reason why people continue to use them lies in t heir not willing to think of and produce new imaginary patterns. So, we still have at our disposal the phrases like Cassandra’s warning, Hercules’ labor, to sow the sand, seeds of evil etc. The author insists that inconsistent use of metaphors is often caused by the person’s lack if not absence of understanding what he or she really wants to say. This altogether is supposed to indicate the user’s indifference in the issue. Still, a question is dubious. In my opinion, such overlapping and miscomprehension are the result of ignorance and scarce literacy that is why we watch the examples which are blurry. People just don’t thoroughly understand what these or those words mean. I think the use of even dead metaphors must be appropriate and up to a point then the reader or a listener won’t be misled as in to tow the line instead if toe the line. Another point that the writer touches is excessive verbosity that provokes inflated speech pattern. Why not simply say for instance to â€Å"attract† for â€Å"grip one’s attention† or â€Å"conclude† for â€Å"to arrive at conclusion†? There is plenty of clear well-known ‘general-purpose verbs’ to express the same idea without needless long-chain phrases. Surprisingly, such verbosity may entail striking and controversial gobbledygook which means â€Å"inflated, jargon-cluttered prose that fails to communicate clearly†(About.com). Thus, let’s look through some astonishing examples of words reconsidered usage that can’t but impress many of us. There was conducted a sort of survey where the participants were asked to provide situations of weird language use which totally put them out of temper. Some of the surveyed included errors in word usage, clichà ©, misspelling, abundance, jargon, slang into this group of oddities but there were those who were even shocked by the way their language can be reversed – the most ardent representatives of English defenders. Here are some of the cases: @ (instead of "at"), aks but not â€Å"ask†, a lot for â€Å"a lot†, decimate (to mean the total annihilation of something, rather than a tenth), mispronunciation of â€Å"definitely† which acquired the for ms of definly, defaly, and definally, ex cetera instead of "et cetera", grammatically incorrect use of ‘has’ for "have," as in â€Å"there’s been two accidents†. The list of such language jeer-and-sneer application may be continued but I’m afraid I won’t endure it either! Whether such novelties are caused by fashionable twist of mind or maybe we so much lack of entertainment in our everyday hustle and bustle life that we are forced to bring jollity into language? Who knows. However, I am more than convinced that the vast set of tools a language can provide us with should be used reasonably not to spam the language at all. Another not least amusing process of language use which Orwell discussed in his work as pretentious diction is represented by euphemism – a tool to replace offensive or disagreeable remarks or statements. The ways of how these language mean can be coined is really diverse. The role of euphemisms can be helpful if used in cases like â€Å"not too slender† for â€Å"fat†, Afro-American for â€Å"Niger† etc. taking into account ethic and political reasons or even more humoristic like to â€Å"powder one’s nose: "Where can I powder my nose?" in case of ‘restroom’, â€Å"full and frank discussion† to render the meaning of â€Å"argument† – we had a full and frank discussion with my business partner. But there are too much more mind-tangling examples as in the circumlocution (periphrasis). The actual meaning of this instrument is to ‘talk around’, that is to say something but totally hide what you have said for instance when a person wants to conceal what he or she really thinks an intricate figure of speech accismus can help which is also called the oh-you-shouldn't-have figure. To be more precise we sometimes get into situations when we are presented with a gift but you refuse as if of modesty saying ‘the gift is not necessary, a check will be quite enough’ (Figures of speech served fresh. Monday, October 10, 2005). All in all, I am more inclined to think that there can’t be univocal assertion that modern English is really in state of decline. Many men many minds, so to my mind it is more a matter of overall literacy and erudition that signifies right or wrong language usage and relevance of these or those figures of speech, since an educated person has a wit to analyze the information he or she receives and therefore is able to decipher the hidden codes.