3 More Misplaced Modifiers

3 More Misplaced Modifiers 3 More Misplaced Modifiers 3 More Misplaced Modifiers By Mark Nichol Additional information must be placed carefully in a sentence to ensure that it is associated with the correct part of the sentence. Here are three sentences with misplaced modifiers, plus discussions and revisions. 1. â€Å"John Smith was the school’s first Lombardi Award winner in 1979, given to college football’s best lineman.† This sentence implies that John Smith was the first of two or more teammates to win the Lombardi Award in 1979, and that 1979 was given to college football’s best lineman. However, the award is given to only one student-athlete each year, and â€Å"given to college football’s best lineman† modifies â€Å"Lombardi Award,† not 1979 (and not winner, so â€Å"in 1979† cannot be shifted to the end of the sentence without further modification of the sentence). This revision correctly places the modifying phrase and alters the verb phrase to allow â€Å"in 1979† to follow the parenthetical description of the award: â€Å"John Smith won USC’s first Lombardi Award, given to college football’s best lineman, in 1979.† 2. â€Å"The superintendent spoke about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students at a news conference.† According to this statement, the students were given the assignment at a news conference. To clarify that the assignment was discussed, not assigned, at the conference, the reference to the conference should begin the sentence: â€Å"At a news conference, the superintendent spoke about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students.† 3. â€Å"Hydrogen and oxygen do not need an enzyme to create water because of their perfect valence electron pairing.† The part of the sentence starting with because modifies the rest of the sentence. But the location of the modifying phrase sets up the possibility that the discussion will have a â€Å"not because [this], but because [that]† structure. For a clear reading of the sentence, start with the modifying phrase: â€Å"Because of their perfect valence electron pairing, hydrogen and oxygen do not need an enzyme to create water.† 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?Five Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Rite, Write, Right, Wright

How to Use the Conditional Tense in German

How to Use the Conditional Tense in German The conditional tense in German is established through the subjunctive II  (past). But that is not the only way. As important as it is to learn the subjunctive II for such purposes, there are sometimes other ways to form a conditional statement, depending on your intent. The following is a listing of a few examples. Introducing a Condition With the Preposition Bei Bei schà ¶nem Wetter, gehen wir schwimmen.(When the weather is nice, we’ll go swimming.)Remember that the preposition bei is always followed by the dative. If you would use the subjunctive, the sentence would read as follows: Wenn es schà ¶nes Wetter sein sollte, dann gehen wir schwimmen. Using Wenn Use wenn plus the present tense if the condition is possible. Wenn du mà ¼de bist, leg dich hin.(If you are tired, lie down.) Wenn du Hunger hast, nimm dir ein Stà ¼ck Kuchen.(If you are hungry, you can have a piece of cake.) Use wenn plus the subjunctive II if the sentence indicates a hypothesis not realized. Wenn ich jung wre, wà ¼rde ich mir diese Schuhe kaufen.If I were young, then I would buy these shoes. Wenn wir reich wren, wà ¼rden wir auf eine Weltreise gehen.(If we were rich, we would go on a world trip.) Use wenn plus the subjunctive II if the sentence indicates a hypothesis that was not realized in the past. Wenn er studiert htte, wà ¼rde er gute Noten bekommen haben.(If he had studied, he would have gotten good marks.) Wenn er seine Medizin genommen htte, wà ¼rde er jetzt gesund sein.(If he had taken his medicine, he would be healthy now.) Using Falls/im Falle When something is possible. Falls du zum Museum hingehst, vergiss nicht dein Mitgliedsausweis.(In case you go to the museum, don’t forget your membership card.) Im Falle, dass wir spt sind, will ich mir eine Ausrede denken.(In case that we are late, I want to think of an excuse.) Using Es Sei Denn, Dass (Unless)/Vorausgesetzt, Dass Geh nicht im Keller, es sei denn, dass du vorher gefragst hast.(Don’t go in the basement, unless you’ve asked beforehand.) Guck nicht im Schrank, es sei denn du willst wissen was du fà ¼r deinen Geburtstag bekommen wirst.(Don’t look in the closet, unless you want to find out what you will be getting for your birthday.) Ich komme mit, vorausgesetzt, dass deine Eltern einverstanden sind.(Im coming, only unless your parents agree.) Adverbs Sonst (Else) or Andernfalls (Otherwise) These adverbs make reference to the past that would have influenced the past, that the situation occurred. Ich bin froh, dass du mitgekommen bist, sonst htte ich mich sehr gelangweilt haben.(I am happy that you came along, or else I would have been so bored.) Gute Sache, dass er die Suppe nicht gegessen hat, andernfalls wà ¼rde er auch krank gewesen sein.(Good thing, he didn’t eat the soup, otherwise he’d be sick too.)

Comparison Study of Computer Operating System (between Mac OS and Research Paper

Comparison Study of Computer Operating System (between Mac OS and Windows) - Research Paper Example The significance of the problem is that choosing a reliable and performing operating system makes the difference between comfortable use of the computer as opposed to a use that is punctuated by frequent breakdowns and crashes that can impair productivity of the user. Hence, choosing a good operating system is in the best interests of the consumer and this report attempts to provide a guide to selecting a reliable and performing operating system. The report surveys the existing literature on the comparison between the Windows and Mac OS and also relies on some firsthand observations that have been made by experts who have compared these two operating systems. The point of comparison is in terms of the factors listed above and I have referred extensively to the available information as far as comparison of these factors is concerned. The project methods that have been used to gather information include interviews, review of studies and published material from reputed trade and academic journals and the forums discussing the relative merits and demerits of these two operating systems. My qualifications for doing a comparison between Windows and Mac operating systems is that currently I am using both (Mac OS on my laptop and Windows OS on my PC) and this gives me unique insights into the way each of the operating systems operate. In this report, I use my practical experience as well as the reviews of each of the operating systems from trade journals and websites dedicated to the operating systems to compare the pros and cons of each operating system. The report would focus on how I have gained from using the different operating systems and how the other categories of users have responded with their views. A further point is that I am majoring in related fields to the topic and hence this review falls within my subject area as well as area of interest. I hope

Stress Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stress - Research Paper Example Some people worry too much, and this constant worrying about different problems leads the person to be uncomfortable and anxious. Fatigue and overwork can also have affects that cause stress. People might feel stressed out when they find out that they have worked for too long, but without a credible accomplishment, or when time isnt on their side and they fail to achieve what they had set out to do. If these problems reach a point where a person experiences stress, stress may lead to depression, among other consequences. Depression may also be brought upon by the person himself. If somebody failed at what he set out to do, he might not think of himself as highly as he did before and fail to achieve congruence. He might constantly blame himself for everything unpleasant in his life, and that causes the person to have a lack of self-confidence. This person might also be fearful and suspicious of himself and other people he interacts with. Depression itself has its own consequences and affects, and one of the most dangerous affects might lead the depressed person to commit suicide. The Japanese society is a fine example of how the chain of overwork, stress and depression all take part in causing a person to become suicidal. The typical Japanese workingman leaves in the morning for a full day of work until nightfall where he might go out with his co-workers then set out to take a late train back home where he sleeps late and wakes up for another morning. Among the Japanese working population, almost 63% work as employees in different companies. This means that more than half of the working force of Japan experiences almost the same working routine. This sort of lifestyle is very stressful and demanding, and causes a person to become exhausted and depressed. This kind of depression could lead to suicide, which is why Japan has one of the worlds

Hewlett-Packard Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hewlett-Packard Swot Analysis Essay Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational hardware and software corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. (from Wikipedia) And HP product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, printers and imaging products. At the same time, HP markets products to household, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. HP’s mission statement is that to provide product, services and solution of highest quality and deliver more value to our customers that earn their respect and loyalty. We can see that HP really concern about consumers’ satisfactions from their mission. On Fortune 500, HP ranks 10 in 2012 and ranked 11 in 2011. SWOT analysis tool provides a structure for analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses of an organization, any external opportunities and threats it faces. Band name can be a strength for HP which will make people think good quality. Also , HP provides wide range of innovative products which attract many people to use their products. And HP don’t use other companies’ technologies, they develop their own hardware and software. It can benefit HP because HP will be not limited by other companies. At the same time, HP’s sales are very high. They use different kinds of ways to promote products, like web technology, advertisement and so on. In financial part, HP has robust financials which contains low debt. In addition, HP also has weaknesses. The first one is that no aggressive investment in research and development. No innovative technology and products will be developed. As a hardware and software corporation, HP must increase the investment in RD to keep pace with the development of technology. No good people retention policies and weak controls are taken by HP. Only with good managers, technicists and workers can a company succeed. The external environment consists of opportunities and threats. Firstly, we discuss the opportunities. With the development of the economy, HP has expended their retailed stores for customer convenience. Customers have easier access to the HP product. Also, the software and hardware of computer and cell phone are very popular and are developed quickly. The threats are very huge because many competitors are appearing, such as Dell, Lenovo and Acer. The competitor’s technology and pricing force HP to innovate their technologies and to take many measures to low price. HP also has less coverage than competitor and low compatibility with non-HP product..

Performance Assessment Essay -- essays papers

Performance Assessment Not since the development of the objective paper and pencil test early in the century has an assessment method hit the American educational scene with such force as has performance assessment methodology in the 1990s. Performance assessment relies on teacher observation and professional judgment to draw inferences about student achievement. The reasons for the intense interest in an assessment methodology can be summarized as follows: During the 1980s important new curriculum research and development efforts at school district, state, national and university levels began to provide new insights into the complexity of some of our most valued achievement targets. We came to understand the multidimensionality of what it means to be a proficient reader, writer, and math or science problem solver, for example. With these and other enhanced visions of the complex nature of the meaning of academic success came a sense of the insufficiency of the traditional multiple choice test. Educat ors began to embrace the reality that some targets, like complex reasoning, skill demonstration and product development, "require"--don't merely permit--the use of subjective, judgmental means of assessment. One simply cannot assess the ability to write well, communicate effectively in a second language, work cooperatively on a team, and complete science laboratory work in a quality manner using the traditional selected response modes of assessment. As a result, we have witnessed a virtual stampede of teachers, administrators and educational policy makers to embrace performance assessment. In short, educators have become as obsessed with performance assessment in the 1990s as we were with the multiple choice tests for 60 years. Warnings from the assessment community (Dunbar, Kortez, and Hoover, 1991) about the potential dangers of invalidity and unreliability of carelessly developed subjective assessments not only have often gone unheeded, but by and large they have gone unheard. Now that we are a decade into the performance assessment movement, however, some of those quality control lessons have begun to take hold. Assessment specialists have begun to articulate in terms that practitioners can understand the rules of evidence for the development and use of high quality performance assessments (e.g. Messick, 1994). As a result, we are well i... ... student performance in specific academic disciplines. If and when such opportunities arise, thorough training is essential for all who are to serve in this capacity. If the teachers issuing this invitation have developed or gleaned from their professional literature refined visions of the meaning of academic success, have transformed them into quality criteria and provide quality training for all who are to observe and evaluate student performance, this can be a very rewarding professional experience. If these standards are not met, it is wise to urge (and perhaps help with) a redevelopment of the assessment. The third and final contact for counselors is as an evaluator of students within the context of the guidance function, observing and judging academic or affective student characteristics. In this case, the counselor will be both the developer and user of the assessment and must know how to adhere to the above mentioned standards of assessment quality. For all of these reasons, it is advisable for school guidance and counseling personnel to understand when this methodology is likely to be useful and when it is not and how to design and develop sound performance assessments. Performance Assessment Essay -- essays papers Performance Assessment Not since the development of the objective paper and pencil test early in the century has an assessment method hit the American educational scene with such force as has performance assessment methodology in the 1990s. Performance assessment relies on teacher observation and professional judgment to draw inferences about student achievement. The reasons for the intense interest in an assessment methodology can be summarized as follows: During the 1980s important new curriculum research and development efforts at school district, state, national and university levels began to provide new insights into the complexity of some of our most valued achievement targets. We came to understand the multidimensionality of what it means to be a proficient reader, writer, and math or science problem solver, for example. With these and other enhanced visions of the complex nature of the meaning of academic success came a sense of the insufficiency of the traditional multiple choice test. Educat ors began to embrace the reality that some targets, like complex reasoning, skill demonstration and product development, "require"--don't merely permit--the use of subjective, judgmental means of assessment. One simply cannot assess the ability to write well, communicate effectively in a second language, work cooperatively on a team, and complete science laboratory work in a quality manner using the traditional selected response modes of assessment. As a result, we have witnessed a virtual stampede of teachers, administrators and educational policy makers to embrace performance assessment. In short, educators have become as obsessed with performance assessment in the 1990s as we were with the multiple choice tests for 60 years. Warnings from the assessment community (Dunbar, Kortez, and Hoover, 1991) about the potential dangers of invalidity and unreliability of carelessly developed subjective assessments not only have often gone unheeded, but by and large they have gone unheard. Now that we are a decade into the performance assessment movement, however, some of those quality control lessons have begun to take hold. Assessment specialists have begun to articulate in terms that practitioners can understand the rules of evidence for the development and use of high quality performance assessments (e.g. Messick, 1994). As a result, we are well i... ... student performance in specific academic disciplines. If and when such opportunities arise, thorough training is essential for all who are to serve in this capacity. If the teachers issuing this invitation have developed or gleaned from their professional literature refined visions of the meaning of academic success, have transformed them into quality criteria and provide quality training for all who are to observe and evaluate student performance, this can be a very rewarding professional experience. If these standards are not met, it is wise to urge (and perhaps help with) a redevelopment of the assessment. The third and final contact for counselors is as an evaluator of students within the context of the guidance function, observing and judging academic or affective student characteristics. In this case, the counselor will be both the developer and user of the assessment and must know how to adhere to the above mentioned standards of assessment quality. For all of these reasons, it is advisable for school guidance and counseling personnel to understand when this methodology is likely to be useful and when it is not and how to design and develop sound performance assessments.

The Theory of the Contestable Market

The theory of contestable markets, along with the static and dynamic views of competition, are used as theories to analyse how markets perform. The static view focuses on the structure of the market as the determining factor of competition, with the dynamic view focusing on dynamic aspects such as technology and entrepreneurship. The contestable markets theory has a different focus, focusing on the importance of barriers to entry and exit. Nonetheless it does incorporate features from both views.More importantly it shifts the focus and provides new insight into the workings of competition. The two differing views of competition will be examined, followed by an examination of the contestable market theory, concluding with an analysis of the degree to which there is synthesis. Static view of competition The static view of competition focuses on the market structure as the key determining factor in the performance and behaviour of firms. It is the neoclassical approach of competition, o rigination from the work of economist’s Cournot and Edgeworth.This traditional view sees market structure as rigidly determining firm's conduct (its output decisions and pricing behaviour), which yields an industry's overall performance, such as its efficiency and profitability. Firms limit their behaviour to a certain industry model or strategic logic that is built on frequent price cuts, in order to out-compete rivals and deter entry. An industry is considered competitive depending on its market structure. At one extreme is perfect competition, which is considered perfectly competitive. At the other extreme is a monopoly structure, with a sole producer, characterised by low competition.In between the spectrum is an oligopolistic structure, and a monopolistic structure. These structures embody less competition than in perfect competition, but more than in a monopoly situation. The characteristics of competitive markets are thus large number of firms, or in other words a low concentration ratio. The number of firms is determined by the market demand and the output level set at that which minimises average cost. As the number of firms that enter the industry increases, firms become price takers rather than price makers, and they are forced to apply the price that is set in order to survive in the market.They thus receive normal profits, as opposed to abnormal profits when the market structure was more concentrated (please refer to figure 1 below). Fig 1 Thus the organisation of industries is considered to be generated exogenously. Therefore the market concentration decides the nature of competition within each market. The static view of competition thus concentrates on the structural characteristics of competition, with a ‘structure-conduct-performance’ based paradigm, in which market structure decided conduct of firms, deciding their performance.The static competition approach excludes non-price competition, such as quality and product diff erentiation, and strategic behaviour which does occur. This view of competition has been criticised for ignoring the more dynamic methodology of competition, which will now be analysed. Due to the importance of market share in the static view of competition, the resultant policy implication calls for regulation of markets, in order to ensure low marker concentration, in order to move towards perfect competition, and its associated benefits. (Schwartz 1986). Dynamic view of competitionThe dynamic view of competition revolves around the role of the entrepreneur and firms using innovation to compete with their rivals. The neo-Austrian school of thought, in particular, Schumpeter, and those economists influenced by it have been redefining the concept along classical lines, although with a much greater emphasis on the entrepreneurial role, the role of discovery, and rivalrous competition. Performance in industries is argued to be characterized by dynamic competition, expressed through in novation and variation rather than through efficiency and price reductions, which is the case in the static approach.This view portrays competition as a process of change and evolution rather than a static state in which equilibrium will be reached. Hayek, a main architect of this approach, defines competition as a dynamic behavioural activity. Central to this activity is knowledge, how it is acquired and communicated through the economy. He criticises the neoclassical assumption of perfect knowledge, with the view that costs are not a given, and so not exogenous. Competition is a process of interaction with the environment, in which innovation, such as new methods of production and new products, are a response to the unique situation of the economy.It results in the optimal use of resources. (Auerbach 1988) Alchian believes that there is a natural selection process which results in a competitive outcome. Such competition depends not only on the physical possibilities but also the a bilities and attitudes of participants, the entrepreneurs and consumers. It therefore argues for property rights, as to increase the level of competition, forcing companies to undergo research and development and to innovate, in order to survive.For competition to be improved and sustained there needs to be a genuine desire on behalf of entrepreneurs to engage in competitive behaviour, to innovate and to invent to drive markets forward and create what Schumpeter famously called the â€Å"gales of creative destruction†. (Vickers, 1995, pp15). In the classic dynamic view, it argues that there is a tendency for rates of return to equalise, due to profit seeking behaviour, and the movement of capital from low profit areas to that of higher profit areas. However equilibrium may never be reached.Before the tendency for equalisation, the economy may have changed, such as the structure of demand, or the available technology, and products may have evolved. The general criticism of the dynamic view of competition is that is lacks the simplicity and decisiveness than the static view of competition. The policy implications of the dynamic view of competition is less concerned with regulation of markets, instead encouraging property rights in order to allow firms to benefit from their own research and development, allowing for technological advancement, and the ensuing competition.Theory of the contestable market The theory of contestable markets describes how competition will exist in any market if there are no barriers to entry and exit, as firms will be forced to act competitively in fear of new firms entering the market. The contestable markets approach to competition represents an alternative to the neo-classical theory of the firm. It came to prominence in the early 1980s, largely through the work of the American economist Baumol. The threat posed by the possibility of new firms entering the market is taken to be a key determinant of the behaviour of existing f irms.Accordingly, barriers to entry and exit play a crucial role. Its fundamental feature is low barriers to entry and exit; a perfectly contestable market would have no barriers to entry or exit. This means no sunk costs. Sunk costs will be low where the firm can sell or in other ways dispose of its capital equipment without cost. For example, a new airline might lease aircraft rather than purchase them and can then leave the industry at the end of the lease period without the costs of having to sell its aircraft.Contestable markets are characterized by ‘hit and run' entry, whereby if a firm in a market with no entry or exit barriers raises its prices above average cost and begins to earn abnormal profits, potential rivals will enter the market to take advantage of these profits. When the incumbent firms respond by returning prices to levels consistent with normal profits the new firms will exit. In this manner even a monopoly market can show highly competitive behaviour (suc h as in perfect competition), as it fears potential competition.Such optimal behaviour applies to the full range of industry structures. Natural monopolies are of course not included in such a theory, as by its nature barriers to entry and exit exist. In this view of competition, the direction of causation between the market structure and competition is reversed from that of the static view. The theory of contestable markets sees contestability as influencing the performance and conduct of firms, and thus deciding on the resultant market structure.Perfect contestability would lead to firms earning normal profit, embodying cost-minimisation behaviour, resulting in a cost-minimisation structure (P=MC= AC), whatever the actual form of the market structure. Thus, the market structure is determined by the price and output decisions, or the behaviour, of firms. In a perfectly contestable market, there would exist profit equalisation across firms and industries, such as in perfect competit ion, even under market imperfections, such as a concentrated structure. Under a contestable market there would be maximisation of consumer welfare due to cost and price minimising.Contestable markets would also result in optimal firm sizes (economies of scale), product-mix (economies of scope) and industrial organisation (dynamic efficiency). Compared to the static view of competition, the contestable market views is not so much competition within the market, but competition for the market. Attention has been shifted away from actual competition to potential competition. Critics of this theory includes the argument that perfectly contestable markets are rare, and thus should only be applied to specific cases.It is true that perfect contestability is an extreme, and should be viewed as a benchmark rather than the norm, but the same applies to perfect competition in the static view of competition. (Schwartz 1986). More empirical research is needed on the extent of free entry and exit. Criticism has also been placed upon the reaction time of incumbents as new firms enter the market, which is also a hotly debated subject. Contradicting assumptions of ultra-free entry and the response of firms is another criticised aspect of the theory. (Shepherd, 1984, pp585)In terms of policy implications, the theory suggests that competition policy should be as much concerned with the levels of barriers to entry and exit in a market as with existing levels of competition. Synthesis? There is much debate as to whether contestable market theory is a synthesis of the static and dynamic views of competition. Some observers comment that the theory may even be an uprising from the traditional theories (Baumol, 1982), and to the other extreme where it is a mere extension of the traditional theories of competition.The theory of contestable markets incorporates important concepts from the static view of competition. The relationship between market structure and competition is a major fac tor in contestable market theory as it is in the static view, however in the former, as stated earlier, the causation is reversed. So the relationship is still key, albeit with market structure being dependent upon its firm’s behaviour. Furthermore, barriers to entry and exit, which are important in the static view in terms of its negative effects in allowing incumbents to earn economic rent, are of prime importance in the new theory.Although the new theory turns it on its head and focuses on the positive effects of removing barriers, and the resultant competition that comes with it. Barriers are thus significant market determinants. Thus for some contestable market theory provides a static equilibrium theory of industry structure which is generally more applicable than before. The theory also points towards some dynamic interpretation of markets. Firms are able to enter on an ongoing basis, constraining market behaviour of incumbents.The degree of contestability of a market can change over time with technology, regulatory breakdown, or changes in other barriers altering the entry and exit conditions. An incumbent pricing optimally can protect them self against new entrants using the same technology, but can’t protect against innovation or technological advancements. Furthermore, the threat of competition should lead to a faster rate of technological diffusion, as firms have to be particularly responsive to the changing needs of consumers. Thus dynamic aspects of competition are also important in the new theory.Baumol et al have argued the contestable theory as a new general system to replace the original static and dynamic views of competition. However their analysis should only be treated as a specialised, extreme set of conditions, which are unlikely to be found in reality, due to rigid assumptions of contestability theory. Some have even argued that little has been added to the pre-existing entry and exit analysis. (Shepherd, 1984). Conclusio n Contestable market theory is an attempt to impose a dynamic mechanism upon a static equilibrium analysis, thus providing new and valuable insights into competition theory.It offers a host of new analytical methods, new tasks for empirical research, and new results. It allows the reconsideration of the domain of the invisible hand, yields contributions to the theory of oligopoly, provides a standard for policy that is far broader and more widely applicable than that of perfect competition, and leads to a theory that analyses the determination of industry structure endogenously and simultaneously with the analysis of the other variables more traditionally treated in the theory of the firm and the industry.It aspires to provide a unifying theory as a foundation for the analysis of competition. The theory manages to blends in some aspects from both the static and dynamic analyses of competition, however shouldn’t be seen as an overarching theory. It embodies a different focus t o the two traditional views of competition, as already mentioned. It should be applied to unique situations, on which the assumptions of the theory are built. The new theory provides for a new dilemma rather than the final solution.