Contractions in Business Writing

Contractions in Business Writing A client questioned the proper use of contractions in business writing: Are there any guidelines for using contractions in business writing? Smart question! There are clear guidelines about contraction use from most style guides, but they can be contradictory. My approach to contractions has evolved over the past few years.To define:a contraction is a shortened form of a word or phrase, with the omitted letters replaced with an apostrophe (should not - shouldn't). Should Contractions be Used in Business Writing? Yes, contractions can and should be used, but use them thoughtfully. Years back, some grammarians feltcontractions did not belong in formal writing, but that was questionable advice then, and now most (but not all) style guides recommend contractions: Chicago Manual of Style: Most types of writing benefit from the use of contractions. If used thoughtfully, contractions in prose sound natural and relaxed and make reading more enjoyable. (â€Å"Contractions.† Chicago Manual of Style Online. Section 5.103. accessed Mar. 7 2012.) Modern American Usage: The common fear is that using contractions can make the writing seem breezy. For most of us, though, that risk is nil. What you gain should be a relaxed sincerity- not breeziness. (Brian A. Garner. 2003. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. p. 194.) Federal Government's Plain Language Website: â€Å"Write as you talk† is a common rule of writing readably, and the best tool to do that is to use contractions. People are accustomed to hearing contractions in spoken English, and using them in your writing helps them relate to your document. (PlainLanguage.gov. accessed Mar. 7, 2012.) Gregg Reference Manual: As a rule, contractions are used only in informal writing or in tables where space is limited. However, contractions of verb phrases are commonly used in business communcations where the writer is striving for an easy, colloquial tone.(William A. Sabin. 2005. The Gregg Reference Manual, 10th ed. McGraw-Hill. p. 148.) A Problem All business writing should be matched to your readers. If you commonly write to an international audience, use contractions very judiciously. Two style guides, specific to non-native writing, advise against contractions: Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications: "Avoid contractions. As basic as contractions are to the native reader, they add unnecessary complexity for the non-native reader. For example, contractions that end in 's can be mistaken for possessive nouns, and the 's can be read as either has or is." The Elements of International English Style: A Guide to Writing Correspondence, Reports, Technical Documents, and Internet Pages for a Global Audience: "Avoid abbreviations, contractions, and acronyms" and "Contractions have no place in formal writing." Our Recommendation Use contractions in your business writing if it will sound more stilted or awkward not to use them. I set my grammar check to flag contractions. While I often use contractions because I want to project a warm and engaged voice, I do check my use of them in all documents, and especially in this blog since we have many non-native readers. When a contraction is flagged by my grammar checker, I ask myself if the contraction would still sound natural written out. If so, I avoid the contraction. If writing out the word or phrase sounds stilted, I use a more natural sounding contraction. Do not be afraid to use contractions. They do add an engaging voice. But, one can still be warm and engaging without contractions. This article has no contractions, yet I hope both my tone and information has helped your business writing!

5 Points to Hit in Your Resignation Letter

5 Points to Hit in Your Resignation Letter Dear boss:I quit. Love, meWhile this note cuts to the chase, it’s not ideal. Your resignation letter should have a number of elements in it to ensure that your transition out is as smooth as possible, and that it sets you up for your next phase. Here are five elements your resignation letter should include.1. The factsStart with a statement of what role you’re leaving, and when. You might have had an unofficial discussion with your manager already, but it’s best to make things as clear and official as possible in your note. You don’t need to go into any detail about what you’re doing next (leaving for a new company, quitting to raise alpacas, etc.). You might end up telling people your next-step plans, but this is not relevant for your on-the-record resignation letter.2. A gracious toneNo matter why you’re leaving and no matter how angry or frustrated you might be, keep it on an even keel. This is not a time to burn any bridges. I promise you it is a very small world out there, and a goodbye missive full of personal insults, angry accusations, and general unpleasantness could definitely come back to haunt you.3. A thank youAgain, this resignation note is not the place for bitterness. I was once in the position of leaving a company when I felt like I’d been, well, shafted by someone in a position of authority. On my last day, as I was writing a goodbye note, I took the time to thank that person (albeit not as effusively as I might have otherwise), and I’m still glad I did. It might have felt therapeutic for a few minutes to have left a snotty and sarcastic parting word, but that wasn’t really me- and wasn’t what I wanted to be later on. No matter what specific grievances are going on, always take the time to thank someone for the opportunity you were given in this position. Be grateful for what you’ve learned, and shut the door gently behind you.4. A timelineYour company may have a mini mum notice requirement, which makes this part especially important. The timeline may end up being different in the end (maybe you won’t need to stay the full two weeks or however long), but it’s best to get the timing in writing in case there are any questions later from your manager, HR, etc.5. A planIf your resignation is a surprise to your manager and colleagues, an outline of the next few weeks shows you’ve put some thought into your exit plan. Also, it can help smooth any upset caused by your news. Offering a kind of succession plan (â€Å"I’m happy to spend time documenting my processes and training anyone on my day-to-day tasks over the next two weeks†) can help your boss manage the transition as well.Think of your resignation letter (or email) as your official transition to your next step- even more so than accepting a new job. Once it’s in writing, you’re already looking beyond your current role, so it’s time to let go of any drama. Similarly, it’s not a party time, either. The resignation letter is a way to remind yourself (and show your boss) that you will be handling the transition with professionalism and grace- and no swears.

Development of Railways and it's impact on the society Essay

Development of Railways and it's impact on the society - Essay Example 1). This paper studies the factors causing the growth of railways in Europe and its impact on the society. The birth of railways happened in the year 1767 when the iron rails were laid for the first time ever at Coalbrookdale. The early railways were used in the French Wars that were carried out between 1790s and 1800s. At Pen-y-Darren, in the year 1804, the Trevithick’s Wylam locomotive was used which was one of the first forms of railway. Four years later at Euston, the Trevithick’s Catch-me-who-can was used. The Blenkinsops rack locomotive and the Hedleys Puffing Billy were introduced successively in the years 1812 and 1813 respectively. The Stephenson’s Blocher was used in 1815. Stephenson created the Stockton to Darlington railway line that was 27 miles of 4 8Â ½" track in the length was opened in the year 1825 (historyhome.co.uk, 2011). The first passengers were carried by the Locomotion 1. Joseph Hall in 1825 developed the Cort’s puddling process as well as the rolling process. Coke was replaced by coal with the hot blast method proposed by Neilson in 1828. The 30 miles long railway line leading from Manchester to Liverpool was commenced in the year 1830. In 1833, a railway line for the transportation of coal was started from Liecester to Swanington. Daniel Gooch engineered the project of the London – Bristol line construction. The Isambard Kingdom Brunel undertook this project in 1835. This marked the beginning of the Great Western Railway that was completely flat over a length of 85 miles. The London - Bath – Briston railway line and the Birmingham to London railway line were started in 1838. Till the year 1838, the total length of railway lines that had been made was 500 miles. In just a matter of ten years till 1848 the growth of the railway became so rampant that the total length of railway lines increased from 500 miles to 5000 miles.  "The

Interview with a Teaching Professional Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview with a Teaching Professional - Essay Example I believe the best way to return to the society that had been spoon feeding you the whole life, is to deliver your knowledge and information to other seekers. With this motive in my mind I entered the profession and since then I am contended with my life. I feel as if I have found an inner peace by pursuing teaching. Interviewer: What is the success behind your achievements to date? Teacher: Dedication and sincerity towards my work is the sole reason for where I am standing today. There is no short way of achieving a lasting glory. One needs a lot of energy and hard work to invest and of course unmatchable patience. Interviewer: Coming on to the basics of teaching, what are some examples of typical, quick decisions teachers make on a daily basis? Teacher: Every day is different for a teacher in some way or the other. Although, one of the best practices of a teacher is that s/he is well-planned and organized before entering the class. Yet at times we have to make certain sudden decisi ons not initially planned. For abrupt decision making, the teacher should be capable, confident and decisive about the relevant issues. A change in lesson plan to accommodate with the mood of children and their learning capability is one of the examples. Something effective and interesting needs to be made up instantly to deliver the lesson in a different way as planned earlier. Moreover, a short notice of surprise visit of principal or other professionals to monitor our performance poses a challenge on our decision making ability. We have to modify our plans a little to adjust to the requirement. Sometimes children get ill or injured and deciding quickly as to what to do is an ordeal; whether to treat him/her in the school or call off the day for him/her and send the student home. The teachers are appointed certain duties other then teaching to deal with the other school affairs. If any teacher on duty is absent on that specific day, a change in the schedule cause some difficulties and then the newly appointed teacher has to delay her planned activities. Also here it is a policy that if any teacher is absent, any other teacher needs to take his/her class. In such a case it has to be decided instantly what to teach students. Interviewer: What were the five most difficult school-related decisions you made this week? What made them difficult? Teacher: Just recently we had a load of activity going on in the school, both for teachers and students. I was enrolled in a short course which I had to attend once a week, during week days. This meant that I would be sacrificing my class related plans. Since exams are approaching I had to make certain changes in the lesson plans and shift that one day’s work to other days. This certainly was difficult adjusting as it is recommended not to overload students with work. Then we have a sports day coming up in two weeks time. Preparation for it requires a lot of time which again means sacrificing the teaching-learning sc hedule and making it up for this short fall on other days. We had an unfortunate day in this week when a fire erupted in library wing due to negligence of one of the student. The fire siren created quite a scene with children petrified and struggling to get out of their classes. Organizing them in proper queues, helping them out safely and relaxing them was quite a task. During school break, children often get into fighting with each other while

Scientology Definition Essay Example for Free

Scientology Definition Essay Scientology by many people is viewed as a cult and has no religious backing but according to Faith, Religion Theology (FRT) a religion constitutes as people (being able) to recognize that what matters most in life is or includes a level of reality that transcends, or goes beyond, what normally understands as human or finite meaning an ultimate mystery or Divine (Knitter 166). FRT also states that religion deals with ethical reasons how to behave and beliefs along with a creed, code, and ceremonies (Knitter 163). So according to FRT scientology would be a religion because it does believe in the higher being that is talked about in the first quote. Scientology also has a set ethical code that determines how people should behave inside their religion. The question that comes from this is where does Scientology get their creed, code, and ceremonies? Scientology began in the 1950s based on the findings of L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard is known as the father of Scientology (Church). A formed the religion of Scientology after studying the human mind and life known as Dianectics (Church). So as Hubbards research expanded, so did the ideas of Scientology until it incorporated all the ideas from all of Hubbards publications. All this being said their creed, also written by Hubbard, is like most creeds a basis of what everyone in the religion believes in. Hubbard also wrote the 4 codes that Scientology is based around; The Auditors code, The Code of Scientology, The Code of Honor, and a code called The Way of Happiness. All of these codes play a key role in the scientologists life and what they believe in (Church). They believe in a God but they leave the image of God to the individuals. That leaves the ceremonies performed in Scientology. They perform a lot of ceremonies common to Christianity such as weddings, Sunday services, naming services, counseling, and funeral services Although they have the same ceremonies they are viewed in different perspectives because they have different beliefs than any other religion. With this different view they still show the connection between their ceremonies and their beliefs. This is apparent throughout what they do during their services and the layout of the church and chapel. Sundays services are headed by a minister whose main job is auditing or tutoring, because services are not a main focus of the religion, although they are offered (Beliefnet). The service is more a meeting place to get everyone on the same page and let people know they have fellow people on this journey with them. Most Scientologist still attend these services because it is another chance to take a step towards the eighth dynamic, which is the ultimate goal of scientology, and will be explained in a later paragraph. The service starts with the Creed of the Church of Scientology, Sermon, L. Ron Hubbard Lecture, group auditing, Announcements, and ends with the Prayer for Total Freedom. The opening of the service is an obvious showing of the overlapping of creed and ceremony (Church). It is difficult to tell when the sermon ends and the lecture begins since they usually have the same idea and lesson. They usually have the same idea and lesson. The goal of these lessons is for the people to take them and apply them to the real life situations. They believe that helping others is the only way to improve their lives. Next is the group auditing, considered the most important part of the service, which is led by the minister (Church). The minister also gives a few instructions to help the listener free themselves from the material world and make them more spiritually aware and open to improving their life. The announcements are the next part of mass and this is a chance for the minister to let followers know what is going on around the community. This plays into the role of scientologists always wanting to better mankind. Finally service closes with the Pray for Total Freedom. In this prayer the people ask the author of the universe to make their goals possible and to help all those that are in need (Church). After attending these two ceremonies I realized I still did not understand Scientologys view on God. This is when I met the man who would answer that and so much more. Ajax approached me after service and told me he would explain Scientology to me. He started with the layout of the chapel. From the doorway it looked like a normal worship room, but once inside there are posters going the distance of the room showing different aspects of the church. I will try and explain as well as Ajax explained to me. He started with the creed of Scientology. Ajax explained that you have to look deeper than the creed he then continued to talk about how this creed is more as a guide for you to find your own God as you want to picture him, but none of us can picture him until we have reached infinity (Ajax). I hope this confuses you as much as it confused me. He then had me watch a video on the eight dynamics which showed the different dynamics that humans have to go through before finding God. The seven dynamics go as follow: self, creativity, group survival, species, life forms, physical universe, and spiritual dynamic. A man has to reach the perfection of the first 6 dynamics before finishing the 7th. They say this because you have to have respect for everything in your life before you can be spiritually strong. Once the 7th dynamic is fulfilled only then will the eight dynamic appear to man. This dynamic is known as God or the creator by most religions, but the correct term for Scientology is infinity (Scientology). According to Hubbard Infinity is the allness of all (Church). This is where ones true vision of God will show itself and until then no one knows what their God truly looks like. This is why Scientology does not push one Dogma onto their followers (Scientology). Ajax proceeded to give me specifics on how other aspects of scientology works; such as auditing and classes. After the tour was over, I asked him What makes Scientology the right path to finding God and how does the services help this process of finding our God? Ajax took a deep breath and then proceeded to give me the following response Well, Seth have you ever had a doubt in your religion? I already know the answer it is yes, you know why I know this? because most religions are based on faith. Scientology is not like that. It is based on proven facts. I can tell you how people are going to act to certain events just because of who they are and how they carry themselves. The reason I know these is Scientology. This carries over to God. I came to America from Pakistan for college. I was brought up as a Muslim and firmly believed in Allah which I still do but I was brought into this religion and it just made sense to me, as it should for you too. I just view Allah in a different view now as being infinity and something I cannot picture till I fulfill everything else. I started studying Scientology, yes studying because Scientology does what a religion should be about, which is doing not believing which is how most religions are based on. So by doing these things we find ourselves and by doing that we find God. So that is what makes Scientology the right choice over other religions (Ajax) this round about answer was the thing that made everything about this religion finally click. The idea is that they believe in a God, but it is different for every follower since this belief system is their idea of the way of reaching Nirvana, Heaven, or in their case Infinity (Beliefnet). The best way to put it is how it is put on their offical website which says Scientology is not a dogmatic religion in which one is asked to accept anything on faith alone. On the contrary, one discovers for oneself that the principles of Scientology are true by applying its principles and observing or experiencing the results (Church). Scientology bases everything on experiences and through my experience there I learned that Scientology is a whole new idea that seems like a far cry from a religion, but after experiencing all that, I can see why people put everything they want into Scientology. Do I buy into it? Some things yes, but not the whole religion, although it helped me find more concrete reasons why I believe in my own religion. Work CIted Ajax. Tour of the Church. Personal interview. 28 Oct. 2012. Ajax gave me a in-depth tour of every aspect of the church and everything they do and through this tour I learned more than i could have ever imagined about Scientology. Beliefnet. What Do Scientologists Believe? Beliefnet.com. What Do Scientologists Believe? Beliefnet.com. Beliefnet, 01 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Scientology/What-Do-Scientologists-Believe.aspx. This website shows a general outline of what people who follow Scientology believe. It also describes how their religion works and in little detail how the world works through their eyes. The author is not told but their intended audience is someone who is curious about Scientology and they do a great job of making it simple and easy to understand for someone who is just starting to look into it. Church of Scientology International. Church of Scientology: Religion Beliefs-What Is Scientology?, L. Ron Hubbard. Church of Scientology: Religion Beliefs-What Is Scientology?, L. Ron Hubbard, News. Church of Scientology International, 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. http://www.scientology.org/. This is the offical website for Scientology. It is very detailed in every aspect of the religion that is Scientology. Everything from who created Scientology to beliefs and practices. It also gives examples of multiple places of worship. The website was made by the international Scientology organization. Their goal of this page is to inform people on what they are doing at churches and how they work and how people in this religion are. Besides the obvious talking up of the religion the site seems very accurate and reliable. Knitter, Paul, and William Madges. Chapter Six Religion: What Is It? Faith, Religion Theology. By Brennan R. Hill. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1997. 161-90. Print. This chapter focuses on what a religion is and what makes up a religion. It bases it on the knowing of something that is farther than humans. Then explains that code, creed, and ceremony is basis of behavior and beliefs. This source is targeted for students and is very reliable since it is used in a college course. Scienctology. Prod. OrgSync. Church of Scientology, 2010. DVD. Ajax gave me 8 hours of supplemental videos that went into farther depth of each of the topics he explained to me. Everything from their service projects to the 8 dynamics.

Neuromodulation and Neural Plasticity :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Neuromodulation and Neural Plasticity Neuromodulatory synaptic transmission differs from classical chemical synaptic transmission in both mechanism and function. The function of a classical synapse is to convey information rapidly from the presynaptic neuron to its target cell, producing a short-term effect. The neuromodulatory synapse may do the same initially, but its primary function is to transmit information that will have long-lasting effects on the postsynaptic neuron's metabolic activity, and on its response to subsequent input. These effects are fundamental to the development and adaptation of the nervous system, and are believed to be the basis of such higher functions as learning and memory. Neurotransmitters released from a classical presynaptic neuron bind to specific receptor proteins in the postsynaptic cell membrane, causing ion channels in the membrane to open or close. If the resulting flow of ions depolarizes the membrane relative to its resting potential, the probability that an action potential will be generated increases, and the synapse is considered excitatory. If the ion flow results in a net hyperpolarization of the membrane, the probability that an action potential will be generated decreases, and the synapse is considered inhibitory. Neuromodulatory synapses can be either excitatory or inhibitory. A neurotransmitter released from the presynaptic neuron may cause the postsynaptic membrane to depolarize or to hyperpolarize by the same mechanism used in classical synapses, but the resulting postsynaptic potential will be relatively weak and slow. Whereas a neurotransmitter in a classical synapse may induce postsynaptic effects lasting from ten to one hundre d milliseconds, a neuromodulator's postsynaptic effects may persist from several hundred milliseconds to several hours. Neuromodulation of the postsynaptic neuron depends not so much on the neurotransmitter as on the receptor to which it binds, called a metabotropic receptor. Whereas classical ionotropic receptors affect postsynaptic membrane permeability directly, metabotropic receptors effect changes in the postsynaptic neuron via intracellular molecules called a second messengers. When a neurotransmitter binds to a metabotropic receptor, a protein inside the postsynaptic cell initiates a cascade of biochemical events that influence the neuron's future response to stimuli. Although the neurotransmitter, or "first messenger," becomes inactivated rapidly, the effects of the second messenger may last several days. One way in which the second messenger induces prolonged effects is by initiating the synthesis of new proteins, which remain in the cytoplasm of the postsynaptic neuron, influencing its activity. Certain proteins can affect the genome of a postsynaptic cell, permanently altering the cell's ac tivities.

Charge of the Light Brigade Analysis Essay

Charge of the Light Brigade Mini-analysis The poem, Charge of the Light Brigade, has quite a complex rhyming scheme which can make the poem difficult to understand at first. I think that he may have designed it this way to instil a feeling of victory and valour at the end of the poem. I would argue that this, along with other literary techniques, shows that Tennyson was successful in glorifying the Charge of the Light Brigade in his poem. As I mentioned before, the rhyming scheme is an integral part of the poem. The rhyming varies for each stanza, which at first seems like a large fault of the poem. The length of each stanza lengthens as the poem goes on, perhaps trying to simulate how the battle escalated. This pattern continues on until the last stanza where the number of lines is significantly reduced. This indicates the resolution of the poem. For the first verse, Tennyson utilizes an ABA pattern for the first half. â€Å"Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. †A large part of the poem is the repetition. This repetition of certain phrases creates a rhythm not unlike the galloping of horse’s hooves on the ground. This creates a feeling of verisimilitude and provides an authentic experience for the reader. The repeated phrase, â€Å"Cannon to the right of them/Cannon to the left of them/Cannon in front of them. † suggests that they were surrounded by enemies on all sides. The sentence also suggests the large imbalance of numbers on the British side compared to the Russians. This emphasises the victory at the end of the poem. While Tennyson tried hard to glorify the Charge of the Light Brigade, he also attempted to express the large amount of casualties as well. Tennyson utilized metaphor and allusion to acknowledge the amount of death on the field without being overly graphic in his description. He used the phrase, â€Å"Into the jaws of Death/Into the mouth of Hell† repeatedly to further his point. In my opinion, Tennyson accurately portrayed and glorified the Charge of the Light Brigade in his poem, using a variety of literary techniques.