How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Word Essay

Paul McHenry Roberts (1917-1967) taught college English for over twenty years, first at San Jose State College and later at Cornell University. He wrote numerous books on linguistics, including Understanding Grammar (1954), Patterns of English (1956), and Understanding English (1958). Freshman composition, like everything else, has its share of fashions. In the 195Os, when this article was written, the most popular argument raging among student essayists was the proposed abolition of college football. With the greater social consciousness of the early ’60s, the topic of the day became the morality of capital punishment. Topics may change, but the core principles of good writing remain constant, and this essay as become something of a minor classic in explaining them. Be concrete, says Roberts; get to the point; express your opinions colorfully. Refreshingly, he even practices what he preaches. His essay is humorous, direct, and almost salty in summarizing the working habits that all good prose writers must cultivate. — Editors’ note from JoRay McCuen & Anthony C. Winkler’s Readings for Writers , 3rd ed., Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980 It’s Friday afternoon. and you have almost survived another week of classes. You are just looking forward dreamily to the weekend when the English instructor says: â€Å"For Monday you will turn in a five hundred-word composition on college football.† Well, that puts a good hole in the weekend. You don’t have any strong views on college football one way or the other. You get rather excited during the season and go to all the home games and find it rather more fun than not. On the other hand, the class has been reading Robert Hutchins in the anthology and perhaps Shaw’s â€Å"Eighty-Yard Run,† and from the class discussion you have got the idea that the instructor thinks college football is for the birds. You are no fool. You can figure out what side to take. After dinner you get out the portable typewriter that you got for high school graduation. You might as well get it over with and enjoy Saturday and Sunday. Five hundred words is about two double -spaced pages with normal margins. You put in a sheet of paper, think up a title, and you’re off: WHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL SHOULD BE ABOLISHED College football should be abolished because it’s bad for the school and also for the players. The players are so busy practicing that they don’t have any time for their studies. This, you feel, is a mighty good start. The only trouble is that it’s only thirty-two words. You still have four hundred and sixty-eight to go, and you’ve pretty well exhausted the subject. It comes to you that you do your best thinking in the morning, so you put away the typewriter and go to the movies. But the next morning you have to do your washing and some math problems, and in the afternoon you go to the game. The English instructor turns up too, and you wonder if you’ve taken the right side after all. Saturday night you have a date, and Sunday morning you have to go to church. (You can’t let English assignments interfere with your religion.) What with one thing and another, it’s ten o’clock Sunday night before you get out the typewriter again. Y ou make a pot of coffee and start to fill out your views on college football. Put a little meat on the bones. WHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL SHOULD BE ABOLISHED In my opinion, it seems to me that college football should be abolished. The reason why I think this to be true is because I feel that football is bad for the colleges in nearly every respect. As Robert Hutchins says in his article in our anthology in which he discusses college football, it would be better if the colleges had race horses and had races with one another, because then the horses would not have to attend classes. I firmly agree with Mr. Hutchins on this point, and I am sure that many other students would agree too. One reason why it seems to me that college football is bad is that it has become too commercial. In the olden times when people played football just for the fun of it, maybe college football was all right, but they do not play college football just for the fun of it now as they used to in the old days. Nowadays college football is what you might call a big business. Maybe this is not true at all schools, and I don’t think it is especially true here at State, but certainly this is the case at most colleges and universities in America nowadays, as Mr. Hutchins points out in his very interesting article. Actually the coaches and alumni go around to the high schools and offer the high school stars large salaries to come to their colleges and play football for them. There was one case where a high school star was offered a convertible if he would play football for a certain college. Another reason for abolishing college football is that it is bad for the players. They do not have time to get a college education, because they are so busy playing football. A football player has to practice every afternoon from three to six and then he is so tired that he can’t concentrate on his studies. He just feels like dropping off to sleep after dinner, and then the next day he goes to his classes without having studied and maybe he fails the test. (Good ripe stuff so far, but you’re still a hundred and fifty-one words from home. One more push.) Also I think college football is bad for the colleges and the universities because not very many students get to participate in it. Out of a college of ten thousand students only seventy-five or a hundred play football, if that many. Football is what you might call a spectator sport. That means that most people go to watch it but do not play it themselves. (Four hundred and fifteen. Well, you still have the conclusion, and when you retype it, you can make the margins a little wider.) These are the reasons why I agree with Mr. Hutchins that college football should be abolished in American colleges and universities. On Monday you turn it in, moderately hopeful, and on Friday it comes back marked â€Å"weak in content† and sporting a big â€Å"D.† This essay is exaggerated a little, not much. The English instructor will recognize it as reasonably typical of what an assignment on college football will bring in. He knows that nearly half of the class will contrive in five hundred words to say that college football is too commercial and bad for the players. Most of the other half will inform him that college football builds character and prepares one for life and brings prestige to the school. As he reads paper after paper all saying the same thing in almost the same words, all bloodless, five hundred words dripping out of nothing, he wonders how he allowed himself to get trapped into teaching English when he might have had a happy and interesting life as an electrician or a confidence man. Well, you may ask, what can you do about it? The subject is one on which you have few convictions and little information. Can you be expected to make a dull subject interesting? As a matter of fact, this is precisely what you are expected to do. This is the writer’s essential task. All subjects, except sex, are dull until somebody makes them interesting. The writer’s job is to find the argument, the approach, the angle, the wording that will take the reader with him. This is seldom easy, and it is particularly hard in subjects that have been much discussed: College Football, Fraternities, Popular Music, Is Chivalry Dead?, and the like. You will feel that there is nothing you can do with such subjects except repeat the old bromides. But there are some things you can do which will make your papers, if not throbbingly alive, at least less insufferably tedious than they might otherwise be. AVOID THE OBVIOUS CONTENT Say the assignment is college football. Say that you’ve decided to be against it. Begin by putting down the arguments that come to your mind: it is too commercial, it takes the students’ minds off their studies, it is hard on the players, it makes the university a kind of circus instead of an intellectual center, for most schools it is financially ruinous. Can you think of any more arguments, just off hand? All right. Now when you write your paper, make sure that you don’ t use any of the material on this list. If these are the points that leap to your mind, they will leap to everyone else’s too, and whether you get a â€Å"C† or a â€Å"D† may depend on whether the instructor reads your paper early when he is fresh and tolerant or late, when the sentence â€Å"In my opinion, college football has become too commercial,† inexorably repeated, has bought him to the brink of lunacy. Be against college football for some reason or reasons of your own. If they are keen and perceptive ones, that’s splendid. But even if they are trivial or foolish or indefensible, you are still ahead so long as they are not everybody else’s reasons too. Be against it because the colleges don’t spend enough money on it to make it worthwhile, because it is bad for the characters of the spectators, because the players are forced to attend classes, because the football stars hog all the beautiful women, because it competes with baseball and is therefore un-American and possibly Communist-inspired. There are lots of more or less unused reasons for being against college football. Sometimes it is a good idea to sum up and dispose of the trite and conventional points before going on to your own. This has the advantage of indicating to the reader that you are going to be neither trite nor conventional. Something like this: We are often told that college football should be abolished because it has become too commercial or because it is bad for the players. These arguments are no doubt very cogent, but they don’t really go to the heart of the matter. Then you go to the heart of the matter. TAKE THE LESS USUAL SIDE One rather simple way of getting into your paper is to take the side of the argument that most of the citizens will want to avoid. If the assignment is an essay on dogs, you can, if you choose, explain that dogs are faithful and lovable companions, intelligent, useful as guardians of the house and protectors of children, indispensable in police work — in short, when all is said and done, man’s best friends. Or you can suggest that those big brown eyes conceal, more often than not, a vacuity of mind and an inconstancy of purpose; that the dogs you have known most intimately have been mangy, ill-tempered brutes, incapable of instruction; and that only your nobility of mind and fear of arrest prevent you from kicking the flea-ridden animals when you pass them on the street. Naturally personal convictions will sometimes dictate your approach. If the assigned subject is â€Å"Is Methodism Rewarding to the Individual?† and you are a pious Methodist, you have really no choice. But few assigned subjects, if any, will fall in this category. Most of them will lie in broad areas of discussion with much to be said on both sides. They are intellectual exercises, and it is legitimate to argue now one way and now another, as debaters do in similar circumstances. Always take the that looks to you hardest, least defensible. It will almost always turn out to be easier to write interestingly on that side. This general advice applies where you have a choice of subjects. If you are to choose among â€Å"The Value of Fraternities† and â€Å"My Favorite High School Teacher† and â€Å"What I Think About Beetles,† by all means plump for the beetles. By the time the instructor gets to your paper, he will be up to his ears in tedious tales about a French teacher at Bloombury High and assertions about how fraternities build character and prepare one for life. Your views on beetles, whatever they are, are bound to be a refreshing change. Don’t worry too much about figuring out what the instructor thinks about the subject so that you can cuddle up with him. Chances are his views are no stronger than yours. If he does have convictions and you oppose him, his problem is to keep from grading you higher than you deserve in order to show he is not biased. This doesn’t mean that you should always cantankerously dissent from what the instructor says; that gets tiresome too. And if the subject assigned is â€Å"My Pet Peeve,† do not begin, â€Å"My pet peeve is the English instructor who assigns papers on ‘my pet peeve.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ This was still funny during the War of 1812, but it has sort of lost its edge since then. It is in general good manners to avoid personalities. SLIP OUT OF ABSTRACTION If you will study the essay on college football [near the beginning of this essay], you will perceive that one reason for its appalling dullness is that it never gets down to particulars. It is just a series of not very glittering generalities: â€Å"football is bad for the colleges,† â€Å"it has become too commercial,† â€Å"football is big business,† â€Å"it is bad for the players,† and so on. Such round phrases thudding against the reader’s brain are unlikely to convince him, though they may well render him unconscious. If you want the reader to believe that college football is bad for the players, you have to do more than say so. You have to display the evil. Take your roommate, Alfred Simkins, the second-string center. Picture poor old Alfy coming home from football practice every evening, bruised and aching, agonizingly tired, scarcely able to shovel the mashed potatoes into his mouth. Let us see him staggering up to the room, getting out his econ textbook, peering desperately at it with his good eye, falling asleep and failing the test in the morning. Let us share his unbearable tension as Saturday draws near. Will he fail, be demoted, lose his monthly allowance, be forced to return to the coal mines? And if he succeeds, what will be his reward? Perhaps a slight ripple of applause when the thirdstring center replaces him, a moment of elation in the locker room if the team wins, of despair if it loses. What will he look back on when he graduates from college? Toil and torn ligaments. And what will be his future? He is not good enough for pro football, and he is too obscure and weak in econ to succeed in stocks and bonds. College football is tearing the heart from Alfy Simkins and, when it finishes with him, will callously toss aside the shattered hulk. This is no doubt a weak enough argument for the abolition of college football, but it is a sight better than saying, in three or four variations, that college football (in your opinion) is bad for the players. Look at the work of any professional writer and notice how constantly he is moving from the generality, the abstract statement, to the concrete example, the facts and figures, the illustrations. If he is writing on juvenile delinquency, he does not just tell you that juveniles are (it seems to him) delinquent and that (in his opinion) something should be done about it. He shows you juveniles being delinquent, tearing up movie theatres in Buffalo, stabbing high school principals in Dallas, smoking marijuana in Palo Alto. And more than likely he is moving toward some specific remedy, not just a general wringing of the hands. It is no doubt possible to be too concrete, too illustrative or anecdotal, but few inexperienced writers err this way. For most the soundest advice is to be seeking always for the picture, to be always turning general remarks into seeable examples. Don’t say, â€Å"Sororities teach girls the social graces.† Say, â€Å"Sorority life teaches a girl how to carry on a conversation while pouring tea, without sloshing the tea into the saucer.† Don’t say, â€Å"I like certain kinds of popular music very much.† Say, â€Å"Whenever I hear Gerber Sprinklittle play ‘Mississippi Man’ on the trombone, my socks creep up my ankles.† GET RID OF OBVIOUS PADDING The student toiling away at his weekly English theme is too often tormented by a figure: five hundred words. How, he asks himself, is he to achieve this staggering total? Obviously by never using one word when he can somehow work in ten. He is therefore seldom content with a plain statement like â€Å"Fast driving is dangerous.† This has only four words in it. He takes thought, and the sentence becomes: In my opinion, fast driving is dangerous. Better, but he can do better still: In my opinion, fast driving would seem to be rather dangerous. If he is really adept, it may come out: In my humble opinion. though I do not claim to be an expert on this complicated subject, test driving, in most circumstances, would seem to be rather dangerous in many respects, or at least so it would seem to me. Thus four words have been turned into forty, and not an iota of content has been added. Now this is a way to go about reaching five hundred words, and if you are content with a â€Å"D† grade, it is as good a way as any. But if you aim higher, you must work differently. Instead of stuffing your sentences with straw, you must try steadily to get rid of the padding, to make your sentences lean and tough. If you are really working at it, your first draft will greatly exceed the required total, and then you will work it down, thus: It is thought in some quarters that fraternities do not contribute as much as might be expected to campus life. Some people think that fraternities contribute little to campus life. The average doctor who practices in small towns or in the country must toil night and day to heal the sick. Most country doctors work long hours. When I was a little girl, I suffered from shyness and embarrassment in the presence of others. I was a shy little girl. It is absolutely necessary for the person employed as a marine fireman to give the matter of steam pressure his undivided attention at all times. The fireman has to keep his eye on the steam gauge. You may ask how you can arrive at five hundred words at this rate. Simple. You dig up more real content. Instead of taking a couple of obvious points off the surface of the topic and then circling warily around them for six paragraphs, you work in and explore, figure out the details. You illustrate. You say that fast driving is dangerous, and then you prove it. How long does it take to stop a car at forty and at eighty? How far can you see at night? What happens when a tire blows? What happens in a head-on collision at fifty miles an hour? Pretty soon your paper will be full of broken glass and blood and headless torsos, and reaching five hundred words will not really be a problem. CALL A FOOL A FOOL Some of the padding in freshman themes is to be blamed not on anxiety about the word minimum but on excessive timidity. The student writes, â€Å"In my opinion, the principal of my high school acted in ways that I believe every unbiased person would have to call foolish.† This isn’t exactly what he means. What he means is, â€Å"My high school principal was a fool.† If he was a fool, call him a fool. Hedging the thing about with â€Å"in-myopinion’s† and â€Å"it-seems-to-me’s† and â€Å"as-I-see-it’s† and â€Å"at-least-from-my-point-ofview’s† gains you nothing. Delete these phrases whenever they creep into your paper. The student’s tendency to hedge stems from a modesty that in other circumstances would be commendable. He is, he realizes, young and inexperienced, and he half suspects that he is dopey and fuzzyminded beyond the average. Probably only too true. But it doesn’t help to announce your incompetence six times in every paragraph. Decide what you want to say and say it as vigorously as possible, without apology and in plain words. Linguistic diffidence can take various forms. One is what we call euphemism. This is the tendency to call a spade â€Å"a certain garden implement† or women’s underwear â€Å"unmentionables.† It is stronger in some eras than others and in some people than others but it always operates more or less in subjects that are touchy or taboo: death, sex, madness, and so on. Thus we shrink from saying â€Å"He died last night† but say instead â€Å"passed away,† â€Å"left us,† â€Å"joined his Maker,† â€Å"went to his reward.† Or we try to take off the tension with a lighter clichà ©: â€Å"kicked the bucket,† â€Å"cashed in his chips,† â€Å"handed in his dinner pail.† We have found all sorts of ways to avoid saying mad: â€Å"mentally ill,† â€Å"touched,† â€Å"not quite right upstairs,† â€Å"feebleminded,† â€Å"innocent,† â€Å"simple,† â€Å"off his trolley,† â€Å"not in his right mind.† Even such a now plain word as insane began as a euphemism with the meaning â€Å"not healthy.† Modern science, particularly psychology, contributes many polysyllables in which we can wrap our thoughts and blunt their force. To many writers there is no such thing as a bad schoolboy. Schoolboys are maladjusted or unoriented or misunderstood or in the need of guidance or lacking in continued success toward satisfactory integration of the personality as a social unit, but they are never bad. Psychology no doubt makes us better men and women, more sympathetic and tolerant, but it doesn’t make writing any easier. Had Shakespeare been confronted with psychology, â€Å"To be or not to be† might have come out, â€Å"To continue as a social unit or not to do so. That is the personality problem. Whether ’tis a better sign of integration at the conscious level to display a psychic tolerance toward the maladjustments and repressions induced by one’s lack of orientation in one’s environment or — † But Hamlet would never have finished the soliloquy. Writing in the modern world, you cannot altogether avoid modern jargon. Nor, in an effort to get away from euphemism, should you salt your paper with four-letter words. But you can do much if you will mount guard against those roundabout phrases, those echoing polysyllables that tend to slip into your writing to rob it of its crispness and force. BEWARE OF PAT EXPRESSIONS Other things being equal, avoid phrases like â€Å"other things being equal.† Those sentences that come to you whole, or in two or three doughy lumps, are sure to be bad sentences. They are no creation of yours but pieces of common thought floating in the community soup. Pat expressions are hard, often impossible, to avoid, because they come too easily to be noticed and seem too necessary to be dispensed with. No writer avoids them altogether, but good writers avoid them more often than poor writers. By â€Å"pat expressions† we mean such tags as â€Å"to all practical intents and purposes,† â€Å"the pure and simple truth,† â€Å"from where I sit,† â€Å"the time of his life,† â€Å"to the ends of the earth,† â€Å"in the twinkling of an eye,† â€Å"as sure as you’re born,† â€Å"over my dead body,† â€Å"under cover of darkness,† â€Å"took the easy way out,† â€Å"when all is said and done,† â€Å"told him time and time again,† â€Å"parted the best of friends,† â€Å"stand up and be counted,† â€Å"gave him the best years of her life,† â€Å"worked her fingers to the bone.† Like other clichà ©s, these expressions were once forceful. Now we should use them only when we can’t possibly think of anything else. Some pat expressions stand like a wall between the writer and thought. Such a one is â€Å"the American way of life.† Many student writers feel that when they have said that something accords with the American way of life or does not they have exhausted the subject. Actually, they have stopped at the highest level of abstraction. The American way of life is the complicated set of bonds between a hundred and eighty million ways. All of us know this when we think about it, but the tag phrase too often keeps us from thinking about it. So with many another phrase dear to the politician: â€Å"this great land of ours,† â€Å"the man in the street,† â€Å"our national heritage.† These may prove our patriotism or give a clue to our political beliefs, but otherwise they add nothing to the paper except words. COLORFUL WORDS The writer builds with words, and no builder uses a raw material more slippery and elusive and treacherous. A writer’s work is a constant struggle to get the right word in the right place, to find that particular word that will convey his meaning exactly, that will persuade the reader or soothe him or startle or amuse him. He never succeeds altogether – sometimes he feels that he scarcely succeeds at all — but such successes as he has are what make the thing worth doing. There is no book of rules for this game. One progresses through everlasting experiment on the basis of ever-widening experience. There are few useful generalizations that one can make about words as words, but there are perhaps a few. Some words are what we call â€Å"colorful.† By this we mean that they are calculated to produce a picture or induce an emotion. They are dressy instead of plain, specific instead of general, loud instead of soft. Thus, in place of â€Å"Her heart beat,† we may write, â€Å"her heart pounded, throbbed, fluttered, danced.† Instead of â€Å"He sat in his chair,† we may say, â€Å"he lounged, sprawled, coiled.† Instead of â€Å"It was hot,† we may say, â€Å"It was blistering, sultry, muggy, suffocating, steamy, wilting.† However, it should not be supposed that the fancy word is always better. Often it is as well to write â€Å"Her heart beat† or â€Å"It was hot† if that is all it did or all it was. Ages differ in how they like their prose. The nineteenth century liked it rich and smoky. The twentieth has usually preferred it lean and cool. The twentieth century writer, like all writers, is forever seeking the exact word, but he is wary of sounding feverish. He tends to pitch it low, to understate it, to throw it away. He knows that if he gets too colorful, the audience is likely to giggle. See how this strikes you: â€Å"As the rich, golden glow of the sunset died away along the eternal western hills, Angela’s limpid blue eyes looked softly and trustingly into Montague’s flashing brown ones, and her heart pounded like a drum in time with the joyous song surging in her soul.† Some people like that sort of thing, but most modern readers would say, â€Å"Good grief,† and turn on the television. COLORED WORDS Some words we would call not so much colorful as colored — that is, loaded with associations, good or bad. All words — except perhaps structure words — have associations of some sort. We have said that the meaning of a word is the sum of the contexts in which it occurs. When we hear a word, we hear with it an echo of all the situations in which we have heard it before. In some words, these echoes are obvious and discussible. The word mother, for example, has, for most people, agreeable associations. When you hear mother you probably think of home, safety, love, food, and various other pleasant things. If one writes, â€Å"She was like a mother to me,† he gets an effect which he would not get in â€Å"She was like an aunt to me.† The advertiser makes use of the associations of mother by working it in when he talks about his product. The politician works it in when he talks about himself. So also with such words as home, liberty, fireside, contentment, patriot, tenderness, sacrifice, childlike, manly, bluff, limpid. All of these words are loaded with associations that would be rather hard to indicate in a straightforward definition. There is more than a literal difference between â€Å"They sat around the fireside† and â€Å"They sat around the stove.† They might have been equally warm and happy around the stove, but fireside suggests leisure, grace, quiet tradition, congenial company, and stove does not. Conversely, some words have bad associations. Mother suggests pleasant things, but mother-in-law does not. Many mothers-in-law are heroically lovable and some mothers drink gin all day and beat their children insensible, but these facts of life are beside the point. The point is that mother sounds good and mother-in-law does not. Or consider the word intellectual. This would seem to be a complimentary term, but in point of fact it is not, for it has picked up associations of impracticality and ineffectuality and general dopiness. So also such words as liberal, reactionary, Communist, socialist, capitalist, radical, schoolteacher, truck driver; operator, salesman, huckster, speculator. These convey meaning on the literal level, but beyond that — sometimes, in some places — they convey contempt on the part of the speaker. The question of whether to use loaded words or not depends on what is being written. The scientist, the scholar, try to avoid them; for the poet, the advertising writer, the public speaker, they are standard equipment. But every writer should take care that they do not substitute for thought. If you write, â€Å"Anyone who thinks that is nothing but a Socialist (or Communist or capitalist)† you have said nothing except that you don’t like people who think that, and such remarks are effective only with the most naive readers. It is always a bad mistake to think your readers more naive than they really are. COLORLESS WORDS But probably most student writers come to grief not with words that are colorful or those that are colored but with those that have no color at all. A pet example is nice, a word we would find it hard to dispense with in casual conversation but which is no longer capable of adding much to a description. Colorless words are those of such general meaning that in a particular sentence they mean nothing. Slang adjectives like cool (â€Å"That’s real cool†) tend to explode all over the language. They are applied to everything, lose their original force, and quickly die. Beware also of nouns of very general meaning, like circumstances, cases, instances, aspects, factors, relationships, attitudes, eventualities, etc. In most circumstances you will find that those cases of writing which contain too many instances of words like these will in this and other aspects have factors leading to unsatisfactory relationships with the reader resulting in unfavorable attitudes on his part and perhaps other eventualities, like a grade of â€Å"D.† Notice also what etc. means. It means â€Å"I’d like to make this list longer, but I can’t think of any more examples.†

How does Chaucer’s portrait of Alison add to the interest of the poem? Essay

Alison is married to the carpenter. The carpenter is the total opposite of Alison. He is old and it is likely that she finds him boring and unattractive, which explains why she has an affair. The Carpenter realises that she is not that much in love with him, and is jealous as a result of it, â€Å"Jalous he was, and held hir narrwe in cage. † There is a sense of doom for John the Carpenter. It seems too good to be true that an old man like him should have such a beautiful wife. It is obvious something is going to happen to take her from him. In the description of Alison, Chaucer shows the difference between Alison and the carpenter. We know the carpenter is old, but the continuous portrayal of Alison makes us more convinced with every line that the two are note suited. â€Å"She was wild and young and he was old. † She is obviously very attractive, she presents herself well and she is youthful. We know that if Alison had any choice then she would not be married to this old carpenter, but back then, marriages were often arranged. The second man in love with Alison is hende Nicholas. Nicholas is a student of astronomy, who is lodging at the Carpenter’s inn. Nicholas is also young and much more suited to Alison that the Carpenter is. He declares his love for Alison in a way that is not too courtly, â€Å"And prively he caught her by the quaint. † This is not a very romantic way to court someone. You would not expect Alison to accept, but after much persistence from Nicholas, â€Å"Lemmen, love me all atones or I wol dien! † she agrees to meet with him. Alison warns him it must be a great secret â€Å"Ye moste been full derne as in this cas,† and Nicholas swears he will not say a word. This is not the type of love in stories like the Knight’s Tale. They are simply attracted to each other, making it closer to lust than love. There is a lot of description of Absolon, the parish clerk who is also in love with Alison. The description is a very feminine one, describing his fancy clothes â€Å"His rode was red† â€Å"Curl was his hair. † Chaucer seems to be mocking Absolon, making fun of his ways, and embarrassing him in the end. By mocking Absolon, Chaucer is mocking courtly love as Absolon represents this. He goes to Alison’s window every night and sings to her and reads her his poems, but every time he is rejected. Alison does not treat Absolon very well either. Absolon is a very jolly and gay character, but he is miserable and woebegone when Alison does not return his feelings. He sings to her and sends her cake and spices, but still Alison has no love for Absolon. â€Å"He n’hadde for his labour but a scorn! † After all the work he puts in to get Alison to fall in love with him, he is scorned. At the end of the story, both Alison and Nicholas at laughing at Absolon after the cruel trick they play on him. There is a lot of humour in the Miller’s Tale. This is to be expected from the description of the Miller in the general prologue, as it tells us he is fond of dirty stories and jokes. Love that is not returned can always be made humorous in such stories. We laugh at the carpenter because he actually thinks that a beautiful young girl like Alison would be in love with him. She makes a fool out of the carpenter in two ways. The first being her affair with Nicholas, which shows us she does not love him, even though he is very much in love with her, â€Å"This Carpenter had wedded a new wif, Which that he loved more than his lif. â€Å"

Which the Language Used Shows the Closeness

Discuss the ways in which the language used shows the closeness of the relationships between participants. In this essay, I am going to explore how the language used shows the closeness of the relationships between the participants, and how their friendship is shown. In the friendship context, speech is more relaxed and casual and there is more use of dialect and colloquialisms than if it were a formal situation.There is also the use of words and phrases which could only be understood in this context, like idiolect and words that a particular age group use. In a formal situation there wouldn’t be as much interruption or slang words, as it wouldn’t be appropriate. In the transcript, there is a lot of interruption which shows they know each other quite well and wouldn’t get offended by it. This is shown when speaker A says â€Å"on //Saturday//† and speaker B overlaps by saying â€Å"//The Aviator//†, which shows they are both on the same wavelength a nd speaking quite quickly.Also the fact that they continue talking when another speaker interrupts like when speaker A continues after speaker C interrupts her shows they are both comfortable with each other and aren’t worried about being innapropriate as they are good friends. Additionally, the way they share their personal thoughts and crushes shows they are comfortable with each other and know each other well enough that it is appropriate. By saying that â€Å"he’s a real hottie† and â€Å"I wouldn’t turn down Clive Owen either†, they are showing how they aren’t afraid to say this to each other as they both share mutual feelings, which portrays that they are friends.Also the use of idiolect is present in the transcript when speaker A says â€Å"dead interesting†, with the word dead meaning really instead of having died. This is the way the individual talks so they would use this with friends, rather than in a more formal situation where Standard English would be expected to be used. When speaker A does an impression when saying â€Å"shu shu†, it shows she isn’t afraid of embarrassing herself as her friends would find it funny rather than weird. This shows they are friends because nobody would do this except with people they know and have fun with.

Britain Unwritten Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Britain Unwritten Constitution - Essay Example Kingdom is consequently a nation under Parliamentary sovereignty because the entire sovereignty belongs to the Parliament. There is no entrenchment in the British constitution – meaning that there is no need of a supermajority or a referendum to pass some amendments – which can cause some minorities to suffer from majoritarianism. This absence of a central written constitution may lead to believe that the United Kingdom has no formal constitution. It is true the British Constitution is often referred to as unwritten but it relies and incorporates many written sources such as the Magna Carta, the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679, the Bill of Rights in 1689, the Act of Settlement in 1701, the Act of Union in 1707, joining England and Scotland to form Great Britain, the Act of Union in 1800, joining Great Britain and Ireland to form United Kingdom, the Statute of Westminster in 1931, the Peerage Act in 1963, the European communities Act in 1972, being the key documents and conven tions among many others. Therefore, the United Kingdom constitution is seen as a collection of Acts of Parliament, decrees, conventions, traditions and royal prerogatives. However even if some accept it as an unwritten constitution, some go as far as saying that in the absence of a written constitution, Britain has no constitution.... Throughout the world we can see two types of constitutions: the codified and the uncodified ones. In a codified constitution, the articles describe a higher form of law, that is to say laws to which all other laws must conform and in consequence elected assemblies can not pass all the laws they wish. The codified constitutions are usually entrenched which means that they can only be changed or amended according to special procedures. In the political systems of codified constitutions, judges have the key role to interpret and apply the constitution, they have the power, for example, to decide that some rules which were passed by elected assemblies are unconstitutional - not in following the principles set of rules of the constitution. The codified constitution is also a tool to understand the powers of the different institutions that characterize a government and the relationship between them. Finally, they represent timeless principles. A Bill of Rights for instance, defines the lib erty to practice one religion, the right to a fair trial or the freedom of speech. 5 However, United Kingdom does not have such a codified document, its unwritten constitution and therefore the fundamental rules are embodied in major statutes, precedents and legal decisions. It is consequently said that codified constitutions are more rigid than uncodified ones. Flexible constitutions are more reactive and adapt more rapidly to changing conditions. It is the usual characteristic of an uncodified constitution. However, United Kingdom's example is not as clear as this principle. The adaptation to the changing conditions is not easily seen in the United Kingdom. Even though

Summary Of The Platos Allegory Of The Cave Personal Statement

Summary Of The Platos Allegory Of The Cave - Personal Statement Example The prisoners shall take the names of the objects whose shadows they see, but to see the real objects they are referring to the need to turn their heads around which is not possible for them. They are in fact names of those things which do not fall before our vision but we can comprehend them only with our minds. Plato says that if the prisoners are released, then they would be able to turn their heads to see the real objects and, therefore, realize their error and in the real sense, and only then the prisoners would be able to grasp the objects. The implication of these terms in our real life lies in the point similar to the turning of the prisoner’s head and comprehending the real objects through grasping it with our minds. Plato intends to describe through the Allegory of the Cave that it is essential for the human mind to attain the understanding of the objects at the reflective realm. But despite this fact, it is quite true that the ability of the human being to think and speak depends on the understanding of the forms. The prisoners might mistake any object with the name of some other object if they are really not aware of the name of that particular object that they have seen. And in a very similar fashion, human minds might obtain the knowledge of the concepts by our inherent and perceptual experience of our physical objects. But at the same time, human mind might mistake any object if it is thought that the concepts human mind is grasping are equal with the objects perceived.

Risk and risk management in Jordanian banking Dissertation

Risk and risk management in Jordanian banking - Dissertation Example The paper tells that recent global economic slump is considered as not only being the first global economic downturn of the 21st century, but it is also considered as a new ‘risk’ face by the global society coming from ‘unknown unknowns’ of which available information are insufficient in shedding light. Nevertheless, it should be noted, the global economic slowdown can be approached and analysed using several perspectives and it involves a whole gamut of issues that are intertwined, not just single direct cause. In light of this condition, as this research will deal with risk and risk management, it will primarily focus on operational risk management in Jordanian banking sector. Operational management and operational risks have long been part of the life cycle of businesses, especially in the banking industry. Generally, it seeks to address the risks arising from the day-to-day operations of the banks. As such, operational risks management deals with non-fin ancial risks, which when left unattended, are proven catastrophic not only for the banks, but for the entire global community. This situation highlights the urgency to give further clarification regarding the idea of operational risks and operational risks management so that a better understanding of its implications of in the banking sector can be achieved. It holds the position that gaining better understanding of operational risks management in Jordanian banking sector provides solid foundation, with which, its implications can be transformed in to valuable information and policies to counter operational risks. 1.2. Background of the Study Operational risks management is new (Petria & Petria, 2009), but operational risks are not. The inclusion of and explication of operational risks and operational risk management in Basel II Accord categorically show the integral importance of operational risks management in the banking sector. Since, Basel II now proposes a more stringent manag ement structure, tools and processes in addressing operational risks (Medova, 2000). The conceptual frame together with the events create the paradigm wherein the significance of a more coherent and systematic approach to operational risks becomes necessary in the banking se

Basic linguistic topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Basic linguistic topics - Essay Example his disciple cannot be overemphasized as it will help parents to better understand the language learning capacity of their ward, as well as know how to help their children attain their maximum potential in the early developing stages. Stork and Widdowson (1997) assert that the two contributing factors for child language acquisition are an â€Å"innate potential† for acquisition of any language and a â€Å"linguistic environment† (Rahimpour 2). In addition to these two factors there are several other elements, which come into play and that work throughout the different developmental stages of a child’s language acquisition process. In order to understand this process properly one must understand each individual milestone, which works together and ultimately enables the child to communicate to his or her environment with a language. The aim of this paper is to recognize and analyse the major milestones in child language acquisition. However, before getting into the stages of child language acquisition it is important to understand theories that describe the ability as well as linguistic capability of children. In the words of Noam Chomsky, â€Å"nobody is taught language,† which implies that parents do not hold the credit for their children learning a particular language, and furthermore, they â€Å"cannot prevent the child from learning it† either (Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams 394). However, researchers have remained perplexed as to how children form questions, negate sentences, use â€Å"pronouns appropriately† as well as understand countless sentences they have â€Å"never heard† even before they are able to â€Å"add small numbers or tie their shoes† (394). But, in depth study and analysis in this same matter has led the researchers to come up with many different theories that relate to language acquisition. The major theories include â€Å"behaviorism, nativism, social cogn ition theory and social interactionism,† where each theory is different from the other yet no one

Questions to answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Questions to answer - Essay Example In determinism, deliberation is necessary as there is uncertainty involved, and the choice made is the one with the most advantageous outcome. In determinism, one can get to choose his motives or prevent the motives from acting on his will. In Determinism, humans are never masters of their own will and motives, and thus they never act freely because one's will gets moved by causes independent to them. Ideas associate independently of us, and they get arranged in the brain without one's knowledge. One's memory depends on his organization, and its fidelity depends on the momentary or habitual state we find ourselves (Tully 175). People's ways of thinking get determined necessarily by their ways of being. Determinism shows that the actions of human beings are never free as they are usually the consequences of their temperament, received ideas and notions of happiness. Others also get determined by educational example and daily experience. According to freedom, the future holds oneâ€⠄¢s possibility with the best outcome. In freedom, one contains in himself causes inherent to his existence. Furthermore, he gets moved by an internal organ that has its own laws and is necessarily determined by ideas, perceptions and sensations received from external objects. We do not know the mechanism of these sensations and perceptions, or the way ideas get printed in the brain because we cannot discern all these movements (Tully284). We cannot also perceive the operations in the soul or principles that act in us. Freedom enables people to be free because they imagine that the soul can willfully call to mind ideas that sometimes suffice to curb passionate desires. According to freedom, there are possible alternative futures and things could have happened differently from the way they did. Freedom entails acting without external constraint. This is dangerous as it involves acting without any intelligence. Determinism ensures humans are cautious and organized in nature as Freedom suggests one being in total control of his motives. One has various opportunities and the ability to choose on one without necessarily deliberating on it. Determinism involves making a choice without considering the consequences of the actions (Tully194). Freedom entails controlling people's will and having motives working on their will. This makes determinism to become the preferred account of human agency as it will lead to shame, regret, and remorse when we undertake decisions without rationalizing on them. Determinism is also correct because it ensures responsibility and efficiency as one chooses an alternative with the most advantageous outcome. William James proposed a two-stage model. In his opinion of free will, In determinism was the cause of what he referred to as alternative possibilities and ambiguous futures. According to him chance was not the direct cause of actions and he made it clear that it was his choice that granted him consent to do an action. In his Oxford St reet and Divinity Avenue thought experiment he intended to explain the two stage decision process. He said both ways could lead him home but he had to choose one as it was ambiguous and matter of chance. By pluralism, he means it is a position which has several principles which are independent and cannot be unified. Monism on the other hand, is where there is only one ultimate principle. Question 3 Locke says that

International Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 2

International Business Management - Essay Example e of this report to be submitted to the Directors of Paltek Company, is to bid for a contract to help Paltek implement its international strategy successfully. The report based on the company’s resources and sector, will identify strategic challenges and market entry options in international markets. Paltek has an annual turnover of  £5 million, employing 70 people to provide specialist circuit boards for business-to-business (B2B) markets including the military and information technology sectors. The components for manufacturing the circuit boards are procured from a number of international markets. The company plans to sell its product on an international scale, and has marketed some of its goods to the United States. Paltek’s new aim is to break into the Nordic markets, because the economies in Northern Europe are highly advanced. Expansion of the company into the European market would prove to be beneficial because of its great numbers of electronic manufacturers and purchasers. In this region Paltek plans to achieve economies of scale by using innovative ideas necessary to remain competitive. Presently offering their products only to United Kingdom customers, Paltek plans to build the design and manufacture facility for niche markets on an international scale. Though procuring supplies of components from Asia, Paltek does not plan to enter the Asian market to sell its products. The company however sees international activities capturing wider markets as the approach to increase the company’s growth. Moreover, another reason for developing the European markets is that Paltek believes that the key to running a successful business is to be in close proximity to the customers. â€Å"For a young, resource-constrained, technology-based start-up embarking on international sales, the choice of entry mode is a strategic decision of major importance† (Burgel & Murray 33). The initial foreign entry behaviour of a young firm can be of major importance in its

Position Supporting Stem Cell Research Essay Example for Free

Position Supporting Stem Cell Research Essay Cells that can make a distinction into a variety of cell types are called stem cells and comprise embryonic stem (ES) cells and adult stem cells. Since ES cells can turn into a new organism or can differentiate into any tissue type, they are said to be â€Å"totipotent.† Adult stem cells, conversely, as they cannot turn into any type of tissue, are said to be â€Å"pluripotent.† For instance, bone marrow stem cells can turn into red blood cells, T-lymphocytes, or B-lymphocytes, however not muscle or bone cells. Nerve stem cells can as well turn into different types of nerve tissue. Stem cell research attempts to engineer tissues from the bodys stem cells to replace defective, damaged, or aging tissues. In 1998, scientists were capable to grow human ES cells indefinitely. Since then, researchers have performed stem cell experiments on mammals and have had some achievement in repairing spinal chord injuries in mice. Since scientists cannot use federal funds to carry out research on embryos, private corporations, most particularly the Geron Corporation, have funded ES cell research. Geron, awaiting possible ethical concerns, appointed its own ethics advisory board. The Clinton administration sought to loosen the interpretation of the ban on embryo research to permit the government to sponsor research on the use of ES cells once they were available. President G. W. Bush had made the decision to permit use merely of about sixty existing cell lines, and not the production of embryonic cell lines particularly made for the purpose of use for stem cells[1]. The majority of the stem cell procedures proposed to date would employ the ES cells from embryos formed by couples in fertility clinics. In the United States, thousands of embryos are discarded each year as IVF couples cannot use all of their embryos. A couple may make three-hundred embryos in an attempt give birth to one child. One more approach to stem cell research suggests that researchers make embryos for scientific and medical purposes. This approach, recognized as therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), engrosses transferring the nucleus from a cell in a persons body into an enucleated egg[2]. The ES cells from this new embryo would match the tissue in the persons body, therefore avoiding the potential tissue rejection problems that might occur in stem cell therapy. The potential of stem cell research is huge, for the reason that so many diseases result from tissue damage. Stem cell research could bring about advances in treating paralysis, diabetes, heart disease, pancreatitis, Parkinsons disease, liver disease, arthritis, as well as many further conditions. [3] Thus human pluripotent stem cell research is very important as firstly it propose help in understanding the actions that take place during normal human development. The understanding of human cell development could make possible further understandings regarding how abnormalities such as cancer occur. Secondly this research helps us to find out why some cells turn into heart cells whereas other cells turn into blood cells. Although it has been previously recognized that a gene turning on and off is central to cell development, however it is not recognized what makes these gene turn on and offstem cell research will most probably give a possible explanation. In a realistic sense this could make possible further understandings of cell development abnormalities. Thirdly pure samples of specific cell types could be used for testing different chemical compounds so as to develop medicines to treat disease[4]. This would make more efficient the process of medical testing in order that merely medicines that have a helpful effect on cell lines would be tested on animals and humans. And most significantly this research could be very helpful for cell transplantation therapies. Theoretically, stem cells could be grown into replacements for diseased or destroyed cells[5]. This would permit medical science to get to the bottom of diseases of organ failure for instance diabetes as well as neurological disorders for instance Parkinsons disease. The main protest to this promising research has to do with the source of ES cells. ES cells can be acquired from aborted embryos, embryos remaining after infertility treatments (IVF), embryos created only for research by IVF techniques, and from SCNT techniques (that is therapeutic cloning)[6]. To get ES cells, consequently, one have to either create embryos that will be used, manipulated, or destroyed, or one have to get embryos leftover from infertility treatments. However here is where the abortion debate resurfaces, as these techniques would engross treating embryos as mere things or objects and would not give embryos the esteem they deserve, as said by some critics. That is to say that a proper, fair and realistic account of what comes out of the freezer is a 5-day-old ball of about 150 cells, and of that the researchers will want to use about 30. What comes out of the freezer is unquestionably human tissue however it is not human. That ball of cells has no hope at all of becoming a human being without further intervention. One must not confuse the existence of a chance of becoming a human being with actually being human. The tissue can be likened to organs taken from a lately deceased person for transplant. Neither the organ nor the tissue is dead; it is human tissue but it is not human. One may say the same of sperm, for instance, every sperm must be protected that is available for the reason that it might, under circumstances where other things have to happen, become a human. That is practically the same thought. What has to happen there is that the sperm has to meet with an egg to fertilize that egg, which then has to be looked after. What has to happen with a 5-day-old ball of cells in which the egg and sperm have previously met is that it after that has to be implanted in a woman and stay there for nine months. In both cases nothing is going to happen unless other things are brought into play. It is a very strong view that it is not being talked about a human, rather about human tissue that will with the intervention of others, and only with the intervention of others, has the chance of becoming human. A parents right must be supported to demand that any of these untouched fertilized eggs be left untouched for afterward use or not be used for research. Very few, if any, parents who have had the advantage of the IVF program would refuse the chance for spare fertilized eggs to be used. They themselves turned to the wonders of science to give them what apparently nature was otherwise going to deny them, those who through the wonders of science have had what must have been their greatest dream realized would definitely not deny the chance for science to make better things for others. After all, how many fertilized eggs at varying stages of development were used in the IVF programs to get to the point where one could have a successful IVF program? [7] Some supporters of this bill do not deny where one is now with the science. He just wants science to have the opportunity to take him to further and better places. One cannot say that there is no practical application of this now, so not do the research. That is the equal of saying to a child that you are not permitted to swim in the pool until you have learned to swim. How can one possibly refuse to do research on the basis that he does not have the researchers outcomes? One can not get those outcomes until he proceeds with the research. So, again, one must be very much on the side of proceeding with stem cell research. Some of the objections which have their foundation in a religious view held by their proponents. Living by a decent set of values is far more vital than defending the doctrine of one church over another. If you lead a good life and if there is a kingdom of heaven you will be welcome into his or heaven. Your religion is your business and no-one elses. When you make your religion an issue, you drag it into the political domain and you tarnish it. It follows that we attach very little importance or interest to arguments over religious dogma. Similarly, we do not turn to the state to legislate for one religious view over another. Without doubt, we can clearly see the risks of adopting a view that your religion is the right one and the rest of the world must be converted. This point is quite simple: each to his own religion. If you say to one that doing something is against Gods will, then he will respond by assuring you that, if God is annoyed, God will punish whoever has done that thing. The state should never be used as Gods enforcer. Over the years, as we have been approaching 50, we can assure you that we have every confidence in Gods capability to settle accounts. It has not been our experience that he or she usually waits until you are dead. Numerous people who have done the wrong thing have met their maker in a practical sense while they were still alive[8]. In brief, we are talking about fertilized eggs that are in the freezer. They have not the slightest chance of becoming human unless they are accepted by the mother to be carried for 9 months. We are talking about fertilized eggs where that is not the case. The outcome is that they are either going in the bin or going to be used for the betterment of mankind. My other proposition is that we cannot now say whether the science is good or bad. We do not know where the science is going to take us. Science of itself is not fundamentally good or bad; it is what we do with it that will make that case. We have to understand that the benefits of this research may take years to come. That merely makes us say: start more quickly. We simply ask those who, due to their religious beliefs, have a very authentic concern regarding this bill to accept that they are entitled to follow their religious beliefs; they are not entitled to demand by legislation that everybody else does the same. References: Adil E. Shamoo, David B. Resnik. Responsible Conduct of Research; Oxford University Press, 2003 Daniel Callahan. What Price Better Health? Hazards of the Research Imperative; University of California Press, 2003 John Harris. On Cloning; Routledge, 2004 Sandra Braman. Biotechnology and Communication: The Meta-Technologies of Information; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004 Thomas Kemp. â€Å"The Stem Cell Debate: A Veblenian Perspective†; Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 38, 2004. [1] Daniel Callahanpg 55 [2] John Harris, pg 90 [3] Daniel Callahan, pg 67-69 [4] Thomas Kemp, pg 6 [5] ibid [6] John Harris, pg 78-79 [7] Sandra Braman, pg 105 [8] Adil E. Shamoo, David B. Resnik, pg 210

Organizational structures and cultures

Organizational structures and cultures Organizations are social arrangements for the controlled performance of collective goals. (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1991) The writer Chester Barnard (1938) used the example of a man trying to lift a stone which is too heavy for him. By getting together with another person, and combining their efforts, the man is able to move the stone. Organizational Structure:- Every organization to be effective must have an organizational structure. Organizational structure is the form of structure that determines the hierarchy and the reporting structure in the organization. Organizational structure shows information, flows from level to level within the company. It is also called organizational chart. Designing of Organizational Structure:- Work Specialization:- Work specialization is the key element of organizational structure and it refers to the degree to which tasks in the organization are subdivided in to separate jobs. In the work specialization the entire job is subdivided into different steps and each step have to complete separately by individual. For example: making of an automobile. Advantages of work specialization are that, employees skills can increases by doing one job again and again. It saves time and there is accuracy in production. It allows managers to supervise more employees. While the disadvantages are that, employees might get bored by doing same job again and again. Sometime if the person is on leave then no one can do his job, due to which absenteeism rises. Quality of work may suffer. Departmentalization:- Through departmentalization common tasks can be coordinated. In Departmentalization, work or individuals are grouped into manageable units. The primary forms of departmentalization are:- Functional Departmentalization Customer Departmentalization Geographical Departmentalization Product Departmentalization Process Departmentalization Chain of Command:- Chain of command is the formal line of authority, communication, and responsibility within an organization. According to classical organization theory the organizational chart allows one to visualize the lines of authority and communication within an organizational structure and ensures clear assignment of duties and responsibilities. In many organizations, the chain of command principle is still very much alive. Military is an example of straight chain of command which starts from a top to low level ranks. Span of Control:- In a business of more than one person, unless the business has equal partners, then there are managers and subordinates. Subordinates are workers controlled by the manager. Span of control can be:- Tall and Narrow:- The manager controls six or few employees. There is close supervision of the employees, tight control and fast communication. However, the supervision can be too close; the narrow span means that there are many levels of management, resulting in a possibly excessive distance between the top and the bottom of an organization. Flat and Wide:- A wide span of control forces managers to develop clear objectives and policies, select and train employees carefully. Since employees get less supervision, they are more responsible and have higher morale with a wide span of control. Flat and wide span of control is successful if employees have the awareness about their responsibilities and job tasks because managers are not able to have a look on each employee every day. Centralization and Decentralization:- Centralization and decentralization refer to the extent to which decision making power is devolved in an organization, or the degree of delegation of duties, power and authority to lower levels of an organization. Organizations which have a high degree of delegation of power are thought to be decentralized. Organizations which have a lower degree of delegation of power tend to be centralized. A decentralized structure often means power over both operational issues and strategic direction is devolved to lower levels in the hierarchy. Matrix Structure:- An organization which has a Matrix structure contains teams of people created from various sections of the business. These teams will be created for the purposes of a specific project and will be led by a project manager. Often the team will only exist for the duration of the project and matrix structures are usually deployed to develop new products and services. The advantages of a matrix include that, individuals can be chosen according to the needs of the project. Project team which is dynamic and specialist are brought together in a new environment to view problems in different ways. Project managers are directly responsible for completing their project in a specific time and budget. Whilst the disadvantages include: A conflict of loyalty between line managers and project managers over the allocation of resources If teams have a lot of independence can be difficult to monitor. Costs can be increased if more managers (i.e. project managers) are created through the use of project teams. Organizational Culture:- Culture basically refers to the norms, values and behavior adopted by the organizational members during the working. When the members of an organization join the organization they adopt particular culture of an organization. Every organization has different culture depending upon their situation of working and the nature of their business. From the culture of organization one can assume the operating environment and working behavior of employees. Types of Culture:- Power Culture Within a power culture, control is the key element. Power cultures are usually found within a small or medium size organization. Centralized Decisions making are found in the power culture organization. That person likes control and the power behind it. As group work is not evident in a power culture, the organization can react quickly to dangers around it as no consultation is involved. However this culture has its problems, lack of consultation can lead to staff feeling undervalued and de-motivated, which can also lead to high staff turnover. Role Culture Common in most organizations today is a role culture. In a role culture, organizations are split into various functions and each individual within the function is assigned a particular role. The role culture has the benefit of specialization. Employees focus on their particular role as assigned to them by their job description and this should increase productivity for the company. This culture is quite logical to organize in a large organization. Task Culture A task culture refers to a team based approach to complete a particular task. They are popular in todays modern business society where the organization will establish particular project teams to complete a task to date. A task culture clearly offers some benefits. Staff feels motivated because they are empowered to make decisions within their team, they will also feel valued because they may have been selected within that team and given the responsibility to bring the task. Person culture Person cultures are commonly found in charities or nonprofit organizations. The focus of the organization is the individual or a particular aim P2:- Analyze the relationship between an organizations structure and culture and the effects on business performance. Task for P2:- Here you will discuss how organization culture and structure affect the organizational performance positively or negatively. This should be attempted as a continuation of P1. Organizational Culture and Structure creates a number of various concepts, strategies, and situations which affect every level of planning when it comes to any type of hierarchical institution. The implications of organizational structure and culture apply to companies, corporations, charitable organizations, governments and even sports/organizations. Organization Culture and structure affects the organizational performance both in positive and as well as negative direction. In positive sense the organization culture and structure creates the distinctions between one organization from the other and also it defines the boundary role to the same organization. It provides a sense of identity for the organizational members on the basis of which the employees work betterly for the achievement of organization goals. This organization culture and structure can generate commitment of employees towards the organization. As the culture represents the norms and values of the society so it can enhances the stability of the social system inside organization. The organization which has a strong culture will have good working environment in which the employees shared different norms and values. The culture and structure also provides appropriate standards of working environment. The organization culture and structure shapes the attitude and beha vior of employees and it also serves a sense of making and control mechanism. Every organization has policies according to which the employees work by following certain rules and regulations. These rules and regulations of the organization can be bitterly formed by accessing to organization structure and culture. This organization structure also shows the responsibility for each employee which reflects that who will be reported to whom. Through strong organizational structure, the organization will have to make right decisions at the right time. The organization structure and culture has also negative impact on business performance. The same culture becomes liability when the employees do not agree to share their values with others which raise conflicts. When the organization environment is dynamic then this can affect the business effectiveness. If the organizational structure is complex one then the decision making process in that organization will be very slow and also there will be centralized decision making in which the lower level employees will not be entertained. P3:- Analyze the factors which influence individual behavior at work. Task for P3:- In this area discuss the factors that influence behavior at work, your answer should focus on personality, traits and types, its relevance in understanding self and others There are many factors that influence behavior at work for instance difference in opinions of individuals but the most important are personality and perceptions. Personality is defined as the characteristics and distinctive traits of an individual and the relation between them and the individual response to the situation and adjusts to other people. This include big five factors of personality dimensions known as OCEAN that influences behavior at work which is given in the table below. Personality dimensions and the poles of traits they form. Based on Costa McCrae (1992: 14-16, 49). Personality dimension High level Low level Neuroticism sensitive, nervous secure, confident Extraversion outgoing, energetic shy, withdrawn Openness to experience inventive, curious cautious, conservative Agreeableness friendly, compassionate competitive, outspoken Conscientiousness efficient, organized easy-going, careless Neuroticism is a measure of affect and emotional control. In the given table high level neuroticism shows sensitivity and nervousness those experinces negative emotions. They more frequently become unstable, worried, temperamental and sad. Resistant persons on the other hand need strong stimuli to be provoked where as low level shows confidence, emotional stability and active at their workplace. Extraversion dimension presence in high level in an individual shows outgoing and energetic. They are physically verbally active. The opposite of extraversion known as introverts or low level presence tend to be more independent, reserved, steady and like being alone. Extraverts are adventurous, assertive, frank, sociable and talkative. Introverts may be described as quiet, reserved, shy and unsociable. Openness to experience is a measure of depth, breadth and variability in a persons imagination and urge for experiences. Individuals with a high openness to experience have broad interests, are liberal and like novelty. The preservers with low openness to experience are conventional, conservative and prefer familiarity. Agreeableness individual can be described as altruistic, gentle, kind, sympathetic and warm. Person with high level are friendly, compassionate and able to work in team. Whereas low level are more competent and outspoken. Conscientiousness is scale of goal oriented and control over impulses. Individual with high level are more organized and efficient. They focus on limited goal and strive to achieve these goals. The focused person concentrates on a limited number of goals but strives hard to reach them, while the flexible person is more impulsive and easier to persuade from one task to another. The more conscientious a person is, the more competent, dutiful, orderly, responsible and thorough. Personality can be regard as the most complex aspects of human being that influences behavior in big way. Personality traits offer an opportunity to the organization to understand the individuals behaviors and directing their effort and motivating them for the accomplishment of the organizational goal P4:- Analyze how organizational theory underpins principles and practices of organizing and of management. Task for P4:- Discuss the major organizational theories and discuss their salient features (focus on functions of management, managerial roles, and managerial authority) Please see the course contents for detail. Management The attainment of an organizational goal in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, leading and controlling organizational resources. Planning It is the on going process of developing the business mission and objectives and determining how they will be accomplished. Planning includes both the broadest view of the organization, e.g. its mission, and the narrowest, a tactic for accomplishing a specific goal. Organizing Establishing the internal organizational structure of the organization. The focus is on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization. It is in this function that managers distribute authority to job holders. Commanding Fayols called this maintain activity among the personnel, it involves instructing and motivating subordinates to carry out tasks. Coordinating This is the task of monitoring the activities of individuals and groups within the organization, reconciling differences in approach, timing and resource requirement in the interest of overall organizational objectives. Controlling It is a four step process of establishing performance standards based on the firms objective, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two and taking corrective or preventive action is necessary. Managerial Roles A role as defined as an organized set of behaviors belonging to an identifiable office or position. Thus actors, managers and others play roles that are predetermined, although individuals may interpret them in different ways. Interpersonal Roles Figurehead The manager is a symbol, obliged to perform a number of duties. He represents the organization in various ceremonies etc. Leader Managers select and trained the team members. He/she used to motivate the team to achieve pre defined goal. Liaison Manager duty is to communicate with people outside the work unit trying to coordinates two project groups. Informational Roles Monitor The monitor involves seeking current information from many sources. The manager acquires information from others and shares it with concerns people to stay well informed. Disseminator The managers send external information into his organization and internal information from one subordinate to another. Spokesman The managers transmit information out to his organizations environment to speak on behalf of the organization. Decisional Roles Entrepreneur The manager acts as initiator and designer of much of the controlled change of the organization. By using the monitoring role, he seeks opportunities, sees problems, and initiates actions to improve situations. Disturbance Handler The manger role involves resolving conflicts among subordinates or between the managers departments and other departments. Resource Allocator This role of manager involves deciding about how to allocate people, time, equipment, budget and other resources to attain desired outcomes. Negotiator Managers participate in negotiation activities. Managers represent department during negotiation of union contracts, sales, purchases, budgets, represent departmental interest. Managerial Authority The formal and legitimate right of a manager to make decisions, issues, orders and allocate resources to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Managerial authority is the position that empowers a manger to exercise command and control over those placed under him for realization of the assigned role in an organization. Originally, the overall authority is centrally vested in person of the manager. However, it is not possible for a single man to effectively execute and monitor each and every task. Therefore various functions with a suitable quantum of authority are devolved downwards to concerned subordinates for better and convenient output. The practice also provides a rationale for organizational Tree specifying various powers and responsibilities in both vertical and lateral hierarchy. P5:- Compare the different approaches to management and theories of organization used by two organizations. Task for P5:- This will be the comparative analysis of the two organization, you will do the comparison with another organization (assigned to another group). This will be covered through the presentation. You must give soft and hard copy of your presentation to the teacher. Functional Theory Followed by SNGPL:- Organizations must make choices to organizational approach how to perform their work. There are five common methods used by management to perform work i.e functional, divisional, matrix, team, and networking. Each organization have follows different ways according to their needs and requirements. For instance Sui Northern Gas Pipe Line uses functional approach which is the simplest form of organizational structure. Below is an example of management of sui northern In functional structure approach the features are well defined the channels of communication and responsibility. By following such structure by SNGPL it improves productivity, minimizes duplication of employees and also simplifies training of employees. There are some drawbacks of functional structure approach as it is narrowed perspectives which causes reduce cooperation. Decisions are slow to take place because of many hierarchy layers in which authority is more centralized. This kind of structure only gives employees experience in only single field they dont have the opportunity to oversee all the firms operations. Divisional Theory Followed by Disney:- On the other hand management of Disney follows divisional structure compare to sui northern to keep track of their operation. Below in an example of Disney management structure. In large firms like Disney its difficult to keep track of all the activities for that purpose specialized departments are developed which is divided according to the organizational output this grouping of organizational structure are called divisional structure. It makes performance easier to monitor which allows managers to better focus on recourses and results. This kind of structure may cause duplication and create competition among the division due to limited resources. M1:- Discuss the organizational structure and the prevailing culture in the Organization under study. Also discuss how the structure and culture affect the performance of the business. Task for M1:- This task should be taken as continuation of your answers to P1 and P2; Here you will discuss what is the prevailing structure and culture in the organization. This will be seen with the view that you can see the application of the concepts in real life. Organization Structure and Culture in HBL and UBL Culture and Structure of HBL:- Organizations have their own structure and culture. If there is any informality in the organization culture and employees believe that they are a part of organization then behavior effect positively. Culture and structure is very important for an organization in a culture there are many people belong to different groups and the structure of organization is made from the people if there is unity of command, Span of control and intrinsic motivation so it effect the motivation level of the employees. In organization if they have a good culture and they have the good social norms, values and ethical behavior so culture automatically control behavior .Culture is develop by good social norms, good contents, good peer group and culture cannot be reinforced, it is link with the inner behavior and change is also continuous process. In organization good and positive behavior controls the culture aspects. Culture also pushes the member to behave in a way that is counter to the formal mission an d goals of organization but it can be changed through inter personal skills and good behavior. In organization good, positive and progressive culture and structure is shared among the people. Organizational structure is the way in which the interrelated groups within and organizations are set up to allow them function smoothly from a large stand point. The two main purpose of successful organizational structure is to ensure effective communication between various parts of the company, as well as to increase coordination between different departments. Culture Structure of UBL Culture and structure is important in organization but each organization has their own structure and culture. According to this organization, there is not a specific culture in organization but through employees and their related environment culture is develop. They develop their own culture according to their own requirement. Culture controls the behavior of employees according to their nature which accepts the efforts to that culture. They develop that culture which they need. Culture depends upon the nature of employees it develop the behavior of employees according to that culture. Culture does not remain the same but the unwanted culture will changed according to mew environment. In organization culture is made when employees share their own culture. In this organization the bureaucratic structure is used .Employees r not involved during taking of the decision they are totally depended upon the orders of their boss. Through structure it is easy for the organization for placement of employees, staffing and they also know how many employees are required for the jobs in organization. In the absence of structure some difficulties occurs for the organization that how many employees they need for the job and how they control the organization. Factors Influencing in Both Organization Culture and structure is important in each organization because through good culture there is friendly environment between the manager and employees. And through good structure the organization runs fast towards its objectives and can achieve the goals easily. In both organization culture developed by sharing their own culture which is very effective for both organization because by communication with each other and sharing their views least conflict occurs between the employees and manager. Through this friendly environment occurs which helps organization to run as high as they want. In organization the bureaucratic structure should be avoided and during decision making employees should involved because under this structure employees cannot work by their heart. They take their work as a burden. Under this structure organization cannot run towards there goals as fast as they need for their success because employees are not motivated by this structure they do not share their views, th eir ideas among them selves. This structure has negative effect on organization. It can be good thing in small doses especially in tackling issues that will become recurring themes in large businesses. Through good culture and structure employees are motivated and they share their new idea. They help each other and also solve the problems of organization. A fully healthy organizational culture and structure is exactly what should be expected when all is functioning normally M2:- Discuss what approach of management adopted by the organization, with Focus on management functions, roles and authority. Task for M2:- Here you will apply the concept of organizations theory and what is being discussed in P5 and apply your knowledge to the organization under study. Management Functions:- Planning:- Objectives of HBL Following are some main objective of HBL To earn profit for the Bank itself and maximize its shareholders value. To provide solutions for multiple requirements of clients of diverse financial nature To manage with the changing trends of the modern day financial market To be a diversified bank by offering all basic consumer services and specialized services Honest and ethical conduct, including ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationship. To provide employment opportunities to people To help in development and industrialization of the country Mission Statement:- To make our customers prosper, our staff excel and to create value for shareholders. Leading functions in HBL:- Motivation:- Managers of HBL motivate the employees by providing free medical treatment, free education and incentives to them. Resolving Conflicts:- Managers of HBL always try to resolve conflicts among employees. Giving importance to their opinions. Giving new ideas for solving problems. Sometimes giving group tasks to employees. Managerial Authority In HBL CEO Give orders and issues polices to the managers. Then further the managers forward these instructions and policies to their subordinates and so on. All of them accept and obeyed those instructions/polices/orders. Managerial Role:- Spokesman: Spokesman of HBL attending the seminars outside the bank and negotiating with the people in banking issues. D1:- Discuss what problems the organization can face in the performance areas and what is your suggestion/solution to the problem. Task for D1:- You must identify some problems observed regarding organizational structure and culture (there is no organization which is flawlessly perfect). You will give your recommendations and justify your recommendations in light of the management knowledge you have gained in the class. Problems:- The basic objective of organizational structure is to establish a network of relationship among the different level of employees. When the structure becomes so tall and complex one then the problem arises that how those employees will keep a permanent network of relationship. This problem will also have certain impacts upon the decision making process of an organization. The organization structure also keeps coordination between different departments/units. Sometimes the responsibility of one unit mixes with another unit which affects the units in achieving their goals as in case of selling and marketing department. Through organizational Culture the employees shares the values, belief, norms and symbols during working. The problem arises when there is diversity of work force. Problem arises when culture is dynamic. Rituals, stories, symbols, ceremonies and also the rules of organization form the culture of organization. These all are subjective in nature and having different perceptions during different timing so sometimes the problem arises that it misguides an individuals. Recommendations:- The organization should focus on participative and pre active work of management through which the organization can easily analyze the problems. The participative approach will also be effective in keeping relationship among the employees and as well among the different unit of organization. When there will strong relationship then the decision making process will also be quick. The organization should focus on training and development in order to guide the employees regarding the culture of organization. Through training and development the employees will come to know about the norms, values, beliefs and symbols which should be adopted during the working. In order to minimize the problem related to workforce diversity the organization should guide their employees by having a dynamic culture. D2:- Discuss your recommendations which should use the synthesis of different approaches, this should also include the convergent and lateral thinking. Task for D2:- In this task you will come up with recommendations for the organization theory for the organization. We will encourage amalgamation of two or more approaches considering the environment in which the organization exists. In addition we will also appreciate your approach towards the solution you are recommending as it should a) solve the organizational problem, b) should also consider the internal and external environment requirement. Approaches followed by the Managers:- There are different approaches which are followed by the managers in order to solve the problem arises inside an organization. There are many factors which will determine the structure and culture of an organization. If the organization size is so large then it will be difficult for the organization to keep the structure tall. The management encourages the flat structure and decentralized decision making for those large organizations for the smooth operation of an organization. On the other side if the size is small then it will be better to use the tall structure and centralized decision making. Assessment Brief Unit and Assessment Details Course Title: HND Business Unit Name: Organization and Behavior Assessor: Ms. Neelam Marwat Internal Verifier: Mr. Sajid Fahim Assessment Titl

The Three Types Of Impulse Turbine Engineering Essay

The Three Types Of Impulse Turbine Engineering Essay A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid or air flow. The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft with blades where the moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they rotate and impart energy to the rotor. Examples of early turbines are windmills and water wheels. Turbines usually have a casing around the blades that contains and controls the working fluid. Working fluid contains kinetic energy (velocity head) and potential energy (pressure head) and these working fluids may be compressible or incompressible. A compressor or pump is a device similar to a turbine but operating in reverse. The turbines produce almost all electric power on Earth. Most jet engines rely on turbines to supply mechanical work from their working fluid and fuel as do all nuclear ships and power plants. Aircraft engines also use the turbine powered by their exhaust to drive an intake-air compressor, a configuration known as a turbocharger (turbine supercharger). Turbines could also be used as powering system for a remote controlled plane that creates thrust and lifts the plane of the ground. They are as small as soda can, yet still strong enough to move objects with a weight of 100kg. THE TURBINE PROCESS If high-velocity steam is blown on to a curved blade and the steam direction changes as it passes across the blade. The steam will impart a force to the blade as a result of its change in direction across the blade. Now if the blades were free, it would move off in the direction of the force. The principle of steam turbine is where a number of blades were fixed around the circumference of a disc and the disc is free to rotate on a shaft. Steam is then blown across the blades which cause the disc rotates. To increase the rigidity of the blades, the top of the blades are connected together. By means of the nozzles, the high pressure steam is made to give up some of its energy to produce a large increase in kinetic energy of the steam. The steam thus leaves the nozzles at a high velocity. It passes from the nozzles over the blades and thus the turbine disc rotates. The power is then generated at the shaft. The number of nozzles which are in use act as a load to the turbine and so the hi gher the load requires that more steam must be used to sustain the load. Therefore, more nozzles are put into the used. The turbine described is a simple turbine which is also known as de Laval turbine. This type of turbine usually rotates at a very high speed and this high speed will produce a centrifugal force. This turbine is usually small in size and, hence produces small power output. Due to the high speed of rotation, a direct drive between drive between the turbine disc and external equipment is not generally possible. For this reason, a reduction gear box is installed between and turbines of the turbine disc and external equipment. A problem in steam turbine development has been to reduce the speed of rotation and at the same time to make full use of the energy in the steam, thus larger size and higher power output is produce. There are two basic types of turbines which is the impulse turbine and the reaction turbine. THE IMPULSE TURBINES These turbines change the direction of flow of a high velocity fluid jet and the resulting impulse spins the turbine and leaves the fluid flow with diminished kinetic energy. The pressure in the fluid of the turbine rotor blades remains constant. Before reaching the turbine the fluids pressure head is changed to velocity head by accelerating the fluid with a nozzle. Impulse turbines do not require a pressure casement around the runner since the fluid jet is prepared by a nozzle prior to reaching turbine. The transfer of energy for impulse turbines uses the Newtons second law. There are three different types of impulse turbines which are the Velocity compounding turbine Pressure compounding turbine Pressure-velocity compounding turbine THE REACTION TURBINES These turbines develop torque by reacting to the fluids pressure or weight. The pressure of the fluid changes as it passes through the turbine rotor blades. The reaction turbines require a pressure casement to contain the working fluid as it acts on the turbine stage or the turbine must be fully immersed in the fluid flow (wind turbines). The casing contains and directs the working fluid and, for water turbines, maintains the suction imparted by the draft tube. Multiple turbine stages may be used to harness the expanding gas efficiently for compressible working fluids. The transfer of energy in the reaction turbine uses the Newtons third law. Purple Moving blades Blue Velocity Red Pressure Brown Fixed blades THE VELOCITY COMPOUNDING TURBINE IN IMPULSE TURBINES Steam is expanded in a single row or nozzles in this type of turbine. The high velocity steam leaving the nozzles passes on the first row of the moving blades where its velocity is only partially reduced. Then, the steam leaving the first row of moving blades passes into a row of fixed blades mounted in the turbine casing and this row of fixed blades serves to redirect the steam back to the direction of motion such that it is suitable for entry to the second row of moving blades. The steam velocity reduces partially in the second row of the moving blades. A slower turbine is resulted due to only part of the velocity of the steam is used up in each row of the blades. Blue Velocity Red Pressure Green Nozzle Purple Moving blades THE PRESSURE COMPOUNDING TURBINE IN IMPULSE TURBINES The steam enters a row of nozzles where its pressure is only partially reduced and its velocity is increased in this type of turbine. The high velocity steam passes to a row of moving blades where its velocity is reduced. The pressure is again partially reduced and its velocity is again increased when the steam passes into a second row of nozzles. The high velocity steam is then passed to a second row of moving blades where its velocity is again reduced. Next, the steam then passes into a third row of nozzles and so on. All pressure drops occur in the nozzles but the pressure remain constant in each turbine stage. The turbine run slower since steam velocities will not be so high due to only part of the pressure drop occurs in each stage. All stages, however, are coupled to the same shaft, with the result that there is no loss of output. Green Nozzle Purple Moving blades THE PRESSURE-VELOCITY COMPOUNDING TURBINE IN IMPULSE TURBINE A combination of the pressure compounding turbine and the velocity compounding turbine will give a pressure-velocity compounding turbine. In this type of turbine, the steam is partially expanded in a row of nozzles where its velocity is increased. The steam then enters a few rows of velocity compounding turbine and then to a second row of nozzles where its velocity increases. The steam then enters another few rows of velocity compounding turbine and so on. All the pressure at the nozzles decreases. Generally, the diameter from the inlet to the exhaust increases in all multistage turbines. This is because the specific volume increases as the pressure of steam falls. A greater area will be required to pass the steam for continuity of mass flow and this can be done by either increasing the diameter of the turbine discs or increasing the height of the blades. A greater area will be required to pass the steam in order to preserve the mass flow if there is depreciation in velocity. Blue Velocity Red Pressure Green Nozzle Brown Fixed blades Purple Moving blades DIFFERENCES OF THE TURBINES There are many differences that can be stated between the 3 types of impulse turbine. The 3 types of impulse turbine are the: Velocity compounding Pressure compounding Pressure-velocity compounding The differences between these turbines can be classified in terms of: Structure of the turbine The process of the turbine The pressure change in the turbine The velocity change in the turbine Structure of the turbine The structure of the velocity compounding turbine is it consists of a turbine then to a moving blade and a fixed blade. The structure then continues with a second row of moving and fixed blades. The structure of the pressure compounding turbine is it starts from a turbine and then to a moving blade then to a second row of turbine and moving blades and so on. Besides that, the structure of the pressure-velocity compounding turbine is the combine of both of the structure of the velocity compounding turbine and pressure compounding turbine. The process of the turbines High velocity steam from the nozzles passes thru the moving blades then to the fixed blade and the second row of moving and fixed blade in the velocity compounding turbine. In the pressure velocity turbine, the high velocity steam from the nozzles passes thru a moving blades and the low velocity of steam enters another turbine and then to a second row of moving blades and so on. Whereas in the pressure-velocity compounding turbine, the steam from the turbine enters a row of moving blades then a fixed blade and then another row of moving blades. The steam finally then enters another turbine and the process is repeated. The pressure change in the turbine The pressure in the velocity compounding turbine remains constant throughout. In the pressure compounding turbine, the pressure decreases partially when it passes the rows of turbine. Furthermore, the pressure in the pressure-velocity compounding decreases partially then it passes thru the row or turbine and remains constant until the second row of turbine where the pressure decreases partially again. The velocity in the turbine The steam velocity reduces partially in the rows of the moving blades in the velocity compounding turbine. A slower turbine is resulted due to only part of the velocity of the steam is used up in each row of the blades. Whereas in the pressure compounding, the velocity decreases partially when its pass thru the blades but increases back when passing the nozzles. Finally, in the pressure-velocity compounding turbine, the velocity decreases in the turbine and remains constant when passing the blades. The velocity is again decreased when passes thru a second row of turbine. CONCLUSION The steam turbine has greatly improved the energy conversation in our daily lives. There are still future developments oh the steam turbines in order to improve efficiency. Development are now developing turbine which requires a smaller input but produces a bigger output.