Search results for 'tag:Articles tag:Whom' matching tags 'Articles' and 'Whom'

Re: Two infinitives

CalifJim — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:56:17 GMT

Fandorin
I'm freaking out about articles.

It's not just you! A lot of learners have trouble with this aspect of English!

Here are a few principles you might keep in mind. (It is not a comprehensive list!)

As a first approximation or default strategy, use the with every concrete noun, because most of the time you know which person(s), which substance(s), which thing(s), or which place(s) you're referring to. Knowing which is what triggers the.

The sugar is on the table. The phone rang. The men poured the cement into the molds. The bus went from the post office to the bank. The boys walked on the sand. The children played on the lawn. The president signed the documents.

______

Don't use any article with unmodified abstract nouns, for example, faith, space, wisdom, happiness (in fact almost all the -ness words), etc. [Note that it makes no sense to say you know which wisdom or which happiness you're talking about, so the is not appropriate.]

Treat others with kindness. Love and hate are powerful emotions. Wisdom comes with time.

______

Don't use any article with proper nouns. John, Mr. Smith, etc. [This one is easy; you probably know it well already.]

______

For a single person or object, use a (or an) if you aren't saying which person or object you're talking about, but are just talking about any one of them, it doesn't matter which one. (You might not be saying which one because you don't know which one or because you don't want to tell which one or because it's not important which one.) Note that a/an can be paraphrased as a certain or any, it doesn't matter which.

I saw a man with a red raincoat today. (I saw a certain man, it doesn't matter which man, with a certain red raincoat, it doesn't matter which raincoat. This suggests that I've never seen this man before, nor this raincoat.)

Compare:

I saw the man with the red raincoat today. (I saw that man whom we already know about with that red raincoat which we already know about. This suggests that on previous occasions I've seen the same man wearing the same raincoat.)

______

For substances (uncountables), use no article at all to indicate it doesn't matter which. (These are singular nouns.)

Add sugar if you like it sweeter. (Not any particular sugar. Just any sugar you can find.)

Peter threw water on the fire. (Not any particular water. Just any water that Peter was able to find.)

Do you like chocolate? (Not this piece of chocolate or that piece of chocalate, but chocolate in general.)

I need money to pay the rent. (Not the money that you have; not the money that George has; not the money that Jane has; but any money at all, it doesn't matter which money it is.)

______

Plurals follow the same general pattern as substances. Don't use an article if you're not saying which persons or things you're talking about. You're talking about "anonymous" things.

We used bricks to make the path. (No indication of which bricks. It doesn't matter which bricks. It's not as if you've identified these bricks as a special group of bricks. They're "anonymous".)

Joseph reads books and magazines in his spare time. (No indication of which books or which magazines. It doesn't matter which. We don't identify these books and magazines as a special group. They're "anonymous".)

I bought tomatoes for the salad. (No indication of which tomatoes. It doesn't matter which. They are "anonymous" tomatoes.)

______

Post your sentences, and we'll take a look at them.

Sentence combining using dependent(relative) clause

Raen — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:14:09 GMT

Here is a practice:

Q: A minute passed in complete silence. Terri announced her wedding plans then.

I wrote: A minute passed in complete silence when Terri announced her wedding plans.

A: A minute when Terri announced her wedding plans passed in complete silence.

Grammar rules say: The adjective clause is used to modify a noun or a pronoun. It will begin with a relative pronoun (who, whose, whom, which, and that) or a subordinate conjunction (when and where). Those are the only words that can be used to introduce an adjective clause. The introductory word will always rename the word that it follows and modifies except when used with a preposition which will come between the introductory word and the word it renames.

It seems to me the official answer is a strict product of the rules and does not sound natural to me. If "when Terri announced her wedding plans" is to highlight/modify "minute" (as the grammar rule indicates), shouldn't the article "A" be a definite "The" specifying the time in a period of ONE MINUTE when the wedding plans were announced?

I just thought the length of time (a minute) was more of a figurative speech when the silence occured as a result of Terri's announcing her wedding plans not the precise minute that it took to announce her wedding plans. Any thoughts? Thanks a lot.

Raen

Re: Georgia - a peaceloving genocide

Ruslana — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:27:43 GMT

Whom would you have in mind as independent international experts, Dominik?

Here's another interesting article to consider. Mostly about western mass media misinterpretations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mary-dejevsky/mary-dejevsky-russia-the-bad-guys-who-are-the-west-trying-to-kid-897498.html

...but it is only the latest and most glaring in a series of Western misrepresentations and misreadings of Russian intentions throughout this sorry episode. They began with the repeated references to Russian "aggression" and "invasion", continued through charges of intended "regime change", and culminated in alarmist reports about Russian efforts to bomb the east-west energy pipeline. None of this, not one bit of it, is true.

Georgia sent troops into South Ossetia. The status of that region â which declared unilateral independence â is anomalous. It is inside Georgia's borders, but outside its control. But one reason why the dispute has not been solved is that the "fudge" over independence brought with it a degree of stability. Georgia's action upset that stability. But did anyone describe it as "aggression"?

Perhaps the most pernicious assumption over the past week, however, is that Russia wanted to effect "regime-change". Russian officials categorically denied this, insisting that they had no business overthrowing an elected leader. You might scoff, but Russia has done nothing that would contradict this. The Kremlin would probably be delighted if Georgians eventually punished their President for his misguided enterprise, but Russia seems to accept that Georgians decide what happens in Georgia.

Re: Is it compulsory to use articles, a, an, and the, with only countable nouns?

Ant_222 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:39:24 GMT

Jackson6612
Let me rephrase it again, even indefinite article the is used with countable nouns or the nouns which are acting as counting nouns.

What's "indefinite article the"?

Jackson6612
So it means if some non-countable noun is acting as a countable noun then it has to be an uncountable because there are two main types of nouns: countable and uncountable.

Sure. Isn't it a tautology? Dictionaries describe "happiness" as an uncountable noun, but in specific contexts (like GG's example) it may be used as a countable noun, which I have called playing a "countable" role, or, to be more correct, the role of a countable noun. So, what the dictionaries say doesn't always 100% correspond to reality.

Jackson6612
You said, pour the water onto the tea. Does that mean though water is an uncountable noun but in that particular example it is working as a countable noun?

Actually I used that example to show you a usage of an uncountable noun as an uncountable noun. "The" "defines" "water". It indicates that it is not any water, but that very water that has just been boiled. Water is still uncountable here, although it is "restricted" (specific).

Jackson6612
You said, it denotes a specific instance of that general category. I would have written: ...it denotes a specific type/kind/sort of that general category at some particular time. Would that also mean the same thing?

Well, I think it is a matter of one's Weltanschauung, and personally I prefer "instance" because, as distinct from "type", which, as any unit of classification, is abstract by nature, is real to the same extent as that which it has been derived from:

A is a type/sort of B â here A is not as real as B,

A is an instance of B â A is not less real (material) than B

Jackson6612
In a good detergent, a is standing along a countable noun but detergent in itself is not a countable noun. Then, what does make it a countable noun in that particular sentence?

At last, you have asked a specific question. By "detergent" the speaker didnt' mean the "matter" or "substance" itself, but, rather, a type or sort (or brand) of it. "Tide" is one detergent, and "Surf" is another. In this sense, they are countable.

Jackson6612
Can you, please, provide me some example sentences in which there is no need to use articles with certain countable/uncountable nouns with whom articles would be used in other sentences.

Countable: http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhyNoArticleHere/ggjmr/post.htm

As for uncountable, you have already seen them: "Water boils at 100 centigrades (at the "standard" atmospheric pressure)" â here "water" refers to the verty substance, and the sentence is true for all water in the world.

Re: Is it compulsory to use articles, a, an, and the, with only countable nouns?

Jackson6612 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:36:54 GMT

Ant_222
Jackson6612
Ant, you mean that even article the is used with countable nouns or the nouns which are acting as countable nouns.

Yes, but it can be used with uncountable nouns as well. Countable (along the lines of GG's example): "The happiness that he had now was something he had never experiences before".

Uncountable: "Boil a litre of water, put 25 g of tea into an earthenware pot, pour the water onto the tea".

Jackson6612
And would you please give a short explanation of the underlined part

When you specify the properties of something referred to by a noun that usually has an abstract, categorical or very general meaning, that automatically changes the meaning of it so that it denotes a specific instance of that general category. For example, in GG's sentence, instead of the general happiness you have a specific happiness, experienced by a specific person.

Hi Ant,

In one of the last posts you said: What I wanted to say is, whenever the indefinite article is used, the following noun is either countable or plays a "countable" role.

Question 1:
Emphasis is on the whenever. This is the same thing I said above. Let me rephrase it again, even indefinite article the is used with countable nouns or the nouns which are acting as counting nouns. So it means if some non-countable noun is acting as a countable noun then it has to be an uncountable because there are two main types of nouns: countable and uncountable. You said, pour the water onto the tea. Does that mean though water is an uncountable noun but in that particular example it is working as a countable noun?

Question 2:
You said, it denotes a specific instance of that general category. I would have written: ...it denotes a specific type/kind/sort of that general category at some particular time. Would that also mean the same thing?

Question 3:
Example: Wash it in hot water with a good detergent...
In a good detergent, a is standing along a countable noun but detergent in itself is not a countable noun. Then, what does make it a countable noun in that particular sentence?

Question 4:
Can you, please, provide me some example sentences in which there is no need to use articles with certain countable/uncountable nouns with whom articles would be used in other sentences.

Thank you for helping so patiently.

use of a dash

Anonymous — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:23:31 GMT

Hi,

I am not too sure about the punctuation for certain dash use cases.

Case involving a relative clause: aw He spend hours day and night writing newspaper articles -- and, of course, not going out with his friends as he ususally did on weekends -- but he couldn't finish it on time. Sad case, indeed.

Case involving a long content: Study is the priority here, and it is so in every school -- it's the priority in our personal life, that we be men and women of learning whom parents have called us to be.
Q: How long a content should the content after a dash be??

Case involving a subordinate clause: Although he may lack in discipline -- and many people think so too -- he continued to work on the task of writing the book.

Re: creams and detergents

Goodman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:19:09 GMT

Mr. Miclawer,

I wasnât going to expand this pluralization discussion on âcreamsâ and âwinesâ.
But it really bothered the heck out of me for two reasons.
1) I really wanted to find out if I was really blowing hot air on this subject
because of my misunderstanding of this topic, and 2) if there is another side of the usage
I am not aware of.
This is perhaps not relevant to the discussion but to establish my point, I think it needs
to be said. Mrs. Milton whom I learned English from was an excellent English teacher who
also had taught for 5 years at the Beijing University, which is a top University in China, by
invitation of the Government. Many of her students had landed positions working for the
Chinese Government and the U.N. as translators and interpreters. I was very blessed to be
among her students. Most of my English foundation was learned from her. And I was really
surprised to see your examples pluralizing âcreamâ and âwineâ. By your earlier examples, which I
compared with the information found on the WEB, I must ask this question. Am I to understand
that itâs completely grammatical to say in a restaurant âmay I have 2 waters and soups?â. I know
we hear that all the time but if we are discussing the whether a particular usage is grammatically
correct, running into this type of scenario is inevitable. Here are some âsupportsâ you had
asked for which may not may not be validated to your satisfaction. No doubt, you are the
English authority and perhaps possess âsuperiorityâ over many frequented this forum and I donât
mean to sound like challenging your examples, let alone to waste anymore of your time.
Nonetheless, as a serious learner, Iâd owe the real answers to myself and the learners if I just
accepted your answers as given. I may be wrong with my search result and you are correct.
And If so, here is my âadvanced apologyâ.

Nouns only countable nouns can be either singular or plural. ... He had some ice cream on
his face. He had an ice cream. mass. countable ...
www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/tta/wc/nouns.htm - 21k - Cached - Similar pages

http://ajaja.paradoxinc.org/Basic/Grammar/CountAndNoncount.ht

Liquids: beer, milk, coffee, blood, cream, juice, honey, gasoline, oil, shampoo, soup, tea, water, wine.

Solids and semi-solids: Bread, butter, cheese, ice, ice cream, lettuce, toast, meat, beef, chicken, fish, ham, lamb, pork, chalk, 
copper, cotton, glass, gold, iron, , soap, tin, toothpaste, wood, wool,

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/countnon.html

A Revision of the RulesThe exceptions require that the rule for pluralizing be revised: count nouns and nouns used 
in a count sense can be pluralized; noncount nouns and nouns used in a noncount sense cannot.

	Pluralizes with -s	Does not Pluralize
Count Noun	X
Count Use	X
Noncount Noun		X
Noncount Use		X

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080425090142AAom2ui

Answers (4)

If coffee is an uncountable noun, cream certainly is by common sense. Thus the rule applies.

Â· Answerer 1

Many nouns can be used as countables or uncountables. It depends on whether you are thinking of a substance or
a single serving or object made of the substance. So:

Beer is fattening (uncountable - the substance)
Don't drink more than three beers a day. (Countable - servings)

I love chocolate (uncountable - the substance)
Get me a box of chocolates (countable - individual pieces)

A vase made of blown glass (uncountable - the substance)
A glass of wine (A single piece / artifact)

Coffee gives me indigestion (the substance - uncountable)
I need at least three coffees to wake up on a morning (countable - individual servings)

2 months ago

http://www3.law.cuny.edu/wc/students/multilingual/articles.html

Uncountable nouns often refer to drinks and food, other general substances, or concepts (meat, tea, steel, information, justice):

Examples of Uncountable Nouns in English:

Food and Drink: bacon, beef, beer, bread, butter, cabbage, candy, cauliflower, chicken, chocolate, coffee, corn,
cream, fish, fruit, juice, lettuce, meat, milk, oil, pasta, rice, salt, spinach, sugar, tea, water, whiskey, wine, yogurt.
General Substances: air,cement, clay, coal, copper, dirt, dust, foam, gasoline, gold, ice, leather, paper, petroleum,
plastic, rain, rubber, silver, soap, steel, wood, wool.
Abstract nouns: abandonment, access, adultery, advice, alimony, anger, anguish, arson, authentication, beauty, capacity,
conduct, confidence, courage, deprivation, desperation, discretion, employment, empowerment, evidence, extortion, fortune,
fun, happiness, health, honesty, housing, information, insurance, intelligence, intent, knowledge, land, love, malice, negligence,
poverty, privacy, real estate, sadness, satisfaction, strength, truth, wealth.
Others: biology, clothing, darkness, equipment, furniture, gossip, homework, jewelry, luggage, machinery, mail, money, music,
news, poetry, pollution, research, scenery, traffic, transportation, violence, weather, weight, work.

Some uncountable nouns (except for concepts) can be turned into countable nouns by preposing a phrase to them
(two bottles of wine, a bar of soap, a piece of information, an act of violence, a burst of anger, a piece of evidence).

e.g. The defendant's lawyer is sure the judge will accept new evidence in this case.

vs. The defendant's lawyer is sure the judge will accept three new pieces of evidence in this case.

Some uncountable nouns can be used in the plural, but their meaning changes:

experience / experiences: e.g., He had to rely on experience / I lived unforgettable experiences

Please proof this and possible conclusion help

crazydeo — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:14:27 GMT

When it comes to the topic of abortion, it seems that much debate has taken place over the years to defend both sides. Many have debated on the issue whether morality or immorality comes into action when debating about taking an innocent human beings life. On the pro choice side there is the argument of a motherâs right to chose what happens to her body. On the pro life side, there is the argument of whether or not anyone should have the right stop a life. According to A Defense of Abortion written by Judith Thomson, âMost opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. â Given that, two very different topics will be discussed in this related matter. First, young teen parents have abortions everyday because they are not prepared to raise a baby. Second, is it okay for parents to abort their child if they are born with a life time disability? Below I will thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of both instances. Foremost, many would agree that a fetus is considered a human being. However, some do not accept the fact that until there is an obvious entity of development there is no baby. In my case, I truly believe that the moment the sperm enters the egg, it becomes conception; there is human life in the motherâs womb. Don Marquis agrees in his article Why Abortion is Immoral by saying, âLife is present from the moment of conception or that fetuses look like babies or that fetuses possess a characteristic such as a genetic code that is both necessary and sufficient for being humanâ (767). Who are we to determine whose life is worth keeping and whose is not?In my first argument, I find it utterly upsetting when a young mother aborts her child because she is not âready.â Whether she is thirty-five or just fifteen she considered herself adult enough to consent to sexual intercourse, thus she should be adult enough to handle the consequences. Statistics are dramatically rising in todayâs world in addition to young teen mothers. Everywhere you look another teen girl is pregnant. I recall my senior year in high school and how shocked I was to see how many of my fellow graduates walked across that stage pregnant. Not to mention my classmates who did not attend because they were home changing dirty diapers. The results are staggering. Looking at most recent statistics of teen girl pregnancies ranges into the hundred thousand. To give a rough estimate according to year 2000, Nationalcampaign.org calculated 821,810 pregnant girls in the United States. To be more specific, ages fifteen to seventeen ranged in 281,900 and eighteen to nineteen ranged in 539,910. More and more young girls are taking the âeasyâ way out and getting rid of their unborn babies. When they discover that they are with child, they realize that the burden of a baby is such a huge responsibility that they are not ready for the commitment physically or financially. To raise a baby is not a cheap task. Many different factors contribute to the upbringing of the infant and at many times is taken extremely lightly. While reading the article by Judith Thomson one paragraph really stood out to me. She was expressing how a fetus is not just a human being but a person who depends solely on the parent. She writes âOpponents of abortion have been so concerned to make out the independent of the fetus, in order to establish that it has a right to life just as its mother does, that they have tended to overlook the possible support they might gain from making out that the fetus is dependent on the other, in order to establish that she has a special kind of responsibility of it, a responsibility that gives its right against her which are not possessed by any independent person..â I never looked at it from that perspective. She is absolutely correct when she voices that a baby is not an individual but rather a needy being. Without assistance and nurture how will it survive?My obvious solution for teen girls who accidentally get pregnant is to really think and examine the different possibilities that may arise through the consequences of having sex. Not only should they consider it personally, but speak with their significant other and an adult in whom they trust. Before having intercourse they should look into contraceptives whether they are condoms or the pill. A more harsh punishment for young teens who are considering getting an abortion should be imprisonment. If they go through with abortion, they are taking an innocent childâs life who did not ask to be born. They are destroying someoneâs life just because they had one night of fun. Instead of being let off with a slap on the wrist they should be punished for their actions and taught the severity of the situation. My second contrasting position on abortion is the complete opposite compared to my first opposition. Is it wrong to take the life of an unborn child who is mentally ill? Don Marquis points out, âThe problem with narrow principles is that they often do not embrace enough. Hence, the needed principles such as âIt is prima facie seriously wrong to kill only personsâ or âIt is prima facie wrong to kill only rational agentsâ do not explain why it is wrong to kill infants or young children with severely retarded or even perhaps the severely mentally ill.â He brings up a great point. Thousands of children enter the world everyday with an illness that is incurable. Using todayâs latest technology, parents are able to see beforehand if their child is suffering from an illness or not. This is called the First Trimester Screen. The First Trimester Screen is a new optional non evasive evaluation that combines a maternal blood screening test with an ultrasound evaluation of the fetus to identify risks for specific chromosomal abnormalities including Down Syndrome Crisomi-21 and Crisomi-18. Another possible abnormality may be CVS. CVS or chorionic villus sampling is a diagnostic test for identifying chromosome abnormalities and other inherited disorders. This test maybe recommended by your health care provided as family medical history if your partner has medical history that reveals potential risksâ (americanpregnancy.org). Given the option to see in advance if their unborn infant has a disability, would it be acceptable for the parents to choose to abort their baby? This is a rather difficult choice to make when discussing in terms of acceptable or not acceptable. Looking at the situation from the parentsâ point of view, it is a helpful tool to have such knowledge ahead of time. However, what if the fetus is born with a defect are they going to abort the baby? Defect or not, the fetus is still their child. The parents would have to make a challenging decision and live with it for the rest of their lives.Being able to see the imperfections of your child ahead of time is a solution in itself. However, it still leads to the question of whether or not aborting your child is justifiable or not. With technology advancing everyday altering your fetus and their DNA ladder will soon become an option of the future and aborting for such reasons will become obsolete. Conclusion??

Paper on Dracula (why he is a monster), can you please help improve?

aerorock — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:00:01 GMT

The Monstrosity of Bram Stokerâs Dracula

Fictional writers often represent evil as an entity, or âindividualâ with inhuman abilities and sinister objective. This is what we refer to as a monster. They are often personified with repulsive attributes and give a story a strong sense of immorality and central conflict. A more than fitting paradigm of a story that truly epitomizes a monster is Bram Stokerâs suspenseful gothic novel, Dracula. The antagonist in this epistolary narrative, Count Dracula, is a vampire who resides in a vast Transylvanian fortress. He is intelligent and well mannered in his faÃ§ade yet holds a malevolent state of mind. From the beginning of the novel, it is stated that Count Draculaâs intended destination is London. Here he could inhabit his race more effectively. The story begins with a compilation of Jonathan Harkerâs journals. Jonathan Harker is a British solicitor who travels to Count Draculaâs castle in the Carpathian Mountains to aid him with the legal documents for his move to England. Credulous at first, Harker sees Dracula as a sophisticated elderly man who wants to relocate due to his isolation. His suspicions begin to mature as he notices some very unusual behavior by the count. Ultimately, the Count imprisons Harker in his castle with pitiless intentions in mind and then makes his way to England to begin his conquest where he commits most of his violent acts. By sucking the blood of his victims (whom are all female), they eventually become vampires themselves, thus adding to Count Dracula's line of vampirism. Analogous to common vampire legend, he is immortal unless pierced through the heart with a stake and then decapitated. Dracula also commits many other âmonstrousâ actions throughout the story. According to an article by Hanna Meretoja: ââ¦monstrosity refers to something inhuman, unnatural, abnormal, and freakish.â Contrary to the common assertion that Dracula is not a monster due to his human-like manifestation (or lack thereof), he possesses the majority of characteristics that Meretoja lists with his atypical powers. Meretoja further suggests; ââ¦those who do terrifying, evil deeds are designated as monsters.â Dracula is a well-defined instance of a monster in literature due to his inhuman abilities, malicious acts toward the human race, and most significantly, his intended conquest of England.

Chris Martinez, a student at Texas A&M University, states; âA monster doesn't have to be a beast that rises out of the water causing death and destruction to millions of people. It can be a man, or men, who let greed and corruption take hold of their lives.â Several of the hideous actions Count Dracula commits in this novel could have been achievable by a highly troubled individual. This does not make him any less of a monster. His complete disregard for human survival is a factor that grants him added horrific elements. The first section of the novel entails Jonathan Harkerâs imprisonment by the means of Count Dracula. If you look at a monster through Meretojaâs perspective, you can say that this is truly a monstrous act. By the fourth chapter, it becomes evident that the Count had no intentions of releasing Harker. In one of Harkerâs journal entries, he writes:
Last night the Count asked me in the sauvest tones to write three letters, one saying that my work here was nearly done, and that I should start for home within a few days, another that I was starting on the next morning from the time of the letter, and the third that I had left the castle and arrived at Bistritz â¦ He knows that I know too much, and that I must not live (Stoker 64). Dracula with murderous mindset. Another instance of monstrous behavior is when Dracula provides his three wives a child for âdinnerâ. Jonathan Harker writes in his journal:

âAre we to have nothing tonight?" said one of them, with a low laugh, as she pointed to
the bag which he had thrown upon the floor, and which moved as though there were
some living thing within it. For answer he nodded his head. One of the women jumped
forward and opened it. If my ears did not deceive me there was a gasp and a low wail, as
of a half smothered child. The women closed round, whilst I was aghast with horror. But
as I looked, they disappeared, and with them the dreadful bag (Stoker 63).

This was one of Draculaâs most repulsive acts as it is now evident that children are not spared. Claiming Dracula is not a monster after committing such a despicable act would be complicated since murdering a child is commonly seen as something only a monster is capable of.

Noel Caroll, author of The Philosophy of Film: Introductory Text and Readings, defines a monster as âany being not believed to exist now according to contemporary scienceâ (168) His definition describes Count Dracula accurately. Draculaâs inhuman strengths are added distinguishing characteristics of a monster based on Carollâs classification. One of the first noticeable instances in the book is when Jonathan Harker catches a glimpse of him out his window. âI saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over the dreadful abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him like great wingsâ (Stoker 58). It is highly improbable that any scientific occurrence similar to the latter could happen in the time period that this novel was written in. While itâs not evident that this particular action could be used for evil, it does give Dracula a monstrous ambiance in Carollâs respect. Dracula is also spellbinding in several different fashions. For instance, he is able to possess other humans and they must submit to his powers. All of Draculaâs outlandish mind control capabilities are used for acquiring further supremacy. An example of a character that is possessed by Dracula is R.M. Renfield. He is the âmadmanâ of the story who is isolated in a âlunatic asylumâ. Later in the novel, it is learned that Dracula in fact, possessed him after he gains consciousness. He pleads with Jonathan Harkerâs wife, Mina Murray to flee from the trance that Dracula also has over her. In this regard, Count Dracula is manipulative for power and malice. Another peculiar ability of Draculaâs is how he is able transform into various animals. Once again in reference to Carollâs definition, this isnât logical in that time period.

It becomes very evident of Dracula's cruel intentions as the reader submerges deeper into the novel. His sinister objective to conquest England becomes more than apparent in one particular quotation.
You think to baffle me, you with your pale faces all in a row, like sheep in a butcher's. You shall be sorry yet, each one of you! You think you have left me without a place to rest, but I have more.

My revenge is just begun! I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side. Your girls that you all love are mine already. And through them you and others shall yet be mine, my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed. Bah! (Stoker 304)

This makes Count Dracula monstrous in the relation to terrorism. âTerrorism becomes a monstrous evil because it threatens to expose self-subverting characteristics in the global systemâ (Derian 334-35). Itâs apparent that Dracula feels no hesitance in invading England. He clearly lacks any respect for human life and would go great lengths to take others against their will and turn them into vampires. This makes his monstrous in both Chris Martinezâ and Hanna Meretojaâs definition. After 9/11 Most Americans look at terrorists as monsters.

Dracula is a monster in many different aspects. Hanna Meretoja and Chris Martinezâs description of a monster describe it to be nothing more than an evil entity. According to them, attributes such as size and intelligence are completely irrelevant. On the contrary, Caroll explains a monster as something that cannot exist according to contemporary science. Dracula fits all of their definitions. With his utter disrespect for the human race, his disgusting behavior toward humanity, and his intended conquest of England, calling him anything less than a monster would be absurd. Stoker purposely gave him all of these monstrous characteristics to give the novel central conflict.

I'm not a great writer when it comes to content. I feel that this paper is pretty weak-- espeically towards the end. Any suggestions, critiques, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you for your time!

A study in Oratory - Part One

Jackson6612 — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:08:50 GMT

Churchill: A Study in Oratory

Seven Lessons in Speechmaking From One of the Greatest Orators of All Time
By Thomas Montalbo, DTM

Published in Finest Hour 69

He wasn't a natural orator (=someone who is good at making speeches and persuading people), not at all. His voice was raspy (=If someone has a raspy voice, they make rough sounds as if they have a sore throat or have difficulty in breathing). A stammer and a lisp often marred (=to make less effective, spoil) many of his speeches. Nor was his appearance attractive. A snub nose (=a snub nose is short and flat and points slightly upwards) and a jutting (=sticking out) lower lip made him look like a bulldog. Short and fat, he was also stoop-shouldered (=bent forwards and down).

Yet this manâSir Winston Churchillâbecame probably the greatest orator of our time and won the Nobel Prize for his writings and "brilliant oratory." How did he do it? And what lessons can all Toastmasters (=someone who introduces the speakers at a formal occasion such as a banquet) learn from him to help them make better speeches?

In school, Winston Churchill was a backward student. But he wasnât stupid. He later explained, "Where my reason, imagination or interest were not engaged, I would not or I could not learn." But the English language fascinated him. He was the best in his class.

Macaulay and Gibbon, two of Englandâs most famous historians, dazzled (=to make someone feel strong admiration) him with their styles of writing. The impact these authors made on his mind stayed with him for life, as his speeches show. Because their styles were markedly different and yet both charmed him, he believed this showed, as he put it, "What a fine language English is. . ."

His English teacher once said, "I do not believe that I have ever seen in a boy of 14 such a veneration (=respect) for the English language." Churchill called the English sentence "a noble thing" and said, "The only thing I would whip boys for is not knowing English. I would whip them hard for that." Lord Moran, his physician and intimate friend, wrote: "Without that feeling for words, he would have made little enough in life. -. ."

Lesson #1
for Toastmasters from Churchill:

Know, respect and love the English language.

An Avid (=doing something as much as possible) Listener The greatest influence in his early life was his father, the leader of the House of Commons. Young Winston often visited Parliament and heard all the speeches. Sitting, watching and listening, he absorbed the oratory as if by osmosis (=if you learn facts or understand ideas by osmosis, you gradually learn them by hearing them often). Devotedly, he read and reread his fatherâs speeches, many of which he knew by heart (=to remember all of something exactly). He also read and studied the speeches of Oliver Cromwell, William Pitt, William Gladstone and many others.

At age 21, Churchill came to the United States and met Bourke Cockran, a New York Congressman whom he described as "a remarkable man. . .with an enormous head, gleaming (=to shine softly) eyes and flexible countenance (=mental composure, expression, look)." But most of all, Churchill admired Cockran for the way he talked.

The Congressman had a thundering (=awesomely great, intense, or great) voice and often spoke in heroic and rolling (=if drums or thunder roll, they make a long low series of sounds) phrases. When Churchill asked his advice on how he could learn to spellbind (=extremely interesting and holding your attention completely) an audience of thousands, Cockran told him to speak as if he were an organ, use strong words and enunciate (to pronounce words clearly and carefully) clearly in wave-like rhythm (=a regular pattern of changes). They corresponded (=to write letters to someone and receive letters from them) for many years.

Adlai Stevenson, himself a notable speaker, often reminisced (=to talk or think about pleasant events in your past) about his last meeting with Churchill. "I asked him on whom or what he had based his oratorical style. Churchill replied, âIt was an American statesman who inspired me and taught me how to use every note (=a particular musical sound) of the human voice like an organ.â Winston then to my amazement started to quote long excerpts from Burke Cockranâs speeches of 60 years before. âHe was my model,â Churchill said. âI learned from him how to hold thousands in thrall (=controlled or strongly influenced by someone or something).â"

Lesson #2:

See and hear good speakers in action, and study the texts of their speeches.

Stimulated (=encouraged) by his fatherâs career, young Churchillâs ambition (=strong desire) was to go into politics, but he worried about his speech impediment (=a physical problem that makes speaking, hearing, or moving difficult). So he consulted a throat specialist. The doctor found no organic defect and told young Churchill only practice and perseverance (=persistence, steadfastness) would help him.

Diligently (=someone who is diligent works hard and is careful and thorough) and faithfully (=in a loyal way, in a regular way), he practiced and persevered. He believed people should never submit to (=to agree to obey, accept - give in) failure. Years later he said in a speech, "Never give in! Never give in! Never give in except to convictions (=a very strong belief or opinion) of honour and good sense."

Question: What does the bold text mean?

He rehearsed (=practised) aloud to make sure he wouldnât muff (=say wrongly) words or stumble (=to stop or make a mistake when you are reading to people or speaking) over them, particularly words starting with "s." While walking on the street he repeated such sentences as, "The Spanish ships I cannot see since they are not in sight." Eagerly (=enthusiastically) he sought (=tried to find) opportunities to speak. All this helped him to lose the inhibition (=restriction, prevention) that had caused his stammering, though he never totally lost his lisp.An Attention-Getter

But even this turned into an advantage. Randolph Churchill once theorized that his father may have exploited (=to use something fully and effectively) the residual (=remaining) impediment to advantage to achieve an individual style (=distinctive style) of oratory. When Winston was 23 he wrote an unpublished article on oratory, "The Scaffolding (=raised platform to do a certain job) of Rhetoric." Describing the physical attributes of the orators, he wrote, "Sometimes a slight and not unpleasing stammer or impediment has been of some assistance in securing (=getting) the attention of the audience. . ."

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Nouns only countable nouns can be either singular or plural. ... He had some ice cream on
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