Search results for 'tag:Expressions tag:Numbers' matching tags 'Expressions' and 'Numbers'

Re: Expressions for surveys

Mister Micawber — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:15:23 GMT

.
(A) The age distribution of the respondents is not taken into consideration.

(B) The age distribution of the respondents is not taken into account.

Do (A) and (B) mean the same thing? -- Yes. I prefer B, as it is more objective.

--

(C) The male/female ratio needs to be equal split.

(D) The male/female ratio needs to be equal.

Do (C) and (D) mean the same thing? -- Yes, but C is ungrammatical, the logic of both is questionable, and both seem to casual for a survey. The numbers of male and female respondents should be equal.

--

(E) The male/female ratio should be 2/3.

In this case, if the number of respondents is 100, the male are 40 while the female are 60. Is this correct?-- Yes

Expressions for surveys

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:15:15 GMT

Hi, I'd like to ask you about expressions for surveys.

Please check if anything is wrong with the following sentences.

--

(A) The age distribution of the respondents is not taken into consideration.

(B) The age distribution of the respondents is not taken into account.

Do (A) and (B) mean the same thing?

--

(C) The male/female ratio needs to be equal split.

(D) The male/female ratio needs to be equal.

Do (C) and (D) mean the same thing?

--

(E) The male/female ratio needs to be 4/6.

In this case, if the number of respondents is 100, the male are 40 while the female are 60. Is this correct?

Re: comma usage and another

Avangi — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:13 GMT

2. I'd say "first light" is definitely not countable. That is, we don't have a "second light." I take "first light" as a fixed expression, or compound noun, or something like that.

I don't think "first" is used as a number here, but as a synonym for "beginning." (the beginning light of dawn) It's an interesting question, and probably may be argued.

If I say, "worked from the moment when dawn's light first shown," the problem goes away. I think that's what it really means here. "Moment" is countable. But still, when we say, "from the first moment," we don't expect to hear about the second moment.

Call the exterminator at the first sign of termites. "Signs" are clearly countable, but we don't usually talk about the "second sign" in a case like this. That is, "the first sign" is sort of a fixed expression.

1. The rules of commas are not strictly enforced. I use them only when they're mandated by a clear rule, or I truly feel they help make the sentence clear. I tend to use more commas than most people because I think clarity is more important than smooth flow.

I feel the same way about "that." In your two examples, I find the comma less offensive than the "that," and I think we might be okay without either.

- A.

Re: Split classes

Avangi — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:29:50 GMT

olga55
Split classes are caused by the required limited number of students in primary years. (In other words there is a shortage of teachers and premises and that results in split classes which is a big problem for educators.)

Hi. It sounds to me as if you've put the cart before the horse. The second statement (in parentheses) is not in agreement with the first statement captioned here.

Perhaps we misunderstand each other on the meaning of the phrase, "and that results in."

Suppose that this year is the same as last year in all respects other than the addition of the new cap. There are the same numbers of students, of teachers, and of available premises.

We all agree that the new cap requires that classes which would have been okay last year will now have to be split in two, creating a greater number of classes and a need for additional teachers and classrooms. That is, the cap has caused the splitting. The splitting has caused the shortages.

But you are saying there is a shortage of teachers and premises, and that results in split classes. That is, you're saying that the shortages have caused the splitting. I'm sure you don't mean that. I think you mean to say that the shortages have been caused by the splitting.

The expression "and that results in A" means "and that causes A." Is that the source of my confusion? Does it mean something else to you?

Best wishes, - A.

Plz check my essay ... :)

pippo486 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:25:14 GMT

hi, it's my essay for uni ... but im really bad at grammars and writing... so could you please check and correct or point out the problems or mistakes for me..
by the way it's about semiotic analysis... thanks !

Advertising is a form of communication that typically aims to persuade potential customers to purchase more of a particular brand of products. However, public service advertising use commercial advertising techniques but for non-commercial purpose. The visual text that will be analysed in this essay is a public campaign advertisement, WWF (World Wildlife Fund)âs Paint Cans I, (2007) (Fig1). Semiotic analysis employing concepts of the nature, pollution and warning which connotes about environmental preservation. Moreover, it will compare some other public campaign advertising images which signify common themes but those that have different subject matter.

WWF used essential materials and techniques that employing cause and effect of the environmental pollution. There are four main signifiers in the image of Paint Cans I (Fig1) that distributing message of preservation to the reader. First signifier is the huge paint cans which spilling the paints from the starting point of the river and second is the river that the actual paint spilled from the bucket of the paint cans. Also, the mountain is another signifier which is the main background of the image and lastly the WWF logo with few written texts at the bottom right-hand corner. The huge paint cans in the image signified as a liquid or colouring tool which people use for painting but also it is a signified connotation for chemical substances which is the pollutant of the pollution. Moreover, it has been exaggerated the size of the paint cans image as much as the mountain. To do this, it emphasis and metaphorically represents such a small bucket of paint cans can be a massive pollutant. The signifier river is commonly denoted as water that flows from the mountain which should be clean and pure. However, in this image it connotes as polluted water by paints because of those toxic chemicals. Also the colour green that used in this image is the denotation of leaves or nature is. However, WWF used dull green colour to represent polluted water, river or nature that by the pollutant which is the paint cans. WWF also used mountain as signified connotation of land, nature and environment where human lives and where should be preserved by human. Furthermore, WWF logo metonyms of international organization which intend to conserve nature. Therefore, the logo indicates the environmental pollution is a dangerous and important worldwide and public issue that should be warned to all people. Additionally, they used some texts within the logo, âA single tin of paint can pollute millions of litres of waterâ. By using this, it conveys strong and clear message to the viewer. The metaphors and metonym that represented in this advertisement connotes nature, environmental pollution and preservation.

There are number of public campaign advertisement that informs or warns publics, not just for preservation, anti-drinking and driving, anti-smoking and anti-prostitution. WWFâs Forest Faces (Fig2) is another series of campaign for preservation which have generic similarities with WWFâs Paint Cans (Fig1). Firstly, both images have similar topic which is public campaign toward publics for preservation nature. Also, they used similar technique such as, using nature like water and trees as signified connotation of polluted nature or environment. Moreover, they both metaphorically deliver message that the nature is the environment that should be preserved by people. Written text that used in both images clearly inform publics to understand what they are aiming to. The difference in the Forest Faces is that using the leaves as a facial expression which connotes pollution not just harm the nature, it also affects people as well. Therefore, it concisely conveys their purpose to the viewer. Also, another public campaign ad, the Anti drinking & driving (2008) (Fig3) used similar techniques in the advertisement. For example, signifiers like gun, cars, bottles, straw, cap opener and keys connote the direct factor of cause elements. Such signifier like a gun connotes a danger or death and also the texts in the ad also signify the warning of drinking drive is dangerous. Through several examples of public campaign images, it shows that even they are having different subject matters in their advertisements; they have similarities of dealing with public interests or problems that might harm or danger people. Consequently, the campaign advertisements help solving the public problems effectively and easily by just seeing the images.

The campaign advertisement Paint Cans by WWF aimed to warn and inform the public that a small amount of paint or chemical substances that dumped or flowed into water or nature can pollute a whole nature, environment and human beings. They conveyed the ideas by using the factor, paint cans, the result, river and mountain, of pollution as a signifier that connote preservation nature simply but concisely in the advertisement.

Re: huge blow, meltdown

Avangi — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:57:20 GMT

Subprime loans are those made to borrowers with bad credit. They're risky when the borrower has very little chance of paying the money back. (The lender risks losing his money.) The huge blow came when a huge number of these loans suddenly went into default, and the company lost a fortune.

I believe the expression "meltdown" is borrowed from "nuclear accidents" where things get out of control and the whole bloody thing melts. Citigroup's mortgage business melted, figuratively speaking.

Prince Charles was fired from his position as CEO. They pointed the way to the door, and invited him to leave.

- A.

please take a look:)

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:26:06 GMT

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During their work teachers may take advantage of a large variety of educational means, one of them, which is considered as rather progressive despite its long history of usage, is a method of incorporating theatre and other drama techniques into ordinary lessons. There is a very wide scope of combinations that merge flourishing pedagogical effects with the theatrical techniques, among which we differentiate: shadow play, physical theatre, puppetry, and musicals. Needless to mention what is the most common theatrical technique, namely, a cooperation of a teacher and students in order to put a play on show. After some time of rehearsals a play is exposed to a wider audience, as it takes place in a real theatre. A different method exploited on the educational field refers to drama frame combined with lessons while teaching any subject, which is known as educational drama[1].Its idea is based on different roles given to students whose task is to behave as they think the characters would. It is done in order to understand motives and acquire knowledge of human nature. For the most part, educational drama frequently deals with challenging and difficult issues, in particular such as misbehaviour or borderline situations. On the whole, educational drama is more spontaneous, unpredictable, and involves experiencing a large number of various feelings. Participation in that kind of a activity allows student to consider viewpoints that are implied in specific roles. Making a choice between drama techniques rests in teacherâs hands. Before that, however, several aspects have to be taken into consideration. The purpose of this long paper is to examine the benefits as well shortcomings stemmed from adapting drama for school purposes. At the same time, a paramount issue is to demonstrate that drama has a lot to contribute to the process of socialization, naturally, if exploited effectively. During this process people, and most notably children, are made to behave in a way acceptable in their culture or society[2]. To be more precise socialization is learning the customs, attitudes, and values of a social group, community, or culture and it is fundamental for the development of individuals who can participate and function within their societies as well as for ensuring that a society's cultural features will be carried on through new generations [3].

Students are the addressees of all teachersâ activeness; therefore, what they will gain from some activities is the heart of the matter. As far as drama in class is concerned the advantages for learners are numerous. While taking part in a school drama, often unconsciously, students exercise considerable skills, as an example, communication competence, since a play is based mainly on social intercourse. In real world children have no chance to rehearse utterance and choose the most appropriate version. During the time of rehearsals, students examine different forms of articulation, which are representation of some feelings and ideas. It is the consideration of characterâs interactions that allows students to realize how certain patterns help people communicate successfully or exacerbate their relationships[4]. What is more, children learn how to use gestures and facial expressions in order to enhance the expressiveness of the utterance. While being on the stage, young actors use gesticulation, body language, eye contact, so quite obviously, they familiarize themselves with exploring nonverbal communication.

Another remarkable skill, mastered by students, is cooperative work within a group especially in terms of relying on others. The success of a play depends mainly on student involvement, which means that each student has to realise the meaningfulness of his participation. It is a foregone conclusion that a class or group becomes a team, whose mission will not be completed if one member fails. Of course, the responsibility is shared according to the shown potential so that oneâs talents are developed and exploited accurately. Shouldering the responsibility, students discover that they are reasonably capable of succeeding in given task. Furthermore, participating in drama activities boosts confidence in children; for example, those unobtrusive may reveal their innate gifts.

Teacher should have no hesitation in engaging each child in the process of setting up a school drama, then some particular pedagogical goals are more achievable. Even if students refuse to take part in a play as actors there is still a lot of required preparation in other areas. For a dazzling show the variety of abilities need to be involved: not only aptitude for acting but also manual skills such as painting and designing, as there is an absolute necessity of arranging a visual background for a play. In fact, the fruition of a play does not rest only in the hands of young actors; the musically talented students can show off by creating a soundtrack, those linguistically gifted can help with modifying and applying a script, so that it is more suitable for childrenâs needs, young painters can let others see their ingenuity by preparing some creative stage props. Through effective teamwork, children grasp a concept how cooperation within a society is built. Group work is regarded as integral component of a day-to-day life, present at school, labour, and leisure activities. It is easy to assert that drama maximise a chance of testing themselves as a part of a cohesive group, taking advantage of secure and artificial setting. For that reason, preparing a play helps (powtrz)students in finding a suitable place, a kind of right niche in a group so that the abilities of one are exploited thoroughly.

The additional advantage refers to the preparation for further activeness that students may take up in the future. Almost certainly, some learners find theatre very absorbing, while the others adjust to the stage and public performances. Thus, they may discover some new talents that are secretly buried inside their immature personalities. Being encouraged by the theatrical attempts, some children will embark on social-oriented activities like working as a volunteer or a student council[5]. Surprising as it is, that is an outcome of acquiring the idea of influence that someone can have on a group; and in fact, can in some way shape the society. What should draw our attention while describing the benefits derived from drama is the presence of stress that appears during a display. A student has to deal with the stage fright, which is an inseparable companion of every show and may be a source of some serious disorders. Especially, stress affects people physically and limits the ability of expressing and thinking clearly. Indeed, students who find a method of controlling the stress level during the school performances are likely to broaden their experience in area of self-control. Throughout the time of difficult exams, prepared and resistant, students will appreciate the stress to which they were subjected during theatrical performances. That has immense value in terms of oral exams where success depends on managing with a lot of intensive exertion. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that drama builds and improves studentsâ assertiveness and increases general stress resistance.

Yet, a following argument in favour of applying drama in class is a general idea of experiencing feelings. When dealing with a role in a play, a student encounters a quantity of characters and behaviour patterns. Substantially, it is for the first time when children have an opportunity for impersonation of a dramatic situation what normally would not take place. That can significantly develop studentsâ ability of anticipating the consequences of particular actions, along with the skills of empathy for feelings that someone undergoes in a difficult position. Young actors, while working on their performance, are expected to ponder all justifications for a characterâs actions. In all likelihood, the profound consideration will lead to the occurrence of positive emotions, such as the sympathy, empathy, compassion, and perhaps for some students the importance of solidarity will be revealed.

Comparing their own experience with the feelings harboured in the texts, students can explore unique possibility for discovering unknown emotions complemented by the growing perception of others and even of themselves.( ??) Last but not least, provided that students are involved emotionally, their performance will be enriched and memorable. Moreover, a closer look shows that children may train the ability of critical thinking, which is essential when it comes to acceptation or tolerance of some difficult issues.

The next advantage refers to the knowledge, which is introduced in the dynamic setting, acquired while working on a play. What may be boring for students during a traditional lecture is the typical shape of teacher-centred activities with little place for the studentâs creativeness. Provided that a teacher is rather resourceful he or she is able to implement drama techniques in any kind of course so that the process of learning can be radically altered. It must to be stressed that is not the easiest task to replace a conventional lecture with an innovatory form; however, the effect is very encouraging. When students realise that a lesson can be attractive, instead of being put off they remain eager to learn. The encouragement for taking part in drama is also connected with the immediate response from the audience whose applause is the biggest reward for any actor. That kind of a prize is received not only after a public performance but also can take shape of continuous admiration and appreciation expressed by the classmates or a teacher who take part in a play.

In point of fact, participating actively in a drama event develops studentsâ ability of assessing the quality of art. In the era of mass media any contact with a traditional display of arts demonstrates, beyond doubt, that apart from the Internet or television there are alternative forms of entertainment conveying valuable messages. Furthermore, a student who examines the charactersâ motives and interprets the events presented in a drama does quite similar analysis as during a classic lessons. Consequently, drama carries out a function of delivering the cultural heritage to the students. Some authors of teacherâs books on school drama maintain that what overrides all benefits is the enhancing of literary taste.

It would appear that a school theatre enables children to understand the role of art in human life, as it aims to mirror the reality. The topic area of drama rarely is focused on fantastic matters; on the contrary, it is based on what people can experience during their entire life. It seems to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration, notably, due to the fact that the human life is loaded with the dramatic feelings.

Additionally, there is a profit boosted by a school theatre especially vital for young learners, whose level of socialization still remains at the lower stage and they simply have not fully understood all standards of behaviour. By repetition, children learn what is acceptable and prohibited; then certain personal manners are unconsciously acquired during this enjoyable activity. In brief, theatre may be perceived as a school of good manners, its aspiration is to raise the awareness of culture. No one would dispute that drama workshops are efficient method that supports overcoming bad habits and customs.

Students not only enjoy theatre but also they are to some extend aware of the profits. Teresa Samulczyk-Pawluk[7] has designed a questionnaire, in which she examined childrenâs feelings about an after school drama classes. Those are the results:

âStudents asked about the reasons for joining the theatrical activities answered that they were encouraged by the teacher (sometimes parents) or they are interested in drama, they are willing to work within a group and they like to play with their friends. In their opinion a theatre is a place were they experience many fascinating feelings, meet absorbing people and exciting places. Among the other reasons were: âI have talentâ, âI like imitating othersâ, âperforming is absorbingâ. (â¦)Those children believe that a theatre has irreplaceable value as an alternative for television, computer, helps in finding others with similar interests, and teaches a lot of things.â According to her research the most noticeable profits pointed out by children are: a great fun, cementing friendships, learning how to exist and cooperate within a group, raising self-confidence, experiencing othersâ dilemmas, widening the general knowledge and artistic interests. As these findings revealed the school drama is very absorbing for children, whose awareness the number of potential benefits is, in fact, very promising.

[1] PaÅkowska, Krystyna. Pedagogika Dramy: Teoria i Praktyka. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Akademickie Å»ak,2000.

[2] "English Dictionary for Advanced Learners." Collins Cobuild. 2001.

[3]â The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacyâ, Third Edition. Retrieved May 24, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialization

[4] Almond, Mark. "Let's Get Theatrical with Our Students!" The Teacher Oct. 2006: 36-39.

[5] Wierzbicka, Urszula. Szkolny teatr maÅych form w moim doÅwiadczeniu pedagogicznym. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne, 1979.

Firlit, S. âWychowanie i dydaktyczne wartoÅci teatru szkolnego.â Å»ycie szkoÅy .2.1978

[7] Samulczyk-Pawluk, Teresa. Edukacja teatralna w szkole podstawowej. KrakÃ³w: Oficyna Wydawnicza Impuls: 2005.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!czemu ten przypis jest tu?????????

Re: Let me pass!

Clive — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:07:16 GMT

Hi,
Of course I have, I'm a British native. Would I sound too much like a foreigner if I were to say "May I get past, please?" or simply "May I?" along with a gesture. Don't you think the language would be boring if every expression and response were to a "standard".

There are certainly a number of things you can say. I merely pointed out what I have found to be the most standard and, in most cases, the most polite. I wasn't suggesting that one had to always use the standard form of expression. As to the new matter of what constitutes boring language, that seems to me to be quite subjective, and perhaps a good topic for another thread.

Anyway, I've done my best to answer your original query. Perhaps others may now offer you further comments that may be more helpful to you.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: What does "smacked bottom" mean?

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:17:26 GMT

HoHoHo

I saw the Shrek, but I couldn't understand "You're going the right way for a smacked bottom"

What does that mean?

Thanks in advance.

Well, it's taken years and years to get a reply to this simple question, hasn't it? But it will be worth it, I hope. Itâs basically a British expression and it means âIf you keep behaving badly like you are now, then I will punish you by smacking your bottom. Smacking someoneâs bottom as a punishment has gone into quite some decline in recent years, which has, I think, led to an enormous increase in juvenile delinquency. One takes the young culprit, puts him or her over your knee, and then smacks their prefererably bare bottom with the open palm. The bottom goes quite red, and there is usually a bit of screaming and tears. But it gets the job done, and itâs happened to me in my childhood quite a number of times, so I know. Iâve never laughed about it, or lined up for another dose, like kids seem to do with other punishments. No, they might laugh about detention, or even jail, but I bet you wonât see one of those gangsta hip hop thugs bragging about how someone took the time and trouble to tan his bottom for his misdeeds.

Re: The next / Next

Mr Wordy — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:29:02 GMT

I think the difference in meaning that they're highlighting relates to the words "immediately following", which means "immediately following in time, starting now". Here are a few points relating to this usage that immediately come to mind. I don't claim that this is in any way complete.

In "next + noun" combinations, "the" is normally omitted only in the "immediately following in time" sense, and only with named days and months, seasons, and a few specific words such as "week", "month", "quarter", "year", "time", etc.:

Next Monday is my birthday.
I'll be 40 next July.
Next summer we're going on holiday to Japan.
It's going to be hot next month.
Next year will be tough.
Next time I see you, I'll be married.

You cannot use "the" in this sense with named days and months. For example, "The next Thursday is 12 April" is wrong. However, you may be able to do so with words such as "week", "month", "year", "time", etc.:

The next year will be tough.
The next time I see you, I'll be married.

But it depends. You would not, for example, usually say "It's going to be tough the next year."

When referring to events in the past you can use "the", even with named days and months. Randomly Googled examples:

The following winter the galleys lay on the Loire, but the next summer they cruised on the east coast of Scotland...
The next Monday we went to the soap market together...

For expressions consisting of a number and a time period, you have to use "the". For example,

The next six months will be the hardest.
Our biggest challenge is the next three years.

"The" may also be omitted in certain special idioms (such as "next thing you know"). However, with most other "next + noun" combinations, you usually have to use "the" (or any of various words that can take the place of the article), though there are almost certainly other exceptions that I haven't mentioned.

The next train leaves in an hour.
He's the next Marlon Brando.
Where's our next meal coming from?