Search results for 'tag:Paragraphs tag:Hyphens' matching tags 'Paragraphs' and 'Hyphens'

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Jackson6612 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:05:10 GMT

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Question: I would have written ''Clinton's turmoil''. Why didn't the author use apostrophe?

BY CRAIG GORDON AND TOM BRUNE | <email addresses removed by mod.>
August 13, 2008

Question: Why is semicolon used instead of comma to separate the email addresses above?

WASHINGTON - In a fresh postmortem (=an examination of a plan or event that failed, done to discover why it failed, =autopsy) on Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid (=attempt to obtain or do something), newly published staff memos (=a short official note to another person in the same company or organization) and e-mails reveal a campaign hobbled (=to hobble something or someone means to make it more difficult for them to be successful or to achieve what they want) by internal rivalries (=a situation in which two or more people, teams, or companies are competing for something), faulty planning, bloated (=more than needed, =excessive) spending - and perhaps most important, Clinton's own failure to make the hard decisions.

Clinton offered herself to voters as a hyper-competent (=extra competent) executive ready to be president from day one. But atop (=on top of something) her own campaign, she was a hesitant leader, who allowed bitter infighting (=when members of the same group or organization argue, or compete with each other in an unfriendly way) to fester (=If an argument or bad feeling festers, it continues so that feelings of hate or dissatisfaction increase) among staffers over whether to go negative against Barack Obama, according to the Atlantic magazine.

The most bare-knuckled (=characterized by disorderly action and disregard for rules) lines of attack came from Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, who urged Clinton to highlight Obama's "lack of American roots" due to his upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii - saying he could only win if he faced Attila the Hun ((?406-453 AD) a king of the Huns (=an ancient people from Asia) who attacked and took control of large parts of the Roman Empire. He is famous for being violent and cruel).

But Clinton didn't embrace Penn's flag-waving (=the expression of strong national feelings, especially when these feelings seem too extreme) approach (=way of doing something), which campaign aides (=someone whose job is to help someone who has an important job, especially a politician) insist was never seriously considered.

Question: Clinton didn't embrace Penn's approach because she did not consider it seriously. Therefore, what campaign aides were saying is redundant.

The article also says that Clinton at times grew frustrated and short-tempered - including on the morning after her stunning third-place finish in Iowa in January, when aides on a call were silent. Clinton's camp dismissed the story as "inside-the-Beltway gossip" and "old news." And former campaign aides sharply disputed the notion of Clinton as an indecisive leader, with one campaign veteran saying, "Nobody seems to want to remember the fact that we had so many successes and come-from-behind victories in this campaign ... and they are due in large part to Senator Clinton's leadership."

Question: What does the line including on the morning...when aides on a call were silent mean? If she finished third place, then why would the author describe it as stunning? What does call mean in when aides on a call were silent?

Question: What does the phrase inside-the-Beltway gossip mean?

Question: What does the line Nobody seems to want to remember...to Senator Clinton's leadership'' mean?

But the e-mails and memos offer vivid (=very clear and detailed) new details about what had long been reported - that Clinton's headquarters was beset (=to make someone experience serious problems or dangers) by caustic (=bitter) internal battles involving Penn and former President Bill Clinton, who wanted to forcefully attack Obama, and others who wanted the New York senator to take a more positive tack (=method, =way of doing something). At one point, it was Bill Clinton - and not Hillary - who approved the famed 3 a.m. phone call ad.

Question: what had long been reported is passive past perfect tense. Am I right?

Question: I think headquarters should take plural verb. What do you say?

Question: Why are the hyphens used in -and not Hillary-? I believe commas would do instead?

Adding to the turmoil was the fact that the campaign had little strategy and no money left to seriously compete in the post-Super Tuesday contests - having (=the form having with a past participle can be used to introduce a clause in which you mention an action which had already happened before another action began) burned through $106 million before Iowa. That allowed Obama to win 12 straight contests and effectively wrap up (=to finish a job, meeting etc) the nomination.

Question: What does burned through mean?

In the end, the campaign's strategy came to reflect some of the internal turmoil, as Clinton veered (=changed course) from attacking Obama to emphasizing her personal side.

Question: What does her personal side mean?

Penn did offer some advice in March 2007 that proved on the mark - Clinton's path to victory lay with women and lower- and working-class voters.

Question: What does proved on the mark mean? I couldn't find it in the dictionary.

But by the time Clinton finally settled on that strategy to win the later primaries, it was too late.

Excerpts from the memos

"All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light ... It also exposes a very strong weakness for him - his roots to basic American values and culture are at best (=even when considered in the most positive way) limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values." Strategist Mark Penn, from a March 19, 2007, memo to Hillary Rodham Clinton advising her to attack Barack Obama for his "lack of American roots."

Question: What does centre mean in the above context?

"The right knows Obama is unelectable except perhaps against Attila the Hun, and a third party would come in then anyway." Penn, from the same memo.

Question: Does right refer to right wing in the above context?

"This has been a very instructive call, talking to myself." Clinton, before angrily hanging up on a staff conference call the day after coming in third in Iowa in January. "She complained of being outmaneuvered (=to gain an advantage over someone by using cleverer or more skilful plans or methods) in Iowa and being painted as the establishment candidate," according to the Atlantic - but was met with near-silence.

Question: I would have written This has been..., talking to me. Why did she use myself?

Question: What is a conference call? Is it some kind of telephone call which address many poeple?

Question: Why is in used in coming in third?

"STOP IT!! I have help my tongue for weeks. After this morning's WP story, no longer. This makes me sick. This circular firing squad that is occurring is unattractive, unprofessional, unconscionable, and unacceptable ... It must stop." Robert Barnett, a Clinton lawyer and Washington insider, from a March 6, 2008, e-mail to campaign staff after a Washington Post story detailed the infighting.

Question: What does I have help my tongue for weeks mean?

Question: What does This circular firing squad mean?

Question: Were the comments in the last paragraph made by Robert Barnett?

Re: correction

Delmobile — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:28:43 GMT

"Businesses like banks and bakeries are closed."

To be absolutely clear, I would say: "Some farmers refuse to evacuate because the harvest season is approaching." "As" can be used to mean "because," and your use here is correct; but I would prefer "because."

"quake hit cities" is a little awkward. I would say "cities affected by the quake."

"...will take years, if not decades, and will require..."

"Under the national's one-child policy, parents who have lost children in the disaster will be allowed to have another child." "Kid" in this kind of writing is inappropriate.

"who had lost his five-year-old daughter..." Two hyphens. And I was taught to spell out any number smaller than 100, but that's just a style question.

I'd order your last paragraph like this:

In some areas, only the school buildings collapsed, while other buildings were hardly damaged. This has led some residents of these areas to believe that the government cut corners to save money when the schools were constructed, and these parents now blame the government for the deaths of their children. When officials came to clean up the rubble, residents protested and chased them away in an effort to preserve evidence they believe the government was trying to cover up.

Re: Could you help me to proof it? Thanks

julielai — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:48:35 GMT

Overall, not bad. But the second paragraph needs tweaking.

I don't think you can improve your English by having someone proof your work. That's why I usually highlight the things you can fix yourself.

Hope this helps.

By the way, are you a CityU English student? A friend of mine wrote an article on the same topic a few weeks ago.

Cheese1987 wrote:

                       I also believe that I am on the tolerant side of the continuum of possibilities (What do you mean?). When I face some difficulties ~~about~~ when ______ (add a word) foreign language, I will not be bothered. I will keep that tolerance high (Be specific). I will go on to make personal goal to learn to put certain unknowns on hold while I keep moving on. I will also make sure I will not get so laid back that nothing ever âcomes in for a landingâ. (Be specific. I don't know what you're talking about.)

             I like visual learning, too. I understand explanation (just one) of concepts better when I read them. To capitalize my strength, I will try to maximize my learning input. Write word and sentences down, draw chart (Please write a complete sentence here), rRemember words by associating them with pictures. However, I would like to change this learning preference~~. I think Iâd better to be a visual learner (~~does not make sense) because I cannot pay attention to the input of the teacher. It is difficult for me to concentrate on the lessons. To become more effective in language learning, I will try to hear a story more, use sound-alike words or rhyming words to remember vocabulary. I deeply believe that it is effective if I can have both preferences of visual learning and auditory learning.

                In general, I am a low risk-taker (no hyphen needed). I cannot ~~easily~~ make mistakes without ____ (add a word) embarrassed~~ment~~. I cannot speak out easily and quickly in a group and in class. I cannot write things down easily and freely even if there are mistakes. In ~~the~~ class, I will ~~shy~~ (use another word) to answering (add a word) teacherâs question because I fear (use another word) I will make mistakes. It is clearly (clearly is not an adj.) that being a low risk-taker ~~is not a good characteristic of learning~~ will not ___ ___ (Add words here) foreign language. I will try to answer teacherâs (same problem) question actively, write more composition (one?) and find somebody proof it. I will also try to use some new words and structures so I can become more effective in learning.

Re: hyphens, dashes etc.

Tanit — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 18:46:42 GMT

Nona The Brit wrote:

They are quite long with complex structures, so they are only suitable for a formal context.

Thank you, Nona. These are two paragraphs for a PG essay I'm writing, so I think a formal register is appropriate.

Mister Micawber wrote:

3-- the South Korean GDP
no comma after dramatically changed
no the after Despite
so-called is hyphenated
I would capitalize Tigers
I like the period outside the quotation marks: 'Asian Tigers'.

Thank you, too, MM. I've put your corrections into my essay ... except the last one! Even though I agree with you (and it also would be more natural for me, since this is how I'd write it in my own language !), this is how they want us to write here.

Re: Evaluative/Review Essay-Please help!

Castellano — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:46:23 GMT

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a (truly is a hollow adjective here) superb reality show that first aired on December 3, 2003. Each 60 minute episode features a team of designers, contractors and several hundred workers who must race against time: (you could subsititute the colon with a semicolon or a hyphen if you want) they only have a week to rebuild a house, a task that would normally take 4 months to do. Each episode begins with host Ty Pennington's famous "Good morning!" wake-up call, when he, along with the other designers surprise the unsuspecting family that their home would be redesigned. The families then get to go on a seven day vacation until the renovation has completed. When the family returns from their vacation in a tinted limo, they see a bus blocking their view of their new home. Now, Ty and the family tell the bus driver to âmove that bus!" so the family can be amazed at the renovation. The show ends when Ty gives the keys to this lucky family.

(Start a new paragraph here because you are talking about something new.) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition a winner of two Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its 4th season on ABC and is watched by millions. In its second season, it was one of the ten most popular shows on American television but it has become less popular now. The show is a by-product of Extreme Makeover; provides medical operations, weight loss programs and other beauty help to people who want to look better. Both programs are produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. (I am confused by the bold sentenecs. Are you trying to say that the Home Edition of Extreme Makeover also provides medical operations, weight loss programs, etc... ?)

The show has helped a rainbow of families, those who have financial problems, and those who have lost loved ones. (Could you possibly say from what these people have unfortunately died?) Evidently, families benefit enormously from this show. They have a new lease on life and are given that second chance that many of us are not fortunate enough to receive. (I don't think this is what you mean, perhaps you should write that their homes are now much more elegant, etc...) But are all problems solved after receiving such a gift? What would studies show post-Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? Are the creators of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition applying the golden rule or are they endorsing tax evasion?

Notes:

- Alert: you are introducing ideas and thoughts in your last paragraph. The last paragraph must merely restate your thesis and arguments, it must not introduce anything new, at all! You have some excellent arguments against the show, but you need to put the arguments in the beginning of your critical essay, not at the end. This I won't do for you, try it yourself!

- Your essay is quite informative; I wouldn't consider it technical. If you want your essay to flow more smoothly, proofread the sentences yourself and change accordingly. Make sure you write good sentences, which should reiterate information and should introduce new information to the reader. Further, don't introduce things too quickly or too abruptly, or you will wind up with choppy sentences.

Remember to come back if you need more proofreading and help! Very good start!

Re: proofreading#2

Castellano — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 22:39:22 GMT

Ever since its birth, this dog has been with Larry. Now, the dog was malodorous, old, crippled and blind, but Larry was always with it. (The adj. stinky is too colloquial to be employed in written English.) Larry's roommate, John, wanted to get rid of the dog because he was bothered by the smell. Even though the dog left the room, the smell would still remain in the room. One day, they sat opposite each other at the table, playing cards. John said that his friend's dog herded a lot of pups and that he wanted to get some of them; but Larry paid no attention about what he said.

-----

Couple of things:

- You need to connect your sentences. A good solid sentence will always remind the reader of something and introduce the reader TO something. Connect your sentences with commas, semicolons, hyphens, etc... Use adverbs too, like but, also, because, etc...

- Use spell check; it will pick up or flag spelling and grammatical errors.

Now, try to edit your second paragraph. If you still think you need help, write back!

-----

A bunk house stood somewhere in the plain. There was about eight beds in it. All labor men who worked in the barley farm lived there. The boss's daughter-in-law lived a miled away. People in the bunk house talked about her. She was a tramp who gave the eye to every one she saw.

Re: dashes---causing problems or solving them?

Clonc — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 09:04:00 GMT

Forgive me, but what do you mean by a âdash.â All the examples here show two hyphens. These are not dashes.

There are three types of dashes, namely Hyphens, Em Dashes and En Dashes

The hyphen is the shortest of the three and is used most commonly to combine words (compounds such as "well-being" and "advanced-level," for example) On typewriter and computer keyboards, the hyphen appears on the bottom half of the key located on the top row between the "0" and the equals mark (=).

The em dash

The em dash is the mark of punctuation most of us think of when we hear the term "dash" in regard to a sentence. It is significantly longer than the hyphen. We use the em dash to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence. Dashes can be used in pairs like parenthesesâthat is, to enclose a word, or a phrase, or a clauseâor they can be used alone to detach one end of a sentence from the main body. Dashes are particularly useful in a sentence that is long and complex or in one that has a number of commas within it.

When we confuse the em dash with the hyphen, we make a sentence virtually impossible to read. Notice the sentence containing dashes in the preceding paragraph. If a hyphen is used in place of each dash, it would seem as though we had hyphenated two pairs of words in the sentence: "parentheses-that" and "clause-or," neither pair of which makes any sense.

The en dash

The en dash is slightly longer than the hyphen but not as long as the em dash. (It is, in fact, the width of a typesetter's letter "N," whereas the em dash is the width of the letter "M"âthus their names.) The en dash means, quite simply, "through." We use it most commonly to indicate inclusive dates and numbers: July 9âAugust 17; pp. 37â59.

Many people were not even aware of the distinction between the en dash and the em dash until the advent of word processors, when software programs enabled us to use marks of punctuation that once had been available only to professional printers.

Typing the En Dash and Em Dash

Our typewriter and computer keyboards lack individual keys that display either of the dashes. (The symbol above the hyphen is an underline, not a dash.) Before word processing, we had to type an em dash by typing two hyphens. Now, many word processing software programs will automatically turn those two hyphens into an em dash (if we correctly leave NO space before or after them).

We can also choose en and em dashes from a menu of symbols that do not appear on the keyboard. In Microsoft Word, for example, we can pull down the "Insert" window, click on "Symbol," and go to the "normal text" window. The en and em dashes appear on the bottom row.

In any software program that handles text, the em dash can be typed on an enhanced keyboard as Alt + 0151âthat is, hold down the "alternate" key and type, using the numerical pad on the right side of the keyboard, the numbers 0151. The en dash can be typed as Alt + 0150.

TEST YOURSELF

Can you spot any errors in the use of the hyphen, the en dash, or the em dash in the following sentences?

1. The instructions were written on pages 33-47.

2. The conference will be held June 30 - July 2 in New York.

3. Juan had tried begging, bribing, and even demanding cooperation from his staff-all of whom were swamped with other work-before he gave up and wrote the report himself.

4. No one - not even the president of the company - realized the company would have to declare itself bankrupt so quickly.

ANSWERS

1. The instructions were written on pages 33â47. (Use an en dash, not a hyphen, to indicate inclusive page numbers.)

2. The conference will be held June 30âJuly 2 in New York. (Use an en dash, not a hyphen, to indicate inclusive dates. Do not space before or after dashes.)

3. Juan tried begging, bribing, and even demanding cooperation from his staffâall of whom were swamped with other workâbefore he gave up and wrote the report himself. (Use em dashes, not hyphens, to indicate a break in thought.)

4. No oneânot even the president of the companyârealized the company would have to declare itself bankrupt so quickly. (Use em dashes, not hyphens, to show a break in thought. Do not space before or after dashes.)

Hyphenation

rocketdosa — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 16:36:05 GMT

Hello, all. What a great forum! I'm not sure if this is the right spot for this question; if not, let me know.

Here's a paragraph I'm working on, in which all numbers are to be written out. I'm confused about the rule on hyphenation when it comes to quantity and as modifiers. Can anyone help?

The troublesome paragraph:

"...the numbers are staggering: in the mid-nineteenth century, over seventy-five thousand acres of rice were productive in the region, yielding one-hundred-and-sixty million pounds of rice. In 1860, when the total national crop of rice was five million bushels, three-and-a-half million of them were grown in a narrow stretch of land near the South Carolina coast. By 1901, however, only thirty-five-thousand acres were being planted.

I've gone back and forth between inserting and removing the hyphen between "seventy-five" and "thousand" and "and-sixty" and "million".

Any suggestions? I appreciate it.

Paul

Hyphenation

rocketdosa — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 02:25:34 GMT

Here's a paragraph I'm working on, in which all numbers are to be written out. I'm confused about the rule on hyphenation when it comes to quantity and as modifiers. Can anyone help?

The troublesome paragraph:

"...the numbers are staggering: in the mid-nineteenth century, over seventy-five thousand acres of rice were productive in the region, yielding one-hundred-and-sixty million pounds of rice. In 1860, when the total national crop of rice was five million bushels, three-and-a-half million of them were grown in a narrow stretch of land near the South Carolina coast. By 1901, however, only thirty-five-thousand acres were being planted.

I've gone back and forth between inserting and removing the hyphen between "five" and "thousand" and "sixty" and "million".

Paul

Re: Thanks. I think "with a passionate manner" might be okay

MrPedantic — Sun, 19 Dec 2004 10:41:54 GMT

You might add a couple of hyphens:

20- or 30-minute
rugged-looking

But otherwise, a perfect native paragraph!

MrP