5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement

5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement 5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement 5 Errors in Noun-Verb Agreement By Mark Nichol As shown in the examples below, when writers craft sentences with more than one noun or pronoun in the subject, they sometimes misidentify the key noun or pronoun and assign the wrong verb form to it. Discussion and revision in each sentence describes and solves the problem. 1. â€Å"Five days are too short for a vacation.† The singular form of the verb â€Å"to be,† rather than the plural form, is appropriate here because of the context- the writer is referring to a collective unit of time consisting of five days, not to five units of time consisting of a day each: â€Å"Five days is too short for a vacation.† 2. Which of the following statements best describe your situation? The verb in this sentence refers not to statements but to one of several statements- represented by the pronoun which- each of which is, in turn, being contemplated on its own, so the verb form should be singular: â€Å"Which of the following statements best describes your situation?† 3. Each of the top five priorities identified this year are technology related.   Just as in the previous example, the first word in this sentence is a place-holder representing one priority. The five priorities are being considered in isolation, one at a time, so a singular verb is appropriate: â€Å"Each of the top five priorities identified this year is technology related.† 4. We believe that a diversity among people and perspectives create high-performing organizations. Diversity, not the combination of â€Å"people and perspectives,† is the operative noun here, so the verb form should be singular: â€Å"We believe that a diversity among people and perspectives creates high-performing organizations.† 5. A combination of these factors, along with a number of wider digital transformation and economic trends, have focused attention on regulatory technology as a topic. Combination, not factors, is the noun that the helping verb is associated with (and the parenthetical phrase located between factors and the verb is irrelevant to the verb form): â€Å"A combination of these factors, along with a number of wider digital transformation and economic trends, has focused attention on regulatory technology as a topic.† Some people may disagree, arguing that combination, like descriptive words such as couple, majority, and variety, calls for notional agreement (or notional concord), in which plural nouns that modifying phrases that include collective nouns are associated with, rather than the collective nouns themselves, are considered the â€Å"target† of the verb. However, usage strongly favors singular concord, in which the verb concords, or agrees, with the collective noun (the â€Å"notion†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingDeck the HallsUses of the Past Participle

How to Write an Abstract for a Business Research Paper

How to Write an Abstract for a Business Research Paper How to Write an Abstract for a Business Research Paper An abstract for business research paper is a summary of the entire paper. Students doing business research papers often mistake abstracts to be the introductory paragraph since abstract appears at the beginning of the work. Business research papers are general audience papers that are likely to be read by any member of the society. The abstract is given much attention by the audience since it is a snapshot of the entire work. There are two types of abstract that can be developed in a business research paper: descriptive and informative abstracts. Students must decide which type of abstract to include in their business research papers though they accomplish the same goal. Descriptive abstracts are best suited for shorter business research papers while informative abstracts are for lengthy and technical research papers. Concisely, an abstract is supposed to explain the purpose of business research paper, its goals and methodology used for research. Results can be included in the abstract but they are only relevant if the paper if lengthy. In most cases, students use informative abstracts when they write their business research papers. Informative business research papers can be one page long. Students state the business problem or idea in the first sentence of abstract. This can be followed by a brief description stating why the idea is interesting or why the problem is worth consideration. Keen students always include reasons that motivate them to develop business research papers on the stated topic. It is important to state the scope of the paper in the abstract so that readers can understand the main target of the paper. The methodology sentence in a business research paper abstract gives an overview how the study was accomplished, how the researcher did his work and a brief description on the work of others who did business researches under the same topic. In an informative abstract, results must be discussed. Results are s imply the findings or the answers that the research sought to investigate. These are usually general findings, which support the hypothesis or the business idea under discussion. An abstract for business research papers should be able to summarize the whole business idea making the information understandable without necessarily reading the full report. A concise business abstract will be able to capture the reader’s imagination hence providing them with full and conclusive information should they otherwise decide not to read it in full. As the researcher, one must state the goals and objectives he or she intends to achieve. This is done by presenting a clear and critical outlining of the approach for achieving those goals i.e. the available research methodology and the thoroughness employed will help in capturing the reader’s confidence.

A Case for an Intergrated Criminal Court and Against an Independent Research Paper

A Case for an Intergrated Criminal Court and Against an Independent Juvenile Justice System - Research Paper Example They dispute that there are important differences between the development of adults and young individuals or that rehabilitation remains different from sentencing and persuade legislators to sustain the differences between offenders and antisocial or deviants. Some stress psychological insufficiency or physical helplessness. Others argue that juvenile courts safeguard young lawbreakers from further corrective criminal justice rules. Yet, there are those who argue that juvenile courts furnish the sole opportunity in which to take into account all the official and legal issues, such as abuse, neglect, felony, and dependency, which impinge on families and children (Corriero, 2006). Finally, advocates of an independent juvenile justice system call upon the contingency argument of Progressives (Feld, 1999): in spite of the procedural defects and evident impoverishment of juvenile courts, criminal courts represent more unpleasant locations to try and sentence juvenile delinquents. Juvenile courts try to integrate criminal social control and social welfare in a single organization and unavoidably perform both poorly due to the innate conflict in both functions. In contrast, a juvenile adaptation of an adult criminal justice system is a body devoid of any justification (Culbertson, 2000). Since there are already existing criminal courts, with no social welfare basis, a juvenile adaptation of an adult criminal justice system would only be unnecessary. The Arguments for an Independent Juvenile Court and Against an Integrated Criminal Court An independent juvenile justice system needs a more defined, refined justification than crude punishment versus rehabilitation arguments. In fact hardly any observable differences are present between these two functions. However, if it is recognized that juvenile courts penalize young delinquents, we then take the responsibility of granting them criminal procedural protections since â€Å"the condition of being a boy does not justify a kangaroo court† (Barkan & Bryjak, 2010, 520). It has been argued by the McKeiver Court that obliging procedural similarity with adults would terminate the juvenile court trial, yet took for granted the fact that refusing to do so reinforced bias and injustice (Feld, 1999). To perceive and deal with equally positioned criminals differently, to sentence young offenders for the sake of rehabilitation, and to strip them of essential protections cultivate a kind of injustice that frustrates any attempts towards reform. The present juvenile court does not offer justice or rehabilitation and cannot be reformed. The other policy alternatives are to pattern juvenile courts to the adult criminal justice system or vice versa (Roberts, 2004). Regardless if young delinquents are tried in an integrated criminal court or in an independent court, we should reevaluate fundamental principles and deal with procedural and substantive matters. Substantive justice issues comprise forming and exec uting a doctrinal basis, such as shortened temper, psychological immaturity, weak disposition, or reduced conscience, to sentence juvenile delinquents dissimilarly, and more mildly, than adult criminals or suspects (Myers, 2005). Procedural justice

GDP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

GDP - Essay Example According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis that is tasked with the duty of breaking down the worth earned by the goods and services, the rise in real GDP can partly be attributed to the fact that Federal Government spending reduced. The decline in the residential fixed investment together with reduction in spending in both the state and the local governments is another reason the positive trend in real GDP was registered. According to input from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the third quarter experienced the most significant growth, translating to a whopping 4.1%. On the other hand, the fourth quarter seemed to have experienced the least form of growth, which translated to 2.4% (Mataloni). With my prediction for real GDP this year being 3.1%, I presume true the idea that the future is uncertain for US economy at large. I say so because this year is likely to witness increased output, which translates to rise in both imports and exports. When the output is increased, business shall no doubt spur, and this shall prompt most of the employers to bring on board additional employees. The hiring of more employees will mean that the rate of unemployment shall decline. In like manner, the participation of labor too is likely to increase following increased output. Another reason real GDP is likely to increase this year is the fact that the personal consumption expenditure is also likely to increase precisely by two cents, and this shall translate to reduced inflation. The unexpected move by the Federal Reserve Bank to keep the short-term interests is also likely to prove beneficial in the end as it will contribute to positive trends in real GDP. In the course of this year, I also expect the Federal Government to cut costs thereby lowering its spending further (Avakov 43). Just as they did last year, the state and local governments alike are also expected to cut their costs hence lowering their budgets further. Just

The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution Essay Example for Free

The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution Essay Question: From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the Unites States with an effective government. Use the documents and your knowledge of the period to evaluate this statement. Although the Articles of Confederation provided a working government for the United States, it was not necessarily an effectively working government; an effective government would be one that not only establishes control and authority, but one under which the nation flourishes. Certainly the Articles set down a basic government with the idea of a democratic republic. However, the Articles of Confederation didnt impose an effective government as much as it set the basis for one. It was unable to enforce many laws and many of those set were also unequal in operation, as unfair to some states as fair to others. Thus, from 1781 to 1789, the Articles of Confederation established a working, yet ineffective government, with very little control or authority over foreign relations, the economy, and western lands. In foreign relations, the government set down by the Articles of Confederation had minimal, if any, control and authority over diplomatic efforts with Spain, France, Britain, and the foreign presences in America. One contributing factor to this was the lack of an executive branch. Congress was the chief coordinating agency of any war efforts and almost every action of meaning. During a disagreement over foreign policy, the argument could possibly have lasted for weeks with no decision or compromise set, leaving the problem standing unresolved. What authority Congress did have over commerce was shown in some unfair tariffs on foreign trade, that consequentially affected foreign relations. There was a marked decline in the estimated market of United States exports to Great Britain; in those, there was a definite per capita drop [Document B]. There was much difficulty with diplomatic efforts with other countries. For example, while negotiating a treaty with Spain that could have given America access to the Mississippi River, the Southern states refused to go along, with the result of the treaty negotiations and the Mississippi had to be given up [Document F]. In America itself, Congress was unable to enforce the Treaty of Paris. There were British troops still occupying some parts of America [Document D]. Since Congress could not directly assemble an army, there was no way to deal  with the problem and the existing American troops were discontent with the governments failure to pay their wages [Document C]. Considering the state of foreign relations under the Articles of Confederation, the Louisiana Purchase wouldnt have been possible. The negotiations for the territory would have failed and Congress would have argued over the purchase of land long after the offer would have been voided. The difficulties in foreign relations were too much for the government set by the Articles of Confederat ion to be considered effective. The economy, like foreign relations, worked virtually in complete independence from Congress and the Articles of the Confederation. Congress had little authority over and abilities of directly taxing the people and regulating commerce. Being the central institution of national authority Congress needed the power to control factors that influence the economy which they didnt. The foreign relations of America affected the foreign trade of America. The foreign relations were in a dystopian. As a result, the foreign trade of America was in as sorry a state of affairs. There was a marked decline in the estimated market of United States exports to Great Britain and in those that did exist was a definite per capita drop [Document B]. When Congress did have the authority to impose a tariff, it was often unequal in operation and unfair to some states while favoring others [Document A]. The government set by the Articles of the Confederation experienced many difficulties with control and authority over an economy that did not prosper under the Articles. The western lands of the Articles United States were under very little American control. First of all, Although the western lands were turned over to the national government and then sold, they werent well controlled. Many of these lands were already predominantly inhabited by Native Americans. Congress lacked the ability to directly assemble an army, yet a fighting force was almost necessary to opposing the British still in America after the Treaty of Paris. An army would also have quelled raiding and rebelling Indians in the West, and also raiding from over the border of Spanish Florida. In negotiations over the western border of the US, there was much arguing among Congress between northern and southern state representatives  [Document F]. While negotiating a treaty with Spain that could have given America access to the Mississippi River, the Southern states refused to go along, so the treaty negotiations and the Mississippi had to be given up. The Articles of Confederation didnt establish an effective government; they not only established little control, but the nation didnt flourish. The failure of this government is perceptible in the state of foreign relations, the economy, and western lands from 1781 to 1789. The clear failure can also be seen in the call for revision of the Articles [Documents G, H]. Things were going wrong and they needed to change. Although the call was originally just for revision, it resulted in a new document, the Constitution. Although the Articles set down a basic government with the idea of a democratic republic, thats all it had: the idea. The basis set for an effective democratic republic was embellished and made to succeed in the Constitution. This demonstrated that the Articles government wasnt completely flawed, but it certainly wasnt effective.

Euthanasia is Morally Wrong :: Against Euthanasia

The matter of euthanasia continues to be a contentious issue within today’s society. Over the past years, there have been a slew of debates that have tried to justify the practice of assisted suicide, otherwise known as euthanasia. Gallup’s survey in 2007 served to illustrate this fact by showing that over 75 percent of Americans believe that euthanasia should be permitted. However, what Americans have failed to discern is that legalizing any form of euthanasia goes against the sanctity of life and will result in no limitations to the justifications of why it is being performed. It seems as if society has become so debauched that the American people honestly feel that they can condone ending the life of a precious individual. Perhaps in order for one to construct a fitting viewpoint on euthanasia, one must be knowledgeable on the philology and background of euthanasia, along with having a clear comprehension of some underlying terms. Euthanasia is a term which â€Å"derived from the Greek word â€Å"euthanatos†, meaning simply a good death† (Perri, 1996). This word is extremely vulnerable to the various interpretations of all people; therefore, many people fall short when it comes to understanding the two distinct types of euthanasia. These two unique types are known as active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is described as being â€Å"the deliberate ending of a person’s life with the intent of reducing that person’s suffering† (Perri, 1996). For instance, active euthanasia can be as simple as injecting a patient with a harmful toxin. On the other hand passive euthanasia is typically defined as the â€Å"withdrawing of medical treatment with the intention of causing the patient's death† ("Types of euthanasia," 2001). Now an example of passive euthanasia is simply when a patient is perishing and the doctor choices not to recover them. Now it is imperative that one recognizes the distinction between active and passive euthanasia. Another aspect in which euthanasia can be classified is as involuntary or voluntary. Involuntary euthanasia â€Å"is when a patient’s life is ended without the patient’s knowledge and consent† ("Types of euthanasia," 2001). A perceptible example of involuntary euthanasia is when a patient is in a coma and does not have the capability to decide what should happen to him. Lastly, the subject of voluntary euthanasia is â€Å"the patient requests that an action be taken to end his life, or that life-saving treatment be stopped, with full knowledge that this will lead to his death† ("Types of euthanasia," 2001).

The Vanity Of An Ape In A Thin Slice Of Cosmic Time

By Chris Burrows Born in the hot summer of 87 to an accountant and nurse with an absurd pretence to create a pleasant and respectable appearance, I lived, as would be expected, a traditional middle-class, white childhood. By the age of sixteen, more formally known as the age of reason, I had established an anti-religious, political and cultural identity incompatible with that of my parents, thus consequentially aborted from the home unit and forced upon the streets.In and out of punk rock bands, failing relationships, etty crime and substance addiction, early adulthood founded for what was to become a blind yet fruitful Journey of promiscuity, artistic proficiency and self development. This continues to be, for the most part, a euphoric experience. Soon enough, an informal, yet nevertheless rigorous study of physics, astronomy and cognitive science lead to the inevitable realisation that this universe, however beautiful and complex, exists without purpose and our lives within it, as important and eventful as they may seem, are ultimately meaningless.Particularly, that skyscrapers, governments and police forces are merely the result of thirteen billion ears of sequential chemical reactions externally determined by their surroundings, and any purpose or meaning a human may experience within their life is purely a product of their own mind.Torn between suicidal tendencies to the left, and the vacant monotony of modern life to the right, I kept driving straight ahead, crashing full speed into the destined and only middle ground, escapism. Finally, distraction and relief from all the unpleasant realities of life had been found, secluded in a timber cabin deep within the woods, and it is there too, where you may find this lonely boy, and his dog.

A Night at the Opera

A Night at the Opera Analysis Paper A Night at the Opera is a 1935 American comedy film starring the Marx brothers. Groucho Marx, Chico Marx and Harpo Marx. The Marx brothers influence on comedy can still be seen in todays films. There is very few comedians that have ever had as long a lasting influence or been as well-known as they are. It is absolutely astonishing that after over seventy years, it still portrays the same amount of enjoyment and laughter in â€Å"modern† viewers as it did when the film was first distributed.The language of their comedy has not dulled over time, aspects of Marx brother humor can be found throughout sit-coms, movies, comedic acts and especially cartoons. I have been a huge fan of the show called I Love Lucy since I was about 7 years old, but I never knew that the Marx brothers had such an influence on the show and that they based a lot of there comedy scenes from the Marx brothers, and Harpo had actually starred in one of their episodes as well . In the film A Night at the Opera they have a singer names Ricardo Baroni, and in the set of I Love Lucy her husbans name is Ricky Ricardo.I feel as if since A Night at the Opera played such a big influence on their show that maybe they were trying to place that name in there as some type of contribute to them and their film. I also have seen many scenes in the cartoon Tom and Jerry that tie in together from the Marx brothers. This is just proof that from Groucho's wisecracking word play, Chico conning every person he can when he has the chance, to the way Harpo's doesn't speak and frankly comes off really dumb founded. There sense of humor is timeless and forever will be a true classic.

Cortes and the Burning of the Boats at Vera Cruz essays

Cortes and the Burning of the Boats at Vera Cruz essays In 1519, Capitan Hernando Cortes and a small army left the Spanish-held island of Cuba and set out on one of the greatest conquests in the history of the world. Cortes was going to accomplish his goals no matter the consequences. He put to death some of those who opposed him, got himself appointed Capitan-General in order to get out from under Diego Velazquezs authority, and even destroyed his fleet in an attempt to motivate his men to adapt to his at-all-costs attitude. The destruction of the ships has been widely studied and is still debated today. The dispute is not if he destroyed his ships, but how and to what extent. Many sources claim that Cortes had the ships destroyed secretly. Very few state that Cortes told his men of his intent; but Bernal Diaz tells that Cortes was advised by his men to destroy his ships. (Diaz, 131) Diaz states, . . . we who were his friends advised him . . . not to leave a single ship in port, but to destroy them all immediately, in order to leave no cause of trouble behind. (Diaz, 130) Diaz goes on to say, The ships were destroyed with our full knowledge and not . . . in secret. (Diaz, 131) Salvador De Madariaga suggests that Cortes planted some friends to advise him to destroy his fleet; thus, at least some of the soldiers knew of the plan. (Madariaga, 156) He also says that Cortes was in Cempoal at the time for clemency. (Madariaga, 155) Jacob Abbott wrote that most of the soldiers were in Zempoalla and suggests that Cortez acted without them knowing. (Abbott, 126) John Manchip White states, This drastic action was performed secretly. (White, 185) Francisco L opez de Gomara said that Cortes begged the sailing masters to spread a story about the ships being decayed and no longer seaworthy. He also alleges, . . . that his companions might prevent it, as the doubtless would have done if the realized what he had in mind. (Gomar...

Using a Mind Map for Reading Comprehension

Using a Mind Map for Reading Comprehension The use of Mind Maps in class is useful when working on all sorts of skills. For example,  students can use a Mind Map to quickly jot down the gist of an article they have read. Another great exercise is using Mind Maps to learn  vocabulary. Mind Maps provide a visual learning mechanism that will help students recognize relationships they may miss in a more linear type of activity. The act of mapping something out encourages the individual to create an internal retelling of the story. This type of approach will help students with essay writing skills, as well as better overall reading comprehension due to the 30,000 foot overview they will get.   For this example lesson, weve provided a number of variations on the use of Mind Maps for exercises. The lesson itself could easily be extended into homework activities and over multiple classes depending on how much of the artistic element you encourage students to provide.  For this lesson, we created a simple map as an example for an upper-level reading course using the novel Dont You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by  Margaret Peterson Haddix.   Mind Map Lesson Plan Aim:  Reading review and comprehension of extensive reading materials Activity:  Creating a Mind Map asking students to create an overview of a story Level:  Intermediate to advanced Outline: Introduce the concept of a Mind Map by showing students Mind Maps posted online. Just go to Google and search on Mind Map youll find plenty of examples.Ask students what type of things would lend themselves to Mind Mapping. Hopefully, students will come up with all sorts of creative uses. If not, we suggest pointing to simple examples such as vocabulary about the home or job responsibilities.  As a class, create a Mind Map of the story you are currently working on.Start with the main character. Ask students to identify the main areas of that characters life. In this case the class chose  family, friends, work  and  school.Ask students about the particulars of each category. Who are the people? What events happen? Where does the story take place?  Once youve provided the basic outline, ask students to either draw the map on a piece of paper, or use Mind Mapping software (we recommend Free Mind, an open source program).Ask students to fill in the Mind Map noting the relations hips, main events, difficulties, etc., for each of the categories.   How deep you ask students to go into the story depends on what is being reviewed. For analysis, its probably best to keep things relatively simple. However, if you use this to review a chapter, individual character might run much deeper.At this point in the exercise, you can ask students to review the reading in a variety of ways. Here are some suggestions:Use the map to discuss the relationships between the characters, places, etc., to partners. Each student can choose one arm of the map to discuss at length.Use the map as a written activity by asking students to write an accompanying explanatory text to the map.Ask students to really dig into the details by mapping out  one or two arms of the map.Be artistic and provide sketches for their mind map.Speculate on the backgrounds of the relationships represented using modal verbs of probability.Focus in on grammar functions such as tenses by posing questions about the relationships in a variety of tenses.  Have students compare and contrast the maps they create.

Certification and accreditation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Certification and accreditation - Research Paper Example However, the information system must meet the approved safeguards or protection in the two domains i.e. technical and managerial. The duration of a typical certification and accreditation process should be executed in sixteen to eighteen months. However the duration will vary due to the complexity level of the networked environment. (Stark, 1994) The dissimilarity between a Certified and an information system auditor is a compliment of both these roles. The certifier will review the systems for compliance with the stated requirements from the regulations, law or the board (Langsley & American Board of, 1983). In contrast, the auditor will validate the results submitted by the certifier for meeting the requirements. However, it is not necessary that an auditor may be a part of the same organization (Stark, 1994). Likewise, information system auditor is responsible for carrying out an independent review or audit of examination of records and activities for accessing the appropriateness of system controls for assuring compliance with policies and procedures. Similarly, a certifier is associated with conducting technical decisions of complying systems with organizational requirements, conducting risk assessment focused on system operation, certification actions and combining or integrating the finalized certification along with accredited packages. The post of this individual is known as Information System Security Manager. Furthermore, the contribution of a reviewer is associated with internal organizational role that falls under the role of a certifier (Stark, 1994). The phase 5 of the Certification and Accreditation process called as Disposal is not addressed. For instance, there is always a disposal phase of any process, system, applications etc. likewise, the process of system disposal, few factors need consideration. These factors are mentioned below: Disposal of Storage devices: if an

Roles of women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Roles of women - Essay Example ed to hold executive posts in big companies but these days we have women CEOs and MDs heading several organizations and doing considerably well, this goes to show a lot about how times have changed. Women were considered the weaker sex in the past and there are still areas where women are suppressed and denied what they truly deserve. Women have made significant progress in the past and they continue to prove several people wrong. They are no longer behind the four walls of the house, they have started accepting administrative roles and their performance has surprised many a people. â€Å"After decades long battle for basic survival rights, women have broken free of their shackles universally and have unleashed the female power, a power that has changed the world. The 21st century has been a witness to the rise of women power.† (Women on Top) The progress that women have made has been significant and their progress is not restricted to one field alone, they have managed to make significant progress in more fields than one and this has also knocked the stuffing out of people who thought that women were incapable of making progress in their lives. Women have greater control over household matters now but it was much different earlier, they are no longer subjected to abuse and they are no longer ignored as they once were in the past. There were as many as 6700 women working as engineers in the year 1950, a great transition took place during 1940 to 1950. As mentioned earlier this decade was a very promising decade for the women and they grabbed this opportunity by the scruff of its neck. However this progress did not continue as expected, the rate of participation declined in the next decade. The problems for women kept mounting, the jobs in their area was hard to find. Their expertise was not valued and they were left unemployed. 91% of men worked as full time engineers whereas women were 20% less likely of getting a job in their area of expertise. This was again