Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Why Everybody Is Talking About Dissertation Abstracts...The Simple Truth Revealed

Why Everybody Is Talking About Dissertation Abstracts...The Simple Truth Revealed What to Expect From Dissertation Abstracts? You will shortly locate the official data about us. In addition, it covers a limited number of dissertations from the rest of the planet. Even then you're not able to discover the informative and accurate details. Make certain that you will get done with your research properly so you will be in a position to compose the content properly. You must not forget the simple fact that the very first thing your teacher is likely to read is the dissertation abstract and if your dissertation abstract isn't well written, your teacher is likely to deduct your marks for the entire dissertation. Lots of people struggle to compose a fantastic abstract since they understand that a poor abstract will ruin the entire dissertation. An abstract is a brief overview of a bigger work, like a dissertation or research paper. The committee members serve as mentors and guides throughout the dissertation procedure and always incorporate a scholar from away from the Heller community. By summarizing the outcome of the research, it allows other people to find a concept of what was accomplished without needing to read through the whole dissertation. If you wish to take the comprehensive details about this issue at that moment, you ought to go with the internet services with the expert writers and take writing projects based on the topic. Writing a dissertation paper is not a simple task because it requires preparation, research and hard work to compose a fantastic paper. Writing assignments can create a great deal of issues for the students because of their ignorance in writing. Writing dissertation abstracts are sometimes a true challenge for any student. So far as the students are involved, writing a research paper is among the toughest and frustrating job in their opinion. A dissertation abstract is a quick overview of the whole paper. The abstract has an objective of offering the readers with information in a condensed state, and the value of it can't be overstated, as it does not just stand for the preface, but in addition allows your teacher to appraise the preamble before reading the entire text. In relation to the structure, the abstract should stick to the structure of the principal dissertation, in the feeling that it should begin by discussing the introduction, literature review, methodology, results and conclusion. Additional a dissertation abstract, being a distinct section, should not depend on the entire dissertation. In reality, in the event the abstract can be limited to a single page it's even better. Sometimes students take assistance from such dissertation abstract writing companies who don't care for you and supply you with a dissertation abstract that's flawed. Dissertation Abstracts for Dummies The abstracts should have a particular dimensions and structure. If you would like your dissertation to be well-received, it is necessary to create a compelling abstract. Your dissertation should be unique and totally original. Dissertation abstract is written to reveal the elements of your findings. To learn how to compose a dissertation abstract effectively and easily, a dissertation template was created which highlights the principal elements you should have in your dissertation abstract. 3 Further details on the advantages of UMI publishing can be seen on their site. When you go to compose the content, then you should try to find a few tips. You might find it useful to have a look at a dissertation abstract template to have a better comprehension of its structure. Reread your abstract to make certain it offers a very clear overview of your general argument. In the latter scenario, you should set the concentrate on the issue and don't permit the word limitations to dictate the range of paragraphs in your work. The use of the abstract is to report the key aims and outcomes of your research, and it needs to be fully understandable on its own to somebody who hasn't read your total paper or associated sources. In it, the aim of the analysis and methodological choices are o utlined succinctly, letting the reader or researcher to rapidly scan and evaluate numerous studies to easily choose ones that fulfill their specific demands. During the very first section of the test, the aim is to measure attention during a boring endeavor. The actual men and women highly praise our essay help site. Its goal is to allow researchers to stay current with what other folks in their field are studying by providing short summaries of dissertations that were published. Otherwise, it defeats the objective of having an abstract in the very first location.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay - 947 Words

Shirley Jacksons The Lottery The setting in a story helps to form the story and it makes the characters become more interesting. There are three main types of setting. The first is nature and the outdoors, second is objects of human manufacture and construction and the third is cultural conditions and assumptions. These three things help the reader to understand the characters better in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery;. The Lottery; is started out by being described as The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day.; The flowers are blooming and the children have just gotten out of school for the summer. To the everyday reader this story starts out as a pleasant one but†¦show more content†¦Another question that is answered is what time period this story is taking place. The men talked about tractors so this allows the reader to narrow the time period to 1935 and up. Tractors had not been invented before this time. Another mention of the time frame in this story is the clothes that the characters are wearing. The women wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their men folk;. This also shows the reader the time frame because it was not until after the 1930s that women started to wear housedresses and sweaters. It actually started to become popular in the forties and fifties to wear housedresses. This gives the reader an almost exact time period, which helps to add to the fear in the story that such a thing could happen 40 or 50 years ago. The second type of setting is the Human manufacture and Human Construction. The best example of this in the story is the lottery itself. The main basis of the lottery is to get rid of a member of the community. To do this a family is randomly chosen and from there a single-family member is chosen. It is all one big game of luck and chance to remove a member of the community. The lottery is starting to disappear in other towns but it still runs strong in this particular town. Jackson makes the entire setting spookier by not letting the reader find out the true meaning of the lottery until the very end of the story. ThisShow MoreRelatedShirley Jacksons The Lottery736 Words   |  3 Pagesjudge a book by its cover† could not be truer than with Shirley Jackson’s short story, â€Å"The Lottery†. Jackson’s title for the short story is in fact ironic leading the reading to assume the story to be cheerful and jolly, an assumption that could not be more wrong. â€Å"The Lottery† is about an annual lottery draw in a small town in New England. A tradition that has continued to be practiced for seventy years by the townspeople. This is not the lottery as we know it consisting of money, but the opportunityRead MoreShirley Jacksons The Lottery572 Words   |  3 PagesShirley Jacksons The Lottery   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shirley Jacksons The Lottery is an excellent example of an allegorical short story. In this story, the reader learns of a towns lottery that takes place once a year, every year. It has been a tradition in this small rural town for many years and the villagers never question these activities, they just blindly go along with it. But what the reader doesnt know is just what kind of prize the winner is going to obtain. Jacksons use of symbolism is shownRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraftRead MoreShirley Jacksons The Lottery888 Words   |  4 Pagesactually provides the foundation of a work, and this is the case in Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery.† In essence, Jackson has something disturbing to say about humanity and the force of tribal ritual. To that end, she creates a world that is itself wholly symbolic, even as there are smaller elements of symbolism within it. She also develops suspense based very much on the expansive symbolism of the environment. In â€Å"The Lottery,† Jackson gives evidence of how symbolism may be utilized to make aRead MoreIrony In Shirley Jacksons The Lottery863 Words   |  4 PagesCaleigh Bishop English 101 October 10, 2017 Formal Essay I The Many Instances of Irony in â€Å"The Lottery† In Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery,† she uses many examples of irony. Irony is the use of words that are the opposite of their usual meaning or what is expected to happen. The use of irony plays an important role in delivering Jackson’s sarcasm. The author holds our attention all throughout the story and builds our suspense by using irony with the characters and events that take placeRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery954 Words   |  4 Pagesthe authors message. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays a masterful usage of literary elements to better convey Jackson’s general purpose, such as through the deep symbolism and underlying theme; however, Jackson’s true provocation of emotion is accomplished through her quintessential use of point of view. The objective point of view is indispensable within â€Å"The Lottery† because of the creation of suspense, drama, and irony. To begin with, the first reason why Jackson’s objective point of viewRead MoreAnalysis of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery490 Words   |  2 Pages In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† the theme of the story is dramatically illustrated by Jackson’s unique tone. Once a year the villagers gather together in the central square for the lottery. The villagers await the arrival of Mr. Summers and the black box. Within the black box are folded slips of paper, one piece having a black dot on it. All the villagers then draw a piece of paper out of the box. Whoever gets the paper with the black dot wins. Tessie Hutchinson wins the lottery! Everyone thenRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery1303 Words   |  6 Pagespowerful force (qtd. in AZQuotes). In Shirley Jacksons chilling story The Lottery, a town celebrates a special custom of stoning people to death every year. Jackson perfectly depicts a possible event that may occur from blindly following tra dition without evaluating the purpose or usefulness of it in the first place. Jackson’s use of plot, theme, and symbolism reveal the evil reality of blind faith, tradition, and their consequences. Initially, Jackson’s twisted plot reveals the infinite, viciousRead MoreResearch Paper on Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery†1141 Words   |  5 PagesShirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery† is a short story about the annual gathering of the villagers to conduct an ancient ritual. The ritual ends in the stoning of one of the residents of this small village. This murder functions under the guise of a sacrament that, at one time, served the purpose of ensuring a bountiful harvest. This original meaning, however, is lost over the years and generations of villagers. The loss of meaning has changed the nature and overall purpose of the lottery. This ritualRead MoreAnalysis of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay776 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† is a short story by Shirley Jackson, first published on June 26, 1948. The story was initially met with negative critical reception due to its violent nature and portrayal of the potentially dangerous nature o f human society. It was even banned in some countries. However, â€Å"The Lottery† is now widely accepted as a classic American short story and is used in classrooms throughout the country. Jackson’s story takes a critical look at what can result when the customs and laws that govern

Monday, December 9, 2019

Implications of Gender Distinctions-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Asian societies, the processes of gender construction and the Implications of gender distinctions in a Cross-Cultural Context. Answer: Introduction Asia is the largest continent of the earth and shares important part of the history and culture of the human evolution. The aim of this essay is to analyze and describe the contradictory forces in constructing the modern images of women in relation to men in the Asian region and in what extent these images transform the traditional gender representation. Discussions Gender making Gender making or gender stereotyping has become one of the most important aspects of the present day scenario (Epstein and Arnold 2014). Since times in memoriam, there was discrimination between the men and women Men were usually given the maximum priority in the family and was considered as the head of the family whereas women were always considered as their subordinates. Even more surprising is the fact that the gender stereotyping that consider males to be superior to the females are often taught by teachers at school and also by the priests through the religious teachings. A good example can be a ban of the womens freedom to wear dresses as per their choice. However, it has been seen that over the years that several countries in the Asia have signed the petition for eliminating the ban on dresses. Though women are trying their level best to become self sufficient and applying for jobs but there is often the incidence of unequal pay followed between men and women. The gender attit ude towards women in Asia is largely patriarchal. Here in this region, the traditional societal hierarchy was maintained and women were considered as the lowest members of the gender structure (Nayak, Anoop and Kehily 2013). However, the archetypical role of the women is changing rapidly and more and more women in the Asiatic society have been contributing to the changing gender role in the society. Matrilineal It is a known fact that most of communities in Asia, particularly in South Asia are patriarchal in nature. However, there are certain communities that do follow the matrilineal structure as well. It is a kind of family structure where the women are given some independence. They are not forced to marry for financial purposes. They are no dependent on males for their economic independence. Many families also consist of only female members who also take up the responsibility of raising their children single handedly. However in many communities the freedom of women is restricted mainly in the context of choosing their life partners. However there is again another constraint. The women cannot select their life partners outside their own community, if they do so they will be banned from their community. However there is no restriction imposed on women to stay with her husbands family after marriage. She might also consider staying with her own family and take all the necessary family deci sions. However the women are not allowed to use any make up or dress as per their choice since it is restricted by the adult members of the society oppose it. They do not like the influence of the modern day society. Hence it is evident that women empowerment has not taken place in the right manner though women are given some rights and privileges but at the same time they are also denied many This system considers men and women have equal rights to power and they have equal access to the resources. However, in this system men and women are associated with equal sexual parallelism. Female is considered as the main descendant line in this family of the matrilineal society (Stark 2013). In this system, each member is identified with his or her mothers lineage and it is associated with the inheritance of the property. Minangkabau community of West Sumatra, Malaysia, Indonesia and Mosuo community of China in the Asian region belong to the matrilineal societal system. Patriarchal As the very name suggests, patriarchy is something that is related to the domination structure between men and women. One of the very common features that are seen within the context of patriarchy is the treatment of women as a property. Women are considered as objects that can be used by at any time. Women are always objectified, right from their birth till their marriage. In the Asian communities, particularly in the South East Asian most of the communities are patriarchal. Women are constantly suffering from identity crisis. They suffer from the lack of empowerment both in the emotional as well as the financial basis. They are always kept confined within the four walls of their domestic premises and are hardly allowed to go out and mix in the social mainstreams (Nayak, Anoop and Kehily 2013). There is a very poor belief among the entire south Asian people that girls are born to be fed throughout their lives and boys are there to earn and support the family. So, naturally the girls are always treated as a burden and are thought to be inferior to boys (Andersen et al. 2013). Patrilineal system consists of dominant power relationship between men and women. In this system, the men are in the dominant position and the inheritance of property, titles of a person and other rights in the family go from fathers bloodline. In this system, the male is in the dominant position and the other family members depend on the mens decision in the family (Maynes, Mary and Ann 2014). Marriage and divorce in the matrilineal society holds a different role than the other normal or patriarchal societal structure. Different matriarchal society has different marriage rules. For example, the Mosuo community in China, the female could handle all the responsibilities of the household and finance. A family is consisted with a woman and all the female members of her family. In the matrilineal structure, marriage is considered as less important as most of the time women are not seen as the property of the male family to continue the bloodlines (Epstein and Arnold 2014). Men and women could mix more freely than the patriarchal one and both could freely choose their lovers. In spite of being matrilineal system, the family of the Mosuo community is composed of matrilineal members, which includes mother, grandmother, maternal aunts and mothers brothers. The children remain in the mothers house and all the responsibilities of the children are taken care by the mothers family. Thu s, marriage is not a big deal in this system and it does not matter if marriage is occurred or not as long as men and women could mix freely and continue their love affairs. However, divorce is more frequent in the patriarchal structure and less common in the matrilineal society. As marriage is not forced on the women in the matrilineal structure, divorce is not seen as common rule in this societal structure. Women do not have to marry to the men for security or financial needs. There are some pressures against maintaining matrilineal system in Minangkabau and Mosuo societies. The pressure mainly comes from outside or external world. In the film, The Land Where Women Rule: Inside Chinas Last Matriarchy, these issues have been discussed in the context of the Mosuo community. The young members of the Mosuo community, they want to go out of the region and experience outside world. In this matriarchal system, the husband and wife could not live together in lifetime. However, some of the young members want to live together with their partners like members of Han community ("The Land Where Women Rule: Inside China's Last Matriarchy" 2017). However, this is the major resistance in maintaining the matriarchal structure in this community. The female members have to choose her partners within the community. However, if someone chooses her partner outside of the community, she has to leave the society. In this sense, the society is very conservative. The members are restricted to sing and dance Mousuo staffs and older members do not like make-ups. However, the outside world is exposed as the technology is advancing day by day. The community is affected by the external influences or rules and this is the major constraints to maintaining the matriarchal system in the Mousuo community. In the film, Muslim Women of Minang, it has been shown that the community is also matriarchal. However, there are resistances in maintaining the mothers lineage as outside world would see the Muslim women under the mens dominance. Thus, the men from the outside world apart from Minang see the women as the mens property ("Muslim Women Of Minang" 2017). The Minang Muslim women are compared with other Muslim women of Afghanistan, Taliban or Iran and they are very much different from the other Muslim women. The resistance mainly comes from outside Muslim community. Michelle Rosaldos distinction of private or public distinction of the division of labour does not fit in the Minangkabau or Mosuo society. The division of labour in relation to private and public proposed that men and women have different gender role in society (Connell 2014). Here the society means mainly the patriarchal society. In this gender role, the public sphere is for men and the private is for the women. In the Mosuo community, the typical gender role of the public and private are changed. In this community, the women manage the public world and take all the responsibilities including the family and outside world. However, men are for harder and heavier works only. Power pollution The power structure that mostly exists in the South Asian communities is harsh towards women as most of the communities there is male dominated. In other words the power in the domination is always exerted by men over the women. Women are always considered to be fragile. They are always treated as mens property; hence they can be treated in any way as per the will of the male members of their family. Women are always kept at the bottom of the power structure because it is taken for granted that they are the ones who will always surrender to men. It is often considered as a sign of masculinity to dominate and exploit the females (Stark 2013). Men and women are however considered to be equal in some societies like the Minangkabau society but there are some work that can only be performed by men particularly those that are heavier and need more physical strength. Men and women are considered complementary to each other. The society is purely matriarchal and matrilineal. In the time of t he marriages, the men are exchanged unlike general societal rule. However, the division of labour does not exist in this society. Men and women complement each other. Women and men enjoy almost equal rights in division of labour and so-called private and public world do not exist for women and men. Immediate return or delayed return economies This again is another problem in the current gender context. In order to initiate equality in society, most of the communities are trying to adopt the concept of the immediate return or the delayed return economies. It is a kind of community that tries to initiate equal rights and opportunities among individuals by incorporating the principle that no individual can dominate each other. As a result of which among every two persons, one of them always tries to become the dominant. This creates a problem as the entire society now exerts pressure on the would be dominator to bring the counterpart back in line (Maynes, Mary and Ann 2014). Often it is seen that in many communities, men start surrendering so that their women counterparts do not have to get dominated by them. In the act of doing this, women are often blamed by the society with then charge that they are bossing over men and exploiting them. This really becomes a major problem. Conclusion It can be concluded by saying that the archetypical construction of women and the patriarchal notion of the role of the women in the Asian region are in the contradictory forces as seen in the different ethnic groups of this region. The Minang and Mosuo are the matrilineal society and gender role of the women are different from that of men. References Andersen, Steffen, Seda Ertac, Uri Gneezy, John A. List, and Sandra Maximiano. "Gender, competitiveness, and socialization at a young age: Evidence from a matrilineal and a patriarchal society."Review of Economics and Statistics95, no. 4 (2013): 1438-1443. Connell, Raewyn. "Rethinking gender from the South."Feminist Studies40, no. 3 (2014): 518-539. Epstein, Arnold Leonard, ed.The craft of social anthropology. Elsevier, 2014. Maynes, Mary Jo, and Ann Waltner.Gender, Kinship and Power: A Comparative and Interdisciplinary History. Routledge, 2014. "Muslim Women Of Minang". 2017.Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvNFvpCeCFY. Nayak, Anoop, and Mary Jane Kehily.Gender, youth and culture: Young masculinities and femininities. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Stark, Alexander. "The matrilineal system of the Minangkabau and its persistence throughout history: A structural perspective."Shoutheast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal13 (2013): 1-13. "The Land Where Women Rule: Inside China's Last Matriarchy". 2017.Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_l9D7tEixc.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Linguistics and Language free essay sample

In this essay, I will explain as well as compare two theories of first language acquisition, behaviorism and innatism. I will explore the differences between them in such categories as the role of the learner, the role of the environment and as well as their strengths and weaknesses. I will then state and explain which one I find more tenable with examples of relevant literature. Role of the Learner Behaviorism, credited to B. F. Skinner in the 1950s, states that the learner knows nothing to start with, he is an empty slate [o1] to be taught. The learner is passive and learns by positive-negative reinforcement, only repeating what he hears. Innatism, credited to Noam Chomsky in 1965, states that the learner is wired from birth for language. The learner is equipped with a LAD, a language acquisition device. This device allows the learner to discover the rules of his language, any language. We will write a custom essay sample on Linguistics and Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Role of the Environment Behaviorism states that the role of the environment is key and vital to the learning process. The environment is the active agent while the learner is the passive agent. The environment produces the necessary language input for the learner. It is up to the environment to give positive and negative reinforcement for the learner. Innatism states that the role of the environment is minimal because it only acts as the trigger for learning. It is also thought the environment is flawed and can’t be relied upon to always give perfect information. Therefore, it is up to the learner to find the rules of the language[o2] . Strengths There are a few strengths to support the behaviorism theory. It is easy to monitor the learners’ performance. This is how parents (as teachers) usually teach their children, through nurturing which puts emphasis on the role of the environment. This theory can also explain why learners have the ability to memorize. On the other hand, there are several strengths of the innatism theory. A learner cannot memorize all the possible different language and grammar combinations that he learns through the environment. The LAD helps the learner to generalize rules and make his own creative use of the language. A child will resist using an irregular form because of over-generalizing, and he will create his own form of a word according to the rules that he has internalized. And these rules don’t necessarily conform to adult grammar rules which include many exceptions. By applying these internalized and generalized rules, a child is able to acquire a language at a fast pace. [o3] Weaknesses The Behaviorism theory only accounts for the performance of the learner, and not on his competence. The learner is passive, so this theory does not focus on the learner’s mind and knowledge. It also does not explain why children acquire a language so quickly even if they are exposed to different environments. In addition, this theory also doesn’t offer an explanation of why children over-generalize rules such as the simple past tense of irregular verbs even though they hear irregular forms in the environment. There are also several weaknesses to the Innatism theory. One of the first weaknesses is that it demands the existence of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), its existence is difficult to prove and is immeasurable. This theory also doesn’t take into account different kinds of learners, just ideal learners with ideal grammar. The environment plays a minor role in this theory, so it doesn’t take into account the social aspect of the learner. My Opinion Looking at the two of these theories, I find the Innatism theory the most tenable. In my own experience with my children and students, the learners do not always model my behavior. This usually occurs with irregular patterns, particularly past tense verbs. This is similar to the â€Å"wug† test where a child will form a past tense of a verb that he has never heard before by applying the general grammar rules that he has learned. This behavior cannot be memorized and must be driven by an internal structure. Another reason to support this theory is that learners with impaired intelligence have been able to learn the structure of language. It has also been proven that American Sign Language which is taught to the deaf also has its own language structure. In addition, the creation of Creole languages supports the theory. As a Creole develops, grammar and structure are built in. The LAD would account for the formation of these languages as well as for creative uses of language by a learner. Conclusion In this essay I have explained two theories of language acquisition, behaviorism and innatism. In doing so, I have explained the different roles of the learner as well as the environment. I have also explored strengths and weaknesses of each theory and why I support the innatism theory over the behaviorism theory[o4] . [o1]Good one, I forgot this in my essay [o2]Do you think you should mention poverty of stimulus here? [o3]ording? Universal grammar is built off of two propositions, that all languages are governed by a set of universal principles, and that the mind is equipped with parameters which are set intuitively by the child according to the language input they receive. UG researchers have found a number of universal principles. One of the more prominent principles is structure dependency. Structure dependency states that all sentences regardless of the language are built off of propositions that carry both a noun and a verb phrase; in other words, every sentence in every language must have at least a subject and a verb (Chomsky, 1959). One parameter setting that is contained in the LAD is the head setting. Some languages such as English are head first, other languages such as Japanese are head last. Various arguments have been used to support the existence of universal grammar. Chomsky (1959) has proposed the poverty of the stimulus argument, positing that the input children receive cannot account for what they produce, and therefore, children must have an innate facility. He argues that the input is marred in two ways; first it contains a hodgepodge of performance slips, and secondly, it does not contain any negative evidence. How do children acquire language when they don’t know what they can’t say, or how do they learn to speak correctly when the input they here is at times in correct? They do so, according to Chomsky, through this innate capacity. Jackendoff (1994) offers another argument in support of universal grammar, the argument from expressive variety. Jackendoff argues that given that languages are recursive, there is simply no way of storing all of the possible sentences one can create in one’s mind. In other words, sentences don’t come from habits, but rather from creative expression. Universal grammar has had a lot of capital in language acquisition theory, although it has been critiqued on some fronts. Connectionists, particularly, N. Ellis (2006) has argued that language acquisition is not due to an innate faculty and the creative expression of humans, but equates it to a usage-based approach where children learning piecemeal frequently reoccurring chunks of language. Another argument against the innate language faculty is that UG researchers have claimed that only humans have access to syntax, yet this has been found not to be true. Certain animals, such as the humpback whale and songbirds have been found to possess a recursive syntax, suggesting that syntax and language may have evolved from lower order primates. Whereas universal grammar begins with language from the inside, Sociocultural theory, another prominent first language acquisition, posits language acquisition begins from the outside. Vygotsky, the founder of sociocultural theory, argues that language is a psychological tool, which children acquire and learn to manipulate as they interact with their environment and with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978). Children first learn language as they interact with their parents. Parents use caretaker speech, which makes it easier for the child to understand and grasp a hold on the concepts of the language. As the child begins to understand and produce simple utterances, they are able to use the language to mediate their psychological functioning (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky argues that children begin learning language by first learning single words, which are pure meaning. As they develop their language skills, and engage in social speech, single word sentences are augmented through incorporation of non-meaningful elements, such as function  words, and the child’s thoughts and words begin to develop more sense meanings. For instance, where the word ‘cat’ for the 1 or two year old child could have served as an exemplar for all cats, by the time the child is nine, and having undergone a variety of experiences related to cat, they have imbibed the word with their own unique s enses. Thus syntax and word senses expand, the more a child learns. Now, whereas social speech began from one and developed into many, inner speech, the speech that goes on inside of our heads becomes more and more truncated. Vygotsky argues, contrary to Piaget, that egocentric speech does not ‘disappear’ rather it becomes internalized as inner speech. And this inner speech is something that could not be understood by anybody but the person who is thinking it. Vygotsky suggests that just as people who have known each other for many years, and who have had a large amount of experiences together exhibit language tendencies of shortened syntax because of their historical shared experience, a person’s inner speech also exhibits this characteristic, but even more so; the stuff of thought is nothing but psychological predicates (Vygotsky, 1978). One of the primary ways humans learn anything, according to Vygotsky, is through the zone of proximal development. This concept explains that what a person can do today with assistance, they can do tomorrow by themselves (Vygotsky, 1978). Applied to first language acquisition, the child may receive help from an expert, such as their parents, who point at objects and say their name, for example, cat. After seeing this, the child may repeat ‘cat’ immediately after. The next day, as the child sees the cat, it says the word ‘cat’ without needing to be told by their parents. Chomsky maintains that languages consist of an infinite number of sentences and cannot be learned through habit formation. Language is too complex to be learned in such a short amount of time (Chomsky, 1959). He believes that every human is born with an innate language learning capacity, which is embedded in the language acquisition device (LAD). Chomsky believes that all language share grammatical structures. This is called universal grammar (UG). Proof of UG includes poverty of stimulus, which explains how children acquire the language despite their limited exposure and incorrect input they may receive. Another evidence for UG that languages are recursive, (Jackendoff, 1994). It is impossible to know all the possible combinations; however, they are learned by children. According to UG, there must be some sort of innate capacity that provides the additional information. The fact that children are resistant to correction once again proves that language is developed through an innate capacity. According to Chomsky (1959), all languages share principles, which are invariable across languages. For example, noun phrases and verb phrases. This is called structure dependency. All languages have verbs and nouns. What distinguishes languages from each other according to Chomsky, are parameters, which are language specific. For example, some languages are head first, and some are head last. In relation to UG, Eric Lenneberg (1967) introduced the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), which is a window of language learning opportunity before puberty. Proponents of CPH believe after this period, language learning becomes a much more difficult task and adults tend to rely on other mechanisms such as problem solving skills, reasoning, and deductive instruction to learn a language. Evidence of the CP is for example abused children, who despite being removed from the environment where they were deprived of social contact, were not able to learn the language. There have been many criticisms to Chomsky’s UG, for example, the LAD cannot be located and is immeasurable. Also, Chomsky’s theories overlook the effects of social contact and the environment on language learning. Social interactionist Vygotsky (1978) was a strong proponent of the social interaction hypothesis. He believed that learning takes place through social interaction, and give and take of information with caregivers, parents, or peers. According to Vygotsky, children begin with external speech, which could consist of one word only, but have the meaning of a whole sentence. Gradually, as the child grows older, he develops more complex and longer sentences and associates more meaning with his words. A child also engages in private speech (similar to adults), which is usually meant for problem solving or thinking out loud, but is not meant for sharing although articulated. Vygotsky believes that as the child develops more linguistic skills, this private speech becomes internalized and turns into inner speech, which is pure meaning, and does not consist of subjects; it is predicated. In direct opposition to the environment being the active participant in language learning, Chomsky flips behaviorism on its head and presents the learner as having a primary role while environment becomes secondary. Within the Universal Grammar Theory (UG), Noam Chomsky (1959) presents a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that is responsible for the language learning process. Purely biological, language is filtered through the innate LAD that is structured with principles that are unchanging and parameters that vary according to the language being learned. Proofs to support this theory are many. Syntax and the head-first/head-last parameter are two such proofs. As a child learns language, they hold to one of only two possibilities in any given language – head-first and head-last – and language is formed through recursion and syntactic movement that follow a pattern within a particular language. This shows that language is rule-governed and that the LAD is programmed with language foundations from which a child can develop. That children are resistant to correction follows this same thought as they develop language through the LAD. Language \is not linked to intelligence as we see in brain damaged adults who are completely coherent in language skills and others who are cognitively normal but cannot speak correctly. Stroke victims also show that, depending on the area of the brain that is affected, intelligence and speech are not linked. Broca’s and Wernicke’s Aphasias show that certain areas of the brain affe ct speech while intelligence remains unaffected. As evidenced by the Gopnik family, genetic impairments have also proven that a glitch in the UG can be passed down from one generation to another, thus proving that the LAD is indeed biological (Jackendoff, 113). Eric Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis (1967) and the cases of â€Å"wild children† are yet further evidence. Lenneberg holds that the LAD becomes dormant or ineffective after a certain age – around the age of 12 – and this is why children acquire language so much more quickly than adults who are attempting the same. Through these studies of particular children who did not learn language and who were void of contact with language as a whole, it shows that the younger the child, the more fully they were able to learn language. Once a child was passed the age of 12 or so, they were unable to acquire proper language skills. The younger children were not only able to learn more adequately but then went on to continue in the language learning process as a normal adult would. As many proofs as there are for Chomsky’s UG and the LAD, criticisms are plentiful as well. First and foremost, where is the evidence that a device like LAD exists? It certainly has not been located in the brain, therefore, it remains immeasurable and some have serious doubt as to its legitimacy. This theory also limits the role of the environment and gives no account for the social context of the language learning process. It idealizes the speaker and the grammar itself to a certain degree and packages the entire process a bit too neatly. Cognitive Development Theory Jean Piaget’s (1955) work in cognitive development is foundational on many levels. Watching his own children, nature, and certain study groups of young children, Piaget introduces a theory that is completely developmental. As a child is ready and developed (both biologically and cognitively), they are able to assimilate, accommodate and adapt new experiences. Underlying in this theory is reasoning and logic. The role of the environment is minimal and the learner is vital but only as they are cognitively developed and ready for new experiences. A child will not learn what they are not cognitively developed to receive at that point no matter what the instruction. Piaget holds to the notion of children developing schema. As a new experience is received and they are biologically and cognitively ready to receive it, they will develop new schema to fit into the framework of schema that they already have developed. This theory also relies heavily on egocentric and socialized speech with each one serving a different function. Egocentric speech is what is used (mainly by children) when words and thoughts are spoken out loud but the one speaking is only dealing with their own thoughts and ideas. Socialized speech is a shift away from egocentric speech where one simply derives pleasure from speaking to being a way of exchanging their ideas or opinions. Although Piaget’s work and theory is critical, it neither accounts for the child’s behavior as a whole nor for the cognitive development after the stage of ‘formal operation’ is reached. It offers vast insight into the developmental process of a child but little instruction on attaining language skills. It was also based solely on a Western model and is therefore quite limiting. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Input Output Hypotheses As a result of older models of language teaching where attention was given to language grammar, Krashen (1981) places his focus on communication input. He contends that if the learner is given a chance to absorb the language, they will be better equipped to acquire it. Rather than forcing output immediately, Krashen holds to a silent period where learners have the privilege of just listening to language before attempting it†¦much like a young child would in learning their mother tongue. Comprehensible input (i + 1) is the formula that Krashen holds to for optimal language learning for second language learners (SLLs). This states that if a SLL is offered input that is only slightly beyond what they already know, acquisition will take place. He also makes a differentiation between language learning and language acquisition, claiming that acquisition is what is needed for the language learning process. Criticisms of Krashen’s hypothesis are that input alone cannot account for acquisition and that some grammatical forms cannot be learned without being taught. Swain (1985) introduces her Output Hypothesis in contrast to Krashen and claims that no matter the input, if the output is unintelligible, acquisition has not truly occurred. It is the output that forces learners to grapple with the grammatical processing and figure out what works. Through output, a learner can realize their problem areas, can experiment with new areas they are unsure of, and gives them the chance to analyze problems they are having in their language learning process. Linguistics and Language free essay sample Language Comprehension †¢Language Production †¢Language Acquisition Psycholinguistics is a branch of cognitive science What will be covered in this class? †¢ How do we produce and recognize speech? †¢ How do we perceive words, letters, and sentences? †¢ How do we learn and recall information from texts? †¢ How can we improve texts to make them easier to understand? †¢ How does the brain function to process language? †¢ What are the causes and effects of reading disabilities? Is there language in other species? Central themes in psycholinguistics 1)  What knowledge of language is needed for us to use language? Tacit (implicit) knowledge vs. Explicit knowledge †¢ tacit: knowledge of how to perform something, but not aware of full rules †¢ explicit: knowledge of the processes of mechanisms in performing that thing 2)  What cognitive processes are involved in the ordinary use of language? How do we understand a lecture, read a book, hold a conversation? Cognitive processes: perception, memory, thinking, learning Some definitions of basic components of language: Semantics: The meaning of words and sentences Syntax: The grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence or phrase Phonology: The sound pattern of language Pragmatics: How language is used in a social context Examples from psycholinguistics Parsing garden path sentences The novice accepted the deal before he had a chance to check his finances, which put him in a state of conflict when he realized he had a straight flush. We will write a custom essay sample on Linguistics and Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1) The defendant examined by the lawyer turned out to be unreliable 2) The evidence examined by the lawyer turned out to be unreliable The process of parsing is the process of making decisions The effect of prior knowledge on comprehension The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one never can tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life. Bransford amp; Johnson, 1973 Recall: No context: 2. 8 idea units out of a maximum of 18 Context afterwards: 2. 7 idea units Context before: 5. 8 idea units Child language development How many words do you know? Hint: Dictionary has about: 450,000 entries Test high school graduates: How many words do they know? About 45,000 english words About 60,000 including names and foreign words The average six year old knows about 13,000 words. Learning about 10 words per day since age 1. (One every 90 minutes) How much do we have to teach children to learn language? Do you have to teach a child to walk? Is it the same way of learning a language? My teacher holded the baby rabbits and we patted them I eated my dinner A brief history of psycholinguistics Wilhem Wundt (early 1900s) Interest in mental processes of language production Sentence as the primary unit of language †¢ Speech production is the transformation of complete thought processes into sequentially organized speech segments. Behaviorism (1920s-1950s) †¢ Rejected the focus on mental processes †¢ Measurement based on objective behavior (primarily in lab animals) †¢ How does experience (reward and punishment) shape behavior? B. F. Skinner: Children learn language through shaping (correction of speech errors) Associative chain theory: A sentence consists of a chain of associations between individual words in the sentence What’s wrong with the behaviorist approach? Noam Chomsky (1950s present) 1) Colorless green ideas sleep furiously 2) Furiously sleep ideas green colorless. 3)  George picked up the baby 4)  George picked the baby up. Almost every sentence uttered is a new combination of words The Poverty of stimulus argument: There is not enough information in the language samples given to children to account for the richnes and complexity of children’s language The pattern of development is not based on parental speech but on  innate  language knowledge Linguistic Diversity vs. Linguistic Universals Linguistic diversity There appears to be a lot of diversity among languages Even within languages there is diversity When are two languages different? We speak the same language if we can understand each other Exceptions: Norwegian and Swedish Cantonese and Mandarin Dialects within languages: The myth of pure language How/why do languages change? Why does there seem to be a correct English? Members of the dominant (most powerful) sub-culture tend to speak one dialect and may punish those who do not Linguistic Chauvinism Belief that one’s own language/dialect is the best of all possible languages Black English Vernacular (BEV) Study by William Labov Interviewed African-American street youth You know, like some people say if you’re good an’ sh*t, your spirit goin’ t’heaven . . . ‘n if you bad, your spirit goin’ to hell. Well, bullsh*t! Your spirit goin’ to hell anyway, good or bad. [Why? ] Why? I’ll tell you why. ‘Cause, you see, doesn’ nobody really know that it’s a God, y’know, ‘cause I mean I have seen black gods, white gods, all color gods, and don’t nobody know it’s really a God. An’ when they be sayin’ if you good, you goin’ t’heaven, tha’s bullsh*t, ‘cause you ain’t goin’ to no heaven, ‘cause it ain’t no heaven for you to go to. †¢ Place holders: There vs. It in the copula Copula: Is, Was optional †¢ Negatives: You ain’t goin’ to no heaven BEV just as linguistically complex as Standard American English We don’t see/understand the complexity in other languages Moral: All languages seem to permit as wide range of expressions as others Linguistic Universals What is in common with all languages? Sentences are built from words based on the same physiological processes †¢ All languages have words †¢ All humans have ways of making sounds. †¢ Languages tend to use a small set of phonemic sounds †¢ Phoneme: The minimal unit of sound that contributes to meaning How many phonemes in a language? English: 40 phonemes †¢ Range: Polynesian 11 to Khoisan 141 Discreteness Messages in human language (e. g. speech sounds) are made up of units of which there is a discrete (limited) number Arbitrariness The relationship between meaningful elements in language and their denotation is independent of any physical resemblance between the two. Words do not have to look or sound like what they describe Openness †¢ New linguistic messages are created freely and easily †¢ Languages are not constrained in a way so that there are a limited number of messages that can be created.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Battle of South Mountain - Battle of South Mountain Civil War

Battle of South Mountain - Battle of South Mountain Civil War Battle of South Mountain - Conflict: The Battle of South Mountain was part of the 1862 Maryland Campaign during the American Civil War. Battle of South Mountain - Date: Union forces attacked the gaps on September 14, 1862. Armies Commanders: Union Major General George B. McClellan28,000 men Confederates General Robert E. Lee18,000 men Battle of South Mountain - Background: In September 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee began moving his Army of Northern Virginia north into Maryland with the goal of severing the rail lines to Washington and securing supplies for his men. Dividing his army, he sent Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson to capture Harpers Ferry, while Major General James Longstreet occupied Hagerstown. Pursuing Lee north, Union Major General George B. McClellan was alerted on September 13, that a copy of Lees plans had been found by soldiers from the 27th Indiana Infantry. Known as Special Order 191, the document was found in an envelope with three cigars wrapped in a piece of paper near a campsite recently used by Major General Daniel H. Hills Confederate division. Reading the orders, McClellan learned Lees marching routes and that the Confederates were spread out. Moving with uncharacteristic speed, McClellan began putting his troops in motion with the goal of defeating the Confederates before they could unite. To expedite passing over South Mountain, the Union commander divided his force into three wings. Battle of South Mountain - Cramptons Gap: The Left Wing, led by Major General William B. Frankin was assigned to capture Cramptons Gap. Moving through Burkittsville, MD, Franklin began deploying his corps near the base of South Mountain early on September 14. At the eastern base of the gap, Colonel William A. Parham commanded the Confederate defense which consisted of 500 men behind a low stone wall. After three hours of preparations, Franklin advanced and easily overwhelmed the defenders. In the fighting, 400 Confederates were captured, most of who were part of a reinforcement column sent to aid Parham. Battle of South Mountain - Turners Foxs Gaps: To the north, the defense of Turners and Foxs Gaps was tasked to the 5,000 men of Major General Daniel H. Hills division. Spread over a two mile front, they faced the Right Wing of the Army of the Potomac led by Major General Ambrose Burnside. Around 9:00 AM, Burnside ordered Major General Jesse Renos IX Corps to attack Foxs Gap. Led by the Kanawha Division, this assault secured much of land south of the gap. Pressing the attack, Renos men were able to drive Confederate troops from a stone wall along the crest of the ridge. Exhausted from their efforts, they failed to follow up this success and the Confederates formed a new defense near the Daniel Wise farm. This position was reinforced when Brigadier General John Bell Hoods Texas Brigade arrived. Re-commencing the attack, Reno was unable to take the farm and was killed in the fighting. To the north at Turners Gap, Burnside sent Brigadier General John Gibbons Iron Brigade up the National Road to attack Colonel Alfred H. Colquitts Confederate brigade. Overrunning the Confederates, Gibbons men drove them back up into the gap. Widening the assault, Burnside had Major General Joseph Hooker commit the bulk of I Corps to the attack. Pressing forward, they were able to drive the Confederates back, but were prevented from taking the gap by the arrival of enemy reinforcements, failing daylight, and rough terrain. As night fell, Lee assessed his situation. With Cramptons Gap lost and his defensive line stretched to the breaking point, he elected to withdraw west in an effort to reconcentrate his army. Aftermath of the Battle of South Mountain: In the fighting at South Mountain, McClellan suffered 443 killed, 1,807 wounded, and 75 missing. Fighting on the defensive, Confederate losses were lighter and numbered 325 killed, 1560 wounded, and 800 missing. Having taken the gaps, McClellan was in prime position to achieve his goal of attacking the elements of Lees army before they could unite. Unfortunately, McClellan reverted to the slow, cautious behavior which had been the hallmark of his failed Peninsula Campaign. Lingering on September 15, he provided time for Lee to reconcentrate the bulk of his army behind Antietam Creek. Finally moving forward, McClellan engaged Lee two days later at the Battle of Antietam. Despite McClellans failure to capitalize on the capture of the gaps, the victory at South Mountain provided a much needed victory for the Army of the Potomac and helped to improve morale after a summer of failures. Also, the engagement ended Lees hopes for staging a prolonged campaign on Northern soil and put him on the defensive. Forced into making a bloody stand at Antietam, Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia were compelled to retreat back to Virginia after the battle. Selected Sources Son of the South: Battle of South MountainCWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of South Mountain

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Make Glass Using Your Grill

How to Make Glass Using Your Grill I know, I know... your grill is the cherished hearth-o-barbeque, but if you happen to have an old grill or a friend who has a grill but doesnt cook... or if you are a diehard pyro, you can make your own glass!How does this work? Well, you cant make just any glass in your grill. It needs to be glass that has a relatively low melting point, such as soda lime glass. This is glass made from grinding silicon dioxide (sand) with borax, washing soda or lime. Youre still going to need about 2000Â °F to make the glass, but if the ancients could do it, so can you. They would have used a fire with a bellows, but you can use a charcoal fire that is fed air using a vacuum cleaner.If you want to try this project, you can get details and watch the video of home glassmaking in action at Popular Sciences website, Popsci.com. Definitely watch the video. Its a spectacular demonstration, plus youll see why most people will choose to use their grill for steaks rather than making glass. FIRE!Colored Glas s Chemistry | How to Make Water Glass

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Use emotional intelligence for your benefit Essay

Use emotional intelligence for your benefit - Essay Example With emotional intelligence, an individual is able to avoid troubles that would otherwise be detrimental to their physical and psychological health. Precisely, emotional intelligence has numerous benefits to individuals who posses and practice the value. Emotional intelligence helps in enhancing self-awareness, which refers to the ability to understand oneself in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Understanding ones strengths is important in a helping one direct their energies towards the most appropriate and beneficial commitments. Exploitation of one’s strengths is important considering that it may lead to self-actualization, which entails achieving the best out of oneself (AlDakeel 52). Understanding one’s weaknesses is also important in helping an individual develop proper techniques to counter the effects of particular weaknesses. Ability to manage effects of particular weaknesses may help an individual in avoiding stresses that may result from the effects. Effective self-awareness brought by emotional intelligence can help an individual to gain skills to detect, identify and manage situations that likely to cause discord to one. AlDakeel mentions that emotional intelligence is also attributable to effective emotional management (52). Individuals who have high levels of emotional intelligences are able to detect and understand particular emotions together with their likely consequence. Understanding emotions before causing unwanted effects also train individuals about techniques and measures to manage particular stressful situations. The ability to manage emotions create ample room for understanding others, and helping one guide others into sober negotiations to resolve issues that are controversial. In so doing, emotional intelligence will be assisting in the process of effective decision-making. Improved social awareness is another benefit derivable from emotional intelligence. Social

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Review - Article Example The research design is effective and efficient because it truly measures the reactions of the children having intellectual disability or the autism. Different types of tokens are used against the desired behaviors to reinforce the children and then their reactions are recorded to develop the conclusions. The dependent variable is the reaction of the child who is facing autism problem or the intellectual disability. According to the research article, the dependent variable is influencing the research studies up to a great extent. The old studies says that the token systems are effective tools to shape the behaviors but the dependent variables, in our article, says that these token systems cannot be generalized in either way (Matson, 2009). A real record of evidences is provided in the form of a table having the reactions of the children towards different instincts. These evidences play an important role in developing the hypothese and thus draw the conclusion of the research activity. The authors whose work has been cited in the article, are generalizing the effectiveness of the token money but in actually the results shows that the technique of token system lacks generalization (Randolph, 2009). We cannot say that every person or specifically child may react to these reinforces in the same way. According to the results of the research processes, the patients of intellectual disability or autism are not reacting to the reinforcement, which is created by the token, or the tickets of the desired behavior. For example some children suffering from autism are offered tokens against their favorite toys to shape their behaviors but they do not react in the way as it is expected. The conclusion is based on the research findings of the article. The research findings says that the effectiveness of the token money was incredible in the initial times but as the time

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ecuador Essay Example for Free

Ecuador Essay Ecuador is a very fascinating country. Scientists can use the past information about the geography to figure out the future. For instance, learning how the land has transformed over time in Ecuador may lead to a continuous pattern. Other things that scientists use are tools and techniques. Identifying various rocks and minerals, discovering how the land has been changed, and observing mountain formations and fossils also help to figure out patterns. All of these things allow scientists predict, accurately, what the Earth’s crust will do in the future. Many things about Ecuador’s future landscape can be told through what has happened in the past. When volcanoes are active they erupt and produce lava (called magma when inside the volcano). The lava eventually cools off and leaves a thick layer of igneous rock on the surface. The numerous volcanoes in Ecuador means the soil is very fertile, because the ashes from eruptions act like fertilizer. Therefore it has produced the Amazon Rainforest. Also, volcano lava can create islands. Islands made of lava can be found in Ecuador. Another way Ecuador’s terrain has been transformed through earthquakes. This is because earthquakes cause the Earth’s tectonic plates to crack. Cracks can either create valleys or mountains. These patterns can lead to different kinds of terrain in Ecuador (in the future). Different types of minerals can be used to tell what will happen to the Earth’s crust in the future. By investigating different minerals in your area, you can understand how they were formed. Knowing when and how they, for instance volcanic minerals, were formed, like by a volcano, scientists can tell when the next â€Å"event† will occur. The Moh’s Hardness Scale can help you tell what types of minerals there exist, based on how hard it is to break them. This scale goes from one to ten (one being the softest, ten the hardest). Minerals can also be differentiated by their shape. Some of the shapes are cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, and triclinic. Another type of identification is called lustre (shininess). Lustre has two categories. They are metallic lustre (shiny) and non- metallic lustre (dull). The first identification people think of is color. However, this method can be hard to use because there are so many minerals. Streak tests can also be used. This method is when you test the color of the mineral’s powder on unglazed porcelain tiles. Last but not least is figuring out cleavage and fracture. Cleavage and fracture lets you test how something breaks. If it’s cleavage, the break is smooth. If it’s fracture the break has jagged edges. All of these identifications help the scientists figure out what the Earth’s crust will do next. Types of rocks can also help to discover the future land in Ecuador. One type of rock is an igneous rock. Igneous rocks are extrusive rocks. They are made of lava (called magma inside a volcano-magma is intrusive) once it cools down on top of the Earth’s crust. Mountains are most likely to be sedimentary rock because of all of the things that help to build it up. The last type of rock is metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are made when one rock’s form is changed by immense heat and pressure. Evidence of these things is the rock’s appearance, combinations of minerals, and how it looks under a microscope. When figuring out the types of rocks, a pattern may immerge in and on the Earth’s crust. Observations on how Ecuador looked, in the past, and where it was can help scientists to know where it will be and what it will look like in the future. One thousand years ago this region would have been beside Africa. If you look closely you can see where South America of the past was. Like puzzle pieces, many of the continents can be fit together with another continent. Ecuador would also have no islands. There would be very few mountains or volcanoes, a lot bigger plants and more forests, and the temperature would be a little bit warmer than Alberta’s. Then, one hundred years ago, Ecuador was in the same place as it is today. Most likely, there would be a little bit less mountains and volcanoes then there are today. The islands would be about half there size, the temperature would be about the same as now, but there would still be a little bit more forestry. Since the continent moved then, it is hypothesized that it will almost absolutely move more in the future. Ecuador has some very interesting mountain formation patterns and some fossils have been found that are in other continents. When you look at a terrain map, you can see that almost all mountains are near the shoreline. Also most of the mountains are formed in a line or in small groups. Some of the mountain formations in different places even fit together! Scientists are able to figure out, that more mountain formations will be created on other shorelines. Eventually mountains may fill up some regions. The fossils there can also be found in Africa. For instance, if they were filming a Jurassic Park 14 in Ecuador, they could use the dinosaurs’ Kannemeyerid, Lystrosaurus, and Mesosaurus. They could also add the plant glossopteris. All of these plants and dinosaurs are also found in Africa (none of these dinosaurs could swim!!! ). These things let scientists predict even more about the future. The previous information helps scientists with their research. Without these things, people would have a really  Ã‚  hard time trying to figuring out what will happen in the future. All of these methods let professionals predict what the Earth’s crust will do next.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Virtual Home :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites The family is the mainspring of support of every kind. It mobilizes psychological resources and alleviates emotional burdens. It allows for the sharing of tasks, provides material goods together with cognitive training. It is the prime socialization agent and encourages the absorption of information, most of it useful and adaptive. This division of labour between parents and children is vital both to development and to proper adaptation. The child must feel, in a functional family, that he can share his experiences without being defensive and that the feedback that he is likely to receive will be open and unbiased. The only "bias" acceptable (because it is consistent with constant outside feedback) is the set of beliefs, values and goals that is internalized via imitation and unconscious identification. So, the family is the first and the most important source of identity and of emotional support. It is a greenhouse wherein a child feels loved, accepted and secure - the prerequisites for the development of personal resources. On the material level, the family should provide the basic necessities (and, preferably, beyond), physical care and protection and refuge and shelter during crises. Elsewhere, we have discussed the role of the mother (The Primary Object). The father's part is mostly neglected, even in professional literature. However, recent research demonstrates his importance to the orderly and healthy development of the child. He participates in the day to day care, is an intellectual catalyst, who encourages the child to develop his interests and to satisfy his curiosity through the manipulation of various instruments and games. He is a source of authority and discipline, a boundary setter, enforcing and encouraging positive behaviours and eliminating negative ones. He also provides emotional support and economic security, thus stabilizing the family unit. Finally, he is the prime source of masculine orientation and identification to the male child - and gives warmth and love as a male to his daughter, without exceeding the socially permissible limits. These traditional roles of the family are being eroded from both the inside and the outside. The proper functioning of the classical family was determined, to a large extent, by the geographical proximity of its members. They all huddled together in the "family unit" – an identifiable volume of physical space, distinct and different to other units. The daily friction and interaction between the members of the family moulded them, influenced their patterns of behaviour and their reactive patterns and determined how successful their adaptation to life would be.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Management Of Carbon Monoxide In Nigeria Environmental Sciences Essay

Carbon monoxide direction have progressively received attending in recent times, due to issues originating from the clime alteration phenomenon, and the increasing rate of wellness and environment jobs originating from air pollution. The promotions in air quality and C monoxide direction techniques are borne out of the demand for safe ambient air for all. Air quality can be defined as the quality of air we breathe, which depends on the measure of harmful gases and substances in it. Air quality is classified in the UK as ‘very good ‘ , ‘good ‘ , ‘poor ‘ and ‘very hapless ‘ ( Longhurst et al. , 1995 ) . Poor air quality, which is a effect of air pollution, is traditionally characterised by the presence of the most often and routinely monitored air pollutants ( N dioxide and its reaction merchandises, sulfur dioxide and its reaction merchandises, ozone, particulate affair, lead, volatile organic compounds and C monoxide our focal point in this research work ) at concentrations transcending the criterions which have been set to protect human wellness and the environment ( Longhurst et al. , 1995 ) . Carbon monoxide ( CO ) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas that is somewhat less dense than air. It is a merchandise of uncomplete burning of carbon-containing fuels and is besides produced by some industrial and biological procedures. Carbon monoxide is a toxicant gas produced when fuels incorporating C are burned in the presence of small O. Harmonizing to experts, it can besides organize as a consequence of firing fuels at high temperatures. Much of this gas is being churned into the ambiance in Nigeria. When inhaled, C monoxide combines with the blood hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying substance in ruddy blood cells and by so making, inhibits haemoglobin from taking up O. Since hemoglobin can non take up O from the air, cells and tissues, dices due to the deficiency of O. In Nigeria, at present, the significance of natural beginnings of C monoxide for adult male is unsure. Estimates of semisynthetic C monoxide emanations vary from 350 to 600 million metric tons per annum. By far the most of import beginning of C monoxide at take a breathing degree is the fumes of petrol-powered motor vehicles. The emanation rate depends on the type of vehicle, its velocity, and its manner of operation. Other beginnings include heat and power generators, some industrial procedures such as the carbonisation of fuel, and the incineration of garbage. Faulty domestic cookery and warming contraptions may be of import beginnings that are frequently overlooked.OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYa. To wholly specify the spacial and temporal distributions of CO ; B. To gauge the beginnings and per centum of C monoxide part to air pollution in Nigeria. c. To measure the negative impact of Carbon monoxide emanation to human wellness and the environment. d. To better understand CO tendencies, and to compare these with tendencies derived from emanation stock list informations in order to proffer best steps for Carbon monoxide emanation extenuation and direction in Nigeria.JustificationThe justification for this research is based on the environmental and wellness jeopardies posed by C monoxide with mention to air quality surveies and direction in Nigeria.LITERATURE REVIEWCarbon monoxide ( CO ) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas that is somewhat less dense than air. It is a merchandise of uncomplete burning of carbon-containing fuels and is besides produced by some industrial and biological procedures. Its wellness significance as a contamination of air is mostly due to the fact that it forms a strong coordination bond with the Fe atom of the protohaem composite in hemoglobin forming carboxyhaemoglobin ( HbCO ) and therefore impairs the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The dissociation of oxyhemoglobin is besides altered by the presence in blood of carboxyhaemoglobin so that the supply of O to weave is farther impaired. The affinity of hemoglobin for C monoxide is approximately 240 times that of its affinity for O ; the proportions of carboxyhaemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin in blood are mostly dependent on the partial force per unit areas of C monoxide and O. Carbonmonoxide is absorbed through the lungs and the concentrationa of carboxyhaemoglobin in the blood at any clip will depend on several factors. When in equilibrium with ambient air, the carboxyhaemoglobin content of the blood will depend chiefly on the concentrations of divine C monoxide and O. However, if equilibrium has non been achieved, the carboxyhaemoglobin concentration will besides depend on the clip of exposure, pneumonic airing, and the carboxyhaemoglobin originally present before inspiration of the contaminated air. The enormous addition in the figure and usage of motor vehicles during the past 30 old ages has been accompanied by a rapid addition in C monoxide emanations. The rate at which C monoxide is emitted from motor vehicles varies non merely with vehicle but besides with the manner of operation of the vehicle. The emanations of C monoxide by other nomadic beginnings are relatively little. Among the stationary beginnings, the combustion of waste stuff and certain industrial procedures generate significant sums of carbonmonoxide. Petroleum refineries, Fe metalworkss, kraft-pulp Millss, carbon-black workss are the major beginnings. The combustion of garbage, either in incinerators or openly, is an of import beginning of C monoxide. If uncontrolled, the emanation rate of C monoxide from incinerators is about 17.5 kilograms per metric ton of garbage burned. If burned openly, the emanation rates can change from approximately 25 to 60 kilograms per metric ton, depending upon the type of garbage ( US Environmental Protection Agency, 1973b ) . The burning of fossil fuels in electric generating workss, industries, and the place, while ensuing in the emanation of smaller measures of C monoxide separately, may represent a major beginning when combined. Any industrial procedure or operation, where uncomplete burning of carbonous stuff occurs, may easy be of importance every bit far as occupational exposure to carbon monoxide is concerned. Smelting of Fe ore, gas production plants, gasworks and coke ovens, distribution and usage of natural gas and coal gas, car fabrication, garages, and service Stationss are among the mos t of import beginnings for occupational exposure to carbon monoxide ( Ministry of Labour, 1965 ) The direction of C monoxide air quality will imply proper scrutiny of its assorted beginnings, its background degree and therefore the control of its emanation into the environment. An effectual air quality direction requires the undermentioned ( Stern, 1977 ) :I. Constitution of a set of air quality criterions or ends.The United Kingdom Air Quality Standards Regulation 2007 No. 64 defines air quality criterions as ‘limit values, mark values and long-run aims ‘ ( OPSI, 2007 ) of sum of air pollutants which should be present in the ambient air at degrees regarded to be safe for take a breathing. two. Construct an emanations stock list. An emanation stock list is a database of all emanation beginnings and the information on major air pollutants types and concentrations in the ambiance in a peculiar topographic point ( Mattai and Hutchinson, 2005 ) . Assorted standardized guidelines for building emanations stock list of air pollutants to turn to specific scenarios can be found in assorted literatures ( Mattai and Hutchinson, 2005 ; ARPEL, 1998 ; EEA, 2007 ; US EPA, 2000 ) . three. Monitoring in order to find ambient air quality. Monitoring the concentration of pollutants aimed at measuring current air quality and impacts on policy execution is an of import facet of an air quality direction system ( Long hurst et al. , 1996 ) four. Enforcement schemes and emanations control tactics should be devised. These tactics should be readily evaluated in order to set up their proficient and economical feasibleness and enforceability. Griffin ( 1994 ) identifies the constituents of an air quality direction program to include: Air pollutant concentration and effects Control schemes and rating Legislation and enforcement Beginnings and emanations Transportation system and transmutation.MATERIALS AND METHODSMEASUREMENT TECHNIQUESAnalytic Method for Determining Carbon Monoxide in Environmental SamplesThe methodological analysis for the research will see the Measurement of C monoxide in the environment utilizing spectroscopic methods that is, Non-dispersive infrared ( NDIR ) spectrometry. For analysis by NDIR spectrometry, air is pumped into samples cells and the soaking up is measured at a C monoxide vibrational set at 2,174 cm-1 ( 4.7 ?m ) . Frequent automatic nothing cheques are compulsory. Zero cheques should be performed with CO free air generated utilizing a trap consisting of Schutze Reagent or hydrophobic baronial metal accelerator ( e.g. Sofnocat ) . Most NDIR CO analysers show zero impetus ( a few to several twelve nmol mol-1 per hr. Thus the appropriate interval for automatic nothing cheques must be evaluated at single sites. The scope for the frequence of machine-controlled zero cheques normally is at least one time per hr for instruments with a big impetus and day-to-day for instruments with a little impetus. Frequent automatic span cheques are besides desirable but are less important compared to zero cheques. The frequence should be between hourly and hebdomadal cheques. An optical filter is employed before the sample to take visible radiation of other frequences. Most NDIR spectrometers use gas filter correlativity ( GFC ) methodological analysis to better sensitiveness and cut down interventions by other gasses. In this method, the sample is at the same time passed through both a mention cell incorporating a high concentration of C monoxide and a sample cell incorporating N gas. Gas species other than C monoxide will rarefy radiation every bit in both cells ; nevertheless, when C monoxide is present, the sum of light go throughing through the mention cell is unchanged, but that go throughing through the sample cell is absorbed at the characteristic C monoxide frequence. This difference in s oaking up between the light passing through the cells is linearly related to carbon monoxide concentrations in the air sample ( EPA 2000 ) . The instrument one-dimensionality is acceptable if the mean response factor of each standardization gas is within 2.5 per centum of the overall mean value and if the comparative criterion divergence for each set of triplicate injections is less than 2 per centum. Record the overall mean of the response factor values as the standardization response factor ( R ) .DATA ANALYSISThe information collected will be analysed utilizing Calculations and Data Analysis. Carry out computations retaining at least one excess important figure beyond that of the acquired informations. Round off consequences merely after the concluding computation.I. Calculations and Data AnalysisBy replacing CO for NOx as applicable. Concentration Correction for CO2 Removal. Correct the CO concentration for CO2 remotion ( if applicable ) utilizing Eq. 10-1. CAvg = CCOstack ( 1 ? FCO ) 2 Where: CAvg = Average gas concentration for the trial tally, ppm. CCO stack = Average unadjusted stack gas CO concentration indicated by the informations recording equipment for the trial tally, ppmv. FCO2 = Volume fraction of CO2 in the sample, i.e. , per centum CO2 from Or sat analysis divided by 100.SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATIONAn extended, although non conclusive, literature reappraisal has been carried out, from which a general overview of C monoxide direction state of affairs of the Nigeria has been identified. From the literature reappraisal, it can be deduced that there is the demand for the development of air quality direction plan/system. This will guarantee that high quality information on the extent and impact of air pollution by C monoxide can be used as the footing for statute law to restrict the pollution, and develop a mechanism that will heighten uninterrupted monitoring of air quality in Nigeria.DecisionIn position of this and the findings from the literature reappraisal, the purposes and aims of this research are established and a methodological analysis proposed.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Literary analysis of “A Good Man is Hard To Find” Essay

In the short story A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Conner, the reader is taken on a journey and tags along with a self-centered family as they explore the sights of the rural south while en route to their destination, a family vacation in Florida. As they travel the dusty road, O’Connor (2012) takes them from heaven, â€Å"all at once, they would be on a hill, looking down over the blue tops of trees for miles around,† (p. 139) and spirals them down to hell â€Å"then the next minute, they would be in a red depression with the dust coated trees looking down on them,† (p. 139) where they meet their sudden and unexpected demise. Through it all, O’Connor spins a violent, dark and dismal tale, utilizing symbolism, allusions, irony and psychological aspects to effectively convey her theme of good versus evil, and reminds us that good does not always win. O’Connor (2012) starts us in an unnamed city, with a family of six as they discuss their upcoming vacation to Florida. The husband, Bailey, is succinct and short with his words. His wife and mother, both remain unnamed in the story but have quite contrasting personalities. Bailey’s mother, the grandmother, is self-centered and often manipulative. His wife, the children’s mother, is quiet and meek as she cares for her youngest child, the baby. His 2 older children, John Wesley and June Star, are outspoken and disrespectful, and their rude behavior goes unpunished. They travel the back roads of Georgia together as the grandmother tells tales of the past and points out uninteresting sights, which fall on the deaf ears of her family. The family stops for lunch at a roadside diner, and the reader gets a further glimpse into their everyday interaction, and for a moment, things actually seem hopeful for the dysfunctional family. After their meal, the family continues on to their destination, and the grandmother and children manipulate Baily into taking a detour to visit an old, mysterious estate that the grandmother once visited in her younger years. A sudden and  embarrassing thought of the grandmother leads to a car accident where miraculously, nobody sustains any serious injury. A moment of hope in rescue turns dismal as their rescuer turns out to an escaped killer, the Misfit, who eventually kills the family. The grandmother, who in more ways than one is responsible for the family’s untimely end, has a moment of grace in her last moment and dies with a smile on her face (p. 134-146). O’Connor’s story is filled with symbolism and allusion, in order to further convey her dark theme of death and ideas surrounding it. An example of such symbolism is when the family is passing the town of Toombsboro. O’Connor (2012) writes â€Å"outside of Toombsboro she woke up and recalled an old plantation that she had visited in this neighborhood once when she was a young lady† (p. 138). The name of the town, Toombsboro plays on the word tomb, which represents death. This alludes to the reader that death may be in the family’s future. O’Connor continues with the symbolism after the family has crashed, and their hope for rescue comes in the form of a hearse. The family sees a car slowly driving towards them, lumbering along the twists and turns of the road they had just traveled. As it appears in front of them, O’Connor (2012) writes â€Å"it was a big black battered hearse-like automobile† (p.140). Again, the image of a hearse, which is used to transport the dead, brings the idea of death to the mind of the reader, and further alludes to the death that the family is about to encounter. O’Connor (2012) furthers her death allusions and symbolism when she writes â€Å"the Misfit pointed the toe of his shoe into the ground and made a little hole and then covered it up again† (p. 142). The Misfit in this case, is digging a hole and then covering it back up, symbolizing the digging of a grave, and then filling the grave back in. O’Connor’s use of symbols of death advance her theme and add to the dark tone of the story. O’Connor also uses a number of psychological aspects to further relate her characters to her readers. As O’Connor starts the story, all members of the family appear in one way or another to be self-centered, which relates to the psychoanalysis term of the â€Å"Id,† which are the unconscious desires of the character and the gratification of those desires. In one passage, the grandmother speaks to the children of an old southern gentleman she once  knew, Mr. Teagarden. O’Connor (2012) writes â€Å"she would have done well to marry Mr. Teagarden because he†¦ had bought Coca-Cola stock when it first came out and that he had died†¦ a very wealthy man† (p.137). This comment by the grandmother hints on her unconscious materialistic desires about money, and is even shameful enough to impart this negative personal quality onto her grandchildren. Moreover, this quality is seen in the children when O’Connor writes about June Star as she speaks about the roadside diner where they have stopped. June Star says â€Å"I wouldn’t live in a broken-down place like this for a million bucks† (O’Connor, 2012, p. 137). June Star is showing her materialistic desires when she states that she has no care to live in anything but luxury, even for a large sum of money. Further in the story, the children throw a tantrum, even resorting to violent tactics, in order to get their way and visit the old estate where hidden valuables are rumored to be stashed. O’Conner (2012) writes: â€Å"The children began to yell and scream that they wanted to see the house with the secret panel. John Wesley kicked the back of the front seat and June Star hung over her mother’s shoulder and whined desperately into her ear†¦ The baby began to scream and John Wesley kicked the back of the seat so hard that his father could feel the blows in his kidney† (p.139). Again, O’Connor illustrates the Id of the children as they seek gratification of their desires, which is to get the hidden valuables. This shows the materialistic values that the young children hold. O’Connor’s use of psychoanalytic ideas helps further convey her theme and tone to the reader. O’Connor also employs a number of examples of irony in her story to better involve the reader. The grandmother states â€Å"I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscious if I did† (O’Connor, 2012, p. 134). This statement, while foreshadowing to a certain degree, turns ironic at the end of the story, as it is the grandmother that detours the family down the dirt road, where they ultimately come into contact with the Misfit, and are killed. It is also ironic in that the grandmother does have to answer to her conscious, and O’Connor (2012) describes the grandmother, after being shot by the Misfit, as having â€Å"her face smiling up at the cloudless sky† (p. 145), showing that the grandmother died at peace. Again, this is ironic in that the  grandmother was directly responsible for her children and grandchildren’s deaths, yet she died at peace with the world. O’Connor’s use of irony throughout the story is an excellent way to further her overall tone, and engage the reader deeper into the story. O’Connor’s story brings the reader into the realm of death by her use of symbolism, irony, and psychoanalysis. Her use of symbols and allusions of death, seeking gratification for personal desires, and the idea that the characters meet an ironic death, all build a solid base in which to convey her theme that living a good, pure and wholesome life may spare you from evil. The character’s may feel on top of the world as they travel down the dusty, winding road of life, but ultimately die, due to their selfish ways, in a reddened, deep ditch, at the edge of a dark woods. References O’Connor, F. (2012). A Good Man Is Hard to Find. In P. Schakel, & J. Ridl, Approaching literature: Reading, thinking, writing (3rd ed., pp. 134-146). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Whenever vs. When Ever

Whenever vs. When Ever Whenever vs. When Ever Whenever vs. When Ever By Maeve Maddox It’s interesting that two-word phrases like â€Å"any place,† â€Å"a lot,† and â€Å"all right† are often squeezed into nonstandard one-word forms like anyplace, alot, and alright, but one-word wherever is often written incorrectly as â€Å"when ever.† As a relative conjunction introducing a conditional clause, whenever means â€Å"at whatever time, no matter when.† Here are some examples in which whenever is used correctly: Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.- Mark Twain Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.- Oscar Wilde. Whenever I turn on my computer, the screen says â€Å"Monitor going to sleep.† Here are examples of whenever incorrectly written as two words: Incorrect: Journalists are like dogs, when ever anything moves they begin to bark. Correct : Journalists are like dogs, whenever anything moves they begin to bark. Incorrect: She smiles at me when ever I see her. Correct : She smiles at me whenever I see her. Incorrect: The computer crashes when ever I try to game. Correct : The computer crashes whenever I try to game. The words when and ever are written separately when the sense is â€Å"when, if ever?† Here are some examples of when ever used correctly: When ever will you  get over your fear of cats? When ever will you  have this chance again?   When ever will they learn  to not put stuff up there? When  ever  did these feelings start?   When ever are you going to clean the house? When, Ever, Is a Murderer Anything but a Murderer? If your intended meaning is â€Å"every time that,† write whenever. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:8 Types of Parenthetical Phrases10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Be Sure to Dot Your is!

Be Sure to Dot Your is! Be Sure to Dot Your is! Be Sure to Dot Your is! By Maeve Maddox A reader asks: What is the correct way to write, there are three twos in the English language. The short answer is: There are three twos in the English language. A more thorough answer requires a look at 1. the rule for forming the plural of letters, acronyms, symbols, and words regarded as words, and 2. the intended meaning of this particular sentence. 1. How to form the plural of letters, numerals, symbols, and words used as words The Walsh Plain English handbook (widely used in American schools from 1939 into the 1970s) gave this rule: Form the plurals of letters, symbols, figures, and words regarded as words by adding s, or sometimes just s: Ex. Dot your is, cross your ts, and make your 3s (or 3s) plainer. You have too many ands (or ands) in this sentence. In 2009, the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL), an excellent and authoritative guide to written English, gives this rule: The plurals of single capital letters, acronyms, and Arabic numerals (1,2,3,) take an -s WITHOUT an apostrophe: Z (the capital letter Z)Zs UPC (Universal Product Code)UPCs ATM (Automatic Teller Machine)ATMs GUI (Graphical User Interface)GUIs 3 (the Arabic numeral 3)3s The OWL handout Forming plurals of lowercase letters carries this notation: Apostrophes are used to form plurals of letters that appear in lowercase; here the rule appears to be more typographical than grammatical, e.g. three ps versus three ps. To form the plural of a lowercase letter, place s after the letter. There is no need for apostrophes indicating a plural on capitalized letters, numbers, and symbols (though keep in mind that some editors, teachers, and professors still prefer them). My take on the use of the apostrophe to form any kind of plural is avoid doing it if you can make your meaning clear in any other way. Using s to form the plural of symbols feeds the uncertainities of young writers who imagine that the apostrophe is the sign of the plural and write such things as The dogs ran in the park. Or The dogs ran in the park. Ive had students so mesmerized by the apostrophe that they wrote his as his and goes as goes. Because of such experiences I balk at forming any kind of plural with s. In most cases no confusion results from adding a plain s to a numeral: His 3s look like 8s. Or to an acronym: All the ATMs had been vandalized. Adding s to a letter is tricky, as in the title of this post. The intended plural is looks like the verb is. Capitalizing the letter can help, but not in every case. Ex. Take more care in forming your As, Ts, and Is. My solution is to resort to quotation marks: Take more care in forming your as, ts, and is. Im not entirely happy with my solution, but I prefer it to using the apostrophe to form a plural. 2. The sentence There are three twos in the English language. Spoken, the sentence is a great way for a teacher to introduce the three English words that are pronounced [tu:]: to, two, and too. Attempting to put the sentence into written form, however, presents problems. For one thing, it spoils the pun. For another, theres only one two in English. Link to Owl Writing Lab 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 Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?35 Genres and Other Varieties of FictionWords That Begin with Q