Wednesday, December 19, 2007
We all want to know about the origin of language
Here is a good read about this topic, albeit not tech writing, but still the nyt (New York Times) always has good stuff to read here.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Get together...for relaxing time enjoying good food :)
Sitting pondering life-longing thoughts...and then it hit me.... I cant believe the semester is practically done!.....and so Chrismas gets here.... I was wondering if we could all get together to enjoy some good talks, laughs, and yummie food this week!
Let me know what are your thoughts, availability, and ideas for eating-out!
I miss u all! :(
xoxo
Let me know what are your thoughts, availability, and ideas for eating-out!
I miss u all! :(
xoxo
Thursday, November 29, 2007
3 a.m. til I come ... down from the caffeine!
Note to self: Do not drink a Grande Tazo Chai Latte at Starbucks unless you are fully prepared to be wired.
In the short number of hours I've been home, I've watched House and Dexter (downloaded - no commercials), reviewed for the exam, knitted half of my scarf, tucked Tim into bed, cleaned the house, checked Facebook only once for 3 minutes (I deserve an award!), and I'm writing this blog entry. I rule!
This is what happens to a caffeine-sensitive person who woke up at 6 a.m., went to work, went to the gym, and reviewed stuff on the bus on the way home, and met up with Prisci in the evening. I should have been done hours ago! Usually by 1 a.m. I'm toast. But not tonight! ah! Did you know there is a Depeche Mode song called "But Not Tonight"? Didn't think so. I could most possibly do 50 push-ups in the state I'm in. I'm not jittery. I'm not headache-y. Nada. Not the name, but I mean not at all. This is the zone!
Why am I posting this? I simply want to warn you all about the affects/effects (or as I like to say "offects" because I can't figure out for the life of me WHICH is WHICH, so why not go with the "o"?) of drugs like caffeine in this instance on the body (nothing else, I promise). I feel like an experiment right now. I told myself that if I ever put myself in this situation again, I would blog about it. Why, because I can.
Sit back and enjoy the ride, Linda and anyone else that is reading this. The enlightening state of mind is a wondrous experience. I feel fully aware and pretty sponge-brained now. The benefit could be that I retain much of what comes my way; the detriment may be that I only remember the sopped up information when I'm in this state again.
Poll:
How much would you appreciate me being hyped during the exam? Pretty distracting in fact.
Let's leave it at that. Thank you for not smoking.
- 100 mg of caffeine, check.
- Time is flying by, check.
- Can no longer focus, check.
In the short number of hours I've been home, I've watched House and Dexter (downloaded - no commercials), reviewed for the exam, knitted half of my scarf, tucked Tim into bed, cleaned the house, checked Facebook only once for 3 minutes (I deserve an award!), and I'm writing this blog entry. I rule!
This is what happens to a caffeine-sensitive person who woke up at 6 a.m., went to work, went to the gym, and reviewed stuff on the bus on the way home, and met up with Prisci in the evening. I should have been done hours ago! Usually by 1 a.m. I'm toast. But not tonight! ah! Did you know there is a Depeche Mode song called "But Not Tonight"? Didn't think so. I could most possibly do 50 push-ups in the state I'm in. I'm not jittery. I'm not headache-y. Nada. Not the name, but I mean not at all. This is the zone!
Why am I posting this? I simply want to warn you all about the affects/effects (or as I like to say "offects" because I can't figure out for the life of me WHICH is WHICH, so why not go with the "o"?) of drugs like caffeine in this instance on the body (nothing else, I promise). I feel like an experiment right now. I told myself that if I ever put myself in this situation again, I would blog about it. Why, because I can.
Sit back and enjoy the ride, Linda and anyone else that is reading this. The enlightening state of mind is a wondrous experience. I feel fully aware and pretty sponge-brained now. The benefit could be that I retain much of what comes my way; the detriment may be that I only remember the sopped up information when I'm in this state again.
Poll:
How much would you appreciate me being hyped during the exam? Pretty distracting in fact.
Let's leave it at that. Thank you for not smoking.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Why I Don't Write Fundraising Letters
Dear Colleagues
What would you do if you had no money to buy food? What if you couldn’t pay your child’s medical bills? Where could you turn if you were the victim of an abusive relationship?
Right now, many of our fellow Torontonians are asking themselves these very questions. Thanks to the United Way, many will get the help they need to make a fresh start, but the demands keep growing:
oOne in four Toronto families is struggling in poverty
o50% of households who use a food bank in Toronto report earning less than $12,000 per year
o76% of women and 88% of children in all Canadian shelters were escaping situations of abuse*
Do you want to change these numbers? Are you willing to help deserving families and individuals? With your support we can reduce poverty and provide vital services to those who really need them. Every year the United Way funds 200 agencies to help thousands of people living in and around our city – through food-banks, shelters, legal aid and advocacy for abused women, employment for disadvantaged Canadians and newcomers, youth counselling, leadership training, after-school programs, homecare and health support services, and so much more.
Sadly, the need for these services has dramatically increased in only one year. More than ever before, our help is needed to provide food, shelter, counselling and support for those who are at-risk in our population. Not only will 90% of donations go directly to client services, but through the generosity of the D’Alessandro family, an increase of 10% or more in our donation will be matched by the Leadership Challenge Grant. Last year we raised an impressive $205,760 – but with this added incentive, we know we can do even better. This year, we’re aiming to increase that amount by 15% for a total of $236,625 by December 31. If we can raise this sum, the United Way will receive an additional $30,000. Together, we can reach this goal and help others in our community.
Please give generously – without you, there would be no way.
Sincerely,
Kate Lundy
United Way Coordinator
Enc 1
*Statistics taken from http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/
What would you do if you had no money to buy food? What if you couldn’t pay your child’s medical bills? Where could you turn if you were the victim of an abusive relationship?
Right now, many of our fellow Torontonians are asking themselves these very questions. Thanks to the United Way, many will get the help they need to make a fresh start, but the demands keep growing:
oOne in four Toronto families is struggling in poverty
o50% of households who use a food bank in Toronto report earning less than $12,000 per year
o76% of women and 88% of children in all Canadian shelters were escaping situations of abuse*
Do you want to change these numbers? Are you willing to help deserving families and individuals? With your support we can reduce poverty and provide vital services to those who really need them. Every year the United Way funds 200 agencies to help thousands of people living in and around our city – through food-banks, shelters, legal aid and advocacy for abused women, employment for disadvantaged Canadians and newcomers, youth counselling, leadership training, after-school programs, homecare and health support services, and so much more.
Sadly, the need for these services has dramatically increased in only one year. More than ever before, our help is needed to provide food, shelter, counselling and support for those who are at-risk in our population. Not only will 90% of donations go directly to client services, but through the generosity of the D’Alessandro family, an increase of 10% or more in our donation will be matched by the Leadership Challenge Grant. Last year we raised an impressive $205,760 – but with this added incentive, we know we can do even better. This year, we’re aiming to increase that amount by 15% for a total of $236,625 by December 31. If we can raise this sum, the United Way will receive an additional $30,000. Together, we can reach this goal and help others in our community.
Please give generously – without you, there would be no way.
Sincerely,
Kate Lundy
United Way Coordinator
Enc 1
*Statistics taken from http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/
Linda's A4: fund-raising
This is the final letter I gave Sabine. Enjoy!
Dear colleagues,
When your division reaches 97% participation, each member wins a day off.
ECF Coordinator
IBM Canada,
*************************************
Assignment 4 (Second posting)
Dear colleagues,
As the winter winds chill the air, you can feel extra warm this holiday season by making a tax-deductible donation to the United Way during our year end gift matching campaign.
It's a really exciting time to make a gift to the United Way. Until December 31, for every dollar you donate to the United Way we will double it by a matching gift from the Employee Charitable Foundation up to $5000.
The United Way could not sustain a vital network of over 200 health and social service agencies without the support of IBMers. Currently, government support accounts for less than 50 per cent of revenues. The remainder must be made up through the generosity of individual and corporate gifts.
Without your support, the United Way could not finance such important initiatives as the Eglinton Community Health Centre, the Pathways to Education Partnership or the Career Search Portal. Please don't hesitate, make a tax-deductible donation today. Your contribution can go a long way -- a donation of at least two dollars a day, every day, seven days a week, will help us reach this year's goal of $4 million. A payroll deduction form is enclosed to fill out for your convenience. Won't you return you're donation in the self-addressed envelop provided?
Assignment 4 (First posting)
Dear colleagues,
As the winter winds chill the air, you can feel extra warm this holiday season by making a tax-deductible donation to the United Way during our year end gift matching campaign.
It's a really exciting time to make a gift to the United Way. Until December 31, for every dollar you donate to the United Way we will double it by a matching gift from the Employee Charitable Foundation up to $5 000.
The United Way could not **happen** without the support of individuals like you. Currently, government support accounts for less than 50 per cent of revenues. The remainder must be made up through the generosity of the public and private sector.
Without your support, the United Way could not **continue** such important initiatives as the Eglinton Community Health Centre, the Pathways to Education Partnership or the Career Search Portal. Please don't hesitate, make a tax-deductible donation today. Take advantage of the new favourable tax rules and donate shares, or include the United Way in your will. A payroll deduction form is enclosed for you to fill out today.
Contact the Employee Charitable Foundation to learn more about how your support will help guarantee the future of the United Way in Toronto.
Friday, November 23, 2007
From your filching friend, to Prisci!
Prisci, as she is affectionately known as, is a wonderful person because she is so accepting of other's faults, for example, when I pilfered her textbook (not on purpose! I swear!).
Prisci also has talents that I'm still learning about. Did you know she can dance and performs? She was my first friend in class too! Every time I came to class I got a big Prisci bear hug (trademarked and all) that made me feel especially welcomed. She always there for you. How many times have I messaged her on gmail chat for a pick-me-up at work? Countless. Who could ask for a better friend? I love that Prisci is confident, but vulnerable, yet passionate in what she believes in. This girl will fight for fairness! At the same time, she isn't embarrassed if she doesn't know what "Mr. Smith, I think he's on crack" means, and no one expects her to! The fact that she cares more about understanding than pride is something we should all look up to.
Oh, the first time we went to the cafeteria together, she said hello to everyone there! She's got friends to spare and treats them like her family. Even her cat is awesome (Mishu is so cute it's unreal).
It's amazing how the people in our class treat each other better than most families do. To Prisci, Kate, Arvindi (and anyone else from class who may read this), I hope that next term is just as fun and fruitful as this term was. Again, just as Kate said, Priscila please write about someone else, but not me because I tagged you :) *hugs*
Prisci also has talents that I'm still learning about. Did you know she can dance and performs? She was my first friend in class too! Every time I came to class I got a big Prisci bear hug (trademarked and all) that made me feel especially welcomed. She always there for you. How many times have I messaged her on gmail chat for a pick-me-up at work? Countless. Who could ask for a better friend? I love that Prisci is confident, but vulnerable, yet passionate in what she believes in. This girl will fight for fairness! At the same time, she isn't embarrassed if she doesn't know what "Mr. Smith, I think he's on crack" means, and no one expects her to! The fact that she cares more about understanding than pride is something we should all look up to.
Oh, the first time we went to the cafeteria together, she said hello to everyone there! She's got friends to spare and treats them like her family. Even her cat is awesome (Mishu is so cute it's unreal).
It's amazing how the people in our class treat each other better than most families do. To Prisci, Kate, Arvindi (and anyone else from class who may read this), I hope that next term is just as fun and fruitful as this term was. Again, just as Kate said, Priscila please write about someone else, but not me because I tagged you :) *hugs*
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Linda's Hidden Talents
I'm telling you, this girl can do it all! She can hail cabs out of nowhere (with her specially honed cabbie radar), she can make up a song and dance routine about penguins while still looking cool (and feeling warmer while waiting for that darn #124!!), she knows things (like random facts about why men's and women's zippers are on opposite sides, and the difference between "topic" and "topicalization"), she tells great stories (sometimes about bus drivers who steer with their elbows while eating take out), and she loves to cheer us up and make us laugh along with her! Is there anything she can't do?!?!
Thus endeth my little "Ode to Linda". . . I just thought that with all the stress of exams and end of term assignments being due (for us students) and craziness at work and school it would be nice to take a moment to think about the things that really matter - like the people who make our lives so much better. I just wanted to say that I'm really thankful for ALL of you, and so I though why don't we write a little message saying what we appreciate in our fellow bloggers? It will be fun and only take a minute or two. So Linda, you've been tagged, girl! Who are you going to write about? ;)
P.S. Has to be someone other than the person who tagged you! :)
Thus endeth my little "Ode to Linda". . . I just thought that with all the stress of exams and end of term assignments being due (for us students) and craziness at work and school it would be nice to take a moment to think about the things that really matter - like the people who make our lives so much better. I just wanted to say that I'm really thankful for ALL of you, and so I though why don't we write a little message saying what we appreciate in our fellow bloggers? It will be fun and only take a minute or two. So Linda, you've been tagged, girl! Who are you going to write about? ;)
P.S. Has to be someone other than the person who tagged you! :)
Monday, November 12, 2007
A stronghold of wordsmiths
Let's form a study group! Yes, it's that time of year. "The e-word" is around the corner. We all are busy with school/work, but if we can meet a few times before the exam, we will feel more prepared and that will lessen the stress of "the e-word".
I strongly urge all of you to comment to this post with your availability (and avoid putting the days you are unavailable).
Priscila mentioned that she wanted to meet this Wednesday, November 14 (please confirm that you wanted to meet that night).
All meetings will be posted on this blog and their minutes will follow for those who cannot attend. We probably won't have regular meetings, but we will try to meet according to our schedules for each particular week.
Hurrah! Studying is fun ... with friends and coffee/(bubble) tea/ chocolate!
I strongly urge all of you to comment to this post with your availability (and avoid putting the days you are unavailable).
Priscila mentioned that she wanted to meet this Wednesday, November 14 (please confirm that you wanted to meet that night).
All meetings will be posted on this blog and their minutes will follow for those who cannot attend. We probably won't have regular meetings, but we will try to meet according to our schedules for each particular week.
Hurrah! Studying is fun ... with friends and coffee/(bubble) tea/ chocolate!
Friday, November 9, 2007
Latin and why I (and Kate) love it dearly.
"Abutebaris modo subjunctivo" - You've been misusing the subjunctive.
This cracks me up. As a linguist, I know I'm the only one laughing, but I thought I'd share.
There's more! It's been over a decade since I've uttered these sentences.
"Grumio delectat ancillam." - Grumio 'pleases' the slave girl.
"Ancilla delectat Grumionem." - The slave girl 'pleases' Grumio.
Back story:
Kate and I share the Latin experience. In high school, we loved Latin class. You might ask, though, what do you learn in Latin class. We learned about a Roman family "telenovella". My favourite part of this ancient soap opera, by far, was the tertiary relationships in the Roman household. The two main characters of the lay people were the slave girl, which had no name I recall; and Grumio, which was the chef of the household.
However, when you turn 16, you realize that 'to please' and 'to pleasure' mean almost the same thing. Innuendo was everywhere, for example, the pictures that accompanied those sentences above can be described in this manner. Grumio handed a bunch of flowers to the slave girl. Ahh how sweet! The other photo, which is harder to recall, illustrated a coy look in Grumio's direction. I get it! They do naughty things. The first day of grade 11 Latin, we did a review and these were in the section we choose to review. There was a collective giggle: only then did we all understood how much of a soap opera this really was. Interestingly enough, class started around 2pm! No wonder the class was full of females!
This cracks me up. As a linguist, I know I'm the only one laughing, but I thought I'd share.
There's more! It's been over a decade since I've uttered these sentences.
"Grumio delectat ancillam." - Grumio 'pleases' the slave girl.
"Ancilla delectat Grumionem." - The slave girl 'pleases' Grumio.
Back story:
Kate and I share the Latin experience. In high school, we loved Latin class. You might ask, though, what do you learn in Latin class. We learned about a Roman family "telenovella". My favourite part of this ancient soap opera, by far, was the tertiary relationships in the Roman household. The two main characters of the lay people were the slave girl, which had no name I recall; and Grumio, which was the chef of the household.
However, when you turn 16, you realize that 'to please' and 'to pleasure' mean almost the same thing. Innuendo was everywhere, for example, the pictures that accompanied those sentences above can be described in this manner. Grumio handed a bunch of flowers to the slave girl. Ahh how sweet! The other photo, which is harder to recall, illustrated a coy look in Grumio's direction. I get it! They do naughty things. The first day of grade 11 Latin, we did a review and these were in the section we choose to review. There was a collective giggle: only then did we all understood how much of a soap opera this really was. Interestingly enough, class started around 2pm! No wonder the class was full of females!
Bad email from real-life
Since it's 4 AM and I'm still awake, I thought I would post the following for your reading pleasure. Don't even get me started on the circumstances surrounding these emails... It was not pretty. All "incriminating" details have been Xxx-ed, Yyy-ed, or ###-ed out so you don't know to whom this email was written, or when. It doesn't matter, really. It's just that bad. Let me know if you think I should bring it in to class - I know we've kind of beaten the bad examples thing into the dust, but I think this is just priceless. That could be because I know the situation so well, though, which is why I welcome your thoughts. How about a vote?
It is a bit long and it does get a bit complicated, though. Bear with me... And without further ado...
Dear Professor Xxx,
I'm a student in your Yyy course. Today in class you announced that our final exam (50% of our mark) will not be held during the exam period, but will be held on the last two days of class (March #, and April #), and will be composed of 3 parts:
1. A "final exam assignment" (worth 20% of our final grade, to be handed in on April #),
2. A "final exam quiz" (worth 20% of our final grade, to be held in class on March #), and
3. A "final exam group presentation" (worth 10% of our final grade, to be presented on April #, barring any conflict with religious holidays).
Today at the break, I asked you why our final exam would not be held during the exam period. Your reply was that since the final examination schedule had already been published, you were unable to schedule a time during this period for our final exam to be held. You also said you thought this would be more convenient for students as the exam period is such a busy time.
I would like you to know that the changes you announced today are extremely upsetting and inconvenient to me. For one thing, I will now have to temporarily (for the next three weeks) stop work at my part time job in order to complete the new assignments you announced today. This presents a financial hardship for me as I am counting on my employment income to cover tuition costs for my summer course.
In addition, in the other four courses I am currently taking, I have to prepare for 4 examinations and 2 assignments (one of them a major research paper) all of which fall due during the next three weeks of class. I planned my academic work this semester based on when my assignments and exams were scheduled. Obviously, with only three weeks left in the semester, I cannot go back 3 months and replan my work to allow time for the added work you have assigned in these last three weeks. Your announced change leaves me no opportunity to adequately prepare for the "final exam" tasks which now fall due before the exam period begins.
I feel like someone has just pulled the chair out from under me as I am about to sit down. I am really upset because I have worked hard to maintain an A average in my courses for the past two years and have made every effort to allow proper time to prepare for assignments. Now I cannot do that.
Sincerely,
JLK
RESPONSE (only names and dates have been changed to protect the guilty):
Dear JLK:
Thanks for your message.
First of all, I would like to ensure you that no change is made in the syllabus. Because, according to syllabus, total mark for the final exam work is 50%. Also, as a matter of fact, utmost efforts have been made so that the students can complete their final exam works with comfort and convenience but without compromising their learning requirements. For example: the total number of chapters to be considered for the final exam has been reduced to half (from 10 to 5), and the length and contents of the written exam is also reduced to one-third (from 3 hours to 1 hour). Also, in oppose to memorizing and writing essays on the materials of the 5 chapters in the exam, I have given you the opportunity to write the “open-book”assignments in 3 weeks time which are nothing but doing home exercises on the materials of the 5 chapters as provided with the textbook CD/website. These home exercises, I believe, definitely will help you to better prepare for the quiz. And, sharing of works by the group work/presentation obviously should also be useful in terms of reducing the workload/pressure, with a flexibility to do your group presentation on/at any suitable day/time in the week of April ### (not on the day of April #) which definitely will not conflict with a religious holiday.
I think you now might realize that the students will spend less time than they suppose to spend (such as, an extra day and weeks of preparation for a lengthy 3-hour exam in a strict exam hall environment). But with the present arrangement, they will write a short one-hour quiz in their own class, and the assignments are nothing but the home exercises which will also help them to better prepare for the quiz.
However, if you still have any concern or confusion, please do not hesitate to contact me for setting an appointment so that we may discuss re the matter.
Cheers!
Xxx
What makes it worse is that this exact email was sent, word-for-word, to another student in the same class, who copied me on it. Only the name was changed; everything else was identical. So what do you think - should I bring it in to class?
It is a bit long and it does get a bit complicated, though. Bear with me... And without further ado...
Dear Professor Xxx,
I'm a student in your Yyy course. Today in class you announced that our final exam (50% of our mark) will not be held during the exam period, but will be held on the last two days of class (March #, and April #), and will be composed of 3 parts:
1. A "final exam assignment" (worth 20% of our final grade, to be handed in on April #),
2. A "final exam quiz" (worth 20% of our final grade, to be held in class on March #), and
3. A "final exam group presentation" (worth 10% of our final grade, to be presented on April #, barring any conflict with religious holidays).
Today at the break, I asked you why our final exam would not be held during the exam period. Your reply was that since the final examination schedule had already been published, you were unable to schedule a time during this period for our final exam to be held. You also said you thought this would be more convenient for students as the exam period is such a busy time.
I would like you to know that the changes you announced today are extremely upsetting and inconvenient to me. For one thing, I will now have to temporarily (for the next three weeks) stop work at my part time job in order to complete the new assignments you announced today. This presents a financial hardship for me as I am counting on my employment income to cover tuition costs for my summer course.
In addition, in the other four courses I am currently taking, I have to prepare for 4 examinations and 2 assignments (one of them a major research paper) all of which fall due during the next three weeks of class. I planned my academic work this semester based on when my assignments and exams were scheduled. Obviously, with only three weeks left in the semester, I cannot go back 3 months and replan my work to allow time for the added work you have assigned in these last three weeks. Your announced change leaves me no opportunity to adequately prepare for the "final exam" tasks which now fall due before the exam period begins.
I feel like someone has just pulled the chair out from under me as I am about to sit down. I am really upset because I have worked hard to maintain an A average in my courses for the past two years and have made every effort to allow proper time to prepare for assignments. Now I cannot do that.
Sincerely,
JLK
RESPONSE (only names and dates have been changed to protect the guilty):
Dear JLK:
Thanks for your message.
First of all, I would like to ensure you that no change is made in the syllabus. Because, according to syllabus, total mark for the final exam work is 50%. Also, as a matter of fact, utmost efforts have been made so that the students can complete their final exam works with comfort and convenience but without compromising their learning requirements. For example: the total number of chapters to be considered for the final exam has been reduced to half (from 10 to 5), and the length and contents of the written exam is also reduced to one-third (from 3 hours to 1 hour). Also, in oppose to memorizing and writing essays on the materials of the 5 chapters in the exam, I have given you the opportunity to write the “open-book”assignments in 3 weeks time which are nothing but doing home exercises on the materials of the 5 chapters as provided with the textbook CD/website. These home exercises, I believe, definitely will help you to better prepare for the quiz. And, sharing of works by the group work/presentation obviously should also be useful in terms of reducing the workload/pressure, with a flexibility to do your group presentation on/at any suitable day/time in the week of April ### (not on the day of April #) which definitely will not conflict with a religious holiday.
I think you now might realize that the students will spend less time than they suppose to spend (such as, an extra day and weeks of preparation for a lengthy 3-hour exam in a strict exam hall environment). But with the present arrangement, they will write a short one-hour quiz in their own class, and the assignments are nothing but the home exercises which will also help them to better prepare for the quiz.
However, if you still have any concern or confusion, please do not hesitate to contact me for setting an appointment so that we may discuss re the matter.
Cheers!
Xxx
What makes it worse is that this exact email was sent, word-for-word, to another student in the same class, who copied me on it. Only the name was changed; everything else was identical. So what do you think - should I bring it in to class?
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Important Update - Assignment still due!
In case any of you didn't receive the latest email from Sabine, here it is. Hope this finds you in time! (Thanks for mentioning it, Arvindi - otherwise I wouldn't have known!)
Hello everyone,
I have unfortunately come down with a nasty throat infection and have to cancel class tonight. I hope you get this message in time. Since we still have a bit of content to cover, I need to schedule a make up class. Please let me know if you are available Mon. Nov. 12, Tues. Nov. 20 or Mon. Nov. 27 from 6:30-9:30. Alternatively, we could move the exam by one week to Thurs. Dec. 6 if you don't have other exams. Please remember to email me your assignments.
Thank you very much,
Sabine
Hello everyone,
I have unfortunately come down with a nasty throat infection and have to cancel class tonight. I hope you get this message in time. Since we still have a bit of content to cover, I need to schedule a make up class. Please let me know if you are available Mon. Nov. 12, Tues. Nov. 20 or Mon. Nov. 27 from 6:30-9:30. Alternatively, we could move the exam by one week to Thurs. Dec. 6 if you don't have other exams. Please remember to email me your assignments.
Thank you very much,
Sabine
Class Cancelled!
In case you check the blog before you check your email, I just received the following from the TRAN dept:
Attention Students of TRAN 3310 3.0(En) Section B - Problems in Technical & Professional Writing
Please note that your 6:30pm class for tonight, Thursday, November 8, has been cancelled due to illness. Mrs. Sabine Lauffer, the instructor of this course will contact you to find a suitable day for a make up class before your final exam.
Aileen Rakocevic
Translation & Technical Writing Programmes
416-487-6742
Attention Students of TRAN 3310 3.0(En) Section B - Problems in Technical & Professional Writing
Please note that your 6:30pm class for tonight, Thursday, November 8, has been cancelled due to illness. Mrs. Sabine Lauffer, the instructor of this course will contact you to find a suitable day for a make up class before your final exam.
Aileen Rakocevic
Translation & Technical Writing Programmes
416-487-6742
Bad News Is Bad News. Period.
Here's my best shot at our bad news email assignment. There are a million and one ways I can pull it apart, but unfortunately I can't figure out a better way to say it, so I think this is about it. Comments are still very much welcome, though! Good or bad - I want to know what you think!
Dear Professor Smith,
Thank you for your patience with our department as we have been working to recover from a major server failure last week. The breakdown unfortunately affected all departments and deleted every course website that was created within the past year. After you emailed us we discovered that the automatic backup system for your site was not enabled when it was created 6 months ago. Although this means that the data cannot be restored, we have created a new website with the same web address so you can begin posting material as soon as you wish.
You can access your new website right away at www.universityofblank.ca/ ssmith, using your original username and the password ssmith0708. Please let me know if there is any way we can help you as you restructure your website. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Kayla MacKinney
Director of Information Technology Services,
University of Blank
Dear Professor Smith,
Thank you for your patience with our department as we have been working to recover from a major server failure last week. The breakdown unfortunately affected all departments and deleted every course website that was created within the past year. After you emailed us we discovered that the automatic backup system for your site was not enabled when it was created 6 months ago. Although this means that the data cannot be restored, we have created a new website with the same web address so you can begin posting material as soon as you wish.
You can access your new website right away at www.universityofblank.ca/ ssmith, using your original username and the password ssmith0708. Please let me know if there is any way we can help you as you restructure your website. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Kayla MacKinney
Director of Information Technology Services,
University of Blank
Assignment 3 .........first draft
My goodnesss this assignment wow!!.....it took the air out of me!..Anywhere here it goes, any constructive criticism is welcome ;)
Thank you for taking the time to write to us concerning your website. We are in the process of finishing setting up most of the university websites after the unforeseen crash of the hardware-server last week.
After carefully investigating the situation with your website, I am sorry to inform you that because of the previous server failure, your website did not back-up in our system. It was discovered that the automatic back-up feature was not enabled and therefore the content in your website cannot be restored.
However, we are providing you with a website that is secure and has an updated backup feature, that you may start using immediately.
If there is anything else any of the team members or I can do for you, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Priscila Perez
IT Support Technician
Thank you for taking the time to write to us concerning your website. We are in the process of finishing setting up most of the university websites after the unforeseen crash of the hardware-server last week.
After carefully investigating the situation with your website, I am sorry to inform you that because of the previous server failure, your website did not back-up in our system. It was discovered that the automatic back-up feature was not enabled and therefore the content in your website cannot be restored.
However, we are providing you with a website that is secure and has an updated backup feature, that you may start using immediately.
If there is anything else any of the team members or I can do for you, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Priscila Perez
IT Support Technician
Linda's Assignment 3 - Draft 5 and final
I appreciate all of the encouragement and support Priscila and Kate gave me last week. It was a hard week, personally, but with your help, you really showed me that there is always an upside.
Draft 5 *************
Thank you for telling us that your Web site is still unavailable. We posted a notice on the university main page to inform the community that all course pages were offline due to the lightning storm last week and couldn't email each individual course Web site administrator. I'm sorry that you weren't informed immediately about this problem.
When we received your email, my team devoted the next three days trying to restore your files. Your course Web site is unrecoverable. The physical damage to the server prohibited any information from being recovered. In the process, we discovered that your site did not have the automatic backup feature enabled.
If you can provide us with the course content, our team will develop a new site. In light of this unforeseen situation, all of our university course Web sites will be equipped with an automatic backup feature as the default option. This will ensure that all course sites will be in duplicate locations and prevent any future challenges.
Final (Draft 9) ***********
Dear Professor Sarah Smith,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns and informing me that your course website, at http://www.glendon.yorku.ca/sarahsmith, is still unavailable. When I received your email, my team devoted the next three days trying to restore your files.
I posted a notice on the Glendon main page to alert the community that all course sites were offline due to the lightning storm last week. The storm caused physical damage to the server. While we were able to recover some websites, we were not able to recover yours. During our investigation, we discovered that your site did not have the automatic backup feature enabled. In light of this unforeseen situation, all websites are now equipped with the default automatic backup feature. This will ensure that your website will be saved in multiple locations and prevent any future challenges.
I developed a new site for you at the same address with a new design template. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about your new website.
Kind Regards,
Rosalind Eadie.
___________________________
IT Specialist
IT Help Central, Glendon Campus
York University
Phone: 416-736-2100 ex. 12345
Draft 5 *************
Thank you for telling us that your Web site is still unavailable. We posted a notice on the university main page to inform the community that all course pages were offline due to the lightning storm last week and couldn't email each individual course Web site administrator. I'm sorry that you weren't informed immediately about this problem.
When we received your email, my team devoted the next three days trying to restore your files. Your course Web site is unrecoverable. The physical damage to the server prohibited any information from being recovered. In the process, we discovered that your site did not have the automatic backup feature enabled.
If you can provide us with the course content, our team will develop a new site. In light of this unforeseen situation, all of our university course Web sites will be equipped with an automatic backup feature as the default option. This will ensure that all course sites will be in duplicate locations and prevent any future challenges.
Final (Draft 9) ***********
Dear Professor Sarah Smith,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns and informing me that your course website, at http://www.glendon.yorku.ca/sarahsmith, is still unavailable. When I received your email, my team devoted the next three days trying to restore your files.
I posted a notice on the Glendon main page to alert the community that all course sites were offline due to the lightning storm last week. The storm caused physical damage to the server. While we were able to recover some websites, we were not able to recover yours. During our investigation, we discovered that your site did not have the automatic backup feature enabled. In light of this unforeseen situation, all websites are now equipped with the default automatic backup feature. This will ensure that your website will be saved in multiple locations and prevent any future challenges.
I developed a new site for you at the same address with a new design template. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about your new website.
Kind Regards,
Rosalind Eadie.
___________________________
IT Specialist
IT Help Central, Glendon Campus
York University
Phone: 416-736-2100 ex. 12345
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Victory and emotional detachment
I need a pep talk because I'm avoiding assignment 3. Bad news sucks and would rather give it in person. This is so challenging for me because I need to detach myself from this at a certain level so that I can deliver it. I'm taking this assignment to be real. I've also had some bad news to deliver at work where I had to be very objective in my writing. I know this is a weakness, but I will conquer.
If you go to Merriam Webster, conquer is defined as the following:
transitive verb
1 : to gain or acquire by force of arms : subjugate <conquer territory>
2 : to overcome by force of arms : vanquish <conquered the enemy>
3 : to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition <conquered the mountain>
4 : to overcome by mental or moral power : surmount <conquered her fear>
intransitive verb
: to be victorious
I want to conquer the "Bad News" territory; I will conquer this enemy; I've climbed countless mountains even though I have an acute fear of heights, so I will gain mastery over this "Bad News" writing; mentally, I can overcome my fear of "Bad News" writing; and I will be victorious!
I'm going in, with me luck!
If you go to Merriam Webster, conquer is defined as the following:
transitive verb
1 : to gain or acquire by force of arms : subjugate <conquer territory>
2 : to overcome by force of arms : vanquish <conquered the enemy>
3 : to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition <conquered the mountain>
4 : to overcome by mental or moral power : surmount <conquered her fear>
intransitive verb
: to be victorious
I want to conquer the "Bad News" territory; I will conquer this enemy; I've climbed countless mountains even though I have an acute fear of heights, so I will gain mastery over this "Bad News" writing; mentally, I can overcome my fear of "Bad News" writing; and I will be victorious!
I'm going in, with me luck!
Saturday, November 3, 2007
...an example of bad, bad email.....
I was sitting here, thinking how bad...or mean...or sarcastic I wanted to be writing this email.....
but in the end....I came up with this: Enjoy ;)
I regret to inform you that on the last major server hardware failure, your website failed to be backed-up in our system and therefore it cannot be recuperated.
We apologize for all the inconveniences this may have caused.
Cheers,
P.P.K.
IT Technical Support
but in the end....I came up with this: Enjoy ;)
I regret to inform you that on the last major server hardware failure, your website failed to be backed-up in our system and therefore it cannot be recuperated.
We apologize for all the inconveniences this may have caused.
Cheers,
P.P.K.
IT Technical Support
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Dear Hugh
Linda can appreciate the hours of anguish and toil that went into choosing a name for my customer sales rep, only to discover we had picked the same name! (Who knew "Joanne" was so popular?!) So I have reverted back to my original name. I know that's a minor detail, but names are so fascinating... in any case, I digress, and without prolonging the agony, here is my version of a letter of claim to Biltmore Wireless:
[Addresses omitted]
Dear Hugh
I am writing concerning a problem with the text messaging display of my cellphone. I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced without charge, as this is the second time it has broken down.
I purchased the phone under warranty at Biltmore Wireless just over a year ago. Eight months later the text messaging display stopped working. When I notified your department of this matter, I was impressed with your friendly service and how quickly you repaired my phone. This was particularly important to me because I depend on text messaging to communicate with my family when I am frequently away on business. Yesterday, however, the screen went blank again while I was in the middle of a conversation with my daughter. Since this seems to be a recurring problem, although the phone is just out of warranty, I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced at no cost.
I appreciated your prompt reply and excellent service the last time this situation occurred, and I’m sure I can continue to count on your company to stand behind your products.
Sincerely
Jayne Romero
There are a couple points I feel are weak: namely the intro (too abrupt?), and the way I tucked the "my warranty has expired" part into the last sentence of the second paragraph. I tried to follow the "slip it into the middle of the sentence" model, but I'm not sure that really disguises anything. Do I have to be so devious about it? I think it sounds better to be more upfront: "Although the phone is just out of warranty, since this seems to be a recurring problem I would like the phone repaired or replaced at no additional cost." Or something like that. What do you think? Should I change it?
UPDATED VERSION:
Ok, I think this is the final, hand-in copy. Muchos gracias to Linda for talking me through the edits over MSN!
Dear Hugh
The text messaging display of my cellphone is not working consistently. I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced without charge, as this is the second time it has broken down.
I purchased the phone under warranty at Biltmore Wireless just over a year ago. Eight months later the text messaging display stopped working. When I notified your department of this matter, I was impressed with your friendly service and how quickly you repaired my phone. This was particularly important to me because I depend on text messaging to communicate with my family when I am frequently away on business. Yesterday, however, the screen went blank again while I was in the middle of a conversation with my daughter. Since this seems to be a recurring problem, although the warranty has just ended, I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced at no additional cost.
I appreciated your prompt reply and excellent service the last time this situation occurred, and I’m sure I can continue to count on your company to stand behind your products.
Sincerely
Jayne Romero
[Addresses omitted]
Dear Hugh
I am writing concerning a problem with the text messaging display of my cellphone. I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced without charge, as this is the second time it has broken down.
I purchased the phone under warranty at Biltmore Wireless just over a year ago. Eight months later the text messaging display stopped working. When I notified your department of this matter, I was impressed with your friendly service and how quickly you repaired my phone. This was particularly important to me because I depend on text messaging to communicate with my family when I am frequently away on business. Yesterday, however, the screen went blank again while I was in the middle of a conversation with my daughter. Since this seems to be a recurring problem, although the phone is just out of warranty, I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced at no cost.
I appreciated your prompt reply and excellent service the last time this situation occurred, and I’m sure I can continue to count on your company to stand behind your products.
Sincerely
Jayne Romero
There are a couple points I feel are weak: namely the intro (too abrupt?), and the way I tucked the "my warranty has expired" part into the last sentence of the second paragraph. I tried to follow the "slip it into the middle of the sentence" model, but I'm not sure that really disguises anything. Do I have to be so devious about it? I think it sounds better to be more upfront: "Although the phone is just out of warranty, since this seems to be a recurring problem I would like the phone repaired or replaced at no additional cost." Or something like that. What do you think? Should I change it?
UPDATED VERSION:
Ok, I think this is the final, hand-in copy. Muchos gracias to Linda for talking me through the edits over MSN!
Dear Hugh
The text messaging display of my cellphone is not working consistently. I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced without charge, as this is the second time it has broken down.
I purchased the phone under warranty at Biltmore Wireless just over a year ago. Eight months later the text messaging display stopped working. When I notified your department of this matter, I was impressed with your friendly service and how quickly you repaired my phone. This was particularly important to me because I depend on text messaging to communicate with my family when I am frequently away on business. Yesterday, however, the screen went blank again while I was in the middle of a conversation with my daughter. Since this seems to be a recurring problem, although the warranty has just ended, I would like the phone to be repaired or replaced at no additional cost.
I appreciated your prompt reply and excellent service the last time this situation occurred, and I’m sure I can continue to count on your company to stand behind your products.
Sincerely
Jayne Romero
To whom it may concern (Attn: Assignment 2)
I welcome any comments you have on this. I think I'm having writer's block! Ah! The ending is proving difficult for me. Note: I've left out the addresses and other formalities for easy reading.
So let's look at what I wrote. I haven't touched it since Sunday -- work is taking up my spare time -- so this will be 'fresh' to me too.
The Letter [part 1]
Attn: Joanne Carter
My cellphone has a ongoing problem with the text messaging display. Because this is the same defect, I want to have the cellphone repaired free of charge or have it replaced.
The warranty covered the first problem after eight months of use. The Repairs Department was able to quickly fix this problem and have it back to me in less than two working days, even though the customer service representative said this may take up to five or more business days. The speed of the service meant that I could keep my shop open for the week and my staff still worked full-time for that week. I considered repairing the phone locally, but Biltmore's quality of service cannot be matched.
The same problem presented itself just after the first anniversary and my warranty is expired.
[Not sure how to word the outcome -- will probably sound the same as the summary. Need help! I'm not sure how to close without sounding pushy.]
[I look forward to your response.]
Linda Ristevski.
The Letter [part 2]
My cellphone has an ongoing problem with the text messaging display. Because of this, I want to have the cellphone repaired free of charge or have it replaced.
The warranty covered the first instance of the problem after eight months of use. The Repairs Department was able to quickly fix it and have it back to me in less than two working days, even though the customer service representative said this could take up to five or more business days. The speed of the service meant that I could keep my shop open for the week and my staff continued working full-time. I considered repairing the phone locally, but Biltmore's quality of service cannot be matched.
The same problem presented itself just after the first anniversary of purchase and my warranty is expired. I trust that Biltmore can repair or replace my cellphone free of charge so that this ongoing problem can be resolved.
I look forward to your response.
Anaylsis
The introduction should be direct because the person who is most likely going to read this is accustom to reading these kinds of complaints and would like to know the problem upfront. not only that, they would probably want t know (or it is in your own best interest to say) what outcome you expect from this situation.
I gave facts and background information in the middle paragraph and created "goodwill" towards the end of that.
I don't know what to say in the next paragraph. I will have to think about it today at work. I have meetings all day and work to do on top of that. But I must. This section should mirror the introduction in some way.
Again, if anyone can make a comment to steer me in the right direction, that would be great.
Reminder! Bring two copies of this assignment to class: one with your name on it to hand in for marking and an anonymous one for a classmate. Then the switch-a-roo!
So let's look at what I wrote. I haven't touched it since Sunday -- work is taking up my spare time -- so this will be 'fresh' to me too.
The Letter [part 1]
Attn: Joanne Carter
My cellphone has a ongoing problem with the text messaging display. Because this is the same defect, I want to have the cellphone repaired free of charge or have it replaced.
The warranty covered the first problem after eight months of use. The Repairs Department was able to quickly fix this problem and have it back to me in less than two working days, even though the customer service representative said this may take up to five or more business days. The speed of the service meant that I could keep my shop open for the week and my staff still worked full-time for that week. I considered repairing the phone locally, but Biltmore's quality of service cannot be matched.
The same problem presented itself just after the first anniversary and my warranty is expired.
[Not sure how to word the outcome -- will probably sound the same as the summary. Need help! I'm not sure how to close without sounding pushy.]
[I look forward to your response.]
Linda Ristevski.
The Letter [part 2]
My cellphone has an ongoing problem with the text messaging display. Because of this, I want to have the cellphone repaired free of charge or have it replaced.
The warranty covered the first instance of the problem after eight months of use. The Repairs Department was able to quickly fix it and have it back to me in less than two working days, even though the customer service representative said this could take up to five or more business days. The speed of the service meant that I could keep my shop open for the week and my staff continued working full-time. I considered repairing the phone locally, but Biltmore's quality of service cannot be matched.
The same problem presented itself just after the first anniversary of purchase and my warranty is expired. I trust that Biltmore can repair or replace my cellphone free of charge so that this ongoing problem can be resolved.
I look forward to your response.
Anaylsis
The introduction should be direct because the person who is most likely going to read this is accustom to reading these kinds of complaints and would like to know the problem upfront. not only that, they would probably want t know (or it is in your own best interest to say) what outcome you expect from this situation.
I gave facts and background information in the middle paragraph and created "goodwill" towards the end of that.
I don't know what to say in the next paragraph. I will have to think about it today at work. I have meetings all day and work to do on top of that. But I must. This section should mirror the introduction in some way.
Again, if anyone can make a comment to steer me in the right direction, that would be great.
Reminder! Bring two copies of this assignment to class: one with your name on it to hand in for marking and an anonymous one for a classmate. Then the switch-a-roo!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Time to get active
I figured it was high time I write an actual post as opposed to just commenting and letting everyone else do the work, so here it is, folks. Prepare to be amazed. (Er...in all likelihood, probably not...)
I found this week's homework assignment pretty straightforward; if only all our assignments were a matter of changing passive verbs to active ones! I don't have my sentence in front of me, but I'm pretty sure my final version went something along the lines of:
Several female employees alleged that Mr. Harrison had threatened them, although he denied these claims.
I'm still not sure that "claims" is the best word to use, as I think for some it might carry a connotation of accustions that are unsubstantiated and/or not credible. But I used it anyway... go figure. I wonder how different the versions of this sentence will be when we hear what everyone came up with in class. I'm always amazed at how one sentence can be rewritten 10 different ways by 10 different people, usually quite well each time!
I found this week's homework assignment pretty straightforward; if only all our assignments were a matter of changing passive verbs to active ones! I don't have my sentence in front of me, but I'm pretty sure my final version went something along the lines of:
Several female employees alleged that Mr. Harrison had threatened them, although he denied these claims.
I'm still not sure that "claims" is the best word to use, as I think for some it might carry a connotation of accustions that are unsubstantiated and/or not credible. But I used it anyway... go figure. I wonder how different the versions of this sentence will be when we hear what everyone came up with in class. I'm always amazed at how one sentence can be rewritten 10 different ways by 10 different people, usually quite well each time!
Homework: was it harder than I thought?
Page 62, #16 j
16. Identify any passive verbs in the following sentence and change them to active verbs. Rewrite the sentence using active verbs and eliminating any unnecessary wording so that each sentence is clear and concise.
j) Accusations were made by several female employees who made the statement that overtly threatening remarks had been made to them by Mr. Harrison, but the charges were denied by the man who had been accused.
[I underlined the passive verbs.]
1. Employees accused Mr. Harrison of overtly threatening them, but he denied the charges.
[Is it important to state that the employees are female in this matter?]
16. Identify any passive verbs in the following sentence and change them to active verbs. Rewrite the sentence using active verbs and eliminating any unnecessary wording so that each sentence is clear and concise.
j) Accusations were made by several female employees who made the statement that overtly threatening remarks had been made to them by Mr. Harrison, but the charges were denied by the man who had been accused.
[I underlined the passive verbs.]
1. Employees accused Mr. Harrison of overtly threatening them, but he denied the charges.
[Is it important to state that the employees are female in this matter?]
Aha!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Ambiguity
Well I've been having issues with this thing... for sure it reflects ambiguity in the sense that I don't know in what sense are they stating this i.e. in a legal sense or just or as in a morale sense....
I think that the part of "in accordance to managerial policy.... i think that is already implicitly stated.... I dont know if I am making sense....
It helps to focus on the main goal which is to be clear, concise and specific......lets see:
Our policy states, that employees are rewarded accordingly to their time and effort for the benefit of the company.
When the employees take the extra time and effort for the benefit of the company, they are rewarded accordingly. (sent as final answer).
I think that the part of "in accordance to managerial policy.... i think that is already implicitly stated.... I dont know if I am making sense....
It helps to focus on the main goal which is to be clear, concise and specific......lets see:
Our policy states, that employees are rewarded accordingly to their time and effort for the benefit of the company.
When the employees take the extra time and effort for the benefit of the company, they are rewarded accordingly. (sent as final answer).
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Thoughts and attempts
I tried. I included some thoughts about what I'm working on. From Page 34 #4
a) There will be considerable cause for concern if the billings are screwed up by the Accounting Department with respect to our most important client.
i. If the accounting team doesn't pay attention to the billings' details, our most important client may be concerned.
ii. The accounting team should pay particular attention to the billings as our key client is concerned about their accuracy.
iii. [final] We should pay particular attention to the accuracy of the billings so that we can satisfy our most important client.
b) Although I hate to disturb anyone who is sleeping, it would be a pleasure to have our order filled by your department on time for a change.
i. Can your department have our order filled out/in a timely fashion/manner?
ii. [final] I understand you have scheduling constraints, however can your department fill out our order?
c) If the girls in Human Resources want prompt payment for overtime, they should come to visit me on the fourth floor before Friday.
i. To receive prompt overtime payment, the human resources team should visit me on the forth floor before Friday.
d) With respect to your letter on August 9, please be advised that you neglected to send the camera, which prevents us from assessing your allegations of poor performance.
i. I received your letter on August 9, (but the letter wasn't accompanied by the camera). To assess the camera's performance, send your camera to us.
ii. [final] Thank you for your letter of August 9, but unfortunately it is impossible to diagnose the camera's performance without seeing it. Please send your camera to us for further examination.
e) Mr. Miller, that customer must be on crack -- but let's touch base about how to sweet talk him so he doesn't call it quits.
i. Mr. Miller, I'm dealing with a particularly difficult customer. You might have experience in this matter, so I want to discuss other ways of satisfying this customer.
ii. [final] Mr. Miller, my customer is dealing with a particularly difficult situation. You might have experience in this matter, so I want to discuss other ways of satisfying this customer.
[Is Mr. Miller his coworker or superior? Is he being overly formal by saying "Mr."? The title could indicate that he is his superior.]
f) Pursuant to my previous memo on the 28th, the new instructions for the photocopying machines should henceforth be duly distributed not only to supervisors in the Marketing and Sales departments but also to all personnel using the aforesaid machines.
i. The new instructions for the photocopier should be given to marketing and sales supervisors, and to personnel who use it.
ii. Personnel who use the photocopier, especially marking and sales supervisors, should get the new instructions for it.
iii. [final] The new instructions for the photocopier should be given to marketing and sales supervisors, and to personnel who use it.
g) Since I'm busy with important matters, instead of having our usual weekly meeting just let me know if your department will have the page proofs ready on time for a change.
i. This week's meeting has been canceled. When the team is ready with the page proofs, let me know.
ii. I canceled this week's meeting to focus on urgent matters. When the page proofs are ready, send them to me. Let me know if you expect any delays.
iii. [final] I canceled this week's meeting to focus on urgent matters. When the page proofs are ready, please send them to me. Let me know if you expect any delays.
a) There will be considerable cause for concern if the billings are screwed up by the Accounting Department with respect to our most important client.
i. If the accounting team doesn't pay attention to the billings' details, our most important client may be concerned.
[This doesn't work because the cause for concern part has no subject.]
ii. The accounting team should pay particular attention to the billings as our key client is concerned about their accuracy.
[This misses the point. I think that the cause for concern is relative to the company's business and their future relationship with the client.]
iii. [final] We should pay particular attention to the accuracy of the billings so that we can satisfy our most important client.
b) Although I hate to disturb anyone who is sleeping, it would be a pleasure to have our order filled by your department on time for a change.
i. Can your department have our order filled out/in a timely fashion/manner?
[Is it necessary to include the writer's displeasure with the tardiness of the department? Isn't it OK to use contractions in "conversational" speech? Maybe remove the "who" and shorten it that way.]
ii. [final] I understand you have scheduling constraints, however can your department fill out our order?
c) If the girls in Human Resources want prompt payment for overtime, they should come to visit me on the fourth floor before Friday.
i. To receive prompt overtime payment, the human resources team should visit me on the forth floor before Friday.
[Who is the intended audience: the manager of the "girls" or the "girls" themselves?]
ii. [final] To receive prompt payment for overtime, the human resources team should come to the forth floor before Friday.i. I received your letter on August 9, (but the letter wasn't accompanied by the camera). To assess the camera's performance, send your camera to us.
ii. [final] Thank you for your letter of August 9, but unfortunately it is impossible to diagnose the camera's performance without seeing it. Please send your camera to us for further examination.
e) Mr. Miller, that customer must be on crack -- but let's touch base about how to sweet talk him so he doesn't call it quits.
i. Mr. Miller, I'm dealing with a particularly difficult customer. You might have experience in this matter, so I want to discuss other ways of satisfying this customer.
ii. [final] Mr. Miller, my customer is dealing with a particularly difficult situation. You might have experience in this matter, so I want to discuss other ways of satisfying this customer.
[Is Mr. Miller his coworker or superior? Is he being overly formal by saying "Mr."? The title could indicate that he is his superior.]
f) Pursuant to my previous memo on the 28th, the new instructions for the photocopying machines should henceforth be duly distributed not only to supervisors in the Marketing and Sales departments but also to all personnel using the aforesaid machines.
i. The new instructions for the photocopier should be given to marketing and sales supervisors, and to personnel who use it.
ii. Personnel who use the photocopier, especially marking and sales supervisors, should get the new instructions for it.
iii. [final] The new instructions for the photocopier should be given to marketing and sales supervisors, and to personnel who use it.
g) Since I'm busy with important matters, instead of having our usual weekly meeting just let me know if your department will have the page proofs ready on time for a change.
i. This week's meeting has been canceled. When the team is ready with the page proofs, let me know.
ii. I canceled this week's meeting to focus on urgent matters. When the page proofs are ready, send them to me. Let me know if you expect any delays.
iii. [final] I canceled this week's meeting to focus on urgent matters. When the page proofs are ready, please send them to me. Let me know if you expect any delays.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Strutting my skills on the runway
I've had my fabulous dinner with the models from Top Model on TV. I'm a little brain dead from spinning and work today. My coworkers noticed how verbose [or long-winded] I was; not getting to the point of my stories, plain tired. I'm just off today and I blame the weather. Ah. Let's get back to what's important.
I've cycled through a few proposed answers for our assigned homework. I'm so indecisive. Starring at page 55 # 3b, I've come to the conclusion that I don't understand the correct context. Maybe the ambiguity is "built in" so that there is not one right answer. I dislike long sentences. *Pout* The exercise hints at the approach: "revise the following sentences, replacing many of the Latinisms, unnecessary noun phrases, and jargon with plain language." Yes, you might have guessed that my cheeky blog name was spurred on by this assignment. [Passive voice. I used it to put focus on my cheeky blog name. Live with it!]
Without further ado [which is a petrified {fossilized like in stone} expression]:
I most certainly have it memorized by now.
#3b
In accordance with managerial policy, any intensification of effort on the part of employees leading to a maximization of production will be met with commensurate compensation.
Sometimes I find it difficult to let go of my writing, worried about the criticism that I know I'll have to face eventually. Sadly, only hours earlier, I was criticizing the lanky, but somewhat pretty girls on Top Model as they were being judged for something that is very personal to them as well; their unique, edgy looks and their grace. I hope I can thrive off this writing challenge and handle the criticism. As you probably noticed, I tend to focus on the small details and not on the content of the message. I hope I can learn to see past those details to write quickly and concisely.
I've cycled through a few proposed answers for our assigned homework. I'm so indecisive. Starring at page 55 # 3b, I've come to the conclusion that I don't understand the correct context. Maybe the ambiguity is "built in" so that there is not one right answer. I dislike long sentences. *Pout* The exercise hints at the approach: "revise the following sentences, replacing many of the Latinisms, unnecessary noun phrases, and jargon with plain language." Yes, you might have guessed that my cheeky blog name was spurred on by this assignment. [Passive voice. I used it to put focus on my cheeky blog name. Live with it!]
Without further ado [which is a petrified {fossilized like in stone} expression]:
I most certainly have it memorized by now.
#3b
In accordance with managerial policy, any intensification of effort on the part of employees leading to a maximization of production will be met with commensurate compensation.
- In agreement with managerial policy, employees who output a maximum work effort will receive proportional payment.
- Employees who work more than their scheduled hours will be rewarded with overtime pay.
- Following our policy, all employee efforts that maximize our output will earn payments to match their efforts. [Sent as my final answer.]
Sometimes I find it difficult to let go of my writing, worried about the criticism that I know I'll have to face eventually. Sadly, only hours earlier, I was criticizing the lanky, but somewhat pretty girls on Top Model as they were being judged for something that is very personal to them as well; their unique, edgy looks and their grace. I hope I can thrive off this writing challenge and handle the criticism. As you probably noticed, I tend to focus on the small details and not on the content of the message. I hope I can learn to see past those details to write quickly and concisely.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Why are we here?
I ask myself this question all the time.
I'm inviting anyone from Problems in Technical and Professional Writing to join in and complain all they want about the homework and we might even learn something. This space is meant to be a forum for TRAN 3310 homework discussion, but feel free to talk about the weather.
Remember, this is homework discussion, not a copy and paste session. Writing is always up for interpretation. Let's see if we can expose the various interpretations through our discussions. Hurrah! :)
I'm inviting anyone from Problems in Technical and Professional Writing to join in and complain all they want about the homework and we might even learn something. This space is meant to be a forum for TRAN 3310 homework discussion, but feel free to talk about the weather.
Remember, this is homework discussion, not a copy and paste session. Writing is always up for interpretation. Let's see if we can expose the various interpretations through our discussions. Hurrah! :)
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