Buying essays
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Italicizing Foreign Words
Emphasizing Foreign Words Emphasizing Foreign Words Emphasizing Foreign Words By Maeve Maddox Karin-Marijke Vis composed: How to manage remote words? Do I put them in Italics, or in single or twofold statements? And afterward, is there a distinction in for instance the word retsina, that my word reference knows, or kafã © that the word reference doesnt know [both words identify with a story in Greece]. Same about Indian words, are nan and puja formally recognized words or would it be a good idea for them to be written in Italics, or with cites? Regardless of whether to emphasize remote words relies on the words commonality to the target group, the setting where the word shows up, and the recurrence with which the word shows up in a given book. In American utilization, if an outside word has a passage in Merriam-Webster, it need not be stressed. As per that dependable guideline, kafã © and nan would be emphasized; retsina and puja, not. Nonetheless, if the essayist feels that a word is generally new to the target group, emphasizing it might be the sensible activity, word reference section in any case. On the off chance that the word will be utilized as often as possible in the content, at that point it need be stressed just the first occasion when it is presented. For instance, in a story with a Hindu setting, the word puja would most likely happen much of the time. The first occasion when it could be characterized as a Hindu demonstration of love and from that point utilized without italics. Here are a few rules for the utilization of italics with remote words in an English book. 1. In the event that just a single new outside word or brief expression is being utilized, emphasize it. 2. On the off chance that a whole sentence or section of at least two sentences show up in an unknown dialect, type the entry in plain sort and put the section in quotes. 3. On the off chance that the outside word is a formal person, place or thing, don't emphasize it. 4. In the event that you are utilizing two remote words or expressions, one recognizable and one new, stress them two for consistency and appearance. 5. Regular Latin words and contractions like and so forth., et al., and on the same page. need not be emphasized. A special case is sic, which ought to be emphasized and put in square sections. Sources: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers APA Style Guide Chicago Manual of Style Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities every day! Continue learning! Peruse the Vocabulary class, check our well known posts, or pick a related post below:Comparative Forms of Adjectives50 Idioms About Roads and Paths1,462 Basic Plot Types
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Psychoanalytic Theory and Subjectivity â⬠Free Samples to Students
Question: Talk about the Psychoanalytic Theory and Subjectivity. Answer: Presentation Perusers are educated regarding how Esther made an exciting and convincing image of a young person experiencing her most exceedingly terrible bad dream. This is on the grounds that she was battling against the character of being called Esther. In light of certain pieces of novel, for example, I am not Esther. Im Kirby and in the second statement Im Kirby, I shouted. Im not Esther, for Gods Sake. At the point when her mom advises Esther that she is leaving and that she is going to leave her with family members that she has not heard off, she becomes disillusioned particularly when she discovered that they had a place with exacting strict clique (Beale, 2004). Her decimation emerges from the way that she is compelled to change her name from Kirby to Esther and she is additionally compelled to hold fast to a serious arrangement of social gauges which have been set up by the bizarre clique. It is very clear that there are rules which Esther should adhere to and among them is rule number 10 which cited here A Daughter regards her older folks. She is humble. She doesn't cause to notice herself Through this citation, it is clear that Aunt Naomi was telling Kirby (Esther) new principles to guarantee that she lived by The Rule. This is unmistakably opportunity of both personality and articulation. About Uncle Calebs attestation that The ladies of our confidence consistently dress with unobtrusiveness (Sly, 2004). This is a reasonable marker that Esther is compelled to wear the articles of clothing that she isn't happy with. In light of the above perusing, it is very evident that the issue of personality has exceptionally showed itself. References Beale, F. (2004). I am not Esther. Disney-Hyperion. Wily, C. (2004). Re-membering oneself: psychoanalytic hypothesis and subjectivity in juvenile fiction. Papers the executives: Explorations into Children's Literature, 14(1), 40.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
APPLEs Innovation Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
APPLEs Innovation Strategy - Essay Example The organization has had the option to unite its representatives, purchasers, accomplices, suppliers and providers on such a stage where they structure a triumphant culture ensuring hierarchical development. Appleââ¬â¢s imaginative procedure has had the option to give the organization soaring income and net benefit since year 2000. The methodology is to being about spot based advancement, which means delivering creative thoughts inside a similar situation over and over. ââ¬Å"Sometimes when you develop, you commit errors. It's ideal to concede them rapidly and continue ahead with improving your other innovationsâ⬠, says Steve Jobs (as refered to in Martins, 2011). Employments accepts that development must be finished with greatness in the event that the pioneer can acknowledge his work doing slip-ups and, at that point remedying them through learning. The creative methodology likewise concentrates more on how the plan functions instead of what it looks like to the purchaser. This really makes the clients like the new item more. Appleââ¬â¢s creative procedure likewise includes collaboration instead of depending on singular exertion. This and numerous different highlights of Appleââ¬â¢s imaginative system make Apple one of the most significant and innovative associations on the planet.
Qui estce essays
Qui estce papers Molire, nom de plume JEAN BAPTISTE POQUELIN (1622-73), French screenwriter, and one of the best of all scholars of comedies. His widespread comic sorts despite everything delight crowds; his plays are frequently delivered and have been abundantly interpreted. Molire was conceived in Paris on January 15, 1622, the child of an affluent woven artwork creator. Since the beginning he was totally committed to the theater. In 1643 he joined a showy organization set up by the Bjarts, a group of expert entertainers; he wedded one of the individuals from the family, Armande Bjart, in 1662. The troupe, which Molire named the Illustre Thtre, played in Paris until 1645 and afterward visited the areas for a long time, coming back to Paris in 1658. On their arrival Louis XIV loaned the troupe his help and offered them infrequent utilization of the Thtre du Petit-Bourbon and, in 1661, utilization of the playhouse in the Palais-Royal. Secure at the Palais-Royal, Molire for a mind-blowing remainder submitted himself altogether to the comic theater, as playwright, on-screen character, maker, and executive (Encarta 96). In 1659 the organization introduced Molire's Les prcieuses mocks (The Affected Young Ladies). Written in a style like that of the more seasoned shams, it mocks the demands of two commonplace young ladies. The work overwhelmed Paris, and from that time until his passing, in any event one of Molire's comedies was delivered every year (Comptons 95). L'cole des femmes (The School for Wives, 1662) marks a break with the sham custom. Considered the primary incredible seriocomic work of French writing, it manages the part ladies played in the public eye and their groundwork for it; the play establishes an intense parody on contemporary materialistic qualities and, thusly, was censured for offensiveness and indecency (Encarta 96). In Tartuffe ( first form, 1664; third and last form, 1669) Mol... <!
Friday, August 21, 2020
Malczewski and the ideas of Young Polnd Free Essays
As indicated by Satanists Stopcock. The break of the nineteenth and twentieth hundreds of years in Poland was a period notable for the issue that numerous craftsmen who spoke to that period had: they were continually searching for their own truth(s), they own way(s), their own style. They formed into two fundamental classifications, the individuals who made work for ââ¬Å"todayââ¬â¢, that satisfied itself during the lives of the craftsmen and the individuals who attempted to build up another style (Art Novel to be exact) and system for making stylish structures and applied craftsmanship. We will compose a custom exposition test on Malczewski and the thoughts of Young Polnd or then again any comparable point just for you Request Now Itââ¬â¢s proper to include that the last mentioned, that was made with the goal of a style was squashed by steel developments as well as lost itââ¬â¢s truth on the creation line, leaving It essentially an authentic marvel. I anyway will focus on the previous. The Young Poland workmanship development, that was focused In Kara?w and occurred in the years 1891-1918 and is broadly acknowledged as the Polish rendition of innovation. (1) I will begin with a touch of social and authentic setting. The most recent many years of the XIX century and the initial 1 5 years of the Sixth, were supposed to be the most exceedingly terrible time for post-parcel Poland, yet in addition a period brimming with trust and a moderate social occasion of aggregate activism after a dark of complete misery. Different elements prompted Pollardââ¬â¢s governmental issues not being considered in the plan of European legislative issues, yet rather left to be settled inside by the Probationers ( ). These elements incorporated the fall of the January Uprising, the formation of the triumphant and joined Bismarck Reich the French-Russian partnership and the military and political disappointments of Austria, which drove the Austrian segment to be an ever increasing number of disorders and subject to Germany. This unforeseen development In mix with a respiratory climate and the loss of trust in a superior future, because of the Inability to acknowledge rout, prompted the general loss of devoted confidence and the arrangement of alleged ââ¬Å"tribalismâ⬠. The Polish individuals attempted to frame an arrangement of understanding. They attempted to work with the probationers, quietly concentrating on social, affordable and social advancement of Poland instead of attempting any risquã ©, strong activities toward self-rule, which was In the cognizance and any expectations of most, yet acknowledged to be a far off dream as opposed to Immediate chance. This Is the combination of what the way of thinking f positivism in Poland implied. Social and rustication demonstrated the arrangement of understanding not so compelling. (4) Galatia (which is the place Malenessââ¬â¢s was brought up) had the best conditions for the advancement of ââ¬Å"Polish national lifeâ⬠. The status-Hungarian government had immediately changed to a fair liberal state after a progression of political disappointments and ensured the numerous countries that It Incorporated a lot of political opportunity. Calla had itââ¬â¢s own legislature, the authoritative language was Polish, it had two Universities, in Karaâ ¶w and Lawâ ¶w just as numerous schools. As a byproduct of devotion to the Viennese government they had opportunity to show their nationalism.. (3) The social circumstance in Poland was deteriorating and more terrible for the white collar class: the modest work and was the purpose behind monstrous movement from the nation to urban areas and their quick development. The low class was abused, and they were getting despondent. They were transforming into a monstrous socio-political power, that could request change. Industrialization was taking itââ¬â¢s cost, the market was being overflowed with processing plant made consumables and was making an environment of discouraging, Lourdes regalia. The youthful portrayed the ââ¬Å"midyearâ⬠(which converts into cleanser producer), the townsman, proprietor of a private company or property, whose sole way of thinking was regular realism, his solitary qualities were cash, his lone objective was gathering products and just standard and rule of lead advantage and searching for the path of least resistance. Innovation all around Europe, was a wide avian-grade development that began because of fast social changes and changes in the cutting edge world. All innovation shared the inclination that the cutting edge world was considerably unique and cap ââ¬Å"art expected to recharge itself by standing up to and investigating itââ¬â¢s own modernityââ¬â¢ (2). In Poland explicitly it was activated by feeling of being stopped in a miserable circumstance. It began with an emergency of qualities, when positivism which was maybe the most predominant and delegate world-see had gotten materialistic and lay, innovation found the magical and supernatural. Specialists began returning to Christian thoughts (this began in France, one may state as a guarded response after the division among chapel and state in 1871). Christian thoughts connected them back to a reestablished enthusiasm for the Middle Ages. The medieval times prompted investigating highly contrasting enchantment, mystery groups and cliques, evil presences and Satanism. Chariot made hair-raising revelations in the etiology of frenzy, and researchers made associations between thoughts from the medieval times and present day disclosures that prompted the production of parapsychology â⬠the brain research of irregular, supernatural marvels. Life and itââ¬â¢s inclinations was spoken to in work of art in an individual manner, sifted through the craftsmen sentiments and musings. Innovation, imagery, nonromantic, debauchery, was completely incorporated in one specific development, under the standard of Ewing youthful: Young Germany, Young Belgium, Young Vienna, Young Scandinavia and obviously Young Poland. The principal painting I will examine is the 1894 ââ¬Å"Melancholiaâ⬠which means ââ¬Å"melancholyââ¬â¢. The artwork shows a craftsmen studio, a painterââ¬â¢s studio to be exact. On the left side, at the top we can see the minuscule figure of the painter, focused on the errand before him on the easel. A racket of figures spills out of the canvas the craftsman is right now taking a shot at. They are largely symbolic fugues, embodying the heartbreakingly history of Poland in the XIX century. You can guess by their hating and traits that they are portrayals of different layers of society. Upraises, ladies in tears of despondency, convicts in binds and laborer troopers. It appears that the figures are orchestrated in sequential request, beginning with adolescents on the more splendid left side, close to the specialists, finishing with elderly people men on the differentiating right. The youthful appear to be looking forward with faces loaded with conferment and agony. Of the artistic creation we see a dynamic, disorderly mass of squirming figures. Most are looking irately towards the window. At the base of the fine art they appear to be skimming over the ground concentrating on battling each other as opposed to looking toward the primary focal point of the artistic creation which is the woman covered in dark, who is on the windowsill, looking outside into the bright nursery. I believe that this woman is Melancholy. She is guarding the window, the entryway to opportunity. There is an elderly person on the windowsill taking a gander at her with despair, another in the center confronting her with his hands keeping his shirt down as though to state ââ¬Å"stab me! Execute me! ââ¬Å". Itââ¬â¢s very evident that the Polish watcher will decipher this canvas as a portrayal of Polish history that had oaken spot in the only remaining century, yet this artwork is really supposed to be one of the main instances of Symbolism in the Visual Arts in Young Poland (1). It shows devoted authentic substance yet not legitimately yet rather through an allegory. Malenessââ¬â¢s didnââ¬â¢t attempt to discover or show general certainties but instead demonstrated his own abstract view on the circumstance in his nation. My understanding is that he was indicating the uselessness of the national uprisings, the outfitted outings, the torment and the expectations of revolt, through the lady hindering the entry to opportunity. Step by step instructions to refer to Malczewski and the thoughts of Young Polnd, Papers
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Understanding Inappropriate Affect
Understanding Inappropriate Affect Emotions Print Understanding Inappropriate Affect By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on September 10, 2019 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD on September 10, 2019 Getty / Klaus Vedfelt More in Psychology Emotions Psychotherapy Basics Student Resources History and Biographies Theories Phobias Sleep and Dreaming In This Article Table of Contents Expand Overview Causes Diagnosis Relevant Conditions Symptoms Types Treatment Coping with Inappropriate Affect View All Back To Top Affect refers to the outward expression of a persons internal emotions. For most people, there is congruence between affect and circumstance; for example, if you are given the news that a friend has passed away, your reaction would be sadness and tears. However, for a certain percentage of the population, outward affect does not match the situation that they are in. This is known as inappropriate affect and can have a variety of causes. If you know someone who smiles during a tragedy or who does not show emotion when it would be expected, they may be experiencing inappropriate affect. To fully understand all the ramifications of inappropriate affect, we will consider in detail symptoms, causes, related conditions, diagnosis, coping, treatment, and related issues. Overview of Inappropriate Affect As noted, inappropriate affect involves the display of reactions that do not match the situation that you are in or possibly even your internal state. Emotions, actions, or overall demeanor that seem out of place in a situation all fall under the general umbrella term inappropriate affect. Inappropriate affect can be a symptom of different underlying physical or mental problems, but it can also be a disorder itself. Psychiatrists and other professionals have recognized inappropriate affect as a problem among patients for over 100 years, reporting events such as laughter or tears without any cause. In studying what we now know as schizophrenia in 1909, Stransky referred to intrapsychic ataxia as a condition involving a disturbance between thoughts and affect. In 1950, Bleuler noted that the clinical prognosis of schizophrenic patients displaying inappropriate affect was much poorer than those who did not. The 6 Types of Basic Emotions and Their Effect on Human Behavior Causes of Inappropriate Affect There are a number of different potential causes of inappropriate affect, but they fall under the categories described below. Brain Damage or Neurological Dysfunction Inappropriate affect can result from physical damage to the brain such as that happening due to a brain tumor, brain damage, dementia, brain injury, head trauma, etc. When inappropriate affect results from a structural brain problem, areas that are commonly involved include the limbic system, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex. Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders A second main cause of inappropriate affect is mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, etc. Often, these individuals have not lost the capacity for emotional reactions, but appear to have lost the ability to have them occur in a normal and expected way. This is because their affect is a reaction to their hallucinations or delusions and their assumptions about the reasons for other peoples actions. Instead, they may have strange reactions that dont seem to make sense to the outside observer. In this way, they show emotions and behavior that do not seem to be consistent with the reality of the situation, but they are in fact consistent with their internal experience of the situation. In schizophrenia, a type of inappropriate affect is sometimes called flat affect when it presents as a reduced expression of emotion. Psychological Factors There can also be other causes of inappropriate affect that is not due to brain damage or a mental disorder. In most of these cases, the person is capable of responding in a normal way, but for one reason or another does not. For example, a person in therapy may laugh while describing a difficult situation so as to control their emotions in a self protective way. Diagnosis of Inappropriate Affect If you are concerned that you are or someone you know is living with inappropriate affect, it is important to obtain a diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional. Your doctor can refer you to the necessary professionals, such as a neurologist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. The first step would generally be to rule out any physical or neurological condition causing the inappropriate affect. Often, inappropriate affect is a symptom of another disorder rather than a syndrome itself, so an assessment would be conducted for mental disorders that could be a potential cause as well. The severity of the problem would also be assessed, to determine where it falls in the range from mild to severe. Conditions Involving Inappropriate Affect Various conditions may be associated with inappropriate affect: Mental Disorders major depressive disorder schizophrenia schizoid personality disorder post-traumatic stress disorder schizoaffective disorder psychopathy depersonalization borderline personality disorder Neurological Conditions brain damage pseudobulbar affect autism dementia Alzheimers disease head trauma brain tumor multiple sclerosis Symptoms of Inappropriate Affect The specific symptoms of inappropriate affect will depend on the underlying cause and show up in terms of facial expressions, the tone of your voice, and the content of what you say. Below are some potential symptoms: uncontrollable crying even when not feeling sadrecognizing that your reactions are inappropriateemotions that do not match the reality of a situationshowing happiness during a tragedybecoming angry without any outward provocationflat affect or not showing expected emotional reactions (but not in the case of simply holding back emotions) Clearly, the specific types of symptoms experienced will depend on the underlying cause of the inappropriate affect. Types of Inappropriate Affect In addition to the broad symptoms of inappropriate affect, there are a number of specific categories within which symptoms can be grouped. Remember that inappropriate affect is simply that which does not match the situation or the internal emotional state of the person. The various types are listed below. Blunted Affect Blunted affect is a common symptom in schizophrenia and related disorders, and refers to a lowered level of the intensity of emotional expression. A person with blunted affect will show little feeling even in emotional situations. As an example, a person with blunted affect may tell a story about being in a car crash but talk little about how it made them feel, speak in a monotone, and not have many facial expressions. Restricted Affect Restricted affect is a reduction in ones expressive range. So, the person describing the car accident may show some feeling and emotion, but it is less than would be expected based on the content of what is being said. Flat Affect Flat affect refers to displaying absolutely no feeling or emotion regardless of the circumstances. This is a step below blunted affect in that it is completely devoid of emotional expression. Labile Affect A person with labile affect shows rapid changes in their emotions that dont seem to relate to any outside situations or seem to be inappropriate for the situation. In other words, if you have labile affect, you would display rapid and repeating shifts in mood or affect. A person with labile affect appears as though they do not have control over their emotions. This type of affect is seen often in neurological disorders such as pseudobulbar affect, in manic episodes during bipolar disorder, and in borderline personality disorder. Labile affect can also result from fatigue, stress/anxiety, and over-stimulation. Shallow Affect Shallow affect has a similar meaning to blunted affect, but it is often used to describe the emotional experience of persons with psychopathy. A person with shallow affect will feel little emotion about situations that would expect to elicit specific feelings. This means that things that cause most people to experience negative emotions do not have the same impact for psychopaths. As an example, American serial killer Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker, when sentenced to death, responded with, Big deal. Death always went with the territory. See you in Disneyland. Treatment of Inappropriate Affect The treatment for inappropriate affect depends on the underlying cause. Receiving proper treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis, which is why it is so important to visit a healthcare professional if you or someone you know is living with these types of symptoms. Most types of inappropriate affect will be treated with some form of medication depending on the severity of the symptoms. Even if psychotherapy is used, it is usually as an add-on to medication, because therapy alone often will not help to remediate the problem. Medications that may be used include antipsychotics (in the case of schizophrenia or psychosis), antidepressants or mood stabilizers (in the case of mood disorders or related issues), as well as a specific medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (a combination of dextromethorphan and quinidine). Helping Someone with Inappropriate Affect If you are a caregiver to a person experiencing inappropriate affect, it can be hard on you too. You may react negatively or defensively to the other persons behaviors, which can make the situation worse. You might also be confused by their behavior and not know how to react. Its important as a caregiver that you take time to get help for yourself as well. Support groups or other avenues for connecting with other people going through the same issues may be helpful. You could also consider talk therapy for yourself to learn best how to manage the situation and your own needs and emotions. Coping with Inappropriate Affect If you are living with inappropriate affect, it may be hard to know how to cope. Below are some suggestions on ways to minimize the impact of inappropriate affect on your life. If you have not already, visit a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause of your inappropriate affect. This person will be able to recommend the appropriate treatment for your situation. If you have a neurological condition that causes you to react in inappropriate ways, it may be helpful to share this with persons close to you so that they can understand better what is happening. If you have schizophrenia or a related condition, its important to seek social support such as though a schizophrenia support group, to manage stress, get regular exercise, get enough sleep each night, avoid using substances such as alcohol, and eat healthy foods that can help to balance your moods. A Word From Verywell Are you or someone you know living with inappropriate affect? While this can be a debilitating condition because it affects every area of your life from work to social relationships, with the help of a healthcare professional, it is possible to reduce the impact on your life. Once you have your symptoms under control, all areas of your life should improve and your sense of control will increase. Whether you are prescribed medication and/or receive psychotherapy, its important to follow through with the prescribed protocol to ensure the best chance of success. Remember that even if you are feeling better, most conditions that require medication will involve taking this medication for the long-term. For this reason, you should always follow your doctors advice and never make treatment decisions on your own. Emotions and Types of Emotional Responses
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Tricky is in the eye of the beholder
Sometimes I feel like the SAT is a kind of Rorschach test. Its so laden down with cultural baggage and anxieties (about race, class, social mobility, you name it) that peoples opinions and they tend to be very, very strong opinions seem to reveal more about their own concerns than they do about the actual test itself. I also sometimes feel as if people who complain about the SATs purported trickiness are missing the point of the it: both the questions and the incorrect answer choices are deliberately written to exploit the kinds of mistakes that people are most likely to make when working through the various kinds of questions. The real issue is whether that whole setup is a valid means of testing, well whatever it is that the SAT is supposed to be testing (which is of course something that no one can agree on anyway). I do feel obligated to point out that for the small percentage of test-takers whose skills are such that they can disregard the multiple-choice aspect and simply answer the questions, the whole concept of trickiness is essentially a moot point. I say this because so much of the criticism that gets leveled at the SAT seems to be based on the notion that no one could possibly do well on the SAT without extensive coaching on how to avoid the traps, and thats simply not true. If it were that impossible, the College Board would never keep administering the test in its current form. Some people can in fact do extraordinarily well with virtually no studying at all. It may be horribly unfair, but they do exist. (I know, I went to high school with them, and no, they werent lying about not getting tutored and are now getting Ph.Ds at Stanford in things like particle physics). The fact that other families are willing to spend thousands of dollars so that their children can obtain scores that are even remotely competitive in no way lessens that reality. And no, that isnt fair either. I also say this because in my experience, focusing on the trickiness of the answer choices is often a convenient way for people to deflect from the fact that they really didnt know how to answer a particular question. Id say that a good 85% of the time, people miss Critical Reading questions because they didnt totally get what was going in the passage or what the question was actually asking. They might think they understood, but when I ask them to put things in their own words, they usually dont quite hit the mark. And if they dont nail the big picture, other things have a tendency to go off as well. But back to the question at hand, namely what do people actually mean when they say that the SAT is tricky? To start with, Im going to give an example of a couple of Writing questions that my students routinely have difficulty with: 1. For people in many ancient societies, work was only a means of survival rather than a way to improve your standard of living. 2. At the reception were the chattering guests, the three-tiered cake, and the lively music that have become characteristic of many wedding celebrations. For the first question, my students consistently pick B (a means of) because a always goes before a singular noun, and means looks like its plural because of -s on the end of it. For the second question, they pick D (characteristic of) because they interpret it as a noun agreement question and think that it should be characteristics of, not realizing that characteristic of = typical of and is a fixed phrase that doesnt need to agree. The first time I had a student get these questions wrong for those reasons, I was a bit taken aback; it had never actually occurred to me that those particular answer choices could be misinterpreted in those particular ways. I just assumed that my student was an anomaly in reading them the way she did. But then the same thing happened with someone else. And then someone else. And before I knew it, I was explaining their reasoning to them before they could even explain it to me. Only at that point did it begin to occur to me that ETS might have deliberately included those answer because kids would be likely to use that reasoning. But they might have also not worked things out that precisely they might have underlined it randomly, and it just so happened that lots of kids picked that answer in the focus groups. Its easy to fall into a kind of circular logic/conspiracy theorist mentality and start thinking that everything that you perceive as tricky was put on the test specifically to trick you, when in reality ETS occasionally does things by chance that lots of people happen to misinterpret the same way. Anyway, I digress. The point Im trying (perhaps not very lucidly) to make is that those kids undoubtedly perceived those questions to be evidence of how tricky the SAT was. They had learned certain rules about SAT grammar, and now those rules were being broken. Why should they be penalized? And besides, what sort of test would judge them on something so blatantly unfair? But the problem is that missing those questions tends to correlate with other weaknesses: almost inevitably, the kids who miss those questions are the ones who do not read SAT-level texts independently and who consequently havent really developed an ear for what is and is not standard usage and that in turn shows up in their general writing and reading skills. The ones who do read extensively on their own generally have the same reaction as I did; it simply doesnt occur to them that it could be a trick. For questions like the ones I mentioned, it doesnt matter how much coaching someone has received; even if theyve learned the rules flawlessly, theres absolutely no way to prepare for all of the exceptions. Worse, people who conceive of the SAT primarily in terms of tricks are more likely to miss those questions because they tend to only see it in terms of the way the SAT tests things and not in terms of how English actually works. They also tend to be the ones who are surprised to discover that concepts tested on the SAT actually have something to do with real life writing. More than one student of mine has been surprised to discover that the rules tested on SAT Writing are not just something made up by ETS. One last example that I find particularly illustrative: I confess that I sometimes browse College Confidential for insight into the kinds of misconceptions people bring to the SAT, and recently I stumbled across a post in which someone cited the appearance of both undermine and underscore as Critical Reading answer choices to prove that the College Board is out to trick people. Because both words start with under, the reasoning went, they can be easily confused, and thus theyre put on the test to confuse people. Now, from that kids perspective, the argument seemed entirely logical: if two words start with under, how could someone possibly be expected to remember that they have entirely different meanings? From an educated adults perspective, however, that kind of confusion is virtuallyà unthinkable. The fact that two words can have the same prefix but opposite meanings is simply part of the English language. They just mean different things, end of story. Theres no trick whatsoever. And a kid who doesnt know that is still incredibly naive about how language works. The problem goes far beyond the test. I know that everyone is intent on denying the relationship between SAT scores and actual skills, but from what Ive seen, the correlation between those two little questions and overall dexterity with the English language is remarkable. To be clear, I am not saying that someones responses to these questions form any sort of final judgment about their capabilities and/or potential, simply that they serve as a remarkably accurate signpost for other kinds of knowledge. It is of course theoretically possible to be a phenomenal writer and brilliant English student and still miss those two questions but from what Ive seen, the reality is that most of the time it just doesnt work that way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)