Definitions and Examples of English Usage

Usage refers to the conventional ways in which words or phrases are used, spoken, or written in a speech community. There is no official institution (akin to the 500-year-old Acadà ©mie franà §aise, for example) that functions as an authority on how the English language should be used. There are, however, numerous publications, groups, and individuals (style guides, language mavens, and the like) that have attempted to codify (and sometimes dictate) rules of usage. EtymologyFrom Latin,  usus  Ã‚  to use Observations This usage stuff is not straightforward and easy. If ever someone tells you that the rules of English grammar are simple and logical and you should just learn them and obey them, walk away, because youre getting advice from a fool.  (Geoffrey K. Pullum, Does It Really Matter If It Dangles? Language Log, Nov. 20, 2010)The thoughtful, nondichotomous position on language depends on a simple insight: Rules of proper usage are tacit conventions. Conventions are unstated agreements within a community to abide by a single way of doing things--not because there is any inherent advantage to the choice, but because there is an advantage to everyone making the same choice. Standardized weights and measures, electrical voltages and cables, computer file formats, the Gregorian calendar, and paper currency are familiar examples.  (Steven Pinker, False Fronts in the Language Wars. Slate, May 31, 2012) The Difference Between Grammar and Usage In this book, grammar refers to the manner in which the language functions, the ways that the blocks of speech and writing are put together. Usage refers to using specific words in a manner that will be thought of as either acceptable or unacceptable. The question of whether or not to split an infinitive is a consideration of grammar; the question of whether one should use literally in a nonliteral sense is one of usage.  (Ammon Shea, Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation. Perigee, 2014) Arbiters of Usage The present-day scholarly concept of usage as a social consensus based on the practices of the educated middle class has emerged only within the last century. For many people, however, the views and aims of the 17th-18c fixers of the language continue to hold true: they consider that there ought to be a single authority capable of providing authoritative guidance about good and bad usage. For them, the model remains that of the Greek and Latin, and they have welcomed arbiters of usage such as Henry Fowler who have based their prescriptions on this model. In spite of this  ... no nation in which English is the main language has yet set up an official institution to monitor and make rules about usage. New words, and new senses and uses of words, are not sanctioned or rejected by the authority of any single body: they arise through regular use and, once established, are recorded in dictionaries and grammars. This means that, with the classical model of grammar in rapid decline, the us ers of English collectively set the standards and priorities that underlie all usage.  (Robert Allen, Usage. The Oxford Companion to the English Language, ed. T. McArthur. Oxford University Press, 1992)Most of the little manuals which pretend to regulate our use of our own language and to declare what is and what is not good English are grotesque in their ignorance; and the best of them are of small value, because they are prepared on the assumption that the English language is dead, like the Latin, and that, like Latin again, its usage is fixed finally. Of course, this assumption is as far as possible from the fact. The English language is alive now—very much alive. And because it is alive it is in a constant state of growth. It is developing daily according to its needs. It is casting aside words and usages that are no longer satisfactory; it is adding new terms as new things are brought forward; and it is making new usages, as convenience suggests, short-cuts across lots , and to the neglect of the five-barred gates rigidly set up by our ancestors.  (Brander Matthews, Parts of Speech: Essays on English, 1901) Usage and Corpus Linguistics English is more diverse than ever in all hemispheres. Research into new Englishes has flourished, supported by journals such as English World-Wide, World Englishes and English Today. At the same time, the quest for a single, international form for written communication becomes more pressing, among those aiming at a global readership...Many kinds of resource have been brought to bear on the style and usage questions raised. The Cambridge Guide to English Usage is the first of its kind to make regular use of large databases (corpora) of computerized texts as primary sources of current English. . . . The corpora embody various kinds of written discourse as well as transcriptions of spoken discourse--enough to show patterns of divergence between the two. Negative attitudes to particular idioms or usage often turn on the fact that they are more familiar to the ear than the eye, and the constructions of formal writing are privileged thereby. Corpus data allow us to look more neutrally at t he distributions of words and constructions, to view the range of styles across which they operate. On this basis, we can see what is really standard, i.e. usable in many kinds of discourse, as opposed to the formal or informal.  (Pam Peters, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage. Cambridge University Press, 2004) Linguists and Usage As a field of study, usage doesnt hold much interest for modern linguists, who are drifting more and more toward qualitative psychology and theory. Their leading theorist, Noam Chomsky of MIT, has acknowledged, with no apparent regret, the pedagogical irrelevance of modern linguistics: I am, frankly, rather skeptical about the significance, for the teaching of languages, of such insights and understanding as have been attained in linguistics and psychology ... If you want to learn how to use the English language skillfully and gracefully, books on linguistics wont help you at all.  (Bryan A. Garner, Garners Modern American Usage, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2009) Correctness In the past, unproven ideas about the Standard have often been used to forward certain social interests at the expense of others. Knowing this, we do not describe the misuse of the conventions of punctuation in some students writing as a crime against civilization, although we do point out the mistakes. What interests us far more is that these apprentice writers have interesting ideas to convey, and manage to support their arguments well. They should be encouraged to turn to the task of writing seriously and enthusiastically rather than be discouraged because they cannot punctuate a restrictive clause correctly. But when they ask, Does spelling count? we tell them that in writing, as in life, everything counts. For academic writers, as for writers in a wide variety of fields (business, journalism, education, etc.), correctness in both content and expression is vital. . . . Language standardization may have been used as a tool of social oppression, but it has also been the vehicle of broad collaboration and communication. We are right to treat usage both warily and seriously.  (Margery Fee and Janice McAlpine, Guide to Canadian English Usage, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2007)   Usage is trendy, arbitrary, and above all, constantly changing, like all other fashions--in clothing, music, or automobiles. Grammar is the rationale of a language; usage is the etiquette.​  (I. S. Fraser and L. M. Hodson, Twenty-One Kicks at the Grammar Horse. The English Journal, Dec. 1978)   E.B. White on Usage as a Matter of Ear We were interested in what Dr. Henry Seidel Canby had to say about English usage, in the Saturday Review. Usage seems to us peculiarly a matter of ear. Everyone has his own set of rules, his own list of horribles. Dr. Canby speaks of contact used as a verb, and points out that careful writers and speakers, persons of taste, studiously avoid it. They do--some of them, because the word so used, makes their gorge rise, others because they have heard that we sensitive litry folk consider it displeasing. The odd thing is that what is true of one noun-verb is not necessarily true of another. To contact a man makes us wince; but to ground a plane because of bad weather sounds all right. Further, although we are satisfied to ground a plane, we object to garaging an automobile. An automobile should not be garaged; it should either be put in a garage or left out all night.The contraction aint, as Dr. Canby points out, is a great loss to the language. Nice Nellies, schoolteachers, and underdone grammarians have made it the symbol of ignorance and ill-breeding, when in fact it is a handy word, often serving where nothing else will. Say it aint so is a phrase that is right the way it stands, and couldnt be any different. People are afraid of words, afraid of mistakes. One time a newspaper sent us to a morgue to get a story on a woman whose body was being held for identification. A man believed to be her husband was brought in. Somebody pulled the sheet back; the man took one agonizing look, and cried, My God, its her! When we reported this grim incident, the editor diligently changed it to My God, its she!The English language is always sticking a foot out to trip a man. Every week we get thrown, writing merrily along. Even Dr. Canby, a careful and experienced craftsman, got thrown in his own editorial. He spoke of the makers of textbooks who are nearly always reactionary, and often unscholarly in denying the right to change to a language that has always been changing ... In this case, the word change, quietly sandwiched in between a couple of tos, unexpectedly exploded the whole sentence. Even inverting the phrases wouldnt have helped. If he had started out, In denying to a language ... the right to change, it would have come out this way: In denying to a language that has always been changing the right to change ... English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment, and education--sometimes its sheer luck, like getting across a street.  (E.B. White, English Usage. The Second Tree From the Corner. Harper Row, 1954) Pronunciation: YOO-sij

Persuasive Essay On Eureka Stockade - 750 Words

Today I will be showcasing why I as a documentary filmmaker would like to make a film on the Eureka Stockade. The Eureka Stockade was the only civil war to occur and was situated in the Ballarat goldfields in Victoria, Australia. The Eureka Stockade took place on the 3rd of December, 1854. The Eureka Stockade itself was about the miners (diggers) fighting for what they believed was right and just. There was over 150 people who fought in this battle but, the main three people are Peter Lalor who was the leader of the diggers, Charles Joseph La Trobe and Sir Charles Hotham who were the governors of Victoria during this time. My pitch will outline why you, the Discovery Channel should help me make a documentary on the Eureka Stockade. There†¦show more content†¦Peter Lalor (10th April, 1855) states: â€Å"†¦the people were dissatisfied with the laws, because they †¦ (put upon) them an odious [hated] poll tax [licence fee]. The diggers were subjected to the most unheard of insults and cruelties in the collection of this tax, being in many instances chained to logs if they could not produce their license. I have often known men to be asked for their license four or five times†¦ a day†¦ The water†¦ in deep (mine shafts causes) †¦ the diggers frequently to change their dress; †¦ they very often leave their licenses behind; †¦ (if) visited by the police, they are dragged, wet and dripping†¦ to the prison, like common felons [criminals].† – (Taken from http://cdnmedia.macmillan.com.au/mea/demoversions/MDL/Contents/SFAH_Eureka.pdf, on the 20th of July, 2017) This primary source reinforces the fact that the miners were not treated as equals but as that of low class. In contrast, a more important outcome of the Eureka Stockade was the miner’s rights. As before miners weren’t seen as being equal to anyone else, especially since a lot of them were immigrants. Though through the rebellion the miners finally received their rights and they were placed on the council to have a voice. These outcomes effected the way Australia would be shaped. The Australian political system has been altered ever since the Eureka Stockade took place. The change that the Eureka Stockade had was one of importance as it lead to Australia

Admissions for dental hygine Free Essays

One book that has greatly influenced my philosophy in life is the Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley.   I feel that this book has changed my perspective on a lot of things in life, particularly on the value of education.   Malcolm X, while known as a great spokesperson and an influential historical figure, battled against all odds to become the great person that he is today. We will write a custom essay sample on Admissions for dental hygine or any similar topic only for you Order Now The sacrifices that he made in order to make the world a better place to live in are greatly appreciated by today’s society.   All of that, he accomplished because he was able to educate himself in his later years. I was at one of the lowest points of my life and everything seemed so bleak.   I had given up on a lot of things in my life and was about to give up my schooling and pursue an alternative career instead.   I realized that Malcolm X was right. There is so much more that one can learn in life and there is no limit to what one can be as long as one approaches things with an open mind and an eager attitude.   It was this same thinking that led me to pursue my education and the same thinking that brought me to the challenges that I soon had to face. The pursuit of education has never been easy for me.   Having decided that I was going to pursue my education, I had to come to grips with reality and face the responsibilities and challenges of studying.   Places, histories and events were usually destinations for Malcolm X as he read almost every book that he could find. For him, his homemade education had changed his life and he was certain that it could change the lives of others as well.   â€Å"I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life.†Ã‚   This is what has inspired me in the pursuit of my career and my education. Having been working as a Dental Assistant for the past 4  ½ years, I have come to realize realize that as the world continues to change and the workplace becomes more and more challenging and competitive, it becomes imperative for anyone looking for a successful career to not only have the drive to succeed but also the training and expertise to do so. I am not saying that I do not have the training and expertise at the moment but I do believe that there is still room for more.   The rich and diverse academic community at (insert name of school) will definitely be the perfect place for me to learn and be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. That is why I believe that this course is a crucial step for me.   My success and my accomplishments here will herald the beginning of the fulfillment of my personal and professional goals.   It is said that the one thing that nobody can ever take away from you is your education and that is the one thing that I plan to not only gain for myself but for others as well. Perhaps, one of the most influential events in my life that have pointed me in the direction of Dentistry is my passion for Dental Hygiene.   As such, this has prompted me to continue my studies in this field and eventually enter professional school and pursue a career as a dentist.   I feel that my direction in this course also has to do with my character and my strengths. My most important character strength, in my opinion, is my ability to adapt, accept and learn.   My drive to succeed has been fueled by the experienced that I had early on in life.   Growing up without many benefits in life, I was inspired by the perseverance and dedication that my parents showed.   This provided me with a closer view of what I need to accomplish at an academic level before venturing into private practice of my own, particularly in this highly competitive field. Pursuing my career in Dental Hygiene is just the first step in my plan.  Ã‚   I would like to have the opportunity to take a bigger role in making the world a better place to live.   My main philosophy in life is to lead by setting an example. I cannot expect others to do what I myself would be willing to do but that does not mean that I cannot hope that others will see the example that I have shown them. This philosophy is one of the many forces that drive me to pursue my dream of pursuing this career and of becoming so much more in life.   The chance to help those who are less fortunate in life, the chance to help people like myself, the opportunity to be of service to humanity; these are the reasons why I have selected this as the profession that I will pursue; for, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, â€Å"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How to cite Admissions for dental hygine, Essays

Diversified Australian Healthcare-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write a Reflective Writing on Diversified Australian Healthcare. Answer: Introduction My reflective writing is based on the cultural diversity of Australia, its history, the health care system of Australia and whether Australian healthcare setting can meet up to the standards of such a diversified culture. My reflection is on a specific healthcare issue based on a specified culture. The topic is of utmost interest for me because I am an Australian, and these studies would definitely help me in my clinical health care settings, as it would give me a varied idea about the healthcare system of Australia, my homeland. For decades Australia had been a place of lot of immigration from different parts of the world, and due to this they have been facing a lot of problems regarding the healthcare. My report focuses on the health care measures that can be taken up for them to improve the quality of care provided to them. Australia has a diversified culture. The history of Australia has shaped the diversity of the people. The main factors behind the diversified culture of Australia is due to thee demography of Australia , diverse population of the indigenous people, British colonial past and immigration of different types of people having different cultures from different parts of the world (Rechel et al., 2013). Australian population is one of the most diversified populations of the world. It has been found that although most of the population is of Australian origin. But it has been found that about 75% of the Australians have ancestry other than Australia. It has been found that Australians speaks about more than 200 languages (Colquhoun Dockery, 2012). Languages spoken other than English are Greek, Italian, Chinese and Arabic. The major religion in Australia is Christianity (Fiske, Hodge Turner, 2016). Before the British arrived in Australia in the year 1788, Australia was the home for the indigenous people. The Torres Strait Islanders and the Aborigines (Manning Trimmer, 2013). It has been found that there are more than 500 hundred different types of clans in Australia, having their distinct culture, language (Fiske, Hodge Turner, 2016). The aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islanders have separate land areas. Their languages and cultures are different. Different group of clans have different cultures and they have developed unique skills and knowledges based on the environment (Aspin et al., 2012). The multicultural health in Australia poses a challenge to the general practitioners because they should have a strong cultural competence to deal with the patients coming from different cultures (Colquhoun Dockery, 2012). The concept of multiculturalism is Australia involves and accepts the right of every Australians irrespective of their culture, to get a proper medical care. The term White Australian theory refers to the various historical policies that prevented the non European immigrants in Australia. The immigration restriction act of 1901 restricted all sorts of the European immigration (Manning Trimmer, 2013). The law was specially directed towards the Chinese immigrants, but later on this popular cry was also raised against the Japanese, after the victory of Japan over China in the Sino-Japanese war. The principle reason behind the white Australian movement is due to the fact that cheap but efficient Asian laborers were available. All kind of non-European immigration was effectively prevented with the introduction of the Entrance examinations in European languages. It was found that the policies became less stringent after 1950 (Neumann, Gifford, Lems Scherr, 2014). I have gone through many research articles and have found that Australian food and the health patterns have many similarities. This is probably due to the fact that the Indigenous Australians have arrived in Australia Asia via and have linguistic connection with the Asians. I have found that the diverse food pattern had been introduced in to the Australian market. For the Asians in Australia, the energy expenditure and the intake of certain protective food decreased. It led to the development of the eco- diseases. The migrants became susceptible to diseases like diabetes, cardio vascular disease and certain cancers. Thus I can definitely say that, while Asian migration brought health opportunities for the host citizen but the migrant got susceptible to nutrition related health issues (Martinez at al., 2015). The social models of our healthcare are affected by a number of interpersonal, individual, environmental, social and economical factors. They help us to have a deeper understanding of the health. Some parameters that influence health are the Income and the Social status, employment, gender, culture, social and the support network, childhood development, social exclusion, literacy. These social influences led to the differences in health among the various group of populations. I have often seen about the heath discrepancies between the Indigenous and the non Indigenous Australians (Durey Thompson, 2012). According to Yuill, Crinson and Duncan, there were six key features of social models of health (Pilgrim, 2017). Health of an individual is affected due the social context. Our body is simultaneously biological, social and psychological. The experience of the diseases and the way the health is perceived varies from cultures to cultures. Medical science is not everything. Political processes have a huge impact on health. It is necessary to listen to the voice of the other people other than these professions. I have also come across the health models of the Han cock and Duhl, which suggests 11 parameters of the health crisis (Davies Kelly, 2014). According to me a social model of health encourages us to adopt a deep perspective on health. It should be kept in mind that the we must change those factors of the environment that are promoting ill health, than to change the life style of the people or the way of their living. Health system of Australia is quite complex. Complexities cannot be avoided, in order to provide an inclusive and a multifaceted approach of health care to the varied residents of the Australia. According to me, behind the scenes of the healthcare system of Australia lies a network of clinical governance, coordination, regulation, funding aspects and government health policies. According to the researches made by me, The Australia spends about 9.5% of its GDP in the healthcare (Ware, 2013). I have come to know about the health systems that most of type peoples first contact with the Australian health society is that, when they visit a general physician. The other health providers of the Australian health care system are the medical practitioners, nurses, other health professionals, hospitals and clinic. They provide us with different levels of services, starting from primary healthcare to emergency services, palliative care, and rehabilitation. Private sector health service includes the private hospitals, pharmacies. Recent researches have focused on the new models of care, like the nurse led walks in the clinics. Innovations like E-health records also have improved the communication and access to the health care services. The Tele-health technologies have improved the medical facilities for the people residing in the regional, rural and the areas that are remote. Patients also can do video conferencing with the physician (Newman, Biedrzycki Baum, 2012). Health is an expensive business. It has been found that about 780% of the total expenditure on health was funded by the government. The remaining portion was paid by the patients, health insurers, the patient and the different compensation scheme (Martinez et al., 2015). In 2014 the Health Performance council has identified that people belonging from a cultural and linguistically diversified background does not get suitable healthcare outcomes (Martinez et al., 2015). Risk of unemployment for the people coming from the CALD (Culturally and linguistically diverse) background, their linguistic barrier, less recognition of the overseas qualification are found to be responsible for the improper healthcare settings for the CALD people (Polonsky, Renzaho, Ferdous McQuilten, 2013). Lack of government support and lack of understanding also cater to the poor health care facilities or the CALD people. Based on the researches it has been found that the Southern part of Australia had more aged people compared to the other part of the country. This is primarily because the CALD community is largely made up of post war immigrants (Shanley et al., 2012). The older CALD people face difficulties in getting work, as it is difficult to train them, age discrimination and racial discrimination is also found to be responsible. These people cannot afford the proper healthcare. I have come across researches and have seen that the new and emerging CALD communities have international students, skilled migrants. New migrants also include detainees, who have been waiting for the temporary visas. Their futures are uncertain and they often find it difficulties in getting any medical helps from the government (Renzaho, Renzaho Polonsky, 2012). New migrants with medical issues and disabilities often experience delays in accessing medical help. I have also come across cases where delays are caused as the overseas medical reports are often not accepted and further new sets of tests are done here. Clients have to wait for the reports from an Australian analyst, before acceptance of the diagnosis of their condition. According to me, smaller population o f the CALD people lack community support and therefore their needs and services are generally overlooked by the mainstream health care services. It seems that their needs are not properly addressed. It has been found that the people living in the Southern part of Australia mostly belong to these communities. It has been found that the CALD people dont get medical help even in health conditions like diabetes. Another major health issue for the elderly persons from the CALD community is the mental health. I have noticed that the older people from the CALD background suffer from mental health issues (Shanley et al., 2012). The people coming from the CALD community have a high risk of mental health issue other than those born in Australia. The cultural stigma attached to the dementia and the poor understanding of the clinical condition leads to delayed diagnosis of the disease. I have come to know from the recent researches that those who have migrated to Australia at an older age or those who are from the refugee background fall prey to physical and mental health issues. The NSW health policy and the implementation plan for the culturally diverse communities, is a state wise strategic policy for improving the health and the NSW residents, who are religiously, culturally and linguistically different (Silvester et al., 2012). They have set up multicultural programs and services, like bilingual health workers. There are health care interpreter service, multicultural AIDS and hepatitis C services, NSW refugee health service, mental health centers. The NSW transcultural aged care services also aims at providing proper care to the aged persons who are linguistically or culturally different (Ware, 2013). According to me, the policy adopted can really bring about a change in the life of the people who are culturally, linguistically different from the Indigenous Australians. Conclusion Australia is a land of diversified culture. History of Australia says that immigrations that took place in Australia have diversified its culture, food habits. All these differences really affect the health of the indigenous Australians and especially the immigrants. In order to provide appropriate care to the people the government have introduced certain measures, which has to some extend improved the quality of life References Aspin, C., Brown, N., Jowsey, T., Yen, L., Leeder, S. (2012). Strategic approaches to enhanced health service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic illness: a qualitative study.BMC health services research,12(1), 143. Colquhoun, S., Dockery, A. M. (2012). The link between Indigenous culture and wellbeing: Qualitative evidence for Australian Aboriginal peoples. Davies, J. K., Kelly, M. (2014).Healthy cities: research and practice. Routledge. Durey, A., Thompson, S. C. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: time to change focus.BMC health services research,12(1), 151. Fiske, J., Hodge, B., Turner, G. (2016).Myths of Oz: reading Australian popular culture. Routledge. Manning, P., Trimmer, T. (2013).Migration in world history. Routledge. Martinez, O., Wu, E., Sandfort, T., Dodge, B., Carballo-Dieguez, A., Pinto, R., ... Chavez-Baray, S. (2015). Evaluating the impact of immigration policies on health status among undocumented immigrants: a systematic review.Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health,17(3), 947-970. Matulovic, S. (2015). The financial crisis' effects on social well-being-A case study of socioeconomic positions and health implications in Ireland and Greece. Neumann, K., Gifford, S. M., Lems, A., Scherr, S. (2014). Refugee settlement in Australia: policy, scholarship and the production of knowledge, 1952 2013.Journal of Intercultural Studies,35(1), 1-17. Newman, L., Biedrzycki, K., Baum, F. (2012). Digital technology use among disadvantaged Australians: implications for equitable consumer participation in digitally-mediated communication and information exchange with health services.Australian Health Review,36(2), 125-129. Pilgrim, D. (2017).Key concepts in mental health. Sage. Polonsky, M. J., Renzaho, A., Ferdous, A. S., McQuilten, Z. (2013). African culturally and linguistically diverse communities blood donation intentions in Australia: integrating knowledge into the theory of planned behavior.Transfusion,53(7), 1475-1486. Rechel, B., Mladovsky, P., Ingleby, D., Mackenbach, J. P., McKee, M. (2013). Migration and health in an increasingly diverse Europe.The Lancet,381(9873), 1235-1245. Renzaho, A., Renzaho, C., Polonsky, M. (2012). Left out, left off, left over: why migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds are not adequately recognised in health promotion policy and programs.Health Promotion Journal of Australia,23(2), 84-85. Shanley, C., Boughtwood, D., Adams, J., Santalucia, Y., Kyriazopoulos, H., Pond, D., Rowland, J. (2012). A qualitative study into the use of formal services for dementia by carers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.BMC health services research,12(1), 354. Silvester, W., Fullam, R. S., Parslow, R. A., Lewis, V. J., Sjanta, R., Jackson, L., ... Gilchrist, J. (2012). Quality of advance care planning policy and practice in residential aged care facilities in Australia.BMJ supportive palliative care, bmjspcare-2012. Ware, V. (2013).Improving the accessibility of health services in urban and regional settings for Indigenous people(Vol. 27). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.