7 Sentences Energized by Elegant Variation

7 Sentences Energized by Elegant Variation 7 Sentences Energized by Elegant Variation 7 Sentences Energized by Elegant Variation By Mark Nichol In one of the most recent tugs-of-war between qualitative practice and quantitative practicality, search engine optimization has been eroding the exalted status of time-honored elegant variation, the convention of avoiding wearying repetition of words throughout a sentence or a passage. One of the principles of SEO, the suite of strategies for shaping online content to enhance its searchability, is that keywords, when repeated, strengthen the likelihood that a search will call up a particular piece of content. But let’s not allow that admittedly valid goal to be so scrupulously employed as to deaden the language. Here are some repetition-riddled sentences followed by elegant fixes: 1. â€Å"Finding a job at 55 is much harder than finding a job in your 40s.† Sentences like this aren’t wrong; they’re just a bit flat, and it doesn’t take much to pep them up a bit: â€Å"Finding a job at 55 is much harder than landing one in your 40s.† 2. â€Å"There’s a preponderance of knowledge workers working as contract workers.† Save some work with synonyms: â€Å"There’s a preponderance of knowledge workers employed as contractors.† 3. â€Å"The company is launching a new shelter magazine aimed at women in their 30s, while American Media is developing a shelter magazine for women in their 20s and 30s.† Two pairs of duplicate usage spiff up this sentence: â€Å"The company is launching a new shelter magazine aimed at thirtysomething women, while American Media is developing a home-themed title for those in their 20s and 30s.† 4. â€Å"New Jersey’s cops stopped doing consent searches, in which a cop asks a driver for permission to search the driver’s vehicle.† That sentence sports a tired trifecta. Not only is repetition of cop a cop-out, but it doesn’t take much effort to search for another word for search and summon the drive to replace a repeat of drive: â€Å"New Jersey’s cops stopped doing consent searches, in which a police officer asks a driver for permission to look around in the motorist’s vehicle.† 5. â€Å"He said he was afraid to listen to President Bush’s speech because he was â€Å"afraid Bush would announce he was going to repeal the Fourteenth Amendment.† I’m afraid that the reappearance of afraid is diminished by its previous use: â€Å"He said he was reluctant to listen to President Bush’s speech because he was â€Å"afraid Bush would announce he was going to repeal the Fourteenth Amendment.† 6. â€Å"Administrators requested waivers for regular students, special-education students, adult students, and students in continuation schools.† Send this writer back to school to come up with some other words for students: â€Å"Administrators requested waivers for regular students, special-education pupils, adult learners, and kids in continuation schools. 7. â€Å"When Brubeck chauffeured Milhaud, who didn’t drive, to the 1947 premiere, the composer drove the young musician to, as he said, ‘be true to your instincts’ and ‘sound like who you really are.’† Oh, my. The writer deftly employed chauffeured to achieve elegant variation in the literal sense of operating a car but then crashed farther down the road. Using two meanings of the same word (or even separate tense inflections) is a collision of comprehension: â€Å"When Brubeck chauffeured Milhaud, who didn’t drive, to the 1947 premiere, the composer pushed the young musician to, as he said, ‘be true to your instincts’ and ‘sound like who you really are.’† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquirePrecedent vs. PrecedencePunctuation Is Powerful

Tent Poles and Tentpoles

Tent Poles and Tentpoles Tent Poles and Tentpoles Tent Poles and Tentpoles By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders about a Hollywood term new to him: Have been seeing Hollywood recently using the expression tent poles, but its not clear what theyre trying to express. Can you enlighten us? Literally, a â€Å"tent pole† is a long stick that holds up a tent roof. A good rule of thumb is to fold the tent about the same length as the  tent poles before you roll it up.   A palatka is a hut with a  tent-pole  all the way to the top. I have seen tentpole used figuratively to refer to a tall person, the way Hermia uses maypole in her harangue against tall Helena: How low am I, thou painted maypole? Speak. How low am I? I am not yet so low But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes. The OED offers an example of tent-pole used as an epithet in the list of compound words in the entry for tent: His ugly, unmarriageable tent-pole of a daughter. Tentpole in the context of entertainment was new to me. The OED does not include a definition for this use, but Merriam-Webster does: tentpole noun: a big-budget movie whose earnings are expected to compensate the studio for its less profitable movies. In some contexts, a tentpole movie is one that will make money with tie-in merchandise. In television programming, a new, untried show is scheduled to follow a popular show- the tentpole- in an effort to keep viewers watching. Tentpole movies are usually equated with high-budget blockbusters: Universal Pictures has done away with the tentpole blockbusterthis year, at least Paul Greengrass has defended Hollywoods high stakes tent pole movie strategy, saying that big budget blockbusters are essential for the movie business. For the last five years or so, the dominant studio strategy for combatting lower attendance and movies’ declining entertainment market share has been a focus on bigger movies – the â€Å"tentpoles†, in industry parlance, â€Å"four-quadrant† movies that appeal to every stereotypical member of the stereotypical family, targeting the largest possible audience. An article in Forbes, however, speculates that less expensive films may be able to function as tentpoles: We may have reached the point where cheap comedies are the new tentpoles.- â€Å"Neighbors May Represent The Future Of Tentpoles,† Forbes In Hollywood jargon, a tentpole is a movie of any kind that can be expected to garner earnings beyond initial ticket sales, usually in the form of sequels and the licensing of related merchandise. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingDisappointed + PrepositionConfusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Otitis Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Otitis Media - Research Paper Example The symptom includes a perforated eardrum with drainage of pus (purulent material) or the bulging of eardrum accompanied by pain. It is also likely that the patient also suffers from fever. On the other hand persistent inflammation in the middle ear is called Chronic Otitis media which lasts for at least a month. The difference from acute ear infection is that acute otitis media stays only for few weeks. In the case of chronic otitis media, an acute infection is followed by the effusion of fluid behind the ear drum in the tympanic membrane that can last for about three months. Chronic otitis media is likely to develop negative pressure at the back of the eardrum due to prolonged effusion. It can also cause continuing damage to the eardrum and middle ear and may continue drainage in the eardrum through the hole in the middle. Chronic otitis media usually begins without pain and fever. Popping and ear pressure can last for months leading to a mild loss of hearing (Otitis Media 2011). T reatment of Otitis Media On diagnosing a person with Otitis Media, treatment is planned by considering factors such as the age of the patient, risk factors involved with the resistant bacteria, hearing status and immunization status.

Ethogram project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethogram project - Assignment Example the warthog despite the presence of other animals such as the buffalo (Bubalus, Syncerus, Bos 13), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), and the antelopes (Antilocapra americana) in the areas where the warthogs were grazing. Early that morning (10.00AM), the adult warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) cleaned the skin of their offspring using their teeth. Some warthogs were also moving from place to place. At noon (12.00PM), the sun became very hot making the warthogs graze while kneeling and other warthogs moving from one point to another in search of shelter as well as grass. In the afternoon (2.00PM), the temperature was extremely hot making majority of the warthogs to sleep and a few to spend their time cleaning the fur of others via use of their teeth. Some warthogs that were active however ran in one a large group from one place to another when they saw us driving across where they were grazing. While running, they occasionally stopped and looked at us. The choice of this hypothesis is in tandem with the assumption that warthogs move in groups in order to locate food resources. Although male warthogs often love solitary life; they move alone from one place to another, majority of the people believe that warthogs move in groups so as to minimize the rate of their predation by predators. The testing of this hypothesis will enable one understand the lifestyle of warthogs as well as the factors that contribute to their movement in groups. The causal question and the hypothesis for this study will expound on the ultimate cause of warthogs social behavior. The social behavior of the warthogs is likely to have evolved with time because of decrease in food resources as well as increase in the rate of predation. Test for the hypothesis: Information regarding the population of the warthogs in the San Diego zoo will be collected in four different times in a year and their number tabulated for future reference. The information to be documented will include the groups of

Reaction time Essay Example for Free

Reaction time Essay How fast a response can be made once he need has been recognised. By improving my reaction time I will be able to move my racket into the correct position to return my opponents shots much quicker. I would also be able to move my body into the correct position on the correct much quicker which would stop the need for over stretching for the shuttle which sometimes causes me slight injuries. This would make my play much more successful within both doubles and singles. After examining each health and skill related component of fitness and evaluating how well I did in the fitness tests I have decided to center my exercise plan round improving my muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness. I have chosen these because I believe that before I improve any skill related component of fitness I must have solid health related components of fitness. This is because usually health related components are directly linked with how easily a person is able to develop skilled components. For example without good muscular strength a person cannot be powerful. Muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness are the two that need improving foremost as I already quite a good player and therefore come up against many players which are equally matched to myself, therefore the duration of games is usually quite long and endurance is important. Relevant fitness tests to support my aims. Multi stage fitness test = this is a bleep test which participants run between two points which are 20m apart, the bleeps tell the person when to start running and when they should reach the other point. As the levels increase the beeps get closer together. This test will determine how good my muscular endurance is and whether I can run at increasing speeds with increasing tiredness. As one of my main aims is to improve my muscular endurance this test is vital to highlight any improvement made by implementing my personal exercise plan. I could not carry on after level eight; I felt this was quite good but not excellent. I would like to, with the help of my personal exercise plan, be able to achieve level 10. Pull ups = this test just involves how many times I can lift my entire body weight to lift my head above the bar. This is a relevant test as it measures the strength of my arms which is very important in the game of badminton. The strong my arms the more power I can put into my shots and the further and faster the shuttle can travel. I managed just three pull ups. This result is just below average. Improving my muscular strength would be an advantage however this is not one of my main aims of my personal exercise plan. Reaction time = this test involves putting a ruler against a wall and getting another person to hold it. I would then put my strong hand at the 50cm mark. My friend would then drop the ruler and I would have to catch it. The test of my reaction time is how far down the ruler I catch it. In badminton reaction time is also very important as reacting to the shuttles direction quickly is vital. Reaction time is very difficult to improve however nationally I scored excellent so this isnt a major concern for improvement. Illinois Agility Test = this test is rather complicated but a great test of agility. It involves lying on the floor until the timer starts, once it has started I must stand up and run following the arrows on the diagram, each circle is a cone. This test accesses the ability to change direction at speed and the transference of weight at speed. The game of badminton can be very fast and therefore changing direction at speed can be essential. The test took me 43seconds; this is also just above average. Balance = this test involves a static balance which is timed. This is to see how long I can balance on one leg with my eyes closed. Balance in badminton is important as when stretching to reach the shuttle I need to keep my balance so not to fall. I managed to stay balanced for 20seconds this being nationally very good.

Pablo Picasso :: Essays Papers

Pablo Picasso Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Malaga, Spain, son of an artist, Jose Ruiz, and Maria Picasso. Rather than adopt the common name Ruiz, the young Picasso took the rarer name of his mother. An artistic prodigy, Picasso, at the age of 14, completed the one-month qualifying examination of the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona in one day. From there he went to the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, returning in 1900 to Barcelona. The years of 1901 to 1904 were known as the "blue period" because of the blue tonality of Picasso's paintings. During this period, he would spend his days in Paris studying the masterworks at the Louvre and his nights enjoying the company of fellow artists at cabarets. 1905 and 1906 marked a radical change in color and mood for Picasso. He became fascinated with the acrobats, clowns and wandering families of the circus world. He started to paint in subtle pinks and grays, often highlighted with brighter tones. This was known as his "rose period." In 1907, Picasso painted "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," considered the watershed picture of the twentieth century, and met Georges Braque, the other leading artist of the Cubist movement. Cubism was equally the creation of Picasso and Braque and from 1911 to 1913, the two men were in frequent contact. In 1917, Picasso did the set and costume design for Serge Diaghilev's ballet "Parade." For Picasso the 1920's were years of rich artistic exploration and great productivity. Picasso continued to design theater sets and painted in Cubist modes. From 1929 to 1931, he pioneered wrought iron sculpture with his old friend Julio Gonzalez. In the early 1930's, Picasso did a large quantity of graphic illustrations. In late April of 1937, the world learned the shocking news of the saturation bombing of the civilian target of Guernica, Spain by the Nazi Luftwaffe. Picasso responded with his great anti-war painting, "Guernica." During World War II, Picasso lived in Paris, where he turned his energy to the art of ceramics. From 1947 to 1950, he pursued new methods of lithography.

“Praise Song for My Mother” Grace Nichols and “Harmonium” Simon Armitage Essay

Nichols has written a personal love poem to her mother which expresses a deep respect and admiration for her. In Armitages poem however, the tone is very different as the poet reflects upon the lack of communication between him and his father and recalls a moment when an opportunity to speak about the serious subject of death was missed. Although both poems are modern, they have quite different structures. Nichols poem uses a simple three line stanza which she repeats until the end of the poem. Each stanza begins with You were, this adds a tone of gentle sadness to the poem as she is looking back now that her childhood is gone. This repetition also helps to make the poem feel more like a song. Nichols uses repetition again when she describes her mother as replenishing replenishing here she is emphasising just how much and how often her mother gave to her, not just food, but also things such as protection as in the flame trees spread. Armitage also uses repetition when he is describin g how the instrument has become worn out through use, and leather-soled shoes, had pedalled and pedalled. The final stanza of Nichols poem is a single line and this makes the message at the end of the poem stand out. Go to your wider futures, you said it feels like it is the last thing her mother said to her as a child and the poem ends with her parting from her mother. The structure of Armitages poem is less regular. Although he uses stanzas, they are different lengths and the constant use of enjambment gives the poem a natural, conversational feel. The use of colloquial language such as bundles off to the skip adds to this very natural, everyday tone of the poem. In both poems we are presented with adults looking back on their relationship with a parent. Both poems are autobiographical and this helps to make the poems feel more personal. Nichols writes in a positive tone about her mother describing her metaphorically as water. By doing this she is suggesting that her mother was essential and even implying that she gave her life. By describing her as fathoming this implies that she knew her mother could work her out, get inside her mind and know her completely. She also describes her metaphorically as moons eye to me. The image this creates is of her mother  watching over her, as the moon at night watches over the world. It is a comforting image as night time for children especially can be a frightening time. Nichols is clearly expressing a deep love and respect for her mother, whereas in Armitages poem we are presented more with a tone of regret and distance between child and parent. He too thinks of his parent metaphorically. The Farrand Chapelette is personified and we are led to make a connection between this aged and worn instrument and his father. It has lost its tongue and its keys are described as yellowed†¦fingernails. The instrument, like his father, has come near to the end of its life and his father makes the comment that he is near to death. He makes the comment that the next box Armitage will take from the church will carry the dead weight of his father. At this point we are presented with the tone of regret in the poem as Armitage remembers saying some shallow or sorry phrase and not actually talking to his father about such a real and serious matter. The poem ends on this sad tone and although there is a sense of sadness at the end of Nichols poem, her sadness is actually about understanding how well her mother prepared her for life, whilst Armitages sadness is to do with the lack of communication between him and his father. It is also noticeable that he describes his father in quite negative terms compared to the way Nichols describes her mother. For Armitage his father is in his own blue cloud of tobacco smoke, suggesting in itself a kind of separation between the two as he cant even see his father clearly. Also, by the indirect comparison to a worn out instrument, it suggests Armitage perhaps doesnt feel the glowing respect for his parent that Nichols does. Perhaps it is more typical for a daughter to be closer to her mother than a son is to his father this is one difference the two poems presents to us. In conclusion, both poems present us with very different ideas about the feelings between parents and their children. Nichols poem is very much a love poem to her mother, full of admiration and thanks, whereas Armitages poem captures the pain and sadness of a son who does not feel able to communicate with his father.