KTM Sportmotorcycle free essay sample

KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer. The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop named â€Å"Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen† and in 1954 the company began producing motorcycles. KTM, primarily a producer of premium off-road sports motorcycles, has been the fastest growing major motorcycle manufacturer for the past three years with a cumulative average growth rate from 1998-2001 of 31% in revenues and 50% in profits. Its improved financial performance enabled the company to pay down long-term debt and fund the capital expenditures associated with the company’s aggressive expansion goals. However, the prospect of slowing growth in traditional motorcycle markets, coupled with the desire of the venture fund BC European Capital, which is holding 49% of KTM, to exit soon means that KTM will have to consider how to manage its resources to be able to facilitate this exit. Problem KTM’s top management has to decide on the most profitable direction for the company’s future growth. We will write a custom essay sample on KTM Sportmotorcycle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is a possibility for a geographic and/or product line expansion. Company characteristics As mentioned above, KTM is the fastest growing motorcycle company over the past three years. Their main focus is still on the Off-road bikes, as it represented 70% percent of their revenues. Their motto is to be the technological and performance leader, producing premium bikes in low volumes and with the best technology. They are committed to performance and their slogan is â€Å"ready to race†. Tools for Analysis We have used value chain analysis and the VRIO model to assess the overall company situation and the SWOT analysis to get a better overview of the decision that the company is facing. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS KTW – READY TO RACE SWOT Strengths: Has a high reputation for being an adventure- oriented brand Was well prepared to produce state of the as distinctive engine***** and unique design High stylish with a distinction color that was well known Superbly efficient dealen **** simiplifies its inventory o**** also helped in advertising Weakness: Initially exploited by impostors No direct control on the selection of dealers, market investment, product***** etc. ********were more busy supplying to **** guys like ford, GM etc. Opportunities: Gain a resounding presence in Moto Gran Prix through the development of V4 engine-design A possible merger with Ducati the latter being a leader in facing success worldwide Can expand into Alt-Terrain vehicles Threats: Merger with Ducati, Italy might spell trouble because of the difficult business conditions in Italy Losing out on the on-road segment to brands such as Harley Porter’s 5 forces for the industry The only substitutes to racing bikes were racing cars which were much costlier. Hence the presence of substitutes was weak. Not many suppliers were present which could provide the resources to KTM**reliably. Thus suppliers beginning power was strong. The industry involves high investment in technology and RD which is difficult for a new entrant. Hence threat of new entrant is weak. *** were ready to pay *miums for the motorcycles since they *che buyers. Hence ** bargaining power was weak. Rivalry, overall effect was weak. Current strategy Building its brand image based on technological leadership and legacy of championship titles Partnership with companies like Red Bull. To appeal to the growing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Growth Alternative: 1. Product line expansion On-road motorcycles: Joining with another firm In-house developments All-Terrain vehicles 2. Geographic expansion: Europe USA Geographic expansion – Europe Pros: With the introduction of Euro, KTM has been freed up of valuable time spent on research and development and reducing dealer con** Expansion of the EU brings the new markets for KTM Cons: strict regulation and difficult business situations in some ****e Italy Geographic expansion – US Pros: strong off-road market Cons: strengthening Euro made the exporting to US US suppliers were incapable of catering to KTM’s low volume, high techonology needs. Recommendations: KTM should go for product-line expansion for on-road motorcycles considering all alternatives. If it outsources the design and production of its major component, it co** **** **oduce thebike into marketplace*** SWOT Analysis of Bajaj KTM S. W. O. T Analysis Strength – ? Bajaj is one of the most trusted names in two wheeler industries and has a strong goodwill from its legacy of â€Å"Humara Bajaj† and Pulsar bikes ? KTM is a well known brand known for its Style and Performance ? KTM Duke 125 is a complete package in terms of style and fuel economy ? Has a Strong distribution and service channel with its 1,100 service centre and 600 dealers all across India ? Experienced management having years of experience in bike launch ? Increase in purchasing power of youth and young professional ? 125 cc bike market showing a consistent growth as compared to other segment bikes in India ? One of the kind Duke 125 cc bike having 6 speed gear system for optimal performance and speed. ? Only performance bike in 125 cc segment that gives high fuel economy ? Bajaj has won several awards for its reliability, innovation, consumer`s preference and performance segment in past years. Opportunity ? To become a leader in 125 cc bike market by launch of Duke ? To increase market share through increased sales ? To make a trust of KTM in Indian market ,so other KTM bikes can be launched under Bajaj brand ? Opportunity for Bajaj to become a global brand in world through tie up with KTM Motorcycles. ? Create a shift in consumer preferences from higher end bike to small cc bikes which offers more style and fuel economy as compared to traditional bikes available. Weakness – ? Highly competitive market ? Increase in fuel price which restrict middle income group from buying modern bikes. ? Price tag is $ 2,100 and many heavy cc bikes are available in that price Threat – ? Pilot launch of KTM Duke 125 cc under Bajaj brand, it may tamper Bajaj image if the product does not meets consumer expectation. ? New modern design bike may not appeal to Indian consumer, irrespective of high sales at Global platform. ? Rumors that other competitors are also coming up in new and stylish 125 cc bikes in near future.

When Should I Capitalize Internet

When Should I Capitalize Internet When Should I Capitalize Internet? The question of whether to capitalize â€Å"internet† is source of much controversy. It has even inspired its own Wikipedia article. But we’re here to make writing easy, so we’re going to ignore the controversies and set out the basics of when to capitalize â€Å"internet† in simple terms. Internet as a Proper Noun Unless it appears at the start of a sentence, you should only capitalize â€Å"Internet† when it is a noun. More specifically, you can capitalize it when referring to the Internet (i.e., the world wide web). Everything is connected now In this case, â€Å"Internet† is a proper noun, a word that names a unique thing. So â€Å"the Internet† is like the name of a person (e.g., Delia) or city (e.g., Boston). Using a capital â€Å"I† was common in the early days of the web, especially in technical writing. However, as the internet has become part of our lives, most people now write it with a lower-case â€Å"I† instead. Dialect can make a difference, too, as capitalizing â€Å"Internet† is more common in American English than other dialects. Ultimately, though, it is a matter preference. For instance, both of these sentences are fine: I looked up advice on the Internet. The internet is full of contradictory advice. The most important thing is consistency. So if you write â€Å"Internet† in one part of a document, you would want to use the same capitalization throughout. You may also want to check your school/college/employer’s style guide. However, there are a couple of situations where you should never capitalize this term. We will look at each of the following below: Using â€Å"internet† to refer to interconnected networks in general. Using â€Å"internet† as an adjective. Internet as a Common Noun The word â€Å"internet† is a contraction of â€Å"interconnected network.† We can therefore use it to describe any set of interconnecting networks. And when referring to interconnected networks in general, we do not capitalize â€Å"internet† because it is a common noun rather than a proper noun. In other words, while the Internet is an internet, it is not the only internet! You are unlikely to need the generic term â€Å"internet† in your daily life. But if you are involved with computers in your work or studies, remember not to capitalize â€Å"internet† unless you’re referring to the Internet. Adjectival Internets We can also use â€Å"internet† as an adjective. For example: My internet connection has dropped out again. Here, the word â€Å"internet† modifies the noun â€Å"connection.† This means we’ve used it as an adjective. And as such, we do not need to capitalize it. Summary: When Should I Capitalize Internet? You can capitalize the â€Å"I† in â€Å"internet† if you are using it as a proper noun, but this is a matter of choice. Here at Proofed, for example, we prefer â€Å"internet† in all cases. But this is just because we don’t see the need to capitalize it, not because â€Å"Internet† is wrong. There are no hard and fast rules about capitalizing â€Å"internet,† then. However, if you want to capitalize it, keep the following in mind: You can capitalize â€Å"Internet† when it is a proper noun (i.e., when it refers to the world wide web), but this is a matter of choice. Do not capitalize â€Å"internet† when it is an adjective (e.g., â€Å"internet users†). Do not capitalize this term when referring to internetworking in general. If you are writing for your studies or job, you may have a style guide available. Check this for advice on capitalization. Make sure to apply capitalization consistently in your writing. And if you’d like more help with your writing, you can have it proofread.

5 Slang Words That May Never Be Legit

5 Slang Words That May Never Be Legit 5 Slang Words That May Never Be Legit 5 Slang Words That May Never Be Legit By Mark Nichol OK, like, OMG, I’m totally not bagging on you for tweeting or FBing or blogging these words, but they are so bogus in formal writing. LOL 1. Amirite This trendy favorite of commenters on pop-culture Web sites, meant to suggest a glibly tossed â€Å"Am I right?† I figured that out after initially wondering what the heck uh-mere-uh-tee meant has about as much chance of making it into the dictionary as fuhgeddaboudit. Save it for the fanboys you can do better than that. 2. Craptastic/craptacular These mash-ups of, respectively, crap and fantastic and crap and spectacular first cropped up in snarky online lambasting of overhyped pop-culture phenomena in the 1990s. I chuckled the first couple of times I came across them, but though they are ideal terms for assuming a sarcastic tone, they are best used in moderation and are not, and perhaps will never become, mainstream expressions of derision. Safer alternatives for general publication include absurd, laughable, ludicrous, preposterous, ridiculous, and risible. 3. Genius Out of seemingly nowhere, online correspondents began to use this as a short form of ingenious, as in â€Å"That’s such a genius move.† It has not acquired legitimacy, and in other than jocular usage, you don’t have to be a genius to avoid it. 4. Ginormous This collision of gigantic and enormous, dating from the 1990s, is a vivid term, but it is superfluous, considering that humongous, which also seemed to appear spontaneously in casual usage when it came on the scene in the 1960s, has already acquired a respectability the newer term as yet lacks. Plenty of words meaning â€Å"extremely large† exist: colossal, gargantuan, gigantic, immense, mammoth, massive, monstrous, prodigious, titanic, and vast, for starters. None of them has the neologistic cachet of ginormous, but the latter is for now only suitable in informal writing. 5. A Slang Word That Isn’t The adjective cliche, used in place of cliched, as in â€Å"That’s so cliche,† was originally on this list, until I looked it up and discovered, to my surprise, that it is a legitimate variant. Its sudden recent vogue lured me into thinking it was being misused in an affected manner much like the adjective genius (see above) is. It’s correct, but you’re welcome to use one of many synonyms, like hackneyed or trite. 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:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Homogeneous vs. HeterogeneousComment, Suggestion, and Feedback

Improving Disneyworld Paris Financial Position and Competitiveness Assignment

Improving Disneyworld Paris Financial Position and Competitiveness - Assignment Example Euro Disney’s economic profits in the years immediately after it was launched fell far below expectations. Even though the Disney executives carefully carried out an extensive analysis of the market conditions in Europe and France, in specific, there were significant failures that happened. The problems were caused by an assortment of issues such as the wrong evaluation of market conditions and expectations about France’s future economic development, the happenings in the property market, highly priced tickets, and cultural misunderstandings. In spite of its popularity in Europe, the Disney Park in Paris has not registered as many guests as identical theme parks in America and Asia. What is evident is that there was not enough research conducted on the demographic and cultural characteristics of France, as well as the rest of the European mainland, before the launching of the theme park in 1992. There are very distinct differences between European and American culture. According to Dennis (2014), investors from the parent company, Walt Disney in America, did not take into account the fact that European customers did not have similar entertainment objectives with their American counterparts.It was presumed that customers would come to Disneyworld Paris from all over Europe. However, there was no research into factors such as the diversity of European cultures, the definitions that each of these cultures attributes to the concept of entertainment, and the aspect of cultural imperialism.

Memos Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Memos - Personal Statement Example The pros include having increased productivity due to speed and convenience. Reason being, sales executives will be able to travel in different places selling our furniture with their own devices. Management will also be able to keep in touch with them via emails so that they can be able to catch up on the important documents with their tablets (Theodoropoulos, 2013). The fact that the employees are working with devices that they are familiar with makes it easier for them to do a commendable job as opposed to working on new devices provided by the company. The other pro is that is saves on costs especially since the company is not the one providing the employees with the devices (Hinde, 2013). Should the employees need a device like an iPad, it is preferable that they use their own, as it will be cheaper. Many of the employees already have personal laptops and mobile devices and in many cases, they just use them for business reasons. The pro related to BYOD is that it improves employ ee’s morale to work. This is because employees have their own unique preference whether it is an Android, iPhone or other different apps. Therefore allowing them to come with their own personal devices will improve the satisfaction that they have at work (Hinde, 2013). When employees are satisfied with where they work, they tend to be more productive translating to great benefits for the company. The BYOD however does not lack some few cons starting with having challenges managing security. For instance if an employee loses their device in which she or he has saved sensitive company information, there is a risk that it might fall in the wrong hands and be used to destroy the company. Therefore as a way to curb this, the company should have controls that are taken before any employee gets access to company information. In addition, in the event that an employee no longer works for the company, being able to retrieve the data will prove difficult The other con involves the comp any not having total control of how the employee uses their personal devices. This is compared to devices supplied by the company whereby there is an acceptable policy of how to use the device particularly laptops (Theodoropoulos, 2013). The company has challenges managing what the employee’s uses the device for unlike when the company puts a work only restriction. Before the company decides to use the BYOD, both the pros and cons should be put into deep thought (Hinde, 2013). Also the company should ask itself some of these questions; how will it put back up data on their employees personal devices? Will the company have to pay for employees expenses like access of internet, phone bills? Moreover, will it be cost effective or another additional cost for the company? Lastly, will the BYOD devices be linked to the company devices? Other firms are taking these precautions to ensure they keep the BYOD under total control. In my opinion with the right strategy, the company can im plement the BYOD. Part B Question B4 From: To: Nick F. Thyne Re: it’s just like being there, only better It is true, virtual meetings can save the company from expensive travel expenses every year. The good thing is that implementing virtual meetings is quite a simple task to achieve. This is because the service is done electronically where users employ computers and other internet technology devices as a way to

TV and Film Violence Essay Example for Free

TV and Film Violence Essay Does the violence in films and on TV contribute to violence in society? This question has been debated for decades. During that time some 2,500 books and articles have been written on the effects of TV and film violence on human behavior. In this article were going to summarize some the latest thinking on this subject. The results of one of the most extensive studies ever done on the subject of violence and TV were released in 2003. Researchers followed 329 subjects over 15 years. They found that those who as children were exposed to violent TV shows were much more likely to later be convicted of crime. Researchers said that, Media violence can affect any child from any family, regardless of social class or parenting. Girls who watched more than an average amount of violence tended to throw things at their husbands. Boys who grew up watching violent TV shows were more likely to be violent with their wives. Researchers concluded in Developmental Psychology that, Every violent TV show increases a little-bit the likelihood of a child growing up to behave more aggressively. Well look at more of the research in a moment. Canada was one of the first countries to extensively research this issue. The results of their studies prompted some of their engineers to devise the V-Chip. As you may know, the V-Chip allows parents to lock out TV programming they consider objectionable to their children. Although the concern in Canada was primarily violence (hence the V-chip), in the United States there is also great concern about sexual content probably more than in most other industrialized societies. Hence, the V-chip can be programmed to screen out both violence and sex. Cause-Effect Proof A clear cause-effect relationship between media violence and violence in society is complicated by the fact that children are typically exposed to many stimuli as they grow up, many of which could play a role in later behavior. For example, during a childs life we cant discount the role of such things as violent video games, the social values of parents and peers, or general living conditions. If you eat something that you have not tried before and immediately get sick, you will probably assume theres a direct relationship between the two. And if at some later date you forget about your first experience and eat the same thing again, and immediately get sick again, you can be fairly sure that whatever you ate makes you sick. No rocket science here, just clear cause and effect. Unfortunately, when it comes to violence in the media, the cause and effect is not as readily apparent. A few decades ago you would see doctors in TV commercials endorsing a particular brand of cigarettes. Many medical doctors smoked. Not today. Today the evidence is clear: smoking is the number one cause of preventable heath problems and premature death in the United States. Although for years the cigarette manufacturers suppressed evidence that linked smoking to health problems, eventually the cause-effect relationship became obvious to anyone who wanted investigate the facts. Unlike the cause and effect in the example of your eating something and immediately getting sick, the effects of cigarette smoking arent immediately apparent. Its only years later that many smokers develop lung cancer, heart problems, emphysema, sexual problems, etc. In the same way-after looking at years of accumulated data-were now recognizing a relationship between violence in the media and social problems. The results of a study released in March, 2002 that tracked 700 male and female youths over a seventeen-year period showed a definite relationship between TV viewing habits and acts of aggression and crime in the later life. All other possible contributing environmental elements, such as poverty, living in a violent neighborhood, and neglect, were factored out of this study. According to one of the authors of the study, the findings help cement the link between TV and violence. The study is detailed in Science. | Violence and TV Ratings Its well known that TV violence holds an attraction for most viewers and this attraction translates into ratings and profits. Because of this, most media executives have been reluctant to admit that media violence is in any way responsible for violence in our society. If it werent for the ratings and profits involved, producers would undoubtedly be much more willing to acknowledge the harm in TV and film violence and do something about it. After many high school students died in a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in April, 1999, many people were quick to blame the media. Violent video games and a well-known film were seen as contributing factors. Even so, a clear cause and effect is hard to establish. For example, millions of young people were exposed to both of these influences throughout their lives without going on a murderous rampage. But when you add extreme anger, easy access to guns, and an indifferent and amoral attitude toward the lives of others, the results can be very different. In 1992, TV Guide commissioned a study of a typical 18-hour TV broadcast day to determine levels of violence. The networks and the more popular cable channels were monitored for purposeful, overt, deliberate behavior involving physical force or weapons against other individuals. There were 1,846 acts of violence that broke down this way.

Free Essays - All Quiet on the Western Front :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

Essay: All Quiet on the Western Front An anti-war novel often portrays many of the bad aspects and consequences of war.   Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel set in the First World War that is against war.   Remarque describes the terrible reality of the war, focusing on the horrors and involved.   The novel portrays an anti-war perspective as it brings up issues about the brutality of war, the narrator’s change of attitude towards war, the futility of war and the deaths of the narrator’s friends. In the novel, Remarque presents the brutality of war.   Early on in the novel, he describes the sound of the wounded horses and how brutal the war atmosphere is.   â€Å"There is a whole world of pain in that sound, creation itself under torture, a wild and horrifying agony† (p44).   The brutality of war in the novel, however, is mainly shown through human suffering.   Baumer talks about brutal things that soldiers are just expected to do.   He says, â€Å"When you put a bayonet in, it can stick, and you have to give the other man a hefty kick to get it out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p74).   The German soldiers attack the enemy with extreme instinctive brutality.   â€Å"With the butt of his rifle, Kat smashes to pulp one of the machine-gunners†¦We bayonet the others before they can get their grenades out† (p84).   The use of poison gas is also a very brutal practice throughout the novel.   Baumer describes this while he is in a gassed area, hoping that his gas mask is working properly.   He says, â€Å"I know the terrible sights from the field hospital, soldiers who have been gassed, choking for days on end as they spew up their burned-out lungs, bit by bit† (p48).    The narrator changes his attitude towards war as he becomes more aware of its undesirable effects.   Even in the beginning, Baumer realises its terrible reality and the change it has made to his life.   He says, â€Å"We have lost all our ability to see things in other ways, because they are artificial.   For us, it is only the facts that count (p15).   The physical change of the narrator and his fellow soldiers also indicate that he has gone through an attitude change towards war.   â€Å"We [Paul Baumer and his fellow soldiers] became tough, suspicious, hard-hearted, vengeful and rough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p19).   When the narrator talks about the difference between his life before the war and his life at the present time, it becomes clear that he has changed a great deal.

Jails and Prisons Response Essay

Jails and Prisons Response Prisons and jails may both confine offenders but they have their differences. Jails are for offenders that have short term sentences or for holding until the offender is transferred to a prison. They are also used to hold a criminal during their hearings until sentencing (Schmalleger, 2011). Prisons are for offenders that are sentenced to long-term or permanent confinement. They are institutions separated in to three categories depending on how serious the offense was or the mental state of the offender. There are minimum, medium, and maximum prisons (Schmalleger, 2011). All aspects of the criminals life is controlled by the authorities of the prison. This is what makes it a total institution. Depending on the crime committed and the individual they decide on which institution will be best. There are also four types of prisons which are military, juvenile, political, and psychiatric. They each have their place in the criminal justice system. The concept of prisons as a institution is total control and authority. Medical, education, and treatments are available to inmates as part of their rights. Within any institution there are different programs and departments to make it run properly. Jails play a important role in the system. They hold non-violent criminals from violent criminals. If everyone went to prison they would be over populated. Jails are beneficial because they are local and can hold offenders for short periods. A court would not want to send a offender who did not pay his parking tickets to prison for 30 days.

Ill effects of smoking in INDIA

â€Å"Smoking is Injurious to health† A true, accepted but an UN-acquired fact by the majority of genes of the world. People are careless for their health, family, environment and moreover for their motherland. People who smoke not only put these people in danger but themselves too as it seem for them that they don't value their life and put it into danger. India is a country where Cigarettes needs to be termed â€Å"Illegal†, as majority of smoking, smoker and it apparatus (tobacco, nicotine, etc. ), are dwelled here.India, the youngest country with high population and major of thou being â€Å"Youth†, is inhered to bad habits (alcohols, rugs) at a great pace. One of which is â€Å"Smoking†. Both the adults as well as youth are badly addicted to it. â€Å"Excess of anything leads to Disaster!!! † This quote correctly describes the current status of our land, India. As major of the population smokes, which lead to hundreds of deaths between the age of twenty to sixty-five. If one who smokes measures out the amount of â€Å"Tar† present out In his lungs it'd be about a liter, which Is sufficient to make him Ill, very Ill.Tar Is a poisonous toxin, which when gets accumulated In excess In our lung causes choking ND ultimately leads to â€Å"Death, Death, and Death!!! â€Å". In a country like India, there are severe problems which dwell Including the severe most â€Å"Corruption† ,add on another, â€Å"Smoking†, which adds on to the cause of destruction for our country. It has not only one but many adverse effects: 1 . Causes air, water and land pollution; 2. Danger to life; 3. Financial crises In a family; 4. Epidemic disorders like, â€Å"Cancer†; Thus, concluding my point that, â€Å"Cigarettes should be Illegal In India†, as It Is the mall cause of smoking and â€Å"Smoking Kills!!! â€Å"

French Nasal Vowels for English Speakers

French Nasal Vowels for English Speakers When we speak of nasal vowels in French, we are referring to certain characteristically French vowel sounds that are produced by expelling air through the nose. All other French vowels sounds are pronounced mainly through the mouth, with no obstruction of the lips, tongue or throat. Nasal Vowels and Nasal Consonants Vowels followed by m or n, as in the words  un, on and an, are  nasal. Try to say them and youll see that air is expelled primarily through the nose, not the mouth. This doesnt hold  true, however, when the nasal consonants m or n are followed by another vowel. In this case, the vowel and consonant are both voiced. For example: un  Ã‚  Ã‚  nasalune  Ã‚  Ã‚  voiced There are also nasal vowels in English, but they are a bit different than French nasal vowels. In English, the nasal consonant (m or n) is pronounced and thus nasalizes the vowel that precedes it. In French, the vowel is nasal and the consonant is not pronounced. Compare the following: French  Ã‚  on  Ã‚  anEnglish  Ã‚  own  Ã‚  on French Vowels in General Overall, French vowels share a few characteristics:   Most French vowels are pronounced further forward in the mouth than their English counterparts.The tongue must remain tensed throughout the pronunciation of the vowel.French vowels do not form diphthongs, which is  a sound produced by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another (as in  coin,  loud  and  side  ).  In English, vowels tend to be followed by a y sound (after a, e, i) or a w sound (after o, u). In French, this is not the case: The vowel sound remains constant; it does not change into a y or w sound. Thus, the French vowel has  a purer sound than the English vowel. In addition to nasal vowels, there are other categories of French vowels as well. Hard and Soft Vowels In French, a,  o, and  u  are known as hard vowels while e  and  i  are considered soft vowels, because of certain consonants (c,  g,  s) change pronunciation (hard or soft), in agreement with the vowel that follows them. If theyre followed by a soft vowel, these consonants become soft as well, as in manger and là ©ger. If theyre followed by a hard vowel, they, too, become hard, as in the name Guy. Vowels With Accent Marks Physical  accent  marks on letters, a required feature of French orthography,  can and often do change the pronunciation of vowels, as in the scores of French es with either accent  grave  (pronounced eh) or the acute accent  aigue (pronounced ay).

A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything

A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything By Maeve Maddox I attended a writers workshop session at which a minor, but much-published author warned participants against creating POV (point of view) characters of the opposite sex. According to her writing philosophy, a woman writer should create only female POV characters and men, male POV characters. Thats not to say that the POV characters cant interact with characters of the opposite sex. Her books contain characters of both sexes. She just insists that POV must be limited to the gender and general life experiences of the writer. A woman whose only work experience has been that of office work, for example, has no business writing from the POV of a male brain surgeon. I reacted strongly against her attempt to place such an extraordinary limitation on writers of fiction. Restricting writers to the POV of persons only like themselves makes as much sense as it would to restrict readers to reading books about characters most like themselves. The whole point of creating fiction is to enable people to expand their experience of life. In the writers imagination there is neither male nor female. Some writers will enter into alternate minds better than others, but the success of the attempt will depend upon talent and technique, not gender. The following successful titles wouldnt exist if their authors had followed such a limiting dictum as write only from your own point of view and personal experience: Silas Marner by George Eliot (Marian Evans) woman writing from POV of poor male weaver Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden American man writing from Japanese womans POV A Great Deliverance, By Elizabeth George American woman writing from British male detectives POV And Id be especially sorry never to have read these books in which the authors cross the species barrier to tell their great and moving stories: Watership Down by Richard Adams Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Gayneck the Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji Bambi by Felix Salten Charlottes Web by E.B. White (Yes, I cried when a spider died.) Hurray for the writers imagination! 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 Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Preposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

Brain and Physical Injuries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brain and Physical Injuries - Essay Example The researchers found that most of the family members were less psychologically distressed. However, people suffering from brain injury had poorer psychological outcomes than their relatives did. The study also found that spouses of patients with brain injury were subjected to trauma and psychological distress. Bell, Kathleen R., Nancy Temkin R., Peter Esselman C., Jason Doctor N., Charles Bombardier S., Robert Fraser T., Jeanne Hoffman M., Janet Powell M., and Sureyya Dukem. â€Å"The Effect of a Scheduled Telephone Intervention on Outcome after Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Trial.† Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 86.5 (2005): 851-856. Print. The authors studied the effectiveness of telephone interventions in counseling and education for brain injury patients. These interventions, coming from home, were compared with the standard follow-ups conducted after one year. The researchers found that constant telephone interventions made patients feel better than interventions that come after a long time. Esser, E., Valencia, E., Conover, S., Felix, A., Tsai, W.Y. and Wyatt, R. J. â€Å"Preventing recurrent homelessness among mentally ill men: a "critical time" intervention after discharge from a shelter.† American Journal of Public Health 87.2 (2007): 256-262. Print. The authors set out to establish strategies that can protect mentally ill persons from becoming homeless. They sought a bridge between community care and mental institutions. They sampled 96 men with severe mental illness, including brain injury and gave them critical care in an institution. The researchers discovered that most of the men longed for home and families despite the good care they received at the institution. The researchers sought to determine the factors that predict family system functioning after one member of the family experiences brain injury. The