Loan, Lend, Loaned, Lent

Loan, Lend, Loaned, Lent Loan, Lend, Loaned, Lent Loan, Lend, Loaned, Lent By Ali Hale Renee wrote to us to ask: Can you please clarify the proper way to use these words: loan, lend, loaned, lent? Thank you! If you’ll lend me a few minutes of your time, Renee, I’d be glad to! How to use the word â€Å"loan† as a noun and verb The word loan is most commonly used as a noun, and usually means a sum of money which will be paid back with interest (though can refer to any item which is borrowed temporarily.) This is the definition from Merriam-Webster: 1 a: money lent at interest b: something lent usually for the borrowers temporary use For example, the word â€Å"loan† is a noun in all of these sentences: I took out a loan to pay for my new car. If you can’t get another loan, you’ll have to save up.† The loan of your car was very helpful to me. Loan can also be used as a verb in American English, and can replace â€Å"lend† when the meaning is (from Merriam-Webster): (1): to give for temporary use on condition that the same or its equivalent be returned (2): to put at anothers temporary disposal b: to let out (money) for temporary use on condition of repayment with interest Note that â€Å"lend† is used almost exclusively in British English except for when referring to the formal act of borrowing money at interest. â€Å"Loan† can sound odd or old-fashioned, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary states: Although a surprising number of critics still voice objections, loan is entirely standard as a verb. You should note that it is used only literally; lend is the verb used for figurative expressions, such as â€Å"lending a hand† or â€Å"lending enchantment.† Examples of loan being used as a verb are: Please could you loan me some money. I’ll loan him the car if he really needs it. When can â€Å"lend† be used instead of â€Å"loan†? In many cases, the verb lend can be substituted for the verb loan – note that lend can never be used as a noun, though. (â€Å"I took out a lend to pay for my new car† doesn’t make sense!) Lend doesn’t have the same connotations of a financial transaction as loan, and you can lend both physical objects and intangible concepts. For example: I will lend you my bicycle so you can get to work on time. When I’ve finished reading my book, I’ll lend it to you. Could you lend a hand with this suitcase? The new carpet lends the room a cheerful air. What should â€Å"lent† and â€Å"loaned† be used? The word lent is the past tense of the verb to lend. For example: I lent you my bicycle last week. Why haven’t you given it back yet? When I lent you my book, you promised not to write in it. No-one lent a hand with my suitcase. (If you’re used to British English, be careful not to confuse this with leant, the past tense of the verb to lean, which is pronounced in the same way. If you’re American, you’ll probably use â€Å"leaned†, but British English uses â€Å"leant† and this can cause a lot of confusion.) The word loaned is the past tense of the verb to loan. For example: He loaned me a thousand pounds to start my business. If you had loaned me the money when I asked for it, I’d have succeeded. When I loaned him my tractor, I had no idea what he was going to do with it. Hope that clarifies the use of â€Å"loan, lend, loaned and lent†, and do ask in the comments – or on the Daily Writing Tips forum – if there’s anything you’re still unclear on. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesUse a Dash for Number RangesMay Have vs. Might Have

Paths out of homelessness in chicago Research Proposal

Paths out of homelessness in chicago - Research Proposal Example However, there are several issues that shall be faced while reaching to the desired state and respective goals and objectives must be attained in order to tackle these issues effectively. Chicago needs a steadfast plan of action to eliminate homelessness to minimum acceptable levels, deciding on objectives to be achieved, steps to be taken, who shall take the initiative and what population must be targeted in priority. Chicago’s environment Internal Causes Internal Effects External Causes External Effects Severe levels of addiction to alcohol and drugs Affected mental stability and health of the homeless Fall in individuals’ income levels and unemployment in Chicago Homelessness consumes national funding and increases residents’ taxes Social and sexual abuse for children and lack of parental guidance Behavioral problems especially in children Adverse local housing market conditions making it unaffordable for Chicago masses Homeless people engage in criminal activ ities thereby harming others Family frictions eventually causing parents to turn children out of home Loss of community connectedness and social life Racial, status, social and other demographic differences between Chicago residents Cleanliness cannot be ensured causing health and hygiene related issues in Chicago (Fertig and Reingold, 2007) SWOT Analysis Strengths: Availability of surplus community resources adequate to cater the homeless in Chicago; presence of performance management systems with authorities of the Chicago government to collect information about homeless, measure statistics and prioritize people in order of need for aid; and strong relations and ties with outside countries and other American states shall enable it to bring in foreign aid support for the homeless in crucial times of need. Weaknesses: Lack of political will to bring about improvements and eliminate homelessness at state level for Chicago; inadequacy of community support from other Chicago residents to help the poor and homeless since the busy lives racing for money don’t allow them enough time and sympathy for others; and large size of this state with only a limited amount of funding makes it an extremely difficult job for government to operate smoothly, not only satisfying its abiding taxpayers but also managing to save surplus for the homeless. Opportunities: Chicago has a severe educational and illiteracy problem and this area has lot of room for improvement and therefore government should capitalize here to create better employment opportunities; Chicago needs foreign funding to accommodate its overpopulated region and therefore it should work efficiently and effectively in industrial areas to manufacture goods and services that attract foreign funding and investments; and the government should join international bodies that exist for these purposes only and should participate actively in grooming homeless slums of Chicago. Threats: Denial of help from foreign econo mies and international charitable bodies working for these causes; political pressures for own benefits might eventually stifle this cause; and lack of housing schemes available for the homeless due to full accommodation. Vision of path out of homelessness in Chicago Chicago shall become homeless-free through community engagement, creating unlimited employment opportunities, development of housing scheme

Failure on a Grand Scale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Failure on a Grand Scale - Essay Example Overall, the effort itself was a failure because of the way the objectives were carried out. Rampant corruption instilled enmity in the people unnecessarily, the focus on political rather than economic restructuring was vengeful as well as counterproductive, and the naivet of the new electorate set the stage for their unwitting participation in a process that would establish segregation and second-class citizenship for the next nine decades. Corruption. Under the methodology employed by the framers of Reconstruction, there were four demographic groups which emerged in the South: The white southerners, the Freedmen (former slaves), the Scalawags (southerners loyal to the North), and Carpetbaggers (Northerners who moved to the region) (Wikipedia 1). The white southerners were largely excluded from power by the military governors, and the Scalawags joined with the Carpetbaggers to restructure the governmental and economic systems. As in any case where there is absolute power and a vengeance mentality, exploitation became the norm. In the political processes, the Scalawags and Carpetbaggers engaged in collusion to reform every office from state governors to local commissioners. Using the power of the military and the consent of the new electorate, the entire area was destabilized to the point of requiring martial law for the majority of the period; and that didn't even stop the violence against both blacks and whites. In te rms of the economic corruption, the situation was even worse as the economic resources of the South were siphoned off into corporations run by Northerners. The Northern commercial interests formed links with their like-minded political associates and created, under color of law, one of the biggest lootings in history. Seeing the homeland violated by the Carpetbaggers and their corporate lackeys, the predictable response of the southern whites was anger, resentment, violence and, ultimately, institutional segregation. Political Focus. A second contributor to the failure of reconstruction was the fact that legislators in Washington chose to focus their attention on the political infrastructure of the states as well as the voting rights of the Freedmen. This approach reflected the political environment in the newly-reunited nation's capitol, where there was a power struggle between those who wanted a moderate implementation of Reconstruction and those who took a more radical view. The radicals won the fight handily, and the result was a political restructuring that disenfranchised almost every office holder in the South along with their former constituency. Rather than taking an economic development approach, which would have resulted in a stabilization of southern society, the top-down reformation only addressed the issue of who was in charge. Unfortunately, those newly elected officials were much more concerned with punishing the South than with transitioning it back into the Union. Had Congress u ndertaken policies of self-determination and economic development, Reconstruction might have succeeded in bringing the states back together without the socialized hatred between the southern whites and everyone else. Nave Electorate. A final consideration in the

Critical analysis of a rhetorical message, which is, A Raisen Bran Essay

Critical analysis of a rhetorical message, which is, A Raisen Bran cereal box - Essay Example Raisin Bran Cereal is a popular cereal mostly for middle class and upper class households in the United States. This article analyzes the relationship between the features of the box and the popularity of the cereal in middle class and upper class households, in the United States. The sun-like graphic on the box imply that the Raisin bran cereal is a morning cereal that gives a person energy to start a bright new day. The purple color dominant on the box associates the serial with royalty. In that, one feels royal and wears confidence throughout the day after having Raisin Bran Cereals for breakfast. A Raisin Bran Cereal box has a sun like graphic, which signifies that when one takes the cereal as a morning meal, it gives one the energy to start a new day. The purple color, which is so dominant the box, brings out royalty. Hence, it shows that one will wear the feeling of loyalty after taking the cereal hence giving one confidence to face a new day. The Raisin Bran Cereal boxes, according to my visits to different stores, are attractively displayed on the shelves. The stickers on the shelves are put in a manner that one cannot pass without noticing the cereals. The cereals also have different offers and gifts attached on them hence making it have a considerable sale. The Kellogg’s company is well known for its nutritious products, which are juice, the cereals, toaster pastries etc. Apart from that, the company has contradicted itself by diverting from its nutritious popularity, by also producing non-healthy fruit flavored snacks, which have chemicals in the name of fruit flavors. This has made the company has a tainted image. The colorful Raisin Bran has been strategically made to catch the eye of the customer. It has an image of a happy face (a happy sun) to brighten it up more. It also shows how the cereals in the box look like (Biddle 59). The sides of the box also instruct one on how to mix the cereal, what to mix it with and make it

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Indecency Policies

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Indecency Policies The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the agency in the United States tasked with the regulation of interstate and international communications carried out via radio, satellite, television, wire and cable. The agency was commissioned by the Communications Act of 1934, and its scope of authority extends throughout the 50 US states, the District of Colombia and all the US territories (Commission). The FCC has the responsibility of prohibiting the display of obscene programming at any time between 6 am and 10pm. In the event of a breach of this rule, the FCC policy requires that the license granted to the station breaking this rule be revoked, or a monetary fine be imposed. Also, it can give the station a warning with regard to its breach of rule (Commission). Ever since its institution, the FCC has sanctioned companies for brief curse words aired, or accidental nudity on live award shows. A particular case in point is the 2004 Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction saga, which cost CBS a whopping $550,000 in fines though it was appealed to an appellate court (Calver, p. 1-29). The FCC policy requires it to take appropriate punitive action, in respect of any media outlet, following documented complaints received from the public about any obscene, profane, or indecent material aired to viewers. Following such complaints, the FCC conducts a review to determine whether there has been a breach of the profanity, indecency, or obscenity laws. In cases where it is found that a broadcast station has violated the law, investigations into the claims are carried out. In this regard, the FCC policy requires complainants to follow a three-step process, before the act being complained about can be labeled as obscene, profane, or indecent. First, the average person must find that the content is appealing to the prurient interest, or an excessive interest in sexual matters. Following this stage, the material must be found to be depicted in a manner that is patently offensive and sexually explicit, and falls within the confines of the applicable law, in the particular case. In the third and last step, the content of the material must be determined to lack, in one way, or another, educational, artistic, scientific, or political value. In other words, it adds no value to the viewer. However, one crucial aspect of the entire process is putting the content of the material in context to determine its obscenity, indecency, or profanity (Commission). My opinion, in regard to the FCC policy, is that it is not doing much when it comes to censoring inappropriate content. One major reason is that the policy requires claims of obscenity, profanity or indecency, to pass the three steps before they can be so labeled. This process makes it extremely difficult to successfully censor, or prosecute, media outlets for airing inappropriate content. Therefore, the FCC should make the process less restrictive, to be able to accommodate more punishable cases of indecency. Indecency is defined by the FCC as, â€Å"Language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms of patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities† (Commission). Putting this statement in context, indecent programming basically comprises sexual or excretory references that are patently offensive in nature; however, they do not reach the obscenity level. Hence, courts hol d on to these indecent materials, as protected by the first amendment to the constitution, and do not ban them completely. Hence, viewers are left with the same initial problem of indecent material being aired. However, this indecent material can be restricted to avoid times when children are the primary audience. The FCC should make a policy that stipulates zero tolerance for any form of indecency, instead of having courts back them up with loopholes, such as by arguing that they are protected by the first amendment which upholds the right of free speech (Courts). An example is Nicole Richie’s 2003 speech at the Billboard Awards, where she categorically stated, â€Å"Have you ever tried to get cow st out of a Prada purse? Its not so fing simple† (CNN). The statement is a clear example of an indecent speech. The case brought up issues to do with the constitution and administration. The courts argued that FCC’s policy on the case violated the first amendment and, therefore, it was unconstitutional. The courts argued that the policy restricted free speech. Another major issue that the FCC should look into is amending its policy to include monitoring broadcasts for violation of its laws. This will make it more restrictive by broadening the scope of its mandate. . Currently, the FCC only responds to claims from the general public. Though this is a safe move to prevent pressuring a media outlet the FCC might be at loggerheads with, it is also a disadvantage. The FCC only investigates cases brought in by the viewers, and at times, not all the issues are given attention, although a significant number is analyzed. The major problem arises when specific viewers bear a grudge with a particular station, or individual, which is broadcasted. Such a scenario defeats the reason for the establishment of the FCC and makes it look like a platform, where personal grudges people hold can be settled. By being able to monitor broadcasts on their own, they can identify reasonable claims of a violation, instead of allowing individuals to act as if they own the FCC. A good example is Al Wescot, who is well known as a self-made watchdog. His grudge with Howard Stern is well recorded. He has on several occasions made it his job to file complaints with the FCC, with regard to Howard Sterns conduct (Mintzer, p25). In conclusion, the FCC should maintain its broadcast indecency policies. However, they should be made more stringent. Isolated expletives, or non-sexual nudity, should be treated the same; they are indecent. Furthermore, it should consider having a policy to be able to scrutinize broadcasts, instead of waiting for the viewers to file complaints. In this manner, broadcasters will be more aware of a watchdog that is the overriding authority. This will minimize cases of indecency in broadcasting. Works Cited Calver, C. Imus, Indecency, Violence (and) Vulgarity: Why the FCC Must Not Expand Its Authority Over Content. 30 Hastings Comm. Ent. Law Journal (2007): 1-29. CNN. Justices tackle free speech dispute over broadcast TV indecency. 6 January 2012. 24 February 2015 http://edition.cnn.com>. Commission, Federal Communications. Federal Communications Commission. 14 August 2014. 24 February 2015 http://www.fcc.gov>. Courts, United States. United States Courts. 24 February 2015. 24 February 2015 http://www.uscourts.gov>. Mintzer, Rich. Howard Stern: A Biography. United Kingdom: Simon Schuster Publishing, 2010.

Sports Narrative - Track State Champion :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Track State Champion With shaky knees, I hesitantly made my way up the large white steps. With the back of my hand, I brushed away a few salty tears of relief. As I stood at the top of the podium and looked up into the packed stadium, my mind drifted back to everything I had gone through to achieve this moment, the day I became a state champion. The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It wa s visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday. As the season progressed, competition started getting fiercer. I was up against girls running at a 5A level, yet, I was able to hold my own. Finally there came a tiny light at the end of the tunnel; it seemed as though I was getting closer and closer to accomplishing my goal. Along with my undefeated title came a huge target painted on my back. I religiously checked "Rocky Preps" every day to see if the competition was gaining on me. It seemed that every time I had improved, there was someone right behind me, running their personal best too. I trained during the weeks before regionals like I had never trained before. Each day my stomach became more twisted with knots that looped around every part of my stomach. I don't think I had ever been that nervous in my whole life.

The Case of the Omniscient Organization

Case Analysis: The Case of the Omniscient Organization Introduction In this case study, Dominion-Swann (DS) has implemented a â€Å"radical restructuring of the work environment† in order to regain control of its employees. By 1990, DS had been suffering from a number of business woes. It was not keeping pace with its competition, employee turnover had increased substantially, health costs and work-related accidents were rising, and employee theft was at an all-time high. Instead of identifying and addressing the underlying business and management problems, DS decided to treat the symptoms by turning to SciexPlan Inc. o help radically restructure the work environment through the use of employee monitoring technology. Background DS has justified its work environment restructuring based on past failures rather than future goals for success. The company has created a system to compile a comprehensive database of information on every employee. DS also monitors its employees in all aspects of their job, subjecting them to constant evaluation and productivity tests. The massive amount of information collected on each employee is supposed to allow DS to objectively manage personnel and make job assignments that provide the greatest efficiency. Instead, DS has created an impersonal monitoring, surveillance, and detection system designed to lay traps for employees and shape their behavior without any managerial effort. Problem Statement Has DS become so consumed with its â€Å"radical restructuring of the work environment† that it has prioritized technology and control over the welfare, creativity, and productivity of its people? Analysis and Issues Digital technology has made an undeniably profound impact, both positive and negative, on the workplace. When implemented properly, the benefits of this impact can include increased productivity, improved safety, better working onditions, and enhanced communications between employees, management, and customers. However, an exceedingly obsessive employee monitoring system will create tedious and stressful working conditions, loss of employee privacy, and fear which will result in reduced levels of creativity and productivity. By implementing an overly zealous system for emp loyee monitoring, DS is significantly aggravating the tension that exists between surveillance technology and employee privacy concerns. DS wants to monitor employees in order to reward effort, knowledge, productivity, and success while eliminating idleness, ignorance, theft, and failure. Instead, it is treating its workers like pieces of equipment rather than unique and valuable individuals. DS has basically transformed the workplace into an all-encompassing electronic prison where nearly every aspect of an employee's behavior is monitored. The DS managers who monitor every move that employees make are accomplishing efficiency objectives at a sizeable cost. Monitoring and surveillance can create a high stress environment for employees that can lead to physiological and psychological stress-related illnesses. Covert surveillance at DS will do nothing but increase fears, anxieties, and distrust among employees. The impersonal aspect of technological surveillance diminishes employees’ concepts of their value, contribution, and self-worth. The all-encompassing surveillance implemented by DS will destroy any hope for employees to make decisions and act autonomously. Autonomy is a critical component to on-the-job independence that maximizes worker morale. Although DS has justification for some amount of employee monitoring in order to successfully evaluate employee performance, it has taken employee surveillance to the point where it will adversely affect productivity. When employees do not feel that they are trusted, their desire to perform well is lessened. The employee screening process DS has implemented brings up additional privacy concerns. Any investigation of employee activities and history outside of the workplace is an extremely sensitive and potentially litigious issue. DS is only justified in intruding into its employees’ personal lives when it involves misconduct or illegal activity. Off-duty conduct may be relevant to employment if the misconduct negatively impacts the employee's work performance or the company's mission. However, the systematic monitoring employed by DS raises serious privacy concerns. Monitoring all employees’ activities, rather than just the activities of employees under suspicion of specific misconduct, constitutes a blanket search that brings enormous privacy concerns. Recommendations DS would be better off with no employee monitoring rather than scrutinizing its employees' every move. Once the employee monitoring creates a morale problem, all of the value it has created will be diminished. If DS is to continue with employee monitoring systems, it must create and clearly communicate a monitoring policy for employees. DS needs to start with human-oriented policies, then use technology to enforce them. As it stands right now, DS is exerting too much power in its invasion of employee privacy in the workplace. DS is exploiting the lack of regulation in this area in order to implement extremely invasive methods of employee surveillance. Until employees are protected by regulation to protect their rights to privacy in the workplace, DS should assume responsibility to self regulate by limiting the amount of surveillance, implementing it only when it achieves specific goals for success. Monitoring should be conducted only for business purposes, and this must be communicated to the employees. In order to throttle back its employee monitoring system to a reasonable level, DS should review and apply the suggested rights given by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). To establish a reasonable approach and prevent abuses, DS should adopt a human-oriented policy that includes the following features:   * notice to employees of the company's electronic monitoring practices;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * use of a signal to let an employee know when he or she is being monitored;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * employee access to all personal electronic data collected through monitoring;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * no monitoring of areas designed for the health or comfort of employees;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   * the right to dispute and delete inaccurate data; a ban on the collection of data unrelated to work performance; * restrictions on the disclosure of personal data to others without the employee's consent (American Civil Liberties Union, 1997). DS should also consider whether or not monitoring is truly necessary for performance evaluations. DS does not need to watch an employee’s every move to be able to judge the quality of his or her work. Performance monitoring should be far less of a concern than an employee’s ability to complete tasks and consistently meet deadlines. DS should involve its employees on the decisions regarding when, how and why electronic monitoring needs to takes place. Most importantly of all, DS must allow employees to inspect, challenge, and, when necessary, correct the data gathered about them or their performance. Conclusion/Summary DS must strike a balance between its business interests and its employees’ privacy interests. This balance should allow for surveillance under certain limited conditions, and utilize less intrusive approaches. Although it is unlikely that DS would completely discontinue its monitoring practice, at a minimum DS should continue to fully inform its employees about all surveillance tools being used in their workplace and provided them with clear information as to what management does with the data. References Pedeliski, Theodore B. (1997). Privacy and the workplace: Technology and public employment. Public Personnel Management. December 22, 1997. Shoppes, Mia. (2003). Employee monitoring: Is big brother a bad idea. Information Security Magazine. Dec. 9, 2003. American Civil Liberties Union. (1997). Privacy in America: Electronic monitoring. Retrieved from http://www. aclu. org/technology-and-liberty/privacy-america-electronic-monitoring