3 Sentences That Cause Confusion

3 Sentences That Cause Confusion 3 Sentences That Cause Confusion 3 Sentences That Cause Confusion By Mark Nichol In each of the following sentences, a word or phrase is an obstacle to comprehension. The discussion and revision that follows each example suggests a path to clarity. 1. Technology companies have a very different mind-set to traditional financial institutions. Comparisons structured as one is in this sentence should employ from rather than to, and note the insertion of the phrase â€Å"that of the† to indicate that the comparison is between mind-sets and not the entities that have the mind-sets: â€Å"Technology companies have a very different mind-set from that of traditional financial institutions.† 2. The agency found that contrary to its claims, World Wide Wickets failed to employ reasonable and appropriate measures to protect data. This sentence has an unclear antecedent: The pronoun its appears to refer to â€Å"the agency,† because no other entity has yet been identified, but it is a reference to the company subsequently mentioned. For clarity, use a specific proper noun (for example, â€Å"World Wide Wickets†) or a specific common noun (for example, â€Å"(the) company†) first, then a pronoun (or, in this case, use a proper noun on first reference and a common noun on second reference, bypassing the need for a pronoun at all): â€Å"The agency found that contrary to the claims of World Wide Wickets, the company failed to employ reasonable and appropriate measures to protect data.† 3. Jones faces criticism of others who oppose his policy positions, as does opponent John Smith and many others. This sentence is ambiguous- it could mean that Smith and many others face the same criticism as Jones, or the phrase â€Å"as does† could apply not to the verb faces but to the verb oppose. (In this case, the latter option applies.) To eliminate possible confusion, chose a clearer word or phrase in place of the nebulous â€Å"as does†: â€Å"Jones faces criticism of others who oppose his policy positions, including opponent John Smith and many others.† 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 Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Oppose and Opposed To

The Original Boss--William Tweed

The Original BossWilliam Tweed The Original BossDuring the "Golden Years" of America, in the middle of the 19th century, it seemed as though nothing happened in New York City unless the Boss wanted it to happen. William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, a formidable politician, ruled and corrupted the city so shamelessly in the years right after the War Between the States, that his name became synonymous with dishonesty. Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge could not proceed until Tweed got a seat on the bridge company board. It was reported that he redirected more than $6 million of the city's money into his own bank account. Known among political reformers as the forty thieves, The Tweed Ring [Peter Sweeny, city chamberlain; Richard B. Connolly, city comptroller; and Oakey Hall, mayor (to name a few)], "sold" money-making franchises to companies they controlled, padded construction bills, practiced graft and extortion, and exploited every opportunity to plunder the city's funds, the Boss was a figure to be reckoned with.Englis h: Caricature of Boss Tweed by Thomas Nast.Both beloved by many of the city's poor immigrants yet the target of pointed jabs from political cartoonist Thomas Nast, these were two opposite faces of the Boss.There is little question that the Tweed Ring practiced thievery and that Tammany Hall had a series of reoccurring scandals. An estimated 75 to 200 million dollars were swindled from the City between 1865 and 1871. Yet, there is more to the story than a confrontation of the machine form of city government and the ideology of reformer exhortations. Tammany represented a form of organization that wedded the Democratic Party and the Society of St. Tammany (started in 1789 for patriotic and fraternal purposes) into an interchangeable exchange. The weave of city politics was the triangulation of the Mayor's office, the Democratic Party and the social club organization. During the...