Capitalizing Titles

Capitalizing Titles:

Rule 1

Capitalize a person's title when it precedes the name.

Example:
Chairperson Kim

Rule 2

Do not capitalize when the title is acting as a description after the name.

Example:

Mr. Smith, chairperson of the company, will arrive tomorrow.

Rule 3

Don not capitalize the person's title if preceded by the.

Examples:
Mr. Smith, the chairperson of the company, will arrive tomorrow.

The president, Mr. Lee, will arrive tomorrow.

Rule 4

Capitalize the person's title when it follows the name on the address or signature line.

Example:
Sincerely,
Mr. J. Sanders, Chairperson

Rule 5

Capitalize any title when used as a direct address.

Example:
That hurts, Doctor!

Rule 6

Capitalize any title when used as a direct address.

Example:
That hurts, Doctor!

NOTE:
*Military ranks follow the same capitalization guidelines as titles.
 Examples:
Brigadier General John Smith
John Smith was a brigadier general

However Jane Watson, author of Business Writing Basics, The Minute Taker's Handbook, and BizWritingTip — Grammar Collection 1, notes:

“In addition, [SOME] stylebooks recommend that the following titles always be capitalized when they follow a personal name or are used alone:

1. National Officials: the Prime Minister, Cabinet members (such as the Secretary of State, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and the Attorney General), the heads of government agencies and bureaus (such as the Deputy Minister, or the Commissioner), the Chief Justice, the Ambassador, the Member of Parliament, the Governor General

2. Provincial Officials: the Premier, the Lieutenant-Governor

3. Royal Dignitaries: the Queen, the Duke, the Prince of Wales

4. International Figures: the Pope, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President

By the way, some organizations choose to override the rules and capitalize all the job titles of their senior executives. They believe it shows respect. This style is not necessary. However, if it is what your organization wants, don’t fight it. Go with whomever pays your salary."

Netanyahu Is A Liar! Sarkozy Tells Obama Over Hot Mic!

French President Nicolas Sarkozy got an unfortunate lesson in the power of an open mike last week during the G20 summit.  Reporters say Sarkozy made some unflattering comments about Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a private conversation with Barak Obama. They weren’t caught on tape but the were heard loud and clear by a handful of journalists. “Netanyahu, I can’t stand him,” Sarkozy reportedly said. “He is a liar.” Obama was heard, through French translation, answering, “You are sick of him, but I have to work with him every day.” The reporters who heard the comment said they didn’t report them cause they were deemed private under French media law, as they happen before the press conference began. Neither the White House nor the French government has commented on the remarks.

VOCABULARY EXPANSION:

·      unfortunate: 1. embarrassing and/or offensive 2. having bad luck; caused by bad luck

·      open mike:

·      unflattering: making somebody/something seem worse or less attractive than they really are

·      caught on tape: recorded saying something

·      handful: a small number of people or things

·      sick of: to have experienced too much of someone or something with the result that you are annoyed

·      deem: 1. to consider or judge 2.to have a particular opinion about something

Business-English - Communication

Module One

This is a review of lesson one.

Click on the four arrows (bottom right) to enlarge the video.

Would you if you could? Hypothetical questions and statements

Conditionals

	Adapted from Betty Azar's Fundamentals of English Grammar Book
TRUE IN THE PRESENT	IF clause = simple present, RESULT clause = simple present/future
	If I visit italy this year, I will go to the Trevi Fountain.
	If the weather is nice today, we can go to the park.
	If the snow falls by morning, we can go skiing.
	If I have enough time, I will write a travel book.
	NOTE:  Superstitions often use this tense. If you knock on wood, your good luck will continue.
UNTRUE IN THE PRESENT/FUTURE	IF clause = simple past, RESULT clause = would / could + simple form
	If I visited Italy today, I would go to the Trevi Fountain.
	If the weather were nice today, we could go to the park.
	If the snow fell today, we could go skiing.
	If I had enough time, I would write a travel book.
	NOTE:  This tense is often used for this example. If I were you, I would accept the invitation.
UNTRUE IN THE PAST	IF clause = past perfect, RESULT clause = would have + participle
	If I had visited Italy this year, I would have gone to the Trevi Fountain.
	If the weather had been nice yesterday, we could have gone to the park.
	If the snow had fallen by morning, we could have gone skiing.
	If I had had enough time, I would have written a travel book. TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF CONDITIONALS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: Conditional_quiz

Reading activity: Cash advance fees to pass W1 trillion

Cash advance fees to pass W1 trillion

A combination of government policy, a 30-percent interest rate and the highest credit card usage in the world is producing record revenues from cash advance fees.

Government officials say it is still early to sound the alarm, discounting suggestions that this constitutes an upward trend that harks back to the 2003 credit card crisis.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS)’s announcement Tuesday, profits from cash advances for the first half-year alone amount to 679.8 billion won, up almost 70 percent from 402.5 billion won for the same period last year.

Some industry watchers are nervous that this upward trend brings the country back to 2003, where dangerously overleveraged card companies only managed to avoid bankruptcy after a government-led intervention.

As the authorities began restricting retail bank lending this year, cash advances from credit cards have become the go-to lender; ironically the card companies are benefiting from government policy meant to rein in financial irresponsibility.

The Financial Supervisory Service spokesman tried to assuage fears, saying that there is no significant change, as the increased figure reflects the accounting standards reform and more importantly KB Card’s new inclusion in the statistics.

“We are keeping a close watch over the movements of cash advance levels,” he said.
KB Card reported 98.2 billion won worth of revenue from cash advances for the first half of this year.

Vocabulary Expansion:

1.    sound/raise the alarm: to warn of danger

2.    discount: a. To leave out of account as being untrustworthy or exaggerated; disregard: discount a rumor.

b. To underestimate the significance or effectiveness of; minimize: took care not to discount his wife's accomplishments.

c. To regard with doubt or disbelief.

3.    constitutes: to be considered to be something. Does such an activity constitute a criminal offence?

4.    harks back: to return to an earlier subject, point, or position

5.    overleveraged: carrying too much debt

6.    intervention: to become involved in a situation in order to improve or help it

7.    go-to: used to refer to the person or place that somebody goes to for help, advice or information

8.    rein in: to start to control somebody/something more strictly

9.    assuage: əˈsweɪdʒ to make an unpleasant feeling less severe

Commonly Confused Words & Expressions

 Devout vs. Devoted:
"Devout" is used to describe strength/intensity of belief:

My grandmother was a devout Catholic; she never once doubted the teachings of the Church.

"Devoted" refers to activity, not belief:

My grandmother was a devoted member of the Rosary Altar Society, coming early and staying late to every meeting.

Measure vs. Method vs. Means

Measure: an official action that is done in order to achieve a particular aim

The government is introducing tougher measures to combat crime.

*Method: a particular way of doing something

a reliable method of data analysis

*Means: (=method) an action, an object or a system by which a result is achieved; a way of achieving or doing something

Television is an effective means of communication.

* in most cases means and method are fairly interchangeable.

Means: (not method) the money that a person has

Are the monthly repayments within your means?

Solve vs. Resolve:

Solve: to come up with an answer

 Attempts are being made to solve the problem of waste disposal.

Resolve: 

1. to find an acceptable solution to a problem or difficulty

 Attempts are being made to resolve the problem of security in schools. 

 

2. to make a decision OR to end an argument. 

 Both sides met in order to try to resolve their differences.

Bullfighting Ban

A symbol of a deeply engrained tradition or a display of barbarism?

For decades the arguments for and against bullfighting have aroused strong passions and fierce debates. Fans speak of bullfighting, known here as La Cordai, as a ritual, an ancient ceremony where man and beast engage in a fight to the death – which the bull usually loses.

There are also a growing number of people in Spain who see it as an outdated relic of the past. Those against bullfighting have seen their efforts rewarded in the region of Catalonia. Last year, the regional parliament voted to outlaw the practice on the grounds of cruelty.

“In the 19^th century there were public executions where people went to see other people being killed. That was then, but in the 21^st century there’s simply no place for it. It’s primitive.”

These final bullfights here in Barcelona have drawn a large crowd of fans. Many of them coming from allover Spain to witness, what they say, is perhaps the most typical of Spanish traditions. The fans say that a decision to ban bullfighting has less to do with the issue of animal rights and more to do with promoting the local political agenda.

Through Catalonia’s local government, animal rights groups have been able to push through legislation that could signal the end of bullfighting in the region.

Their success has ignited a national debate about the practice. Critics say it just political opportunism.

“Bullfighting is as much a tradition in Catalonia as it is in the rest of Spain. In this region we have some of the oldest bullrings in the country. The problem is that people are being misinformed.”

For now, the ban on bullfighting is set to go ahead in Catalonia next January. But what is certain is that the debate will continue to rage; not just on the streets of Barcelona, but all throughout Spain.

Vocabulary & Expression Expansion:

1.         symbol of a deeply engrained tradition:

engrained: (of beliefs) so firmly held that they are not likely to change

tradition: a way of behaving or a belief that has been established for a long time

2.         a display of barbarism

display: demonstration of an emotion, skill, or quality

barbarism: absence of culture and civilization / extreme cruelty or great violence

3.         have aroused strong passions and fierce debates:

arouse: to cause (severe or extremely strong)

passions: a strong feeling or belief in something

fierce: severe or extremely strong

debate: a discussion where people have different and often opposite views

4. fans speak of bullfighting as

speak of ... as: to talk about something in a certain way

5. an outdated relic of the past:

outdated: no longer useful or modern

relic: an object from the past, esp. one that has no modern use

6. on the grounds of cruelty:

on the grounds of: the reason for a rule or decision (because of)

cruelty: causing pain or suffering to others

7. is no place for it:

no place for: when something is not allowed or acceptable at a certain time or place

8: primitive: very basic or undeveloped

9. most typical of Spanish traditions:

typical: what is expected or associated with something, person or place

10. promoting the local political agenda:

promote: to actively encourage or support something

political agenda: a particular plan of action connected to politics.

11. signal the end of bullfighting:

signal the end: to indicate that something is over

12. ignited a national debate about the practice:

ignite: to start or cause something

practice: the customary, or expected procedure or way of doing of something:

13. Critics say it just political opportunism.

critic: someone who says that they do not approve of someone or something

political opportunism: behavior in which someone uses every situation to try to get power or an advantage:

14. bullfighting is set to go ahead

set to: to be ready

15. the debate will continue to rage:

rage: continue with great violence or intensity

 

Useful expressions and chunks ~ FEEL

1. FEEL:

1.1 feel your age:

definition 1: to realize that you are no longer young

definition 2: to be made ware of your age.

Samples:

1.     I really feel my age when I play with my children on the beach.

2.     He really feels his age when he goes drinking with his friends.

3.     Everybody at the party looked under 30 and I really felt my age.

4.     When I turned 40, I felt my age for the first time.

5.     I never felt my age until I started to lose my hair.

6.     He really felt his age when he struggled to stand up off the floor.

7.     She really felt her age when she became a grandmother for the first time.

8.     I've never felt my age until they told me I was the youngest manager in the company.

9.     There will come a time you will feel your age.

10. You will feel your age after the first 10km of the hike.

 

1.2 feel free (to do something)

definition 1: used to tell somebody that they are allowed to do something

definition 2: used to make something available to someone

Samples:

1.     Feel free to call me at any time.

2.     Please feel free to contact us should you have any further questions.

3.     Feel free to interrupt me at any time.

4.     Feel free to help yourself to coffee and sandwiches.

5.     Feel free to be honest with me.

6.     You may feel free to contact me directly.

7.     You may feel free to comment at any time.

8.     Museums should feel free to charge admission fees.

9.     Companies should feel free to use celebrities to endorse products.

10. We hope that you will feel free to comment and offer suggestions

 

1.2 feel the pinch

definition 1: to not have enough money, to feel financially challenged

definition 2: to experience worse conditions

Samples:

1.     Restaurants are feeling the pinch of rising food prices.

2.     Credit card users are feeling the pinch of higher interest rates.

3.     Even large companies are feeling the pinch of the tough economy.

4.     Tourism is feeling the pinch of global recession.

5.     From next year, home buyers will feel the pinch of higher interest rates.

6.     Consumers will feel the pinch of higher consumer prices for a few more months.

7.     Has your company felt the pinch of the new government trade regulations yet?

8.     America has felt the pinch of the global economic recession at its language schools.

9.     We all have felt the pinch of unusually high rising prices of fuel.

10.  Drivers have felt the pinch of lane closures