The Style File: Strunk and White vs. Williams :: Learning Writing Essays

The Style File: Strunk and White vs. Williams What is the definition of style? Is there an exact way of interpreting style individuals create in their writing? What is the importance and function of style in the writing process? Does style really matter? Before encountering books such as William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s â€Å"The Elements of Style† and Joesph M. Williams â€Å"Style Toward Clarity and Grace† I had not put much thought into these questions. My main focus was to get my writing assignments completed, turned in, and out of my mind. However, these two books create a whole new outlook on the world of writing for any individual who can open the cover and their mind. â€Å"Style† strives to explain how writers can improve clarity, cohesion, usage, and elegance to become a more effective writer. This book is not meant to be read once, for the full potential can not be achieved unless it is absorbed several times. Packed from cover to cover with real life examples ranging from the worst imaginable to greatly improved, Williams provides a detailed explanation of how to transform any writers work. Charts, graphs, and diagrams may add some confusion but can be helpful for individuals who depend upon visual aids. On the same note, â€Å"The Elements of Style† also entails rules, guidelines, and examples for the purpose of the writer’s improvement. However, the approach is entirely different. This little book entails several important topics including rules of usage, missed used words and expressions, principles of composition, and approaches to style. The advice in â€Å"Elements of Style† is simple, clear, and straight to the point. Rules are short, and boldface so they are easy to quickly look up if the writer is in need of a quick on the spot tutorial. Following the boldface rule are a few statements or paragraphs with an explanation. Examples are only found for some of the rules but the ones given are not as elaborate as in â€Å"Style.† This book allows for a quick read and refreshing of rules and guidelines that have been encountered throughout an individuals writing career. There are several aspects of Strunk and White and Williams books that I had already learned years ago and forgotten or had just discovered for the first time.

Quality Management and Six Sigma Essay

Describe the evolution of quality from the early 20th century through the Japanese post-World War II, to the â€Å"Quality revolution† in the U. S. and elsewhere in the 1980’s through the early 21st Century. Identify the underlying forces to the ‘quality revolution’. Explain the role of the quality ‘gurus’ including Walter Shewhart, Joseph Juran, W. Edwards Deming Early Twentieth Century Inspection was the primary means of quality control during the first half of the twentieth century Separate the planning function from execution function Managers/engineers plan and supervisors/workers execute Bell system was very popular up until this time Production organizations created separate quality departments, lead upper managers to believe quality is responsibility of the quality department and turned focus to quantity/efficiency 1980’s Henry Ford developed â€Å"total quality practices† once he visited Japan in 1982 Japanese constantly referred to â€Å"the book† which had become Japan’s industrial bible and helped Ford Motor Company realize how it had strayed from principles over the years Walter Shewhart Western Electric Group leader Created era of statistical quality control (SQC), application of statistical methods for controlling quality Goes beyond inspection to focus on identifying/eliminating problems that cause defects Used by military in WWII to determine quality standards for suppliers Post-World War II Large shortage of civilian goods in the US made production a top priority Most companies still thought of quality for a specialist, used mass inspection Dr. Joseph Juran and Dr. Edwards Deming Introduced statistical quality control techniques to the Japanese post-WWII Significant part of educational activity was focused on upper management rather than quality specialists alone Got support of top management to integrate quality throughout organization and developed a culture of continuous improvement. By 1970’s Japanese began to heavily penetrate Western markets U. S. â€Å"Quality Revolution† Decade of the 1980s major change in how quality is looked at in a company Deming aired â€Å"If Japan Can†¦ Why Can’t We? † After the television show manufacturers began to ask for his health 1984 the US made October National Quality Month By 1990’s quality drove nearly every organization’s quest for success Organizations began to share knowledge through books and new quality awards were established Underlying Forces Of The Revolution 1970s global competition and appearance of higher-quality foreign products on the market lead U. S> consumers to consider purchasing decisions more carefully Large differences in quality between Japanese and U. S. made products so demand for high quality/reliability in goods at a fair price went up List and describe the seven contemporary forces identified by ASQ that will influence the future of quality Defining quality – describe the various dimensions of quality – including formal definitions of quality: transcendent quality, product-, user- and value-based quality, fitness for use, conformance to specifications and meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Show visually the quality perspectives. Identify the definition of quality to individual divisions in a corporation – e. g. , sales, marketing, supply chain, operations, distribution, etc. Judgment/Transcendent Perspective Defines quality as â€Å"the goodness of a product† Firms with this perspective wish to use quality as an image variable in the minds of their consumers Provides little value to mangers for decision making Product-Based Perspective â€Å"Quality is a function of a specific, measurable variable and that differences in quality reflect differences in quantity of some product attribute, such as number of stiches per inch† Essentially means a greater amount of product features leads to higher quality and ability to charge a higher price User-Based Perspective Defines quality based on the fact that quality is determined by what the customer requires All individuals are different and thus have different perspectives of quality Defined as â€Å"fitness for intended us, or how well the product performs its intended function. † Product needs to perform what it is marketed to do Value-Based Perspective â€Å"A quality product is one that is as useful as competing products and is sold at a lower price, or one that offers greater usefulness or satisfaction at a comparable price. † Ex: Buying a generic product like Roundy’s bread over Wonder bread for cheaper Perspective often requires competitor analysis, leads benchmarking to become essential to a firm using this perspective Manufacturing-Based Perspective â€Å"The desirable outcome of engineering and manufacturing practice, or conformance to specifications. † Specifications are determined by designers of the products/services and acts as basis for definition of quality Aim to conform to these specifications every time to ensure consistency SEE FIGURE Describe the movement of quality as a management framework through Feigenbaum’s total quality and the movement to TQM and TQ TQ is people-focused management system that aims at continual increase in customer satisfaction at continually lower real cost. Total system approach (not separate functions) Fegenbaum recognized importance of a comprehensive organizational approach to quality in the 1950s and coined the term total quality control Japanese adopted it and named it companywide quality control List the three key principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) 1. A focus on customers and stakeholders.

Essay about The War Of 1812 And Its Effects On American...

By any criteria the years following the War of 1812, otherwise known as the â€Å"Era of Good Feelings,† must be considered a time of exceptional growth and development in the United States, but above all, it may be considered a time of evolution and ripening of American nationalism, unification, and economic prowess. The war of 1812 was a very problematic war. States did not fulfill their duties, while commanders and leaders were not informed or supplied enough to keep up the war. But what awakened during this time and afterwards is something much greater then victory. The war wasn’t just about Britain holding land and impressing American sailors into their navy; it was a second war of independence. It was the first war as a united country,†¦show more content†¦American presidents from Washington to Madison tried to keep the United States impartial during these conflicts, but both France and Britain flagrantly disregarded the rights of neutral countries (War o f 1812). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;For the Americans, the greatest irritant was Britain’s practice of impressment, or the seizure of American seamen for service in the British navy. The British government claimed that it only seized subjects of the Crown who sailed under the American flag to avoid wartime service in their own navy. In fact, the British seized not only their own deserters, but also impressed a sizeable number of United States citizens—estimates suggest 6000 or more (Encyclopedia Encarta). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Public outrage over the issue of impressments grew increasingly vocal after an incident between the American naval frigate Chesapeake and a British vessel, the Leopard. In June 1807 the Leopard approached the Chesapeake only a few miles off the American coast and demanded to search the ship for British deserters. The Chesapeake’s commander, James Barron, refused, and the Leopard opened fire. A number of American sailors were killed or wounded during the attack, and the Chesapeake surrendered. The British then sent a party aboard and dragged four crewmen from the vessel. After the incident, Jefferson ordered British warships to leave American watersShow MoreRelatedThe War of 1812 and Its Effects on American Nationalism2077 Words   |  9 Pagescriteria the years following the War of 1812, otherwise known as the Era of Good Feelings, must be considered a time of exceptional growth and development in the United States, but above all, it may be considered a time of evolution and ripening of American nationalism, unification, and economic prowess. The war of 1812 was a very problematic war. States did not fulfill their duties, while commanders and leaders were not informed or supplied enough to keep up the war. But what awakened during thisRead MoreAp Us History: After Math 1812 -Ghent Treaty1144 Words   |  5 Pageswas the Ghent Treaty a Failure or a Success in the views of Americans? How Did it affect the country ? Ghent Treaty: Success or Failure? The War of 1812 was fought between the new and fragile United States against the British Empire, Canadian Provinces and a few Woodland Indian Tribes. The War of 1812 was an attempt by the Americans to establish their dominance in North America by conquest of the British owned Canadian Provinces. With an under supplied and undermanned army and navy the UnitedRead MoreDBQ Nationalism And Sectionalism952 Words   |  4 PagesThe  Era  of  Good  Feeling:  The  Effects  and  Consequences  of  Nationalism  and  Sectionalism   In   1815,  shortly  before  the  start  of  James  Monroe’s  presidency  and  after  the  War  of   1812,   a   historical   period    known   as   the   â€Å"Era   of   Good   Feeling†Ã‚   commenced   in   America.   However,   though   the   name   of   this   age   alone   insinuated   a   time   of   unity   and   prosperity   within   the   nation,   sectionalism   became   an   unequivocal   dilemma   that   seeped   through   the   government’s   attempts  in   promoting  nationalism,  and  ultimately  divided  the  countryRead MoreHistorians have traditionally labeled the period after the War of 1812 the Era of good Feelings. Evaluate the accuracy ofof this label, considering the emergence of nationalism and sectionalism.1395 Words   |  6 Pagesdisposition to cede to American petitions. The United States wanted to have control over fur trade and other riches. Finally, President Madison had to hear many petitions and asked congress to declare war on Great Britain. Congress accepted and the War of 1812 began. All of population did not support the war. Northeastern merchants and imports opposed the war, for they were afraid that commerce there could be destroyed. Also, Great Britain was in poor conditions. As a result of this, the war ended with noRead MoreCause And Effects Of The War Of 18121061 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Vasquez Mr. Gill AP USH 9 October 2017 War of 1812 The War of 1812 is one of many wars that the USA will go through. The war is the first war that the new America would take part of and will be the first time the USA will declare war. The war lasted from June of 1813 to February of 1815, this is a span of two years and eight months. The war was fought by the United State verses the British. The war took place in many locations around the world which include the United States, Canada, onRead More2002 APUSH DBQ1468 Words   |  6 Pages2002 AP DBQ In the years following the War of 1812, the â€Å"Era of Good Feelings† evolved between the years 1815 and 1825. In the first half of this period, there was a strong sense of nationalism throughout the United States. However, political changes and economic differences between the states warped this nationalism into the sectionalism that divided the country into north, south and west regions. Celebrations of unity within the United States soon turned into disagreements concerning representationRead MoreCauses and Effects of the War of 18121527 Words   |  7 PagesCauses and Effects of The War of 1812 The nineteenth century brought major change to The United States turning it from a developing country into a world power. The addition of Alaska, Oregon, Texas, and Florida, the Mexican Cession and The Louisiana Purchase made The United States a world power. The War of 1812 catalyzed this great expansion. There were four main concerns that led to The War of 1812. Maritime and trade issues, the Embargo Act, territorial expansion, and War Hawks. Although theyRead MoreWar of 18121643 Words   |  7 PagesThe War of 1812 was a war between Britain and the United States fought primarily in Upper Canada. It had many causes, few which involved British North America. The results of the war include the fact that there was no clear winner or loser among them. The only real losers in the situation were the Natives in the region. They were driven out of their lands and customs. None of the borders was changed by the war, though many attempts were made. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, did nothingRead MoreThe War Of 1812 And Its Impact On American History2017 Words   |  9 Pagesprimarily for its actions against Britain during the Revolutionary War, where we threw the despotic empire off our backs and declared our own independence. However, the War of 1812 was just as important when it came to its role in American history. Although the War of 1812 is a very small conflict in comparison to some of the wars and conflicts we have entered since then, the results of the War of 1812 have directly impacted American history ever since, both politically and historically. While theRead MoreThe War Of 1812 And The United States1427 Words   |  6 Pages The War of 1812 is the second war between the United States of America and Great Britain that ends in a draw. Also referred to as the â€Å"Second War of Independence,† the cause of this military conflict is often believed to be a direct result of England’s attempt to humiliate the United States, limit the country’s growth and impact (acts of interference towards American trade, which is a sign of disrespect towards American independence), and acts of impressment (taking sailors off American vessels