Laguage - apostrophe (contd...)

Answers for the situations posted last week are given below.

Correct usage is in Black. Incorrect usage is in Red.

In some cases, both options given my be correct.

Please review and post a comment in case you disagree with any.

Boy’s hats	Boys’ hats
Childrens’ playground	Children’s playground
Their’s property	Their property
Scissor’s blades	Scissors’ blades
Bob’s paan shop	Bobs’ paan shop
Food at it’s best	Food at its best
Member’s entrance	Members’ entrance
It’s your turn	Its your turn
Manager’s only wish	Managers only wish
Manager’s only concern	Managers only concern

Language - apostrophe

Though language is a big, wide field in itself and one can spend a lifetime studying a particular language, there are some common issues that can be addressed selectively and quickly.

One such area is use of apostrophe in written communication. Incorrect use of apostrophes can change the entire meaing of a phrase.

I invite you to do a small exercise.

Identify the correct usage of apostrophe from each of the pairs given below:


<><> <><> <><>

Boy’s hats	Boys’ hats
Childrens’ playground	Children’s playground
Their’s property	Their property
Scissor’s blades	Scissors’ blades
Bob’s paan shop	Bobs’ paan shop
Food at it’s best	Food at its best
Member’s entrance	Members’ entrance
It’s your turn	Its your turn
Manager’s only wish	Managers only wish
Manager’s only concern	Managers only concern

Answers in the next post.

Gunshot email

This is an email written by a Manager to the Business Head. In the organisation structure, the Manager reports to a Senior Manager, who reports to a Deputy General Manager, who reports to the Business Head. Hence, an email written to a person three levels above in the hierarchy.

Quote

Hi

Below mentioned is the headset that has to be procured for my TL's, they need this headset to listen to recorded calls

MODEL        Price per piece           headset Required        Total cost

Logitech      Rs. 950/- plus taxes    3 nos                           2850/-

Kindly approve the same.

Many Thanks

AWL

Unquote

Ignoring the grammatical issues in the email, what do you think will be done with this email and its writer :

• It will be circulated across the organisation as an example of a great email
• It will be printed and hung at the entrance to show visitors the great quality of emails written by employees ?
• Its writer will be recommended for the Nobel Prize in Literature
• Its writer will be requested by the Business Head to swap roles with him
• None of the above

Ignoring the grammatical issues in the email, what do you think about the construction of the mail,  the message it conveys and possible responses :

• The Business Head will drop everything else and read this mail over and over again
• The Business Head will pinch himself to check if he is asleep or awake
• The Business Head will order a year's supplies of the requested items
• The Business Head will burst into tears at the high level of respect shown in the email
• None of the above

Why ?
How would you write it ?

The Communication Barrier...2

Continuing from the last post, the message could very easily have been fixed by changing "you have miles to go" to "you will go miles". Though one could debate whether "you will go miles" is correct language, the point being made is, are we able to communicate the right message even with language that may not be pefect ? If yes, then the communicaion has served its purpose.

The email should have been

Quote

Hi R / A,

The whole ICC team is proud of you both.

Though the report was new to both of you, still you managed to meet the timelines. Thanks for your efforts you have put in today. You will go miles.

Keep up the good and hard work.

Unquote

Of course, as language skills improve, the communication can get finer and finer.

Here is another example of poor communication that results in making the boss a villain.

This is a Messenger chat between the Business Head and a Manager, on a day when the Senior Manager, who is in between the Business Head and the Manager, is on leave.

Quote

Business Head : I hear you are "in charge" today

Manager : hahah I am trying to cover up for Seema

Unquote

In one fell swoop, the Manager, by saying that he is “trying to cover up for Seema” has made Seema, his boss, a criminal by making it sound as if she has done something he need to “cover up” for.

What should he have written ?

Quote

Business Head : I hear you are "in charge" today

Manager : hahah I am trying to cover up for Seema

Unquote

What seems to be the problem ?

The Manager is either challenged in the language he is communicating in, or has not taken adequate pains to read through a message he intends sending. Of course he could also be taking the opportunity to bad mouth his boss to his boss’ boss and ingratiate himself, but for the present we will discount that possibility.

Challenge with the language can be fixed, but it is normally a gradual process and the individual needs to take charge of the process.

Wilful bad-mouthing of his boss cannot be fixed through any intervention, unless it is through a forced holiday from work in a penitentiary.

Taking pains with a written message is a skill that can be taught (and learnt) through a structured programme and increased consciousness of the damage an incorrect message can cause.