...Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing CRT/205 October 3, 2013 Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing The two examples I chose to analyze were examples two and three. Both of the writing samples were vague and ambiguous leaving questions and curiosity as to what the author was intending. Without the clarity in the writing, the audience is left to assume what the author’s true meaning is, but not ever really knowing if they are correct. In example two the author states, “I was thrown from my truck as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by a flock of wild turkeys.” The vagueness in the writing is found in the first sentence. As the audience, we are unsure if the author meant another person in the vehicle physically threw him out of the truck or if author was involved in a car accident and when truck went off the side of the rode the impact ejected him from the vehicle. With this statement being as vague as it is, the possibility could be either. Ambiguity is present in the second sentence, in particularly the word “by”. The way this sentence is worded, it is possible a flock of wild turkeys were the ones who found him in the ditch, or that someone else found him in a ditch near a flock of turkeys. Since the word “by” could be referring to who found him or in relation to where he was found the author could have intended either. The author states in example three, “Next Sunday a collection will be taken to help with the cost of the new altar. Anyone...
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...Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing Denise Cook CRT/205 November 18, 2012 Professor Freda Trujillo The first example in which I chose was Example 2, “I was thrown from my truck as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by a flock of wild turkeys.” The first sentence is an example of vagueness because it does not tell us if he had an accident but it tells us enough to make the assumption that there was an accident. The second sentence is an example of ambiguity because it could mean that he was found by a flock of wild turkeys or it could mean that someone found him by a flock of wild turkeys in a ditch. The second example in which I chose was Example 3, “Next Sunday a collection will be taken to help with the cost of the new altar. Anyone wanting to help to do something on the new altar can step forward and let the committee know.” The first sentence is an example of vagueness because it does not tell us how much the new altar will cost or how much of a donation in which they need, but it is enough information given for you to make the assumption that they need money for a new altar. The second sentence is an example ambiguity because it could mean that anyone who wants to help with building the altar can step forward or it could mean anyone who wants to give money to help pay for the new altar can step forward. According to Chapter 3, vagueness plays a very important role in much that we do. Vagueness is often intentional, used as a means...
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...Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing CRT/205: Critical Thinking December 7, 2012 Gecobie Davis When I looked further into Capital punishment laws I found a very interested story about when it first started. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code; in the Seventh Century B.C.'s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes, and in the Fifth Century B.C.'s Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets. Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. I think the United States should ban using capital punishment because many of them don’t do serious crimes then others. Look at the case of Brian Dugan is one of the people that the United States reconsider to use the capital punishment. I think if a person breaks the law any type of form of fashion they are responsible for their own actions. Brain Dugan execution took more than twice as normal time to do and appeared to some families member that was in a suffering process at the time of crime happen(Chicago tribune, 2011). I feel like the government is doing what they can to put these criminals in jail for killing, murdering, raping, and kidnapping another human being. I think by giving them life in...
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...Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing Holly Minor CRT/205 June 15, 2013 Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing Vague and ambiguous writing results in misinterpretation of the information within the writing. When writing is unclear, a reader may find difficulty in understanding the intent of the writing. On the other hand, a certain level of vagueness is adequate. “When a claim is not too vague to convey appropriately useful information, its level of vagueness is acceptable.” (Moore & Parker, 2012, p. 73). To illustrate the effect vagueness and ambiguousness has on a written work; two writing examples are deconstructed and analyzed. Example 1 [1]This particular case study will reflect an organization with a van that has undergoing internal conflict. [2]It will also analyze the reason for the conflict and offer positive resolutions of this conflict. [3]The project must first understand that conflict among the membership, its leaders, group or anyone attached did not just show up one day. [4]Conflict has been in existence for a very long time. [5]The religious leaders have a great responsibility to the congregation (and others who look for guidance and direction according to the scriptures). [6]It does not matter what title he or she holds, if they are in a leadership role, they bare responsible and accountable. The writing style in this first example contains both vague and ambiguous writing. The first sentence has both vague and ambiguous...
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...the novelist may be stipulating that the flock of wild turkeys found him lying in a ditch, or maybe that a man had found him in the ditch lying next to the flock of wild turkeys. In the 3rd example, to me this is vague simply I am not quite certain what is being accumulated. It may be a contribution of pieces of merchandise or ready cash. And in the second sentence it is asking if anybody wants to lend a hand by doing something on the altar to let the board know. It is not clear to anyone who reads this as to what the board is asking what needs to be done to the new altar. These sentences are ambiguous simply since while anyone who is reading each example, there is several ways that anyone might clarify their significance. Both vagueness and ambiguity have an effect on understanding the assertions since what the writer is trying to say may not be what the viewers are familiar with. In order for the writer to his or her point through more efficiently the writer has to be certain they are clear in what they are trying to express. In the connection between...
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...Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing: Casey Dougherty CRT/205 December 13, 2012 Casey Thrift Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity in Writing: Example 2 I was thrown from my truck as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by a flock of wild turkeys. Example 3 Next Sunday a collection will be taken to help with the cost of the new altar. Anyone wanting to help to do something on the new altar can step forward and let the committee know. In the example of being thrown from a truck there is vagueness and ambiguity. Vagueness and ambiguity used in writing have an influence on the understanding of the information to the audience. "A word or phrase is vague if the group of things to which it applies has border- line cases," (Moore & Parker, 2012, p. 72). In the second example, the writer provides a vague explanation of being thrown from his truck. The person could have been thrown because of a wreck with another vehicle, or because he was avoiding something in the road, or literally thrown from the vehicle by another person. The writer then says that he found in a ditch by a flock of wild turkeys. This statement is ambiguous because he could have been found actually in a ditch next to a flock of wild turkeys, or it could have been the flock of wild turkeys that found him in the ditch. ." A word, phrase, or sentence is said to be ambiguous when it has more than one meaning," (Moore & Parker, 2012, p. 72). In the example of needing help with...
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...guene Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity Writing Kimberly Williams CRT/206 11/15/2012 University of Phoenix Vagueness, Ambiguity, and Clarity Writing Identify what is vague and what is ambiguous about each? The example that I choose to write about was Example 3 and Example 2. Example 2 I was thrown from my truck as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by a flock of wild turkeys. In example 2 the vague was not really not clear as to what the writer meant by him being thrown off his truck? By being thrown off it could possibly mean that he was ejected from the bed of the truck. Are I think that someone could maybe threw him out of the truck are pushed him out of the truck while it was going. Are it could of also mean that he might of hit something in the road and he hit it so hard that it caused it to ejected him out of it. And on the other sentence it stated that he was he was later found by a flock of wild turkeys. What could the author be saying that the flock of wild turkeys found him lying in a ditch? Or that someone had found him in the ditch next to the flock? In the third example, I think that it is vague because we are not sure what is being collected? To we know that it is donation of material or money. And in the second Sentence it is asking people if there is anyone who wants to help them with the altar to let the committee know, but we are unsure of what they need to be done. So I feel that these sentences are ambiguous because while you are reading...
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...Vagueness, Ambiguity and Clarity in Writing John Mackey The first example that I have chosen to use for this assignment is Example number two; Example 2 I was thrown from my truck as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by a flock of wild turkeys. The vagueness in this example raises the question of why he was thrown from the truck. What caused this to happen? What were the underlying circumstances that ultimately led to being thrown from the truck? Another question that can be asked is where did the wild turkeys come from? There are all these questions that remain to be asked and also later to be answered. For the ambiguous side of the house, Dictionary.com defines ambiguity as doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ambiguity). In this example what is the author’s intent on explaining? It is simply two sentences that very vaguely explain what happened but what is their purpose or intent that they are trying to achieve by saying what they did in the example? I believe that with this example there is more vagueness than there is ambiguity but also that the vagueness does lead to ambiguity. There are several questions left in this example unanswered. Re-Written Example I was thrown from my truck as it left the road because the roads were wet from the rain that had fallen throughout the night and I lost control of my truck. Later when I awoke I found myself lying in a ditch surrounded by a flock...
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...which form a substantive, transdisciplinary conception of critical thinking. Critical Thinking as Defined by the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987 A statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform, Summer 1987. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. Language is the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems ofcommunication, and a lanThe English word "language" derives ultimately from Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s "tongue, speech, language" through Latin lingua, "language; tongue", and...
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...2 of 56 Clear Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Clear Writing Students will learn to … 1. Determine acceptable and unacceptable degrees of vagueness in language 2. Understand and identify types of ambiguity 3. Identify the problems generality causes in language 4. Use definitions to increase precision and clarity and to influence attitudes 5. Understand the types of definitions 6. Acquire skills for writing an effective argumentative essay rom August 1987 until January 2007, Alan Greenspan was chairman of the Federal Reserve Board (“the Fed”). Because any remark he made about U.S. monetary policy could cause markets all over the world to fluctuate wildly, he developed a complicated way of speaking that came to be known as “Fedspeak.” Here’s an example: It is a tricky problem to find the particular calibration in timing that would be appropriate to 2/9/2016 12:17 PM 3 of 56 stem the acceleration in risk premiums created by falling incomes without prematurely aborting the decline in the inflation-generated risk premiums.* Greenspan has admitted that such remarks were not really intended to be understood. Asked to give an example by commenting on the weather, Greenspan replied, I would generally expect that today in Washington, D.C., the probability of changes in the weather is highly uncertain. But we are monitoring the data in such a manner that we will be able to update people on changes that are important.* Page 70 2/9/2016 12:17 PM This tells us nothing about the weather...
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...Respectively or a total of more or less (P1,847,578,057.50); and by collecting or receiving, directly or indirectly, by himself and/or in connivance with John Does & Jane Does, commissions or percentages by reason of said purchases of shares of stock in the amount of P189,700,000.00 more or less, from Belle Corporation which became part of the Deposit in the equitable Bank under the account name of ‘Jose Velarde’. Petitioner wishes to impress upon the constitutionality of RA 7080 (An Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder), as amended by RA 7659. He therefore makes a stringent call for this Court to subject the Plunder Law to the crucible of constitutionality mainly because, according to him, (a) it suffers from the vice of vagueness; (b) it dispenses with the "reasonable doubt" standard in criminal prosecutions; and, (c) it...
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...Nate Harris PHI 111 Summary 1 Summary 1: Stephen F. Barker’s “Improving Your Thinking” This summary will touch on what the author says about logic, and how we can apply it to our cognitive source with the attempt of improving our thinking. When discussing logic, the author breaks his introductory topics into two categories; fallacies and definitions. Each of these also has three or more sub-categories. We will be able to take these fallacies and definitions and apply them to recognizing good logic, and poor logic. The first one I will bring up is the term Fallacy. The author defines a fallacy as, “a logical mistake in reasoning, especially one that it is tempting to make.” He tells us that what most of us define as fallacy is incorrect, at least for logical purposes. When it does not apply to logic, folks tend to think of a mistake, unbelief, or a sentence that just isn’t true all as being fallacy. He does not stop there. There are 4+ categories of fallacies in logic. The 1st one is called a petition principii which simply means, “to beg the question.” One can clearly see certain illogical statements as being fallacy when the premise is just the same, or has the same definition as the conclusion. Some even frame questions as such to answer any direct answer would be stating the premise to be true. (In response to your question in the essay, Mr. Slinker, I would have to answer with a question, “why do you think I’ve been beating my wife, and what proof do you have?”)...
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...1.) Yes. Understanding human behavior in organization is very relevant and important. Whether we like it or not, someday we will be part of corporate world; means that we will get involved in business and part of any organization. As part of an organization, we will belong to certain department, we are responsible to align our interest to the organization's interest. It is somehow kind of submission of some of ones interests, in order to adjust and meet the organization's target (ORGANIZATION'S GOAL). Let me give an example; In workplace, we will be meeting variety of personalities, and all those personalities are really far different from each other. It is guaranteed that you will be blending with someone that seems that will not fit with your personality, you might encounter contradictions with that someone due to personality differences, in this case where understanding human behavior will come out, considering the organization's goals (to achieve sales and sales volumes in some parameters). Let say you will be grouped to certain department where your mortal enemy was assigned too, here, you will consider the organization's goal, you will put aside your personal interest which is to snob your enemy, and instead, you will adjust and adapt to that personality's differences, and you will now prioritize to do your job as professional; looking after achieving the organization's goal. It is "GOAL" which motivates professionals to set aside some of ones personal interests, and...
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...Abstract Intercultural communications is often marked by the impact of cultural differences on communication, commonly resulting in miscommunication or misunderstanding. This paper examines the challenges influencing intercultural communications between the Japanese and the Americans. In its conclusion, it emphasizes on the sensitivity to the mentioned cultural differences in order to create harmony and understanding amongst people with different ethnic backgrounds. Intercultural Communications between the United States and Japan Introduction According to Dima (1990), intercultural communication refers to the exchange of ideas between people belonging to different cultures, in spite of them using the same language. Intercultural communication plays an important role, in that cultural differences can often lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding. This is increasingly becoming important in today’s multicultural society such as in the US (Inoue, 2007). What are the common challenges of intercultural communications between America and Japan? How do cultural differences play part in shaping the Japan-American intercultural communication? As defined by Peace (2002), culture is a "system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guides behavior and is shared by a group of people; and these are transmitted from generation to generation, rarely with explicit instructions," (p.14). There are a variety of cultures that...
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...groups or just vanquished them, and his sexuality is made dim by the film's modesty about gay sex and its vagueness about Alexander's associations with his "brute" lady and his tigress mother. We respect the scenes of fight, ceremony and situation on the grounds that at any rate for a period we are free of sociopolitical ideas and the interminable portrayal of Ptolemy the student of history,...
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