Tag - communication

Welcome to the third edition of “Not Say I Want To Say”!

I owe all of you a post on this since I was knocked out on Fri after the ‘twin happiness’ of enduring a somewhat painful surgery and discovering that I’d been selected for the Gangwon-Style Immersion Programme.

(BTW please humour me regarding what I “owe”; it’s a psychological thing to motivate me to post at least one article a day, so please harangue me if I don’t update this site daily!)

Today’s “Not Say I Want To Say” word is “elderly”.

Example from a news report:

Two China nationals from a syndicate were arrested by the police on Sunday afternoon for allegedly attempting to cheat these elderly, mostly in their 60s.

 

From “Two men arrested in fake gold ingot scam targeted at elderly”, my emphasis.

How has “elderly” been misused here?
The speaker has used the word “elderly” as though it were a noun. However, the word is only used as an adjective or as a collective noun.

In other words, “elderly” can only be used to modify another noun e.g. the elderly person (where “person” is a noun) or to refer to a group of people in society e.g. the needs of the elderly.

How do we use “elderly” correctly?
Ask yourself: am I referring to one senior citizen or a group of senior citizens?

E.g.

When you need to refer to one senior citizen, use “elderly” as an adjective – not a noun:

• A 40-year-old driver has been fined S$7,500 and banned from driving for 42 months for causing the death of an elderly pedestrian. (Correct)
• A 40-year-old driver has been fined S$7,500 and banned from driving for 42 months for causing the death of an elderly. (Wrong)

 
When you need to refer to a group of senior citizens:

• It stipulates punishments for people who abuse the elderly, fail to support them and interfere in their freedom to marry. (Correct)
• It stipulates punishments for people who abuse elderly, fail to support them and interfere in their freedom to marry. (Wrong)

OR

• China has passed a new law stipulating that family members should pay regular visits to their elderly relatives, according to the government’s official website. (Correct)
• China has passed a new law stipulating that family members should pay regular visits to their elderly, according to the government’s official website. (Wrong)

 
Efficiency of non-standard use:
Actually, quite efficient – consider how “family” is used as a noun (e.g. “his family“), a collective noun (e.g. “the role of the family in society today”) and an adjective (e.g. “the family car“).

Potential for adoption:

SOME possibility for adoption. But seriously, you’ll sound like a boor if other English speakers don’t use “elderly” in the same way.

Have a good Monday and don’t let the Monday blues get you down (save that for me and my linguistic fascism)!

Welcome to the second edition of “Not Say I Want To Say”!

Today’s “Not Say I Want To Say” word is “value-added”.

Example from a news report:

…what is important is for us to go towards a fair and reasonable payment regardless of their nationality and depend more on their skills, productivity and their value-add to the industry, and the business.

 

From “NTUC chief addresses migrant worker issues”, my emphasis.

How has “value-added” been misused here?
The speaker’s intent is to describe “the amount by which the value of [each migrant worker] is increased at each stage…exclusive of [other] cost[s]” (OED) such as their wages or the externalities which Singapore society has to bear when bringing migrant workers into the country.

However, “value-added” is a compound word more commonly used as an adjective e.g. “value-added services”.

The speaker seems to have inferred that “value-added” can be shortened to “value-add”, which is confusing for the reader: is the speaker using the compound word as a verb or a noun?

How do we use “value-added” correctly?
Ask yourself: is a compound word necessary for the purpose I intend?

E.g.

When the focus is on the value of the goods or services:

• This offers an added value worth up to $5,000 depending on the size of the event. (Correct)
• This offers a ‘value add’ worth up to $5,000 depending on the size of the event. (Wrong)

 

• These companies include in their remuneration package a performance target called Added Economic Value, or profit less cost of capital, measured over three years. (Correct)
• These companies include in their remuneration package a performance target called Economic Value Added, or profit less cost of capital, measured over three years. (Wrong)

 
When you want to describe the goods or services:

• More value-added services are needed, such as psychological counselling, and help for those who are in a relationship or marriage. (Correct)
• More value added services are needed, such as psychological counselling, and help for those who are in a relationship or marriage. (Wrong)

 
Efficiency of non-standard use: No change – “value-add” and “add value” have the same number of syllables and characters.

Potential for adoption: DO NOT adopt – there is no added value to the word “value-add”.

Have a good weekend and see you back here on Monday!

Welcome to the first edition of “Not Say I Want To Say”!

Today’s “Not Say I Want To Say” word is “society”.

Example from a news report:

The status of women in the society is low and the public attitude of men towards women is not healthy.

 

From “Violence rampant in North East: Rights body”, my emphasis.

How has “society” been misused here?
The speaker is referring to “society” in terms of a community or a collective group of people living together for a particular purpose – in the case above, people living in the North-east in India.

Unless the speaker is using “society” as a proper noun e.g. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – i.e. an actual club, association or body – s/he should not have included the definite article “the”.

How do we use “society” correctly?
Ask yourself: is a definite article (i.e. “a” or “the”) necessary for the purpose I intend?

E.g.

When referring to the companionship of a particular group:

• I enjoy the society of women. (Correct)
• I enjoy society of women. (Wrong)

 
When referring to an actual club, association or body:

• “Free access to this electronic resource over the Internet is another benefit of membership in the Society”. (Correct)
• Free access to this electronic resource over the Internet is another benefit of membership in Society. (Wrong)

 
When referring to a community or a collective group of people living together for a particular purpose (in the example below, Malaysians in Malaysia):

• Jealousy is not strong enough a reason for us to correct wealth inequality in society. (Correct)
• “Jealousy is not strong enough a reason for us to ‘correct’ wealth inequality in the society”. (Wrong)

 
Efficiency of non-standard use: Low; can lead to confusion.

Potential for adoption: DO NOT adopt – unless you want the society to crumble and die. (See what I mean?)

Have a good weekend and see you back here on Monday!